𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟓

"𝘓𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘉𝘪𝘳𝘥 "

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𝟔 𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐤𝐬 𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧

╰┈˚ · ° .  THREE WEEKS HAD PASSED SINCE Rhysand had winnowed me to the Night Court. Three weeks since I had discovered who I really was, who I was always meant to be. It hadn't been easy at first, acknowledging that I actually had a place in this word. That i was not only an assassin, a faceless person behind a veil that obscured my features as I delivered death. But days went by and as I would periodically sneak out almost every night and go to the Moonstone Palace with Rhys, it was easy to start accepting the new reality.

And it felt good to be spoken to as I wasn't a walking threat, as if I was a person with feelings and emotions too. Because Rhys never made me feel like a monster, incapable of feeling.

He helped me train my powers night after night, and slowly I could already see the progress. And when he had something else to do, his duties as High Lord or whatever else, I would just sit in my room at the Palace reading all about the previous Bloodsinger. About their lives and history. About their magic and sometimes even practicing alone.

I could just be.

I was back at the Spring Court. It never felt more of a chore. I was the first to admit that if I knew that Feyre was going to be back to her previous self, if I knew that she would have been unconditionally happy and taken care off in the right way— which she wasn't— after Under The mountain, I would have gone back to the human land, back to the League. I never liked the Spring Court, but it never weighed me this much before.

I was laying on the bed in the flower themed room in Tamlin's Court, my arm raised as blood flowed between my hands effortlessly.

Rain, salt and citrus drifted up my nose.

I followed the connection inside of me like I had learned to do in those weeks— it was becoming easier and easier by the day— until I could feel and see those red and black strands that formed our bond.

"Sneak out." Rhysand grumbled without much of a greeting.

"Not even a 'hello, Vee?' " I asked sarcastically, snarking back my reply.

"Just sneak out." He said before his scent was gone and the speaking connection closed.

I changed into the League's uniform rolling my eyes at the grumpiness of the High Lord. Easily, I sneaked out from the room and the mansion, not forgetting to casted a spell on the room. It was something that I worked hard on. It would alert me if someone was entering the room.

I ran through the forest and in minutes— thanks to the new speed that came with being High fae— I was directed at the familiar tree where I met Rhysand that first night. The one where we would meet almost every night to winnow to the Night Court.

He was already there when I arrived, and without any warning, the High Lord grabbed my arm and winnowed the two of us away to the Moonstone Palace.

My glare was like ice as I snapped my arm away from his grasp. "What crawled up your ass and died, grandpa!" I shouted after him as Rhys was already walking away.

I followed after him, intending to let out a few more words and cuss at him, but when I entered the living room after Rhys, a tall male was grinning at me.

He had black, shoulder-length hair, golden-brown skin, and warm hazel eyes. On his back, I could see two massive, membranous wings. He wore leather armor, I could see various weapons strapped all around, and seven red stones that I recognized as siphons.

His wings were much like Rhysand's— and the male that I had seen when I died— but his stayed on. Illyrian. The male was an Illyrian warrior.

"She called you grandpa." The male said as he fought a war that he lost as he was quick to burst into a loud and boisterous laugh.

"Oh, no need to answer me, Rhys." I dismissed the High Lord, eyeing the new male from head to toe. Rhysand had talked about his closest friend, and I just knew who this one was. "The little bird here is enough to explain." Looking at the Illyrian male like I did not just literally insult him, I spoke, "And you must be Cassian."

"Yes I am, Bird shit." Cassian replied, mouth curled into a wide grin, cocky enough to surpass even Rhys'.

"Did you just call me bird shit, Little bird?" I asked. Cocking my eyebrow upwards.

The Illyrian male smirk widened even more, "Tell me, I'm curious. Do you need to drink blood to survive and for your magic to work?" he asked, mischief and mirth shining through his hazel eyes.

"Cassian." Rhysand groaned, passing a hand on his face.

"Tell me, I'm curious. Do you need some twigs for your nest? Maybe some leaves? I could totally bring some back for you from the Spring Court. Maybe even some flowers. You know, for decor." I spoke back, matching the General's smirk with one of my own.

Cassian bursted out laughing once again, almost taking me by surprise by the sheer loudness of it. "I already know we are going to have so much fun together, bird shit."

"You're not going to stop calling me bird shit, are you?" I asked, groaning out loud with the addition of an eye roll.

