Amren's POV

Alina left to get her things while Aelin went after her with a nicely concealed worried expression on her face. I turned around to see Mor looking at me with a furious expression. Any other day I would have told her off about it but I deserved it today.

"Mind explaining what in the name of the bloody cauldron was that?!" Mor demanded."And how the hell is she alive?!"

"That is for her to tell. And all I know is that she will be very useful in dealing with the shit back home. So stop complaining and wait for now."

"How did you meet her?" Azriel asked, still centuries worth of coldness in his voice. I sighed, " A few centuries ago, when I was looking for a way back to my world I stumbled in this world and met her." Azriel looked like he had more questions but stopped as he noticed Alina come back, with a backpack with her.

"Let's go." Alina said and I drew the markings. I heard a Mother help Rhys and Cassian from Mor just as we were transported back to the House of Wind. And I couldn't agree more.

Alina's POV

This is so going to blow up in my face I thought. Judging by Amrens's expression I probably wasn't wrong. I'm guessing Rhys and Cassian also don't know about my existence. Cheerful.

A few seconds later we were transported to what looked like the living room of the House of Wind. Gods! It's been so long since I was last at this place. At home. I could feel my magic giving out a spark in my body as it recognized our home. It's probably the first positive response my magic had given since that dreadful day.  

I looked around and saw two very familiar males looking at me. Frozen. Stunned in their places with the shock of seeing someone they thought dead alive and well ....well not so much as 'well'.

"Great another bunch that didn't know I'm alive. Let me know when you're done explaining, meanwhile I'm on the roof." The second last part was directed at Amren. And with that I started walking towards the way to the roof, taking in all the changes that were done after I was gone. I could hear shouting. That would be Rhys and Cassian maybe even Mor, wanting answers. Most of the roof had been converted into training area. Various weapons lay scattered around the rings and racks. I snorted, leave it to the boys to make it a pigsty.

Tentatively I reached towards the end of the roof, wanting to see Velaris again. I stood up on the edge and there it was my precious city- Velaris. My home. One of the many things that I had longed so desperately for all these centuries. The wind was calling out to me. Telling me come and have a taste of it. To see Velaris from the sky. The best place for viewing. Just one more step and I'll be in the air.... Just one more step... but no. Not now. I can't let my emotions control me right now. There just bigger matters to attend to than just sightseeing.

The shouting voices had calmed a bit by now. I heard Amren asking me come down.

They were all standing right where I last saw them. The only difference was that everyone but Azriel had some form of Alcohol in their hands. All 5 pair of turned to me as I entered. And for the first time in a long time I really looked at my brother. Rhysand. He looked.... tired, worn and full of despair and guilt. I felt a tide of anger and protectiveness surge through me, as well as a very strong need to make the person responsible for this condition of my brother pay. I unclenched my fists that I hadn't realised I had clenched.

Bringing out my usual swagger and arrogance I said, "Looks like you sorted out your differences. Now fill me in on what exactly I'm here to do." It was probably hurt that crossed through Rhys' expressions but I couldn't be sure. Was he upset that I was acting nonchalant? "According to Amren you'll go to Spring Court and retrieve our High Lady." Spring Court?! High Lady?! What the hell? Since when there's a High Lady? I'm impressed though. My brother did what I had thought about a few times. But that wasn't what caught most of my attention.

"Spring Court?" I asked a bit incredulously. "How and why the hell is the High Lady stuck in Spring fucking Court all places?!" Mor, Cassian and Rhys looked down, remembering the awful event that had taken place at Spring court. The reason why everything happened.

