A Court of Secrets and Moonlight

28: Flight

Feyre

The brutal lesson from Cassian and the many hits I took flying into trees with Azriel yesterday was enough to prevent me from training today. Every bone in my body hurt, every muscle sore and fatigued, and there weren't enough hot baths or massages from Rhys to fix it. My muscles felt as if I'd pulled every one of them, my back and spine screaming in pain just from sitting up.

Azriel, upon receiving word that we would not be training today to the newly named House of Song, had shown up with a healing salve and some kind of purple potion from Leur. Desperate for any kind of relief, I knocked it back the second Az handed it to me, and then rubbed the eucalyptus scented balm everywhere I could reach. I put the little note that had been attached to the vial into a drawer, smiling at the looping cursive handwriting from Leur. Half an hour later, when the unbearable burning with every movement had ceased, I was half tempted to winnow up there and fall to my knees before them both in gratitude.

Cassian appeared, almost immediately pissing Nesta off by snatching a muffin from over her shoulder and giving her a wolfish grin. She rolled her eyes, going back to her breakfast, but Elain's eyes stayed glued on the Illyrian. She blinked at him, her pink gown too large on her frame and hanging off a bony shoulder.

"He broke your wings, shredded them." She said, eyes clouded and soft.

"It will take more than that to kill me." Cassian smirked at her, trying to be subtle about the way he tucked his healed wings in tight, as if he could hide them.

Elain only tilted her head, "No, it will not."

Cassian's brows furrowed together, and I intervened, placing a hand on my sister's back, "Let's get you set up in the garden. The herbs that you-"

She stood wordlessly, shrugging my hand off of her, and walked out the door without another word. The sunlight from the courtyard poured in, soft and bright, enveloping her as I stared through the window. I ran a hand over my face in exasperation.

"Well, that was nice." Cassian cut the tension sarcastically, brushing over what had just happened as he turned to my sister, "Anyways, ready for some flying, Nes?"
"Don't call me that." She hissed.

I winnowed before I could see the rest of their spat. We were heading up to the library on assignment from Amren. trying to see if any new information on the Cauldron or the wall was lingering there. Rhys had also wanted me to see if I could find anything mentioning the Apenati. After our trip to the Carver, neither of us could make sense of some of the things the death god had said to Leur. All we could glean was that whatever power she possessed, whatever she was hiding, it was strong enough to make a difference in the war. That was enough information for me. I trusted that Leur had her reasons for being secretive. She was Rhys's sister after all, I was sure she was just like him in always having a plan. But he wouldn't hear any of it, wouldn't let it go until he knew everything.

Luckily, no one was around when I crash landed onto the veranda of the House of Wind. Cassian and Nesta appeared from the skies once I had already dusted myself off, the former giving me a nod before he launched himself in the air. I didn't fail to notice the way his eyes lingered on my sister before he left, his hands clenched at his sides.

The library beneath the house was particularly quiet today. Nesta was silent at my side, surveying each stack and alcove as we made her way down to the oak table Rhys and I had been using. It was still littered with books on shadowsingers, the priestesses having left it alone for the time being. Though another cart now adorned the space, filled with books on the Cauldron and anything Clotho could find on the legends of the Apenati. Likely, Rhys had informed her of what we would be looking for today. I took up a spot at the chair I had occupied before, closing some of the open books and stacking them on the side.