Nova and the word 'no' quickly became a newly learned favorite. They all sat in the house of wind, aside from Mor and Amren, who had a prior commitment, and Nova, who was wandering the house. It had gotten a little easier each day for Feyre to let some of the stress of her safety go. Today, however, her stomach twisted as she stared at Nesta.
"We won't have a choice," Feyre sighed, "they've called a meeting, and Rhys and I have to show up together. We can't be seen as ununited, and we can't take Nova with us. Could you imagine her at a meeting for all the courts? She's not ready for that, and we're not ready for anyone to know about her yet. Her safety can be used against us, Nesta."
Nesta was quiet, and though she agreed, she nodded to Cassian and Azriel. "Why not them? She's rather fond of her preferred uncles."
Rolling his eyes, Rhy sighed. "They're training new Fae in the camps today. Many have lost touch in our absence and need a wake-up call."
"Lucien and I will be here," Elain said as the sound of something ripping nearby distracted her before she continued, "We'll keep her company and keep her out of trouble."
Feyre nodded, pursing her lips, "She can be…a handful."
"It'll be fine," Elain smiled softly, "I can show her my gardens and teach her a thing or two about weeding."
With a slow, deep breath, Feyre agreed and slowly rose. "The last time we left her, she was very antsy…"
"She'll be fine," Elain reassured her and looked at Lucien, who nodded with a small smile.
"We'll keep her safe."
Feyre finally nodded and looked over at Rhys. "Ready?"
He smirked and offered his hand. They could winnow separately, but to show up together made a better impression.
Quickly, Feyre looked at Elain. "Oh, don't let her eat the weeds…"
"Feyre." Elain pursed her lips and gave her a knowing look.
"You're right. I know, you're right. I'm just overthinking it… should we tell her we're leaving? She's understanding more we say each day."
Rhys frowned. "I fear it might make it worse for her."
With a soft sigh, she nodded. She'd been afraid of that. "Okay," she said before she could change her mind and took his arm, "I'm ready."
Feyre and Rhysand disappeared, and then rrriiiipppp.
"What is that?" Lucien asked looking around, his breakfast half eaten. Cassian and Azriel exchanged a wide-eyed glance just as Nesta came to the same realization.
"Oh…no!" On her feet instantly, she stormed across the floor and into the library, where the floor was littered with ripped pages from the books she'd taken from the shelves. Nova sat in the center of the mess, looking up as Nesta barged in, and grinned. She held up the book to show her what she'd done, but Nesta's icy glare and flared nostrils quickly had Nova lowering the book back to her lap.
"Nesta…" Cassian wrapped an arm around her waist and carefully tugged her backward. "She's still learning."
"She knows exactly what she's doing!" Nesta snapped at him, glaring at Nova, now scowled back. She pinched the top of another page…
"Don't. You. Dare." Nesta fumed, and Nova ripped.
Azriel cringed as he lowered himself to Nova, took the book from her hands, and shook his head.
"Stop." He said, his voice calm but firm, much like the voice Rhys used with her.
"No." Nova retorted.
Cassian pulled Nesta from the library to calm down as Azriel made Nova clean the mess up.
"The books will be replaced," Cas said sternly, "I know it's frustrating, but she's-"
"Yes, she's still learning," Nesta snarled, "You forget that I am not patient, nor am I a parent."
Elain sighed softly, "Nesta, please…" After a moment of glowering at Cas, she turned to Elain. "If she's staying here, keep her out of my things and out of my way. You were so keen she could stay here, then she's your responsibility." With that, Nesta stormed out, slamming the door as she left.
Elain frowned and pursed her lips, "I know it seems awful, but…I think there's much more to it than what she says."
"I know," Cassian murmured before Elain moved to the library, where she helped Nova and Az clean the floor and salvage some of the books.
Azriel glanced up and smiled softly at Elain. "We'll be back soon. Are you sure you'll be alright?"
"Lucien will be here," Elain smiled, "we'll be just fine. Won't we, Nova?"
Nova grinned at Elain and returned to putting pieces of shredded paper into the waste bin.
Nodding, Az stood and walked out.
Elain smiled softly, watching Nova a moment longer. "I'll make us some tea." She disappeared out the door, and Nova only realized she was alone when the door closed softly behind her.
Looking around, she smiled and stood to her feet quickly. She skipped to the bookshelf and reached for another, intent on shredding the pages within, but movement through the window caught her eye. Tilting her head to the side, she watched Azriel and Cassian disappear into the forest beyond. She frowned, and after a moment of watching, she dashed into the sitting area. The empty sitting area. Nova turned in a slow circle, but no one was there. She gasped softly before staring at the door that would lead her toward the woods—the same door Az and Cas had left through. Nova grinned and jogged forward before slipping through the door and sprinting into the forest.
