Nyx | Carpe Noctem ✓

Chapter 10: The City of Starlight

∙ Madis POV ∙

"Welcome home—ahm, our home, my home...I mean Velaris, the City of Starlight," Nyx blurted out the moment the black mist vanished.

I rapidly blinked my eyes, overwhelmed by what I was seeing. This was paradise. A dream.

I gasped, looking around with big eyes and not even realising that I still held onto his hand until he squeezed mine slightly.
"Lords. This is beautiful..." I mumbled, looking upwards into a dark sky covered in stars.
Nyx hummed next to me and I saw him smile when I lowered my gaze. My breathing became short when I took in the massive building in front of us. That was where he lived?

I had never seen a house so big and stunning. But it made sense he apperently was the son of the High Lord.

Out of the house stepped a lady. She was the same lady that had talked to me after the meeting that one day.
"There you are!" Feyre, if I remembered correctly, beamed and approached us. She wrapped her arms around her son, kissing his cheek. He stiffened, a slight blush creeping over his cheeks. I felt my heart ached, but not because of the illness because of something that cut much deeper than physical pain—emotional pain.

"We were already waiting for you. The others are already here and we are ready to have dinner unless you want to continue looking around for a bit?"

I gasped again, now at her. I hadn't even been able to say hello because I was so stunned.
"He-llo. Erm, what? No, it is fine," I mumbled, finally slipping my hand out of Nyx's hold to shake hers. Feyre warmly smiled at me. She motioned for us to follow her and we started walking towards the entrance of the house. I tried to keep up with them, pressing my arm to my chest to stop it from stuttering, still looking around in awe. I had always thought Kjardan was rich and lived in a huge mansion, but it was nothing compared to that.

"Ah, there you are. Pleasure to meet you, Rhysand, High Lord of the Night Court!" the tall blue-black haired male introduced himself, extending his hand. I hesitated for a second, but eventually shook it with trembling fingers. What was I supposed to answer?

"Pleasure to meet you, High Lord," I said and he shook his head, chuckling. "Rhysand it is," he stated, grinning and waving his hand through the air. I nodded.

Something was off about him. He did not really look like the powerful High Lord I had seen in those meetings. He looked...tired, almost exhausted.

"Pleasure to meet you, Madis. I am Mor." A blond female appeared behind me and fetched me bake to reality. I bowed my head at her, giving her a tight smile. Was it normal or alright for them that their son made a bargain with a random mortal girl and brought her to his court? Was this some kind of weird family tradition and hence normality or what the hell?

"Come on, you must be hungry," Feyre said, placing her hand on my back and shoving me towards the table. She was tall compared to me and I looked up at her with big eyes. I couldn't speak anymore, this place had left me speechless and all words died down in my throat. My mind was empty.

More people appeared in my perspective, they were sitting around a huge table. Feyre shoved me past them while they turned towards me, introducing themselves.
"Cassian and this is my mate Nesta and our daughter Noora."

"Azriel. My mate apologises but she and our children already had tickets for the theater tonight."

They all introduced themselves and I all I did was nod and shake their hands.

"Mate? What is a mate? Can you not just say wife?" I asked, furrowing my brows, and the Cassian guy cackled. He moved his hand over his mate's shoulder. "No, mate is something deeper, something more than a wife."