Nyx | Carpe Noctem ✓

Chapter 15: Doomed Fate pt. 1

∙ Rhysand POV ∙

A loud noise from the library had woken me. I did not even have to think twice to know how it was. Carefully I pulled my arm away from my sleeping mate and got up.

Eyes still half-closed I opened the door to the library and spotted my son sitting on the floor in a pile of books. His wings lay on the ground, his back was hunched and his eyes solely focused on the book in front him. It seemed like he had gone through at least twenty books already and I knew exactly what he was looking for.

"Nyx?" I carefully asked, approaching my son. His head snapped up when I clasped his shoulder in my hand.

"Is there nothing we can do to help her?" he asked, his face veiled in pain and desperation. Since he had returned from his secret visit to the Mortal Lands he was different. I was sure that Madis was not just a crush. She was way more to him and there was only one explanation for why he cared for her so much. That thought tore at my heart because deep down I knew that there would never be a future for the two of them. Maybe for a few years, but not even that if Madis was ill.

Their fate was doomed and I had no idea how Nyx deserved that and what Feyre and I should do once we had to repair his broken soul.

"Nothing?" Nyx asked again, his voice barely above a whisper. He drew my attention back to him and I scanned his face. He looked so very young again, eyes wide open, pleading, his lower lip was pouted. There were goosebumps all over his skin — he was shirtless, but I knew he did not care a single bit about freezing in that moment. 

I inhaled deeply. "There is one thing that can be done. But it is highly risky and Madis has to agree. We cannot force her. It will only work if someone —actually Madis herself— tells us to do it," I explained and Nyx bowed his head. He had understood what I had meant.

"You think she would like it? Would say yes? Would agree to it?"

To that I shook my head. "No. She has a very strong opinion and seems to be a bit stubborn, I doubt she would say yes. I think she would tell us to save someone else instead of her."

A small smile appeared on my son's lips but immediately vanished again. He nodded, "Yes, I think so too. She is too selfless to accept something like this and she hates us fae."

I showed Nyx a sympathetic smile and squeezed his shoulder. "I don't think she hates us fae, but that is anyways not all this is about." I squeezed his shoulder again, my other hand coming forward and closing the book he was holding in his hand. Made, Turned, Changed, said the title. I swallowed thickly and got back up, my knees cracking with the movement. I tried to hide my wince and fully focused on my son again.

"It is best if you go to sleep now. It is nearly two in the morning. You could go pay her a visit again tomorrow. For now, sleep."

My son reluctantly agreed and also got back onto his feet. With the movement of his hand he let the books fly back to their shelves and I found myself gaping for a split second.

I hadn't seen him use much magic in the past months and to say I was impressed by how powerful he had gotten would probably be an understatement. Nyx was always smart —incredibly intelligent actually— and he had always valued it quite a lot. That had changed after the war camps — other things seemed to be more important to him than intelligence and common sense.

What also surprised me was that Nyx then quickly clasped my shoulder as well and squeezed. "Thanks, father. For listening and wanting to help."

With a smile on my lips I bowed my head and lead him to the door. These few encounters with Madis had already changed my son so much. He was slowly becoming the Nyx again who he had been before his time at Windhaven. He was becoming my son again — the creative, smart, gentle and kind Nyx who I had been so very proud of every single day of my life.