A Court of Fire and Ash

Rhysand

Seeing how the young assassin had toyed with Cassian and had challenged him had been amusing.

The whole evening we had asked so many questions. But she had stayed calm, she had answered them not giving too much information.
Not showing her weaknesses, not revealing precious things.

I came to wonder how many times she had already done that.
Staying calm. Staying deadly.

And how come she wasn't afraid of Fae? How could a human being not be afraid of supernatural beings.
Expect she had seen worse.

Had she?

I should be sleeping.
I should not be laying awake worrying.
But I did.

Not only about Celaena.
About Feyre.

Right now she laid beside me smiling in her sleep.
She couldn't be far from giving birth.
It was only a month now.
Well one month and eleven days to be precise.

She was in pain.
I couldn't just see it I felt it through the mating bond.
And I knew when it became worse she locked me out of her mind.
That only made it worse for me. Not being able to support her, not knowing what was going on, not knowing how to deal with it.

There was a lot of things I had no idea how to deal with.
But Feyres pain shouldn't be one of them.

The Highlords and Highladys meeting was tomorrow at least maybe that could be a way to deal with our little assassin problem.
Maybe some of them knew where Wendlyn was and knew someone, who could cast a portal back to her world.
Wherever that was.

I wondered who may wait for her in the other world.
Was there a husband?
A family?
Well it was none of my business.

Slowly without waking Feyre up I left the room and wandered around until I reached the balcony.

It was my favorite place next to our bedroom of course.
I could watch this city.
My city.
A city I had done everything to protect.
I had survived Amarantha.
I had let her do everything she had wanted to do with me in order to save this city.
Its People.
Velaris was nothing without its people.
Without my family.

Suddenly I noticed a movement in the corner of my left eye.
It was pitch black outside but my senses could easily adjust to the darkness.
There.
A silhouette became visible but then it was gone again.
There it was again.
It was jumping from roof to roof.
Crossing distances that were to long for a human being to cross.
Be she crossed it.

Celaena continued jumping without hesitation, without fear.
I followed her, while she was finding her own way jumping and jumping.

But then I saw it before she did.
A gap that was way too big for her.
Even for her.
I didn't know a Fae who could jump over this.
I certainly couldn't.
But she just continued running.
Faster and faster.
Like she knew what was coming but didn't even think she couldn't do it.
She couldn't think she could do it, right?

Before I knew it I was in the air heading for the little silhouette.
I didn't know if I could reach her in time but I had to at least try.

But I was too far away.
I could see her jumping and my heart stopped for a second.
I couldn't let her die.
I ordered my wings to take me too her faster to catch her before she hit the ground.

But she wouldn't hit the ground.
Because she didn't even fall.
Her feet landed on the other side of the building and she rolled over to slow down her speed.

How was this possible?
Did I just miscalculate the distance?
I stopped in the air unsure of what to do. I watched her silently as she sat down on the chimney of the roof and lifted her head up to the stars.

I decided that, since I had already made half the way to her I could just go and sit next to her.

Without a noise I landed on the roof.
Her back was turned to me and her eyes were closed as she smiled, her face lit with moonlight.
She nearly had the typical beauty of a Fae.

„Hello Highlord. Impressed?”
She knew I was watching her. Did she do that jump just to show off?
„Mightly yes. I guess you couldn't sleep?”
She slowly turned around.
„No, nightmares. So I thought why not use my chance to train a little.”
Nightmares.
Something traumatic must've happened to her.
„Do you do that a lot? I mean in you world?”
„Sometimes, when my duties aren't urgent.”
I assumed her duties meant killing people.
She fell silent and continued staring at the stars.

„They are so beautiful, right? Someone told me some time ago that I could rattle the stars. I don't know if I can. But what does it matter now, right?”
I could see the sorrow in her face and decided that nothing I could say would make it go away.
„Forget that. I should be getting back to bed I mean I want to beat your best warrior tomorrow and I should at least get an hour or two of sleep.”

Before I could say anything she jumped off the at least 8 feet high roof and walked away.

Rhys?
Are you alright, Darling?
Yes, where are you, you should be sleeping?
So should you. I'm going to be there in a minute I just couldn't sleep so I walked around for a bit.
Okay.

I flew back to the balcony and as I entered the bedroom Feyre was already asleep again.

And soon I fell asleep too but not without thinking about my strange encounter with Celaena.

I was sitting at the table watching Cassian and Celaena while they were exchanging vicious looks.
„Do you two want to jump across the table and fight each other right now or can you wait until after breakfast?”
„Oh I can wait but I think Cassian really wants to prove himself you know? Just the usual territorial Fae bullshit.”
Laughter coming from Feyre filled the room.
„Do you happen to know one or did you just spot this behavior in the last few days?”
Thank you darling.
„Oh I know one probably closer than you think I would.”
I didn't even want to think about what this could possibly mean.

After finishing breakfast and digesting the food, we met in the training rooms.
Cassian wore typicial illyrian leathers and Celaena wore the things she came here with.
Both had a sword in their hands.
And then the fight began.