Underground (Hewn City) / The Middle
Underground (Hewn City)
In the morning, Elain tried her best to give Feyre breakfast, the younger had took a few bites from the buttered bread, but her catatonic state didn’t help.
“How is she going?” Nesta asked as she walked in the kitchen, Amren right beside her, the two females had came from a emergence meeting with the bricklayers and Underground Defense Soldiers, planned the closing of the existing entrances and the opening of new ones, which will start in the next day.
“She barely ate a slice of bread.” The brown eyed said putting the food back on the plate,
“She doesn’t speak since yesterday, do you think Rhysand is death?”
“If he was, she would be already death.” Amren said, took a mug from the table and poured coffee on it.
Nesta frowned her brows, sat in the chair close to Elain, “Why?”
“They made a suicide bargain years ago, if one die, the other will follow.” The red lips took a slip from the mug.
Nesta placed a hand on her face, covering her eyes for a few seconds while slightly shaking her head before resting the hand on her hip.
“I had the same reaction when I heard it.” The dark haired took a seat in the table.
“Why?” the middle sister asked incredulous.
“That is a great question.” Amren said, took a slip from her mug.
The older sister sat took a bread slice and buttered it before eating, they stayed a few minutes of silence before Elain broke it.
“What if the Darkbringers are traitors as the Knights?”
“That is improbable, Rhysand made a bargain with Keir while the magic was still working, of course, his loyalty in exchange to have a entire ship to fill with anyone he wanted to.” Amren answered as she took a cookie from a tray in the dinner table.
Nesta snorted, “Another reason for why there were so many dead children here.” Her gaze ran to Elain, who pressed her lips in a thin line before taking Feyre's slice of bread, “I can do it.” She said as the brown eyed had been with the youngest all the time since their arrival.
“Thank you.” she gave the bread to Nesta, who took it, and patiently tried to feed Feyre.
Elain walked out the kitchen, went to her bedroom, slowly sitting on her bed as she toyed the stone of her necklace before putting it back on inside her dress – where it has been since yesterday –, she had a bad feeling when thinking about what was about to happen in the next hours, especially when thinking about Azriel, she didn’t know what it was as her vision was blurred, she didn’t wanted to know actually, not until the right time as she was waiting for the worst…
A tremble in the bond, the brown eyed rose up, knew by their thread that Lucien was still sleeping, having a nightmare, her thoughts and feelings might have accidentally triggered him.
She walked out her room, stepping towards the red haired's, while receiving through the bond flashes of a red-gold haired female with a serpentine smile on her face, her hand bloody, a eye ball being held by her thumb and index finger… Elain blinked, shrugged, slightly shook her head, his nightmare was a memory.
The female knocked the door, felt the horror coming from him, she slowly opened the door, her gaze found Lucien, laid on his side, covered in blankets, his back to the door, she walked in his room, approaching to him.
Her hand touched his upper arm covered in blankets, gently rocking his body while calling for him a few times, until he cringed in a fright, suddenly opened his eyes.
“It is me, don’t worry.” She touched his head, brushing his hair between her fingers, “It is just me.” Her voice soft, she squeezed the grip on his arm.
His eyes found hers, his tensed face became relaxed, then he sat, the blankets fell on his lap, revealing his bare torso as he rubbed his eyes.
“Thank you.” The red haired said slowly lowering his hands from his face, he felt a hand on his right shoulder, felt through the bond curiosity, worry and rage, felt her eyes fixed on his back.
“It was nothing.” Her free hand touched his skin, brushing his long hair to the front of his left shoulder, she stared at the whipping scars in the upper part of his back, his face slowly turned to her, “Who did this to you?” she asked as their eyes meet each other, her palm passing on his scars in a gently caress.
Lucien touched her wrist, “I got this after helping Feyre on her first task, one if the tasks she made to free us all from Amarantha's reign.” His russet eye slightly darkened at the memory from those years.
Elain gently squeezed the grip on his shoulder, rubbing her thumb on his skin. She suddenly dropped a shy kiss on his forehead,
“Thank you, for helping my sister.” The hand she had on his back went to his one on her wrist, patting his fingers as she took one step back, “The breakfast is ready on the table, or I could ask the servant to bring you a trolley, if you wish to stay on your room.”
The red haired released her wrist, “There is no need, I will go to there.”
“Right.” The brown eyed took a few more steps back, towards the door, “I will be waiting for you.” Elain received a nod from him, she walked out the room, closing the door behind her.
oOoOo
The Middle
The High Lord of the Winter walked in the main tent of the Dawn, going directly to the brown cream colored table, where Thesan was sat in front of, his torso shirtless, covered only by bandages, he was still pale by the blood loss.
“How are you feeling by now?” Kallias asked.
“Better as I am not losing blood anymore,” he turned his face to the other male.
“Any sigh of poison in the sword?”
“No, thanks the Mother.” The brown eyed brushed a lock of hair to behind his ear, waving a hand to the chair at his side, ”Also, thank you.”
“It was nothing.” The white haired sat in the chair, “The corpses had been burned, tents and weapons destroyed,” The blue eyed reported what happened while Thesan was absent, the two males planned their exit to the Middle, the covering of their tracks, at the end of the military topic and planning, they started to chat regular subjects.
“How do you think our families are going?” Thesan asked taking a glass of wine.
Kallias poured wine on his own glass, “I like to think they are safe, and definitely better than us.” He took a sip from the wine.
“Same.” the brown eyed took a sip from the glass, “You know, a considerable number of people think that their families are death.” He tapped the glass with the index finger of the opposite hand, “If wasn’t the bond I have with Cai…” he placed the glass on the table, “I would think the same.”
“I don’t even know what I would be doing right now if I hadn’t a bond with Viviane.” Kallias said staring at his glass, “I can’t talk with her through it, but I know she is there, alive.”
“The fact they are alive, give me the strength to keep going.” Thesan took his glass.
Kallias held up his glass, “Same.” The male on his side held up the glass as well, then they clicked their glasses.