A Court of Love and Healing {ACOTAR}

Not So Alone Afterall

Eris pants hard and looks around, his eyes wild and confused, taking deep drags of air. Everyone in the room nearly gasps in unison at the shock that it worked. Suddenly, Gwyn passes out and the room erupts back into chaos. Eris watches the blur of motion and noises are so loud, even for fae hearing that he has to rub his temples a bit.

Nuan wraps her arms around his neck as everyone yells out Gwyn's name, trying to wake her up from whatever side effect took place. Eris breathes deeply as the memories of being in the Forest House dungeon flood his mind and he suddenly clings to Nuan, his head resting on her chest as he loosely wraps his arms around her middle, still speechless and weary.

"You're going to be alright", she murmurs. "Your predictions were wrong by the way. You have people that care about you. Me, Lucien, Gwyn."

"I—", he looks up at her, his deep russet eyes looking into her smokey ones. "What happened?"

Nuan takes his hand and squeezes it. "You died. And...your daughter wouldn't let that stand. So she convinced Nesta to wield the Dread Trove. She also helped find the fourth."

Eris looks at the box which had slid down into his lap when he sat up. "This?"

"Yes. It pulled your soul back into your body."

"That's..."

"Crazy? I know. But it worked. Along with the rest of the dread trove. To reanimate you to get your heart pumping again and turn the clock back on the effects of death."

He takes a shaking breath and suddenly the reality of what's going on hits him and his eyes widen. "Gwyn."

"They've got her, she'll be okay."

Eris shakes his head and nudges her off, giving her the bone box and getting off the cot, his beige breeches still stained with blood, his shirt nowhere to be found since they had cut it off.

"Gwyn! Move", he grumbles at Azriel, Cassian, and Mor, shoving through them and making his way next to her, sliding onto his knees on the ground across from Nesta. "Gwyn. Gwyn. Gwyn, wake up." He lifts her gently and cradles her in his arms, lightly patting her cheek as Nesta tries her best to bite back a haughty retort. "Hey...you did it. You did it, Gwynnie", he says softly, stroking her copper hair from her freckled face. Come back to me, to us. I know you can do it. You're stronger than me."

Nesta swallows a bit and her brow furrows, unsettled by how genuine and sweet Eris seems. So very out of character for him.

Mor takes Cassian's arm. "Come...let's give them space. We have to return the Trove."

She takes in Eris for a moment, the bond they once has still dead and hollow in her chest, not reanimated with him.

"Right." Cassian nudges her. "By the way, he'll know it was you who got him out. Eventually."

Nodding softly, she looks over at their small crowd, her ex-mate on the floor holding his daughter. "He doesn't need to know unless he asks. I don't need recognition for it. I'm...trying to be a better person lately."

Cassian looks a bit confused as Mor inclines her head.

Azriel's hands nearly burn to take his mate from Eris, but she had done this for him, and he's her father. He doesn't know what it's like to have a relationship with a father, so he very very reluctantly lets him cradle her for a bit, even if he doesn't want to. Azriel kneels on the floor by her feet, across from Lucien who had situated himself next to Eris. The pair not so much as glancing at one another yet. Talk about his mate being loved by all. All who disliked one another mostly. He flexes his hands out of habit from stress and both Lucien and Eris turn to glance at him.