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do-you-have-a-flag · 4 years ago

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Destiel shippers come get ya’ll juice!

SO @deadwright and I were inspired by Some Tumblr Posts and the twitter Roadhouse Wedding stuff and keep writing headcanons about Thee Destiel 2021 Married Ever After S16 SPN Romantic Event Of The Season, so here’s that.

Arranged in order of marital chronology and cutting out us keysmashing too much:

oh man imagine all the burgers they get catered for the reception dean got it done himself he would’ve been so particular about the catering bridezilla cas would probably be THEE bitchiest bridezilla

it's also definitely that trope where all the other hunters ect KNOW that that many of them and the wedding party are essentially a target for trouble so everyone spends the 24 hours leading up to the vows taking out every beastie who shows up on a revenge kick out of sight because they'll be damned if they let ANYTHING stop this wedding and Dean and cas are both having their marital jitters oh god im not good enough what if something goes wrong about mundane things while monsters are getting their ass kicked outside AWWWWWWWW for sure for sure, they’re hunter royalty this wedding is a big deal like half the attendees are nursing injuries but grinning widely

they don't do the can't see eachother before the wedding thing because you KNOW dean would be fixing cas' tie last minute

dean wears a blue pocket square to match cas' tie cas wears a FLANNEL SQUARE

I’m obsessed w the idea of cas giving dean a little bit of his grace in a small bottle on a chain for him to wear or like a wing feather or some part of him god the grace in a bottle breaks me every time in fic dean probably builds cas something but every time i try to think of something specific i choke up

i was thinking like what if trading grace is as close to a romantic gesture as angels have and he's like..... technically i left some grace behind in your mark when i dragged you from the pit and dean is like ARE YOU SAYING WE'VE BEEN MARRIED THIS WHOLE TIME?

they are so sweet i’m on the verge of tears the ability to do anything by halves in their relationship was burnt out by like the second return from the dead moment they are too insane to be anything less than All In And Then Some

at one point someone was like hey cas do you want to run your vows by someone as practice? and he started reading what he'd prepared and it devolved into Biblically Grand Statements Of The Power Of Love And The Redemption Of - ect ect ect and it's because unlike the confession scene he's had TOO much preparation and overshot into uncanny angelic vibes he makes some edits because he know the expressions he gets when he reads it aren't what he intended

dean writes page after page after page of unused drafts, none of them are particularly floral

he does the cliche of ripping up his vows and improvising at the altar, something he gets mercilessly teased for because he swore he wouldn't but it classifies as a chick flick moment

THAT’S SO PEAK HIM OH MY GOD and you knoooooow you just KNOW it’s beautiful and emotional and everyone is crying

god the NOVELTY of dean being emotionally honest in front of people......im gonna faint YEA yeah... ONE TIME ONLY DEAL he thinks loudly at Sam's smug expression

anyway, at the wedding dean is the one who spends the whole ceremony with like crying cat meme eyes after the confession scene i’m pretty sure the minute the vows start cas is in the same boat USELESS HUSBANDS dean gets passed a handkerchief for his tears and immediately goes to use it on cas' face and they both laugh sob love the idea that everyone individually thought they were too tough to cry but they all broke at various stages yeah sam definitely starts to choke up just standing up there with his brother sam chokes up before the ceremony even started, like probably when he was pinning on dean’s corsage

anyway, Jack dancing with his two dads at the reception CAS’ BEST MAN / FLOWER BOY FLOWER MAN let him heelie down the aisle with the flowers LITTLE MAN GO NYOOM who makes him a little flower crown he wears with a proud lil smile? claire ofc, with those hair braiding skills? she makes it BEAUTIFUL flower crown: on nails: painted dads: MARRIED!!!!

when they say i do and kiss and everyone is cheering you can't convince me that someone doesn't let off what is either a gun or a dubiously legal firework in celebration jack pops a few lightbulbs in his uncontrollable joy

Dean and Cas can't let go of each other, it's at LEAST one point of physical contact for the rest of the reception PERIODT

CAN YOU IMAGINE THEM DANCING TO AIR SUPPLY

they definitely didn't do the wedding gifts thing but a few mysteriously show up anyway; discuss waffle iron from sam bc he remembers the becky incident meanwhile claire gets them flavoured lube because she’s an insane little mean girl she gets them a sampler package with like novelty flavours, gotta spring extra for a wedding PIE FLAVOURED LUBE

it’s gonna be the party of the century omfg you KNOW it! that dancefloor going OFF the BAR is FLOWING

dean gets dragged up onto the bar to make a speech and there's a moment at the end where he drags cas up there too and they're being playfully yelled at not to scuff it and there's hooting and catcalls as dean and cas kiss and dean gestures rudely before almost falling backwards off the bar before cas grabs him and climbing down is less romantic or dignified but he couldn't care if he wanted to

meanwhile sam and claire are outside defacing the impala with silly string and lewd graffiti and tin cans tied to the bumper for the going-away oh it is one hundo percent a just married atrocity there's enough condoms hidden in the car that they're still finding them months later

anyway wanna hear my disgustingly soppy honeymoon roadtrip concept? YOU KNOW I DO OKAY SO

you know at some point dean must have said some sad thing like for the longest time he never thought he'd live long enough to get married and the only circumstances he could imagine was hooking up drunkenly with a stranger at some vegas wedding scenario like that's the best he would ever get and he thinks it's mostly forgotten but then during their cross country honeymoon roadtrip castiel does in fact navigate them to las vegas and quietly mutters that the legal veracity of the little chapel on the city limits is dubious at best and they're already married so it couldn't do any harm and they get officiated by an elvis impersonator and a woman wearing more sequins than fabric throws cheap confetti over them

and after that they stop into every venue they can find that would be friendly to them to pretend they're eloping and at one point dean even pulls out the fbi id badges and the officiant is under the impression he's facilitating some sort of covert workplace romance

one place is a kitchy little house that's clearly just the couple who run it opening their strange home to anyone who needs it and have been since the 70s and Castiel thinks for a moment when they're asked to pin something to the collection of stuff on the walls and ceiling before pulling the receipt for the pie they'd shared earlier in a dinner out and scrawling his and dean's name on it to be added to the clutter

and at one point they stand ankle deep in a pond while some old hippie lady wraps their clasped hands together with soft fabric and chants something that dean knows isn't real magic but hey he's not going to tell her that and after the ceremony they sit on the grass and feed each other sweet bread to complete the binding or whatever and it's nice but it doesn't compare to the ranch where they both tossed their cowboy hats in the air and were given a horse to ride to their camp site

i thought about riverboat gambling for point one seconds and now i know in my bones that one of their many weddings was on a riverboat, they made the captain officiate after cornering him on deck in like five minutes, the crew sent them complimentary champagne and they threw fries at the birds following the boat while sharing it straight out of the bottle

