Starlight

4

I sit across from Rhys in his town house, my silk dress of pure black travels down my legs. Long black sleeves flow around my wrists, a slit allowing my arms to peek through, a silver necklace made of jeweled stars hangs around my neck. My hair falls down my back, the matching jeweled stars twisted into small braids. Both gifts from Vossan, reminders of his name for me.

Rhys suddenly bolts up from his seat, I look up from my book to see pure panic in his eyes.

"What's wrong?" I say, suddenly standing.

"We need to get her, now." He tells me, rage slick in his voice. I place a hand against him and stop him from winnowing away.

"You cannot storm into Spring Court and steal the High Lord's bride, you would start a war." He looks at me, fear in his eyes. "Take me to the border, break his wards, and I will winnow in and get her myself. I am no High Lord, and I will rip through their minds if I have to." He finally nods and grabs hold of me, we appear at the boarders of the Spring Court.

I watch him close his eyes, his body reeking with intense magic, and nods to me. The wards have been shattered, I can almost feel her immense power from here. The darkness clouding her from the servants view, but not my view.

I winnow into the manor to see her wrapped in a ball, screaming in terror as a cloud of night swirls around her. The servants gawk at me as I ease away the darkness, soothe it with my magic, and place a hand on her face. The screaming has stopped, but the hazed eyes and look of sheer terror still remains. I gently pull her into my arms and the soft hand of one of the servants falls upon my skin.

"Keep her safe." She says, her eyes boring into mine. "Take care of her." I look back with reassuring eyes.

"We will, I promise." I tell her, she looks back at Feyre one more time and nods to me. I quickly winnow away, back to the cave where Rhysand awaits. "It's done. I did it all by the book." I carefully pass her to him and he holds her tightly against him.

"Thank you, Celesta." He says and disappears.

...

I stand in my training clothes, tight pants of black with the boots to match, a black tunic resting on my skin and my long hair braided down my back.  Cassian swings for me again, the sword inches from grazing my skin as I simply step out of the way. My hands remain folded against my back as step with little effort out of the way of Cassian's blows.

"No magic, starting now." Cassian says, his voice thick with anger. I smirk as I move fast as a snake, sweeping his feet from under him and knocking the sword from his hand. I catch it and hold the tip of the blade to his throat, stepping on his chest with one foot.

"If I was using magic, you'd know it." I say, he shoves me away and stands. A grin tugs at the anger coating his face. I hand him back his sword and he pushes me again, the laugh finally breaking through.

"Celesta." Vossan says, appearing in a wisp of smoke in front is us. "Rhysand is sending us to the Summer Court, they wish to speak on terms of repairing our alliance. He is busy with today's meeting of the Court of Dreams and Feyre, he is trusting us with this." I nod and close my eyes, a flash of magic flowing over me. My training clothes are replaced with a long gown of a deep red, the sleeves flowing down my arms. My open collarbone holds Vossan's necklace of stars, my long black hair sits loose below a silver crown. The scent of jasmine oozes off of me as I take Vossan's arm and we winnow away.

...

We stand outside Summer Court, Vossan's arm extended to me to prepare for the winnow, and I shake my head.

"I want to fly back, I don't care how long it takes. I wish to feel the summer air on my wings." I say, Vossan smiles at me.

"Anything you want, my starlight. I'll be just below you." Vossan says, my wings extend from my back as I place a kiss on his lips.

"Race you there." He takes my face in his hands before I can soar from the ground, his touch sending wisps of fire through my veins. He kisses me one more time as I stare into those stars shining within his eyes.

"I love you." I smile at him.

"I love you, my moon." He steps back and I take to the sky, letting the warm breeze overcome me. The smell of sea salt and citrus fill the air, wrapping my body in the embrace of summer. We start our journey back, the tip of my wing bracing the divide between spring and summer as we dance on the border. Vossan soars along the ground in a smokey shadow, keeping just at pace with me.

You look beautiful when you fly.

I smile as his voice fills my mind and I let it consume me, my heart overflowing with love for the man below me. The feeling overtakes my every thought, overwhelms all the senses within my body. Because of it, I don't sense the ash arrow that rips through my wing. I cry out in pain, faltering before I plummet towards the ground. Another soars, and another, before my wings litter with them as the ground becomes closer and closer.

I feel the roar of Vossan's panic, quickly replaced by rage as I fall to the ground. He races toward me as my body finally collides with the dirt, creating a small crater below me. The force feels as though the bones in my arm will snap in half, tears sting my eyes as the pain from my wings overwhelm me. I attempt to push myself to my feet and fail, crumbling back to the ground. I look to my left to see Vossan slamming against an invisible barrier, screaming as he throws everything he as at it.

No no no no no no-

Spring Court, I've fallen over the border into Spring Court, it's High Lord immediately raising a strong ward as soon as I fell into his territory.  With hazy eyes I look up to see the eyes of Lucien above me before I black out.