A Court of Tears and Starlight

Ka-Boom

...and that much power could kill her.

I turn and look at Aeden in terror but before either of us can say another word the mine implodes.

I feel it before I hear it. The giant sweep of power that builds and builds and then collapses in on itself. There is a surge of magic that blasts out from the centre.

Aeden and I are thrown to the ground as the floor lifts and shatters around us. Large shards of crystal fall like knives and shatter as they collide with the unrelenting granite. A loud cracking sound is my only warning before the ceiling falls in on us. I reach out for Aeden, gasping his wrist as a large jagged wedge of stone falls towards him. I move us both through the darkness and pray to the Cauldron that I got him in time.

We land roughly in the marshlands several miles from the mine. Over the clearing I can see the second blast that ripples out from the mountain, decimating all of the trees within a mile radius of it. They splinter and fall in a wave formation. The ground shakes beneath my feet and I hear Aeden groan somewhere nearby.

Aeden!

I rush over to his crumpled body and flip him over. He doesn't respond so I reach for his neck to check for a pulse. The minute my hand touches his throat his hand swings up and grabs me by my throat, cutting off my air.

Aeden! I mentally blast him, causing his grip to release as he falls back.

"Dammit Rhys" he growls.

"You should know better than to go for the throat"

"I thought you were dead" I snarl back.

A third boom ripples out from the mountains and then all is silent.

Feyre.

My heart clenches painfully as the dust cloud around the mountain settles.

I search within myself for her, that little part of her soul that I can always feel. But as I reach out expecting to find her usual warm spark, instead it feels like I've grabbed hold of ten thousand bolts of lighting. The power courses through me and I scream out her name before blacking out.

______________________________________________________________

She who does not remember

There is darkness and pain. So much pain. It sears through me. My skin feels like it is too tight and tearing apart in a thousand fire filled cracks. I scream but there is no sound. The fire builds and rips forth, bursting the seams of my current form and then the pain is gone. Now I am full of light. I feel myself unravelling as I merge with the particles around me. Shapeless, boundless, free matter. I have no form. I am light, ever so light that I may drift away. Yet somewhere I feel an anchor, something pinning me down. I can't explain it, but none the less it is there. I reach for it but the intensity of the knowing causes me to withdraw and flee from that dangerous place. Better not to know. Better to stay here in this safe limbo of in-betweens. As I try to recall where 'here' is my head throbs with pain.

Who am I?

That thought causes an explosion of agony.

Darkness and unknowing greet me.

---------------------

RHYSAND

I wake tired and sore in my comfortable bed. What a terrible dream I mumble as I reach out for Feyre's warm body beside me. My hand falls on the cold empty sheets and my eyes spring open. I sit up and snarl as I realise I am not alone.