if destiel can go canon multiple times they can get married multiple times CHANGE MY MIND THEY GET MARRIED SO MUCH the MOST married i just want them to get gay cowboy married

eventually i want them to end up at the beach bc dean has canonically never been to the coast their road trip is to get to the other coast

they send just married postcards back to sam from every stop sam stops feeling hurt he was left out of their vegas elopement wedding by the third wedding postcard he recieves sam saves them ofc bc GOD can you imagine them looking at the postcards on their 30th anniversary or s/t 🥺 showing their grandkids and recounting the story of each wedding there's a seashell taped to the last one

cas gets a terrible sunglasses tan and dean gets burnt on the tips of his ears and there's sand on sand on sand in all their clothes and at one point dean is blinking away salt water and cas is gripping his arm and saying something about the coral by them in the water and dean thinks that he likes floating beside cas a lot better than flying

dean has cas pick ice cream for them from a truck and hustles at carnival games enough to win them both big novelty foam hats and they both go back to their room and pass out immediately post shower sprawled across the bed and still smelling like sunscreen and salt water

dean tucks a little cocktail umbrella behind cas’ ear

cas spends most of the next day in dean's zepplin shirt and a pair of shorts they only picked up once they got there because neither of them thought to bring beach clothes, they sit on the balcony and dean sips his beer and idly plays with the ring on cas' finger and they play a game of what fictional monsters could they beat in a fight

cas’ true form is the size of the chrysler building he can fight king kong easy that's what he says and dean's like okay but what about mothra and castiel is like how would YOU defeat mothra and dean just goes "bugspray." GDJSGSHSGSHDSJ DEAN WOULD

in honour of misha putting his whole pussy into the role, cas wears a dress in at least one of their weddings

it's at one of those theme parks that's just historical re-enactments and people get their vows renewed there and there's costumes for the photobooth and the staff are like how long have you been married? castiel says two weeks, three days, eighteen hours, and twenty five minutes................ approximately. and the photo is cas in a classical wedding gown and dean is wearing the veil with his old timey suit and there's a moose head on the wall behind them wearing the top hat he was given and they send that print with an arrow pointing at the moose with sam written next to it

i keep thinking bitch!!!! you KNOW WHAT!! you KNOW that dean is the type a guy who's heart races every time he feels his wedding ring/is always fiddling with it in the weeks after the wedding, like an anchor to remind him they really got married this is real he would NEED that physical reminder that he can have good things

he’s never ever going to take it off, the tan line will be permanent

how funny it would be if dean gets injured on a hunt and the monster guy is about to kill him and then the lights blow out and the monsters are like what was that and dean is just like "[spits blood] that's my husband." and nek minnit cas has just ripped through them thanks to teleporting in angel style and is just like Cas: [heals dean] "you're late for movie night" Dean: "Well if you'd gotten here earlier i would have been on time." Cas: >:| [kisses him]

cas is like i didn’t burn the popcorn this time you BETTER be alive to see it

#destiel #supernatural #long post #supernatural season 16 #twitter roadhouse wedding about to pop OFF #destiel wedding #deancas

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creampuffqueen · 5 years ago

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Worlds of Fire and Darkness | Chapter Fourteen (Lyria, Rygan, Sam)

Read this on Ao3! (Here) Likes, reblogs, and comments are always appreciated! Things get slightly nsfw in the first part, so be prepared for that. Also, Lyria and Folas’s song is Into You by Ariana Grande, Sam and Rygan’s song is Lucky by Jason Mraz. The lyrics for the Ballad of Terrasen are from the song by Inquillery on youtube! It’s so amazing, I definitely recommend listening to it while reading Rygan’s POV!

The long awaited Peace Ball is held, but things don’t go exactly as planned.

Lyria POV

“Folas, I need to get up.” Even annoyed, I couldn’t keep the stupid dopey smile off my face. The curtains were drawn, but the late afternoon sun still peeked through, pulling me from my sleep.

The male in question rolled away from me, groaning his complaints. I was hit with a sudden rush of cold without his warmth, and I sat up, smiling at the goosebumps on my arms.

“Do you really have to?” He asked, sighing below me. “Can’t you just stay here?”

“No, because the ball starts in a few hours. You don’t want to miss that, do you?” I grinned at him, bending down to kiss him swiftly.

“I’ll miss it if it means I get to spend the night with you.” His purr was devious, and I rolled my eyes.

“You stayed here last night.”

“And I’ll do it again.” I snorted at that, but couldn’t resist another kiss. This one lingered, soft and sweet.

When I pulled away, I waited for a moment, just watching him. Folas’s dark hair was mussed, and his tanned chest was above the blankets just enough for me to admire.

It had been three days since our first kiss, and a whirlwind three days at that. After our fight that first night, I’d spent nearly the whole next day apologizing, even after Folas had assured me it was fine. I didn’t know what had gotten into me, and I’d lashed out at him unreasonably.

And that next night… I’d made it up to him, properly. He hadn’t made it back to his own room afterwards. Whether he even tried to was questionable, but I wasn’t complaining.

I finally managed to pull myself away and get off the bed, and grabbed a dressing gown from the chair at my vanity. I pulled it on, relishing its cozy warmth.

“I need a bath, Folas. And you probably do, too.” While we had just woken up from a nap, we’d spent the hours before it rolling in each other’s scents, and the room was pungent with the smell of us.

“Besides,” I continued, “My friends are all coming here to get ready together. If you stay, you’ll have to listen to Asceline making fun of you the whole time.”

At that, Folas groaned loudly and rolled out of bed. I didn’t bother to hide my gaze traveling along his body, and he just smirked at me.

“Like what you see, princess?” He purred.

“Oh, you know I do. But alas, we don’t have time.” I still walked towards him, though, drawn to him by some magnetic force.

Folas pulled me close, kissing the top of my head. He leaned in and gave me another kiss on the lips, but I pushed him gently away before he could take it further.

“C’mon, let’s hurry up.” I urged. “The other females will be here soon, and I want to be cleaned up by then.”

Folas gathered his clothes and pulled them on, giving me one last kiss before he left. I resisted the urge to lean into him, to tangle my fingers in his hair and drag him back to bed. We’d already spent far too much time alone as it was, and I was sure my parents and family were onto us.

After he was gone, I drew a cold bath, using the frigid water to wake myself up properly. I didn’t even bother using my usual soaps and bath oils, instead just taking a few minutes to scrub my body and hair until they gleamed.

I toweled off, though I used my powers to dry my hair and curl it. I had just pulled on a petticoat and a robe when a loud knock sounded on my suite door.

“Come in!” I called, opening up my wardrobe to find the dress I wanted to wear.

It was Asceline at the door, as expected, and my cousin breezed inside, her dress in a bag that she threw onto my bed.

