𝐀 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐑𝐞𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

𝟏𝟔

Arya

     "I'm thinking of buying the Beddor land," Arthur mentioned. "I heard a rumour it'll go up for sale soon since none of the family survived, and it would be a good investment property. Perhaps one of you girls might build a house on it when you're ready."

I was about to respond when Feyre took the words right out of my mouth, "What happened to the Beddors?"

"Oh, it was awful," Elain said. "Their house burned down, and everyone died. Well, they couldn't find Clare's body, but ..." She looked down at her plate. "It happened in the dead of night -- the family, their servants, everyone. The day before you came home to us, actually."

"Clare Beddor," Feyre says slowly. All the colour drained from my face. "Oh my god," I whisper out in realization of who the culprit was. I look around the table, finding Feyre and Nesta already looking at me.

Rhysand had given her name to Amarantha. I should've told him the name actually belonged to someone else.

"Feyre?" Arthur asked. "Arya?" He then asked when Feyre didn't respond and Nesta hissed at him, "Quiet."

"We have to go," Feyre says decidedly as she looks at me. I nodded as she turned to Nesta. "You must listen very carefully. Everything Arya and I have told you must remain a secret. You do not come looking for me. You do not speak our name again to anyone."

Nesta knew everything that went down in Prythian, but we did skip the part about me being a faerie.

"What are you talking about, Feyre?" Arthur gaped at her from the end of the table. Elain shifted in her seat, glancing between everyone.

I left Feyre to explain what she wanted to the two as I gathered some items to bring for our travel back. I head upstairs and lay out clothes that Feyre can change into while changing myself.

This is it. There's no going back.

I hand Feyre her hunting knives and I tuck a few ones in my boots. "Father once told you to never come back," Nesta said, "and I'm telling you now. We can take care of ourselves."

"They can lie," I told Nesta. "Faeries can lie, and iron doesn't bother them one bit."

"But ash wood -- that seems to work," added Feyre. "Take my money and buy a damned grove of it for Elain to tend."

"What can you two do to help? He's a High Lord, you both are just humans."

"It won't matter that we're humans," I tell her softly. "It matters that we try," I added.

Once Feyre and I were ready, I turned to Nesta, cupping her face in my hands gently. "I will come back for you my little one. Once it's safe for me to do so, I will come back. Until then, you stay safe. You live the way you want to and express whatever it is you feel inside. I love you Nes. You are my first child and I will come back to you." I plant a kiss on Nesta's head before leading Feyre downstairs.

•❅───✧❅✦❅✧───❅•

I surveyed what was left of the Spring Manor. I unsheath the twin blades that I had summoned the moment we got far enough from the Archeron estate.

"Tamlin?" Feyre shouted. "Lucien?" She tried again. The only thing coming back to us was the echo of her voice.

They're gone. But with one look around the manor, I know they're not dead. No bodies. Amarantha has taken them.

Debris crunched from down the hall. Feyre drew her hunting knife and made a move to hide, but I sniffed once and stopped her. I jerked my head for her to follow me, straight to where we heard the sound come from.