A few minutes later, Elain emerged from the kitchen doors and into the library.
"Nova, I know you don't care for sweets, but I thought you might like some…honey." She looked around, seeing she was no longer cleaning the scraps off the floor. Elain turned on her heel and quickly went into the sitting area, praying she'd gone to sit at the table or lounge on the couch.
"Nova!" Elain called out as Lucien descended the stairs, holding a tiny, knitted fox.
"What's wrong?"
"I can't find her," Elain blurted in a panic, "I turned my back for a second. I just went to get tea and honey for her, and I can't find her."
Quickly, Lucien set the fox down and took her shoulder. "Elain, breathe. We'll find her. Remember how Feyre said she likes to hide sometimes? You search the house, I'll search the gardens. We will find her."
Elain nodded vigorously as tears fell, and she quickly began her search, calling her name.
Though, Nova heard nothing of their frantic search as Nova followed Azriel and Cassian's scent along the rugged path. She occasionally stopped to put something in her pocket—a fallen acorn, a twig with a caterpillar, and so on. After walking for a long time, Nova stepped into a clearing, but it was far from isolated. It was the Illyrian Training Camp. She skipped through the grass toward the warriors all lined in a row. They had broad wings, too, but they didn't smell like Cassian or Azriel. Looking around, she watched as one soldier after the other dashed through a sophisticated obstacle course. There were long jumps and rock walls, balance beams at least twenty feet up, and masses of barbed wire riddled the ground, surrounded by pools of thick mud.
"You will move through the obstacle course," Cassian's voice boomed over the wind's whistle.
Nova suddenly grinned and looked around the bodies, seeing Cassian and Azriel standing at the front. She started to move toward them, but a massive wing inadvertently blocked her way. She curled her lip in irritation.
"You will then retrieve the key from the top of the pole," Cassian continued and smirked. "The first one to get the key gets access to the bathing room first."
A collective hum of approval.
"Without flying," Cassian added, and their snickers died down. "You fly- you lose. You sleep in your filth."
Nova moved around the wing, and something in the sky shimmered under the sunlight. She gasped softly as she stared at the key dangling from the pole, which stood taller than the balance beams.
"Go!" Cassian shouted, and the first warrior took off into the obstacle course at a full sprint.
Watching him move, Nova frowned, but when he reached the pole and began trying to climb up, she put her hands to her mouth. He was going to take the shiny thing! After a few minutes of the soldier trying and failing to climb the pole, Nova released a soft breath of relief.
"Next!" Cas smirked, and the warrior grunted back to the end of the line. Another charged forward, and Nova stiffened before she suddenly took off after him. The training exercise for the warriors turned into a race against time for her.
"Mother above…" Cassian said as he and Azriel stared at the scene with wide eyes.
Nova nimbly climbed up the swinging rope and landed on the netting above. She crawled across, surpassing the Illyrian, who stared after her in shock.
"Hey! Be careful, you can't be up here!" The trainee reached for her, but Nova snapped her teeth on the tip of his wing, making him lose his balance and fall backward.
Azriel watched with mouth agape as Cassian put his hands to his forehead.
"Rhys is going to kill us," Cas said.
"Feyre is going to kill us," Az corrected.
Nova was moving too quickly, jumping and climbing with record speed before dashing toward the pole. Instinctively, Azriel lunged forward to grab her before she could start the climb up, but she jumped and landed on his shoulders. Using them as a booster, she sprang forward and latched onto the pole. There was nothing to climb with, no handles or studs, but using her calloused feet, she found enough purchase to climb up—all the way to the top. Grinning, Nova grabbed the shiny brass key and sat down precariously on the flat top that could be no greater than six inches in diameter.
"Nova!" Cassian called from the ground.
Nova looked down at Cas and Az. She beamed brightly, holding the key up before hugging it to her chest.
Cassian's voice came louder. "NOVA!"
She looked down again from her height of forty feet and tilted her head.
"Get. Down. Here. Now!"
Cas and Az stared up at her, arms crossed over their chests. Their faces were etched in worried scowls.
"Nova-" Cassian began again.
"No!" Nova shouted back down at them. She swung her bare feet, happily examining her new treasure when Cassian called again.
"Nova, get down here or so help me…"
Nova giggled and said, "Heh, no."
Turning to Az, Cas sighed. "Get her down; I'll reorder them." He rubbed his forehead and stalked off in frustration.
Azriel looked up at Nova, who still swung her bare feet while not listening to a word they said. He pursed his lips into a grim line and stretched his wings out before flying up to her. Nova grinned at him when they were level, but his features remained unwavering…unhappy. Her grin slowly fell when she saw he wasn't smiling at her.
