Kana's POV:
I sat reading. Stuck in the silence that seemed like it was haunting me. Nesta burst open through the doors. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"We didn't know if she'd approved the request." I said flatly. I was tired, and wanted to be left alone. Why, why, why? The questions were driving me crazy. I understand that people don't like not knowing what's going on. I just wish they would stop questioning my judgement.
"You should have told me." Nesta snapped. I slammed my book closed, "I should not have to remind you that questioning your superiors is not the rout you want to take."
Nesta sniped, "And if your superiors are wrong?" I felt the ice cover my heart. I raised my chin, "If I am so in the wrong, Nesta, then why haven't you held a coup against me yet?"
Nesta snarled, "I didn't mean it like that-" I fumed, "Yes, General Nesta, You did mean it like that. So tell me why you question every damned order I give you? If I didn't tell you it was because you did not need to know."
Nesta opened her mouth and shut it. I reopened my book. I said frowning, "See yourself back to your legion General." Nesta left slamming the doors behind her.
I sighed. Was I truly that bad of a General? Did I need to be cooped? I shook my head, Feyre and Nesta were both questioning my authority. I guarantee that they won't be home tonight. The shadows curled around my feet.
One of the daemati spoke into my head, Where do you want the prisoner? I frowned at their words. Bring him directly to me on the estate.
I set my book down, and used my arms to push me from the chair. Hava was there seconds later, "You don't need to be standing."
"I really don't need people telling me what I am or am not capable of." I declared flatly. Hava pressed her lips together and nodded. The doors opened and he was shoved into the room.
I snapped, "Why is his head covered, and why are those chains on?" The guards looked half disgusted. "He's the prison-" I frowned and waved my hand in the air. The guard silenced. I ordered, "Unchain him, and for mother's sake get that hood off his head."
They yanked the hood off his head first. His dark skin was pale from the tales I heard over the years. His amber eyes were dull. Clad in his white and gold attire he seemed to glow, with an inner light the dark queen had not smothered.
The soldiers took the chains and walked out of the room. Shutting it rather loudly behind them. I apologized, "I am sorry for the bad circumstance Lord Helion, my soldiers should have known better."
Helion gave away nothing, "You are High General Kana." I nodded and kept my features soft. Helion glanced to Hava, "It has been an age, I wondered where you disappeared to Hava."
Her voice was dull, "I needed to get out, besides the human-lands needed the protection." I glanced between the two as they continued their staring contest. Helion turned his gaze to me, "Why am I here?"
I shrugged, "One step closer to winning the war." Helion frowned, not impressed. "And we figured who better to scare the hell out of Amarantha and her wards than Helion Spell-Cleaver himself."
The Lord's face was still stone. I sighed, "If you do not wish to be here High Lord I am sure your court has already heard of your freement. I am sure we could convince Hava to winnow you home?"
"I have my powers back that would be unnecessary." Lord Helion straightened his jacket. I blinked, "So the curses are bound."
Helion nodded. He glanced around, "You have a very nice home, here High General Kana." I smiled kindly at him, I motioned with my hand. "Please call me Kana."
Helion seemed as if he was trying to figure me out. He inquired, "Was it true what the soldiers said about your poisoning?"
"Yes," I nodded and stared at the ground. "My mother was not a very kind person. I would expect no less from the witch."
Helion glanced at Hava quickly, then his amber gaze turned back to me. In every way he moved, his onyx shoulder length hair framed his face perfectly. He was indeed a ladies man.
Lord Helion spoke, "I would like to go back to my court." I nodded, and slowly made my way towards the door. "If you would not mind I have a few things I would like you to have."
Lord Helion raised his chin slightly. Yet he nodded and followed me out of the sitting room. He offered me his arm, and I politely took it. Lord Helion spoke, "I wish you could have been there when Amarantha learned of what your mother did. For the first time, she truly looked unnerved. By the thought of your mortal mother no less. I certainly hope I don't have to meet her."
I heard Hava's breathing hitch. I responded smoothly, "You won't have to meet her, she's quite content in her grave." Lord Helion coughed slightly. He quickly apologized. I waved him off, "The part of being a ghost singer is that you can see how the spirits moved on when you focus on dead bodies or graves. She is content, for whatever reason, but she wasn't always that way."
Lord Helion nodded, soaking up the information I was handing him. I was lucky the skirt I was wearing covered the shaking in my knees. Lord Helion asked, "Are the other Originals in?"
"They are out at the moment." I answered, which was true. They were meeting with the elder fae in the legions stationed in the village today. Helion seemed to notice my slowing form. The pace slowed as we went up the stairs to the second floor.
I watched as his eyes traveled around the walls. He was impressed or was looking for traps. I didn't mention it. As we entered the study I came over to my little chest in the corner and unlocked it.
