The Court of Torture and Love: A Rhysand Fan Fiction

Chapter Twenty-Three: Lilith

"...nothing you can do."

"Let it fade... her system."

"...took her wings!"

"Az... gone!"

Something slams down right by my head and I let out a groan, scrunching my face. My sense are out of wack. My body feels numb and hot and cold and like a live wire all at once.

"Lilith?"

It's hard to hear what's going on. I can't quite find the strength to open my eyes. A soft moan echoes in my throat.

Someone cups my face in their hands, pushing hair from my face.

"Open your eyes, baby," the voice whispers.

Somehow, it works. My eyes flutter, letting in blurry images of Rhys and Cassian and Amren and other people who I don't know.

"Lilith, can you hear me?" Rhys asks, pushing another piece of hair behind my ear. I'm laying on something hard.

I let out a groan, letting my head fall to the side as my eyes fall shut.

"We need to know if she's in pain," one of the people I don't know says. I open my eyes to find a small girl standing beside Rhys. She has a small bowl in her hands.

"Lilith, can you talk?" Rhys asks, drawing my eyes back to him.

It takes me a minute. "Where...?" The single word is all I can get out. I wince, squeezing my eyes shut.

"You're in the Night Court," he says, sniffing. Are there tears in his eyes? "You're in Velaris again. We got you back."

I let out a small hum, swallowing. When I try to move, I nearly black out.

"No, no, take it slow. Don't move," he says, moving his hands to his shoulders.

"Drugged me," I manage, going still on the table.

"I know. I know. It was muthe root. It's fading from your system as we speak."

"Wings?" It comes out in a small whisper.

"Don't worry about that right now," he says quietly, petting the top of my head. "You don't have to worry about that."

I think I try to nod, but it doesn't quite work out. Things are getting darker, quieter.

"Lilith?" he says. "Lilith, stay with me. Just stay..."

His voice is the last thing I hear before I pass out.

***

Someone is holding my hand. It's the first thing that I recognize.

Breathing in deeply, I force my eyes open. I have no sense of time, no way to know if it's night or day or even what season it is.

I take in the room around me. Rhys' room. I'm in his bed. There's more stuff in here than normal, more clutter. It all looks medical related.

My eyes finally find him. He's not laying on the bed, not exactly. His knees are on the ground beside the bed, his hand gripping my hand as his head lays beside our hands. He's sleeping.

I feel... Wrong. I don't know any other way to describe it. My soul feels fractured, my body light. My wings aren't out. I know what it means, but the loss of them stings nearly as much as when Amarantha cut them off.

"Lil?" Rhys says beside me. I look back at him, realizing I had drifted off into my own mind. He stands, cupping my face in his hands. "You're awake. Are you okay? How do you feel?"