"Nova." Azriel sighed with disappointment before pulling her into his arms, but Nova turned into a shrieking mess as he started to fly her away. She writhed and pulled and kicked, doing everything she could to get out of his arms. He gritted his teeth and landed in a soft patch of grass a few hundred feet from the obstacle course. Setting her on her feet, he didn't loosen his grip on her arms as she struggled.
"Nova, look at me," Azriel ordered. He waited until she'd calmed enough to look at him before slowly releasing his grip. "Let's go."
Azriel, afraid he might drop her, didn't fly Nova home. They walked the whole way back to the House of Wind. He didn't stop her as she stuffed her pockets with items from the forest floor. When the house came into view, Nova took off at a spring, grinning from ear to ear as she slid in through the back door.
Elain, her eyes red-rimmed, stood before Rhys and Feyre, hyperventilating. "Lucien is still out looking," Elain trembled as Feyre ran her fingers through her hair in silent panic- Rhys clenched his jaw, "I'm so sor-"
Everyone turned to see Nova standing in the doorway as Azriel walked up behind her with a hard stare. Nova grinned at the sight of Rhys and Feyre and started toward them, hands already in her pocket to show them the shiny thing, but when she saw their faces twisted into scowls, Nova stopped in her tracks. Her smile fell as they stared at her. Slowly, Nova began backing up to retreat back outside, but she backed right up against Azriel, who stood firmly in the doorway.
"We found Nova at the training camp," Azriel explained, voice low, "she ran the obstacle course, climbed the pole, and sat on top with the key. When she was told to come down, she laughed and said 'no.' I finally had to fly up to get before she could fall."
Rhys, his voice hard, asked, "Anything else?"
"She bit one of the trainee's wings."
Elain took a shuddering breath, tear stains on her cheeks as she shakily walked toward the door. "I'll let Lucien know she's back." Only the tick of the clock filled the house as Elain left.
"Does she still have the key?" Feyre finally asked. It took everything within her being to control her voice.
Azriel nodded and silently dipped out of the house, leaving Nova to her parents.
Without hesitation, Feyre moved forward and put her hand out, her eyes molten. "Give me the key."
Nova glanced at Rhys, who didn't falter in his unwavering gaze.
"Now," Feyre demanded, but Nova turned her body away. Clenching her jaw, Feyre reached into her pocket, digging for the object she'd stolen.
Nova grabbed her wrist and snatched the key, clinging to it with all the strength in her fingers. "No!" She cried out, but Feyre pried the key from her fingers. What felt like a dagger to her heart almost sent Feyre over the edge as Nova fell to the ground and began sobbing.
Feyre had never heard her cry like that, not even when they'd first brought her to Velaris. When they'd had to treat her leg, she'd screamed and thrashed, but this, the way she cried now, sounded like pure grief. Turning, Feyre walked to Rhys and put the key in his hand.
"I need a minute." She said, voice wavering as she avoided his uneasy, violet eyes.
Feyre walked down the hall to the bathroom, where she locked the door and cried.
Feyre eventually collected herself enough to join the rest of the house at the dining table. She slid into a seat next to Rhys, who immediately snaked his arm around her waist and pulled her closer to his side. Everyone sat there except Cassian, who had just returned a few minutes before and was washing up from the Illyrian training session. From her seat, she looked into the sitting room, where Nova was curled up on the couch with her face pressed against the cushions. Even in sleep, her shoulders shook occasionally, her breath catching from the tears she'd shed.
Nova had cried herself to sleep.
"I know it's hard," Rhys murmured against her temple, "but it was the right thing to do."
Azriel had already recounted the events that day to those who'd missed it.
With a contemplative glance at Nova, Nesta swirled her wine glass. "How did she do?"
"Nesta." Feyre snapped at her. She was already frustrated from the day and didn't need whatever antics her sister was up to.
Rolling her eyes, Nesta shook her head. "You know as well as I do that war could be on our doorstep any time. I don't care what Madja says- if she can't escape, she will die. You already know that."
"I agree," Amren said, sipping her goblet of blood.
Feyre rubbed her temples as Cassian sat beside Mor, changing the subject, "How did the meeting go?"
Cringing, Feyre looked over at Rhys. "They suspect what we might be hiding." He murmured solemnly, looking around the table. "Rumors were spreading about the possibility of a pregnancy when Feyre didn't join us those few meetings. I have a theory," a soft growl under his breath, "that no one had suspicions aside from Tamlin, and that's why he requested another meeting so soon after the first."
Rhys rubbed his jaw and looked at Nova's, who shivered as a warm wind drifted through.
"I don't know how much longer we have of keeping her a secret," he said as he walked toward her, picking up a blanket. He gently draped it over her body, stroked some hair off her forehead, walked back to the table, and frowned. "She is our greatest weakness," he swallowed and let out a humorless chuckle, "she can be used against us as nothing else can. We fall to our knees because she cries over a key." When Rhys sat down and waved his hand, dinner appeared before them. His eyes flashed to Nova. "Should we wake her?"
