𝐂 𝐎 𝐒 𝐌 𝐈 𝐂   𝐋 𝐎 𝐕 𝐄   !

𝙲 𝙷 𝙰 𝙿 𝚃 𝙴 𝚁   𝚃 𝚆 𝙴 𝙻 𝚅 𝙴   !

( 𝔴𝔢𝔩𝔠𝔬𝔪𝔢 , 𝔣𝔢𝔶𝔯𝔢 . . . 𝔞𝔤𝔞𝔦𝔫 ! )

⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ ⬩❖⬩ ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯

          "𝐅𝐔𝐂𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐋!"

Ana laughed as Cassian rubbed his forehead, a red mark growing right in between his eyes. The very weapon that had given that mark⎯a bo staff⎯was in the hands of Izzy Lightwood, the Shadowhunter grinning at the Illyrian in victory. 

"Naughty language, Mr. Cassian. I'd expect better from the General of the Night Court." Ana threw her head back as she laughed, ignoring Cassian's look that he shot her way. "Those five hundred years must finally be getting to you. Wanna take a break, old man?"

From the other end of the room, Mor and Clary were cackling as Amren knocked Jace onto his ass with a simple flick to his forehead. The Herrondale just laid sprawled on the ground, accepting his defeat. Lucky for him and Cassian, only a few other Shadowhunters were in the training rooms, meaning their embarrassment was only temporary.

Two days had passed since Ana found out that Viktor was back. That he'd been the one to trap her, using the gifts given to him by the Prince of Lust and his cohort, the fucking Seelie Queen. Hearing that her childhood tormenter was back from the dead and being aided by two of her enemies had Ana's powers flaring in rage. She just couldn't get a break from those three assholes, could she? And now they were plotting another war? What the fuck?

The first day had been spent getting her magic back under control with the help of both Magnus and Amren. While Rhysand had offered, Ana declined, not wanting her powers to hurt him. He'd already risked enough diving into her mind, she didn't want to be the one to destroy him. Not when she'd just come to terms with her feelings for him. But, that would be her luck, right? Killing the very male she could spend the rest of her life with by accident. Fate tended to sway that way for her.

Once she was in control again, Ana had spent the second day showing the Inner Circle around her world⎯just the Institute and some of her favorite spots in Brooklyn, but still. The looks on their faces as they'd taken in everything around them had been priceless. And the questions they'd asked her⎯"What is a car?" and "how do you work a phone?" or, and this was her personal favorite (from Azriel) "What is pete zah?" That day had been filled with laughter, ending with a dinner that allowed everyone to get to know each other better.

Watching her two families come together had filled her with a type of joy she'd thought to be impossible. Her whole body had felt warm and light, the mixed voices and laughter of her family making her smile so wide, it'd hurt. (And maybe having Rhys holding her hand or resting his hand on her thigh during the whole thing had aided in that smile, but she had yet to admit that to anyone. And she probably wouldn't, if anyone were to ask her.)

Alec stepped up beside Ana, nudging her with one of the bo staffs he'd grabbed. "Wanna show them how it's really done?"

The blonde grinned and grabbed the staff, twirling it expertly in her hands to get a feel of it. "Out of the way, amateurs. I'm about to kick someone's ass."

"Doubtful." 

The floor cleared, everyone moving to the edges of the room to watch the next sparring match. If Ana were being honest, it had been a while since she and Alec had gone head-to-head in training. When the wars were occurring, Idris had had all Shadowhunters training with their parabatais to ensure the bond was strong for battle. If there were sessions where they trained with other people, it would be more experienced Shadowhunters fighting less experienced ones to aid in their training. 

So it was safe to assume that Ana was excited to be fighting against Alec. 

The two stood facing each other, about five feet of distance between them. Ana got into the correct stance, gripping the staff in preparation for a fight. While she usually preferred short-distance weapons⎯kinjals, daggers, and fists⎯fighting with a bo staff was always an enjoyable experience. After all, it was the first weapon she ever learned to wield. 

"Wait!" Alec held a hand up, causing Ana to pout. "Some rules, first. No faerie magic"⎯he shot a look at the blonde, who smiled innocently⎯"no warlock magic"⎯his next words were aimed at his husband, who also smiled innocently in his direction⎯"and we fight until either we are disarmed or one of us falls flat on our asses."

