Heir of Dreams and Princess of Light

Chapter 10: The Warrior

As Nyx touched down in Illyria, he wondered briefly if he'd timed it right enough that he wouldn't run into his father. It had taken him a good two hours to fly back to the camp, and surely Rhys hadn't stuck around that long after the library distress call. 

He was wrong, sadly. Rhys was waiting for him inside his tent when he pushed open the flap, standing beside the table in the middle of the room. Rhys looked up when he entered, his face carefully neutral. Nyx stopped short at the sight of him, annoyance bubbling up in his chest. All he really wanted to do was collapse on his bed and sleep. He really, really didn't want to deal with his father at the moment. But Nyx was nothing if not nobility by birth. 

"Did you need something, Father?" He asked politely as he moved inside, removing his knife from his belt and chucking it onto the table between his bed and the one opposite his. Nyx wondered for a moment where Edam had gone, and if Rhys had kicked him out so he could smack his son across Prythian without any witnesses. The thought soured his mood even more. 

"Look at me," Rhys's voice cut through Nyx's thoughts. Nyx clenched his jaw and refused to turn around, continuing to remove his weapons and deposit them onto the table. "Nyx, look at me." 

Damn him. Nyx looked over his shoulder, meeting his father's eyes while still keeping his back to him. "What do you want, Father?" 

"I want you to come home." 

"So I've heard." Nyx faced forward again, messing mindlessly with the vambrace around his wrist. "And you've heard my answer before, so I think you know where this conversation is going." 

Nyx heard Rhysand inhale, deeply and shakily. He knew without looking that his father was trying very, very hard not to get angry-- something he'd seemed to struggle with lately. "Nyx. Come home." After a pause, "please." 

"No. Now go away." 

"Please. We all miss you. Your mother misses you." 

"She saw me a few hours ago." Nyx chucked his vambrace onto the table and started on the other one. "Go away." 

Nyx felt a dark crackle enter the tent's open space, raising his hair on his neck. "Son, you can't keep running from your family forever. I don't even know why you're running, or what you think that will accomplish." 

As he yanked forcibly on the ties, the second vambrace came loose and fell to the floor, and Nyx stooped to pick it up. Somehow, Rhysand was already there, and Nyx sighed through his nose before finally turning to face his father. 

Rhysand stood there, vambrace clutched in his hand like a lifeline and his face drawn tight. "Nyx, please. Please come home. Let us help you." 

"I don't need, or want, your help. Go away." Nyx reached for his vambrace, but Rhys just stepped back and held it out of reach. Nyx clenched his jaw, grinding his teeth together. He just wanted Rhys to leave, so he could go back to pretending nothing had changed. Where the fuck was Edam when he needed him? 

Nyx felt an itching sensation begin at the back of his mind, and he instantly reeled backward, slamming his mental walls closed even tighter even though he knew they were already up. Betrayal hit him like a rockslide, and for a moment all he could do was gawk at Rhysand. "Are you trying to get in my head?!" 

Regret washed over his father's face, as if he knew he'd just sent himself three steps backward. "I--" 

"You have no right. None. Nothing gives you permission to go searching my mind." Nyx snarled. That was it. He couldn't deal with this right now. "Get out. Now." 

"Nyx--" 

"GET OUT!!" Nyx finally snapped, and spun around to throw out his hand. A wave of darkness poured from his palm, sending his father flying out of the tent and into the camp. The flaps whipped open as he flew past, and Nyx caught a flash of violet flame in his eyes as Rhys hit the ground and rolled, mud trailing from his wings as he came to a stop. Stepping out into the chill mountain air, Nyx released another wave, but Rhys was ready this time. He caught the attack one-handed, and it evaporated into the air.