A Court of Stags and Night

Feyre

We were so thankful the war with Hybern was over. The casualties had been much higher than we wished, but we were finally safe to rebuild our world. Peace talks with the humans was still a sore spot for the High Lords, mainly Tamlin and Beron. No surprise there. Those two were backwards as ever. And the Illyrian mess. Cauldron help us.

Devlon still wasn't allowing the females to train like we wanted him to. I'd tried to prove to him that females were just a strong as the men, but he refused. Rhys said he would continue to pressure him, but even I agreed that we couldn't strip him of his rank and send him packing. We'd have a revolt on our hands that we did not need.

Even then, we were inching towards one.

"What's wrong, Feyre darling?" Rhys asked as he stepped into the room.

I ran a hand through my long golden brown hair, wincing as it caught in a tangle. "Still trying to figure out a way to deal with Devlon and the other Illyrian generals. The females need to learn how to fight, but we can't have open war in our own land. Our people don't deserve that."

"He'll break eventually. For now, I thought we could go up to the cabin in the mountains. Just the two of us. Take a break from all our work."

"Really?"

He nodded with a smile. "Of course. You need it."

Besides, I need some alone time with my wife.

Prick I growled.

But he knew the effect his words had on me, as his pupils grew to cover the violet of his irises.

He had me against the bed in a second, and I huffed out an exasperated breath, but he didn't stop. So I relented and let him have some fun.

Okay, maybe I was having fun.

"Rhys, Feyre!"

We broke apart, blushing madly as Azriel stormed into the room, quickly turning around when he realized what he was about to interrupt.

"This better be good, Az," Rhysand warned, his nostrils flaring slightly.

I had to withhold a chuckle. Insufferable, the lot of them.

"There was a disturbance in the Spring Court."

"Does it look like we care about the Spring Court?" Rhysand snapped, slipping from the bed with a predatory glance.

Azriel didn't back down.

"A portal opened on his Southern border, fifty miles from where the wall stood," he continued, his shadows writhing around him impatiently. "I don't know what came out of it, but it's closed now. I'm looking into it as we speak, but something is at play here. I don't think the portal was merely coincidental. You can't tell me you haven't felt it too."

I quickly shot out of bed and over to his side.
"What have you felt? What have you been hiding from me? The both of you."

"There's been whispers of darkness coming from different places in Prythian, minus the Night Court," Rhys answered with a sigh.

"And you didn't think to tell me?!"

"Not after what happened," he mumbled, wary of my reaction.

"Rhys, that was two months ago. Yes, it still hurts, but I cannot just sit aside if our world is at risk. Tell me, what's going on."

The boys shared a look and Azriel left. Rhys followed behind him. I huffed an angered breath and stalked behind them to the dining room, where the others were laughing around the table. They quickly went silent when we walked inside.

"What is everyone hiding from me?" I asked no one in particular.

"There's been rumors of darkness seeping into the land from unknown places," Amren spoke, nursing a glass of wine. "A darkness I've yet to encounter, but even my magic recoils from it. To an extent."

Mor picked up her train of thought. "With your daughter's passing, we wanted to wait to tell you until we knew you could handle it."

She at least had the decency to look ashamed.

"Let me be the judge of what I can and cannot handle," I snarled, my magic searing my veins, though I kept it locked up tight. It needed a release, but now was not the time for it. "Tell me about the portal."

Azriel sat down next to Mor before laying out what he knew.

"So, you know something came through, yes?"

He nods.

"Did it feel powerful?"

"I don't know. As I mentioned earlier, my shadows are searching for it. Anything that is out of the ordinary, but they have a lot of land to cover."

"Why not just ask Tamlin what he knows?" Cassian asked. "Even if we don't like him, after everything that's happened, I doubt he'd be pleased to have someone unknown on his territory."

"I could care less what Tamlin does about it, but if whatever came through could wreak havoc in this world, we need to find it before someone else does. If it can help with the problem we're beginning to have now, then I say we use it. Azriel, let us know if you find anything regarding it. Cassian, keep working on the Illyrian problem. Amren, keep working on finding out any information on the darkness, and add other worlds to your list, just in case. I'll find out what I can from other High Lords, discreetly. Agreed?" Rhysand looked them at them all, expecting some sort of argument, but they mumbled their agreements and dug into the food.

I was still royally pissed that they had withheld information from me. I was still reeling from the death of our daughter, but our world was important if we wanted a chance to make it better. We still had a long way to go, and hopefully, none of this would set us back. Mother, my head was hurting.

"I'm going down to my studio," I called out, moving towards the door. "Mor, you up to coming with me?"

She looked to Rhys and he shrugged, so she followed behind and off we went into the night.