A Court of Stars and Shadow

Bonus Chapter 6 (Part 2)

I'm sorry for the five billion grammar mistakes this chapter is huge.

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Rhys blinked, the only sign of his surprise but Carnel erupted beside me.

"NO. Absolutely not. No"

I turned to him, my top lips curling. "Last time I checked mate you don't tell me what to do. And I wasn't really asking for your opinion" I seethed.

"His mask of innocence dropped as he said back angrily. "You know exactly why Luna. You know exactly well that this isn't about me or even you. You know what you're risking if you go."

I shut my mouth. He was right but my mouth was still in a thin line, my chest rising and falling quickly.

"He's right Luna," Feyre said from where she had moved to stand near Rhys at the entrance of the doorway. Other than Carnel, she was the only other person who knew what I could be risking.

"I can't just leave my best friend over there, she needs me." I responded finally; my voice soft as emotions threatened to overrun me.

Carnel ran a hand across his face and through his hair. Farther down the hall Cassian had popped his head out, probably being woken by all the commotion. The minute he saw my grief-stricken face he began to hurry our way.

"What's going on" he asked sternly, and I shut my eyes gently.

"It's Emily." I repeated. "She pulled a petal from my flower and I need to go back home."

His sleepy eyes widened in shock and right when he was going to open his mouth, to tell me absolutely not most likely by the way his face had tightened in slight anger Feyre had shaken his head at him, waving her hand across her throat in two quick motions to stop him. Smart lady seeing how any second now I was about to explode.

"Luna" Rhys began turning my emotion to him. "Time works differently between our two worlds, right? So let's convene back in the morning, go get some sleep until then." I opened my mouth to protest but he continued. "Give me time to pull it out of the safe in my office and send some pour soul to wake Amren so she can bring her research. It also gives you and Carnel to talk about this. it'll be one night for us and minutes for her; even if you went right now at this exact second, you'd still land back at your house and not at hers."

My body deflated from any fight I had in me. He was right.

My eyes fluttered against my cheek as panic flooded my veins. "ok" I whispered softly.

I don't remember Cassian looking at me with worry or Carnel taking me back to our room. I don't remember him closing the door or him leading me to the bathroom.

Carnel sat me against the thick part of the tub and began to draw some cold water. He placed a rag under the stream and wring the excess water out before coming over and gently placing it on my forehead. My eyes closed and my head leaned back against the wall as the cold rag soothed my hot forehead and my incoming headache. I sighed.

Carnel motioned for me to place my legs on his lap where he sat on the other side of the tub and I did, placing my feet on his thighs. He rubbed some calming rose-scented oil onto his hand and began to rub my aching feet.

"What are you thinking" Carnel asked softly, the soft trickle of water coming from the faucet the only other sound.

"I'm thinking about how selfish it would be for me to go in the morning"

Carnel was silent and I opened my eyes to find him solely focused on rubbing the knots from my feet.

"What are you thinking?" I asked in return. He paused, stopping to look at me, to run his eyes over my body, and then continued, running his hands to my lower calf's and spreading the oil around before rubbing deep with his thumbs. I fought the groan of pleasure that fought to pass my lips.