“Really, Lyria,” She sighed, “You can’t bother to clean up this room even a little? So we don’t all have to smell what’s been going on in here? Aren’t your little sisters coming in here, too?”

“Calm down, Ash.” I said, rolling my eyes. “It’s not that bad.”

“It’s very bad. This entire room smells like sex.” She grabbed a bottle of my perfume off my vanity and sprayed it at me, grinning when I coughed.

“While I’m glad that you and loverboy have finally stopped being dumb about your feelings for each other, you don’t have to shove it in all of our faces.” Asceline spritzed some of my perfume on herself.

“Oh, shut up, you don’t get to say anything.” I laughed, taking the bottle from her and applying it to my neck and wrists. “You are totally acting stupid around Leo and won’t admit your feelings to him.”

My cousin smacked me lightly in the side, though she couldn’t hold a glare. “This is not about me and Leo.”

“What’s not about you and Leo?” I nearly jumped out of my skin as I saw Rose appear in the doorway. Despite the fact she was as human as could be, she’d perfected the Fae art of being completely silent.

“Nothing.” Asceline said defensively. She turned back to the bed, crinkling her nose as she took in the rumpled sheets.

“Look at my dress!” Rose giggled, ignoring Asceline. She held it up so we could all see, and my breath was nearly taken away by the beauty of it.

It was floor-length, like most of our dresses, and made of flowing white tulle. However, the bodice was a deep purple, and the color lightened to a pale lavender as it traveled down the dress in an ombre pattern. The sleeves were off the shoulder, made of creamy white silk.

“You’re going to look stunning in that.” I grinned. Rose beamed, and set the dress down on the bed next to Asceline’s.

The witches arrived next, Aris and Nysa squabbling as usual.

“Nysa, you can’t wear that.” Aris snapped to her sister. “You’re barely sixteen-”

“Yes, and at least I’ve got a boyfriend to admire me in it.” Nysa growled. “If I want to show off, that’s my business.”

“Both of you shut up.” Kerrigan said, rolling her eyes. “Nysa doesn’t have another dress to wear, anyway.”

“Stay out of this.” Aris and Nysa snapped in unison, then turned their glares back to each other as the fighting continued.

“All of you hush!” I interjected, pushing between the sisters. “Nysa, show me your dress. I’m sure it’s beautiful.”

“It’s beautiful, but far too revealing.” Aris protested. “I don’t want my little sister walking around in that.”

Nysa snarled at Aris, then pulled her dress out of its bag to show me. It was bright red and made of silk, with thin straps that held it up- and a large slit that would obviously go from ankle to thigh when she wore it.

“She’s fine.” I decided. “And like Kerrigan said, there’s not another dress here for her anyway.”

“See!” Kerrigan shouted, glaring at her older sisters. “I do know things, you know.”

Both of them rolled their eyes and continued to ignore their little sister. Aris showed us her dress, a pale blue thing that sparkled in the light. We oohed and ahhed over it, then were distracted when more people showed up.

Soon enough, my room was full of people. The girls from Anielle, from the Southern Continent, from Briarcliff. Even my own little sisters arrived, forgoing getting their hair done by our mother to spend time with all the older females.

Besides, our mother would be getting ready herself. Or taking care of Fleetfoot.

For the past three days the dog had been living the high life. Hand-cooked meals three times a day, brought to her on a silver platter, a plush bed near the fire, walks through the flower garden every time she needed to go outside- the dog was spoiled to the heavens.

“Lyria, can you do my hair, please?” Evalin chirped. “I want it in a bun, just like Asceline has.”

My cousin was finishing with her braided bun, tongue stuck out as she focused. She’d managed to rope Giselle into holding all of her supplies, and the girl looked absolutely miserable.

“Come here.” Evalin sat on my lap on the bed as I brushed out her long, silvery hair, while Aerith tugged on Amelie’s dress until she turned around to see her.

“Can you please help me do my hair?” Aerith begged, making sure to speak slowly and clearly, so Amelie could read her lips. The older girl nodded, taking my littlest sister over to my vanity.

All around, the room was bustling with activity as people got ready for the ball. Words flew past, snagging me into different conversations as I fixed Evalin’s hair.

“Aris, can you zip up my dress?”

“Gods, I’m so bad at braiding- Asceline, can you help me fix this?”

“Teagan, will you pass me that khol when you’re done?”

I tied Evalin’s bun and fluffed it with the comb, sending my little sister off to get her dress. Seeing nobody else needed my help, I finally got up to get my own dress.

I had hung it on my bathroom door earlier and now the sewn-on sequins were sparkling in the candlelight as the sun slowly dipped towards the horizon. It was Terrasen green, like most of my dresses, smooth and silky fabric that felt wonderful beneath my fingers.

“Lyria, your dress is so pretty.” Asceline purred, prancing up beside me to rest her head on my shoulder. My cousin’s golden hair was the same shade as my own, one of the only physical traits we shared.

While Asceline was a shifter and could therefore make herself look however she pleased, she usually didn’t. Sometimes she changed the color of her hair or eyes, or gave herself Fae ears to hear better, but that was the extent of changing her human form. My cousin loved herself, curves and and weird birthmarks and all.

I smiled at Asceline and pulled the dress down from the door, unzipping the back so I could slip inside.

Shucking off the robe, since I had my petticoat on beneath, I let my younger cousin hold me steady so I could step inside the deep green dress.

I had one foot in when Asceline suddenly took her hands off me and put them on my shoulders, surprise written all over her face. Without her keeping me upright, I toppled over so fast I almost didn’t hear her shout.

“Why do you have bite marks on you?!” she shrieked, as I lay on the floor with my feet tangled in my dress. I could feel the stares of all the other girls turning toward me.

“Okay, you don’t have to yell about it-” I snarled, trying to slip out of the green fabric to put my dress on properly. Asceline made no move to help me up, and instead I hauled myself up using one of the posts on my bed.

I could see my cousin putting two and two together- the mussed bedsheets, the scent, the marks. When her Ashryver eyes returned to me, they were unreadable.

“Lyria, did you let Folas do that?” She asked softly. I bared my teeth in a snarl as I pulled my dress off the floor.

“What does it matter to you? It’s my body.” I hissed. The room was very quiet as my cousin and I stared each other down. I prayed that somebody had gotten my little sisters away so they didn’t have to witness the arguement I knew was coming.

“Lyr, I know, it’s just-” I cut Asceline off with a growl.

“You don’t get to decide what I do with my own body.” I stepped inside my dress and pulled it up, managing to stay upright by some miracle or another. Asceline moved forward, as if to help me zip up the back, but I pulled away with a glare.

“Lyria.” My cousin begged. “I just don’t want to see you getting hurt. You’re rushing into all of this too fast.”

“Like you would know.” I snapped. I regretted the words as soon as they left my mouth, watching as Asceline’s face fell and silver began to line her eyes.