Feyre shook her head and sighed softly. "Let her sleep it off. She had a busy day being a menace." She pressed her palms to her eyes and snorted as Rhys laughed. Opening her eyes, even Azriel was grinning.
"Do you want to know how she did?" Cas raised a brow and smirked.
Feyre glanced at Nesta, who listened attentively. "Okay." She gave in, looking at Cas. "I am curious. How did she do?"
Smirking, Azriel glanced over at Cassian. "She cleared the obstacles with more agility than any of the others. Granted, she didn't have wings to weigh her down."
"I wondered about that," Mor said, "shouldn't she have her wings by now?"
Azriel chimed in then, "The short flight from the pole to the ground was a struggle. She was…feral being up in the air. We had to walk the whole way back because I couldn't fly with her without risking dropping her."
They ate silently for a moment, contemplating before Feyre sighed softly. "I just don't know what to do. Her behaviors have been escalating. It's not hanging off ceiling rafters anymore, catching grapes. It's destroying people's property, stealing from others, running off, and disturbing people. She disrupted a training session," Feyre shook her head and took a long swig of wing, "I never want to be her cage, but what else can we do?"
"I know it isn't my place," Lucien began, his metal eye whirring as everyone looked over at him, "but I had a thought about the behaviors."
Rhys nodded slowly, listening. "Go on."
"She's lived in a forest most of her life—climbing trees, swimming through lakes. Not to say she's in a cage, but she has more limits. Walls, to us, mean safety and shelter; maybe they don't mean the same to her, at least not always. Maybe the behaviors are worsening because she has so much energy to use that she can't spend. When she's angry or frustrated, maybe that's when she needs to expend the most energy."
Cassian nodded slowly, leaning back in his chair, "That makes a lot of sense. When I'm pissed, I go to the training circle. Where does she go?"
"Where can she go?" Mor asked. "If she can't use blades, do you just let her run? Swim?"
Rhys rubbed her jaw, and Feyre could see the thoughts turning over in his head before his eyes lit up, and he looked over at her with a wide grin.
"What are you thinking?" Feyre asked, matching his smile.
Rhys nodded and nodded to Lucien. "He has a valid idea. We give her something to expend the energy she's not been using, hoping it will make her less…destructive. We make her an obstacle course of her own."
"We could build that," Cas suddenly smirked, "Even make it similar to the course at the camp, where she has to collect an object at the end."
"Oh, she'd love that." Feyre grinned and nodded over at Lucien. "You can help with the design?"
The tips of Lucien's ears reddened as he nodded.
"Great," Cassian clapped and rubbed his hands together, "We'll start the construction tomorrow."
Long after dinner, Feyre picked up the still-full plate she'd made for Nova. She hadn't wanted to disturb her sleep but still felt terrible throwing the food out. Her daughter had gone to bed hungry, and though she hadn't set that as a punishment, the guilt knotted her stomach.
"Would you like to know what I'm thinking?" Rhys asked from behind her, placing his hands on her hips.
Instinctively, Feyre leaned back and pressed against his solid form. She smiled and said, "What's that?"
Rhys pressed a tender kiss against the side of her neck- her eyes fluttered shut, breath catching in her throat as his fingers lightly stroked up her side and back down again. He chuckled against the shell of her ear, "I'm thinking we could use a moment to ourselves."
The distinctive sound of Cas snorting came from the couch. "I swear, I will stay up all night to watch her if you take that to another room," he paused, "Better yet, take it back to your place. We don't need the rafters falling apart."
Feyre peered over her shoulder to check that Nova was still asleep and gave him a vulgar gesture- to which he laughed in response. Turning to Rhys, she took his hands and nodded. "I think you're right," she murmured as she squeezed his hands. "We're going to run ourselves into the ground if we let the stress win."
These were hard days, as they'd predicted, and they couldn't let the stress drown them. The smirk that curled Rhysand's lips was wicked. It sent a flush of heat across her cheeks and down through her core.
Rhys swiftly pulled Feyre to his chest and captured her lips with his, disappearing and appearing a moment later in the empty townhouse. Wrenching his mouth from hers with a gasp, Feyre tilted her head back, lost in the violet of his eyes.
"My dear, High Lord. How will you use me tonight?" Feyre asked in a husky voice.
A soft growl settled in the back of his throat as he leaned forward and snatched her lower lip with his teeth. "Would you like to know what I plan to do with you?"
An involuntary shiver slithered down Feyre's spine as she nodded- speechless.
"First, I'm going to fuck the attitude out of that mouth of yours," Rhys murmured with a wolfish grin as he replaced his teeth with his thumb and finger, "Then I'm going to serve myself a slice of dessert I didn't get this evening until you come all over my face."
