The Princess & The Lord

Part 5

The girl had slept for 2 whole days. And she slept hard, as if she hadn't had a good night's rest in months. She slept peacefully in one of the spare bedrooms.

Nyx's father insisted they leave the iron nail where it was. "It was not a coincidence that the moment the rumbling stopped was the same moment she put that nail through her wrist." His father had said.

"Our priority is keeping our people safe." His mother added.

They had rotated shifts keeping an eye on her. Nyx had two more hours. He knew only a few things about her. He figured quickly that she was not of his world. She was a species of fae, though not one he was familiar with. The pointed ears were normal enough, but not her sharp fangs. The one thing he knew for a fact was she was powerful. The iron seemed to keep her magic at bay, but ash didn't seem to have an effect on her. Even with the iron nail through her wrist, he could still feel the power writhing off her. Rhys and Amren had agreed that they'd never felt anything like it.

The girl began to stir and she slowly opened her eyes. She took in her surroundings and she locked eyes with him. At first, she seemed to forget who he was and where she was, but the memories set in.

"What's your name?" Nyx asked. The girl stared at him.

He wasn't getting any answers so he reached to seek answers of his own. He brushed a mental finger against her the outskirts of her mind, but he was met with a thick wall of flame- no way in.

"Stay the fuck out of my head." She said between her teeth.

"So you can speak," Nyx smirked at the girl.

Rhys, Feyre, Cassian, and Azriel rushed into the room after hearing the commotion.

"Nyx, you know that's not how we use our gifts." His mother said in a disappointing tone.

"Well, she wasn't answering any of our questions. Now we know she can." He mused looking in the girl's direction. "What's your name?" Nyx repeated the question.

The girl took a moment. "Elena." She said slowly. Her voice was hoarse and raspy, but Nyx was immediately drawn in.

"Elena, my name is Feyre. You have met my son and my husband as well as Cassian and Azriel. Where are you from?" Feyre asked.

"It is not of your world." Elena answered bleakly.

"How did you get here?" Rhys joined in.

"I don't-I don't know." Elena looked down at her hands.

"And those chains? How did you get those?" Feyre asked quietly.

"I was held captive." Elena kept looking down. She couldn't make eye contact.

"By who?" Azriel asked.

"He also is not of this world." Elena closed her eyes. Nyx could see how uncomfortable all the questions were, reliving the experience.

"Can you tell us about your world? You are fae?" Nyx asked trying to change topics.

Elena finally looked up. "I am fae, partially. I am also part human." Elena got out of the bed and moved towards Nyx seated in the chair beside her. She still wore the same clothes they had found her in. He could see how skinny she was, no doubt from whatever horrible experience she endured. "And what are you?" She asked motioning to his wings.

"We are fae, partially, as you said. The wings come from Illyrian blood, a race of warrior fae descended from the Illyrian mountains." She walked towards the open doors which lead to the balcony. The starlight poured in the room. She seemed to focus on the mountain ranges in the distance and the winding sapphire river.

"I've seen this place before." Elena stated.

"How?" Cassian asked.

"With the wyrdmarks." She said quietly.

"And these wyrdmarks as you call them, that's how you unlocked your chains?" Nyx thought back to the magic he witnessed. They used wards to fend off magic, but he'd never seen them used like that.

She nodded. She turned back toward them for a moment. "They are similar. I've studied the wyrdmarks all my life. That's how I got here, partly. I opened a portal to what I can only describe as a Hel dimension. He saw me. No one had ever seen me before..." she trailed off.

"I'll make you an offer, Elena." Rhys said. "If you teach us these wyrdmarks, we'll keep you safe here. Help you find a way home."

Elena was quiet for a moment. Thinking it over. "It's best I don't stay here. I-" she stopped.  "I can't control it." She balled her hands into fists.

"The rumbling. That was you?" Feyre asked for confirmation.

" The iron won't stop it for long. I can feel it building. I can't hold it back. I was never taught how." Nyx could see the shame written in her body language.

"I'll make you a new deal then." Rhys looked to his brothers. "You teach us the wyrdmarks and we'll teach you to control your magic."

She swiftly turned away from the balcony and looked up at them. "You'll help me?" Hope lining her eyes.

"We will and we'll help you find a way home." Feyre promised.