Wingless Illyrian

Part two

Three days had passed and the child was still in his care.

The shadowsinger, Azriel, had been sent on a mission to spy on Hybern, and Rhys was busy tending to his High Lord duties.

Mor had laughed when he returned with the child, even more when she heard the general would be tasked with watching over her until a more suitable home was found. He was growing to care for the child, not that he would ever be willing to admit it to his brothers.

The girl was silent wherever they would be sitting in the small garden. She was carefree. Innocent. Too innocent to be living in the house with war trained warriors. However, whenever he took her back into the house she would begin fussing until he took her back towards the window overlooking the rolling hills.

With each passing day, the general found himself watching her more closely for any hint of power she might posses. The man living with her, that they could only assume was her father, had been high fae, but that meant nothing as she could be born without power.

Four more days had passed, marking one week since she was brought to Velaris.
Cassian woke to the sound of babbling as the sun came through the window. The child had become an alarm of sorts for him, waking as the sun rose over the mountains beginning her morning babbling in whatever language she had created for herself.

He pushed himself out of the bed and pulled a shirt over his head before walking to the miniature bed he'd placed in the corner of the small room by the window.

"Up," she called to him with his arms outstretched as had become habit for them.

"Good morning, Keena" he said wiping the sleep from his face as he picked her up and rest her small frame against his hip.

"Good." She smiled, attempting to copy his words. "Hungry," she said, her eyes twinkling silver in the light.

"Breakfast then." She rest her head against his chest as he walked down the stairs towards the kitchen. Everyone else was already at the table talking, highly unusual for being so early in the morning. They stopped talking as he entered and took his place, resting Keena on his knee so she could reach the table.

"What do you want to eat?" He bounced the knee she was sitting on to get her attention. His arm ready to catch her in case she fell.

"Tato," she reached forward for the bowl but Cassian already had it in his hands.
"Tawbwies." He didn't hesitate in moving a handful of the red fruits onto the small place for her to eat from.

"Do you want eggs?" He held the bowl from where he had been getting it for his own plate. She shook her head with a disgusted look before shoving a strawberry into her mouth. She held one out to him, the largest of the few he'd placed on her plate. He muttered a thank you as he took a bite. She released the fruit as its juice dripped and beamed with happiness.

She reached forward to her potatoes but was stopped by a small metal fork. She huffed as she took the fork and viciously stabbed the potato.

Everyone continued to watch as the two interacted completely in synch.

"Can someone say something, talk about the damn weather at least," he snapped as he looked up to see his companions staring.

"We need to talk about finding the child a home," his high lord said. Cassian could have sworn his heart missed a few beats.

"Keena," he corrected. His high Lord raised his eyebrows but decided not to say anything.

"There's a medwitch here, in Velaris, that is willing to take her until a better home is found."

Cassian tensed as he mindlessly wrapped his arm around her body as if it was going to stop her being taken. Keena felt his tension and her grip on the fork tightened as she looked up at him.

There was no hint of happiness in her face. In fact, she looked angry.

"Kee, can you give me the fork?" She stared at him with glittering eyes, yet she showed no intention of letting it go.
"The fork, Keena." He kept his eyes on the metal utensil, lightning crackling between the prongs.

In a blink the energy was gone and she passed him the fork before returning to the strawberries on her plate.

"She has raw power, Rhys, who better to train her to control it."

"You've grown attached, Cassian."

"So what if I have, Rhys. Don't you think after everything we've gone through we deserve some happiness?"

"I want nothing more than your happiness. We should talk about this later, when she isn't here."

"She's always here, Rhys, because I'm looking after her, and you don't just let a two-year-old wander. For all we know she could magic herself out of Velaris."

"Mor can look after her while we're talking," Rhysand suggested.

"It's because I'm a woman, isn't it? Of course I should know how to care for a child," she grumbled as she rose from her seat. Cassian picked Keena off his knee and placed her on the floor. She looked up at him with a confused expression.

"I'll find you outside in a little bit. Mor will look after you, be nice."

"Nice Morw," she smiled widely.

He hummed in response. "Be nice."

"Be nice Wys," she laughed as she started walking towards Mor. Azriel choked a laugh as Cassian turned back to them.

"Was that a be nice to me, or telling me to be nice," Rhysand asked with a hint of amusement. Cassian shrugged and they began their 'debate', all already knowing that the child would remain with them.