Ana groaned jokingly. "Fine. Way to take all the fun out of this."

Alec just rolled his eyes at her behavior and got ready once more, Ana copying him. For a moment, the blonde was reminded of her first time training in this very room. She'd been set against Alec . . . and it'd almost ended in bloodshed. 

She'd been young⎯somewhere between six and ten, she can't quite remember. A little girl from Russia who only knew broken English and some Masri taught to her by Nadia. She'd been skinny, covered in injuries, and scared to the bone by everything in sight⎯especially blond men. Her first time seeing Jace had sent her into a panic attack so bad, she'd gone to the infirmary for near suffocation. 

Stepping into the training room had been a big step for Ana. But when put to the test, Ana had fought for her life against Alec, leaving them both a little battered and bruised. Alec had been understanding of her situation, and he'd promised after that day to help her overcome her past and ensure her future safety. It was then that Ana realized that there were good people, and that letting those good people in wouldn't cause them to leave her life Nadia and Dmitri. 

"Didn't Ana almost kill Alec last time they fought?" Clary asked Jace and Izzy. This quickly drew the attention of the Inner Circle, all of whom looked proud. "Or was that a different time?"

Izzy chuckled. "That was a different time. Last time they fought, it was a tie."

Wow, so vicious, Darling.

Ana forced her blush down, adjusting her grip once more. Don't sound so surprised, My Love. 

"And I intend on breaking that," Alec said, shooting the blonde a look. "Ready?"

Ana only nodded, and the spar began.

⎯⎯⎯⎯ ⬩❖⬩ ⎯⎯⎯⎯

Ana woke with a gasp.

After tying with Alec in the ring, as well as a couple more sparring matches between herself and the Inner Circle, Anastasia had decided to finally get some sleep. Sadly, the world decided differently, waking her up only an hour after she closed her eyes with the sharp sound of Feyre Archeron's sobs.

It was a noise the girl had sadly come to know, since she spent half of her time with Feyre in an attempt to calm the poor faerie down. Though, Ana supposed it was best that she be the one to care for Feyre. After all, the blonde knew the most about dealing with PTSD caused by torture and death. 

Normally Ana would quickly travel to Prythian to calm her friend down, but after the shit that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named pulled, Ana's magic had weakened in order to help her body and mind heal. Meaning she was unable to travel between worlds at the moment. That meant that she'd have to go to Magnus for help, which would alert everyone of Feyre's issues, which was something Ana didn't want happening. The last thing Feyre needed right now was a boat-load of unfamiliar people crowding her while she panicked and threw up what little she managed to eat.

Plus, Tamlin would throw a hissy fit if any member of the Night Court step foot in his precious rose-covered palace. And Ana did not feel like dealing with a temperamental immortal toddler at the moment. 

Sighing heavily, Ana changed into more suitable clothes and slipped out of her darkened room, noting that it was around dinner time and that most of her friends would be in the kitchen or one of the many relaxation rooms. Hopefully Magnus would be with Alec, making finding him much easier. Honestly, she could text him, but the warlock had a tendency of leaving his phone in odd places when he was with other people. 

Ana decided to check the kitchen first, knowing that was most likely where the warlock would be. And if he wasn't there, she'd ask Izzy if she knew where he was. Hopefully he and Alec weren't in their shared room. Ana didn't particularly feel like waiting three hours for her warlock friend to finish fucking his husband to ask him if he could open a portal. 

Though . . . were High Fae able to winnow between worlds? From what Ana had learned of winnowing, it was traveling between the folds of the world to get from one place to the next. So, theoretically, couldn't they winnow between the folds of two worlds to travel from one universe to another? If she couldn't find Magnus (or if he was too busy getting it on with Alec) then maybe she could ask Mor or Rhysand to take her to the Spring Court.

Morrigan would probably be the smarter option. Knowing Rhysand and Tamlin's . . . strained relationship, Ana had a feeling the Spring Fling of Feyre's would be very unhappy with the High Lord of Night arriving on his doorstep. But honestly? Ana would prefer travelling with Rhysand. Whatever lie between them made being apart from him painful at times. And while Ana was not versed well in love that wasn't platonic nor familial, something about Rhysand made her want to try. She'd already admitted to Azriel that she liked the male . . . so maybe it was time to admit it to herself. Would it really be bad to give her heart to him?

