𝔸 ℂ𝕠𝕦𝕣𝕥 𝕠𝕗 𝕃𝕠𝕧𝕖 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕎𝕣𝕒𝕥𝕙 (Book 2)

Thirty-Eight

I woke to Amren standing at the foot of my bed.

    "Don't you know it's rude to stare?" I said as I sat up.

    Amren gave me a scolding look that probably should have made me want to scream and run away and yet it almost made me want to laugh. I raised a brow as she threw something onto the bed. I sat up fully as I gripped the object in my hand.

    A blue stoned amulet with gold embellishments across it. "This got me out of the prison. Wear it in, and they can never keep you."

    I held the amulet up to the light, watching the gold glint in the sun's rays. I didn't feel any magic coming from it. In fact, I didn't detect any enchantments at all. For that matter, how did Amren even have the necklace in the prison? Something this pretty surely would have rusted over time. Amren had been here before Velaris was created five thousand years ago, the amulet couldn't be that old, and if were to get replaced I was sure the enchantment would have worn away unless it was cast solely on the stone.

    I didn't really think it was special at all aside from being pretty.

    "Allow me to make one thing clear," Amren spoke lethally, "I do not give that amulet lightly. But you may borrow it, while you do what needs to be done, and return it to me when you are finished. If you keep it, I will find you, and the results won't be pleasant. But it's yours to use in the prison."

    A bit theatric for my tastes, but it was the thought that counted.

    I looked Amren right in her smoky eyes, "Thank you," I said. And I meant it.

    I knew the necklace was nothing more than that. But she didn't need to give it to me at all. It was honestly impressive in itself that she'd managed to keep at least some semblance of care when she'd lived so long. Seen so many things. It was a wonder.

    Amren had walked out the door almost immediately after I'd thanked her. That was fine. I didn't really know how to accept gratitude either.

    But she tried, and that was more than most would do.

─── · 。ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

    Rhys wasn't exaggerating about the hike to the prison. It was long and grueling, and so very boring. He kept looking at the necklace I wore on the way, sparing small glances I didn't fail to notice.

    When I caught Rhys looking at the pendant for the thousandth time I finally spoke, "Yes?"

"She gave you that." it wasn't a question.

    I nodded anyway. "She said it would—"

    "Don't say anything you don't want others hearing." He stopped as he pointed beneath us and to the stone, we stood on. "The inmates have nothing better to do than listen through the earth and rock for gossip. They'll sell any bit of information for food, sex, maybe a breath of air."

    I would conquer my fear. I'd do it.

    I would go into the prison, and I would come back out.

    "I'm sorry." I said, "About yesterday, I mean. I was a coward, and I won't make that mistake again."

Rhys held out a hand to help me up a particularly steep rock. I didn't need the help, but I took his hand anyway. He hoisted me up and I tumbled into him. I straightened almost immediately, running my hands down my leathers in a terrible attempt to look normal. "You've got nothing to be sorry for." he said, "You're here now. And it wasn't cowardly." he added with a wink, "I won't dock your pay."

I rolled my eyes.

We climbed until the mountain became a looming presence before us. A wall of history. Rhys drew the sword from his back in a swift movement, the action familiar enough that I knew he wasn't a stranger to a blade even though I'd never actually seen him with one.

"Don't look so surprised," he said. Did I look surprised?

I shrugged, "I've just never actually seen you with a weapon. I'm not surprised. It's just...weird."

"Cassian would laugh himself hoarse hearing that. And then make me go into the sparring ring with him."

I was excited to see Cassian's skill, he was Rhys's general after all. Maybe I'd finally meet my match.

"And can he beat you?" I questioned.

"Hand-to-hand combat? Yes. He'd have to earn it for a change, but he'd win." There wasn't an ounce of shame. No arrogance. No pride. "Cassian is the best warrior I've encountered in any court, any land—maybe only rivaled by one. He leads my armies because of it."

"And Azriel, I assume he's your spymaster because of his shadowsinging gifts." I furrowed my brows, "And his scars, where did they come from?" I would have asked Azriel myself, but his scars were so brutal that there was no doubt in my mind that the story behind them may have been too hard to talk about.

Rhys was quiet. But then he spoke softly, "His father had two legitimate sons, both older than Azriel. Both cruel and spoiled. They learned it from their mother, the Lord's wife. For the eleven years the Azriel lived in his father's keep, she saw to it that he was kept in a cell with no windows, no light. They let him out for an hour every day—let him see his mother for an hour once a week. He wasn't permitted to train, or fly, or any of the things his Illyrian instincts roared to do. When he was eight, his brothers decided it would be fun to see what happened when you mixed Illyrians' quick healing gifts with oil—and fire. The warriors heard Azriel's screaming. But not quick enough to save his hands." Anger sparked inside me for Azriel. Along with a searing dread.

    "Tell me his brothers are dead. Tell me they were punished for that."

    "Eventually," he said with a lethal quiet.

    His words were near raw. So much so that I asked instead, "And what about Mor? What does she do for you?"

    "Mor is who I'll call when the armies are gone and Cassian and Azriel are both dead."

    "And what does she do now?"

    "As my Third, Mor is my...court overseer. She looks after the dynamics between the Court of Nightmares and the Court of Dreams and runs both Velaris and the Hewn City. I suppose in the mortal realm, she might be considered a queen."

    A queen in red...

    Recognition rang through me, taking me back to the Suriels words.

    "And Amren?"

    "Her duties as my Second make her my political advisor, walking library, and doer of my dirty work. I appointed her upon gaining my throne. But she was my ally, maybe my friend, long before that."

"In that war where your armies fail and Cassian and Azriel are both dead if even Mor is gone."

Rhys paused, "If that day comes, I'll find a way to break the spell on Amren and unleash her on the world. And ask her to end me first."

His words sent chills down my spine. "And what exactly is she?" I had my suspicions, but maybe Rhysand knew.

"Something else. Something worse than us. And if she ever finds a way to shed her prison of flesh and bone...Cauldron save us all."

We came to a stop at a bare stone wall, so tall it could have been a mountain in itself. "And how do you suppose we climb that?"

"We don't need to," he said as he laid a hand on the bare stone. Like an illusion it vanished. Wiped away on a phantom wind.

Gates of bone stood in its place.

─── · 。ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

A/N: Ahhhh, sorry I haven't posted I had sooo much going on this week. I had cheer tryouts (I made varsity) and I also had a team dinner and I hung out with my friends all weekend. I'm sooo tired but this helped me rewind.