Feyre's knees gave out just as Rhys scooped her up in his arms and carried her bridal style to their room.
Rhys chuckled, "You must be careful. I'd hate for my dessert to fall on the floor."
"You'd still lick it up."
Rhys flashed his teeth, and as they entered their bedroom, he tossed her onto the mattress before crawling on top of her. Hovering above her, he leaned down and dragged his tongue from the hollow of her throat to the spot behind her ear.
A soft whine pooled at the back of Feyre's throat as she slid her hands up his stomach to his chest and along his shoulders. Her fingers gingerly stroked along the inside of his wings, trailing along a particularly sensitive vein.
Buckling, Rhys' body shuddered above her, that coil in his stomach tightening. "Feyre…" He breathed, but Feyre snatched his lips frantically while her hands blindly unlatched his shoulder straps.
It was taking too long.
With some magic, their clothing was gone- leaving them entirely bare for each other. Rhys abandoned his original plan of claiming her mouth as he dragged his hot tongue down her stomach and to her apex. With his hands on her knees, he yanked her legs apart and gazed down at her with dark, hungry eyes.
The cool air against Feyre's heated sex sent goosebumps across her dewy skin, pebbling her nipples as she lay exposed to him. Lifting her head, she looked down at herself.
Rhys' darkened eyes met hers- he flashed a grin.
"Hm." He purred softly as his middle finger lightly traced her outer edges, sending Feyre's eyes to the back of her head. "My darling, Feyre." He swirled through her arousal and slid two middle fingers inside.
"Rhys!" Feyre cried out. She started to close her legs, but Rhys used his free hand and knee to keep her open as he slowly pumped in and out of her. Feyre dropped her jaw as she looked down, unable to look away as his fingers explored her core.
Clenching the white sheets, Feyre gritted her teeth as he continued. Slow and steady. Then, when she thought she couldn't handle anymore- when her thighs were shaking, Rhys hooked his fingers and dug into the soft spongy pad above. He vigorously massaged the area.
"Hah!" Feyre cried out as her hips squirmed, trying to evade the too-sensitive touch.
With a broad grin and a glint in his eyes, Rhys lowered his head and sucked her clit between her teeth. Feyre screamed as he dragged his tongue harshly against the bud. Continuing to stroke her with his fingers, Rhys enjoyed the taste of her as though he were sucking on the sweetest lollipop.
Digging her heels into the bed, Feyre's hips thrashed, but she didn't get far as Rhys used his free arm to drape across her. Completely unbothered as he continued to eat. There wasn't a warning as Feyre's orgasm came crashing through and seized Rhys' fingers in long, pulsing waves.
Feyre's brows knitted together as her mouth fell open.
Rhyand merely smirked against her as he licked her with long, languished strokes. He hadn't stopped, and she quickly realized he wouldn't. Feyre knew what he was doing- what he intended to make her do.
"FUCK!" Feyre cried out as her squirt sprayed across his cheek. She collapsed backward against her pillows, panting as the edges of her vision darkened.
As Feyre pulled herself together, Rhys had already begun licking her clean. He lapped up every last bit of her with his tongue before rolling off the bed to snatch a bowl and washcloth. He was thorough while he cleaned her, leaving nothing left but the goosebumps on her skin.
"That was unexpected." Feyre finally managed, but she grinned as she turned her head to watch him crawl under the covers. With a quick maneuver, he pulled her under with him and snaked his arms around her waist.
Chuckling, Rhys pressed a soft kiss against the curve of her breast. "The best things usually are."
"They won't need us back for a while, will they?" Feyre asked.
Shifting under the comforter, Rhys rested back against the pillows with his arms resting behind his head. "I don't imagine so. I doubt they'll expect us til morning," the tattooed muscles of his abdomen shifted and flexed as he got comfortable, "And I imagine Nova will be asleep most the night anyway. She's usually up at first light."
Feyre reached forward and glided her fingers along his oblique muscle. The touch forced him to shiver. His sides quivered.
"Feyre…" He warned, but she didn't listen as she continued her tentative touch, tracing each line of ink—it was one of her favorite pastimes. Together, they watched her push down the white comforter until his cock sprang free.
Brushing her lips against his earlobe, Feyre smirked. "Don't move. Keep your hands exactly as they are."
Rhys clenched his jaw as his fingers twined in his hair, keeping himself tethered to the rule she'd set. He bit back a curse while she moved her body to straddle his thighs. That mischievous smirk almost undid him as she licked her palms and wrapped both of her hands around his length.
"Oh, shit…" Rhys shivered as he adjusted his hips. Do anything he could to distract himself from coming too fast. Feyre's long, slow pulls were agonizing enough, but when she started letting her nails lightly stroke and tickle up and down his shaft, Rhys slammed his head back against the headboard.
