Aelin
Our time spent in the Illyrian Mountains was rejuvenating. After my confrontation with the warriors, they were effectively cowed and didn't offer any further resistance. Following our exchange of secrets, a new confidence had bloomed within Cassian that allowed him to settle in our mating bond more securely than before.
The six of us spent the night in the cabin swapping stories from our own training days. I was completely unsurprised to hear that Cassian had been a cocky little shit, even when he had nothing, almost falling off my chair when he said he'd beat Rhys bloody when he first met him. Of course, Rowan pointed out that I was no better considering I had initiated a brawl with a fully trained fae warrior while drunk off my ass. I politely ignored the roars of laughter that little story received. Thankfully, Mor immediately jumped in with some less than flattering stories about all three of my Night Court mates and their activities. She was a godsdamn blessing.
Everything about the evening was warm and bright. Contentment wrapped around our every interaction as securely as Az's shadows surrounded him. Though I'd never say it aloud, because Rowan might kill me, I could see him slowly developing bonds of brotherhood with my other mates. He regarded them with a newfound respect that warmed my heart. They even invited him to their yearly Winter Solstice snowball fight. Upon hearing their explanation of the event, I insisted on attending as well.
Sadly, the jovial mood could only last so long. As soon as we arrived back at the House of Wind, Amren informed us that the Mortal Queens had sent word. We had to leave soon after.
Mor carried the orb; Cassian carried her. Rhysand held me tightly, Az and Rowan flying close by. The silence was ominous as we went to show the queens a secret they'd all suffered for so long to keep.
Far too soon, we stood in the sitting room of the abandoned mortal estate. I once again wore a flowing gown of chiffon and silk with a delicate diadem perched on my brow. But this time, I allowed the strength of my allegiance to the Night Court show in the pure Onyx fabric of my gown.
I stood beside Rhysand, Cassian and Azriel flanking us tightly - unified, brutal, relentless; a wave crashing upon the store, only to return even stronger.
Only the eldest and the golden-haired queens came this time. Escorted by just as many guards as before.
The eldest queen slid her sharp eyes over us, our formation, my gown, and merely sat without our bidding, the skirts of her burgundy gown fanning around her. The golden queen remained standing a moment longer, angling her curly head ever so slightly when our eyes met. A twitch of her lips later and she claimed the seat beside her companion.
Rhys didn't so much as nod as he greeted them, "We appreciate you taking the time to see us again."
The ancient queen surveyed us all with narrowed eyes, resting a simmering glare on me as she let out a huff. "After being so gravely insulted the last time ..." I met her gaze, unblinking, as she clicked her tongue. "We debated for many days on returning. As you can see, there were some who found the insult to be unforgivable."
Humming in contemplation, I said, "If that is the worst insult any of you have ever received, I'd say you're in for quite a shock when war comes."
The golden queen's lips twitched again. She purred to me, "So it's true. Three monsters laid claim to your heart, Emissary?"
I tilted my head, correcting her, "Four actually." Surprise and delight flashed across her eyes before they shaded.
Mor jumped in, much more diplomatically. "I do not think," she said, "that it was mere coincidence that the Cauldron let them find each other on the eve of war returning between our two peoples."
"The Cauldron?" The golden one queried, "Our people do not invoke a Cauldron; our people do not have magic -"
"Don't they?" I asked.
Silence sliced through the room, sharper than any blade.
The ancient queen barked at me, "What, exactly, does that mean, Emissary?"
My lips curled upward in a smile, and it was not a pleasant thing. "I have known many humans who possess magic, or used to. Just as I have known fae without," I said. I looked sharply at the ancient queen, who paled at my next words. "It is curious how you have not experienced that during your reign."
The golden queen snarled at me, barely maintaining her bravado, "You lie."
"Do I? Perhaps you should take a closer look at your history books," I taunted.
The golden queen was prepared to continue this debate, but was cut off by the ancient queen. "It is of no consequence," she snapped. "Do you have the proof we asked for?" The sharp look she received from her companion had me smirking internally. The seed was planted, only time would tell if it was enough.
