A VOW OF STARS ---- [ACOTAR]

2 8

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

don't even blink away from her

_________________

_________________

In the calmness of the apparently empty house, Rhysand sat in his study, contemplating as the minutes flew by in an unstoppable blur.

He'd gotten used to his hectic sleep schedule by now, but what made that night even more unbearable was the thought vulturing inside his brain, thoughts of the Attor and whatever fascination he had about his own damn daughter.

The clock on the wall ticked meticulously as he waited for either Azriel or Cassian to come over with any sort of information, anything to make the storm inside him die down, but the waiting stretched into an eternity, at least until a flash of someone's thoughts ran inside his head.

Alaric was there.

Rhys could not really decide if he was mad about it or just so damn exasperated.

He decided to catch a conversation with the kid, since he knew that he hd given him a job to do in the daytime and that Elayla would be spying on their conversations in her waking hours.

He stood at the doorway, watching as her chest heaved up and down with every breath, for once Rhysand could not smell any liquor in her room, but from fear of jinxing it, he couldn't even dare to acknowledge it.

He suddenly recalled the quiet winter nights, when the kids fell asleep at any give moment in the same bed, unawrae of the messed up future they'd have later on.

Alaric straightened up once he felt his presence, automatically going back to his rigid compliance as he stood.

Al's view on Rhysand was one of a man who did not if he should be grateful or spiteful to the most lasting father figure he's had in his life, the man whose shasows were both a safety blanket and a danger sign.

"How's she holding up?" Rhys asked, eyes never leaving Layla.

She looked like she was resting for once, face half-buried in a pillow as her hair covered her sealed eyes. Seeing her resting was refreshing, a dose of hope after days of pure Hell.

"Trying her best not to go mad." Alaric mumbled, not really sure how to describe the turmoil that he had observed in Elayla ever since he saw her again.

She was tripping between the line of hurt and her new reality, not really able to let go of the pain that had trapped her for years to an end with no consolation prize. Rhysand knew that very well, probably  because he's bee in the same loop too.

"Keep your eyes on her, will you?" Rhys sighed. "She makes it hard, but she needs it."

"I will." Alaric nodded. "By the way, we found her trajectory. The last place she's been in Prythian was in Winter court."

At the hint of Elira's existence, Rhys' shoulders stiffened, the ghost of her almost dragging itself across the room, where the child she left behind finally found the luxury of oblivion that sleep offered.

"When was that?" He asked mecanically, all emotion leaving his tone.

"Fifty years ago." Alaric cleared his throat, "at the same time as... Whatever happened to Winter's children."

Rhys's heartbeat stopped for a second. The massacre was still a fresh wound bleeding into his memory, a burden he carried because he could not prevent it, but the thought of Elira being there was absurd and yet horrifying. 

"Do we know where she headed next?" He finally breathed out. 

"Nothing for sure, but there are theories."

"Well invistigate it, Alaric." Rhysand swallowed and turned around to leave.

"She'll want to know." Alaric stopped him. "Elayla's clever, she'll figure out what you're trying to do."

"What I'm trying to do is protect my only daughter. My heir." Rhysand clenched his jaw. "It's not something she doesn't know I'd do. Your job is not to lie to her, your job is to tell her only if she asks."

"And then they wonder where she got her temper from." Alaric sighed in exasperation. "Just look at yourself and you'll know."

"I do take that as a compliment, son."

Well, I guess I'm alive. 

It's been a rough couple of months, an I'm really sorry for disappearing on you guys like that, but hey, I'm back! 

I started my clinical rotations btw (Yep your girl is a working adult finally.)

Love, Zy