𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟑

𝙈𝙖𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙨

 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙚 𝙣𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩.

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╰┈˚ · ° .   THE BARGENED WEEK AT THE NIGHT COURT,  I spent it all as far away from my sister as possible. My heart couldn't help but clench painfully in my chest whenever the words that had been spoken between us two echoed in my mind. Feyre had not actually said them— but the truth was clear in her eyes, ready for it to be spilled. I had just said it in her place.

Maybe thinking that hearing it with my own voice would have hurt less...

The week had come to a term, I knew that in moments we were meant to winnow back to the spring Court— but I wasn't going to be there.

Choosing myself first was harder than I had anticipated, I couldn't help but feel guilty about leaving Feyre alone in that den of vipers and pretty poisonous flowers. That's why, even with the pointed look from the rest of the inner circle— and few very clear words of disagreement from Amren— I still winnowed from Velaris, where I had spent the rest of my week, to the Moonstone Palace just above the Court of Nightmare.

I had appeared inside my designited bedroom, but I didn't linger there. I was soon outside, walking through the main hallways, gaze aimed to the snow-capped mountains.

"Maiven!" My breath got caught in my lungs at my name being shouted by none other than my twin. Her heavier breath followed as she tried to keep up with my long strides, "We need to talk, please. I need to-"

Now she wants to talk— I scoffed mentally, turning my chin away proudly even if I was trying with all myself to not crumble to the plea in her tone.

"Rhysand is waiting." I replied curtly, cutting her off. I was here to see her go, I wasn't going to join her in that treacherous Court. Hopefully never again.

A few steps later and the veranda was in front of us, Rhys already waiting with his hands braced on the rail. "You can do it." His words through the Eardreor bond were preceded by a drift of rain, salt and citrus that effectively succeeded in relaxing my tense muscles in the slightest amount.

I nodded in his direction before taking a breath to fill my lungs with fresh oxygen, as Feyre, dejected by my disregard for her, stepped forward ready for Rhys to winnow away. Noticing the lack of movement— from both Rhysand and I— her eyebrows lowered in confusion.

"Why are you not moving? The week is over." She asked with a slight bite behind her words to the High Lord. But Rhys moved his gaze towards me, making me earn Feyre's focus, "Mai?"

"I'm not coming with you."

A gasp left her lips, "What do you mean you are not coming?" She asked just after swallowing her nerves.

"I'm not." I stated, before moving my eyes away from hers quickly as I noticed the tears pooling in them, giving myself the strength to finish talking that I wouldn't have otherwise, "I need time."

"And- and where are you staying then? You can't go back in the humans lands, you can't–"

"She will stay here." Rhys said stopping his mate from rumbling any further, "She will be fine."

"No." Feyre stubbornly shook her head, her lips curling into a snarl as she confronted the High Lord, "This is your fault!"

"No it's yours." I had not expected Rhys' words to be as harsh, but the tick of his jaw was noticeable as he clenched it tightly with his barely restrained emotions.

"Mai, please-" Feyre tried again, this time taking a step in my direction, "I'm sorry but just let me explain."

Bile creeped up my throat, blood roared in my ears. I could feel my hands trembling.

"Time to go Feyre." Rhys had moved, blocking my twin's view of me.

A few seconds passed before she spoke, "Alright." she nodded as the first tear fell and her shoulders slumped in defeat. And when the night and stars covered her, her last words were whispered, "I love you."

"I love you too." I didn't know if my own whisper had been heard as I let her go.

──── ⋅⋅•☽⟡☾•⋅⋅ ────

╰┈˚ · ° .  How many days had passed... weeks. My mind lingered on the thought of my sister more times than I could count. She had been my priority for all my life, leaving her when I knew she needed me brought guilt to me— so much that sometimes it made it hard to breathe— but I needed some space too. She had hurt me, and maybe, I was ready to make myself a priority too this time.

I spent my days learning about myself— controlling and owning my powers and skills as fae was at the utmost point in my mind. But daily, my task as Bloodsinger increased.

The territory of the Night Court was re-joyed as I walked through it. I could feel it deep down in my bones. My soul had never felt so at peace as in those instant I took to connect with the land.

No one had informed me of the paperwork that came with the title of bloodsinger though— I had already spent too much time on it that I would have liked.

That afternoon, the words were starting to make no sense anymore, whirling around the page as if they had taken life. The only solace was the comforting breeze that entered through the open balcony of my study.

In a moment, all was forgotten when a feeling of doom and desperation loomed in my soul. Feyre.

Many people say that twins have a connection that goes beyond the one of comprehension. A connection that was formed in the womb and it will never break— not even in death.

I had always believed it was true. Since we were little, both Feyre and I always had the capabilities of knowing how each other was feeling, if one was hurt or sad... I had thought that we had lost it forever when I was brought to The League. I had thought that what I had been through had broken too much of who I had been that not even that had remained.

But as I clutched my heart that beated a bit too fast in my chest, I was sure that that fear wasn't my own. It was Feyre's.

Red mist and stars wrapped around me as I winnowed away.

"Rhys!" I shouted through the connection reaching for the High Lord, "Something is happening to my sister."

"I know. I was about to tell you." he said, and I could feel the raw anger burning in his soul. "I'm waiting for Mor, we will be there in a few minutes."

My feet touched the pavement just outside the gates of the manor. "He is not here." I told him when I recognized Tamlin's scent fading further away from his home. "And she is there, and something bad is happening." I almost snarled the words even if I wasn't talking out loud. "I need to go inside."

A beat passed before he replied. "If you do this they will know." They will know who I was. The Bloodsinger.

