Nightfully ;Azriel

17

Althea swore under her breath, she swallowed a lump that formed in her throat turning her attention to where the queens sat to the flowers outside. Her eyes ran over the flowers one by one, she counted the petals, levelling her breathing back to normal. But someone gasped catching her attention once again.

Her eyes landed on a box which was placed on the seat where the golden queen sat. Although Althea blinked in surprise she didn't expect any of the queens to help them, in fact Althea was quite disappointed that she now had some guilt after snapping at the queen. 

Yet no one spoke when they saw the box. Just as she was about to mirror her thoughts a voice rang throughout the room, filling the silence with despair and chaos. Life and death and rebirthSun and moon and darkRot and bloom and bonesHello, sweet thing. Hello, lady of night, princess of decay. Hello, fanged beast and tremblingfawn. Love me, touch me, sing me. Althea threw a small glance towards her sister who looked at the book in only one can assume is shock.  

Rhysand hurriedly rushed to the chair lifting up the book before flipping it open, a not lay atop and Althea briefly made out the words before the highlord closed the book shut turning to face the three human girls.  "It is your choice, ladies, whether youwish to remain here, or come with us. You have heard the situation at hand. You have done the mathabout an evacuation." A nod of approval as he met Nesta's gray-blue stare. "Should you choose toremain, a unit of my soldiers will be here within the hour to guard this place. Should you wish tocome live with us in that city we just showed them, I'd suggest packing now."

Nesta looked to Elain, still silent and wide-eyed. The tea she'd prepared—the finest, most exotictea money could buy sat undisturbed on the table. 

Elain thumbed the iron ring on her finger."It is your choice," Nesta said with unusual gentleness. For her, Nesta would go to Prythian. A part of Althea felt a pang of annoyance whilst the other held understanding. At the end of the day, both her and Nesta had nothing here. But Elain...

Elain swallowed, a doe caught in a snare. "I—I can't. I ..."

Althea looked at Nesta who nodded at her. If they could do anything to help at least one of them to happiness, they'd die doing it. Rhysand nodded in understanding, "The sentries will be here, and remain unseenand unfelt. They will look after themselves. Should you change your minds, one will be waiting in thisroom every day at noon and at midnight for you to speak. My home is your home. Its doors are alwaysopen to you." 

Nesta looked between Rhys and Cassian, then to Feyre. Despair still paled her face, but ... shebowed her head. And said to her, "That was why you painted stars on your drawer." 

Althea watched silently as everyone left after that, silent exchanges and goodbyes were thrown until it was just the three of them again, plus one sentry. She gave the masked man a small awkward smile before taking off, not bothering to hear him and Nesta exchange the rules. 

She felt light headed, she couldn't fight. She didn't know how to, never bothered to learn and yet it was crucial now. Althea wouldn't be able to defend herself- not that she'd be able to anyway yet it was better to fail while trying. 

She picked up her cat who meowed and tried to wiggle away from her. Maybe they could stay at the manor- she shook her head at the thought, snapping out of the one idea that slipped throughout her dazed mind. 

As soon as Lord Nolan finds out about their fae sister... they were better off dead. Maybe they should move the wedding date closer, that way if anyone suffers it'll be her and Nesta. Not Elain.

The cat in her arm purred and for a dumb second she realised something, she never even named her cat. "You look like a Bear." She hummed holding her fluffy black cat closer. It was a stray she fed on the streets every day and spent hours trying to catch it and yet she never bothered naming him.