In a desperate bid to keep the vipers from seeing the goodness that was Velaris, Cassian jumped in. "Is our Emissary's love for the High Lord and his court not proof enough of our good intentions? Does our care and protection for her not speak to you? We have made every effort to ensure your comfort, meeting here in the mortal lands. We stand for all of us."
The ancient one sneered, "Proof of her idiocy, perhaps."
I stilled, fighting to keep the killing calm from my veins. "You know nothing," I replied bluntly. Fury filled her eyes.
The younger one interrupted before she could reply, waving her elegant hand towards the box on Mor's lap. "Show us, then. Prove that we are wrong." Prove that I am right, her golden eyes pleaded.
Rhys gave Mor a subtle nod, and I had to grit my teeth at the violation of showing them the treasure that was Velaris. At risking the home of my family.
You know that war is sacrifice, Rhys said into my mind, I would rather gamble Velaris than risk losing Prythian - or you. My chest caved painfully at his words.
Mor opened the lid of the box, revealing the silver orb that glimmered like starlight. "This is Veritas," Mor explained in a voice I understood well. "The gift of my first ancestor to our bloodline. We have only unleashed it a few times in the history of Prythian."
She lifted the orb from its velvet nest, settled in her palms as if it were an integral part of her being. She pulsed with more power than I had ever seen her display, as if a vital part of her became unlocked as soon as she made contact with the ancient artifact.
"Truth can be deadly, but it can also mean freedom. Truth can break and mend and bind. The Veritas holds in it the truth of all it has seen, of the world. I am the Morrigan," she proclaimed in a voice that was both hers and not. She glowed with that same strange, pulsing power. "I speak the truth."
She set the orb in between our two groups, and both queens leaned forward. A blanket of silence settled over the room.
Finally, Rhys spoke. "You desire proof of our goodness, of our intentions, so you may trust the Book in our hands?" The Veritas began pulsing stronger, a web of light spreading with each throb. "There is a place within my lands. A city of peace. And art. And prosperity. I will show it to you - show you the truth of my words, and the place within the orb itself."
Mor stretched out a hand, and a pale cloud rose from the orb, merging with the light. As the clouds continued roiling, leaking free from the orb, a picture appeared.
It was Velaris, as seen from above - as seen by Rhys as he captured the vision that was the City of Starlight. It shot past boats and piers, past the homes and streets and theaters that I was just beginning to know. Past the Rainbow of Velaris, the precious art district of the city, colorful and lovely in the warm sun. People, happy and welcoming and safe, waved to him as he passed. Moment after moment, images of the Palaces, the restaurants, even the House of Wind. All of the secret wondrous city, my mates home.
And through whatever strange power, the Veritas was able to convey the love the city contained. The love and the pure desire to protect and defend.
The image faded, all of the light and color sucked back into the orb.
"That was Velaris," Rhys murmured. "For five thousand years, my court has kept it a secret from outsiders. Now you know. That is what I protect with the rumors, the whispers, the fear. Why I fought for your people in the War - only to begin my own perceived reign of terror once I ascended my thrown, and encouraged the legends to spread far and wide. I know how I am perceived, but if the cost of protecting my city and people is the contempt of the world, I will gladly accept it.
Both queens were still gaping at where the image had been, as if they could still see the city. Mor cleared her throat, and the golden one startled, dropping an ornate lace handkerchief on the ground. I narrowed my eyes as she leaned to pick it up, seeming to struggle to properly grasp it.
The crone raised her eyes to us. "Your trust is ... appreciated."
We waited.
The crone's face was grace, unmoved. The younger queen blank.
The elder added at last, "We will consider."
"There is no time to consider," Mor shot back. "Every day lost is another day Hybern gets closer to taking innocent lives."
"We will discuss amongst our companions, and inform you at our leisure."
The crone was smug. Heat licked at the base of my spine.
"Do you not understand the risks you bring upon yourselves the longer you delay?" Rhys asked, words threaded with shock and desperation.
The ancient bitch shrugged her frail shoulders. The glint in her eye sunk to the bottom of my stomach like a heavy stone. She condescended, "Did you think we would be so moved by your letter, your plea?" She jerked her chin towards one of the guards, and he reached into his armor to pull out a folded letter. The crone read, "I write to you not as a High Lord, but as a male in love with a human female. I write to you to beg you to act quickly. To save her people - to save her family, and to help save my own. I write to you knowing I am not the only male desperately in love with this female, and that in itself offers hope for our two worlds. With only the desperate dream that our two people may one day know peace. So there may come a day that I will be able to live in a world where my own people and the people of the woman I love can live in harmony. A better world, a more complete world." She set down the letter.