Ana shook those thoughts from her head. Currently she had a friend who needed her. She could worry about her love life later. 

Laughter rang from the kitchen, along with the clanging of pots and pans. Ana wondered who was cooking dinner, since she was usually the one to do it. Hopefully it wasn't Izzy. As much as Ana loved her Parabatia and would burn the world for her, the girl could not cook to save her life. And she didn't want her Prythian family to experience food poisoning when she still had so much of the world to show them. Plus, salmonella would really hinder their plans of tracking that-absolute-bitch down and ending his fucking days. 

Quick reflexes was the only thing that saved Ana from a knife between the eyes. The halfling looked at the blade in her now-outstretched hand and frowned. "What is it with sharp thing getting thrown in this kitchen? I know we're Shadowhunters and all, but seriously?"

Turns out Jace was the chef for the night, which was somehow even worse than Izzy. While the man was excellent on the battlefield and undefeatable against any evil opponent . . . he could not cook for shit. Food was the one enemy he could not beat, and it was obvious in the way he held a flaming pan in his one hand while trying to put it out with a rag in his other. The rest of the group watched on with wide eyes, not stepping up to aid their flailing friend.

Ana rolled her eyes and stabbed the knife into the nearest cutting board before ripping the pan from Jace's hand. With the snap of her fingers, the fire was out and the burnt food had vanished into golden dust. The blonde set the pan in the sink, her hands on her hips as she turned to face the group. 

All members were accounted for. Clary and Izzy were sitting on the counter with Mor and Magnus, most likely talking about self care days that they could have together. Cass, Azriel, Rhys, and Alec were crowded around the center island, trouble-maker smirks gracing their lips from their previous conversation. Mazikeen and Amren seemed to be getting along from their place in the back of the kitchen, an while normally that would make Ana happy, she was a bit too preoccupied with Feyre's sobbing and the fact that Jace had almost burned down the Institute, all ten friends standing by and watching it happen without a care in the world. 

She still had no clue who'd thrown the knife.

"Normally I would yell at you, but I have more pressing matters at hand." The blonde didn't give anyone a chance to speak as she marched toward Magnus, took his wrist, and dragged him out of the kitchen. The warlock kept pace with her as she led them back to her room, locking the door behind her once they were in to make sure no one interrupted. "I need your help."

Magnus hummed. "Obviously. Otherwise you would've let me continue my talk about cuticle care with the ladies." At Ana's sharp look, he sighed. "What's up, Biscuit?"

"Feyre needs help. Usually I would travel there on my own, but with my abilities being on the fritz, I need you to portal me there and back." Ana prayed to Raziel and the Mother that Magnus wouldn't ask any questions. She didn't want to spill Feyre's secrets to anyone without the girl's permission. As someone who had been through what Feyre was dealing with, having her issues laid out for all to see was not fun and definitely did not help with the healing process. "Please?"

Magnus studied Ana for a moment before sighing. "Fine. I won't ask why you're needed in Prythian at such an ungodly hour. Fire message me when you're ready to return."

"Thank you, Magnus." Ana pulled the warlock into a hug, appreciating him. She stepped back after a couple of seconds, anxious to be at her friend's side. "If the others ask where I went, and why I dragged you out, just say something about my abilities being haywire or something."

"I've got it, Biscuit. You're talking to a master liar here." Magnus shook his hands out, preparing to summon a portal. "But that Rhysand fellow will be extremely hard to convince. Something brewing there that you haven't told me about, hmm?"

Ana wasn't prepared for the question, meaning she couldn't force her blush down fast enough for Magnus not to notice it. The warlock's eyes sparkled in amusement and excitement. "Magnus!"

"Fine, fine, I'll drop the topic for now." He conjured up his magic, creating a portal of purple light within the middle of her room. "But we're talking about it when you return at some point. My Biscuit's first love! I never thought this day would come! I might cry!"

Ana groaned but allowed herself to smile at her friend's antics. With a final wave goodbye and a promise to let him know when she wished to return, Ana stepped through the portal, instantly finding herself at Feyre's side in one of the many bathrooms of the Spring Court estate. 

