Tethered to the Starlight: A Court of War and Starlight

Chapter 12: Feyre

Blood was everywhere. Blood consumed me.

Blood covered Tamlin and Ianthe.

Blood covered the ground beneath my bottom.

Blood dripped from the post where Rhys was tied, his face slackened with closed eyes.

Cassian had been watching from the sky, figuring I could defeat my enemies alone. He was at my side instantly, shaking me.

I loosed a scream as contraction hit. There shouldn't be so much blood, I thought.

I turned to Cassian, my breathing heavy, "Get him." He understood immediately, determination glinting in his scared eyes. Something was wrong, and he knew it too.

I heard several grunts from across the ledge where blood flowed freely, and a moan of pain pierced the now mid day air. Cassian placed Rhys' limp body next to mine and my eyes shifted to his in concern, only to cross as another fatal contraction ravaged my body. I needed one of us healthy and coherent enough for this delivery.

"Cassian, I need a knife now!" I yelled through another contraction. For the first time in my life I had seen Cassian scared, his eyes darting back and forth as he fumbled in his weapon's belt for a knife. Handing it to me, fingers trembling, he turned away.

I placed the knife on my left forearm away from any important veins and arteries, and sliced through the skin roughly, creating a jagged gash. The blood poured from the wound in dark red rivulets.

"Stay with me Rhys!" I urged, and lifted his mouth to my open wound. Moving his mouth with my hand, I coaxed his slackened face to drink. His body obeyed command, something I was thankful for. Within seconds, the pallor diminished from his lifeless face was and was replaced with a flush full of vital.

His eyes flew open with wild, dilated pupils. His breathing came out heavily and desperate while I clutched my abdomen in agony. Rhys looked at me if I were a doll, that were once fragile but was cracked under a careless hand. "The baby," he said gasping.

I nodded and moaned as my muscles contracted under the weight of the baby. "Rhys, you have to deliver her!" Feverous tears were rolling down my cheeks as he looked scared beyond disbelief.

"I-I don't know-"

Cassian turned back around at the sound of his High Lord's voice and knelt beside us. "Rhys if you don't do this Feyre and your daughter are going to die!"

I took my mate's hand in mine and squeezed, riding out the next contraction. Please, my actions seemed to say.

Rhys braced himself at my lower half while Cassian supported my shoulders. I leant back into Cassian's strong frame without prompting, thankful for the support.

Bending my legs for better access to the baby, Rhys' face paled. "Feyre, lower your mental shields now."

"Why-"

"Just trust me. Now, Feyre!"

I lowered the shields fortifying my mind and let the gentle embrace of Rhys envelope me in darkness. He sent calming images of us laying tangled, in the bed sheets and having family dinners through the bond. Until I heard the sickening crunch of bones. My bones.

And yet, no pain. "What did you do?" I said locking eyes with his scared face.

"Your hips..." he said, lip quivering. "I broke them. That way the baby can slide through."

I nodded and Cassian rubbed my shoulders, just as confused as I was.

Sighing, Rhys grasped my hand. "I'm going to return the pain, Feyre. You need to be able to push. Tell me when you are ready."

My heart pounded against my chest, eyes wild. "Give me something to bite down on," I said with a set jaw.

Fumbling in his weapons belt, cassia pulled out a syphon and placed it inside my mouth. Biting into the grainy mineral, I closed my eyes, awaiting the inevitable.

"Ready?" I nodded.

The pain flooded my body like a tidal force crushing a damn. It was full force and relentless, darkness looming.

"Push, Feyre!" And with every fiber of my being, I bore down and pushed. I pushed for several minutes, the blood continually flowing.

At one point Rhys announced that he saw the head, and that she had beautiful golden hair like mine. I continued to push, embracing the movement, embracing the pain.

"You just need the shoulders, Feyre, you're doing great." I was biting into the siphon so hard, that the sharpened edges were cutting the delicate skin of my mouth, resulting in even more blood.

And with one final push, my body was met with reprieve. A delicate cry made Velaris go silent. A High Princess.

My eyes flew open, eager to devour my daughter with my eyes. "She's beautiful," Rhys said in awe. He laid her on my chest and I stroked the golden tuft of hair sprouting on her head to calm her. Eventually her cries turned into whimpers.

Rhys took my battered body from Cassian, and embraced me and our newborn daughter. Cassian looked on with approval and love for the precious thing, his smile glowing.

"Damaris," I said, my voice of a happiness addict.

"What?" Rhys said, kissing my forehead.

"Damaris. Her name is Damaris."

His eyes widened in disbelief, tears making his eyes glassy. "You want to name her after my sister?"

I nodded, the world around me going fuzzy. "Yeah, I think that would be great." My words were becoming slurred, my head pounding. "It's so...pretty."

Cassian slapped my cheek, "Feyre! Do not go to sleep, do you hear me? Stay awake!"

Sleep? Sleep sounded nice.

Rhys was shouting now, I don't know why. "She's losing too much blood! We need to get her to a healer now!"

I don't need a healer. I'm fine, I thought. Why was Cassian hitting me?

My head lulled to the side, my eyes blinking very slowly. My body was in a blissful dreamlike state, and pain was a mere nuisance tugging at my attention.

Blood was everywhere. Blood consumed me.

Blood covered Tamlin and Ianthe.

Blood covered the ground beneath my bottom.

Blood seeped from my baby's womb into the bond.

Blood enveloped me in darkness.