Feyre's POV:
I struggled climbing the cliffs. My weakened, horrible self was not strong. No I was weak, I would forever be weak.
Rhysand offered me a hand, I took it graciously and he hauled me up. I grunted, "We're going to see the Bone-Carver aren't we?" Rhysand glanced down at me, "Kana knows of him too?"
On the climb up I've been telling him small details that didn't matter anymore. Like all the times The Reaper took Kana to the prison multiple times to see the Bone-Carver.
Rhysand was not very happy after that. He grumbled about how the prison was supposed to be unbreachable. Yet clearly there was a flaw. Rhysand heaved me up one big side. I panted on my hands and knees. "I can't climb anymore."
"You don't have to, we're here." Rhysand said, giving me a hand and pulling me up. I stared up at the giant flat stone wall. Bones. My eyes widened. Giant gates of one were embedded into the rock.
I gripped Rhysands hand as we went down the stairs. My knees were shaky at first, Rhysand didn't ask me why I hated the underground. Instead he only gripped my hand a bit tighter in his.
I took a long drink of water. I sighed and screwed the lid on. "We have to be at the bottom by now."
"Past it actually. He is found far past the base of the mountain." I handed him the canteen, and he tucked it away in his bag. He didn't let go of my hand. Eventually he pulled to a stop in a circular gate made of bone. The door swung open and Rhysand slowly stepped inside.
"I've built all of the gates inside this place. Yet mine still remains my favorite." I followed the high lord inside. Rhysand smirked, "I have to agree."
Rhysand glanced at me, he nodded slightly. The carver came into the light slightly. He looked at me, "I have a few questions for you." He had bright bluish purple eyes and looked about like an eight year old.
"A question for a question." I said as Rhysand instructed me before we came. The carver looked over to Rhysand, "You always were smarter than your ancestors."
The bone carver looked at me. "Did you see anything in death?" I blinked and Rhysand stiffened. "No." The carver titled his head slightly. "The Reaper always understood our discussions. Be more specific."
"I shook my head, "It was just darkness, like I was floating through sparkling wine. Foggy." I tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear. "Was there anyone else there with you, did you see anything?"
"I didn't see anyone with me. But I felt this thing, I realized it was the strings of our bargain." I motioned to Rhysand. "I pulled on it, with what I guess was what was left of me. So I looked through his eyes." I pointed at Rhysand.
"And I saw that twisted form, and it was me. But more than that I felt and heard what everyone in the entirety of the human lands felt and thought in those four moments. I knew they thought I was only a twig."
The bone-carver asked, "Who is Kana's father?" I blinked, Rhysand seemed a bit put off. I swallowed and answered, "I'm not really sure. He always seemed like a rough topic for her, the last time we all talked about it. Nesta abited Kana into telling us that he was at least a Commander at one point, he's either dead, or moved up the ranks by now."
The boy's face was dull, "What happened in Spring Court, Feyre?" Rhysand snarled at him, the boy continued staring me down. I shifted closer to Rhysand. The carver tapped his wrist gently. Tik tok, he seemed to say through his eyes.
"Bad things." I said. The carver frowned, The carver looked me up and down, "Why do you want my help?" I answered as rhysand instructed. "We would like your assistance in figuring out what Hybern is planning."
"Why don't you ask Kana?" The carver's head tilted slightly. I swallowed, "She pulled her spies when she got word of something. I don't know what." The carver glared at me, "Or do you-"
"That's enough," Rhysand snarled. "A question for a question." Rhysand repeated. He tallied his fingers and held them up, "You've asked six."
The carver's lips pressed together tightly. He nodded for him to continue. Rhysand asked, "Who's been raiding the temples?"
"You know." The carver said. Rhysand declared, "Hybern."
The carver nodded, as Rhysand questioned. "What does he seek?" The carver glanced at me then went back to Rhysand. "Something long lost."
"The cauldron." Rhysand said sternly, I glanced at him. His face was tight with a silent rage. The carver nodded. "What does he plan to do with it?"
"Something horrible." The carver answered blatantly. Rhysand's lips pressed together in a thin line. "Where is it?"
