"Another report," Cassian growled, slapping a few pieces of paper onto the table in front of Rhys. Estelle flinched, the sound jarring her out of her thoughts. Shadows curved around her protectively and Cassian shot her an apologetic look.

Mikael glanced up from his seat across the library. He was reading the black book he'd recovered from Under the Mountain, while Amren sat across from him studying the runes from the torture chamber. She too had chosen to stay in the Night Court until the meeting, so she could interpret the cryptic markings.

Rhys took the papers with a sigh and looked them over. "Where can she be hiding all of these people and what is she doing to them?"

What is she doing to Wynter? What is she doing to Evren? Why didn't you tell someone about your dream? Why did you let this happen? Why? Why? Why? Estelle's thoughts screamed at her. She ignored Mikael's tug on the Bond.

"Az is out collecting reports from his spies. He hasn't told me much, but apparently, more and more people are vanishing from the other Courts too," Cassian said.

"Devlon is making sure the war camps are secure? I don't want anymore people being stolen from them."

Cassian nodded. "Gwyn, Emerie, Mor, Nesta, and Seren are in the mountains now, helping him and Jorah spread the word."

The library doors opened as Nyx arrived. "Corbin and Lysander just finished up with the exchange. They'll be back soon. Devlon had something else he wanted their help with before they left." He took in the somber faces around him. "What happened?"

Rhys offered him the report and Nyx read over the pages swiftly. "This meeting can't come soon enough."

"My fathers have offered the use of a conference room in the Palace for the meeting location," Mikael said. "Father said he was going to tell you, but I wasn't sure if he had yet."

Rhys nodded. "Thesan let me know a few days ago, before I sent out letters to everyone."

"Have you received any responses?" Amren asked.

"Quite a few, actually. Kallias and Viviane agreed to come. So did Helion and Larilis. Eris will be there. Thesan, obviously. Drakon and Miryam have already promised to attend. I haven't heard from Tamlin, Tarquin, Jurian, Vassa, or the other Mortal Queens."

"Have Mortals even gone missing?"

"I don't know. Eris was the one who suggested I invite them."

Cassian raised an eyebrow. "Since when do you take suggestions from Eris? Outside of times of desperation and war, that is."

Rhys shot him a stern glare. "Since his wife, his mate, was kidnapped in front of him, and I've seen how unhinged he's become. He is one step away from slaughtering the wrong person, and that person will not be me, or anyone from my Court."

Why? Why? Why? Why? You could have stopped this. You could have warned them. You could have done something. Why didn't you? Why? Why? Why? Why?

"Where's Venelia?" Estelle asked, doing her best to keep her voice from shaking.

"Asleep," Nyx replied. "She wasn't feeling well."

Venelia's beautiful face withering into a hollow skull. White flesh. Black protruding veins. A round stomach. The blood between her legs.

Estelle blinked and clasped her trembling hands together. The shadows curled over her ears. It was a dream. It may not come true. It was just a dream. Just an awful dream.

But Wynter and Evren are gone, Estelle protested. And it's my fault.

Your fault. Your fault. All your fault, her ravenous thoughts screamed.

It's not your fault, the shadows reassured her. It could not have been stopped. It was not your fault.

Batsy, are you all right? Mikael's voice drifted over the Bond.

Estelle stood abruptly and left the library without replying. Nyx called after her, but she ignored him. She kept walking. Down the hall. Out the door. Through the garden. Into the street.

Her surroundings were blurry. She wasn't quite sure where she was going. She just knew she was going away. Away from that room where she'd only be reminded of her failure. Reminded of the lives she'd condemned.

Turn around, the shadows pleaded. It wasn't your fault. The Prince of Sunrises follows. Turn around. Speak with the Angel of Dawn.

Estelle kept walking blindly. She heard Mikael's voice calling her name, but it was muffled. He might as well have been yelling at her from several blocks away. Estelle gasped, her hand falling to Znaniya's hilt as someone grabbed her arm. She drew the blade and attacked.

