A Court of Fear and Hope-ACOTAR

Velaris

Artemis kept her grip on her mother as they landed in the snow. Artemis's wings ached with how long they had been flying. Artemis was still very young and she tired quickly. When they landed in the Illyrian mountains, the chill on the ground was slightly better than up in the sky, but it was still bitter. Luckily, Artemis's mother had made her her own leathers.

Artemis blew warm air into her hands. "Does summer ever reach here? It has never been warm."

Her mother let out a smile. "Only a few days a year is it warm in these mountains."

The mother seemed at ease without a shiver.

"Do you like the cold?"

The mother chuckled. "I've grown used to it."

Artemis was shivering. "Well, I haven't. Can't we just go to the camp? At least the house is warm."

The mother looked up at the sky. "You can conjure your own warmth."

Artemis sighed. "I haven't been able to do that yet. I can't even get the hang of winnowing."

The mother looked down at her child. "You used to winnow with ease when you were younger. But, you are learning at a pace your body allows you to. In time learning something new will become second nature."

Artemis let out a breath and watched the fog come out of her mouth. "I know. It's just hard some days."

The child kicked the snow from the ground.

"You learned to use your mind abilities much faster than your brother."

Artemis tilted her head. "That's because Rhysie kept bugging me until I shut him out and returned the favour."

The mother chuckled. "Yes, I do remember that. You both charged into the library yelling at each other so loudly you made the House whine."

"Rhys was more of a child then than I am now."

The mother kept her smile and looked up at the sky again.

It was quiet in the clearing for a while. Artemis had started to dig a snow trench with her shoes and when she finished the circle, she looked up and saw her mother still looking at the sky.

"I thought he was supposed to meet us?"

"We got here a bit early, we agreed on high noon."

Artemis looked up at the sky. "Well, it's past. Can we go back home? Mor said she was going to come by later."

The mother kept her voice calm. "Don't you want to see your brother? You haven't seen him in a few weeks."

Artemis packed her snow trench. "We can come back next week..."

Artemis's words slowed as she looked up from her feet.

Her mother noticed the change in speech and looked down just as figures started to come out from the snow-covered trees. Artemis was confused when she saw Tamlin with his brothers and father. She had only seen Tamlin once, but she knew he and Rhys were friends. Artemis's mother slowly took her steps in front of her child.

"High Lord. What brings you to the Illyrian mountains?"

The High Lord of the Spring Court tilted his head.

"Velaris, good to see you. I was told that Rhysand would be here. He has been avoiding a chat between us."

Artemis immediately caught on to the High Lord's deceptive tone. She quickly glanced at Tamlin and she saw the slight sadness in his eyes.