𝙲𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚛𝚢 𝙱𝚕𝚘𝚜𝚜𝚘𝚖(𝙰𝙲𝙾𝚃𝙰𝚁)

𝔠𝔥𝔞𝔭𝔱𝔢𝔯 𝔱𝔥𝔦𝔯𝔱𝔶-𝔫𝔦𝔫𝔢

Two days of careful planning passed. Rhys and Feyre had both toned down the flirting, and were checking in with me more often. It meant a lot to me that they cared--and that Rhys didn't tease me for my jealousy anymore.

Feyre and Amren were finding the Book today. I stayed on land with Rhys, very anxiously waiting. Rhys assured me that if something went wrong, we'd both feel it through the bond. But I still felt unsure.

"She'll be fine, bunny," he assured me.

"And if something goes wrong, are you planning on helping her?" I demanded, picking at the skin on my fingers.

"You are quite neurotic," he mused. "Has anyone ever told you that?" I narrowed my eyes at him, sneering slightly. He only chuckled.

The sound of a loud, desperate gasp took my attention away from the infuriating male. My green eyes went wide, and I took off towards the shore, struggling to get footing in the soft sand. Amren and Feyre were swimming for us as fast as they could, alarms going off behind them.

When they finally reached shore, they collapsed onto the sand, gasping for air. I knelt by their sides, reaching for Feyre.

"Are you okay, Fey?" I fussed as she lifted her head. She couldn't catch her breath long enough to reply. Rhys finally made his way over to us, albeit, slowly.

"What are you two doing?" Rhys asked casually.

"Where the hell were you?" Amren demanded.

"I thought you had it covered," he said to her.

"That place, or that damned book, nearly nullified my powers. We almost drowned," Amren hissed.

My gaze shot up to Rhys, my nostrils flaring as I took in his features. He had told me he'd be able to sense if they were in trouble.

"I didn't feel it through the bond--" Rhys began.

"It probably nullified that, too, you stupid bastard," Amren snapped.

"Did you get it?" he asked.

"That's what your concerned about?" I grumbled as Feyre groaned, resting her head on my lap.

I brushed her wet hair away from where it was sticking to her face. She swept a hand over her pocket, where the book was stowed away.

"Good," Rhys said. "I missed some guards."

He gripped our arms, and winnowed us away. We landed in the entryway of the house, and the two females collapsed the second we got our footing. Feyre whimpered as she hit the ground, and I was immediately knelt by her side again, my arms wrapped around he.

"What the hell?" Cassian shouted as he stormed into the room.

"I'm waiting for an explanation, too," Rhys shrugged. I glanced up, eyes brushing over Cassian, Azriel, and Mor.

"How?" Amren asked Feyre. I was unaware of what she was asking.

"During the Tithe, the water-wraith emissary said they had no gold, no food to pay.They were starving," Feyre said.

I recalled that day. How I'd given them all of the jewlery I'd been wearing, save for the necklace Rhys had given me. The necklace that was still around my neck, now.

"So Mary and I gave her some of my jewelry to pay her dues. She swore that she and her sisters would never forget the kindness."

"Can someone explain, please?" Mor called from the room beyond.

Amren stared at both Feyre and me, amusement playing her features.

"What?" Feyre demanded.

"Only an immortal with a mortal heart would have given one of those horrible beasts the money. It's so ... " Amren laughed again. I scowled, wondering if she even considered the fact that I had never been mortal. "Whatever luck you live by, girl ...thank the Cauldron for it."

Feyre let out a very small chuckle, just before bursting into a fit of laughter. I rolled my eyes, letting go of her as she sat all the way up.

"Ladies," Rhysand purred, instruction in his tone.

Feyre groaned as she got to her feet, holding onto me for support as I rose with her. She offered her hand to Amren and helped her up. Then, she took the Book from her pocket, tossing it onto the table.

"One last task, Feyre. Unlock it, please," Rhys instructed.

I helped Feyre slide into a chair, then she tugged the Book toward her, pressing a hand on top of it.

Hello, liar, it purred.

"Hello," Feyre said softly.

Will you read me?

"No."

Say please.

"Please," Feyre said.

Like calls to like.

"Open," Feyre gritted out.

Cursebreaker, it called, and the box clicked open.

Feyre sagged back in her chair, and I placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"I never want to hear that voice again."

"Well, you will," Rhysand said blandly, lifting the lid. "Because you're coming with us to see those mortal queens as soon as they deign to visit." I wanted to groan at the idea of going to the mortal lands again.

"What language is that?" Mor asked while they flipped through the books.

"It is no language of this world," Amren announced.

"What is it, then?" Azriel asked.

"It is the Leshon Hakodesh. The Holy Tongue," Amren explained.

"I heard a legend that it was written in a tongue of mighty beings whofeared the Cauldron's power and made the Book to combat it. Mighty beings who were here... and then vanished. You are the only one who can uncode it," Rhys recalled.

"Don't play those sorts of games, Rhysand," Amren warned.

"Not a game. It was a gamble that Amren would be able toread it—and a lucky one," Rhys shrugged. "I thought, too, that the Book might also contain the spell tofree you—and send you home. If they were the ones who wrote it in the first place."

"Shit," Cassian scoffed.

"I did not tell you my suspicions, because I did not want to get your hopes up. But if the legends about the language were indeed right ... Perhaps you might find what you've been looking for, Amren," Rhys said.

"I need the other piece before I can begin decoding it."

"Hopefully our request to the mortal queens will be answered soon," he said,frowning at the sand and water staining the foyer. "And hopefully the next encounter will go better than this one."

"Thank you," Amren said quietly.

"Even if the book can nullify the Cauldron ... there's Jurian to contend with," Azriel pointed out.
"That's the piece that doesn't fit. Why resurrect him in the first place? And how does theking keep him bound? What does the king have over Jurian to keep him loyal?"

"I'd considered that," Rhys said, taking a seat across from me at the table, right between his two brothers.

"Jurian was... obsessive in his pursuits of things," Mor paled. "He died with many of those goals left unfinished. If he suspects Miryam is alive—"

"Odds are, Jurian believes Miryam is gone," Rhys said. "And who better to raise his former lover than a king with a Cauldron able to resurrect the dead?"

"Would Jurian ally with Hybern just because he thinks Miryam is dead and wants her back?" Cassian said.

"He'd do it to get revenge on Drakon for winning her heart," Rhys said. "We'll discuss this later."

Feyre studied Rhys, then turned her head to glance at where I was standing beside her. My hand was still on her shoulder.

To the dreams that are answered, she said through the bond.

To the huntress and princess who remember to reach back for those less fortunate—and water-wraiths who swim very, very fast, Rhys replied.