Mikael caught her wrist and wrenched her hand backwards. Znaniya clattered to the ground. He stared at her in shock. "What the hell!"

Estelle stared at him. At the dagger. At him again. "It was reflex."

"Reflex? I've been talking to you since you left the estate. Did you not hear me?" He released her. Estelle grabbed Znaniya and sheathed the dagger. "No, of course you didn't." Mikael took her by the shoulder. "Come on."

"Where are we going?"

"Somewhere we can talk alone." Mikael loosened his grip with a heavy sigh. "Could you take us to the cabin? We'll be unbothered there."

"Yes." Estelle summoned the shadows and they were carried out of Velaris.

◦═══✦═══◦

"Alcohol. I don't care what kind," Estelle said as they entered the cabin. Mikael watched her, concern weighing heavily on his mind. A bottle of ale appeared in Estelle's hand. She uncorked it and took a long draught. "It's weak," she scoffed.

"Good. I want you sober while we talk." Mikael sat down. Estelle headed towards another chair, but he took her wrist, gently this time. He pulled her onto his lap and swiped the bottle from her hands.

"That's mine," she grumbled.

"You can share." The corner of her mouth tilted up as he took a drink. "What was going on back there? It was like you were somewhere else entirely. You jumped when Cassian slapped the table. You never jump. I sensed your anxiety. Your guilt. Talk to me, please."

Estelle blinked rapidly and he held out the bottle. She drank, drawing a few measured breaths before replying. "When I went to see Elain after that particularly bad nightmare, she told me she'd had visions of similar things. I should have taken her seriously and warned them."

"Warned who?"

"Kallias and Viviane. Eris. Everyone. I saw Melantha take Wynter and Evren. I saw her take others too. I didn't know who she was at the time, but...it can't be a coincidence. Wynter and Evren disappeared when we found out who Melantha was. Mikael..."

He wrapped his arms around her waist as her amber eyes glistened with tears. "I could have prevented their kidnappings. I could have warned them and their families. It was my fault. I knew and I did nothing."

A few tears rolled down her cheeks and she took another drink. "It wasn't your fault," Mikael murmured, running his hand down her arm. "It was a dream. You didn't know it would actually happen. Elain's visions could have meant anything, despite being similar to your dream. You can't see the future, Estelle. No one truly can. We might catch glimpses of things that could happen, but no one knows what will happen."

"There were so many people there. I knew some of them. Wynter. Evren. Cresseida. Elain was there too, and Venelia." Estelle's voice broke with a sob. "Ven was pregnant in my dream, before she turned into a corpse like the ones Ze'ev reanimated. And I...I think the baby died too."

Mikael tensed as images of Estelle's dream flooded the Bond. "How can I warn her when she so desperately wants a child? How can I tell Nyx that his mate and baby might be doomed to die? I can't, Mikael. I can't. I can't do...this. Any of this."

Mikael took the bottle from her and set it aside. He hugged her tightly. "It's all right, Batsy. It's all right. This battle isn't yours to fight alone. We're all here to help. Me, your parents, my fathers, your aunts and uncles. Lys, Corbin, and Nyx... Everyone. We're going to sort this out and deal with it together."

"What happened to Wynter and Evren is horrible, but it wasn't your fault. It will never be your fault. We will find them and they will be all right. Everyone will be all right. Cresseida. Elain. Venelia and her baby. You."

Estelle met his gaze and held it, fear shining brightly in her eyes. Mikael hooked a finger beneath her chin and brought his lips up to hers. You are not alone, he said across the Bond. And you will never be alone. As long as I live. As long as your family lives. As long as you live. There will always be someone by your side. I will be by your side. Through light and darkness. Through joy and sorrow. Through life and death. I am with you, and you are not alone.