I heaved the chest open, Helion was looking over my shoulder. I pulled out a rather flashy sheath. The sword was even more flashy. The white quartz hilt had golden suns engraved into the hilt. I handed it to him.
"From what we found of it, I believe it belonged to one of your ancestors." I explained as he looked over it. He traced his hands over the hilt. He unsheathed the sword from its sheath in one clean motion. He carefully set the sheath down and studied the blade.
Lord Helion declared, "It's beautiful, but my old language is a little rusty." He motioned to the writing stamped in the center, on both sides, of the blade. I smiled and read, "Quod lux veritatis," I translated quickly. "The Light of Truth."
Helion sheathed the blade and it disappeared from his hands. Helion thanked me quickly and I walked him to the front doors. I cleared my throat and said, "If you have ime I have one more thing you might enjoy much more than the sword."
Lord Helion smirked and sent me a lover's smile. "Let's hope it is a very fancy gift then. Perhaps the wrapping will be something we can share." He winked and I withheld laughing from escaping me. I shrugged on my cloak.
I smiled brightly at him as we walked out the door. "It's probably not the best gift in the whole wide world. But they do originate from your court." Lord Helion's brows furrowed. Hava stayed a small distance away, Helion kept the pace slow for my sake.
Lord Helion decided to breach the wall first, "Do you know who your father is?" I nodded slowly, sighing. Aldrich had been very kind to me. When Xerxes came he often sent gifts because he could not leave the kingdom to come himself.
I explained, "He has a potion of power on the fae side of the continent. When he could not come himself he often sent gifts with one of my elder brothers." Helion's brows raised slightly at the information. "Which kingdom does he hold power from? Do you know?"
I sighed, I stared at the ground for a few seconds. I debated whether his friendship was indeed worth it. I declared, "My father is from Rask."
Helion covered his misstep quickly. He had been expecting one of the smaller two. Montesere or Vallahan, he wasn't expecting that a person of power from Rask would slip up. Lord Helion noticed we were heading toward the stables. He smiled, "I can buy horses." I smirked slightly and declared. "The one I am giving you is priceless."
His smirk dropped as we entered the stables. I took him all the way to the back. I whistled into a dark stable. "Meallan come here." I stuck my hand over the stable door. The darkness moved and a beautiful black stallion emerged. Not a horse, no the feathered wings at his side made him a pegasus.
Lord helion whistled lowly, and Meallan nudged his head against my hand. I rubbed his nose softly. "I do believe he belongs in your court."
Lord Helion murmured, "I thought Amarantha killed all but ten." Hava cleared her throat and explained, "Kana wanted to know how much leverage she could have. So she hunted down any thing on the planet that could be considered leverage against anyone who might be an enemy. And Amarantha couldn't find Meallan, his mate, and six other breeding pairs survived."
Helion set a steady hand on my shoulder. I leaned against the stable door slightly. "Thank you." I nodded a wave of pain flashing through me. Lord Helion was indeed old, he missed nothing. "The ash wood poison is nothing to test. Go rest, I should not have stayed so long anyways."
I nodded and Hava was by my side in a second. She helped me away from the stable door and Meallan came from the stable quickly. Helion hopped on his bare back. The corners of my lips lifted upward at the sight. Meallan truly was a beauty. I bowed my head, "I hope to see you soon. Feel free to look over the real forces while you're in the air."
Helion said, "They will be pushing for the human-lands because they think you're weak. But I should be here with whatever force I can muster." I nodded and declared. "Lord Helion I do not want to worry you but if we loose the main fight I want you to go to the master tinkerers and burn everything. They cannot get their hands on those blueprints."
Lord Helion nodded and Meallan exited the stables. I watched as he galloped into the air. I coughed roughly and fell back against Hava. She winnowed us directly into the house and set me in my room.
Hava murmured, her arms folded across her chest. "You shouldn't have been up for so long." I shook my head as my chest seized with pain. "Helion is aware of the poison, so is Amarantha. They know my weakness but I plot everything around it."
Hava nodded slowly. She admitted, "Kana, I know things between You, Feyre, and Nesta aren't great. But I do believe you should at least try to mend things with them before the end battles start."
I nodded. She was right of course. I should make sure that all relationships are running smoothly. It was my job to protect them, and those feelings of anger could distract them when they're in a tight spot. Although they would hate me anyway, They would hate me.
Hava declared, "I know you think they are going to hate you. Kana they love you, you are dying. They may not understand, but over time they will come to accept it."
I sighed and forced my head to nod. I flopped back onto my bed and threw my arms out as a wave of pain coursed through me. Hava murmured something, I shook my head and she left quickly. Sometime later I woke up to Cyrus coming into my room. He shut the door behind him.
"Helion is dead." Cyrus declared. I pushed myself up. I left him, I let him leave. He's gone, truly gone. My face was already burning, sweat covering my forehead. Dammit, I got a High Lord killed. "How."
