DISCONTINUED A Court Of Blood And Night (Tog & ACOTAR crossover)

39 - Feyre

I have to formally apologize for not updating sooner. After an unexpected and painful tragedy, I was in a bit of a rut for a while. Still figuring stuff out, actually, due to some disturbing police reports. I've also been working very diligently on a different story on my other account, @RubyWings called "Firebound" and got so caught up in it that I sorta... Forgot about my other thirty stories... So... Yeah.

"So," Lucien said, staring thoughtfully after Rowan and the golden-haired Queen he'd married as they walked away. "That was Rowan's mate." We all were silent, and Lucien added, "She's interesting."

That, she was. But I couldn't help but feel that she was wraith-like, that she could waste away and disappear in a strong gust of wind. It reminded me of... Myself. The version of me that emerged from Under the Mountain after killing those Faeries. Had she dealt with something similar when Rowan was out searching for her? Was there... I had to lock my fear away somewhere deep inside when I realized there could very well be someone similar to or worse than Amarantha in this place.

"At least she respected our positions," Rhys commented, then looked around the room we were still in. "This study would've become a hellscape if she tried to order us around." His tone was so mild and casual that it took a second to register what he said. And he was right: none of us would willingly give up our positions without a fight. In fact, I was surprised we hadn't broken out of the castle in the beginning and just left. When I asked my mate through our bond why we hadn't done so, he said, where would we go? We knew nothing of the territory or how to get home. Being prisoners and complying was the best option at the time.

And now?

He considered. I respect them based on what I've seen thus far, he finally said. So I chose to stay. Besides, we still don't know much about the territory and people. For all we know, they could have monsters that prey on us, like the Bogge and the naga. And if those monsters are different, and we don't know their patterns, how could we ever hope to escape unscathed?

I didn't like that idea much, but it was certainly possible. I took his hand as we stood up. If you respect them enough to risk your life for their cause... His gaze met mine, his violet eyes so vibrant. I smiled, just barely. Then I do, too.

He squeezed my hand as we looked around the study. "Are we meeting with the others?" He addressed Tamlin directly, and his eyebrows shot up. He stared at Rhys cautiously, even as he considered.

"It's probably best," he finally agreed. "We might find out if anyone else came through if we talk to Ianthe or--"

"Or Jurian," Rhysand said grimly. I could tell he didn't want to talk to the man, as insane as he was. I couldn't blame him; from what little interaction I'd had with Jurian, I wasn't keen on it either. "Or that guard of theirs. Is he yours, or Hybern's?" A goad as much as it was a question out of necessity. Tamlin's eyes darkened in rage, and I saw the claws forming on his knuckles. So they were becoming used to the magic, finally. Rhysand noticed it too, but his face revealed nothing of his thoughts or feelings on the subject.

"Mine," was all Tamlin said.

"Good." Both High Lords stared one another down, but Lucien eventually coughed, catching their attention.

"If we want to know if anyone else has come through, we should probably leave this study and ask," he suggested, and the bite in his words made Rhys smirk.

"So the fox does have teeth," he said, then offered his arm to me. I took it, and we left the study. We didn't bother to check if the two males followed.

Ianthe was still a bloody, broken mess when we found her again. Those teal eyes burned with rage and fear as they met mine. I held back my smirk. It wouldn't help us get answers, and I had been warned before that Ianthe truly was powerful, even if she didn't always seem to be.

Jurian, however, was smirking at her from a few feet away. Obviously he held no such qualms about becoming her enemy.

Tamlin and Lucien did follow us, and I saw the apology in Tamlin's eyes as he met her gaze. I wanted to snort.

"Did anyone come here with you?" Rhys demanded. Ianthe said nothing. He glanced at the guard. He didn't say anything either.

"To my knowledge," Jurian drawled, "Nobody else was there. But it'd make sense if the other High Lords woke up in a new place. Why would they only get rid of the Spring and Night Courts, after all? The other's weren't all that keen on alliance, either."

Behind us, Lucien grumbled, "You know something's wrong when the crazy one makes sense." And he did. Hybern would still have many obstacles to face even with our Courts gone. However, if he got rid of all the power in the Courts... They'd be basically helpless. And Hybern wouldn't have to fight anyone other than the humans for their land.

"They're helpless," I breathed, and glanced at Rhys in alarm. His expression didn't do anything to soothe my worries.

"I think right now you should be more worried at the possibility of Lucien's darling family on the loose in a world they don't know or understand," Jurian said, and we all looked at a suddenly very pale Lucien.

"We should look for them. Make sure they aren't here," he told Rhys and Tamlin. Both seemed inclined to agree. I had no doubts that Lucien's family was as bad as I'd been told.

Mor suddenly said from behind us, "I have a feeling I know where Kallias and his Court would be, at least. Maybe even Helion."

We all looked at her, first in surprise because nobody had heard her approach, then in confusion because how could she know?

"We all ended up in a place that has something resembling our Courts," she explained. "We all ended up in that jungle, seemingly at the height of its season."

"Spring," I said, catching on.

"I had the pleasure of looking at a map earlier. The jungle is right next to a series of mountains."

"Night," we all said.

"Kallias will probably be somewhere cold and icy. There's a few places that Aedion showed me that could be it. Helion, probably somewhere hot."

"So..." I began. "We split up? We search for them?"

"It's a good idea," Rhys approved. "We don't need a more unhinged High Lord to go on a massacre because he doesn't know where he is and gets worried."

We all looked at Mor. "Think we should all go?" I asked. Then I added to everyone, "Do we involve those native to this world, too?"

Everyone, other than Ianthe and her guard, frowned thoughtfully-- even Jurian.

"It's not up to us," Lucien said finally, "to decide whether they participate. If they want to, they do. If they don't, then we go it alone." He looked around at all of us, and I nodded in approval and encouragement.

"Sounds fair," Mor agreed.

I looked around at all of us. How many Courts would be a part of this war by the time Winter Solstice was here? It was only a few weeks away, now, the cold biting hard enough to hurt without proper clothing. Would we reach them before it turned to full-on, snowy winter?

Rhys took my hand. "Unless Rowan and the others try to stop us," he said, "let's aim to leave by the end of the week."

Oh my Lord I have to apologize once again because I didn't update in over a month and that's just despicable. Honest to god. I'm becoming the kind of writer thar I hate.