Estelle cupped his face in her hands, deepening the kiss. She stroked the Bond, her gratitude and love finding him through it. Still, he sensed her underlying fear and guilt. "What can I do?" Mikael asked. "How can I make things better?"

"Distract me."

"How?"

"I don't know. Do something that will help me relax. Something that will make me forget things, if only for a little while. I just need a distraction."

Mikael smiled and his hands strayed to her hips as he turned her so that her back was facing him. She resituated her wings over the sides of the chair, glancing at him. Mikael nuzzled her neck, touching light kisses to her warm bronze skin. "What are you in the mood for, Love?"

    "I don't care. Just distract me."

    "All right."

    Mikael kissed the base of her wings and she shivered. His hands circled her waist as he began to undo the laces on her pants. He tugged them off and her underwear soon followed. Estelle swallowed as he slipped one hand beneath her knee and lifted her leg. He positioned the other atop his thigh and moved his own leg, spreading hers further apart.

    Estelle straightened and Mikael shook his head, pressing his hand to her stomach. "Just relax, Love." He drew her back against his chest. Her head settled into the crook of his neck. He kissed her forehead, dipping his hand between her legs.

    Estelle sucked in a breath as he simply cupped her. He applied a slight pressure, curving his hand against her rhythmically. Estelle made a small sound and Mikael kissed the corner of her mouth.

    "No one's ever done this to me before," she whispered.

    "Really?" His nose brushed across her cheek. Shadows tickled his neck. "I'm beginning to question your taste in males, Batsy. It seems like no one truly worshipped you before I came along."

    "They tried," she breathed. Estelle closed her eyes with a faint moan as he increased the pressure from his hand. "But they never truly understood my needs."

    "Not like me."

    "Not like you." She moaned again, grinding into his calloused palm.

    "No, Batsy." He drew back. "I want you to stay relaxed."

    Mikael waited until Estelle's breathes had calmed slightly, before resuming his gentle massaging. She tilted her face towards him, studying his features intently. "What have I done to deserve you?"

    "What haven't you done?" Mikael countered. He pressed his lips to hers as he replaced his palm with his thumb. He worked it against a more sensitive spot, coaxing another moan from his mate.

    "How..." Estelle gulped. "How would you feel in this position?"

    Mikael smiled, stroking her thigh with one hand while the other trailed lazy circles against her heated core. "Very good, I imagine. I know you would feel divine. I'd be a little deeper inside you than normal. It would be easier for me to touch you. Everywhere." He almost groaned at the thought. Estelle shivered. "Stars," he rasped. "You'd feel so good, Love."

    She whimpered as he withdrew his thumb and curled his hand over her again. "But we won't try that tonight, because I want you to relax. If we did that, I'd be claiming you hard. Relentlessly. And it would not be relaxing. It would be intense and passionate. Rough."

    "What if I want to try it?"

    "I'll say no." Mikael kissed her neck. She moaned again. "Right now, I'm going to relax you. Maybe I'll fuck you tomorrow."

    "Some days...I really hate you." Estelle closed her eyes again, pleasure washing over her features.

    Mikael turned her face towards him. He kissed her with a smile. "No you don't. You love me."

    "I love you," she echoed.

    "For many reasons. Right now..." He brought his lips to her ear, "It's because I can make you feel things no one else could."

    He shifted his leg in between hers. Estelle moaned, clenching her thighs around his. He kept her pressed back against his chest, even as she found release. Her body trembled and she ground against his leg. Mikael didn't stop her. He dropped kisses on her neck and jawline.

    Estelle was breathing hard when she finally lay limp upon his chest. Mikael gave her a self satisfied grin. "How do you feel?"

    "Relaxed," she admitted.

    "Did my leg feel good?"

    "Not as good as your dick."

    "Hm. Tomorrow, perhaps." He stroked her cheek with his fingertips as Estelle closed her eyes. She hid her face in his neck with a contented sigh. Mikael kissed her forehead, rubbing her shoulder gently.