A Bloody Crown

Chapter 32: Truthteller

The breaking of dawn over the world woke me up. Azriel and Cassian were waiting outside my tent for me to wake, ready to winnow away to join the rest of the fight in the human lands.

We packed up quickly, sorting and divvying up the load, ensuring nothing was left behind. I was wearing my best fighting leathers, the ones with the most amount of pockets and areas for medical bags to be clipped.

As we walked throughout the grounds, Cassian looked to me and asked, "Are you healing people?"

"I don't know if it's healing, I think it's more.. medicine. Battlefield medicine."

"That's where all the troops in bandages came from," Azriel murmured, nodding in understanding. "You heal.. fixed them, and they fought again."

I nodded, a spark of hope kindling my heart. Perhaps my work did make a difference.

As if reading my thoughts, Cassian said, "It made a difference, Aelfrun. I know it did."

"Is that what you'll be doing today?" Azriel asked, looking at me with slight worry in his eyes, though his face never changed.

Smirking, I met his gaze, and said, "You're not sidelining me again."

"It didn't seem to work the last time."

I chuckled, "Yes, I'm going to be out on the field."

We walked in silence for the last half, and at the edge, Azriel took both of us by the arm, and winnowed into the next camp, next to Feyre and Rhys.

They both walked up to us briskly, scanning us over. Feyre took my arm gently, and pulled me into a hard hug, squeezing tightly.

"Aelfrun, I'm so sorry," she gasped, "I'm so sorry." I met Rhysand's eyes over her shoulder, and the dark purple was full of sorrow. "I'm sorry," she repeated.

I pulled away, meeting her light eyes, the ones just like mine. "Don't you dare apologize," I whispered, brushing a loose strand of hair out of her face. "You and Az saved me."

"We were late," Feyre said, her voice breaking.

Shaking my head, I replied, "It gave you time to get Elain out."

Frowning, she pulled me back into a hug, and I held her tightly. Mor approached me from the side, removed Feyre, and wrapped her arms around me.

"I'll kill him myself," she said muffled, her voice buried in my shoulder, "Cut off his little parts and shove them down his throat."

I laughed lightly, releasing her from the hug, and met her lovely eyes filled with hate. "I'm okay, Mor."

She frowned softly, looking into my eyes. "How?"

I swallowed my answer, one that entirely disproved my previous statement, then turned to Rhysand. "What do we need to do?"

Cassian limped away behind me, barking orders at captains and soldiers, adjusting lines and rankings as he went. Azriel remained beside me, listening for Rhysand's response.

"Prepare to go to war," he said, looking at the encampment around us.

* * *

It was a relentless morning, and for once, I was grateful for it. The movement took my mind off the last few days, giving me purpose and drive. I organized and made medical bags, treated any last minute wounds that appeared, and prepared my tent to be made mobile.

I organized food carts with Cassian, stored up weapons with Mor, and planned with Rhysand. Every piece of the puzzle working in tandem, building a victory.

Or at least, I hoped we were.

At lunch, Feyre called everyone together for a brisk meeting, a family meeting.

I was the last to arrive, held up in the medical tent with the healers, but a spot was saved for me between Azriel and Amren.

Nesta now had a knife attached to her leg, and Elain was holding Truthteller. Something deep in my gut turned at that, but I knew it wasn't the time.

Rhys looked each of us in the eye, even Feyre's sisters, his hand brushing the back of hers. "Do you want the inspiring talk or the bleak one?" he asked.

"We want the real one," Amren said.

Rhys pushed his shoulders back, elegantly folding his wings behind him. "I believe everything happens for a reason. Whether it is decided by the Mother, or the Cauldron, or some sort of tapestry of Fate, I don't know. I don't really care. But I am grateful for it, whatever it is. Grateful that it brought you all into my life. If it hadn't ... I might have become as awful as that prick we're going toface today. If I had not met an Illyrian warrior-in-training," he said to Cassian, "I would not haveknown the true depths of strength, of resilience, of honor and loyalty." Cassian's eyes gleamed bright.

Rhys said to Azriel, "If I had not met a shadowsinger, I would not have known that it is the family youmake, not the one you are born into, that matters. I would not have known what it is to truly hope, evenwhen the world tells you to despair." Azriel bowed his head in thanks.

Mor was already crying when Rhys spoke to her. "If I had not met my cousin, I would never havelearned that light can be found in even the darkest of hells. That kindness can thrive even amongstcruelty." She wiped away her tears as she nodded.

He turned to me, smiling gently. "If I had not met a human, with Illyrian buried within her soul, I never would have known what it means to discover who you are, even when the rest of the world hides it from you. I wouldn't have seen true freedom firsthand." My eyes glistened at his words, inclining my head gently.

I waited for Amren to offer a retort. But she was only waiting.Rhys bowed his head to her. "If I had not met a tiny monster who hoards jewels more fiercely thana firedrake ..." A quiet laugh from all of us at that. Rhys smiled softly. "My own power would have consumed me long ago."

Then Rhys looked to Feyre, "And if I had not met my mate...", but words failed him. Silver lined both of their eyes, making me avert my eyes, unable to see that raw emotion. Love.

Turning back to the circle, he looked to Nesta and Elain. "We have not known each other for long. But I have to believe that you were brought here, into our family, for a reason, too. And maybe today we'll find out why."

He took Cassian's hand, then Cassian took Mor's, who took Azriel's, who took mine, who took Amren's, who took Nesta's, who took Elain's, who took Feyre's.

Azriel interlocked his fingers with mine slowly, giving me time to reject it, to move, but I didn't. I slipped my fingers between his, without showing an ounce of change on my face.

Rhys said, "We will walk onto that field and only accept Death when it comes to haul us away tothe Otherworld. We will fight for life, for survival, for our futures. But if it is decided by that tapestryof Fate or the Cauldron or the Mother that we do not walk off that field today ..." His chin lifted."The great joy and honor of my life has been to know you. To call you my family. And I am grateful—more than I can possibly say—that I was given this time with you all."

"We are grateful, Rhysand," Amren said quietly. "More than you know."Rhys gave her a small smile as the others murmured their agreement.

He squeezed Feyre's hand again as he said, "Then let's go make Hybern very ungrateful to have known us too."

I squeezed Azriel's hand in turn, knowing that once we stepped out, both of us wouldn't be coming back.

We released and stepped apart, each of us preparing to go to war in our own ways.