"Amarantha sold him to beasts in exchange for information on us. His head was found at Amarantha's door step." Cyrus snapped. My heart rate dropped significantly. He created a glamor.
I swung my legs over the side of my bed. I stood swaying, Cyrus gripped my wrists. Cyrus asked, "Are you okay?" My knees were weak, my head slightly spinning. I shook my head, "It's poison."
I sat back down on the bed. Cyrus pressed his wrist onto my forehead. "You've got a fever." I nodded and cupped my face in my hands. I explained, "Helion's fine. we pulled him. It was probably a glamour so he could raise his army in silence. Amarantha will be busy trying to find the new High Lord she won't notice he's still alive."
Brutius said from the doorway. "Well that's a bunch of bullshit." I glared at him in a silent rage. I watched him walk into the bathing room. I set my head in the crook of my elbows. I felt something cold press to my head. Maven's ice was a bliss I did not deserve.
"You don't need to be outside in this weather in your state." He snapped. I cooed, "Calm down, I don't need four territorial bastards annoying me while I'm trying to sleep."
"Three." Cyrus corrected. Brutius said leaning on a bed post. "Four, Bron's guarding the door."
Maven chuckled darkly, "Even sick you know every detail." I leaned into his frosty head. Low murmuring crossed the room. I knew Hava had entered. The darkness that came soon after was sweeter than the nightmares I had most nights.
✵ ✵ ✵ ✵ ♞ ♝ ♜ ♛ ♜ ♝ ♞ ✵ ✵ ✵ ✵
"Hello Kana."
I hated her voice. The beatings. The starvation. The toxic branding of wrong doings she had branded into my mind over the years. "No."
"You will join me, daughter. When you come I will remind you that you belong underneath us. No one will want you." I heard her cruel smile. "Remember that not even your own father wanted you. Who would want a bastard? Who would want a useless half-breed bitch."
"You are wrong." I declared. I hated her, she ruined my twin. Turned her into her favorite pet. "I am weak. I know this. But I am not useless, I never have been."
Something smacked me across the face. I flinched, backing away with my shadowed form. My mother stood in front of me. Half of her face was that of a demon. Like the fire of hell had burned through to her true form. The other sat as her face. The face she tortured me with.
"I have been offered a gift, daughter." She smiled and gripped me by the throat. Choking sounds echoed as she lifted me from the ground. "I will destroy everything you love. When it is all done, I will sit at the throne of Prythian. And you will be at my feet in chain's serving me for eternity-"
I screamed as I woke. Sooting up in bed. Maven whirled. Brutius gripped my shoulders. "You're okay, dream. You were dreaming, Kana."
I shook my head and used my shaking hand to push him away. I croaked, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have screamed." Brutius tucked a piece of hair behind my ear, "I have bad dreams all the time, Kana, You have nothing to apologies for."
Maven asked, changing the topic. "How are you feeling?"
"Less tired." I murmured rubbing my eyes with my wrists. I glanced and Maven was frowning. "You should probably rest."
"Can I rest in the sitting room?" I asked. Because they were being territorial it wasn't wise to do things behind their backs. Brutius smirked, "You could just piss us off and we'd leave you alone."
"You'll be staying here for a while." I sniffed, reaching for a tissue. Brutius got there first and handed me one. I blew my nose and Maven was still frowning by the window. "And I already have enough people who hate me, I don't want to add my best friends to that list."
Maven shook his head and exited the room. Brutius smirked, "Sitting room it is." I pushed Brutius out and dressed in a black leggings, and a burgundy sweater. I picked up a book from my side table and walked out.
Hava said, "Sitting room?" I nodded and she let me walk on my own. I nearly reached the staircase before my knees started to weaken. She wrapped an arm around me and helped me the rest of the way to the sitting room.
I plopped down in a chair and hid my unease. I was so weak, and when it came down to it I didn't even know if I'd be able to stop Amarantha. Even with the masquerade of The Reaper.
Maven shoved a mug into my hands. I sniffed at it, molten chocolate. A winter court drink that by far is the most amazing thing in the whole world. I murmured my thanks. I glanced at Hava, she nodded and winnowed me some reports to read over.
The burning gazes of my friends were pressing. I asked smoothly, "Would you all like the reports too?"
Their gazes averted and Cyrus snorted from the doorway. Cyrus picked up some of the reports from the small table beside me. He plopped down on the couch next to Maven. They split the stack Cyrus grabbed evenly.
Focusing on the words in front of me I forced my eyes to work. I would not let myself break, not under Nesta's gaze.
Hey everyone! I'm so sorry this chapter took so long, but as I said in a previous chapter the school year is starting. Anyways I hope you like how the story is gong so far.
We are sooo close to three hundred reads! Thank you all so much for the support!
Happy reads everyone!
: Dragon-Fly