The Prophecy - ACOTAR

Chapter 32

Astrid scrunched her nose in disgust, "You're fucking with me, right?"

The Carver raised himself back up, a look of confusion sprawling across his face, "Not in the slightest, you're very special Astrid. I hope to see the day you come into your power. Death will have a difficult time finding you, that I know."

"That's a weird thing to say to someone you just met but alright then." Astrid turned to Rhys, "I'll be up top if you need me..." Astrid glanced back at the carver, who flashed her a charming smile, "Don't need me."

Before Astrid stepped back into the shadows, the Carver whispered to her, "You see what no one else can."

"Absolutely not." Astrid muttered as she stepped into the shadows.

Astrid never thought she would find the cold comforting after the dungeons, but there was something about the chill of the shadows that calmed her. Something she could use after her encounter with the Bone Carver.

She quickly found herself outside, Camryn tilting their head in question. Astrid shook her head, not quite wanting to think about that short encounter just yet. She knew Rhys would have questions later or want to talk about it, and she didn't have answers for him. Astrid figured she was more confused than he was. She wandered around finding different sticks while waiting for Rhys and Feyre to make their way back. She had been stooping to grab one when Rhys and Feyre exited the prison.

"What are you doing?" Feyre's voice called out to her.

"Picking up sticks, what are you doing?" Astrid called back, chuckling as Camryn came jogging forward with a log in their mouth.

"It's obvious you're picking up sticks, I meant why are you picking up sticks?" Astrid could hear the eyes rolling in Feyre's head.

"Should've asked that then. And I think the better question is why are you not picking up sticks?"

"I can't stand you sometimes." Feyre sighed.

"Maybe you should sit then." Astrid smirked.

+

Astrid and Camryn deposited their sticks in front of Rhys's townhouse, Feyre still casting Astrid a confused and irritated look. Was Astrid purposefully trying to irritate Feyre? No. Was she sorry she was? Also no. Astrid had plans for these sticks, plans nobody was going to know until it was too late.

"Amren's right," Rhys muttered, leaning against the entrance to the sitting room as Astrid made her way inside. "You are like dogs, waiting for me to come home. Maybe I should buy treats."

"What kind of treats?!" Wren asked excitedly from her spot on the couch next to Mor.

Cassian flicked a vulgar gesture at Rhys from his own spot on the other side of Mor, his arm slung over the back of the couch. Azriel simply lingered by the window, his gaze sliding over Astrid as she crossed the room to sit on the arm of the couch by Wren. Astrid wanted to squirm under his watchful gaze but chose to act like she didn't notice it at all, one of her many social skills.

Astrid leaned down to whisper in Wren's ear, keeping herself quiet enough only her friend could hear, "I have the sticks."

Wren gasped dramatically, "Without me?!" Wren cried.

"We'll need more, I just needed to distract myself earlier." Astrid patted Wren's head.

"Speaking of earlier, how'd it go?" More asked, straightening beside Cassian.

Rhys told them about what they had learned, glancing every so often at Astrid, something that made her squirm on the arm of the couch. He was careful to leave out any indication that the Carver had said or done anything strange in regard to Astrid or anything that Feyre revealed. It was another tick in his favor against the loud voice in her head. Azriel asked the most questions, something that didn't surprise Astrid in the slightest, he was the spymaster. She wasn't quite sure if Rhys had told her or if she just knew it, but it was nice to have someone else thinking of all the needed questions.