A Court of Stags and Night

Feyre

The House of Wind was quiet upon our return. Amren was nowhere to be seen, but she was quick to appear when Rhys called her. She seemed unsurprised at our guest.

"Where is the shifter?" she inquired curiously.

"Likely in Tarquin's dungeons," I replied. "She killed three of his soldiers. He wanted nothing to do with the girl, so she is under our care until we can settle everything."

Amren's silver eyes narrowed on the girl. She cowered under her sharp gaze, but didn't look away, much to our surprise.

"Most people would flee if I stared at them this long," Amren smirked. "You know horror, don't you?"

The girl didn't answer, but finally looked away and down at her feet.

I wasn't sure how to handle the girl. We knew nothing about her, not even her name. I supposed dinner might be the first step. We could question her then.

"Follow me," I told the girl softly.

She hesitated for a moment, but stepped after me. I let her sit in my chair in the dining room and sat on her right. Mor sat on her left. Amren stayed at the end of the table on my side. The boys took up the other side.

Rhys snapped his fingers and a wide variety of food appeared before us. The girl's eyes widened in surprise. I could tell she was hungry.

"You don't have to wait. Eat whatever you wish," I spoke, reaching out for my own food.

The door opened and Nesta and Elain trailed in. Who knows what they'd been up to.

"Who's the kid?" Nesta asked as she dug into the food. "And human even."

"What is your name and how old are you?" Mor inquired, turning the girl's attention away from my sister's cool eyes.

"Evangeline," she replied quietly. "I'm thirteen."

Do you want me to search her mind? Rhys asked, glancing towards me.

I shrugged. I didn't think it was necessary, but I knew he liked to be in control of any suspicious situation.

"Please don't pry," the girl begged softly.

"You could feel my presence?"

Rhys and I were shocked. Most humans wouldn't even know we'd been inside their heads. Amren looked at her with narrowed eyes. Mor tried to remain calm, but I could tell that information made her a bit nervous.

"I--" she started. "What are your names?"

Fair enough. "My name is Feyre. I am the High Lady of the Night Court. The male across from me is Rhys, my mate and High Lord of the Night Court."

The others went around the table introducing themselves. She seemed to shrink in on herself the further around we went.

"You said this was the Night Court?" she finally asked, setting down her fork.

"Yes," Mor replied, her brows scrunching up in confusion.

"Is this like the Night Lands then?"

"There are no true 'lands'," Rhys explained. "In Prythian, we have Seven Courts, each ruled by a High Lord and the occasional High Lady. Then below us are the human lands."

She took the answer in stride, though there was still a question written in her expression. "I need your help."

Amren leaned forward in curiosity. "And why ours in particular?"

"My aunt," the girl admitted. "She got separated from us early yesterday morning. She told us to find the Land of Night, or Night Court, I suppose. Said we could only trust you."

"And why, pray tell, is that?" Amren continued.

"I'm not sure." Evangeline's hands fidgeted with her sleeves. "She said someone here saved her life a year ago. Slowed her fall and allowed her to return home. That's all I know."

Amren insisted she tell us more about herself, but she refused, saying that her aunt told her to tell them very little of the truth. And she trusted her aunt with her life. If they could get her back, it would be her story to tell.

I had to suppress a giggle when she bluntly told Amren that. She was confident, if a bit cheeky. Something that would serve her well in the future.

"We'll continue this discussion in the morning," I said, dismissing the conversation. "I'll show you to your room."

She was fairly easy to settle in, and stayed quiet the entire time I explained where we would be and if she needed something she only had to ask.

I returned to the living area to find everyone impatiently waiting.

"What?"

"Are you sure we can trust the kid?" Cassian asked.

"Seriously, Cass? She just lost her mother and her aunt, and you want to discuss trust?" What was he even thinking?

"She smells different than any scent I recognize," Amren cut in before an argument could occur. "She reeks of both human and fae, though the former is more prominent. Something isn't adding up. And her aunt? Who of us saved her? And more importantly, who is she?"

I'd been thinking over that ever since she mentioned it. A year ago, we'd still been in the middle of the war with Hybern. We had saved our world, and condemned several people to death in the process. Nothing was sticking out.

"And what about the scars on her cheeks?" Nesta spoke.

"They weren't accidental, not as precise as they are," Mor added.

"Her mother did it," Rhys answered, an unreadable expression across his face.

Silence answered him, but before he could say anything else, Mor exploded in anger, followed by Cassian. I had to admit, I was angered by it, but I could tell there was something else he wanted to say.

"Guys, listen," he finally growled, commanding silence in the room. "She saved her from a much worse fate."

"From what?" Mor snapped.

"From becoming a whore," the girl finished.

We all turned to stare at her. She'd come in so quietly none of us had noticed her presence.

"I couldn't sleep," she continued when none of us spoke. She pulled the blanket with her more tightly around her shoulders.

"I'll stay with you tonight," I offered.

She gave a timid smile, but didn't refuse.

I said nothing to the others as I led her back to the room. She climbed back into the bed and curled up into a ball, facing away from me. I slid in beside her, but kept my distance. I'd let her come to me if she wished.

Tomorrow, we would plan on getting her mother out of Tarquin's dungeons and find her aunt. I only wished I could figure out who she was. Not knowing bothered me.

My eyes opened with a start, pulling me from sleep.

I knew who she was.

A blonde fae female that had tumbled across the sky. Rhys had slowed her fall as she'd reached out, as if pleading for help. But that was three months ago, not a year.

Tomorrow. We could figure it out tomorrow.