"That is none of your business. All you need to know is that she went there to destroy it from the inside out and is currently posing as Tamlin's soon to be wife. You have to get her out of there without letting anyone in the spring court realise the truth." Cassian snapped at me. "Mind your tone batty. I ain't your bitch. If I want I can call the deal off. I'm just here for the money." I snapped back. Even thought the last part was the farthest thing from the truth. If he wants to play this game then fine, I'll play it. My words only seemed to infuriate him further. "Oh really? You'll call the deal off? I doubt you can even pull it off." How dare he question my skills?!
"You think I'm incapable of doing what I do for a living?" This seemed to get Rhys' attention. He looked concerned. But before either he or I could say anything Azriel spoke "Cassian is right though." Surprising everyone. "I am?" Cassian asked. Azriel ignored him, "Cassian is right." He repeated. "How do we know that you won't mess it up? I'm not risking my High Lady's life on the words of some amatuer." Even Cass looked a bit surprised at just how cold he was being. Azriel's words hurt more than Cassian's anger.

"That's sounds like a personal problem. But seeing that you're experiencing an extended midlife crisis, I might just let this one slide. So what do you want me to do in order to 'prove' you that I can infact clean up your mess" I said in an all-business voice.

"We'll talk about it tomorrow." Rhysand's voice snapped everyone out of their 'superiority establishing fest'. "It's enough for today. I'm calling it a day here. Everything else will be discussed tomorrow. Mor will show where you'll be staying for the time being. Dinner will be ready in an hour or so." With he winnowed out. As did everybody else except Mor. I gave a look that said 'lead the way'. She gave me a long look and started walking out of the room and I guess I was supposed to follow. As we were walking she said "Give them time, they'll come around. They're just surprized and angry." Her voice was soft, which surprised me. "And you're not?" I asked.
"Oh I am. I am. I have so many questions, but at the moment I'm just glad to know you're alive." Wow. I mean wow. I guess I'm remembering the reason I liked Mor so much. We had reached our destination. Mor opened the door for me. I turned around to thank but instead got enveloped in a bone crushing hug.

"I missed you so much." Mor said from where she had buried her face. Damn you Mor for getting me emotional. Something I swore I wouldn't do too soon. Burying the water-fall of emotions deep inside my not so existent heart I wrapped my arm around hers, returning the hug. Gently stroking her back to calm her down. After a few minutes she pulled away. 

"I had mourned you so long and there you were in another world. Looking so much like Rhys with the same face and eyes and the same cunning swagger. I didn't know how to react to that I still don't." I was really close Mor. She had been the one I spent most of my time with. I also knew her secret, which only bonded us closer. I smiled internally at how a 6 year old me had figured out her secret. I wanted to say something to her to make it better. But what would I say? That I'm sorry? That everything will be alright? If only it was that easy. Mor noticed my silence. "Too much too soon?" she looked at me with an easy smile. Oh how I wish I could do that. "We'll talk more in the morning. The dinner's just about to be ready." Stay. I wanted to say. Don't leave me alone with my thoughts. But instead the only thing I could cough up was, "I'm not really that hungry. I'll see you in the morning." Mor only nodded and with that we parted for the night.

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Rhys's POV

Alina hadn't come to dinner. Which I was internally grateful about because Alina. Until a few hours ago I didn't even know she was alive. This was a lot to take in. My magic was singing on reuniting with blood. And she looked so like me. Like I had dreamed. Of how she would have grown up to look. I really didn't know how to deal this. But it was a welcome deal instead of dealing with the self-pity party shit I had going on. Cauldron I didn't want to go down that lane of thought, but too late now. The longing and sadness for not being with my mate came crashing down. Weighing me down till I couldn't breath. And just as I would hold it off, the self loathing of not being able to do anything to help my mate or anyone at the time being would come tackling from behind. It was so much worse today. I tried to walk towards to the desk only to fall down beside the bed. My body started shivering under the weight of my emotions. I couldn't breathe. Black dots started to cover my vision. I knew somewhere in mind that this wasn't a good sign, but the darkness sounded so good. I felt drawn to it, getting closer and closer to the impending darkness, when suddenly two hands came out of nowhere and stablised me. I looked around confused as where the hands had come from but I couldn't make out anything through my blurru vision. Then a voice was telling me to breathe. I'm trying! I wanted to shout at the voice. Then someone started rubbing my back while continiung to tell me to breathe. And little by little I could feel myself gaining control back.