“Asceline-”

“Save it.” My cousin whimpered. “You’re right, anyway.” She wiped furiously at her eyes, turning away from me.

I pulled the sleeves of my dress up and over my shoulders, keeping the bodice up and not sagging until I could get it zipped. When I looked up, only seconds later, Asceline had disappeared.

Leaving a glaring Evalin in her wake.

My little sister met my gaze with the heat of a thousand fires, her Ashryver eyes, so much like Asceline’s, furious.

“Lyria, you can be a real bitch sometimes.” Before I could scold her for swearing, Evalin had transformed in a flash of light, her peregrine falcon form flying for the window that someone had left open.

I cursed my stupid big mouth as I stomped towards my vanity, grabbing the small jar of foundation and slathering it liberally on my neck, too furious at myself and my family members to care it was getting dangerously close to my neckline.

It was only when a pair of soft, delicate hands wrapped around my wrists that I finally glanced up. Amelie.

She didn’t sign to me, or try to make any kind of communication. Instead, she gently pulled my hands away from my body, took a cloth towel from my vanity, and gently dabbed away the foundation to make it look natural again.

When I turned back to the others, my composure slightly regained, I found almost all eyes on me.

“What are you looking at?” I snapped, before letting out a loud sigh. My temper was getting the best of me, and I was being unfair. This wasn’t their fault, it was mine.

“Hey, it’s gonna be fine.” Aris assured me. “You two are family, you can’t be upset with each other forever.”

However, with the way Nysa was glaring at her sister, I wasn’t so sure.

“Lyria, I got your shoes.” I peered down at Aerith, holding up a pair of silvery flats for me. I squatted down to her level, taking the shoes and giving her a kiss on the cheek.

“Thank you.” I breathed. I stood up and slipped them on, managing to keep my balance long enough to fasten the buckles at the ankle. I was sure that by the end of the night I would be barefoot, but for now, before everyone was drunk, I would appear as the prim and proper princess.

My little sister held out her arm, and we linked elbows. Her silver hair was in a half-up style, using the short hair she had. Aerith and Thallan had always cut their hair at their shoulders, meaning it was almost impossible to tell them apart by just a glance.

“Asceline will be back.” Aerith assured me. “She won’t want to miss the ball.”

“I know she’ll come back.” I said softly. “I’m just worried she won’t let me talk to her and apologize.”

“Stop worrying.” Aerith insisted, sounding so much like our mother it took my breath away. “Let’s go and have fun, Lyria.”

The other girls were whispering behind me. I didn’t know what they were saying, if it was good or bad. But I found myself not caring.

“You have to teach me the dance steps, okay?” My little sister said. “Because Thallan won’t learn them with me.”

“I will.” I promised.

Aerith held out her pinky to me. So I reached over and linked my own. A pinky promise, the unbreakable sibling promise.

With that, my little sister grinned merrily and hauled me out of the room, the rest of the girls soon following as we made our way to the Great Hall.

