Dance of Fate

Chapter Twenty One

Rhysand was seated at the dining table of the Town House, swirling an amber liquid in his cup as he stared at it intently. The table looked so large with just him seated in the very middle, his wings stretched out behind him casting a large shadow over the cream walls.

The male didn't turn his heard or so much as glance at me as I walked in and took a seat across from him. I was silent for a moment, hoping that he would speak first. But he didn't, and the ache in my bandaged arm- which I had covered with a sweater that also concealed my neck- urged me to break the silence so that I could sooner sneak a visit to Madja and ask her for a tonic. 

"I take it didn't go very well," I said softly. Rhys shifted his violet eyes at me for a moment. He slowly shook his head, and turned his gaze back to his drinking glass when he spoke. 

"I suppose you've earned the right to say you told me so." His voice had an edge that made me pause before replying. "I wasn't going to." I told him honestly. "Where is she?" Rhysand took a sip before answering. 

"Asleep." He sighed, running a hand through his onyx hair. I nodded, wincing at the pain the gesture caused to bloom in my neck. To make things worse, my magic was starting to act up again. My head was already pounding, and if I didn't release it soon-

"Is something wrong?" Rhysand asked, his eyes finally meeting mine. I bit down on my tongue, the sharp pain helping to ease the roaring in my bones. I forced my voice and face into neutrality. "No." It was evident Rhys didn't buy it, so I opted for distracting him before he could say anything else.

"Are you going to go back?" I said. Rhys sighed before he spoke, not needing for me to clarify where I was speaking of. 

"I don't know. I don't want to push her into anything." He confessed. I pursed my lips. "I don't know what to do. About Feyre, about Hybern, I just..." Rhys sighed, holding his head in his hands.

"Slow down," I said softly. Rhysand looked back up at me. 

"I can't. We've only been back for a few months and everything is going to hell-"

"And we will deal with it." I told him calmly, yet firmly. "You may be High Lord, but you are not alone in any of this. We are all here for you." I am here for you, is what I didn't have to say. Rhysand knew. He knew I would always be there for him, just as I knew he would always be there for me. We had proven it to each other Under the Mountain, and the bond that we now had was nothing short of extraordinary. We understood each other fully, because we were forged from the same ore, two sides of the same coin. 

Rhysand nodded, his violet eyes- the twin pair to my own- shining with love and appreciation. It made a pit of guilt begin to form inside of me. I couldn't help but feel like I was lying to his face by not telling him what had just happened, like I was betraying our bond. And for not telling him what had happened in the Spring Court, and on and on. 

So I gave my brother the warmest smile I could force on my face, and muttered that I would see him later before I left, feeling worse about myself than I had in a while.

...

Azriel couldn't focus on anything Cassian was saying to him. The irritated male had snapped at him again and again to pay attention, but Azriel had given up on trying to focus on Cassian a while ago. He had also given up on trying to repress the molten anger that poured through him, growing with each breath, simmering under his skin as it waited to suffocate him. 

Every single time he promised himself that he would not allow her to be in danger again- he put her in danger. Again and again, her life had been at risk when he was present, and he had failed to protect her.