A Court of Tears and Starlight

A push in the right direction

I was falling, arms flailing everywhere and my voice screaming in terror. I was falling so fast that the air gagged my mouth, muffling the sound of my scream. A jagged precipice was rushing towards me and I was going to die any minute now.

Feyre! For Cauldron's sake - Use. Your. Wings. Rhysand's voice snarled in my head.

Oh! My wings. As if on cue they opened, spreading wide and automatically tilting in the direction required to catch the head wind. The air currents pulled me out of my dive and lifted me up so that I was soaring upwards and then over the valley.

I head a whoop of triumph from behind me and as I circled around Rhysand came into view.

He was heading straight towards me and I was seething in fury.

I opened my mouth to yell and instead a steady burst of wild blue flames shot out from mouth and threatened to fry him.

He dropped into a spiral dive, all but missing them. I noted with small satisfaction that his leg had caught on fire.

I swooped downwards, determine to make him pay. As if on cue my mouth shot forth another burst of striking blue flames. I could see Rhysand hovering just above the clouds as though he thought he had lost me. I smirked, sure of my victory.

I dived straight down, gaining on him with every second, claws out and ready to ravage him. He was 20 feet away. 10 feet away. 3 feet away... and then just when I was upon him he somehow flipped so that he was above me. He wrapped his arms around me, pinning my wings to my sides so that now I was truly falling.

We fell head first, so fast that my eyes blurred and watered and I couldn't make out the emerging shapes below. I shut my eyes just as I was about to smash into the hard ground.

A sharp stinging slapped my face as I crashed head first into the lake.

I struggled in panic, having never been in water so deep. The impact had left me disorientated so that I did not know which way was up. My lungs started to burn and I screamed, despite knowing I was wasting precious air.

I felt hands grip under my arms and a fierce tugging upwards. My head finally broke the surface and my lungs filled with glorious gasps of air.

I realised that Rhys was still holding me and shielding himself behind me. I could hear his amused laughter in my ear. I felt another jet of furious fire coming forth and opened my mouth to set it free.

Instead of my magnificent flames, a jet of hissing steam came out.

Rhysand howled with laughter.

Blowing off some steam?

I couldn't help but laugh despite the fact I was furious with him.

I threw my head backwards, smacking him in the face and causing him to release his grip on me.

"Ouch" he complained, mildly pissed with me.

I narrowed my eyes at him.

"YOU. Don't. Get. To. Be. Mad. At. ME!" I spat at him.

"Not when YOU pushed me off a cliff!!!" I growl fiercely.

He looked at me clearly amused but trying to look apologetic, the end result was that he look severely constipated which made me laugh again.

I shook my head at him and then headed for the shore. My anger somewhat dissipating with each stroke I swam. Stupid arrogant jerk.

We hit the shore at the same time and I shook out my wings and then shifted back into my fae form. Rhysand did likewise, saddling up besides me.