RHYSAND
There is a soft rap on the door.
Who in their right mind would even dare to disturb us after what I had been through yesterday?
I rose silently, careful not to wake Feyre and then decided it would be better not to create any unnecessary noise by opening the door. I grinned as I materialised outside behind the disturber.
"Don't" I hissed in warning as he lifted his hand to tap again.
Aeden spun around in shock and I moved swiftly to the side, dodging the offensive onslaught of his fist.
As soon as he recognised it was me he straightened and grinned at me, looking down at my shirtless disheveled appearance. He raised an eye brow in question and then wiggled both of them at me suggestively.
I straightened and glared at him, mostly out of frustration that his assumptions weren't true.
"Well that is going to make Calanmai a whole lot less complicated now" he chuckled.
Bastard, if his grin was any wider his mouth would take up his entire face.
I winced and shook my head. If only it were that simple.
Calanmai. I sighed despondently. I hoped she would forgive me for what I was planning.
"Call a meeting of the inner council Aeden. We will in an hour in the vault. Be discreet."
He nodded and left.
I sensed that Feyre was stirring and quietly opened the door, walking silently back over to the bed.
When I had left she had been curled in a small ball at the edge of her side of the bed. Her side. I felt my heart warm at that, the thought of her having a side, waking up to those soft messy curls framing her face every single day. In the time since I had left her, she had rolled over on to her tummy in the middle of the bed, her arms reached out horizontally and her legs splayed out diagonally, taking up most of the space. She had somehow managed to replace me and was spooning two pillows. My pillows. Meaning she now had all four of them to herself. The doona cover had wrapped around her as she rolled and she had gathered it tightly to her, leaving most of the rest of the bed stripped bare. There was no room for me. She had completely taken over my entire bed and it was adorable.
I knelt down at the side of the bed and rested my head down on my folded arms so that I was looking straight at her. She opened her eyes from the pressure of me leaning on the mattress and offered me a sleepy smile. Her smile turned into a confused frown as she noticed that I was kneeling on the floor.
"Rhys, what are you doing over there?"
"Trying to find somewhere to sleep" I said with a soft chiding voice.
"And wondering where I can get another pillow from."
Feyre's eyes flew open as she realised how completely she had taken over my entire bed.
I expected her to apologise but instead she fixed me with a satisfied smirk and then stretched out languidly on the bed, taking up even more room than before.
"Are you going to let me back in?" I growled playfully.
"That depends, what will you give me?"
I tried not break character by smiling at her tenacity.
"What do you want?"
She tossed the blankets aside and smiled darkly at me. I could smell what she wanted. I could also feel it overwhelmingly through our bond. Her need was like liquid fire coursing through me, making me throb and ache. I groaned out loud.
"I want you" she said quietly.
You already have me. I sent, moving forward and leaning down to softly kiss her lips.
She growled in protest as I pulled back, grabbing me and pulling me back down on to her.
I kissed her deeply before pulling back again, this time evading her reaching hands.
Rhys, why not?
Because you almost died yesterday and you're still barely even fit to stand.
"Why can't you just heal me?"
"Because, magic can't heal magic and you almost burnt yourself out"
"Oh...am I going to get better?"
I chuckle quietly and ruffle her hair.
"Only if you rest and don't over exert yourself" I say smugly.
She scowls at me and manages to look gorgeous doing it.
She shoots me one final glare and then collapses back on the bed and pouts, closing her eye.
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FEYRE
I throw myself back on the bed and pout, feeling rejected and knowing that it won't get me anywhere. I close my eyes hoping that if I shut out Rhysand's gorgeous muscular chest that I will be able to calm the tortuous pounding that is coursing through my body.
Jerk.
I smirk knowing he probably heard that. Serves him right.
A small growl lets me know that I was correct.
I gasp as I feel my shift tugged up so that it is bunched just below my breasts. I look down as Rhysand kneels over me, his hot mouth trailing teasing kisses down my stomach. His mouth is driving me crazy. I can't tell if he's using his lips or tongue or teeth as he firmly pins down my hips with his hands and moves ever so slowly downwards. I am panting loudly by the time he reaches my belly button and teasingly pauses, before continuing down to the start of my panties. I grasp the sheet in balled up fists beside me as he rubs his nose softly up and down over the outside of my panties, before groaning loudly as he abruptly stops.
"RHYS! No!" I pant as I look down at him in outrage.
He chuckles laying down on on top of me so that we are now eye to eye.
"Why would you do that?" I whine.
"Because...." he pants.
"I wanted you to feel how frustrated I am going to be every single minute from now until you recover" he growls and bites down possessively on my neck.
I yelp out from the sweet pain and pleasure of it and run my nails down his bare back.
"Behave" he all but snarls as he pulls back from me, standing up and levelling me with a frustrated glare.
I fold my arms in protest but then grin knowingly.
"Well I guess Calanmai is only three nights away anyway" I huff, looking at him from beneath my lashes.
He takes a deep breath and won't look me in the eye.
"Rhys...?"
"I have to go" he says, all warmth and playfulness gone.
Back is the moody, snarky dark Lord of Night that I first met.
He looks at me and I can feel that he is holding something back.
