A Court of Sunflowers and Stardust

•chapter 12•

"I am not the same sweetheart I was, not in a world full of liars."

Odd Males and Cold Actions

~

"Acacia"

My eyes flew open and I rolled to the side, instinctively flicking out my claws and canines. I relaxed when I realised I was in my room at The Night Court, Kaleb sat in the chair beside my bed, an eyebrow raised towards me.

I breathed deeply and leaned back into the bed, suddenly remembering the previous encounter I had with that male; Alakai.

"Where did he go?" I asked, squinting through my eyes as they tried focusing properly.

Kaleb frowned, "who?"

"Alakai?" A part of me felt like the entire thing hadn't been real, but it had been so vivid I couldn't of imagined it.

"Acacia, you passed out three days ago and have been comatose since." Kaleb's voice was gentle but that didn't ease the shock. My eyes widened and my jaw almost touched the ground in shock.

I felt like I'd only been asleep for minutes, even if meeting Alakai had been a dream it certainly hadn't of happened over three days. I stood up from my soft bed, exiting the room with Kaleb calling my name after me.

He grabbed my wrist, spinning me around. "Who's Alakai?"

"I don't know." It wasn't a lie, but it felt like one on my tongue. "If three days have passed, then that means the earth-"

Kaleb sighed deeply and I have never see him look so troubled. "Everyone is doing the best they can, Amren is reading from the Book of Breathings but no one can determine what's actually wrong. I think you're the only one who can find out."

I still felt it inside of me, like a jar of poison ready to explode. I shook her head, ignoring the feeling in the pit of my stomach as I began leaving my room with Kaleb on my tail.

I didn't notice what I was dressed in until Cassian walked into the house and gave me a wide eyed look. I'd been changed into a simple, short, nightgown which I guessed was because I could still feel the sweat dripping from my neck.

"Sleeping beauty wakes." Cassian commented,
closing the door behind him and tucking his wings in tight.

I couldn't respond, not as I drifted past him and reopened the door, gazing outside to see the damage. Luckily, things hadn't changed drastically, but trees were visibly crumbling with leaves falling, flowers wilting and grass turning brown. It was enough to make me want to vomit.

I put a hand to my stomach as I slowly walked outside; the wind caressing my face and hair, patting my arms as if it was glad to see I was okay. However the wind seemed colder, less strong and more sleepy.

"You're awake! Wonderful, our healer told us you may be out for weeks. Apparently not." Rhysand's voice filtered behind me but I couldn't respond as I stared and stared at the poison working it's way through the earth.

"The meeting is tomorrow." Was all I managed to say. Perhaps it had been called because the others had been affected first.

There was a silence and I could sense them all sending each other looks behind my back. "It is. You don't have to come still if you're not up to it. Amren and Mor won't be present as they're working on whatever is going on."

"I want to go." I muttered. My father would be there and whether he loved me or not, I needed him right now.

•••

My face was pale and drawn back, my lips wan and my eyes sockets dark around the outside. I
looked like a walking corpse, my dull hair hanging from my head miserably didn't add to my usually lovely complexion.

However, Nuala and Cerridwen did a fantastic job of making me look the part I had to play. The long sleeved dress I wore hugged my form and got looser around my knees, falling down to create a puddle of darkness at my feet. It was a glittering dark blue with lace around my upper half and arms, revealing some skin. It was simple, but it made me feel pretty.

My long blonde hair was braided and wrapped around in an elegant low bun, pieces of stray strands falling around my face. My makeup was simple, but it made my face look sharper, eyes fiercer and lips plumper with the black that stained them. My toes wiggled in my dark high heels, surprised they didn't rub the backs of my feet.

Nuala and Cerridwen pulled something out from the shadows and I spun around so see they were holding the same diamanté I wore during Amren's engagement dinner. Nuala spoke first, "Kaleb asked us to add this."

Then she drifted forward, her slender arms reaching out and fitting it to the top of my head. I turned to face the mirror and the diamanté took my breath away a second time, something about it was so beautiful and indescribable.

Exiting my room and walking down the hallway, I thanked the shadow twins who bowed their heads and fell back into the shadows. I faced forward to see Kaleb at the bottom of the stairs, looking up at me with some emotion in his eyes I couldn't read. Rhysand was beside him, talking to Azriel, and glanced at me then Kaleb, his eyes glinting as if he knew something I didn't.

"Beautiful." Kaleb muttered and my cheeks flushed a bright pink. It wasn't everyday a very attractive male told you how beautiful you looked, but Kaleb had seemed to make a habit of it.

He reached out his hand, beckoning for me, and my lips curled upwards as I carefully descended the stairs, one hand on the rail. I let my hand slip into his and he lead me off the bottom step, his eyes solely on me.

I smiled at him and he blinked, his eyebrows knitting together as something like surprise wrapped around his features. I squeezed his hand, worried I had just done something wrong, but he just yanked it gently away from me.

"Kaleb, what's wrong?" I stomached the churning in my chest from the poisoned nature that seemed to be made worse by his expression. 

I glanced towards Azriel and Rhysand, hoping he'd give me some sort of explanation on what I'd done wrong. They said nothing, Rhysand's eyes sparking once again and his attention diverting to Feyre who began coming down the stairs. Azriel's shadows darkened a fraction and brushed against his ear, his whipped towards Kaleb and then me, I frowned.

What on earth was going on? "Kaleb-"

"Winnow with Azriel, I'll take Cassian." Kaleb's voice was colder than the Winter Court and my mouth parted as I stared at him. Feyre came up beside me, giving her son a confused look as she looked between us, her nostrils flaring.

Kaleb turned away from me, Cassian walking out of the dining room, eating a bread roll. He gave me a little wave and then a raised eyebrow as Kaleb grabbed Cassian's hand harshly and pulled him out the house.

I had no words as Azriel came towards me, a kind nonchalant expression on his wonderful face as he offered me his hand. I took it, my eyes stinging at the treatment Kaleb was giving me.

What had I done?