"I do not know, it is shielded even from my sight." The carver declared. Rhysand asked, "What is going to happen?"
The carver raised his chin a bit, "A repeat of the war five hundred years ago." Rhysand declared, "Why now?" The boy's finger lifted and pointed at me. I shivered a bit. "The pieces of an ancient game long since played."
"Why does he want the cauldron?" Rhysand asked softer. The carver picked at his nails. "Tell me something you've never told anyone." I stiffened, the horrible things, the brutal things all upon which he could have done in five hundred years rushed to my mind.
"In the war I wrecked my right knee. Now everytime it rains it hurts." Rhysand explained. I blinked at him, and he glanced at me softly. "Should he use it the right way, he could bring down the wall."
"Is there something that could stop it?" Rhysand asked, he seemed desperate for an answer. The carver turned his gaze to me. The same process. I blinked, and crossed my arms, gripping my elbows.
"Tell me something you've never told anyone, Cursebreaker." The carver demanded softly. I thought back, I blinked. I exhaled and started, "In death, there was a choice." I continued as my voice shook. "I knew that if I wanted to, I could refuse the power they were giving me. I could die, and go on to whatever awaited me in the next life."
"Why didn't you?" The carver asked. I swallowed, "Because there was something tying me to this place. It's hard to explain. It wasn't our bargain bond, the thing between us." I motioned to Rhysand.
"It was like a power, a guiding hand gripped around me that wouldn't let go." My shaking hands somehow rolled up the sleeve on my left arm. "It left me this," Right on my shoulder was a marking. It looked like a brand. A spirit holding a sword, but the spirit had the wings of a bird. "When bad things are near me it burns. Telling me to run."
Rhysand looked pale. The carver answered, "A long time ago a book was made by the ancients. Built to combat the cauldron. Called the Book of Breathings; it was split into two pieces."
"Who has them?" Rhysand questioned. The carver was silent. Rhysand glared at me, "Don't you offer him one more-"
"The human queens have one half," The carver said. "The other half was given to the Summer Court to guard."
Rhysand nodded, he gripped my hand and dragged me out of the prison. We passed a door and I almost screamed.
Screeching echoed throughout the halls. My shoulder burned, it felt like it was on fire. Rhysand gripped my hand tighter and pulled me to the top. I didn't feel the burning stop until we exited the prison. Rhysand pulled up my sleeve and rubbed at my shoulder.
"Does it burn?" He rubbed his thumb over the rawness. I flinched as a spark of pain blasted through it. His touch softened quickly, his magic wrapped around my shoulder.
"What does it mean?" I whispered. Rhysand glanced at me, "It's important, I think. Amren will probably know more." I nodded, I spent the rest of the day in silence.
Hours later Mor popped into my room with cookies and molten chocolate. I ate with her while she talked. Mor glanced at me, "Who did you see the Carver as?"
I glanced at her, "This boy, he looked like he was about eight. He had bright blue-purple eyes."
"Sounds like a warning." Rhysand said from the door. I stared at him, "We're going to see Amren?" He nodded and Mor flicked her fingers winnowing the cookies and molten chocolate away.
Mor set a hand on my shoulder, "I'll see you later." She left quickly. Rhysand threw me a jacket. I blinked, no, it was my jacket. I threw the familiar leather over my shoulders.
"Where was it?" I mumbled. Rhysand glanced at me, "I don't know. Az went and looked for it, then found it. But he didn't say where it was."
I nodded. Rhysand glanced at me, "Do you want to train? Cassian would like to spar with you, he mentions it almost everyday if I've bothered to convince you yet."
I smirked, and shook my head. "I don't know if I can." Rhysand looked at me, he didn't say anything. I murmured, "When I first got to Spring court, in that first week." Rhysand was glaring at me.
I shoved my hands into my pockets to hide their shaking. "I barely remember it, like a fog settled over it." Rhysand's eyes flashed. "But I remember sparing with Lucien. And I brought the sword down, trying this fae technique Kana showed me a long time ago. And when I brought the sword down, it was like thunder."