He turns to leave but then spins back, placing a short fierce kiss on my lips.
Then he is gone and I feel like it is the herald of a greater parting.
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AEDEN
We gathered in the bowels of the earth. Beneath the night Manor was an intricate warren of tunnels, cells and rooms that had been crafted out of the ancient catacombs. The vault is the most secret of theses places. Centuries ago Rhysand had instructed me to form a secret network across Prythian. My prior work as an emissary had given me the skills I needed to spend decades watching and waiting before hand picking the five additional members that now stood within the vault. A member for each court of Prythian. I had sent the secret summons and they had answered. Some of them High Lords, some not. All cloaked, their identities hidden even from each other incase they were caught and tortured for information. A necessary precaution given the dark history between Prythian and Hybern. Each had been tested extensively before being being offered membership. As a final test each had lowered the walls of their mind and allowed Rhysand absolute access into their thoughts to prove they were true and would not betray us.
Rhysand had never used that privilege with any of them since. He trusted them completely and we served him unfailingly. There was an expectant silence in the chamber as he finally entered. He was wearing his finest black shirt and pants. He stood tall and formidable as he threw back his hood and nodded respectfully to each of the hooded figures in the room and then cleared his throat.
"Thank you all for coming at such short notice" be began.
"As you would be aware the threat from Hybern continues. The King has been sending the Attor in search of the Night amulet and it has been found."
The slight in-drawing of several breaths were the only sound in the room.
"I procured the amulet from Amarantha's rooms in the early hours after her execution and had kept it in hiding. A fortnight ago emissaries from the Autumn Court came here in search of the Amulet at the bequest of the Attor. They were adamant it was here. Together with a traitor within my court the schemed, not just to find the Amulet, but to take The Campion back to Hybern".
Dark mutterings followed.
"Naturally I intervened. I killed the traitor and sent his head as a message to those bastard Autumn Princes. However, I also returned The Campion to Spring and went off on a secret mission, leaving my court un-warded and free to be searched and found lacking in the days that followed."
"The amulet was not in the Night Court... because I sent it to Spring with The Champion."
More hushed murmurings followed.
"As you may have heard, this week there was an accident."
There was a mixture of nodding and shaking of hooded heads around the circle.
"The Campion was wearing the amulet in the Night Mines and came in contact with The Alter."
Astonished gasps filled the chamber. Rhysand continued before their questioning began.
"The Champion was harmed almost to the point of burn out. Contact with the amulet's source accelerated her power's awakening. She is stronger than any High Fae I have ever encountered. Including myself. But she is untrained and open to influence."
More shocked silence follows.
"There has been one other minor complication..." he continued hesitantly.
"She is my mate...and it is Calanmai this week"
An outcry of muttering ensues and finally one bold voice rises from the circle.
"Your Darkness, does Tamlin know?"
Rhysand stands taller squaring his chest and lifting his head high.
"He does now" his quiet commanding voice confirms.
"This will cause a civil war" someone else states out of shock. All heads around the circle nod fervently in agreement.
Rhysand too nods his head slowly.
"Unless she goes back to Spring and doesn't participate in the Rite" he offers quietly.
All around silence falls upon the room. We are all startled by his suggestion. Young, arrogant and aggressive he may be, yet a calculated mind often shows through.
"Would you do it" asks a soft hushed voice.
All eyes fall upon Rhysand and wait.
He gives one curt nod and the room lets out a sigh of relief.
"When will she be ready to join us and fight?" someone else asks.
Again we wait.
Only I know that Rhys pauses out of pain. He must know that eventually we will all have to fight but like any other fae he wants to protect his mate.
"I need three months" he finally growls.
"But we don't have that long" I hear my own treacherous thought escape me before I can pull it back.
Rhysand smirks at me, knowing that I want to take the words back.
"Then we will do, what we must, when the time comes" he says quietly.
The council continued for some time. We had met but briefly since the end of Amarantha's rule and there was much to discuss of the political state of each court.
Two hours later everyone had left and Rhysand and I sat alone in the Vault in silence.
"Why are you doing this?" I ask gently.
He looks up at me with a raw pain I have never seen before on his face.
"Because some things are more important than what I want."
"Such as?" I prompt him.
"Such as protecting my people and all of Prythian from that Hybern bastard."
I watch as something desperate and crazy swirls in his eyes.
"I won't be taken again, Aeden... I ...I don't think I could survive that."
"This time we will all be ready for the fight" I reply.
He nods and with that confirmation I can feel the crows of war gathering.
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Hi Everyone,
Hope this is all coming together ok - hit me up if parts of the plot don't make sense.
Also sorry for the tease but nobody is getting their clothes off just yet! haha... and just so you aren't terribly disappointed in the future I think (if) they do it will be pretty tame. Not saying Rhys and Feyre won't have hot moments but I don't particularly feel comfortable writing anything too smutty and I would also like to keep the language and graphics similar to ACOTAR.
If you were hoping otherwise maybe try reading "A Court of Smut and Moaning" ... Jks! there is no such Wattpad story (unless one of you would like to write it... and then I would probably read it LOL).
Anyway - hope you enjoyed this chapter!
Till next time,
Spinlight xo