A Court of Song and Shadow

Chapter 63

Rhysand waits with the other Illyrian soldiers since his father decided to enter his war tent--and did not come out. They were supposed to wait for his orders as to where they were to be stationed, but his father had been in his tent for hours with no explanation. With the soldiers laughing and beginning to drink beside him, Rhysand finally gets up from his seat to enter his father's tent. He knew his father would be angry at him for entering without permission but he was growing restless.

Rhysand enters the tent--and looks around in confusion at the empty tent. His father was not here, but he saw him enter and never leave.

Rhysand lets out a hiss of pain and looks down at his arm.

His heart drops as he watches the black band of ink around his arm begin to disappear.

It was the ink that was formed when his sister made that promise before the final battle against Hybern--the promise to always find their way back to one another.

Rhysand lets out a shout of pain and he grabs onto the edge of the desk as a vast amount of powers join with his own.

Shadows form on his father's desk and a letter appears with familiar handwriting.

Handwriting that he taught to his sister.

He grabs the envelope and rips it open to read it.

Brother,

Words cannot describe how much I love you. You have been there for me through everything and I will forever be grateful for you. If you are reading this, it means I am no longer alive, but it does not mean I am no longer here. I will always be with you. I know it will take a very long time to get over my death, but I need you to keep pushing, for me, for the city, for our people. You are going to be the most amazing High Lord, and one of my only regrets in life is that I will not be there to see it. And that I will not there to meet your future mate that you always talk about (you better make her High Lady like we have talked about), you are going to make the absolute best husband and father .

I know you are somehow going to blame yourself for my death, but no matter what, it is not your fault, Rhys. I do not fear death, so just know I was not scared in my last few moments. I will finally be reunited with my sisters. Just know I could not have asked for a better brother--a better partner in crime than you.

I left you a list of ideas for when you are High Lord.

Do not forget that the stars listen, Rhys, and if you tell them your dreams they will answer. They answered all of mine, even if I died in the end, I died happy. Know that I died with love in my heart and knowing that I was loved by all of you.

And now that I am apart of the stars, I will always listen.

PS: Make sure Bryaxis does not get lonely in the library.

Love,

Velaris.

Rhysand lets the letter fall from his hands and it does not even hit the ground before he launches himself into the sky--launches himself right through the top of the tent. He begins to fly, and then quickly winnows to the camp where his mother and sister were supposed to meet him. He winnows in the middle of the camp and screams at the Illyrian soldiers--demanding where his mother and sister were.

"I saw them walk to the river to get more water." One of the Illyrians tells him.

"And did they return?" Rhysand demands. Some of the Illyrian soldiers look at one another as they realize that they never saw the two females return to their tent. Rhysand breaks off into a sprint to get to the river.

He freezes at the smell of blood--and death.

And he falls to his knees as he takes in the two wingless--and headless bodies that lay in front of him.