A Court of Blood and Glory

Until the Very End

Feyre

I left the cell, Rhysand waiting for me outside, a grave look on his face. He'd heard everything, and I knew that he could tell what was etched onto that bone, but he didn't say a word, he only took my hand and squeezed it as we awaited the Carver.
He took a few minutes, but there was a change in the air as the Carver walked out, but it was not the young child, but instead a tall and skinny black haired, fae male, his skin almost grey, but his eyes were swirling pools of darkness. I looked away from him as he walked into the room, but Rhys stared, as if he couldn't look away from the male before us.
He wore nothing but the rags he had worn in the Prison, but I could feel the power rippling off him. Power that felt like death, leaving a chill behind him.
"Good. Let's go." Rhys said, and we turned to leave, the Bone Carver shaking his arms off as he walked away from the Prison, silent on his bare feet. No one spoke, not wanting the other Prisoners to know who was leaving, or how they did it. Once we got to the exit, when we saw the light of day as the gates swung open, the Carver paused, his eyes widening as he took in the light, but continued quickly, and he made the climb to the floor with nimble ease, before Rhys took both of us by the arm and winnowed us away.

Xxx

We winnowed to the outskirts of the Illyrian camp, not many people in sight, but silence fell all the same as the Bone Carver looked around us, seeing the trees and grass for the first time in many millennia.
"I can smell her." He said, and I knew that he was referring to Amren, the only other monster to escape the Prison. "And I can smell the death that follows you all, the destruction you are about to push onto this world." He gave me a smile, revealing bright white teeth, making him seem even more deadly and horrid.
"You will not kill anyone until we tell you too, and you will not leave this camp until either my mate or I say otherwise. You cannot harm anyone who is allied with us, and you don't set foot in any camp without Feyre or I saying that you can." Rhys said, ensuring that he was specific with what he said. "You will not speak to anyone, or use your power to have any means of communication, and you will obey any commands we give without question." The Carver only nodded, and we walked away, twelve Illyrians coming forward to guard the Carver, but keeping a wary distance. Rhys also warded the area, ensuring that no one could cross the wards, and also keeping anyone from sensing who was on the other side.
He picked me up and flew me to the High Lords, where we found Cassian and Azriel talking with the other High Lords, Varian standing behind him. Even though Tarquin had regained some of his former composure, Varian was still essentially the High Lord of Summer in all but name.
We landed, and Amren immediately stormed up to us, a storm in those swirling grey eyes, so similar to the dark pits of the Carvers. "What did you do?" She growled, and I stepped back, letting Rhys take that fight, a pleading look in his eyes as I left him on his own.
"I did what I had to do, and you knew we were allying ourselves with those we wouldn't normally, what we were allying ourselves with, so don't get pissed that I found another person to fight for us." Rhys said, but no one said the name of the beast lurking in the forest. Cassian and Azriel walked out of the tent, their swords slightly unsheathed as they took in the scene.
"He is not a person, he is a beast, and he will trick you into doing what he wants. You have no idea of what you've done." She took a step towards Rhys, and I growled in response, needing to protect my mate, but Rhys stopped me from going further.
This is between me and her. Don't get involved.
"Are there any other secrets you have kept from me? Is there anything else you want to betray me to do?" She asked, the rage in her eyes settling into a calm fury, one that scared me more than the rage I'd seen moments ago. Varian stepped out of the tent, and he walked straight to Amren, placing a hand on her shoulder in an attempt to calm her, but she shook him off, still advancing on Rhys.
"When the monsters betray you, don't come crying to me. I. Won't. Help. You." She turned to leave, but Rhys was tense, and his emotions were guiding him, even as I tried to calm him through the bond.
"Do you count yourself amongst those monsters, Amren?" He growled, but I saw the meaning behind his words, and I realised that he knew exactly what he was doing; if Amren walked into the camp with her rage like that she would kill anyone in her path. It was better for all of us if she directed that anger at Rhys, because he could hold his own against her long enough for Amren to see sense.