"Is the mighty High Lord about to lose his composure?" Feyre mused with a giggle.
"Fuck, Feyre." Rhys puffed out a breath as he looked down at her hands, watching as her thumb glided across the slit of his tip, scraping away the bead of pre-cum that had collected. "I won't last."
Feyre hummed lightly to herself and smirked as she leaned down, eyes darting up to look at him. "I know." She said as she dragged the flat of her tongue across his weeping slit.
Curling his toes, Rhys pulled his brows together as he flexed his aching muscles. He could feel that pressure bottoming out, and it was only a matter of time. Biting his lower lip, he groaned as she took him to the back of her throat. Her cheeks hollowed out as she slowly bobbed her head up and down, back and forth.
The tip of her tongue brushed the spot beneath the ridge of his head, and he was done. Rhys had been telling the truth- he didn't last. With a twitch of his cock, he came into her mouth in thick ribbons.
Panting, Rhys tried to relax his body as he watched Feyre swallowing every last drop of his cum. Unable to take his eyes off her, she glanced up with glazed-over watery eyes.
As his cum and her saliva dripped down the corners of her mouth, Rhys reached forward and stroked his thumb along the apple of her cheek. She closed her eyes and turned her head, kissing the palm of his hand before crawling up his body. Laying down, she settled on top of him with a satisfied sigh.
Rhys stroked his fingers up and down her back, trailing the ridge of her spine. He did this until her breathing slowed, and he was sure she was asleep.
"My beautiful Feyre." He murmured against her ear before letting himself drift off, too.
The following day, Feyre and Rhys entered the House of Wind feeling a little less weighed down. Yes, the late-night orgasms were incredible. The morning sex against the wall on their wait to the bathing room was fantastic, but it was the connection they'd been missing.
They loved Nova. They loved being parents but also had to learn it was okay to step away for a little while and be there for each other.
Feyre smiled at Nova, who was sitting at the table for breakfast. She had a plate of eggs, bacon, and a large bowl of blackberries from Elain's garden in front of her. Though, she wasn't alone. Elain, Lucien, Az, and Cas had their half-eaten meals.
It seemed Nova had hardly touched hers.
"Good morning, Nova," Rhysand said as he sat in a seat, the food appearing in two spots for them. Nova stared at him. She didn't smile or happily show him the things on her plate.
She just stared.
Pursing her lips into a thin line, Feyre sat next to Cassian. "I take it she's still upset from yesterday?"
"Hm," Cas chuckled, "We've gotten the silent treatment all morning."
With a soft sigh, Feyre watched Nova pick at the food on her plate but not eat it. Yesterday seemed like such a setback. Could she have regressed the progress she'd been making from it?
"Give her some time," Rhys said gently, squeezing Feyre's hand from across the table. She'll come around. Perhaps yesterday's events have helped her grow a little wiser."
Feyre smiled humourlessly as she picked up her fork and stabbed a sausage. "Oh, you mean she won't bite soldiers in training anymore?"
Snorting, Cas shook his head. "In her defense, he was in the way," he chuckled. Just so you know, he's perfectly fine. He tried climbing that pole all day and got nowhere." Cassian smiled pridefully at Nova and tapped the table, "Which reminds me. Lucien said he has some designs for the obstacle course. We'll need to gather some supplies, and then we can get started."
The remainder of breakfast was a quiet affair. Nova didn't eat, and Feyre tried not to let it worry her. The soft brush of Rhys' voice against her mind helped ease her anxiety.
She'll eat when she's ready. Give her time.
"We'll be back." Rhys pressed a chaste kiss against Feyre's lips. Squeezing her shoulder, she smiled as they left to start on their new project. Only she, Elain, and Nova remained. Feyre had no idea where Nesta was, and she wouldn't ask.
"What would you like to do, Nova?" Feyre asked, turning her attention to her daughter, who only stared at her. Deep silence filled the space between them, and Feyre sighed softly. "I'm sorry yesterday was so rough," she murmured, "But today is brand new. Let's do something, shall we?"
When Nova didn't move from her chair, Elain stood and crossed the room to enter the library. Her gentle voice carried through the house.
"Nesta brought these back last night," Elain said as she emerged, a small smile carved her lips.
Feyre tilted her head with curiosity as she approached, carrying a stack of large books. They weren't the books Nesta kept on her shelf- the ones Nova had a time of destroying. What Elain held were picture books.
"Oh!" Feyre smiled. She watched Nova out of the corner of her eye, and to her delight, she watched her sit up a little higher in her chair. Her interest was peaked, and Feyre knew it.
Don't force it, she reminded herself as she took one of the books and set it on the table before her. With the dishes and food gone, they had the whole table at their disposal.
"What do you think, Elain? Should we see what Nesta brought?"
