To The Ones Who Can't Dream

chapter 22 - Saying Goodbye

     The Inner Circle returned to Velaris the next day. Seren spent her time with the fae who lived in the city. She made an effort to visit as many shops and restaurants as she could to get to know the fae she now looked after. Everyone was very friendly and Seren savored every interaction with each individual fae. It was so nice to see all the different fae and have conversations with them.

     Although she loved every shop, her favorite was definitely the jewelry shop that was run by an elderly man named Hiroshi. Hiroshi was a frail, old man with gray hair and twinkly eyes. He shared her love for jewelry and showed Seren all the different pieces he had made by hand. He explained that each necklace, ring, bracelet, or crown took him months to design and make. Hiroshi always tried to give her the jewelry that caught her eye for free, but Seren just couldn't accept a gift that large. His kindness warmed Seren's heart though, so she went back every single day to have morning tea with him.

     They would sit in a little garden at the back of his shop and he would tell her stories from his long life. Every story was different and exciting so Seren never knew what to expect when he started talking.

     Finally, Amarantha's apology party for the Spring Court approached. Mor tried to convince Rhys to let them all go, but he wouldn't budge. He didn't want Amarantha to know about his family. He didn't want to give her any leverage.

     As Seren got ready, she was a bundle of nerves. She had a bad feeling about tonight but couldn't do anything about it. She tried to tell herself that everything was fine, and she was just overreacting and nervous. But the feeling of dread stuck with her.

     She stood in front of the mirror, staring at her beautiful dress. Seren opted for a silvery dress that made her look like a star, in honor of the Court she served. She paired it with the rings Hiroshi had given her. They reminded her why she was doing this, for all of those living in Velaris. She had also gotten Hiroshi to make Rhys and her matching masquerade masks. Both black with intricate designs. Rhys's was more angular while Seren's was more flowy. In a last minute decision, Seren decided to let her feathery, white wings show. 

     As she met Rhys in the living room, she smiled at his suit. In typical Rhys fashion, he had put on a black suit. But he was wearing a silver tie, to match Seren. He did a double take at her wings, only ever seeing her once before with them on display. She could tell Rhys wasn't comfortable with this whole arrangement.

     Seren turned to the rest of the Inner Circle, her stomach dropping. For some inexplicable reason, she felt like this was the last time she would see them. But she shook her head, erasing that thought from her mind. She was just being overly cautious. She will be back in Velaris by tomorrow.

     Mor rushed over to her, "Seren! You look beautiful."

     Seren grinned at her and pulled her into a hug, "Thank you."

     She turned to Cassian next and he engulfed her in a huge bear hug as he said, "Knock 'em dead, Seren."

     Then he laughed, "That rhymes!"

     She could tell he was trying to lighten the situation and she was grateful for that. She turned to Azriel who also hugged her. He didn't say anything, but he also didn't need to. Finally, Seren looked at Amren, "I'll see you tomorrow."

     Seren threw her arms around her best friend and they stood that way for a while, just hugging each other. After a bit, Amren broke the hug and whispered sadly, "See you tomorrow."

     It was as if Amren could sense that something was wrong. Rhys looked at everyone, "If we don't make it back..."
But was then interrupted by Amren, "You will make it back."

     She could just be overreacting but Seren turned to Rhys, "Maybe we shouldn't go. I don't know why but I have a bad feeling about this."

     Rhys shook his head, "We already committed, it will look suspicious if we don't show up. It'll all be fine."

     Cass then shouted, "Bring it in!"

     Everyone laughed and they did a group hug. Rhys met Seren's eyes across the group and with tears in her eyes, Seren nodded. They broke apart and Rhys walked over to Seren to winnow her to Under the Mountain. She looked at everyone's faces, trying to memorize every feature about them. She grabbed Rhys's outstretched hand and he winnowed them away from her family.

AN:

Seren's rings gifted by Hiroshi

Masks

Rhys's suit