The artwork above is not mine.

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    Seren blinked her eyes open with a groan. Dull pain thumped through her head. She sat up and the world began to spin. Seren dug her hand into the ground, steadying herself. She sat until the dizziness faded, before forcing herself to her feet.

    Gingerly, Seren lifted a hand to her head. The skin around her eyes and neck was sore. Black and yellow bruises lined her arms. She felt blood crusted around her hairline. Her hand fell to her thigh, where her dagger remained sheathed.

    Seren drew the blade and held it up. Her warped reflection stared back at her. She looked awful. A wave of dread flooded her body. She cast the dagger aside and covered her face with her hands. Seren sank to the ground, sobs escaping her lips.

    Beron will kill me if I fail. Those in the Night Court will kill me if I'm discovered. I can't do this. I should just run away while I still can. Tears dripped down her cheeks. Seren wiped them away. More tears fell in their place. And go where? I have no home now. I never truly did. My family is gone and I have no allies out here. She squeezed her eyes shut. The only way for me to be safe is if I succeed and win Beron's favor. I have to do this.

    She opened her eyes and grabbed the dagger. Seren regarded it for a moment. "Hiraeth," she murmured. "That is your name." She sheathed the blade and began walking.

    Her steps faltered occasionally and more painful bruises covered her legs. Seren couldn't see them beneath her pants, but the pain told her enough. She shielded her eyes from the sun and peered ahead. If she maintained a steady pace, she could reach the Day Court by evening. From there, she could winnow until she reached the Night Court.

    "I should be strong enough to winnow by then," Seren guessed. "As long as I take breaks in between each winnow, I'll be all right. Once I'm there, I suppose I'll have to make my way through the mountains and hope someone finds me." She bit her lip. "Or I'll have to make myself known."

    Her stomach growled, interrupting her thoughts. "I'll need food and water soon." Seren scanned the land ahead once more. Thin smoke curled in the air. A house was nearby.

    Seren began to run. She crested a hill and came upon a small wooden house. A Lesser Fae woman bustled about in a garden. The woman straightened and sniffed the air. Seren froze and crouched down behind a bush.

    If she realizes I'm from the Autumn Court, she'll question me. That could cause problems, Seren thought. I could threaten her but she would just report me after I left. I can't afford to wait until night to steal food. She has to give it to me.

    Seren worked her hands together nervously. I don't know if I can influence her mind. What if I do something wrong and accidentally shatter it? She exhaled sharply. It's either that or starve.

    Seren stood and made her way down the hill. The woman half turned. "Who are you? You smell of..."

    The woman fell silent as Seren reached towards her mind. Sweat dotted Seren's brow. She envisioned her presence as a flaming hand. The flaming hand probed the woman's mind.

    I am a traveler. Seren pushed the thought into the woman. I am from a village close by. I come from the Dawn Court. I belong here.

    "May I be of some assistance? It's a few days' journey to Mendax," the woman said. Her voice was flat and empty.

    "I need food, enough for a week at least," Seren replied.

    The woman began walking towards the house. Seren followed her inside. The woman grabbed a satchel and packed it full of bread, cheese, and dried meat. She squeezed several apples into the empty crevices. The woman filled a water canteen next and hooked it through the satchel strap.

    Seren took it, licking her lips. Her mouth had gone dry and the pain in her head was worsening. She'd never managed to focus her powers like this before. It was draining. "Thank you," she whispered.

    You will forget about this. I was never here. The woman's lips moved in silent unison with the thoughts. You will sit in your chair and sleep until mid afternoon. The woman sat down obediently. Her eyelids dropped shut and her breaths became deep and even.

    Seren drew the flaming hand away from the woman's mind. She ducked out of the house and closed the door behind her. She grabbed the water canteen. Seren took a long draught and started off once more.

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    Seren made camp in the lands of the Day Court. Her flames kept her warm throughout the night and a quick breakfast of bread and cheese kept her going throughout the next day. She used her water sparingly and ate only when necessary. The woman's supplies were generous, but they wouldn't last. She had to stretch them as long as she could.

    By the third dawn, she felt well enough to winnow. Seren began by winnowing only a few miles. She winnowed, then walked for another long while before winnowing again. She passed through the Day Court in a number of days.

    Her food was beginning to lack when she reached the mountains of the Night Court. No towns or homesteads were in sight and Seren pressed on. She began eating only bread. At night, she slept without fire, fearing the creatures that lurked in the mountains.

    Seren winnowed and hiked, but the mountains stretched onward. She exhausted her supply of apples next. Thankfully, a multitude of streams wove through the mountains and she was able to refill her water canteen regularly.

    By the end of the tenth day, her cheese was gone. She had only a few pieces of dried meat to sustain her. Seren winnowed once more. She landed in a stony pass. There was a cave dug into one wall. Flames sprang from her palms and illuminated the cave walls as she entered.

