The Illyrian Warrior

Chapter Nineteen

Davina's eyes fluttered awake. The lights of the room were too bright and blinding. She brought her arm up to cover her eyes. Where was she? In a flash, she remembered everything, the pain, the fear, Wren. Oh cauldron was she still in the mountains? Had she fallen asleep in that tree?

Davina's eyes slowly adjusted to the light. Four people stood at the foot of her bed. Cassian, Nesta, Rhysand and Azriel. This bed...it was not her own. No, it was the same one she woke up in all those months ago.

"Rise and shine", Rhysand said.

Davina groaned, wanting nothing more than to fall back asleep. Instead, she forced herself to sit up.

"What happened?" She grumbled.

It wasn't merely a question about what happened at her camp, she remembered that painfully too well. It was a question about how she got here, how much time had passed, was Nesta's friends okay?

"I brought you here after I found you in the mountains", Rhysand said smoothly.

"How long has it been?" Davina asked.

Her wounds were fully healed, not a lick of blood was in sight. Davina looked at her hands, two huge siphons lay atop them, they gleamed golden, like her mother's and by the weight around her neck, Davina assumed one more lay there. Three siphons?

"Seems you're more of a warrior than we first thought", Cassian said almost proudly.

Davina inspected the siphons closer, the way they shimmered in the sun, the yellow glow that reminded her of Wren's beautiful hair. Her heart clenched. Wren was gone, completely gone, Davina had no way to rescue her from death. Davina had no more revenge to seek, she had killed her father in that initial blast, a too quick death for everything he had done.

"You've been out for about a week", Rhysand said, "Winter Solstice is tomorrow".

"Winter Solstice?" Davina said scrunching her brows.

She must of missed out on a lot. Davina sat up further and tentatively, she was surprised she found no pain in her ribs or thighs. But her back, it stung, it stung badly, Davina knew the word her father carved into her back would scar.

"What did I miss?" Davina asked, trying to take her mind off of the lingering pain in her back.

"Well Nesta and her friends completed the Illyrian Blood Rite", Cassian said smiling proudly.

Davina looked to Nesta who stood regally beside Cassian, "you did?"

Nesta let herself smile slightly, "it wasn't easy but it was nice to show the Illyrian males that we were just as good".

Davina smiled, "that's amazing! I hope nobody got too hurt".

Nesta shook her head, "everyone is okay".

Davina exchanged congratulations with Nesta. Only one person in the room was yet to speak. He loomed their silently, watching, too much like the shadowsinger she first met, not the Azriel she had started to fall in love with.

"Rhysand has a son", Cassian said casually.

"Your baby was born!" Davina said practically jumping with excitement, "what's his name?"

"Nyx", Rhysand said, the ghost of a smile on his face, as if picturing the child now.

"I have to meet him sometime", Davina said smiling with genuine joy, "perhaps Cassian and I can show him how to fight".

Rhys rolled his eyes, "Cassian already said as much. You do realise he is a baby. No fighting until he is at least twenty".

Cassian pouted, "I have to wait twenty years!"