Elain smiled, cluing in as she sat down and took a book from the pile with delicate fingers. "Yes, I think so. I love looking at books." She turned to the first page, and Nova nearly fell from her seat, trying to look at what was inside. Elain glanced at her niece and smiled. "Would you like to look with me?" She asked and patted the seat Azriel had been sitting in previously.
Timidly, Nova crawled from one chair to the next until she sat down next to Elain and could look at the pictures in the book.
Elain skimmed her finger along the sentence on the page as she read. "Once, there lived a gnome. He was a mean gnome…" As Elain read, Nova listened and stared intently at the pictures. The story utterly engrossed her, and Feyre couldn't help but wonder how much she understood it.
"Gnome?" Nova asked, pointing at the picture of the Gnome on the page.
Elain exchanged a quick look with Feyre, her excitement bubbling as she nodded. "Yes, the gnome was mean. He pinched people and took their toys. Nobody wanted to be around him because he wasn't kind," Elain paused and smiled.
"Would you like to turn the pages?" She asked, showing her the action of holding the corner of the page and turning it to the next.
Nova tilted her head and smiled before reaching forward and mimicking Elain's actions. They continued this pattern. Elain would read, and Nova searched the page before turning it.
"Look," Elain pointed to the gnome's face, "He's sad."
"Sad?" Nova asked, staring at the gnome.
Elain nodded and touched the tears on his cheeks. "He's crying. He wasn't kind to his friends, and they didn't want to play anymore. When he fell," she pointed at his scraped knee, "He got hurt, and no one was there to help him."
"Sad." Nova rested her chin on the table, staring at the gnome on the page.
"Oh, but look," Elain turned the page, "They heard him crying, and they came to help. He told them he was sorry for hurting them, and they asked if he wanted to go play."
"Play?" Nova asked.
"Yes, see. They're playing." Elain pointed to the picture of the gnomes running around, laughing and smiling. Nova smiled and sighed softly before she picked up another book and offered it to Elain.
It had a picture of a fox on it.
Feyre smiled softly. The theme was not a coincidence. Perhaps Nesta cared about more than Nova's ability to finish an obstacle course.
The rest of the morning was spent looking at books. Between Elain and Feyre, they'd read the same book at least twelve times. The mean gnome, the fox who was afraid of his shadow, and the tree that was tired of squirrels were her favorites.
Feyre was slightly relieved when it was time for lunch. While Elain prepared the sandwiches, she taught Nova how to set the table, introducing the items and their names. By the time they'd reviewed the new vocabulary, lunch was ready, and Nova was famished.
After polishing off two sandwiches, a bowl of apples, and a dirty carrot from the garden, the boys finally walked into the house. Nova nearly knocked her chair over as she scrambled from her seat.
Rhys blinked in delighted surprise as she dashed across the sitting room and ran over to them. She didn't seem to care that they were hot, sweaty, and covered in dirt. That didn't stop her from holding up the collection of picture books.
"Gnome!" Nova shouted and then held up another. "Fish!"
Their jaw dropped as they snapped their head to the side to look at Feyre and Elain, who both sat smiling proudly at the table.
"She's learned a few new words." Feyre smiled.
"So I hear," Rhys grinned as he took the books Nova eagerly handed to him, "This was a great idea."
Feyre smiled and nodded, "Nesta bought them."
Cassian's grin broadened, but he said nothing as he watched Nova overload Rhys' arms with her new books.
Chuckling, Rhys took them all and gingerly set them on the table. "I can't wait to read them with you," he said, "But first, we have something to show you."
Nova tilted her head to the side, trying to decipher what he'd said, but Elain chimed in a moment later. "Nova, do you want to go play?"
"Play?" She asked and then nodded vigorously. "Play!"
Pride and joy swelled their chests as they shared a grin. It was true; Nova needed a reason to speak. She could learn quickly- she was a sponge. All they needed to do was engage her before trying to teach her. The books might be the perfect segway to that.
"Do you want to fly?" Rhys asked, raising his brows hopefully.
Nova took an immediate step back and said, "No."
Grinning, Rhys nodded and shrugged. "Worth a try." He laughed and offered her his hand, which she took happily. It would be the stairs for now, it seemed.
When they arrived at the townhouse, one would think the stairs and the walk to the house would have tired Nova. Yet, she darted into the house and started toward her room.
"Wait," Rhys chuckled as she skidded to a stop. She turned and looked at him, tilting her head to the side. With a grin, he gestured toward the doors leading to the training area.
Nova watched Cas, Lucien, and Az walk through those doors and bounded after them. She only stopped when she almost collided with them but dodged to the side to avoid the wreck. Rhys, Elain, and Feyre followed closely behind.