"Are you going to stop calling me little bird?"

"Not a chance." I replied quickly with a deadpan.

"Exactly what I thought. And even if you did, I would have never stopped." Cassian said, beaming at me as he launched himself on the couch.

I snorted at the Illyrian male— who was trying to find a comfortable position to lay with his wings before I turned my head towards Rhysand, who was watching the interaction sitting on the armchair.

"You made me come here just to meet him, didn't you? You wanted me to meet your friends, how cute." I awed, teasing the High Lord.

"No, he wouldn't stop asking and it was getting quite irritating." Rhys grumbled, narrowing his eyes on his general and then at me.

"Didn't you have something to do today?" I asked, recalling what he had told me the night before.

"Yes, but I don't know if I can't trust you two alone here together." The raven haired Fae explained, tinning his lips.

"Just go, Rhys." I rolled my eyes at the male. He can trust us— I thought. Then I glanced at Cassian, who was grinning at Rhys waving his fingers at him. Probably.

Rhysand glanced between us for a few seconds, likely deciding if it was a good idea actually leaving us alone, but in the end, he winnowed away without even a word.

But indeed he was right. He couldn't trust the two of us alone together, because just two hours later, Rhysand came back and cursed out loud.

On the floor there was his General, messy braids styled in his hair that I had done with the utmost cure but ended up just creating a huge mess. He moved his arms and legs as if underneath him there was the snow and not a barely fluff carpet. Me, on the other hand, I was sprawled on the couch, giggling as I watched Cassian from my spot.

It was safe to say that we were both very drunk.

But what shocked the High Lord the most was probably the snowman on the leather armchair that had been previously occupied by Rhys. One of his trade-mark tailored suit jackets was placed on it. Its eyes were made with two Cassian's red siphons and the typical carrot nose was replaced by one of my knives.

"What in the name of the Cauldron happened here?!" Rhysand groaned, passing a stressed hand on his face.

Snapping upright with beaming smiles, both Cassian and I said perfectly at the same time, "Rhys!" We called his name.

"What is this?" The High Lord pointed at the snowman, eyes narrowed almost into two slits.

"That is Rhyssy. We made him as your replacement for when you were not here. You know, to look after us. I even used my magic for him to not melt." I explained while grinning, quite proud of my work with the magic on the snowman. "Sorry for the red eyes, we couldn't find anything violet."

"You told me that I could trust you two here alone together." Rhysand said exasperated. He looked like he was having a stroke. That made me giggle.

"No, she just said for you to go. No one ever mentioned anything about trusting us." Cassian pointed out hiccuping at the end before taking a sip from the already almost finished third bottle of fae-wine.

"Alright." Rhys sighed, "you go to sleep." he pointed at the Illyrian with a glare,snatching the bottle away from his greedy hands, "and you. I need to sober you up with my magic so I can bring you back."

"You know." I said as I stood up, "I'm usually a sad drunk. Like tears and tears, sad drunk. But I think Cassian is too much of an idiot for me to be a sad drunk in his presence." I let out a few giggles. I was sure that I would have tripped on the end of the carpet and face planting on the floor if Rhys had not been there to keep me up.

"I am good like that," Cassian winked as he sat on the couch. Well, more tried to wink. He just blinked really hard.

Rhysand used his magic and in seconds I was back to my boring sober state. "Well, that was useful." I commented, "Goodbye little bird." I called out to Cassian as I intertwined my elbow with Rhys'.

"Goodbye bird shit."

✎

˗ˏˋ 𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫'𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞 ˊˎ˗

Hello everyone!

Oh I love this chapter, it's so funny.

This is the beginning of Cassian and Maiven's friendship. They are going to be a menace later on together. And, they are going to cause Rhys to lose a few centuries of life, that's for sure.

Anyway, I want to add something about Rhys and Maiven's bond.

The Eardreor bond is something that I created. I literally mixed up the words for blood and connection from the Old English language but I added Life to the meaning of the word.

To create it, I took inspiration from the mate bonds and the parabatai from the mortal instruments. When they talk through their bond or sense each other through it, they can smell each other's scent. Like Rhysand talons scraping against the mind walls kind of thing, but with scents.

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

˚ · ° . 𝐔𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐞 . ° · ˚

𝐓𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲

𝐓𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲

𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞!

– 𝐋𝐨𝐥𝐚 ☾