A Court of Flowers and Stars

Chapter 20

I woke up early and slipped out from Nyx's embrace. I pulled on some comfortable clothes and took a belt of daggers before winnowing to the forest in Hybern.

I sat on the ground, crossing my legs, and waiting for him to show up.

I don't know how long I sat there waiting but he eventually walked into the burnt clearing. Looking at him in person it was obvious we were related, he looked similar but while I inherited my mother's brown hair and eyes, he got our fathers blonde hair and green eyes.

"Megan," he greeted.

"Hello, I hear you are my twin," I said, I had no idea what else to say.

"That I am, my name is Theo." He replied with a small smile.

"Why are you burning down this forest?" I asked.

"Why revenge of course." He laughed.

"Why do you want revenge on me, what have I ever done to you?" I asked, almost yelling.

"Because of you and your perfectness I got taken away from my home!" He yelled back.

I stared at him in shock, I had no clue what he meant.

"And now I am going to use my knowledge of you to destroy you." He sneered.

Azriel appeared just in time to snap ash wood cuffs onto him and winnow him away.

I turned to Nyx who I knew was behind me and wrapped my arms tightly around his middle.

"Hush now, it is ok." He whispered into my hair.

I hadn't even noticed him winnowing us back to Velaris until we were sat on the bed, me in his lap.

"How did you figure out where I was?" I asked once my tears had dried.

"It was pretty obvious; you find out you have a twin then the next morning you are gone." He replied with a small laugh.

"Megan, I'm going to talk to your brother, do you want to come?" Rhys asked as he appeared in the doorway.

I stood up and nodded. He gripped my arm and winnowed us to the dungeon I was in when he first caught me.

Theo was chained to the wall, but he was fully clothed.

I leant against the back wall, just like Rhys did while Azriel questioned me. Rhys stood right in front of Theo; arms crossed.

"How did you know the fires would hurt her?" Rhys asked.

"My power is fire; our grandmother was from the Autumn Court. I also have a bit of the wind gift Megan does, though not enough for it to be of any use to me. if I was ever playing with my powers while it was windy, I could hear the wind screaming. I felt Megan's power fully awaken and I knew her connection to the wind was stronger than mine, even as children she would chat with it. I took a guess." He replied with a sneer.

"Why are you blaming me for being the one our aunt chose?" I asked.

"You were so prim and proper while she visited, the perfect polite princess." He snapped.

"I can't even remember it, Tamlin had my mind wiped of you and her, I only learnt you existed yesterday. I'm sorry that you got taken to Hybern, but if I'm being honest, you should be glad that you didn't have to live in the manor. Tamlin was an awful father." I replied.

"He was an incredible father until he was ripped away!" He yelled at me.

"Listen, I know you think that, but after he killed mother, he changed. He tortured me weekly, brain washed me, set up a brutal training regime that usually ended with me breaking something. If I cried, I got beaten. If I screamed, I got whipped. He made me into an assassin, and when I couldn't kill someone, he decided he wanted me dead, the only reason I'm alive is because Rhysand took me in and kept me safe." I explained, hoping to reason with him.