I looked up to see none other then Alina looking at me with an concerned expression. She helped me up on the bed. I tried to adjust myself, "Whoa brother! Take it easy. You just had an anxiety attack." I stopped moving and took a few deep breathes. This was the first time since she came back that she had called me 'brother'. I looked at Alina, "What are you doing here?" "What? I can't come see my brother I haven't seen in centuries?" She joked. I gave her a hard look. She sighed. "Well since I'm back our magic is in sync with bieng reunited. So I kind of felt that you were going through something not good and just wanted to check in." She shrugged. "Thanks." There were so many things I wanted to tell her, ask her. I didn't now where to start. I think she figured my internal dilema. "You don't have to say anything. I'll answer all your questions with the best of my ability, all in good time. But first we need to get your mate back." She looked at me with a small sad smile. I know a little about what you're going through. Tell me about your mate if you want or we can just talk. Tell each the little things that we missed with so much time apart." Alina said ajusting so that both of us were sitting comfortably on the bed. I didn't know what else to do. I wasn't going back to sleep any time soon so I did what she suggested. We talked.

It was nearing sunrise and both of us were still awake. Just sitting there holding onto each other in a peaceful silence. Peace. Something that I dadn't experienced since Feyre left. "The others will start arriving soon. We should get going." Alina said standing up. I nodded and and she left. 

Alina's POV

Last night was probably the best night I night had in a long time. I quickly cleaned up and headed out to the meeting room. Everyone was standing around a table, and in the middle of the table there was a map of Prythian. "Finally you get your ass in here." Cassian said in a mocking tone. "If you can refrain from noticing people's asses Cassian then I think you'll probably of more assistance." I said in a lazy manner emphasizing the word 'asses'. I heard Amren mutter something about us being worse than cat and mouse. "Just tell me the basics and I'll get going." I said wanting to get out of the warzone in here. "By the way what's up Miss Mopey McLongFace and Miss Someone-pissed-in-my-sandwich ?". Cassian rolled his eyes at the nicknames I gave our High Lady's sisters. I puased. Our? Since when did start thinking about it in our?

"That's a long story. One we don't have time for." Amren snapped. "Just tell us how long do you think it'll take."

The 5 pair of eyes turned towards me. But before I could say anything Azriel interrupted, "That is all fine and well but the question still remains. Who's to say that you'll be successful in bringing back our High Lady? What's the guarntee that you wont mess up?" He's still stuck on that? Alright then. "Well for one Azriel- you made a trip all the way to another freaking world to ask for my help. And 2- if you're having second thoughts then you can do tests, I have all the time in the world, which I'm guessing you don't. So best option for you right now is to shut up and let the professional handle the stuff." That seemed to shut him up for the time being. "Yeah there's still one thing." Cassian piped. "What?" "We can't break into Spring Court as we are part of Night Court and you have same blood as Rhys so doesn't this apply to you too?" I looked at Cassian impressed. "This is the smartest thing that had come out of your since I've seen you. But yes those rules don't apply to me." Cue confused looks except me and Amren. "You see when I got transported to anothe world, I hadn't been yet recognised as an official part of the Night Court. It was due for my next birthday. So yes you will find that I can infact break into any Courts as I'm not a part of any of them. More question? No? Great, let's get going."  I turned to look at Amren waiting for her to fill me in on the basics.

After getting the basics down I left as soon as I could. The less the scent of Night Court lingers on me when I enter Spring the better. Apparantly Tamlin had gone even more psycho, and Lucien was his bitch. Feyre was playing victim. Ianthe was a connving bitch. And I was to get Feyre out without probably blowing her cover. And there was also the thing of bieng in 'grave danger' because Hybren wanted more toys. And did I mention that the Bitch Meave might also be involved? No? Then I just did. I was not on good terms with Meave, but that is not something I regret.

I sighed This is gonna go great.