A Court of Sunflowers and Stardust

•chapter 11•

"She understood the world more clearly than others and felt the shift in her bones."

Unusual Meetings and Painful Arguments

~

I felt it deep in my bones and blood, as if I was the one who had been poisoned. But I wasn't, the Earth had. I couldn't find the words, not as Kaleb held my face in his hands and tried talking to me.

"What do you feel, girl?" Amren asked sternly, nudging her nephew out the way as her beautifully harsh face came into view.

I felt like shaking her, shaking them all and knocking some sense into them. How could they not feel that?

"The wind..." I trailed off, frowning as the wind slid across my neck and tugging my head. "It's asking for help."

"How is nature dying?" Cassian asked, stepping forward.

I shook my head slowly, "I think- I think it's poison."

Then something coursed through my blood, surrounding my heart and brain and I felt as if there was a squeezing pressure there. "I can feel it."

"Who would poison the Earth?" Cassian blurted, outrage lacing his tone at whoever had done this.

"Somebody who knows Acacia would be able to feel it." Azriel responded and everyone turned to me.

I understand their assumption and I pursed my lips, "my father would not do this!"

"Nobody else knows of your power!" Kaleb protested and I shook my head in disbelief. My father would never do such a thing, no matter how much he didn't love me, he was The High Lord of Spring.

"Look, Acacia, I know your father. I know who he is, I lived with him, I loved him, I had to deal with-" Feyre began and something inside me snapped, my nostrils flaring.

"You lived with him for barely more than a year!" I protested, my fists clenching as all I saw was red. "I've lived with him for fifty five years, I've dealt with his anger, I have fought back against his dictatorship on my life! I have done it all too, Feyre, and I would do it all again because no matter how much you all hate him and wish him dead, he is still my father!"

I didn't realise I was screaming, not as the winds grew stronger and the trees began swaying. "He is the only person who raised me! He had to be a mother when I didn't have one! No matter what I still love him and I know him better and deeper than everything single one of you stood here!"

The shock was evident on their faces and Feyre pulled Kaleb back by his arm, as if I'd strike him for being so close. That flared my anger even more and the trees began arching, vines grew darker and spiked up all around us.

"You think everyone from The Spring Court is bad, you think we're your enemies!" My throat was hoarse.

"You tried to kill my son." Feyre ground out and I was speechless. After everything they'd said about forgiveness and acceptance yet they're throwing this back at me.

"Calm down." Kaleb told me, his eyes showing worry.

"Do not tell me to calm down." My voice was a deadly quiet and I barely noticed as vines and roots began wrapping around my arms and legs, like and extra pair of fighting skin. They creeped over my shoulder and around my neck, naturally protecting my body from harm.

"We're not fighting you again." Rhysand's voice was surprisingly calm and gentle.

I felt bad about suddenly shouting at them all, but my anger ran deep and the fact that the Earth had been poisoned had me feeling physically unwell.

"I just-" My breathing got deeper and suddenly it felt harder for me to concentrate. My head throbbed and my fingers began feeling numb. I half thought that perhaps whoever had poisoned nature had poisoned me too.

Kaleb pulled his arm out of his mother's grasp and slipped towards me, his hands outstretched as if ready to catch me. "Acacia, are you alright?"

I put a shaky hand to my head and wobbled on my feet. Strong arms wrapped around my waist to hold me and I was suddenly looking into Kaleb's beautiful hazy face. "I feel-" My slurred speech was cut off as darkness swept over my vision and I blacked out.

•••

My eyes opened instinctively and for a moment all I saw was darkness. But then a blinding light hit me and I squinted, sitting up and covering my eyes with the back of my hand. Once the light died down I removed my hand and looked around at my surroundings.

I was in the middle of nowhere, at least it seemed. Looking around, there were trees, tall and slender, looming down on me. But what really stood out was the tall male who's eyes pierced into mine.

He was lean and lanky, his body covered with a very finely made and ironed dark tunic. His eyes were a blazing green, brighter than I'd ever witnessed in my life. His hair was a short golden brown and slicked back, revealing his pointy ears.

He was handsome, but something about him wasn't right. Why was I here and where was I? Where's Kaleb?

"Good evening, Acacia, you look lovely in that dress of yours."  His voice was like molten gold and it almost made me shiver. A part of me felt like I recognised that voice.

"Who are you? Where am I?" My voice was quieter and hoarser than I anticipated, but I slowly rose to stand up, feeling vaguely light-headed.

He began walking towards me, slowly and tauntingly, a nonchalant smile on his lips that made me want to shudder. "Alakai. Do not worry, you're perfectly safe."

I gulped quietly as he stepped right in front of me, half of me wanted to knock him down and make a run for it, there were plenty of plants here to back me up. But I felt slightly empty, as if I didn't have a connection with nature anymore.

I froze completely as his warm hand reached up and touched the side of my face, as if he almost couldn't believe I was here. Something passed through his eyes, an emotion I couldn't understand, and I frowned.

"I'm sorry." He whispered and something rose within me, making me jolt and fall to the floor.

The last thing I saw was his face hovering above mine and soothingly stroking my hair.