A Court of Glass and Fire

Chapter Eight: Feyre Archeron * Part Two

I wasn't sure whether to be pleased or terrified at the grin on Aelin's face when we told her our plans for the day. Mostly, I was just grateful she was on our side. It was both eager and feral, and I knew I did not want to be on the receiving end of one of those smiles when she had a weapon in her hand.

Our little trio set off early in the day (much to my companions' dismay), armed with a new cloak and materials for a snare. Even though I'd ensnared a Suriel three times before, I was unsure of what to expect. All three times, I'd captured the same Suriel. It knew me, and I knew it. A new member of its species may not be as friendly as the one I had been talking to for the past few years.

"Are you all right?" Rhys asked quietly.

I nodded. "Fine. I'm just not sure what to expect. This will be a new Suriel than the one I've previously communicated with, and it may not be as... open to our questions."

"It'll be fine," Rhys reassured me. "We have a cloak for it. It will have to answer our questions."

We had moved away from Aelin, and now she stepped back towards us. "What exactly is this... "Suriel" you're taking me to see?"

"Something that may provide answers," Rhys replied vaguely.

Aelin shot him a glare. "We agreed to be more open with each other, remember? Or do you not keep your promises, O Illustrious Lord?"

I rolled my eyes. "The Suriel is a creature that will truthfully answer any question you ask if you can manage to capture it. It's not a pleasant sight, but it can be helpful when it chooses to be."

Aelin flashed me a look. "Please. I'm no stranger to unpleasant sights. But it certainly sounds interesting. I wish we had one of these back home; that would be useful for figuring out how to rule a kingdom."

I laughed. "I'm not sure that's its particular area of expertise, but you could certainly try." I frowned, a new idea dawning. "Although, come to think of it, this might not be its particular area of expertise, either. I bet the Bone Carver could have told us."

"Alas," Rhys said, "we'll just have to make do. Worst case scenario, we learn that the Suriel knows nothing."

"The Suriel, the Bone Carver... Why can't you just call someone by their given name?" Aelin grumbled, and I chuckled, remembering how the same thought had struck me when I first learned of the Carver and the Weaver.

"We like to be mysterious," I said.

"Clearly."

We came to a clearing by a stream with a steady current, the perfect getaway route if things turned ugly. I hoped they wouldn't, but you could never be too careful, especially in Prythian.

I laid the snare, and we took our places behind some nearby trees... and waited.

And waited.

And waited.

"Is this thing ever gonna show up?" Aelin whispered impatiently.

I opened my mouth to respond, but closed it at the sound of crackling twigs. I slapped a hand over Aelin's mouth and put a finger to my lips as a piercing shriek rang out through the clearing. The Suriel had arrived.

I stepped out from behind the tree, Rhys on my heels. Aelin followed us, somehow eager and reluctant at the same time. I had a feeling she was more unnerved than she was letting on.

"Feyre Cursebreaker," the Suriel hissed.

"Hello," I said quietly. My face was neutral, but inside, I was a flurrying mess of what-ifs. What if this Suriel wasn't as friendly as the last one? What if it didn't have the information we needed? What if it was outright hostile? What if what if what if—

A second presence entered my mind, a metaphorical hand on my shoulder. You've got this. I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply. I had this under control. I would not be cowed. I was a wolf and I could not be caged.

I opened my eyes.

The Suriel stared back with whatever compensated for eyes in its skeletal head. Then, suddenly, it inclined its head to me in what could almost be taken as a bow. "We have all heard what you did for our cousin. I did not think I would get the chance to thank you in person."

I blinked. This is not what I had been expecting. Neutrality, hostility, uncooperativeness, yes, but not thanks. Not gratitude. Perhaps this would be easier than I had previously thought.

"All right, all right, enough with the chit chat," Aelin snapped, stepping forward. "We want answers."

The Suriel swiveled toward her and sucked in a tight breath through its teeth. "What is this? What have you brought here?"

Aelin opened her mouth, but I cut her off before she could damn herself further. "This is the reason we came to you. Aelin came here from another world through what we believe was a Wyrdgate opened by the Cauldron. We were hoping you might know something about Wyrdgates and how we might be able to send Aelin back home, as our own knowledge is limited to what Aelin herself knows."

The Suriel made a crackling noise that sent shivers down my spine. "That is ancient, dangerous information, High Lady. I do not think you wish to peer behind those curtains."

I glanced at Rhys. I certainly didn't want to tamper with that sort of ancient magic. Not after last time. It had killed him and nearly killed me. But didn't we want to send Aelin back home? Didn't we want things to go back to normal? From the unease I felt through the bond, I knew he was thinking the same thing. We couldn't deal with another situation like this. We couldn't. But did we have a choice?

A thump from my right side drew my attention. Aelin had fallen to her knees in the grass, a sight I had felt sure I would never see. A force like Aelin kneeling, submitting? Never. Especially not willingly. "Please," she whispered. "I need to go home. You don't understand. My kingdom, my people, my court. I can't leave them. I can't abandon them. Not again. Please."

The Suriel was quiet for a long moment. "It is a rare day indeed that one sees a queen begging on her knees."

Aelin didn't break her stare. "I have no other option. Please."

I bit my lip. I wanted to say something, but I knew how much this meant to her. I couldn't stand in the way of that. Even if it sent us on another wild chase around Prythian. Besides, it wasn't like our world depended on this. We could opt out at any time. I looked at Rhys, who seemed to have the same thought as we nodded at each other.

I turned to face the Suriel. "What can you tell us?"

It clacked its fingers together. "The information you seek can be found in a book."

I groaned. "Not again."

The Suriel turned its gaze to me. "No. Not again. This book, the Book of the Wyrd, will not be as difficult for you to obtain, but it will be much more dangerous to wield. If things went wrong, the consequences would be disastrous."

"How disastrous?" Rhys dared to voice the question the rest of us weren't willing to pose.

"The very fabric of this world and the surrounding ones could come undone."

*

Aaaaaaand that's it for now, folks! I know I'm the absolute worst at updating, but it's been a really hectic couple of months, and I've barely had time to write anything. I'm so appreciative of you all and I can't believe you're still reading this! It means the world to me that y'all like this story and my take on Sarah's characters. If you liked this chapter, please please please vote (and if you're American and over 18, please for the love of all that is holy, vote this November), and if you want to see what I'm up to in between chapters, make sure to follow my Instagram, @tessabarcelo. Love you all.

xoxo,

tessa