Ready for the 20th Annual Peace Ball.

~~~~

The Great Hall normally felt large, but tonight it felt even bigger than usual. The chandeliers were all lit, the decorations were set up, and tables and tables of food were laid out right before us. All set before the wooden thrones on the raised dias.

My parents were the only ones inside the hall, slow dancing to music only they could hear. The musicians had yet to set up, and the only other living soul in the room was Fleetfoot, napping in my mother’s throne atop a plush blanket.

I almost felt bad about going inside, as if I was ruining their moment. But Aerith tugged me forward, then raced over to our parents and practically threw herself at our father’s arms.

“Aerith!” Rowan boomed, catching my sister effortlessly. He held her on his hip, like when she was a toddler, and she wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

“Hello, Mama.” I smiled, greeting my mother with a kiss on the cheek. “Hello, Papa.”

“Hello to you, too, my beautiful girls.” Mother laughed. “Are you ready for the ball?”

“I’m ready for dinner!” Aerith giggled. Rowan smiled at that, giving her another kiss on her head.

Slowly, guests started to trickle in; the early arrivers. Most of the girls who had been in my room to get ready were there.

Though I noticed that Evalin and Asceline were still missing. Neither of my parents noticed, as all of my brothers were still absent. Why, I would never know. They hardly had anything to do to get ready!

I watched the musicians take their place and start setting up their instruments, while last-minute trays of food were brought up from the bustling kitchen.

When we were little, our punishments for acting up always consisted of helping out in the kitchen. Usually washing dishes. I always hated it down there, with the hustle and bustle and chaoticness. But Sam, always my opposite, would go downstairs to help on his own.

And as if my thoughts had summoned him, Sam appeared at the entrance of the Great Hall just as the music started. Aspen and Thallan were with them, meaning that only Evalin was missing now.

Glancing around nervously, I subconsciously began to chew on my manicured fingernails, only stopping when Aerith tugged on my dress.

And then, my mother spoke the words I’d been dreading.

“Lyria, Aerith, where’s Evalin? Wasn’t she with you?”

Aerith glanced up at me, a silent question of whether she should answer or not. Looking between my mother and my baby sister, I slightly shook my head no.

“She’s in the bathing room still, Mama.” I let out a sigh of relief and turned away, scanning the Great Hall for a flash of my sister’s silvery hair.

I spotted Nysa and Kerrigan easily, the two of them leaning casually against a wall and talking. Nysa’s red dress was tight around her abdomen, while one of her pale legs was on full display right up to her thigh.

More guests arrived, and I heard my mother snap her fingers to start dimming the lights. A few of the haughty old lords passed the Fae and witch arrivals with dirty looks, though they were largely ignored, as usual.

Aedion and Lysandra arrived, Evangeline hot on their heels, hand in hand with Hazel Ironwood, Lord Ironwood’s eldest daughter. Three Ashryvers accounted for, one still missing.

“Hey, you.” I flinched, whipping around, only to see Folas standing before me, grinning. I hadn’t even heard him approaching.

“Oh. It’s you.”

“Don’t sound so excited to see me.” He chuckled. I rolled my eyes and punched him lightly in the arm.

But Folas grabbed my hand and twirled me away, and I couldn’t help the laughter that bubbled up from my throat. When I regained my balance, he was there, kissing the back of my hand and looking at me in a way that made my face heat.

“Folas! Stop making out with my sister with your eyes!” Aspen shouted, pushing himself in between us.

“Aspen!” I scolded. “Don’t be rude.”

My younger brother just stuck his tongue out at me.

“Very mature.” Folas commented, grinning in a way so I could see his pointed canines. My hand subconsciously went to the base of my neck, where the foundation covered the bite marks by those same teeth.

“Stop being gross, you two.” Now Sam was beside me as well, with a devious smirk that didn’t sit properly on his gentle features.

I pushed my way out of my crowd of siblings and onto the floor just as the music began to play. Folas trailed after me, his hand finding mine easily.

It felt strange, to know that months ago, I’d lain awake with Asceline into the small hours of the night, just talking about Folas. And now, here he was, holding my hand, his marking on my body and mine on his.

But- Asceline.

I cursed myself, over and over again, even as I kept a smile plastered on my features, for how stupid I’d been. My cousin was just looking out for me, and I’d pushed her away. Just like I had done to Folas days ago.

“What’s wrong?” And there was Folas, more attuned to my emotions that I probably was. I shoved down the feeling of brushing him off, of claiming everything was fine when it most definitely wasn’t.

“Asceline and I got into a fight earlier.” I admitted. “And I said some nasty things, and she left. Evalin went after her, and neither of them are back yet.”

Folas’s dark eyes slide from my face to over my shoulder, his grin not fading in the slightest. I considered smacking him for not paying attention, but after a moment of consideration I turned around to see what had him so enraptured.

And a moment later I was so glad I did.

Because Asceline had returned, Evalin holding her hand.

My cousin’s eyes were red and puffy, and her once perfect hair was coming undone slightly. But I didn’t think about any of that as I turned around and crushed her in a hug, tears welling up in my own eyes.

“I’m so sorry!” I whimpered, pulling her to me as if I could somehow fuse her with myself. Asceline pulled away slightly, though still let me cling to her as she spoke.

“No, Lyria, I’m the one who’s sorry. I shouldn’t have started anything with you. I was just worried for you. I don’t want you to get hurt.”

She turned a glare on Folas. “I swear on all the gods, Lochan, if you hurt her I will flay you alive and feed you to my dogs.”

Folas gave her a dramatic shudder in answer. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”

Satisfied, I let my cousin free from my death grip so she could smooth her dress and fix her hair. Evalin had wandered off, and I spotted her over with my mother, getting food.

“We’re all good.” Asceline finished. “You two go dance, okay? I’ll see you later.” She walked away, soon falling in with her family. I watched from afar as Evangeline and Hazel wrapped her in a hug, likely cooing over her dress.

Folas’s thumb caressed the back of my hand, prompting me to look back at him.

“What?”

“You heard what Ashy said. Let’s go dance.”

“It’s tradition for the King and Queen to do the first dance during balls.” I told him. Nobody was dancing yet, all waiting for when my parents would emerge. Though my mother always told everyone not to wait, the people always did, anyway.

“Well, you’re their future queen, so it can’t be that much different, can it?” Folas joked. He tugged my hand, like a petulant child dragging their parent over to a sweet shop. Even so, I found myself unable to resist his smile.

So I let him drag me onto the dance floor, grinning wildly as he twirled me around and around and around.

Laughter bubbled up from my throat, my heart beating rapidly as Folas led me through a dance, his own smile matching my own.

I let my power flow through me, sparks and embers floating around us, a crown of flames flickering over my own head.

The music continued, and more and more gazes turned towards us, watching as the Crown Princess of Terrasen opened up the Peace Ball for the first time, the future Lord of Perranth serving as my partner. I could feel their stares on us, but looking at the embers reflecting in Folas’s dark eyes, I suddenly found I didn’t care.

The song faded into nothing, and Folas finished strong, dipping me so suddenly sparks erupted around us. His lips met mine in a brief kiss that left my lips tingling, before twirling me away one last time, throwing his hands in the air.

I took half a second to catch my breath, before I raised my hand and linked it with his.

“Welcome to the Peace Ball!” I said to the crowd, letting my bits of summoned fire dissipate into smoke. All around us, it was silent, for just a moment.

Then the clapping started.

From Asceline, grinning madly at the front of the crowd. Evangeline and Hazel following, my aunt Lysandra and uncle Aedion only a split second behind. And then the rest of the room erupted into cheering, people smiling ear to ear, clapping so hard the sound filled the room.

