A Court of Tears and Starlight

Preparing for the worst

RHYSAND

"Your Darkness" a greasy voice said from beside me. I looked up and scowled at the grey skinned lesser fae standing before me. He bobbed his head reverently and glanced back up at me and my deepening scowl. He cleared his throat after an awkward pause he tried again.

"Everything is ready for tonight, Your Darkness."

Tonight?...

"Thank you - That will be all Daecon."

Aeden's clear voice cut through my pondering and I turned to him and frowned at his dismissal of my servant.

"Rhys -" he began, gripping my shoulder firmly.

"What?" I snapped as I jerked away from his grip. Annoyed that I had become so weak and distracted.

He just shook his head and backed up a step.

"What?" I asked again, this time in a soft controlled sneer.

"Nothing" he offered.... "unless you will be needing anything?"

"Yes" I snapped at him.

He raised his eyebrow in question.

"Elliana" I said in a cruel soft voice.

He waited; his face deliberately impassive.

"Make sure she is sitting next to me tonight" I said quietly.

"Rh - "

My glare cut him off as I turned and left without a goodbye.

__________________________________________________________________________

Tamlin

"Again" I growled.

I watched as she sat cross legged on the floor, a small perplexed crease on her forehead and her eyes squeezed shut. She was perfectly still but for the deliberate rise and fall of each breath. Her frown intensified and a small bead of sweat ran down her forehead.

The entire room went pitch black. I could tell from her breathing that she hadn't bothered to open her eyes. She remained deeply in her trance and I couldn't help but hold my own breath as I waited for her next effort.

We had been training for two hours already. As first we had begun with small inert objects such as spoons and plates. I had schooled my facial expressions against the shock I felt every time she used her powers. They seemed infinite. Far too much power for someone so small and so untrained to wield.

She picked everything up on the first go. Nothing had to be explained twice. It was as though she was born to the magic. It was a part of her that readily transformed at her every request. Within half and hour she was lengthening and shaping solid objects, adding and subtracting to their matter in a way that had taken me years to perfect.

That brought us to our current lesson: Elements.

I had tried to dissuade her, suggesting we try another day when she was feeling fresh. She had just looked at me those serious sad eyes and said, "Today is all we ever really have."

I nodded, knowing that she was right and that we may not have another chance to train together. We had pushed on to moving water and air and now we had come to the trickiest of all - fire.

Feyre had just extinguished and re-lit a single candle in the room when I demanded she do it again.

I had presumed she would try to do one or two more, instead she had extinguished the entire room. More than 100 candles that were lighting the room.