starfall. [ Rhysand ]

VIII

the uninvited guest.

When Kiara woke up again in the morning, she disliked that her thoughts revolved around Rhysand and his warnings from her dreams. It seemed improbable that he could have been correct, given his reputation as a deceiver and murderer while Tamlin and Lucien had always been kind around her.
She tried to shake off the uneasy feeling in her chest and decided to skip breakfast, instead opting to rest and immerse herself in a book about the Autumn Court.
After Lucien had shared the unsettling history of his family, Kiara had become intrigued by the court and its origins. However, each time she encountered the name Beron, her disgust was evident in her scrunched nose.

It wasn't surprising that as she made her way to the dining room for lunch, she found Feyre, Lucien, and Tamlin already there, all seeking nourishment after a late night.

"What did you do after you brought me back last night, Lucien?" Kiara inquired while taking her seat, hoping to engage in conversation and divert attention from the affectionate looks exchanged between Feyre and Tamlin.

"Let it be known that while those two were dancing-"

"And dallying" Kiara interjected playfully, causing both Feyre and Tamlin to blush, and Lucien to smirk.

"-with the spirits, I was on border patrol."

"You bit my neck on Fire Night," Feyre blurted out, meeting Tamlin's gaze directly. It appeared they had been having their own silent conversation prior to this. "If I can face you after that, a few kisses are nothing" Kiara felt proud of her friend's boldness, as she would have never had the same courage in that sort of situation.

"Nothing?" Tamlin questioned, leaning closer to Feyre with his forearms on the table. Kiara suddenly wished she wasn't there, and judging by Lucien's bored expression, he probably shared the sentiment.

"Cauldron spare me" the redhead faerie muttered under his breath.

"Nothing." Feyre reaffirmed, and while Kiara hoped that would conclude the matter, the two seemed entirely focused on each other.

"Are you certain?" Tamlin seemed poised to kiss Feyre right then and there, perhaps even more, which made Kiara blush at the thought.
Her own romantic experiences were limited, if they even existed at all. Though, she couldn't help but wonder if she had experienced such moments in her past, forgotten due to her amnesia.

"I'm trying to eat," Lucien grumbled, earning Kiara's gratitude for interrupting whatever was transpiring between the couple "But now that I have your attention, Tamlin, without delivering overly gloomy news, my contact at the Winter Court managed to send me a letter." Lucien's expression turned somber, capturing Kiara's full attention. Feyre and Tamlin's smiles faded.

"The Blight..." Lucien paused, seemingly struggling to articulate the dire events. "It claimed two dozen of their young ones. Two dozen, all gone. It consumed their magic and shattered their minds. No one within the Winter Court could intervene; it was unstoppable once it turned its focus on them. Their grief is unimaginable."

"My contact indicates that other courts are also suffering, though the Night Court remains unaffected, of course." Kiara's appetite waned as dread settled in.
Why were Rhysand and his people untouched by the Blight? She had read of sacrifices being made in the faerie realm to vanquish malevolent forces; perhaps that was his strategy. While not surprised, she remembered his ruthless act of beheading a faerie and displaying his Court's emblem on the head as a declaration.