"Then so be it."

Two steps, I raised my feet and kicked the gate open. The first guards appeared, attracted by the sound of the metal bending under my strength.

Blood floated from the crystal necklace around my neck, dividing in two flows— one for each of my hands.

Four guards in total— two went down as with my magic I created a whip that I hurled towards them, effectively knocking them on their backs, the harshness of the impact sending their heads crushing against the floor. Knocked out unconscious.

"By the Cauldron." One guard, wide eyed and fearful muttered as his sword fell from his hands as he lost the grip on the handle. "You are-"

I didn't waste a precious second replying, I curled my hand, blood rushing through their veins too quickly to their heart. They both fell unconscious.

As I stalked down the pathway to the front door, the bubble of protection around the Spring Court fell with a deafening thunder— Rhysand.

The smirk that coated my lips at it was a thing of nightmares.

Fae and faeries alike that worked on the front of the manor stopped in their tracks. None made a move to attack so I let them be, that couldn't have been said for the guards. Weapon ready they moved to attack. I didn't use any weapon— no sword, no knife, no bow and arrow. Only magic. Blood magic.

A statement.

"Bloodsinger." A gasp echoed from my left as I got closer to the front. Blue cornflower colored hair and translucent skin.

"Juni." I acknowledge the faerie.

The sheer in her hands fell as her eyes fell on the blood flowing around me. Awe coated her irises, and admiration shined in her features. The Night Court blood was thick in her veins— that was the only explanation that I came up with as I noticed the loyalty displayed as she fell on her knees, "My lady."

"My lady." Cyra, the oldest of the five sisters, bowed her head in respect, "Tamlin locked her in the house."

"Thank you." I said to the siblings as I jogged up the front stairs.

"I took care of the barrier. You can get it now." Rhys said through our bond, "Mor is coming. I'll be waiting at the borders."

"Good." I replied to him. "Going in now." I didn't waste another second to kick down the front door too.

Blood flowed first as the new set of guards appeared. I raised my hand creatine binds of magic and blood to confine the guards as I stalked through the mansion. The first thing that I noticed once inside was Alis. She screamed Feyre's name, trying to get the girl to hear her without any result. But her shouts stopped as her eyes fell on me widening with recognition.

A second, two. And then she spoke pleadendly. "Help her."

And there, crouched on the floor, just steps away from the door, a cocoon of darkness and fire and ice and wind enveloped my twin.

I knew it was Feyre not just by the different types of magic that created that cocoon— who only she could get access to alone— but the feeling of her heartbeat and blood that was uniquely hers.

I crouched down before my twin, heart stuttering in my rib cage in pain. I had left her alone. Guilt like I had never experienced before stabbed at my chest. The different magics swirled around her, shielding her from everything else. I made a move, not being able to stay still for another second. My hand touched the barrier around herself— the layers of elements— and underneath, instantaneously, Feyre started to sob and scream louder.

"It's me, Fey. It's me. Mai." I said, "I'm going to get you out of here, I promise."

Someone else arrived then, blonde hair and red lips, straight face and raging eyes. Morrigan.

I sent my friend a nod before picking my sister up in my arms, "It's me, Feyre." I whispered when as soon as I touched her, again she started to buckle and scream. I knew that she had not heard me, understood me, when she continued to trash in my embrace.

The blood that followed after me— like it knew who the master of it was— started to cover the cocoon, spreading my own essence carried in the magic, hoping that it would be enough for my sister to recognize me.

"I'm getting you out of here. " I reassured her— not lying, I was reassuring myself too. "I swear."

"Consider yourselves very, very lucky that your High Lord was not here when we arrived. Your guards will have one hell of a headache when they wake up, but they are all alive. And be grateful that Maiven didn't coat this Court with blood." Mor stated directly to the few faeries present. She stepped near us twins before speaking directly to Feyre, "Did you think his shield would keep us from you? Rhys shattered it with half a thought."

A small smile curled on my lips as Mor squeezed my shoulder. We walked out of the mansion and the garden. The afternoon sun was warm on my skin as the smell of flowers invaded my nostril.

"Let's get out of here." I mumbled in distaste. Mor gave me a nod before winnowing away. "You're free, Feyre." I told her, cradling my sister tightly against my chest "You're free."

I gave one last glance at the half ghouls sister, my magic making sure that my words only carried to them, "I'll see you soon." I told them, promised them.

"And we will be waiting." Cyra replied before collectively, they all muttered, "May the stars lead you to the true night."

"And light your way through the dark." The sacred words fell from my lips, uttered with the utmost loyalty to my land and people.

I gave them one last look before I was gone.

Following the Eardreor bond, I winnowed away, appearing just at the border between Spring and Summer.

Wordlessly, I passed my sister to Rhys— she had completely passed out during the travel.

The High Lord's eyes were full of icy rage as he looked down at his mate. "Let's go home." 

✎

˗ˏˋ 𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫'𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞 ˊˎ˗

Hello everyone!

Maiven taking the space that she needs because she was hurt is actually very mature and character development. She is setting boundaries, prioritizing herself after never having it done before.

A skill that in real life is very important to have (I still struggle with it a lot)

And finally, we are away from the Spring Court! Fucking finally. No more Tamlin!

The Bloodsinger is out of the bag!

The faerie sisters? I like them. What do you think about them? Some ideas?

One last chapter before the end of Act 1!

Anyways, thank you for reading this chapter, I'll see you on Thursday!

˚ · ° . 𝐔𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐞 . ° · ˚

𝐓𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲

𝐓𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲

𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞!

– 𝐋𝐨𝐥𝐚 ☾