A Court of Stars and Shadow

Chapter 18

KOA spoilers.... kind of. read at your own risk.

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Feyre's Pov.

One moment I had both my hands against an invisible wall. A wall that I had never come across before. Neither had Helion by the way he also seemed to struggle with it, his hands flared with the same golden light mine were wrapped in. Behind me Rhys was panting, his power pushed to the limit to create the tiny hole Cassian's arm was in. My power was only supporting Rhys but I had never seen Rhys this strained using his power; I didn't even want to think about what would happen if Rhys gave out and the wall close around Cassian's arm, so for that thought alone I threw everything I had to my power and held it open with my mate.

Sweat began to beat down my back but all I could stare at was Luna, the vines around her wrists, the only thing holding her against the invisible force that seemed to pull on her ankle. Her eyes were wide, and tears were running down her face. The expression so familiar to what I saw in my sister's face during the Hybern war that pure adrenaline filled my veins. The small crystals of my dress were biting into my knees from where I kneeled on the tile, but I had to hold a couple more seconds.

Rhys screamed from behind me for Cassian to hurry. Luna's fingers were outstretched, fingers spread wide as only inches separated her and Cassian. She leaned forward more in an attempt to lock hands with Cassian, her vines groaning under the pressure. They were going to snap, there was no way it could hold all that pressure. Somewhere along the wall I could feel it vibrating with the power of the other high lords but I paid it no head as I opened my mouth to tell Luna that even as she struggled to repair her vines it wasn't going to hold, that she needed more support. But I didn't get to tell her, didn't get to do anything before they snapped right as Cassian's and Luna's fingers brushed and Luna was shot back; the movement so fast that Luna's hair flew in front of her face and the only thing I saw, the only thing any of us saw was nothing but a blur before Luna was sucked into the book.

The invisible wall faded away and more than one of us fell forward at the motion, falling to the floor. Cassian recovered quickly though and ran to the book where Luna disappeared through. It shut with a thud that vibrated through my bones. I stumbled to get up and ran to where Cassian fell on the book, he pried the book open with his fingers and turned to the page with the dried wax. The process was just as Luna had told us it happened the first time but even though I knew there was a possibility Luna would be going home, knew I shouldn't have gotten as close to her as I did, there was a small hope in the back of my mind that she would choose not to. More than one thing depended on her not going home. Luna's words ring in my ear.

"I can't go back; I don't want to."

I don't think at the end that Luna wanted to go home, at least not yet anyways, and that thought alone had me gritting my teeth as I kneeled next to Cassian, placing my hands-on top of his. I felt Rhys kneeling behind me, one hand around my waist, supporting me.

"Cassian" no response.

"Cassian" I said again, he still didn't answer, just kept staring at the dried wax on the page as if he could will her to come back through the portal. He turned his head slowly to me and I looked into his eyes. They weren't tear stained like my own face, tears still running down my cheeks, but empty. Rhys had told me about this, about how Cassian closes himself off, how his eyes turn empty.

The other high lords finally reached us.

"Does someone want to tell me what in the mother was that" Helion breathed. I didn't answer him just kept looking at Cassian. Helping him, distracting myself with this task is easier than facing the truth. That Luna was gone-