A Court of Lichen and Twilight / An ACOTAR Fanfiction

Chapter Sixteen: The House of Wind

I wondered about him the entire time we traveled out from under the mountain. My heart ached at the thought Rhysand had insinuated: would Silas go as far as to hurt Tamlin when he dropped off the next bit of my siblings if I didn't get to stop him in time? Rhys might not have known about my affair with the High Lord of Spring, but Silas knew exactly how I felt for him. And he loathed it from the very day I received the potted start of lilac bush.

Would Silas find out and pursue our amethyst in an attempt to try to harness it's power for his conquering quest?

I was lead up to the moonstone palace atop the first northern mountain I had ever laid eyes on. This was where I was first brought before we ventured up to the war camps for training. Once I had gained trust of the inner circle through tender caresses with Cassian, they opened Velaris to me to winnow into instead of this gleaming, under utilized estate atop the Court of Nightmares. I hadn't been here since the first time I had bypassed it.

The torture pit was in the lower bowels of the hollowed out mountain. Cassian lead me by my hand up through the dungeons and into the spiral stairwell that lead to the residences and main feast hall of the court. It must have been night as the entire corridors and open floors were desolate of any life. I thought as we passed through the multiple established households which one might contain my grandfather. Otto, husband to my mother's mother Cordelia Levina. Otto had traditionally abandoned his last name when he married into her royal High Lady, divine feminine line of the Dusk Court. Just as my father had when he had taken my mother's. So would my future husband should he wish to marry me as the next heir.

Like an elastic band my mind snapped back from it's drift and onto rushing out of he hall where Rhysand's carved throne lay at the dais. To my dismay and confusion, an identical twin to it sat next for another to sit at his side. Feyre, I remembered, looking at the way the carved wooden beasts reared at one another. She was his equal. She was his High Lady. The woman that tore the Spring Court apart and left my Tamlin - no, just Tamlin - to shambles behind. If I could understand this female maybe I could begin to help him resolute. That is, if I didn't allow my lightning to strike at her first. I still needed to obtain the full picture of the situation to help.

I knew Azriel could take care of winnowing himself, to an extent, with the aide of his shadows he traveled upon. It really wasn't technically winnowing but it worked none the less in the same matter. We could winnow to the townhouse and fly up to the House of Wind. Based on my assessments in Rhys's plan, I knew he had never taken me off the winnowing ward list to still be able to enter. He utterly forgot about me before that could happen. Knowing everything he did now though, I wondered if I'd stay on the wards for very much longer. I tangoed with Tamlin the enemy. Maybe he thought I might not be able to be trusted anymore based on my expression of feelings for him.

I didn't know what to think. Other than figuring my way back into Dusk and getting Silas out.

We reached the veranda of the moonstone palace. Grand, exposed to the elements, with only wisps of gossamer curtains restraining the chilly winter breeze. It was opalescent and stunningly gorgeous as I had remembered it. Azriel strode ahead, tapping his siphons and watching them falter slightly before a faint glow appeared. The dim lit blue haze overcame the stones to suggest some of his power had resourcefully returned with a bit of rest. Thankfully I hadn't done too much damage on him, despite what he had put me through. He didn't seem to hold a current grudge. But that's how Azriel always was. Kind, first and foremost.

"Are your winnowing abilities operational?" He asked me lightly. His beautiful face looked to mine. I did have to wonder why I had chosen to pursue the general over the spymaster of the court in moments like this. Moonlight elaborately highlighted some of his broad features.