I shuddered and Rhysand's glare only seemed harsher. "It came down, and the strength of it, whatever I figured out, completely shattered Lucien sword, and every single window, vase, china, or anything fragile shattered as well on the east side of the house."
I glanced at him, and his eyes softened. "Do you remember what you figured out?" I shook my head, "No."
Rhysand gripped my hand, "We'll figure it out." We appeared on the top level of a building. Rhysand knocked, I heard a snapping voice from the inside. "It better be good if you're bothering me at this hour, boy."
Rhysand entered, and I hesitantly followed him. Amren glared at him, her face was stone cold. She glanced at me and her gaze softened, if not by a hair. She pointed at a chair next to her, "Sit."
I sat and Rhysand stood on the other side of the table. I couldn't look at her as I rolled up my sleeve to show her the brand. She poked at it, I hissed as it started glowing. And burning. I bit into my lip, Amren pulled away.
The burning stopped. Rhysand asked, "What is it."
"It's a brand." Amren murmured, frowning at it. Rhysand snapped, "Obviously, but why does it hurt her?" Amren glanced at him, and she waved a book to her from a table. She flipped to a page.
"It's a warning." I swallowed and said, "From who?"
"The Mother," Amren said. "The last person to receive this was a Lady from Fionn's court. She ended up being the sister of the priestess to make the first made weapons."
"Which means what exactly?" I said, setting a hand on my shoulder.
Amren declared, "It is written that the sister of the priestess had this great power. No one had ever seen it before, it was called Raw Magic. Using this power, instead of using the cauldron, she could make, made weapons with her bare hands."
She shut the book and set it on the table. Amren nodded, she glanced at Rhysand. He shook his head. Amren looked to me, "It would do you some good to start training that power Feyre."
I rolled my sleeve down. Rhysand winnowed us home. Cassian, Mor, and Azriel were discussing something I didn't bother to pay attention to. Rhysand glanced at me, probably to ask to join them.
I turned toward the stairs, I heard Rhysand walk away. I made my way up the stairs, I clicked my doot shut. I glared at the floor urging my watery eyes to stop watering up. Walking forward I looked up. Only to be tackled to the ground.
I yelped as I went down, a giant furry body weighed me down. Shad licked my face furiously. I laughed, not a fake scheme. But a true cackling laugh. "Feyre?" Cassian questioned, he opened the door.
He looked down from where I was pinned on the floor to the giant beast above me. I pushed Shad's face away for him to stop licking. "Cassian, this is Shad, he is my friend."
Shad barked, it rattled the entire house. "Shhhh." I pet his face for him to quiet down. "Can I get up now you bug puppy?" He yipped quietly and grabbed my sleeve with his teeth. He pulled me up right.
Cassian ruffled the fur on Shad's head. "He fucking huge." Shad panted happily as Cassian pet him. I snorted, and plopped down on my bed. Shad took it as a sign to jump up with me.
Shad set his giant head in my lap. I played with his ears as I spoke, "He's shifted right now, so he's really small compared to his real form."
"What is his real form?" Cassian muttered, crossing his arms. I scratched shad's head, "His real form is about the size of a smaller horse."
Rhysand murmured from behind Cassian, "Hello Shad." He yipped at Rhysand and jumped down from the bed to go say hi. Rhysand scratched Shad's head, "Please tell me how you got into the house."
I muttered, "it was probably Ray who got him in." Rhysand glanced at me, "Ray is a Day Court naga wolf, so he probably used his power to negate the wards."
Cassian snorted, "They would be invaluable on a battlefield." Rhysand nodded, "I watch Gaia, the Spring Court naga wolf tear into Tamlin. You should have been there, it was hilarious."
Cassian laughed, "Wanna drink?" Cassian offered me. "I'm good but Shad might want to meet Az since they have similar powers." Shad yipped a gain and spun in a circle a few times. Impatient. I rolled my eyes and stood following the boys back downstairs.
Shad pressed close to my legs. I murmured so only he would hear, "Shad how would one learn magic?"
Hey guys! I'm so sorry for not updating sooner. School is very hectic at the moment so Im happy I was at least able to post a chapter. I hope everyone is having a good September!
Happy reads everyone!
: Dragon-Fly