Throne of Glass and ACOTAR Crossover (complete)

Chapter 45 - Feyre

Ok, before we begin I have read ACOWAR (Oh. My. Fucking. God. AHHHHHHHH!!!!!!) but there will be no spoilers in this book. It will continue on the track that it was one before ACOWAR came out and will contain nothing from the book. Ok, I think that about covers it. Onto the story! 

I don't know how to respond to that.

Whatever magic Amren was working has died down, the sounds and the air and the visions, but nobody has moved. Nobody seems to know what to do about it. Even she is just staring, expressionless, the the people gathered in front of her. 

Aelin has a hand over her mouth, but from her eyes I can tell she is using every ounce of her self control not to laugh aloud. Rowan is smiling slightly, though I'm not sure if it's at Amren, or his mate. The rest of their court is simply standing, mouths slightly ajar, and staring. 

Then one of them takes a step forward. Her gold and black eyes are flashing with a level of emotion so deep that I can't bring myself to look for more than a moment. Amren stares back at her, and suddenly her icy demeanor fades away, leaving nothing in it's place but a small woman with 6 thousand years worth of pain and memories etched on her face. 

"Asterin" Amren's voice is a breath, if that. 

The other woman, Asterin, doesn't say anything at all. She's just staring, staring at my friend, and at the air behind her that moment's before looked like a red cloak. 

Finally, as though the words are causing her physical pain to utter, Asterin says "You're alive."

Amren opens her mouth, then closes it again. Then she nods. 

Asterin falls to her knees, and for a moment I think her legs have given out beneath her a the shock, but then I realize that she's actually folded into a bow. To my surprise, Amren lets her stay that way for a good 10 seconds before reaching down her hand. "Rise."

There are no tears on Asterin's face, but there is something much deeper, much more intimate. It's like her world has been dark for ages, and somebody just handed her back the sun. Her eyes are glued to Amren's face, examining every line, as though looking to see the face she once knew hiding in her sharp features. 

But Amren's eyes have left her friend and are looking at a man, a blue-eyed, dark haired man standing with the others. His face is a mask of stone, his eyes blank with shock and something else. He doesn't break Amren's gaze, but he doesn't say anything either. 

After a long, long moment Rhys clears his throat. Every eye in the room swivel's to him but mine. We spoke this morning, before going to get Aelin and her court. I didn't tell him everything, I didn't tell him about the book's words, still repeating themselves over and over in my head, but I told him enough. I told him that the book had spoken to me, I told him that I had a plan. I told him that we didn't have a choice. 

It took a while, and a lot of convincing, but eventually he agreed. He didn't like it, didn't like the fact that our plan basically amounted to, trust the crazy book, but he accepted it. 

Once everybody's eyes are on him, my mate says "As you all know, we are at war."

There is a chuckle from one of Aelin's party, a big blond man. "Really? I though we were here for tea and cake!"

Aelin shoots him a glare and he winks at her. 

Rhys smiles gently then continues, "Well, now you know. The cake isn't until after we kill the maniac you wants to destroy our world."

The is a smattering of laughter while Rhys collects his thoughts. He looks at me, and I feel the question in his eyes. I take a deep shuddering breath, but if Rhys can agree to this plan, then I can at least swallow this fear. I open my mental walls, just enough for him to slip inside. 

The look on his face, his shock and happiness, makes up for the rush of panic in my stomach. Thankfully he doesn't push it, staying at the surface of my thoughts. 

Are you sure about this?

No. I want to say. Not in the slightest. But instead I say

Yes

Rhys swallows and nods, a slight thing that I don't think anybody else has noticed. Then he says "We, Feyre and I, have decided on our strategy."

There is an immediate uproar. Cass, Az, and Mor are all yelling about not being consulted, as is Aelin. Rhys shuts them up with a wave of his hand. "There is, new information that has come to light. Because of this, there is only one course of action available to us."

"What information?" Aelin's voice is dangerously calm. 

Rhys looks at me, and I shake my head slightly. This is my burden, mine to carry and mine to know. I won't put that on them. 

"You will know when and if you need to" Rhys says.

"Oh I think you'll find that I need to know now" Aelin says "I will not send my people into battle for you without knowing exactly what they are fighting for."

Rhys sighs. "At least listen to the plan. If, at the end, you still have concerns, voice them then."

Aelin grumbles, but after Rowan lays a firm hand on her shoulder and whispers something in her ear, she agrees. Grudgingly. 

Rhys nods, then says "Cassian will take three of you" he gestures at Aelin's party "to the border with the human lands. You will support the army already there in defending the humans. Azriel will take three more to the Court of Nightmares. Both of your groups will be accompanied my two companies of Illaryian fighters. Mor, you will go to Summer and see if you can help Tarquin. Amren, you will go between the other courts, and see if you can't bash some sense into the other High Lords. Ignore spring, but some of the others might listen to reason."

"And where will you be going?" Cass voices the question, but everybody is asking it. 

"Feyre, Rowan, Aelin, and I will be going directly to Hybern. A small group of us stands a chance of getting through the defenses, even you said that Az."

Azriel nods his head in hesitant agreement. 

"Once we're there, Aelin, Rowan and I will keep the kind and his forces occupied while Feyre uses the book to try and nullify the cauldron."

I bite my cheek at the lie, but don't correct him. They can't know that I'm not going in their with a spell all prepared, I'm going in there to through a book at a cauldron and then say yes. Mother help me, what am I doing?

Nobody says anything. Rhys turns to Aelin, "Any problems, your majesty?"

Aelin is squinting between me and Rhys, obviously trying to figure out exactly what is going on, but she shakes her head. "It sounds like a plan to me. When do we leave?"

"Now."

I look around at my family, at the newcomers. This is probably the last time I will ever see them all alive. It might be the last time any of them sees me.

I feel a tickle of fear as I remember the book's words. This is going to hurt. This is going to cost me. 

I let out a shuddering breath, then walk around to each of my family members, who began to sort out leaving as soon as Rhys had finished speaking. Carefully, I wrap my arms around each of them, making sure to fix in my mind every detail of them, the way the feel and smell  look, the way that Mor's hair scratches against my face, the way that Cass shifts his balance to make sure I don't hit his wings. 

As each of them disappears, in a winnow of by flight, I feel it in the pit of my stomach. This is it. This is goodbye. But I don't let myself say it, not out loud. And I don't let myself cry. Not a single tear. 

When they're all gone, Mor's vibrant smile the last to fade out of view, I let myself think the words I couldn't say,

Goodbye. I love you. Thank you. I'm sorry. 

Goodbye. 

Hey all!

I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Just a few more and we'll be done! (AHHH!)

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