At least that was what I told myself as Amren launched herself at Rhys, clawing at him with tooth and nail, and Rhys didn't try to shield himself as she attacked, dragging her nails down his face and neck, hitting him with enough force that he coughed up blood.
I ran forward, stifling a cry, the Illyrians and Varian coming, and we pulled Amren off of an unconscious Rhys, who was bloodied and bruised all over, his metal wings scratched but not broken.
"Take her away, and get her sorted out." I said to the Illyrians and Varian, not as a friend, but as a High Lady. Varian reached forward to try and console the monster, but Amren shrugged him off and continued walking towards where the Bone Carver was, her small body shaking with anger, but she was calmer than she had been before, and showed no sign of lashing out again.
"Rhys." I said, kneeling down to see him as the other High Lords came out of the tent to see what the noise was about. Thesan took one look at Rhys and crouched down at his side, running his hands over my mate, leaving the scent of magic and a golden light in their wake. The blood remained, but Rhys's wounds closed over, the slightly deeper cuts becoming pale pink flesh, soon unseen.
"Thank you." I said as Thesan stepped back, and the High Lord nodded in response, before returning to the tent. Helion stayed for a moment, looking at Rhys unconscious on the floor, before leaving, Eris and Kallias in tow. Tarquin looked to where Varian had gone, where Cresseida had walked towards too, but also walked back into the tent, his eyes full of sorrow as he realised what had happened between Amren and Rhys. He had wanted to avoid becoming a monster, but he was allied with them, and I knew that he had heard what Amren had said about releasing a prisoner, about the monsters we had allied with.
"Feyre." Rhys mumbled, and I helped him up as he came to, the blood covering him vanishing almost immediately. "Is Amren ok?" He asked as he stood.
"I think so, but she is pissed off, and understandably so. Why didn't you tell her what you were doing?" I asked, walking with him into the tent to explain ourselves to the other High Lords.
"Because I knew that she would react badly, and that she would try to prevent me from making the bargain in any way possible." He looked down a we walked into the tent, and everyone stared at Rhys, at the tattoos new tattoos adorning his skin.
"What have you done, Rhysand?" Helion asked, going pale as he sensed the spell on my mate's skin.
"I got us some more fighters, and good fighters." He said, taking a seat.
"You allied yourself with death, that's what you've done." Helion said, and he drummed his fingers on the table.
"Who have you bargained with, Rhysand?" Kallias asked, his eyes hard as ice.
"The Bone Carver, and the Weaver." Rhys said, and looked to each of the males in turn, letting them realise that he had just given them a better chance at winning, albeit one with considerable risk to it as well.
"I hope you know what you are doing." Was all Eris said, and that was that before he winnowed back to is court, to defend the land from the east.
So do I.
He looked to me, and I grasped his hand tightly as the conversations began again, but also including conversations about how we were going to fight with the monsters behind us.

Xxx

A ripple of power shook the land as dawn broke, signifying the start of the war. I turned to wake Rhys up, but he was already up, his Illyrian leathers on and various knives and swords strapped to his body. The injuries he'd obtained yesterday were gone but his wings had five deep scratches in them, scratches that would be there forever, or until Nuan could get a hold of them. I doubted that would happen soon.
I dressed quickly as Rhys walked out, and I picked up an array of knives on my way out to find the Illyrians assembling and flying off, Cassian directing them form the air. Amren found me as I followed Rhys, murder in her eyes as she looked to my mate, but also steely determination. She bore no knives, but the power she gave off would be enough to send any sane person in the other direction.
Mor was with Azriel, wreathed in shadows that cleared as we neared, and for the first time since I'd met her, I saw the Morrigan that had fought in the War, the warrior of legend. I'd had a glimpse of her in Adriata, but it was nothing compared to the female in front of me then.
The Court of Dreams walked towards the other High Lords, each of them in their own armour, and we winnowed to the front lines, to find an army three times the size of our own marching towards us.
"Rhys." I breathed, and he looked to me, genuine fear in his eyes, a fear that was replicated in each of the High Lords' faces.
Stay with me, Rhys.
Until the very end, Feyre darling.