And from her dias, standing next to her throne and petting Fleetfoot, my mother cheered, letting out a raucous whistle into the crowd that had me beaming.

The music started up again, a loud peppy song, and I watched as couples entered the dance floor, laughing and smiling the whole time. I stole a glance up at Folas, and found him grinning as well.

“C’mon, let’s dance!” He grabbed my waist and I squealed, letting him spin me through the now thick crowd of dancers until I was dizzy.

This new song was light, happy, and I clicked my heels on the golden floor with relish, my laughter uncontainable. Folas would pull me toward him, kiss me quick, before letting me go to dance away from him, a trail of embers following my every move.

It was exhilarating, the kind of high I wished I could have all the time, a sense of euphoria stronger than any drug in the world, I was sure.

And my feeling of it was only heightened when Folas dragged me away from the dancers and into an offshooting hallway, large hands roaming my body over my thick dress.

“You’re perfect, Lyria. Perfect.” He mumbled against my skin, lips pressed feverishly against my throat, tracing closer and closer to where I was sure he knew his claiming marks lay, covered by the heavy makeup.

“I know.” I purred back, content to languish in his kisses until he tired of them, which, seeing the way he nuzzled the crook of my neck, wasn’t likely to be anytime soon.

Folas hummed softly, moving his hands from my back to lower down, pulling me closer against him as he pressed us both against the wall. The moon was out now, and most of the candles in the hallway extinguished to make the Great Hall seem brighter. We were alone.

But as the thought crossed my mind, my ears pricked, the sounds of the Ball and all of its attendees suddenly roaring loud. Alone, yes, but hidden? Definitely not.

Folas’s hands found the zipper on the back of my dress just as he pressed another kiss to my throat, and it took every possible bit of willpower in me to not just let him go, risk it all, if he promised not to stop what he was doing.

“Let’s go to the gardens.” I managed to get out, not able to resist threading my fingers through his dark locks.

“Mhm.” Folas nipped softly at my chin, and I had to bite my lip to stifle that soft groan that threatened to spill out.

“I’m serious.” I repeated. “The gardens will have hardly any guards right now. Someone’s bound to come down this hall at some point.”

“Yeah, and I bet I could get you to come at least once before that happens.”

“Someone’s confident in themselves.” I retorted. “I thought I was your first time, two days ago.”

“I had a learning curve two days ago.” Folas grinned. “And is that I bet I’m hearing, Lyr?”

“No, it’s not.”

Folas ignored me, sweeping me up into his arms and kissing me hard. “Maybe we can see how many times I can make you come before the guards find us.”

“In your dreams.” I snorted, though my I felt my toes curling in my shoes at the thought.

“Oh, I’ll make it feel like a dream, all right. Just you wait, princess. I’m going to take you into the gardens and ravish you.”

I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him to me for a kiss.

“Better get on it, then. Sounds like someone’s coming down the hallway.”

Rygan POV

I was never one for large gatherings. My sisters adored them, being the kind of people who could talk and talk for hours.

Me? Not so much.

Which was how I found myself dressed in a nice suit, my curly hair washed and tamed as much as possible, and standing at the back of the golden Great Hall while the rest of my family danced.

I didn’t mind being in the back while they had fun. It was more comfortable for me, anyway. I was content to eat good food, listen to the music, and enjoy the night by myself.

I was busying myself by the food tables, sampling everything the cooks had made. Tonight the castle and the Great Hall were open to everyone in Orynth, including the servants.

I took another chocolate filled pastry puff to snack on as I wandered, the cream inside of it melting in my mouth.

I let myself get swept up in the crowd, humming along to the music while other people danced.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see the tell-tale dark head of hair, neatly groomed and slicked back, that belonged to Sabron Lochan. The male was heading towards me, a glass of some mysterious drink clutched in one hand.

“I thought you’d probably be here.” Sabron chuckled, resting his free arm on my head, purposely trying to annoy me.

I shook him off and rolled my eyes. “I don’t like balls.”

Sabron’s grin turned feral. “Oh, I thought you did. I thought you were fond of balls.”

“No-” I suddenly realized what he meant. My eyes widened, and I could feel as the blood all rushed my face. “You are a terrible person, you know that, right?”

His laugh was more like a howl as he bent double, nearly spilling his drink all over his expensive suit. “Oh man, you walked right into that!”

“You’re a terrible, awful human being.” I repeated.

I glared at Sabron, even as I let him lead me over to the food tables again. The musicians began the next song, another jaunty tune to get the people dancing.

I couldn’t help the glance I gave to the dance floor. Or the way my eyes were instantly drawn to a tall, silver-haired male as he twirled his little sisters around.

It’s only because he’s so tall. And his hair is so bright. It has nothing to do with anything at all.

I turned away, determined to ignore my heart which had absolutely no business beating as fast as it did. Sabron offered me a drink and I took it, not even asking what it was before I took a large gulp.

Sabron began to talk, chattering my ear off in his usual fashion, but I couldn’t pay attention. Instead my eyes were glued on Sam, and that crooked little smile he always had, dancing with his family.

“Rygan. Rygan. Hellooo, Rygan?” Sabron tapped me on the shoulder and I flinched, my drink spilling a bit over the edge of the glass as I did so.

“You are so out of it tonight. Are you drunk?”

I passed him the drink back. “No. That’s the first alcohol I’ve had all night.”

Sabron finished my drink for me, knocking it back quickly. When he looked at me again, his eyes were serious. “What’s on your mind? You’re supposed to be having fun tonight.”

“It’s nothing. I am having fun.” I protested.

“No, you’re clearly preoccupied. Is it a patient back at home?”

It would have been so easy to just say yes to that. Working in the Northern Torre, I always had patients who were bothering me, occupying my mind. But right now, that just wasn’t it, and I couldn’t bring myself to lie to one of my best friends.

I shrugged and shook my head. “Don’t worry about it.”

Sabron leaned over my shoulder, watching me as I avoided his gaze and tried to look at anyone else. Big mistake.

When my eyes landed on Sam, now hanging on the side of the dance floor by himself, my heart skipped a beat. And Sabron, observant, people-watcher Sabron Lochan, noticed instantly.

“It’s Sam, isn’t it.” Not a question.

“Yeah.” I admitted.

Sabron just sighed. “I knew it. And both of you are too chicken to make the first move.”

“He probably only sees me as a friend.” I said defensively. “We’ve hardly seen each other since this time last year.”

“He’s always talking about you, you know.” Sabron murmured into my ear. “When you were gone, somehow he’d loop every conversation back to you. ‘Oh, Rygan would know what to do’. ‘Rygan would love this book’. ‘I wish Rygan was here’.”

“You’re lying.”

“I’m not!” He insisted. “He may not know it, but he is totally into you.”

Sabron nudged me forward, towards where Sam stood alone, looking suddenly very, very lost.

“Rygan, what’s the worst he can say?”

“I am not going to admit anything!” I hissed. “I don’t want to ruin our friendship.”

“You won’t. Come on, be brave.”

Sabron keep pushing me, until I was sure we were in Sam’s line of vision and I pulled myself away to walk on my own.

Sam peered up at us, blinking rapidly. “Oh. It’s you two.”

“Who else would it be?” Sabron snorted.

“If the nosy old lords can’t find Lyria then they ambush me.” Sam said, rolling his eyes. “And seeing as my sister has disappeared, it seems I would be a target now.”

“Where did Lyria go?” I questioned. Sam made a gagging noise.

“She snuck off with Folas a little while ago. I did not follow.”

Sabron’s shit-eating grin grew. “I should go interrupt them.”

“You’ll want to burn your eyes out afterwards.” Sam warned.

“Please don’t burn your eyes out.” I sighed. “Eyes are so hard to fix, you know that, right?”

Sabron stuck his tongue out. ��Know-it-all.”

Both Sam and I smacked his shoulder, and Sabron groaned a complaint.

“Fine. I’ll go get more food or something. Maybe I’ll see if Asceline wants to dance.”

