A/N: Hey everyone, hope you like this one. It's a short one to help fill the time as I work on the next few chapters :) Enjoy :D 

When the two finally returned to Velaris, Cassian left Nala's side and properly returned to Rhys' side to report that she had been found. The night was already over Velaris as Nala returned to the house of Wind, where she had chosen a room of her own. Rhys had allowed her to stay at the townhouse with Feyre, but she had declined and explained that she felt far more at home in the sky. And so, she stayed in the house of Wind by herself, the others having their own houses or apartments. The house was quiet as she walked in, only the low humming of magic reached Nala's ears as she moved from the balcony to the cabinet where Rhysand kept his most fancy of wine and liquors. Pulling out a bottle of red, Nale made her way toward her bedroom and the house sang a gentle tune of magic to calm her shot nerves. 

As she got to her room, she sank into the comfortable chair in the corner facing towards the window. As she goes to take the bottle of wine from the small table next to the bed she saw the box next to it. A small wooden box with a dagger fashioned of mother-of-pearl in the lid. The box while simple was quite clearly made with care and with craftmanship. As she flipped up the lid there, nestled on a bed of white velvet laid a single glimmering ruby the size of a chicken egg. A single rube sent by the summer court; her shadows told her. Blood rubies they whispered, given when a grave insult has been committed, the summer sends a blood ruby to the offender. An official declaration that there is a price on their head - that they are now hunted, and will soon be dead. Nala gave a dry laugh at that. Summer could certainly try but they would fail over and over again. Her mind went to Varian next, and her mood turned. His loyalty would be to Tarquin, his High Lord and cousin. And for some reason that made her uncomfortable, she didn't want him to hate her, the rest of the Summer Court she gave no fucks about, but him? For some reason, she didn't want him to hate her. It hurt her to think about it. And so, she didn't, she simply left the blood ruby in its now open box, took the wine, and took a deep swing as she stared out the night sky, watching as the stars blinked at her. 

As she was reaching for the second bottle the house had given her, she felt the first shiver and the feeling of dread wash over her and her mind cleared in an instant, the slight buzz from the magical wine was gone as the second shiver went down, her spine and she reached out with her magic toward her sister. Feyre was panicking and so, without much thought, Nale flung herself out her open window and flew with might toward the townhouse. 

As she landed on the roof she felt it. The heavy darkness that lay around the house and how while Feyre was in panic, it was not for herself. It was for Rhys. Rhysand who right now was suffocating the entire building with his powerful magic, and Nala felt it affecting her slightly as well. Feyre, Nala called mentally to her sister, not being able to enter the house as Rhys had it in lockdown. Are you okay? What is happening? 

A minute passed before Feyre answered, her voice sounding far away, Rhys... Nightmare... I got... stay out... magic... too strong... Her voice, while far away sounded sure and Nala sent down her approval, but she didn't leave. She stayed on the roof until she felt the everlasting darkness seep away and felt the house's magical aura return. He is okay, you can leave, Feyre spoke in Nala's mind with an airy voice that no longer felt far away. Nale gave a small nudge to Feyre's magic before she took off again into the night sky. As she made her way back to the house of Wind, she saw to light being on in her room, something that had not been the case before she left. 

She touched down on the balcony and was met with Amren's silver energy reaching for her. Nala raised the walls in her mind and around her own body, still hurt from earlier in the day, even if she had no reason to be so. Amren had all right to want to leave this plane, and yet it still hurt like hell thinking about the female leaving. "What are you doing here?" Nala voiced as she walked in and sat on the bed, seeing as the silver-eyed female had taken her seat in the armchair. 

"Do you know what this is?" Amren asked, her voice hoarse and not its normally smooth honey, as she ran her finger over the blood ruby that was still in its box on her side table. 

"Yes, it's a blood ruby," Nala shrugged, not much caring about the jewel, she would have done it all again if it gave them a chance against Hybern. "Don't much care what Summer thinks, we have a war to win." She crossed her right leg over the left and leaned back on her arms as she looked at the other female, who still stared at the ruby. 

"Did you read the note Varian left?" Amren asked, running her pointy finger down the smooth stone. Nala rolled her eyes at the silver-eyed female before her, who still had not looked Nala in the eyes. 

"No, didn't know that he did." Nala got up and walked to swipe the bottle of wine that was still standing on the table with the ruby, before going back to sit on her bed. "And if it's all the same to you, I do not much care for whatever lashing out he has written." Nala took a swing of the bottle as Amren finally looked at her. 

"You are mad?" She asked, her voice chipped and cold. "Over my desire to go home? To leave?" Nala felt her heartbreak at the words but made sure not to display it on her face nor in her eyes as she stared at the other female. 

"I do not control you Amren," Nala drawled, making her voice neutral and drawled out as if she truly did not care. And it hit home in the other female, Nala saw the anger and hurt in those beautiful silver eyes in an instant.  "You are a free female and no one has the power to force you to stay, why should I be any different?" Nala took another swing as she looked away from those silver eyes. 

"I would have hoped that you cared for where I am," Amren said as she looked back at the ruby and began to pick at her nails. "But it seems like I was wrong about our connection." She made to stand when a cold and somewhat evil cackle left Nala's mouth. The sound truly made Amren freeze in her steps, fearing that she had angered some primal part of the fiery female behind her. 

"Don't you fucking dare," Nala spat, her voice having lost all warmth and Amren felt cold sweat run down her back. She had never before been this afraid and turned on at the same time. Nala was suddenly in front of her and Amren had her back against the wall. "Don't you fucking dare act like I'M the one who does not care, when I have done nothing but care about you since that first night around the dinner table." Nala barred her teeth as she leaned in closer to the other female. Her eyes were completely on fire now and so were the ends of her hair. "I'm not the one who is FUCKING thinking about leaving MY MATES!" She spat in a snarl, her voice primal and dangerous. Amren gasped as she stared into those flaming eyes. "So, yes I'm mad because I don't want you to think that you can just leave Azriel and me without consequence, but I'm also not going to be begging you to choose us when you so clearly don't want us." 

Nala moved to push off the wall and walk away from Amren but didn't get far as Amren reached her arms around Nala's neck and pulled her down into a brushing kiss.