𝔸 ℂ𝕠𝕦𝕣𝕥 𝕠𝕗 𝕃𝕠𝕧𝕖 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕎𝕣𝕒𝕥𝕙 (Book 2)

Eleven

I had been knee-deep surrounded by books when Rhysand came back. I'd done a lot of research on Prythian and its history, the extent of it was much more widespread than in Spring Court. It was nice to learn more about Night Court, all of the books about the Court had been cleaned from the library. I didn't know how Tamlin could bear to wipe away such rich history.

    I'd learned a lot. But somehow along the way I'd wandered to one of the...other sections and gotten sucked into the books there that were...less accurate to history.

    Rhysand had caught me just as I'd gotten to a good part and scolded me about supposedly "Avoiding his task" I had listened to him for a whole thirty minutes and then he has the audacity to say I avoided. I only mildly ignored it after a while.

    He must have seen the mortified look on my face because he'd snatched it out of my hand and laughed himself hoarse. The part was a tad...frisky to say the least. He'd laughed so hard he couldn't breathe and I'd yelled at him the whole time. When he'd finally gotten himself together he'd told me he wanted to show me something and started walking down the halls which I took as a cue to follow.

I'd stayed a healthy ten steps behind him as I glared daggers at his back. He'd even made me leave the book in the library to pick up later instead of bringing it with me which I thought was entirely rude.

    I didn't ask where we were going due to the fact I could barely look at him without wanting him dead, I feared that I might fulfill that want if I started talking to him.

    We walked through twists and turns until we entered a round chamber at what looked like the top of a tower.

    The place was airy, with white walls and windows aside from a large black table that sat in the middle. My eyes wandered to the map on the stone wall, it had been pinned and marked and flagged with things I wasn't familiar with. Even though the map intrigued me, I couldn't help but marvel at the windows. There were so many that I felt almost exposed to the world—though I suppose I should expect nothing less from a High Lord with wings.

    Rhysand stalked to the table where another map spread—this one was a topography map in 3D, a perfect representation. I had no doubt this particular map was used for strategy except this map was not only of Prythian, it included Hybern as well.

    The part that confused me wholly was the fact that all the other territories had been marked in full with villages and cities but the expanse of Night Court was blank. Not even a mountain in sight.

    I analyzed the map like a soldier would. Taking in the territories; pros, cons, faults, benefits. My scrutinizing eyes looked at the map pinned to the wall, looking at their similarities and differences, the different markings that corresponded with places on the 3D maps, trying to figure out what the pins and symbols meant and what they could possibly stand for.

    I found Rhysand studying me with raised brows, "Nothing to ask?"

    "Nothing that you'll answer."

    The High Lord smirked as he inclined his chin towards the map on the wall, "What do you see?"

    I turned my body to fully look at it, "A world divided in two." The map was made up of much of the Mortal Lands as well as Prythian, both places had been marked strenuously.

    "And do you think it should stay that way?"

    I looked at him then, as my heart sped its pace, "My family—"

"Your human family," he finished for me, "would be deeply impacted if the wall came down, wouldn't they? So close to its border...If they're lucky, they'll flee across the ocean before it happens."