"Oh, Feyre . . ."

The blonde said nothing. She only wrapped her arms around a shaking Feyre, allowing the girl to sob into her hair. She would hold her friend for as long as she needed. And after . . . she was going to finally do what she should've done when this first started.

⎯⎯⎯⎯ ⬩❖⬩ ⎯⎯⎯⎯

"I couldn't give two shits about what you care, Tamlin. I'm doing whatever the fuck I want, and I will continue to do whatever the fuck I want until the day I inevitably die from the sheer amount of stupidity radiating off your incredibly prickish form!"

To say Tamlin was the High Lord of Hissy Fits would be an understatement. The second he learned of Ana's plan, he was breaking down the door to the room she and Feyre were in, talons extended and eyes blazing with anger. He was so self-absorbed that he didn't even realize what his show of rage was doing to his fiancée. Though, really, what else should Ana expect from the male?

Lucien stood behind the blond with wide eyes, his skin pale from experiencing the argument between two powerful creatures. If he were to add his two cents (which would be a death wish, honestly) Lucien would tell Tamlin that Ana was doing the right thing. Being where Feyre was at the moment was not healthy for the newly-turned High Fae. The Archeron needed a change of scenery. The redhead worried about what would happen if she was forced to stay locked in the house for much longer.

Tamlin growled. "You will not take her with you, you slimy Night Court witch!"

Ana rolled her eyes, doing her best to keep her power on a leash. Being in Prythian had helped them return to their usual strength, and now Ana had to fight all the inner voices telling her to murder Tamlin right then and there. She wouldn't be upset if she did, but she knew Feyre would not deal well with that, so she restrained herself. 

"Tamlin, if you love Feyre as much as you claim to, you would know that being here is not helping her. I mean, look at her! Look at your future wife!" Feyre remained still on the bed, her skeletal frame shaking at the sight of her angered fiancé. With how glossy her eyes were and how green her cheeks had turned, it was obvious she was on the verge of hurling once more. "Feyre is dying! Being here is killing her! I will not stand by idly as you let her die, do you hear me? With or without your consent, I am taking Feyre with me! Only when she is doing better will I bring her back!" Ana lowered her voice to a deadly whisper. "Though, I think part of you enjoys seeing her this weak and near-death. After all, your mate sure as fuck enjoyed it."

Now, in hindsight, saying that Amarantha had been Tamlin's mate was probably not the best decision on Ana's part. But, come on! It was so obvious the two had been destined for each other! Both pretentious douchebags with a thing for torture and animalistic behavior. When Ana had read about mates and the Mother choosing the perfect matches for fae, everything clicked into place. Why Amarantha wanted Tamlin so close. Why Tamlin smiled at torture. They were made for each other.

Three things happened within the next few seconds. First, Tamlin shifted into his animal form, fully intending to kill Ana for her words. Second, Ana grabbed her kindjals, the blades glowing with her angelic blood as her eyes turned into pools of pure gold. Third and finally, a loud pop! sounded in the air, and two figures appeared between the warring duo.

The abrupt arrival was enough to confuse both Lucien and Tamlin long enough for the duo to grab Feyre and Ana and winnow out of Prythian. In the blink of an eye, Ana was standing in her room back at the Institute, Feyre leaning into her while Mor and Izzy stood in front of them. Ana let her power recede, her eyes returning to blue while sheathing her weapons.

"Well, that went about as well as I expected it to." Ana turned to Feyre, noting that her friend was still shaking. "Fey, I'm sorry. I hadn't meant for it to get out of hand like that."

Feyre shook her head, blinking tears away. "It's okay. He's just . . . protective. But I believe you're right. Getting away from that world for a bit might do me some good."

The blonde led her friend to the bed, helping her get situated. Feyre hadn't gotten much sleep after her panic attack, so Ana told her to get as much rest as she needed to in her bed while the blonde planned out their time together. Feyre appreciated the Fallon girl more than words could express. She'd been the only one truly there for her throughout all of this, and she couldn't ask for a better friend nor chosen sister. 

Once Feyre was tucked in and asleep, Ana led her two friends out of the room and into the hall. 

"Is that Feyre Archeron? The Curse-Breaker?" Mor asked as they travelled toward the kitchen. Ana was, after all, starving. The blonde only nodded. "By the Mother, what has Tamlin done to her?"

