Lunar's Bridge / Hewn City
Lunar's Bridge
The second command of the Night Court paced towards the Moon Palace, her head still throbbing by the headache from winnowing, the morning breeze swaying her shoulder length hair.
The Moon Palace was caved in a light gray stone, the silver finials in the top of each tower were extremely long, the Palace itself was extremely tall, as if who ordered its construction wanted to search the sky.
She walked inside the Palace, going to the low levels, the dungeons. As the entrance was opened by the sentries, Amren walked in, she could hear the screans coming from the last cell in the end of the hall.
The female with red lips knocked the door, the screams stopped, being substituted by heavy breaths, the door was opened, she could see blood in the floor, being illuminated by the sunlight from the small window, which gave it bright rubies appearance.
“Anything?” Amren asked to the Shadowsinger, who had just walked out the cell, closing the door right behind him.
“A few informations only.” He glanced at his bloody hands, started to walk through the hall, Amren following him, “Those soldiers are stronger than I thought.” His face unreadable, voice cold, “I will write a report, then I will try to extract more informations.”
“Alright,” she said as they passed through the entrance, “Rhysand is planning a military meeting today at night, and a second here, tomorrow.”
“I will be there.” The spymaster tilted his head, his eyes softened as he asked: “How is she?” his voice broke at the last word.
“Elain was sleeping when I left.” The red lips female answered.
oOoOo
Hewn City
Rhysand walked through the hall, his both hands inside his pockets as he didn’t want to spread the blood scent in the air.
“Why are you wasting magic to hide them?” a female voice, Amren's voice, “If someone walk too close to you, the person will certainly bump on them.”
He felt something pocking his wings, not a hand, but something inanimate, then turned his head to the short female, who had a stack of papers on her hands.
“Reports.” She waved a hand with the papers to him, as he took, she surveyed his face, his look, “What happened?”
The High Lord shook his head, “Nothing.” His words were hoarse
“It seemed like you were walking in the opposite direction to Nesta's suite, also I can feel the slightly smell of blood in the air.” The female with red lips tilted her head.
The male lifted a brow, his gaze left the papers on his hand, finding her silver eyes.
Amren clicked her tongue, “I used to drink blood, I can recognize it kilometers away.” He untied his gaze from hers, “What happened?”
Rhysand shook his head, “I don’t want to talk about it.”
The female clicked her tongue again, following him to the main living room, where Elain was sat in a couch reading a book, as she turned her gaze to them, she dropped the book at her side.
Amren said as the brown eyed female opened her mouth, “Azriel is in Luna's Bridge,” she crossed her arms “Interrogating a few enemies who were unsuccessful on expand the occupation in our territory.” She didn’t give more details as the other female's facial expression changed.
The light on Elain's eyes vanished, she knew what that meant, what exactly Azriel were doing. She took the book, then rose up from the couch.
“Were you able to contact any of them?” Elain changed the subject, she said looking at the violet eyed male, he knew about who she was talking about, his children, his nephew.
He closed his eyes while shaking his head, “I am sorry.” He felt for her, Feyre, his brothers, himself...
“Even the by the mind, or it is too far?” she putted a lock of her golden brown hair behind the ear.
“I tried a few times, I was able to get in there using my daemati power before something closed my access to the South Continent.”
He paused, “I looked for them, but there were too many people there…” he dragged a hand through his dark hair, “If one of them was a daemati it would be easier to find them. But I will keep trying to find them.”
“Wasn’t Kaillu –?” Elain got cut by Amren.
“Daemati powers aren’t hereditary, having a straight line relative who is, will increase the chances to be gifted by it, but it is still a trait that appears only as the Mother wills.” The red lips female crossed her arms.
“What about Feyre's power?” she asked
“Her power was gifted by him.” Amren used the index finger to point to Rhysand, “A drop of his power, also she can’t search such a long distance.”
Elain pressed her lips in a thin line, “Why this power is not getting affected?”
“The source of power is different, your Seer's powers for example, also are from a different source, and Azriel's.” Amren glanced at Rhysand, who kept in silence.
