A Court of Stags and Night

Feyre

The Summer Court was as nice as it always was. Warm sunshine shone down on my lightly tanned skin. Some day when we were not in the middle of a crisis, we would need to take a vacation here.

Agreed Rhys murmured through the bond.

Prick I groaned, slamming up my mental shields.

The western edge of Adriata was beautiful. The sunlight reflected off the water, dancing across its smooth surface.

I jumped as Azriel winnowed right in front of me, causing Rhys to snort. His laughter died down into a bark of pain as my elbow made contact with his gut. That would teach him to think twice about laughing.

"Sorry, Feyre," Az grinned.

Uh huh. Sorry my ass. Bastards, the lot of them. I moved over to Mor's side. She smiled broadly at the others.

"So, what did Tarquin say?" Cassian asked.

"The High Lord was not there," he answered. "And neither were Varian and Cresseida. One of the guards mentioned they would be heading North, to the forest on the other side of the city. The humans were sighted there not long ago."

"Then we'll follow," Rhys confirmed, letting his wings free.

Cassian took Mor before I could utter a word. I glared at him as my wings slipped free and joined them in the sky.

The Summer Court was even more stunning from above. If only their entire world could be as beautiful as Adriata or Velaris. And the High Lords, namely Beron and Tamlin, could agree to any of the terms we had offered when it came to dealing with the humans.

But, both were arrogant assholes that listened to no one but themselves.

Several angry shouts echoed not far ahead, quickly turning to screams of horror as an earth shattering roar pierced the air. A giant, scaly body rose above the trees. With my enhanced, high fae sight, I could see the monster's teeth gleam as its snout opened and another cry left its gaping maw.

I had never seen anything like it. It was something you would only read about in a story.

Rhys, what in Cauldron's name it that? I asked nervously, slowing to a stop.

Not something I've ever seen in this world he answered, pulling up beside me. "It looks like a wyvern." His brow was crinkled, showing he was deep in thought. "I've seen such beasts in stories, but none of them looked quite like this. Not as terrifying."

And not as angry. He did not have to say it for all of us to know it.

"I don't see the child," Azriel called, his shadows writhing around his form, updating him on our quarry.

"If she was smart, the shifter would not have gone far from her," I said, thinking about what I'd do if I had a child with me in an unknown land.

The beast turned in our direction and we were quick to scatter as she plowed through us. Tarquin and some of his guards slipped through the trees, looking worse for wear.

"Cass, Az, search the forest for the girl," I told them urgently. We would handle the shifter.

Cassian set Mor down on the sand and followed after Azriel until we couldn't see them anymore. I landed beside Mor and took in the wyvern in front of me. I wasn't sure exactly how to get her down without hurting her.

Nearer to the water, Tarquin summoned water to knock her from the sky, but she dove down, shifting forms as she hit the water. When she surfaced, it was clear she'd turned into some sort of fearsome sea serpent.