Ice, steel and shadows - ACOTAR au

Lilith

The food in the mortal world was so similar and yet to different to the one in Prythian- the names and the textures were the same, but the smell and the taste were entirely different, so inferior to the deliciousness of everything and anything I'd tasted in Prythian.

That was the reason why I was merely staring at my eggs instead of eating like everyone around me- Feyre seemed to understand, sending me a sympathetic smile as she herself had yet to touch her lunch.

"So, ladies, how does it feel to be home?" Father softly smiled, his eyes gently shining. He looked so happy and so careless that I sometimes was jealous- jealous that he could just forget the previous years of hunger and cold and rot. "Good enough." Feyre responded, plastering on a smile so fake I was certain Father wouldn't be convinced.

And yet he pleasantly smiled, and continued his previous conversation with Elaine. I felt like vomiting.

I was lost in my head for a bit, until I felt a gentle nudge from Feyre- "Beddor?" She asked Father, frowning. "What about the Beddors?" I quickly asked- I had told Feyre about that day with Rhys: she'd been furious that I'd pretended I was her to keep her safe, but now that we were home there was no reason to worry- right? "Oh it was awful." Elaine softly said, as Nesta picked on her nails, looking disgusted.

"What was?" Feyre and I exchanged worried looks, and my heart was banging against my ribcage. "Their entire house was burnt to ashes- they all died, the family, the servants- only Clare's body wasn't found." Beddor. Clare Beddor wasn't found and her entire family was burnt because I- because of what I said to Rhysand.

My insides painfully twisted and Feyre looked green with disgust- my mind was running too quickly for me to catch-up, but the Beddors' death could only mean one thing- the Blight was getting out of control and only Mother knew what had happened to the Spring Court.

Feyre's fork clattered against her plate- she was obviously reaching the same conclusions. Nesta's face paled. Father and Elaine looked confused. "Is everything alright?" Elaine softly asked, taking hold of Feyre's trembling hand. "Tamlin...he must be in danger." Her words were directed at me. Please Feyre, don't-

"We need to go. They're in trouble, Lilith." "Who's in trouble?" Father's eyebrows were drawn together, Elaine was gripping Feyre's hand, looking as if we were going mad and only Nesta seemed to understand. "The Beddors were supposed to be us, because Lilith gave that High Lord their name instead of ours." "Yes." Feyre gasped. "And if the entire thing is out of control, it can only mean Tamlin is not there to control it anymore." Elaine and Father had paled, slowly blinking and I could vomit.

"And what are you going to do?" Nesta slowly asked, her words carefully placed, a well-laid trap. Feyre seemed to have little regard for traps as she stood up. "I'm going to him, of course." Bile rose in my throat and I shallowed the bitter taste.

"And what are you going to do?" Nesta swept her cold gaze over me, but I saw the emotion in her eyes- the plead to choose her. But I couldn't leave Feyre, not with that Amarantha that was dangerous enough to have all the High Lords under her control, not with the Blight- and since I knew I couldn't convince her not to go either, I stood up.

"Come on Feyre. Let's change out of those ridiculous dresses." Feyre half-heartedly tried to stop me, but I think she knew she couldn't as well. Nesta followed behind us, a stony look on her face. As Feyre was changing, I was looking at my other sister. "Take care of yourself Nes." It was low of me to use the childhood nickname- I saw it in her eyes, the raw pain she was so hardly trying to conceal. "No, you take care of yourself." In a sudden movement, Nesta was standing in front of me, gripping my shoulders.

"Don't. You. Dare. Die." Her eyes were burning so brightly: my hands were trembling so badly. "The moment you hear something out of the ordinary, get yourself, Elaine and father- yes father too- out of here. Oh and about the Fae: they can lie and silver doesn't affect them and not all of them are horrid, but most of them-" A shiver ran down my spine as I remembered the Attor and the naga.