A Court of Stars and Shadow

Chapter 42

We neared the tent and I could hear voices.

"How many lost" someone asked inside, their voice muffled by the tent fabric.

"Not many at all. It was a good fight. We lost even less than expected because the medics were able to work on the soldiers so quickly."

Something inside me warmed and Carnel squeezed my hand where it was intertwined in his. It seemed he also knew how I dragged out soldiers from the mist of the chaos.

Feyre entered the tent first but Az disappeared into the shadows before entering. I wonder what information he was going to collect now.

Carnel paused before entering, giving me a moment to prepare myself and make sure I was ready to go in. I'd have to thank him for that later.

He kissed the side of my temple and I pulled down the sleeves of my leathers to cover my wrists. His eyes caught the movement and he froze. Gently, he grabbed both my hands near my elbow and raised them up to his face. I didn't pull away when he slowly pulled back the layer around my wrist and his whole body shuttered when he saw the finger sized bruises already marking my skin. My lip wobbled as Carnel brought them up to his lips and placed two soft kisses on the top of both wrists, his eyes closing. My own eyes fluttered as he did, and I tried to replace the bad memory with this one instead. When my eyes met his again, he whispered so low I almost couldn't hear. I was aware of the meeting in the tent but right now it was only us, only the two of us.

"I wish you hadn't killed him"

"what?!" I said suddenly, my heart and blood racing.

"I wish you hadn't killed that bastard so I could have killed him, slowly, and painfully, over a long period of time. Hurt him like he hurt you"

His eyes were dark with restrained rage.

"I know Carnel. But it's over now. It's over. Can we just leave it in the past?"

He brought my hands together and kissed to top of my fingers again before placing my hands gently at my sides.

"Anything for you princess"

"anything?" I said with a small smirk and raising a brow.

He leaned in and brushed a kiss to my lips.

"anything" he confirmed and kissed me deeper.

I kissed him back but pulled away after a couple of seconds.

"So, if I asked for you to pick me up and fly me away?"

He kissed my neck, right next to the blood streak as if he knew what had happened there and wanted to erase it from my memories.

"I'd take you anywhere you wanted to go"

I grabbed his cheeks in both hands and smiled wickedly.

"I really do I have you wrapped around my pinky don't I?"

He grumbled deep in his throat, but a scoff left his mouth.

"I can't have one moment with you without a smart-ass comment leaving your mouth"

He complained but a smile bloomed on his cheeks.

"Makes forever together interesting"

He smiled at me. To me. Because of me, and something in my heart warmed.

His eyes flicked quickly to the tent and then back to mine.

"We don't have to go in"

"I need to explain. Not everything though" I said, a small shiver passing my body.