“I am not able to see anything but blur visions, and Azriel's winnowing…”
The red lips cut her, “Your blur visions came from, what I suppose, the fact you are seeing something too far or uncertain. And for Azriel’s winnowing, it might not be exactly like our, but it is still a type of winnowing.”
Elain nodded, took the book from the couch, walking out the living room, pacing to towards Library.
The female touched the door's knob, she could hear the heartbeat sound, Lucien's heart, louder. After years of silence, this sound slowly came back to her, until the point where she could know how much far he was from her.
The door was gently opened, she brought the book closer to her body as she walked in, the Library had dark blue walls, black bookcases and purple armchairs, the brown eyed female walked to the Mystery books’ section, the heartbeat sound was even more louder, until she finally saw the crimson red hair.
Lucien was sat in a armchair, his both legs at the seat, crossed, he was focused reading a book, turned his head to her only when she was two steps behind him.
“I haven’t saw you in the breakfast.” He putted his legs down, closed the book, leaving it in the coffee table in front of him, sitting straight as she passed by the armchair.
“I woke up late.” She answered, looking for the bookcase, which she got the book, Lucien stood, following her in a respectful distance.
“What is wrong?” he putted a lock of his long hair behind the ear, his voice was soft, low “If I am not being meddle…”
Her gaze fell on him, at his russet eye filled with worry, he could feel her emotions the same way she does, “Nothing.”, she lied, she missed her nephews and niece, she was suffering at her sisters’ suffering, “Do you read mystery?”
Lucien blinked, as if understanding her request to change the subject, “Yes, I always had interest on it. But I had not been able to read since… Well, a long time.” He answered, curving his lips in a light smile.
“I understand.” She said, then glanced at her side, at the bookcase with a empty space.
“Have you enjoyed this book?” Lucien asked as she placed the book in the right place.
“No.” she shook her head, a humorous smile forming on her lips, “It was so bad… I didn’t even got in the middle of it, and I already gave up.” Her eyes found his.
“I will put this one on my ‘Don’t read' list.” Lucien said, she let scape a low laugh, his smile grew.
“Are you enjoying that book?” she pointed to behind him, as if she could see the coffee table and the armchair he was sat through the walls and bookcases
“I just got in the middle of it,” he glanced over his shoulder, as if he could see it as well, “It is interesting for now, but I would like to finish it, so I will be able to have a properly opinion about it.”
Elain inclined her head to the side, “Have you solved the case?”
A nod, “Yes.” Lucien dragged a hand through the hair, a shy smile formed on his lips “But as the story itself is interesting, I will read until the end.” she smiled, “Do you mind if I recommend you something?”.
Elain shook her head, “Please, I would love it.”
The corner of her lips curved upward as light came on Lucien's russet eye, he searched through the bookcases, the index finger of the left hand on his chin, until he found the book he was looking for.
“This one.” He said, taking the book with both hands, then giving it to Elain.
“Thank you.” She took the object, “What the story about?”
Lucien smiled before start to talk, they walked to the armchairs while he told what it was about, Elain found it interesting, securing him she would read it, then they started to talk about random books they read in the past, while talking she could swear that Lucien’s skin had a slight glow.
“I really enjoyed to spend time talking with you.” She said after a minute of silence, when their subject had exhausted.
The glow on his skin vanished, as his smile fainted, “Do you?”
“Yes, why not?” She rested a arm on her thigh.
Her words brought him a memory, he pressed his lips in a thin line before answering, “I was there on that day… When you…” he frowned his brows, couldn’t finish the sentence, but she knew about what he was talking about, the day she was made a High Fae.
“It was years ago…” she held her hands together, “I did have time for healing. I know what happened when I was made, it wasn’t your fault, you were just there…” her eyes found his.
Lucien opened his mouth, he was going to say something, but Feyre suddenly appeared.
“Elain, have you seen Nesta?” she approached to them, resting a hand on Lucien's shoulder, as if apologizing for the interruption
“No, why?” Elain stood, holding the book on her hands, close to her body.
“She and Cassian left the Palace at 13:00.” Feyre dragged a hand through her hair.
“Cassian is certainly with her.” she walked close to her sister, then both of the females started to walk to the outside the library.