“She’d rather turn into a wolf and bite your face off!” Sam called after him, smiling in such a way I could see the pointed tips of his canines.

My heart skipped another beat. With Sabron gone, he’d just left me with Sam. I wasn’t sure I could properly trust my mouth to make words anymore.

Thankfully, I didn’t have to. The candlelight dimmed even further, and the music stopped.

The entire room was silent, in bated anticipation. Slowly, the musicians began to play, softly. A young woman, red hair artfully done up, stepped forward.

And began to sing.

The emerald trees dance and the rivers run free,

The mighty stag follows, watching over me

I knew the song- the Ballad of Terrasen. The music was slow and gentle, as the woman’s lilting voice filled the Great Hall.

And on the floor, the King and Queen began a slow dance.

Somewhere, over the mountains,

There’s a place I called my own

Lysandra and Aedion joined them, a tender dance between them. And then Elide and Lorcan walked onto the floor as well. Then Evangeline and Hazel, the two women only having eyes for each other.

The floor filled up as the song continued. Sam and I stood together in raptured silence, watching the woman sing.

No sight can contend with the steadfast oak tree,

That welcomes me home to the land of the free

And suddenly he was looking at me. The gold of his irises was reflecting the soft candlelight, his silver hair seeming to glow in the moonlight shining through the large windows. All the breath left my body at once.

Sam’s gaze was unreadable as he looked at me, with my whole body tense and blushing. And when the next words came, I thought I might faint.

“Do you want to dance with me?”

Somewhere, over the mountains,

There’s a land I once called home

“Sure.” I squeaked.

Sam held out a hand, and I took it, trying to remember how to breathe. His hand was soft, with the barest hints of callouses on his fingertips. We walked out onto the edge of the floor, and then he took my other hand.

But hear me my sisters, listen oh brothers,

One day we’ll find our way back to each other

His hand moved to my side, resting just above my hip. I put my hand on his shoulder, and our free hands stayed clasped together.

Sam took the first step, sweeping us into the crowd. He was sure of himself, every movement made with precision. And yet, his eyes never left mine.

My own feet were clumsy, unpracticed. I stepped on his toes more than once, but he didn’t complain at all.

I promise I’ll find a way back to each other

The music began to swell, and the room seemed to swirl around me as we danced further and further into the crowd.

I wasn’t sure when I had last taken a breath. Was I even breathing? I felt light headed.

“Calm down. Nobody’s watching.” Sam whispered in my ear, voice low and husky. Of course, he thought I was worried about the people.

No, I was more concerned with not melting into a puddle just from hearing his voice.

Somewhere, over the mountains,

There’s a place I called my own

That smile. That smile. It was going to be the end of me. The little grin he made, his cheeks crinkling up, the barest hint of pointed Fae canines.

Sam twirled us across the floor, each step perfectly in time with the music. We moved through the other dancers effortlessly, with his hands holding me steady.

Somewhere, over the mountains,

There’s a land I once called home

The music was reaching its peak, and for the entire song, Sam’s eyes never once left mine. His hand, fingers entwined with mine. His body, pressed against me, leading me through the dance.

I took a deep breath.

There’s a land I once called home.

“Sam.” His name slipped out, a soft breath.

There’s a land I once called home

We stopped, then. Right in the middle of the floor.

There’s a land I once called home

As if we were the only two people in this hall. Just two people, dancing.

There’s a land I once called home

The music faded out, as gently as it had started. The clapping began, but I didn’t hear it over the roaring of blood in my ears.

Sam’s hands were still on mine, clutching me tightly. When he leaned over me, silver hair falling in his face, every single part of me felt as though it was one fire.

His hand moved from my side to cup my face.

Sam Galathynius was touching me.

His eyes flickered down to my lips, a silent question. Almost a plea.

He was so close I could feel his breath on my lips, so close his chest was pressed against mine so I could feel the frantic beating of his own heart, echoing mine.

Sam tilted my chin up, and his beautiful eyes locked on mine again. I closed my eyes, leaned in to him.

His nose touched mine for a split second, the scent of his skin all I could smell. I could almost imagine what it would feel like, to press my lips against his.

He’s going to kiss me he’s going to kiss me he’s going to kiss me-

And then the world exploded.

Sam POV

Everything was a blur around me. One moment I was barely an inch away from Rygan’s face, every part of me screaming out to just do it, just kiss him!

And the next moment the ground seemed to fall from beneath me, and Rygan and I tumbled to the floor in a heap.

The whole castle seemed to rumble, the shaking of the earth so strong I couldn’t stand. Terrified screams came from every part of the room, but I was so stunned I couldn’t even move.

A loud crack came from somewhere up high, and the scent of fear became overwhelming. People were shouting, screaming, praying.

What was going on?

A cloud of dust exploded from somewhere above us, and I buried my nose in my arm, trying in vain not to cough. I couldn’t see anything, even with my enhanced Fae eyesight. All I could do was listen as the screams kept on coming.

I heard a soft groan beside me, and I turned, reaching for Rygan. If I couldn’t see through the dust, there was no way he could. I pulled him up beside me, and tried my best to stand up while the whole world seemed to be spinning.

“Sam,” Rygan choked out, mouth close to my ear, “We have to find the others. They might be hurt.”

“I know. Let’s go.” I took a wobbly step forward, and Rygan linked his arm with mine so we could steady each other. I couldn’t tell through the dust and the gloom what damage might have been done. All the candles had gone out.

That didn’t bode well the state of my family. Where was my mother’s fire, Lyria’s too? Evalin and the twins could wield fire, though not well. Aspen didn’t have any fire at all, just like our father.

My thoughts traced back to my older sister. She was gone, off with Folas. Where was she?!

“Sam, we have to go.” Rygan urged me.

“Right.” I managed to focus my erratic thoughts enough to summon a ball of fire into my palm, though the flame was weak, sputtering.

We stumbled through the dust together, as the frantic screaming died down. Now, people were calling out, shouting for their family and friends, for their loved ones.

“Sam!” I heard the desperate scream of my mother, and I lurched for it, the fire flickering out. Rygan held tight to my hand, and I could make out just his blurry outline through the dust, face tucked into his collar so he could breathe.

“Sam!” My father’s roar sounded seconds after, closer this time.

“I’m here!” I managed to call back, before hacking loudly as a cloud of dust flew into my mouth. Rygan flung his arm around my shoulder, having to reach with our height difference, and kept me upright and moving forward.

Moments later I ran headfirst into strong, muscled arms. My father pulled me in, grabbing onto Rygan as well. I heard the distinct sigh of relief, followed by another round of coughing.

“Aelin, I”ve got Sam. And-” He scented the air. “I also have Rygan.”

I bumped into a small form, one that clung to my legs as I moved forward. Aerith, followed a moment later by Thallan.

“Do you know where Lyria is?” My mother asked, pulling me into an embrace. A furry tail brushed against my side, evidence that Fleetfoot had been woken up and taken to safety.

“I don’t know.” I admitted. “She and Folas left after their dance.”

Rygan still held my hand, as if he was reluctant to let me go. I squeezed it back once, twice.

I’m still here.

“We need to find everyone.” Aelin said. “Take a headcount.”

“I can try to clear the dust, Mama.” Aspen offered. Hardly a moment later, a strong wind flew through the room, sweeping the clouding dust up and away. I added my own powers, and we were both joined by our father.

But clearing away all the dust gave us a full view of what damage had been wrought upon the castle. A large fissure split down the Great Hall, as well as above it. Several windows were shattered, and only a few supporting beams still stood.

This hall could come crashing down upon us at any minute.