    Seren inhaled deeply. A few stale animal scents lingered, but they were old enough to tell her that the cave hadn't been used in some time. She built a fire quickly and lit the wood with her flames. Seren curled up next to it, ignoring the growling of her stomach. She drained her water canteen, hoping to quell some of her hunger.

    Sleep was long in coming. Hunger gnawed on her stomach. Maybe starving to death here would be better than being killed by Beron or Rhysand, she thought. The last of her supplies was an arm's length away. She had three pieces of dried meat left. They were small and barely enough to live on.

    Seren rolled over and closed her eyes. "Cauldron save me. Mother hold me. Let me pass through the gates, and smell that immortal land of milk and honey. May I fear no evil. May I feel no pain. May I come, and enter eternity." Thoughts and feelings melted away. Seren loosed a breath and fell still.

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    "Are you sure about this?" A deep male voice asked.

    His companion was a female. "We're not leaving her here."

    They were mates, judging by their scents. There was a third scent with them, another male. Seren breathed again. His scent was calming, night chilled mist and cedar.

    "Rhys will kill you for bringing her to Velaris."

    "Rhysand has threatened to kill me before. What's one more threat? Pick her up."

    Seren groaned as strong arms lifted her off the ground. A cool hand smoothed some hair out of her face. She cracked her eyes open, but everything was blurry.

    Wind brushed against her face. It carried the tang of salt and something lemony. Her vision cleared slightly. Seren looked down. The ground was far beneath them. She was flying. She looked to her side.

    The mated male and female were flying together. The male had large bat-like wings. Small horns curved near the apex of his wings. His long dark hair was loose. The female's golden brown locks were pulled into a tight bun. They both wore armored leathers. Seven red gems were situated across the male's leathers.

    Seren's gaze fell to the arms that held her. Blue gems sat atop scarred hands. "Hold still." Her bearer's voice was smooth and dark...cold, almost.

    She struggled to keep her breaths even as she realized who surrounded her. The males were Illyrian warriors. She'd read a little bit about their kind and Beron had described these two in particular. Cassian, Rhysand's General and Commander, and Azriel, the Shadowsinger and Spymaster. The female had to be Nesta Archeron, Feyre's sister. Her enemies had found her, just as she'd dreaded and hoped.

    They flew swiftly over the mountains. A city appeared before them, vast and breathtakingly beautiful. A sapphire river wound through the city, stretching towards the west. Mountains surrounded the city like a protective wall. The buildings were made of sandstone and marble. Green copper roofs added an extra dash of color to the city.

    "Where are we?" Seren rasped. Her parched throat threatened to steal her voice entirely.

    "Velaris, the City of Starlight," the male replied. Shadows flickered around his hands. They reminded her of her flames. They were almost alive, it seemed.

    "Where are you taking me?"

    "To my High Lord and Lady."

    Seren bit her tongue, forcing herself to salivate. She swallowed and spoke once more. "Are you Azriel?"

    "Yes."

    "And they are Cassian and Nesta?"

    "Yes." Apparently, this Shadowsinger was a male of few words. "Save your questions for later. We're here."

    He pulled his wings up and tightened his arms around her. They landed in the grounds of a vast estate. Azriel set her down and crossed his arms. Cassian and Nesta landed beside them.

    "Well, let's see how this plays out." Cassian strode into the estate. Nesta took Seren by the shoulder and led her inside. Azriel trailed in behind them.

    The first thing Seren noticed about the estate was the art. Paintings of all shapes and sizes lined the walls around her. Some portrayed her companions. Others showed the city, the river, and other landscapes. One large painting depicted Nesta standing in some sort of mountain pass. She held a sword and a look of resolve was etched across her face.

The second thing she noticed was, despite the size of the house, it still seemed like a home. Scarfs, coats, and boots sat near one of the far doors. The smell of rich foods hung thick in the air, along with several different perfumes from candles. Books lay open on tables and chairs. Some had bookmarks marking certain pages. Others were flipped upside down.

    Seren pulled her attention back as they continued deeper into the house. "In here." Nesta opened a door and ushered her into a sitting room. Cassian took up a position by the door. Azriel seemed to have disappeared.

    He returned minutes later. Another dark haired male was with him. Four women and one other male accompanied them. Seren quickly wracked her mind for their names. Lucien Vanserra was easy to recognize. His long red hair and russet and gold eyes were distinctive.

    The two golden brown haired women were clearly Feyre and another Archeron Sister. One of the women had short dark hair. Her gaze was piercing and distrustful. The final female was stunningly beautiful. Seren recognized her as Morrigan, Eris' former fiancé from years long past.

    "She's from the Autumn Court," Azriel reported.

    "Yes, I can tell." The dark haired male with starlit amethyst eyes began to examine her. "I am Rhysand, High Lord of the Night Court," he introduced himself. "And you are?"

    "Seren Marzena."

    "The daughter of an ambassador?" Rhysand stroked his chin thoughtfully. "It seems I have more questions for you than I thought."

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For this scene in Azriel's perspective, please read the short story titled "Fateful Meeting", in my bonus book "Beyond the Books".