My heart felt set to burst free from my chest at the loving words from my mate. In fact, love was hardly an accurate description of what I felt for this male, for all of these males. They were a part of me, as integral to my survival as the blood that flowed through my veins and the air that filled my lungs. I said nothing, instead reaching over, brushing my fingertips across the back of his hand until our fingers were intertwined. These foul women did not deserve to witness the boundless depths of devotion we held for each other.
Then the ancient one said, "Who is to say that this is not all some grand manipulation?"
"What?" Cassian blurted out.
The golden one nodded, stating blandly, "A great many things have changed. You claim so-called friendships with our ancestors. How are we to truly know the current state of affairs? Perhaps allegiances have shifted. Perhaps the High Lord has crept into our minds to make us believe we fight for the same goal."
Clever thing.
I slid into Rhys's mind, urging him to be silent, and he was - we all were. Until Azriel said too softly, "This is the talk of madwomen. Of arrogant, stupid fools."
Rhys held up a hand to silence him. But Az stalked forward a step, face white with rage. "You will damn her. You will damn her and all of her people - your people. Give us the Book."
The queens blinked. The crone stiffened, narrowing her eyes to me. The golden one slid a split second glance towards me.
I winked.
Az snapped, "Give us the Book."
Fed up, the old bitch hissed, "No."
The word clanged through the space, the force resounding in my chest like a physical blow, even as an anticipated one.
Az looked prepared to rage, but I released my hold on Rhys's hand to step towards him, settling him with a hand pressed to his chest. He stilled.
"Well then, it looks like we have nothing further to discuss," I stated. I felt the shock emanate from my family as they startled at my words. I didn't look away from the queens. "If you will not risk your own necks in defense of your people, then we will do what we must to give them, to give this world a fighting chance."
I locked eyes with the crone, a snake stalking a rabbit. I smiled. "I do hope you've chosen the right path," I purred.
Uncertainty flashed across her eyes before they hardened once more. Without signal, the two women rose. Stiffly announcing, "We will now return to our palace to deliberate with our sisters."
"You're already going to say no," Mor pushed.
The golden one smirked, looking directly at me. "Perhaps." She grasped the withered hand beside her.
The ancient queen lifted her chin at Rhys, "We appreciate the gesture of your trust."
"One last thing." They stopped in their tracks, turning to me. I only focused on the too-bright eyes that were watery with age. "You should start praying to whatever greater power exists that you will emerge victorious from the coming battle, and that I do not, because if I do ..." A dark chuckle escaped me. "I'll be coming for you next."
"Is that a threat?" she demanded, all forced bravado. Her quivering chin betrayed her.
"I don't make threats, only promises," I warned.
I pulled a minuscule amount of flames into my gaze, and the pathetic worm couldn't completely hide her gasp of fear. Without another word she turned back to her golden companion, and they were gone.
Cassian swore behind me, and Rhys attempted to get my attention. But my eyes were locked on the chair where the golden queen had been seated.
Beneath it, previously hidden by her voluminous skirts, was a box. A box that she had removed from wherever she was hiding it when she'd leaned down to pick up her handkerchief. I was just thankful everyone else had been oblivious to her actions.
Stalking over, I smoothly picked it up and set it on the chair, turning back to the rest of my family as comprehension dawned. Flipping back the lid, I saw the note that lay atop the golden metal of the book.
I read aloud.
I read your letter. About the woman you all love. I believe you. And I believe in peace.
I believe we can make a better world.
If anyone asks, you stole this during the meeting.
Do not trust the others. The sixth queen was not ill.
So nothing I didn't already know, although the fact it was written prior to our meeting provided the smallest kernel of hope. I lifted my gaze, locking eyes with each of my mates, with my adopted sister. Relief and triumph was clear in their eyes, in their slightly slumped posture. My stomach tightened at being the bearer of bad news once again.
"We are going to have to work quickly. The mortal queens have allied themselves with Hybern."