The Son of Night & Spring

Chapter Six

Lotus woke up to darkness.

The sheets of the bed soaked with sweat as he sat up, wincing as his body ached to the sudden move. He felt weak and yet at the same time strong. His body trembled with new power as he walked to the bath.

Washing himself with cold water woke him, the sweet scented oils relaxing his muscles.

He could feel every water droplet as it ran down his skin as he stepped out. Ignoring the mess he made when he pulled the curtains open.

No light came in as it was five in the morning. Either way he drank in the view of how the Court of Dreams, which was always dancing, singing, buzzing, humming with life- stop as the oblivion of darkness and sleep took over.

Just for those few seconds, Lotus could understand why they thought the City was beautiful.

He enjoyed the stillness, the quiet.

Lotus dried himself, sliding on an emerald button up shirt with dark walnut pants, Pulling his hair into a man-bun as he prepared himself.

In a few hours, he would travel to the Spring Court, for in two days, starting today, Calanmai would start. And Lotus will perform in the Great Rite in front of Fire Night.

***

As he walked through the dark halls of the House of Wind, the sun was starting to rise over the Mountains, shining over Velaris. The City once silent and calm, buzzing with excitement again.

When he opened the door to the main room, it laid empty as no one seemed to be awake or simply didn't want to interact with him.

After last night's... episode. Lotus wasn't surprised if they didn't bother seeing him off. But he didn't care about them. They could bleed next to him, begging for life and yet he would still walk away to make sure Nyx and his Mother were alright.

He knew he'd hurt her. He didn't mean too.

His Father probably didn't mean too and yet he did.

So did Lotus.

He winced, he was his Father's Son. Always the villain, never the hero.

As he pulled a chair, the House placed a hot steamy soup for him, filled with eggs, potatoes and cilantro sprinkled on top. Beside it, a loaf of bread laid there with a cooled glass of water.

When he was younger, just a few days after moving to the Night court, Lotus had gotten sick. Could hardly keep anything in his stomach without later throwing it up.

They had called Madja, a High Fae female who was one of the rare people who Lotus could tolerate their presences.

"Everything seems to be fine," she whispered to his Mother as they walked to the far end of the bedroom, most probably thinking he couldn't hear them. "It could be trauma."

"Trauma?" his Mother asked.

"After your sister moved to the Night court, she was recently made. Locking herself in her room, hardly eating, barely sleeping. In her own way, she was trying to process what had happened." Madja explained. "Your son is showing similar symptoms as her. He is coping. After leaving the Spring court after so much time, moving somewhere strange, meeting new people who he now has to recognize as his family- it's a lot to drop on him."

His Mother's mate- Rhysand, Lotus assumed his name was, stepped closer to his Mother, wrapping a wing around her as she had a guilty look on her face.

"Is there anything we can do?" Rhysand asked, looking towards his direction.

Lotus paid him no mind, keeping his focus on his hands, on the necklace his Father had gifted him for his thirteenth birthday.