starfall. [ Rhysand ]

XVI

rhysand.

Gone.

She was gone, and he couldn't do anything about it.

One week had passed since she disappeared, and he had dedicated every minute to looking for her.

When they discovered she had vanished once Amarantha had been defeated, hell broke loose among the High Lords. Why? Because Alexis was a powerful being, and they were scared they couldn't control her.
Rhysand's heart shattered in that moment, but Feyre was there, lying dead, and he knew Alexis, wherever she was, would have never forgiven him if he didn't do anything about it. So he persuaded the High Lords to resurrect her, which, in return, turned Feyre into a High Fae, and now she was back in the Spring Court with Tamlin and Lucien.

Rhysand scoffed loudly at that, still thinking about it. None of them had lifted a finger to help Alexis after what she had done for them, after she saved them.

"Staying grumpy won't help you find her," Rhysand's cousin Morrigan entered the room.
It had been overwhelming going back to Velaris, the city of stars known by a few, after he had hidden its location for fifty years, sacrificing himself for the good of his family and his people. Cassian, Azriel, Mor, and even Amren would have never been able to repay Rhysand for what he had done, and he didn't even expect them to. He did it for the love he held for them, for the dream they shared.

Mor had been there when he came back to the city. She held him when he cried for all the stress, despair, and sadness that had burdened him for years. And even though he was happy being back with his family, with Amarantha gone, something was still missing: his Star. It hurt every time he looked at the glorious stars shimmering in the deep blue sky because he couldn't stop thinking about her. He had no idea where she was, but he could feel her terror, her pain through their bond, and that made him even more scared of what the Attor was doing to her.

He had a guess that she was in Hybern, but as much as he wanted to free her if she was there, even with the help of Amren, Mor, Cassian, and Azriel, he couldn't have gone there.
When he was Under the Mountain, rumors started spreading that the king of Hybern had in his possession the Cauldron. Rhysand had no idea if it was true or not, but if it was... well, he couldn't send himself and his friends unprepared to an unknown lair, even if he wanted it so bad. He just had to be patient and try to talk to Alexis in her sleep, but she was so far away, and her sleeping pattern was nearly non-existent, making it hard for him to establish a bond. Also, her mind seemed blocked, and he didn't know by what, which terrified him.

"I don't know what to do. She's so far away, yet at the same time, I can feel her... her pain," Rhysand slammed his hand to his forehead in despair, thinking of ways he could uncover where she was. Mor had been the only one, after she welcomed Rhysand into her arms after fifty years, who was told about Alexis.
Of course, Rhysand told everyone what had happened to him Under the Mountain and that it had been a Fallen, a rare, powerful being, to save them. But only to Mor did he reveal that she was his mate.

He didn't know why he hadn't disclosed it to all of them, but maybe it was because a part of him was scared that he was never going to be able to find her. But to Mor, to his cousin who had gone through hell and back, he didn't even try to keep it hidden from her. However, since Rhysand looked so miserable all the time, perhaps his other friends had guessed his connection to Alexis. But he did tell all of them about his wish on the night of Starfall and the fact that he discovered Alexis had been born on the same day.