Wildfire and Stars Eternal

Chapter 24: The Deal

As we flew back to Velaris, I had a strange sense of deja-vu. 

"This feels familiar," I muttered to Rhys. He chuckled. 

"What, the tracking of magic? Finding shelter in that cabin? Facing certain doom?" While the words were serious, I could see he was trying to make light of the situation. I poked his chest lightly. 

"The first two, yes," I replied. I glanced over his shoulder again, but the cabin was long gone. "Do you think she was right? About Deanna making her destroy Prythian and Erilea?" 

"I think that Deanna believes she can," Rhys said as we soared over the Night Court. "But Aelin is one of the strongest-willed people I've met. If there's a way she can beat it, I think she will."

"I think so too." We stayed quiet until Velaris came into view, Az a few meters behind us. 

The minute we touched down in front of the river-house, Mor was running towards us. 

"What's wrong?" I demanded, meeting her halfway when I saw the look on her face. 

"Hellas is awake, and he's becoming increasingly erratic." She looked at Rhys when he came to stand next to me. "He started attacking the walls of his cell." 

"Did he get out?" Rhys asked, reaching a hand out for me and the other for her. Mor latched onto it with no hesitation, and Rhys winnowed us all to the Court of Nightmares. 

"Nearly," Mor continued when we materialized in the dark halls. "The guards subdued him, but he took out three of them before they called for backup." She paused as we stopped outside Hellas' cell. "They broke his legs to keep him down." 

Rhys growled low in his throat. "Let's see if he's ready to cooperate now." He waved his hand, and the complicated locks of the door grinded against each other, the cogs clicking out of place before the door swung open. 

Hellas kneeled in the center of the room, his long black hair matted to his face and shoulders. He raised his head as we entered, and I saw a massive purple bruise had formed on his cheek. To my ultimate satisfaction, it looked like my wedding ring had left a rather nasty-looking cut on the cheekbone. 

"Ah, the rabble's returned," Hellas said, his grin a slash of white across his dirty face. "Come to torture me some more? As I've said before, nothing will-" 

"Actually," Rhys interrupted loudly. "I'm here to make a bargain." 

Mor and I glanced at each other at the same moment. What is this fool doing now? She seemed to ask me. I gave a barely perceptible shrug. 

"What kind of bargain, High Lord?" Hellas asked, his grin turning to a scowl. "You have nothing to offer me in return for the information you need." 

"Oh, it's no longer information I need. I only require a good story," Rhys said, squatting to Hellas' eye level. "We know what Deanna plans to do with Aelin." 

Hellas snarled, his head jerking to the left to glare at the wall. "Let me guess. That pathetic Light Goddess cracked?" 

"So it's true, then?" Mor asked. "Deanna can control Aelin?" 

Hellas laughed. "She can do more than that, woman." 

"Yes, we know she can supposedly control the magic Aelin stole from the Cauldron," I said, keeping my tone even and moving forward to stand next to Rhys. "The real question is, can she actually force her to destroy an entire world?" 

Hellas jerked forward so fast, none of us saw it coming. He stopped an inch away from me, teeth bared in my face as he strained against his chains. Rhys shot to his feet, fists clenched and wings flared. 

"You think you're so smart, High Lady," Hellas hissed. To my own credit, I didn't blanch from his nearness, though I could feel Rhys next to me, stiff as stone. "You think you know of Deanna's plan. You don't know the half of it." He finally leaned back again, sagging to the floor with a groan. 

"Then tell us. Tell us her plan," Rhys said, slowly loosening his fists. 

"And what will I get in return, High Lord?" Hellas asked, his voice barely a whisper. 

What are you doing? I asked Rhys. He didn't answer me. Instead, he leaned down toward Hellas, his hands clasped behind his back. 

"If you tell me Deanna's plan, and help us save Prythian, then I will tell you where the Queen of Terrasen is hiding." 

Huntress Feyre cosplay by courts.collection!!

I found this drawing I made of Feyre from the first time I read the books. I had totally forgotten that the entire time I was reading the series for the first time...I thought the Illyrians had angel wings. Like feathered. So I drew Feyre with these massive feathered black wings. I have no idea how I missed that the first time around, SJM literally compares them to bat wings like MULTIPLE times. I guess I'm just blind XD

Also I've always pictured Feyre being left-handed. There's a lot of hints to it in the books. She reaches for the levers Under The Mountain with her left hand, and she paints with her left hand in ACOFAS.