To the far left, beyond the training circle meant for hand-to-hand combat, was an expansive structure that looked just like, if not exactly like, the obstacle course at the Illyrian Camp. While it was a little smaller in scale, it made up for it with more intricate, difficult obstacles to navigate. The balance beam, for example, was not as high but narrower than the one she'd scaled.
Nova's jaw dropped as she gasped, staring at the obstacle course with wonder-struck eyes. At the end of the course was a tall pole. It was twenty feet high but with netting beneath to catch her in case of a mistaken foothold. At the tip-top, latched on a hook, was a beaded necklace glittered when the sun touched it.
"You all did an amazing job," Feyre said, pressing her hands to her mouth. "Look at her face…" Tears welled in her eyes as she watched Nova's reaction, taking in the pure joy that etched her features.
Rhys pulled Feyre to his side and grinned as he kissed the top of her head. "When she inevitably gets bored, Lucien has a few more designs in mind to keep her active."
Feyre looked over at Lucien and grinned. "Thank you so much. All of you."
"Enough gushing," Cassian grinned, though his ears had turned red too. They watched her stand there for a moment, just staring. "What's she waiting for?"
"Well," Elain said softly, "Maybe Rhys was right. Perhaps she's grown wiser from yesterday."
Nova gazed at the obstacle course, and every fiber of her being urged her to run toward it—to explore, jump, and crawl all over it. However, another part of her tugged at her, keeping her feet firmly planted in place.
"Nova," Rhys called, and she turned to look at him. He grinned and said, "Go play."
The dazzle in her eyes that had been snuffed out yesterday returned with full force as she broke into a wide grin and took off so fast her feet barely touched the ground.
They watched as she moved with incredible agility up and over the obstacles in place. She slowed down a little in some parts, concentrating more in certain areas before continuing. Within three minutes, she made it to the pole, and within the next sixty seconds, she was sitting on top examining the sea glass beaded necklace.
"Wow," Elain smiled, "She really is amazing, isn't she?"
Feyre grinned and nodded. "Yes, she is."
Nova spent the remainder of the afternoon outside on her obstacle course. She put the necklace back each time, fell from the top of the pole, and landed on the netting below.
Each time she did, she erupted in a fit of laughter.
It was deep laughter- the kind of giggles that she lost her breath to. No one had heard her laugh before, and it turned out her laugh was contagious. Every time she laughed, they did, too.
At some point, Nova raced back and dragged Rhys to join her. She urged him to do the course with her and erupted in giggles every time he feigned losing his balance on one of the beams.
Eventually, it was time to eat, and it didn't take too much convincing to bring Nova in as she was exhausted and hungry. She ate a lot. Honestly, Feyre could compare her appetite to Cassian's at the moment. It wasn't until she was nodding off at the table, nearly face-first into her potatoes, that Feyre decided she needed to get some rest.
After a quick wash in the bathroom, Nova emerged tired but clean. While the others cleaned up downstairs, Rhys walked into the room carrying the new books they'd read all morning.
Nova practically dove into bed and put her hands out for one of the books, which Rhys handed obligingly. However, when he smiled and started to walk away, she grabbed his hand and pulled.
Tilting his head, he slowly sat down on the edge of the bed. "Yes, Nova?" He asked gently.
Nova pointed at the book and smiled.
"Would you like me to read to you?"
Nova nodded eagerly. "Read."
Rhys tried his hand once more to expand the request, "Ask me, 'Can you read, please?'"
They watched Nova, waiting patiently, and when Rhys was sure she wasn't going to repeat him, she said, "Read, please?"
Rhys grinned, "I'd love to."
Opening the book, he began reading about a mean gnome. Nova settled back into her bed and watched him turn the pages with heavy eyelids. Before he got to the middle page, Nova was already lightly snoring into her pillow.
"I know she's a teenager," Rhys murmured as he glanced over at Feyre, who sat relaxed on the chaise, "And it might be strange for me to say this, selfish even, but part of me is glad we get even just a moment of this. Reading to her at night- seeing her experience new things." Swallowing hard, he took a shallow breath. "It sounds terrible, I know. I shouldn't think it, but she's going to learn these skills quickly, and the times we'll have like this will be gone."
Feyre nodded as she crossed the room, smiling softly. She took his face between her palms. "I understand the feeling," she bit her lip, "I think it's okay to be sad that she lived the life she did but happy that we get to help her experience a new one. I felt the same way brushing her hair. Something so simple that she should be able to do by herself, but because she didn't stay with a family all those years, I get to do that." Tears burned her eyes. "I don't think there's a right or wrong way to feel. It's complicated no matter what."
Rhys squeezed her hands and smiled softly as he stood. Looking over his shoulder, he looked down on Nova.
"We should thank Nesta for the books."
Feyre smiled softly, "I agree."
Turning off the bedroom light, they closed the door with a soft click and joined their friends downstairs for a well-earned glass of wine.