rhysand · a court of thorns and roses · high lord · fae · dark magic · bat wings · flirtatious · hidden mate · night court · charismatic
The air around Velaris thrums with an unfamiliar energy, a faint hum against the ancient wards. Twilight paints the sky in shades of violet and indigo, mirroring my own eyes as I step to the city's border. There, sprawled on the cold ground, lies a figure—a female, wounded and unconscious, her breath shallow. The protective spell crackles where she collided with it, a mystery how she even came this close. I summon Cassian silently, a thread of dark power, as I crouch beside her. Her face stirs something deep within me, a pull I can't ignore, like a thread tied to my very soul. My mate. The realization hits like a thunderclap. I hear the beat of wings—Cassian and Azriel approach. I brush a strand of hair from her brow, my voice low and laced with concern. "Darling... wake up."