Izzy pursed her lips. "I don't think that's the work of someone else. Feyre, if what Ana's told us all is true, went through a lot under that mountain. She's probably experiencing some pretty intense PTSD."

Ana nodded. "Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder," she explained to Mor. "I'll give a brief explanation. Feyre will tell you everything when and if she'd ready. For the past couple weeks I've been going to Prythian to comfort Feyre when the memories get too strong. Tamlin doesn't help her, so I've been doing my best. But being there, locked in that manor, is doing dog shit for her. So she's gonna spend time here until she starts making some improvements."

Izzy wrapped an arm around Ana's shoulders. "You are the best person in the world. You do realize that, right?"

"I wouldn't say the best, but I will accept the compliment." Izzy shrugged, taking the win.

The three girls were now entering the kitchen, finding the three Prythian boys sitting at the kitchen island while Alec and Jace went over files across from them. Looking for Viktor, probably. 

"If it wasn't for our Parabatai connection, I wouldn't have been there with Mor to pull you both out of that situation," Izzy continued, catching the attention of the five males in the kitchen. As Ana prepared everything for a good breakfast, the two females settled into stools by the island. "What was that big furry thing launching itself at you?"

Ana noted how Rhysand went rigid at the mention of something attacking her and sighed mentally. Welp. There went that plan of keeping things secret. She could already imagine the mental conversation just waiting to happen.

"That was Tamlin, High Lord of the Spring Court and Feyre's husband-to-be." Izzy and Mor both pulled faces. "I know. He's pissed that I brought her here for her health, but I honestly couldn't care less. I also may have hinted at a certain redheaded bitch being his mate, which was probably not the best choice of words, but fuck all if I care."

Cass had to slap a hand over his mouth to keep from cackling. "So that's where you went last night after the whole fire fiasco. Rhysie here was worried sick."

Rhysand smacked his brother over the head for his comment, his ears tinging pink. Ana just smiled at the High Lord in a way that made his heart race. Oh, if only she knew . . .

You went to the Spring Court? Rhys asked her.

Ana hummed to herself as she heated the pan over the stove. Yes. Feyre needed me. I brought here here and she's not going back until she's doing better.

Rhys wanted to kiss her. Despite her being his mate, the fact that she was willing to oppose a High Lord to help her friend was just so awe-inspiring that Rhys couldn't help but look at her like the angel she was. He knew he had to look like a lovesick idiot, but he didn't mind. After all, it was obvious there was something between the two of them. All he needed to do was grow a pair and admit everything to her.

But speaking the truth about what the heart feels is a feat more difficult that most wars. 

You are amazing, my darling. He smirked to himself when he saw her cheeks tinge red. Absolutely angelic.

Makes sense, since I am half angel. She shot him a cheeky grin, flipping her eggs with expertise. "Now, does anyone want breakfast?"

Seven hands shot up into the air, and Ana knew she was in for it.

⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ ⬩❖⬩ ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯

𝐀 𝐔 𝐓 𝐇 𝐎 𝐑 𝐒   𝐍 𝐎 𝐓 𝐄   !

⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ ⬩❖⬩ ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯

So sorry for the late update. While winter break has been going on for the past five weeks, writer's block and two winter classes have kept me from touching this book and I feel awful. But I finally decided to sit down and crack out this chapter. While it is not all that long, it is important. Feyre is now in the Shadowhunter world, and this is a big thing for her personal health. While I have never experienced trauma like Feyre's, I believe a change of scenery can do a lot for someone's mentality. So for the next couple chapters, Ana will be doing her best to help Feyre heal.

Ana is finally willing to admit to herself that she has strong feelings for Rhys. I know she admitted it to Azriel, but telling someone else and telling yourself are two different things and they can be hard in their own ways. We also got to see that Rhys is struggling with admitting to Ana that they are mates. Don't worry! Before this section of the book ends, everything will be out in the open as requested by you all!

Now . . . what bonding moments do you wanna see between the girls? What romantic moments do you wanna see between Ana and Rhysand? What parts of our world do you wanna see the Inner Circle deal with? And how do you guys think Rhys will tell Ana about their mate connection?

Please comment and vote!

I love you all so much!

~ a.h.