The birth - ACOSF Feysand POV

I'll See You On The Other Side

Feyre

The only comfort I had was the fact that I was surrounded by everyone I loved in my final moments.

Mor, my ray of sunshine in a world of shadows.

Amren, who taught me to be brave and to overcome my fears.

Cassian, who had acted as my pillar and who helped me find my laughter.

Azriel, who taught me there was beauty in silence.

Elain, who had more to offer than what the world perceived her to be.

Nesta, who forgot that flames were also the source of warmth and light and who struggled to see the beauty I saw.

And of course, Rhys.

Rhysand who had waited for me, willing to watch me marry a man who slaughtered his family just so I would be happy. My mate who deemed himself unworthy of any love. The High Lord who always gave me a choice and placed me on a pedestal. He played the role of my mirror and showed me the things that I was capable of. A man who brought joy and love into a life which had none.

"Go into her mind to take the pain away," Majda told the High Lord.

Regret flashed on his face when he realised he could have done this much sooner.

"I forgot too," I reassured him breathlessly.

He lowered his head, taking a deep breath. He was trying to find words, I realised.

"Feyre darling..."

Don't.

It hurt to hear him use my nickname that way. I stopped him before he could say anything else.

"No good-byes. No good-byes, Rhys."

He bit down on his lip and nodded, granting me my final wish.

I felt my mate's powers make their way into my mind. Suddenly, my body went numb. As soon as the pain eased, a sigh of relief escaped me. If Majda was cutting into me, I had no recollection of it. A weight had been lifted off my chest, but it wasn't enough. It was only an illusion.

This is it. This is the end.

I gathered the bit of magic I had left.

For one last time, I slipped into my mate's mind.

I'll see you on the other side.

My eyelids grew heavier until I could no longer keep them open. The only thing I remember before I lost consciousness was the Earth shattering scream that came from my mate.

Rhysand

From the corner of my eye, I saw figures moving hastily. Mor reached over for my son who didn't make a single sound. No cry came from his little mouth and no tears slipped from his shut eyes. It was enough for me to know that he was most likely not going to survive the day.

However, it was difficult to focus on that when I couldn't bear to tear my gaze away from Feyre.

I barely heard Majda swear as my mate slipped into my mind.

I'll see you on the other side.

Even through the bond, her voice was quiet and weak. Her soft tattooed hand, which wore my mother's ring, fell limp in mine. In that moment, I realised I would never feel her gentle touch again. Her fingers would never slip into my hair. Her palms would no longer cup and caress my cheeks to calm me from the nightmares that kept me up at night.

My mate's pale lips parted and she took a final breath. Her chest fell flat and I knew she was no longer breathing. The world stopped turning.

And when the realisation hit ---

I screamed.

One that caused my throat to shred. My family flinched at the horrifying sound that came from me. Mor held the babe to her chest protectively with her hand behind his head. She wanted to prevent him from watching his parents dying.

"Feyre!"

Falling off my chair, I landed directly on my knees. I crumbled against the bed while still holding onto my mate's hand. My scream filled the room once more and I pleaded to whoever would listen. I prayed to whatever higher force would be willing to grant me a miracle.

Then, I found myself cursing the stars that didn't listen and my unanswered dreams.

"Please... Please!" I begged through my tears. "Wake up! You can't do this to me, Feyre. You can't!"

A second wave of panic washed over me. Rage interlaced itself with my grief. My primal instincts took over. Majda was touching her, trying to save her. But I had lost all sense of reason.

"Get away from her!" I shouted and lunged towards my mate, wrapping my body protectively around hers. "Don't touch her!"

My brothers rushed over to pull me back.

"Rhys!" Cassian called out, practically tackling me to the floor.

"Get off of me!" I yelled desperately. "Let me go to her! She needs me!"

"Majda is only trying to save her," Azriel warned me with a stern expression. Both Cassian and Azriel's siphons were glowing while my darkness fought against them. Their fingers dug into my arms, their grip barely containing me. My heart felt as though it had been stabbed and left to bleed.

On the other side of the bed, Elain stood, squeezing Feyre's hand and begging through her tears for her to hold on. Amren stared in disbelief, mouthing what I could only assume were prayers while she nervously played with the necklace around her neck.

"Stay with us. Fight it!" Majda's voice mixed with everyone's cries.

Suddenly, my focus shifted to Nesta who was no longer in the corner of the room. She wore all three instruments at once and was walking towards Feyre. Nobody had ever yielded all three at once. The possibility that it could cause my mate even more harm sent me over the edge.

I finally broke free from the imprisoning hold of Cassian and Azriel. The only thoughts in my mind were those of Nesta hurting Feyre even more. Whether it be purposefully or by accident. My motives were clear as I prepared myself to stop her. Except, before I could do anything, she raised her hand, asking me to trust her. I froze in place and watched, breathing heavily.

She began playing each strand of the harp.

With the last string plucked, time froze.