Estelle blinked her eyes open, unsure of when she'd fallen asleep. Her captivity had come with one small blessing. She no longer had nightmares. Instead, she dreamed of Mikael and her family. Somehow, those dreams were almost more painful than the things Ze'ev had shown her.

Estelle sat up stiffly, rubbing the spot on her neck where the ashwood collar pinched her skin. Her headache was even worse than before. It came and went regularly, but always worsened when she was hungry or thirsty. Right now, her mouth was incredibly dry.

She dragged the water bucket towards herself and drank a minuscule amount. The water was nearly gone, and it was doubtful they'd be brought more anytime soon. Estelle readjusted herself and rested a hand atop her stomach. A few of the shadows curled around her fingers. Pain clenched her heart and she longed to hear their voices. To hear Mikael's voice and feel him across the Bond.

A faint sob caught her attention. Estelle's gaze swept over her companions. Venelia was asleep beside Evren. The High Lady's features were twisted with discomfort, but judging by her even breaths, she was asleep as well. So were Elain and Cresseida. Estelle faced Wynter's corner.

He sat with his back pressed against the wall. His knees were drawn up to his bare chest, bracing his elbows as he clutched either side of his head. Tears dripped down his cheeks.

Estelle swallowed and bit her tongue, drawing a little more moisture into her mouth. "Wynter?" She called softly.

He stiffened at once, swiping a hand across his eyes. "Yes?" Wynter cleared his throat, but there was no mistaking the raw pain in his voice.

"Will you talk to me?" Estelle asked. She had no idea what they would talk about, but she would find something. Anything. Just so long as it distracted his mind from the horrible festering thoughts that she knew were the source of his tears.

He rose, body visibly trembling. Wynter crossed the chamber and sat down near Estelle. Not close enough for her to touch him, she noticed. "Is she all right?" He tipped his head towards Venelia.

"For now," Estelle replied. "Evren is doing what she can to help. She's the only one of us who's had a child, so I imagine she knows what she's doing."

"Still, her cough is getting worse." Wynter studied Venelia, his icy blue eyes reflecting concern. "Does she have a fever?"

Estelle gave a small nod. "Evren hasn't told her yet. She doesn't want Ven to worry. Worry will just add to the stress on her body."

"Causing more stress on the baby," Wynter sighed. "Maybe there's something I can do to convince Her that..."

"You've done enough," Estelle interrupted. "You've done..." She swallowed hard. "You've done enough."

Wynter held her gaze. "But I could do more. I... I could make a trade of some sort."

"No. Whatever She would ask in return is too high a price for any of us, especially you, to pay."

"Not if it saves their lives." His gaze fell to Venelia once more. His shoulders rose and fell as he inhaled deeply. "Her scent is changing."

"I've noticed." Estelle watched Venelia as she shivered in her sleep. She glanced at Wynter's bare arms. "Are you not cold?"

He didn't look at her. "I don't feel the cold like you do. The climate in the Winter Court is much colder than this."

"You still use fires to keep your homes warm."

"We do, and to provide warmth for our guests, but denizens of the Winter Court are able to endure colder temperatures far longer than most Fae or Mortals. To me, the temperature in this room feels how a cool spring morning would feel to you."

"Oh. That's still chilly though." Estelle pursed her lips. "Why did She take your shirt?"

Wynter's throat bobbed. "Blood."

"Blood?"

"Let's talk about something else."

"All right. Mikael told me about the female you're interested in. What's she like?"

Wynter closed his eyes, leaning his head back on the wall. "Beautiful. Sweet. Very shy." His exhaled sharply. "Something else, please." He brought his head forward, hiding his face in his hands. "Something else."

"Why don't you ask me something?"

"Does Mikael look at you any differently because of what happened to you?" Estelle raised her eyebrows. "He didn't tell me," Wynter quickly clarified.

Then how do you know? Estelle wondered. She didn't voice the question though, and replied, "No, he doesn't. What happened to me was beyond my control. Mikael has never looked at me any differently because of it. He's never judged me for it. It has never affected the way we feel about each other.

"Does it ever haunt you? Does it make it hard to be...intimate?"

"There was a time when it did. It took me years to work through what had happened. Sometimes, I still have nightmares about it. But Mikael respects my boundaries. He wants only what I'm willing to give. He understands how hard it can be sometimes."

"You still have nightmares about it?"

Estelle nodded. "But not as often as I once did. Sometimes I'm afraid it will happen again. I've been afraid of..." She hesitated. Wynter was silent until she continued. "I've been afraid of having a child that wasn't Mikael's. A child that wasn't ours."

A glimmer of fear flashed through Wynter's eyes. Estelle raised no questions. "Mikael has assured me time and again that he will do all he can to prevent that from happening, but if it does, it won't change how he feels about me. He would stand by my side through it all. He would raise the child as his own. It helps, knowing all of that." Wynter looked away. "I'm sure this beautiful, sweet female you described wouldn't see you any differently because of what has happened here."

"I wish I was as confident as you," he murmured. Wynter stood and retreated to his dark corner.

