SINS OF THE FATHER

CHAPTER 11 - FATED MATES

Nyx had just walked out of the dining room in the town house. He left his speechless family behind.

He should have regretted it. But honestly he didn't feel much of anything.

"Nyx," his father said, "wait-"

Nyx stood in the foyer as his parents caught up to him. He turned to them. Feyre was still sobbing, and he'd never seen his father look so utterly devastated.

Rhys opened his mouth-

"Dad," Nyx said, "Just don't."

His father fell silent. The front door banged open behind him.

"Lucien?" Feyre frowned, and then she paled.

Nyx sighed tiredly, he wanted so desperately to go to bed-

The breeze from the front door carried over the scent of wet grass and sunlight. Nyx blinked, unable to turn.

"Nyx, my love?" Her voice made him flinch.

Nyx turned. He saw her then. She stood by the door, with Lucien behind her. Danae wore a simple tunic and pants. Her golden hair fastened in a hasty braid.

Nyx shook his head, "You're not real."

Danae's eyes shattered. Her hands shook as she pulled at the fabric of her tunic to expose her throat. A vicious scar stood at the base of her throat. Nyx flinched so hard that he stumbled back. His father's hands the only thing keeping him upright.

Nyx' feet carried him to her, and he fell on his knees before her, burrowing his face in her stomach. All of the feelings that had been numbed in her absence came rushing back at once. And among them he felt the gentle strings of the mating bond.

He pulled harshly at them until Danae stumbled over him, whispering, "Please stop pulling, I'm here. I'm here."

He wept as she bent over him, her scent overpowering him.

He pulled her to him desperately. Danae let him, her arms comforting him as he buried his face in the crook of her neck.

His cries must have carried over to the dining room, because the rest of his family crowded in the foyer.

"...how is this possible?"

"Lucien-" Amren snapped, "-what do you know of this?"

"How-"

Rhysand released his midnight power and the Inner Circle fell silent. It was after a while that Nyx realized that his father had winnowed everyone out, to grant them privacy.

#

Later they found themselves entangled in front of the blazing fireplace. There were soft blankets covering their naked bodies. Danae traced the scars on his wrists, forever there to remind him of Amarantha's manacles. Then she traced the scarring on his back. Where once his wings had been. The skin would never smooth over.

Nyx in turn softly touched the scar on her throat, as if to make sure that it had closed. That she was here. With him. Alive.

There was a new tattoo on the inside of her wrist he kept meaning to ask about. It looked like a Night Court bargain tattoo. But he could not think of where and when she would have made such a bargain.

Danae flinched when he gently placed his palm on her stomach. Nyx pulled back immediately, but she shook her head, lacing her fingers with him.

He smelled her tears before they fell. Nyx kissed her temple.

"Can I show you something?" Danae asked.

Nyx knew what she meant. He reached out with his mind, and the thorns in her shield untangled enough for him to peek through.

In her mind he stood at the top of a hill in the Illyrian mountains. Nyx would have looked at Ramiel at his back, but his breath caught as he beheld her.

Danae stood before the sinking sun, a bundle of soft blankets in her arms. He stepped closer, and through his tears he saw soft round cheeks, black hair, tiny fists. Their child. Or what it would have looked like, had the little girl lived.

Nyx pulled out of her mind. He looked at his mate. Her fingers came up to wipe away his tears. He kissed her head gently. Danae felt a surge of love so strong that caused her to climb on top of him and ride him until they were both peacefully spent.

#

After two weeks they finally ventured out of the house. The walk across Velaris was beautiful. The river and the colors took Danae's breath away.

Her hand was firmly clasped in Nyx' as they made their way into his parents' estate.

Feyre and Rhysand had been waiting by the doors leading to the dining room. The Inner Circle had gathered for an early dinner.

Feyre smiled at her after kissing her son's cheek. Nyx only had eyes for his father however.

"I am sorry." He said earnestly. "For what I said. To the both of you."

Rhysand's face was impassive. But his eyes were full of stars and love as he looked at Nyx.

He leaned over and kissed Nyx' cheek with great affection. Feyre led her son into the dining room but Danae lingered for a moment longer. Rhysand gave her a small smile.

"You have your mother's eyes." She said.

Rhysand stopped dead in his tracks. "I don't, actually. I have my father's coloring."

"That's not what I meant." Danae said. "The way you just looked at Nyx, the love in your gaze...that was all Kore."

Rhysand blinked at her. Danae thumped the bargain tattoo on her wrist.

"They miss you." She whispered softly, "they are watching over you. They're watching over all of us."

Rhys' eyes pricked with tears. Danae left him to his grief, her tattoo had already vanished by the time she took her seat next to Nyx.

Rhysand entered the dining room. He stopped by Danae's chair, the calluses on his hands were rough as he cupped her cheeks. He looked into her eyes with such love and stars.

"Thank you." He whispered and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. On the exact same spot Aidoneus had kissed.

If the Inner Circle was surprised by the High Lord's display of affection they said nothing of it.

Once Rhysand was seated, Feyre raised her glass. "To not letting the hard days win."

Nyx squeezed her hand beneath the table.

"Welcome to the family, girl." Amren said.

Nesta snorted, "And good luck to you. You will need it."

Danae grinned.

#

Danae's mother had outdone herself. The tea pot never emptied and the sandwiches and cakes kept being brought over as the four of them sat in the grand gardens of the manor house.

Nyx and her mother were having a lively debate on chess positions.

Tamlin simply winked at her as the discussion went on from attacking maneuvers to castling.

Danae and her father went unnoticed as they got up to take a walk around the gardens. Her father showed her the new trees he'd planted. As they strolled past the peach trees Tamlin handed her a plump fruit. Biting into it, Danae felt transported back to the past. She felt twelve all over again.

She noticed her father's gaze.

"I won't disappear if you blink, dad." She said.

Tamlin sighed, he shut his eyes to hide his tears. "I'm sorry I keep doing that."

"I love you." She grabbed onto his hand and squeezed.

She knew how hard it was to lose a child.

"I love you so much, my daughter." Tamlin said, "You are my heart outside of my body."