A Court of Ice and Fire

Chapter 9

The stars are predictable-they appear every night, and disappear with the sun come morning. They are brightened by the moon, and dimmed by the sun-which is ironically another star. 

A person can be brightened by something the complete opposite of what you are, and dimmed by something that can seem so relatively close to what you are as well. But that doesn't mean you will be dimmed forever if you make the wrong choice. 

Like the stars, we always become brighter in the dark.

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For all of my families faults, at least they let me have the day alone-to spend in the library where I can escape the intruding whispers and sympathetic glances. I don't remember walking home, but a part of me must have had the good sense to sleep in my own bed, since that is where I found myself the next day-my hair a disaster and my eyes red from crying. 

Leyanne was no where to be seen when I awoke, and I took it as a small blessing as I didn't bother to get ready for the day, or even call for breakfast to be brough up. It's not like I had much of an appetite anyways. 

Every thought I had lead me right back to last night-when everything was sill upright and normal. When Liam had asked me the question most girls would kill to get, when he kissed me with such passion and love that the feeling is still imprinted on my lips. 

No matter what I did, matter how hard I tried-there was no escaping the thought of him. So I went to the one place where I have always been able to go when I needed to lose myself-the library. 

I spend the rest of the day simply delving my entire being into reading and interpretting sentences-writing down words I don't understand, and getting through each book that I have piled in front of me. 

The books get progressively harder, but I don't stop-no matter how much my head hurts, or my eyes water. I feel like a viel of darkness has fallen inside my head-where every thought becomes meaningless and small-a void of feeling. 

The feeling of nothingness is quickly addicting, and when I realize that I only feel it when I am nose deep in a book-the reading becomes my only solace. 

I don't know how long I stay holed up in the library, but when I hear the door to the room creak open, I nearly jump into the air. The book in front of me flies out of my hands, and I quickly turn around to see who just walked in. 

My entire body freezes when I see the familiar golden brown hair, the large grey eyes, but there are new qualities about her that make me pause. Her cheeks are no longer thin and taunt, her form is straighter-leaner. 

The way she stands screams confidence, and a sense of surety I've never seen in her before. "Hello lil sis." The dress she is wearing looks completely bizarre on her, and when she extends her arms in greeting, the lace on her dress extends with her. 

Taking in a shaky breath, I leap up from my chair, moving in a few fluid steps until her arms are laid securely around my neck. "You escaped." I whisper, relief flooding through my system as she pauses.

"You... You know?" She leans back to study my face, and I wince. It was real. Every second of that horrible day was real. 

I nod my head, observing her face to gauge her reaction. A confused look crosses her face before she releases her hold on me, shaking her head. "None of this makes any sense.." she mumbles to herself, and I decide I don't want to know what she is referring to. 

"Tell me everything." I demand, walking towards the nearby couch. A plume of dust erupts from the cushions as I sit down, causing me to cough before my full attention goes right back to Feyre, who is standing awkwardly in the middle of the room. "What? Did-did something happen?"