Estelle watched him go, horror twisting her stomach. She now understood what he meant by 'blood'. There were deep, raw scratches running down his back. Some had already begun to scar. Others were still fresh and damp with blood. Wynter pressed his back against the wall and Estelle saw the sheen of tears on his cheeks. This time, she did not hear him cry.

◦═══✦═══◦

Mikael's swords glanced off Calden and Nyx's. He spent a lot of time training now, honing his anger and anxiety in lethal blows. It was a good thing Calden and Nyx kept themselves shielded. He had broken past their defenses a few times already. Nyx had done the same to him.

"Sienna and Morai seem to train together a lot," he remarked. "Have her parents spoken to her?"

Calden shook his head, whirling into another attack. Mikael caught it and rolled beneath Nyx's next blow. "She still hasn't told them anything."

"Are Morai and Sienna official yet?" Nyx asked.

"Not that I know of, but things seem to be going well between them." Calden grunted as Mikael landed a punch to his stomach. He dropped his sword staggering back. "Time out," Calden rasped.

Mikael sheathed Lovis and Alethea. Nyx sheathed his sword as well. Calden headed off towards the water buckets. Mikael scanned the training rings curiously. Corbin was training with Sienna and Morai. In another ring nearby were Celeste and Lysander.

Mikael's eyes widened at the sight. "Has Lysander given Celeste an answer?"

Nyx followed his gaze, his own sapphire eyes growing larger. "I don't think so."

Mikael knit his brows as Lysander said something inaudible. "What do you think they're saying?"

Nyx didn't reply. He was focusing on Lysander. A moment later, cold talons scraped against Mikael's mental shields. He lowered them and Nyx swept in. I asked Lys if we could listen, he explained. He agreed.

Mikael crossed his arms and waited expectantly. Voices trickled into his mind at last. Lysander and Celeste's. He was silent as he listened.

◦═══✦═══◦

"I'm worried about Estelle and Venelia," Celeste said. "Everyone else too, of course, but them most of all."

"Me too," Lysander sighed. His sword glanced off Celeste's and they whirled past each other. "I wish there was something we could be doing instead of just waiting."

"There's nothing we can do. Mikael is right. Until we know what Melantha is planning, we're stuck."

"She knows all of our plans," Lysander muttered.

"Do you think they're all right?"

"I'm refusing to consider that they might not be."

"How are your parents doing?"

"Mom is trying to keep herself occupied and Dad is in the Autumn Court, slaughtering Melantha's corpses alongside Eris."

"Aren't there corpses to kill in the Night Court?" Celeste raised an eyebrow.

"Not anymore."

"Oh. And how are you doing?"

Lysander lowered his sword, tilting his head briefly. "My sister has been kidnapped by a sadistic bloodsucking bitch. How do you think I'm doing?"

Celeste flinched, then squared her shoulders. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

That caught Lysander off guard. "Like what?"

Celeste shrugged. "Anything. Keeping you company, training, researching, plotting... I'd even stand here and listen to you yell at me all day if that would help."

Lysander was silent for several minutes. "Why?"

"Because I care about you."

"Do you?"

"Yes."

"Then prove it."

Celeste hesitated, her silver eyes focusing on her boots. "Right now?"

"Right here. Right now," Lysander replied. "Prove that you care about me. Prove that what you did was wrong. Prove that you're sorry, genuinely sorry, and that you want to make amends."

"How?"

"Tell me the truth. Tell me the truth about everything. How you really feel. Why you did what you did. Everything."

Celeste held his gaze, her features flooded with shame and resolution. "I was a selfish coward. I have been ever since my sister died, and I know that's not an excuse, but it's the truth. I struggle with realizing the depth of my feelings for someone. I struggle with committing myself to another. I'm terrified that if I let myself love someone, they will be taken from me."

"I fell for you without even realizing it. And then you told me you loved me. I...I wanted to say it too. I wanted to tell you the truth, but fear got the better of me. I treated you like shit. I shouldn't have done what I did. I shouldn't have hurt you. Used you. Made you feel the way you did."

"I was so caught up in my fear that I let it get the better of me. I let it control my actions and ended up hurting us both, but you most of all. I'm sorry, Lysander." Celeste's jaw trembled and there was a glassy shine in her eyes. "And I can never show you how sorry I am. The truth is..." She drew in a steadying breath. "I love you. I loved you when I left you, and every day since. I loved you and I hated myself for it. I hated myself for what I did."

"I know I can never hope to earn your forgiveness or another chance. I don't blame you. I understand. I don't expect anything from you. I don't have that right. I never did. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Celeste looked away.

Lysander clenched his jaw, tucking his wings close to his back. "You love me?"

"Yes," she whispered.

"Then prove it," he said again.

Celeste lifted her head, staring at him in surprise. Lysander waited expectantly. She stepped closer to him. Hesitantly, Celeste wrapped her arms around Lysander. She hooked her chin over his shoulder, hugging him tightly. Lysander returned her embrace, burying his face in her neck.

"It will take time for me to trust you again," he murmured.

"It will take me time to fully commit to you."

"If you're willing to try, I'm willing to give you another chance. One chance."

"All right," Celeste whispered.

Lysander tightened his arms around her. "I missed you."

"I missed you too."