Shards of glass were spread around, food and drinks spilled all over the floor. Some of the tables were overturned, and one was broken. The only light anymore was that of the moon, and the little fire my mother was providing.

All around, people were huddled together in groups. I could spot the figures of the Lochan family, huddled around Marion, who was for once silent. The little girl’s eyes were wide with terror, and even from a distance I could see the white of her knuckles from gripping her father’s hand.

“Everyone, please stay calm!” My mother shouted, doing her best to be heard throughout the hall. She turned addressing everyone. “Please, we need everyone to stay still so we can make sure everyone is here.”

Slowly the noise died down, shouting and screaming fading to whispers. Everyone counted their family, their friends.

Rygan and I still held hands. If I let go I thought I might faint. The rest of him was shaking, but his hands remained firm. I watched those golden brown eyes scan around the room, looking for injuries. For people he could help.

Everything felt fuzzy and off centered, like the whole world was unbalanced. I turned to ask Rygan what he thought, when a sudden movement caught my eye.

“Sabron!” Marion screeched, jumping out of the way as her older brother lurched forward, vomiting violently. He landed on his hands and knees as he emptied the contents of his stomach onto the gilded floor.

“Rygan, no!” He ripped his hand from mine and sprinted across the hall, running towards Sabron while his parents dropped to the floor beside him.

Shards of glass sprayed with each step he took, and I scented the moment one drew blood. But Rygan didn’t stop for even a moment until he reached Sabron, and bent down right next to him, even as the gagging continued.

“I’m going to go search for Lyria and Folas.” My father stated brusquely. “You all should stay here and help.”

“No, I’m going with you.” I protested. “Two sets of eyes.”

Rowan didn’t bother to argue with me. Instead he shifted, the flash of light nearly blinding in the dim light of the moon. I shifted myself, letting myself get swept away in my hawk form.

Together, we flew to the top of the hall, and then went in opposite directions. I took the hall to the gardens, and my father flew down the hallway that led back into the castle.

I summoned the winds for me to soar on, to soar through the hallway and the castle, my sharp eyes missing nothing.

Nothing. There was nothing in this hallway.

The scent of dust permeated the air, and I could smell nothing else. There was no sign of Lyria, of Folas.

I flew through the opened doors and into the palace gardens. The wood of the doors was cracked, and the stone wall of the garden was crumbling before my eyes.

It was then that I noticed the tree. A large oak tree had been the center of the garden, surrounded by a bed of kingsflame flowers that had bloomed almost overnight, years ago.

The tree had fallen completely over. The top of the branches had crashed through the stone wall, and the kingsflame flowers were completely crushed.

I hadn’t even noticed that I had shifted back until I felt the soil under my feet and the bark of the tree beneath my palms. Tears dripped down my cheeks as I took in the sight. The mighty oak tree, fallen.

I knew, deep down in my heart, that this tree couldn’t be fixed. Not even with the most powerful Fae in the land. The exposed rings inside the tree were too numerous to count. The tree had been standing for centuries.

I took a deep breath to steady myself. I could cry over the tree later. Lyria and Folas were still missing, and with the destruction wrought in the garden, I could hardly see a thing.

But I began to search regardless.

“Lyria! Folas! Can you hear me?”

“Sam!” I could have sobbed with relief when I heard the sound of Folas’s voice, steady and strong, calling to me from the back of the garden.

I flew over, clearing the fallen parts of bushes and smaller trees with ease as I located my sister and friend. They were alive, they were safe.

However, the sight that greeted me when I landed was anything but safe.

Lyria was hunched over, golden hair ripped from the style she’d had it in. On her hands and knees, silky green dress ripped, vomiting. Just like Sabron had been doing.

Folas was curled around her, holding back her hair. The scent of his fear was nearly tangible.

Lyria gagged, rocking back onto her knees so she could wrap her arms around her stomach. Spit dribbled down her chin, as well as tears.

I had never seen my older sister so sick. So feeble, and shaky, and hurting. Nothing was right.

“We were out in the gardens when the shaking started.” Folas explained, eyes wide and terrified. “We were going to try and get inside, but she just… stopped. She hasn’t moved since.”

“Something is wrong with me.” Lyria moaned, then leaned forward as she gagged again. “There’s a tugging in my stomach.”

“Lyria, we’re going to get you inside. There’s healers inside who can help you.” I assured her.

I motioned to Folas, and we each grabbed her under an armpit and pulled her upright. The bodice of her dress sagged, and it was then I noticed it was unzipped, the sleeves no longer on her shoulders.

Carefully, I eased one of her arms back inside the sleeve, to at least hold the dress up while we got her inside. Lyria lurched, and I held her as she leaned forward to vomit.

Only bile came up.

Carefully, we helped maneuver her around the garden, back towards the castle doors. All of our clothes got snagged and ripped on thorns and broken branches as we moved, but none of us cared anymore.

I held a ball of fire in one hand to light the way. Even the stars seemed to shine differently now. Lyria groaned as we moved her, green eyes rolling back into her head.

Every noise she made spiked my nerves again and again. This was Lyria, my older sister, the strong, smart, witty, perfect one. And yet, here she was, hardly able to hold herself up, vomit staining the front of her dress.

Wrong wrong wrong

Adrenaline pumped through my veins as we reached the doors. Folas heaved one further open so we could all fit through, and then it was just the home stretch back to the Great Hall.

Folas was lagging, I could tell. He was exhausted, sweat coating his face in a sheen. When I turned to look at him, I saw the belt of his pants loose, the buckle undone.

Well, that was why they had snuck away in the first place.

When we neared the Great Hall, Aspen found us, and his face went pale at the sight of Lyria nearly limp in our arms. She had stopped vomiting, instead seeming on the verge of passing out.

“Mom!” Aspen yelled, and our mother was beside us in a moment.

“What happened to her?” She demanded, pulling her daughter into her arms. “My darling, are you alright?”

Lyria let out a low moan of pain, but didn’t speak. We all followed into the hall, where Aelin set her down near the wall, where the Lochans were still caring for Sabron.

“What happened to Sabron?” Folas asked, voice a near whimper as he approached his younger brother. Elide pulled him down into a fierce hug, sobbing into his shoulder.

“Folas, we were so worried!”

I sensed a presence behind me, and I didn’t have to look to know it was Rygan. I held out a hand, and he took it, squeezing it tightly.

“Only Lyria and Sabron are sick. And we don’t know why. My mother and sisters didn’t sense anything wrong when they examined Sabron. There’s no reason he should be sick. They didn’t even find signs of shock.”

I turned to look at him. Dust was caked in his curly hair and smeared on his brown skin, and his eyes portrayed his clear exhaustion. But still he stood tall, and his hands were steady. I wasn’t sure if I could say the same.

“Lyria said she felt like something was tugging in her stomach. One moment she was fine and then the next she wasn’t.”

“Okay.” Rygan breathed. “I’ll let Amelie know. Maybe she’ll find something in Lyria and we can help her.”

All I wanted was to lay down and sleep. The adrenaline that had fueled me earlier had abandoned me completely, leaving me exhausted.

But I knew I couldn’t rest, not yet. My sister was sick, my best friend was passed out on the ground, the castle, my home, was in shambles.

I didn’t know what to do. When Rygan finally let go of my hand, off to help someone with cuts and scrapes, I still stood there, motionless.

Finally, after what seemed like ages, I took a step. And another. And another. Until I was walking, stumbling towards where Lyria lay on the ground, hand clutching her stomach.

I sat down with her, beside my mother as she stroked her golden hair. I picked up her hand, rubbing the back of it gently with my fingers.

Slowly, her breathing eased. Her muscles relaxed, her hand rested on her stomach rather than holding it.

And there I sat, holding my sister’s hand while the world seemed to crumble around us.