After a heavy whoosh of wind, Nova appeared at the foot of the stairs that would lead her to the House of Wind. She took them two at a time, quickly closing the distance between herself and Nesta. With each step she took, the greater her anger became.
How dare she.
How dare the woman who raised her for ten years keep something of such vital importance from her.
Nova pushed into the House of Wind, and though everyone was in attendance, her gaze narrowed on Nesta, who sat silently at the table with a book sprawled before her and a cup of tea in hand. As Nova slowly approached the table, eyes set intently on her aunt, Cassian parted his lips with a grin, but it dropped when he saw Nova's expression.
The predatory gaze she held. Their niece was out for blood, and everyone sensed it as they tensed. Everyone…except Ana, who lowered her head from the far side of the couch and stared at the toes of her worn shoes. Fingers trembling.
Nova stopped at the other end of the table and braced her hands against the surface. She leaned forward, leveling her heavy stare on Nesta, ignoring the sound of her parents entering the house after them.
All was quiet.
"Nothing to say?" Nova finally asked, and Nesta slowly lifted her head, matching her with a steely gaze of her own.
With a placid expression, Nesta slowly closed her book after carefully marking her place. She sat her still, folded her hands on the cover, and straightened her back.
"I assume they've told you about the prophecy?"
Az, Cas, Mor, and Amren's confused faces searched Nesta as their eyes grew wide with realization.
"Nesta…" Cassian breathed.
Nova slowly shook her head as the dam behind her emotions threatened to spill over the edge. Her lower lip quivered as she whispered, "Why didn't you tell me?"
"Your training was incomplete."
Blinking the moisture from her eyes, Nova shook her head. "My training?"
Nesta sighed and leaned back in her chair. "If I had told you, what would you have done, Nova? Because if your answer is anything but run off to marry the Prince of the Winter Court, you are lying."
She reeled back, her face as pale as it had been upon first hearing the news. "People have died…are dying now because of this. I could have prevented that…of course I would have left!"
"That is precisely my point. You weren't ready."
Taking a step back, Nova exclaimed. "Are you fucking insane?!"
"And the way you're reacting now continues to prove my argument."
"You lied to me. You manipulated me. And somehow, I'm the one acting irrationally? I've just been told I have to give my entire life away. Everything I've planned and worked for…is gone. All this time, I could have been preparing myself."
"You were preparing yourself."
"Bullshit!"
Nesta sighed heavily and settled a cold gaze on her niece, "You are behaving nothing like Valkyrie should. Perhaps you cut your ribbon too soon.
The muscles in Nova's body slackened, and her face crumpled as they stared at each other. A penetrating chill raked down her spine as she slowly nodded, running a hand down her face as her jaw trembled. Begging the tears to remain dormant until she could leave.
In a hollow voice, Nova muttered, "Have a nice life, Nesta."
She turned and started for the door she'd come through, then focused on Ana, who sat with silent tears running down her flushed cheeks.
"By the way," Nova said, watching her unspoken sins simmer behind her eyes, "Silence is equal to compliance, and makes you just as guilty." She didn't stay to watch Ana's face break. Stalking past her parents without looking, she left the House of Wind.
No one stopped her.
Nova didn't rest until a few miles into the forest, and the slow heat of embarrassment and anguish turned into numbing cold. Losing the sensation in her legs, she sank to the earth and pulled her knees to her chest before burying her face against her knees as the tears flowed freely, dripping into the soil below.
Soft laughter drifted through the trees, but Nova didn't move as a presence approached her.
"Hey, Starfish, what's…" Finch trailed off as Nova lifted her head, revealing her bloodshot eyes.
Bran stiffened, and they swiftly moved forward, kneeling before her with furrowed brows. Lightly touching her hand, Bran squeezed softly, "Are you hurt?"
She squeezed her eyes shut and a soft sob ripped up her chest, and without hesitation, Bran wrapped her into his arms, letting her press her face to his chest as the tears fell and her breathing stuttered.
It took some time, but after a few minutes, Nova spoke, and she told them everything: the meeting, the prophecy, about Nesta and Hollis. By the time she'd finished, she had no tears left to cry, and she sat in defeated silence between Bran and Finch, their arms wrapped around her- Finch's head resting on her shoulder and Bran's on top of her head. Cocooning her in their protection. Though her heart hurt with constant twinges, their embrace was the most comfort she'd felt all day.
Together, they sat silently until dusk fell…and the earth shook.
Raising their heads, they stared through the leaves in the trees, where a red glow emanated from afar.
Velaris was on fire.
They were on their feet just as another disruption to the atmosphere shook the ground beneath them. None spoke as they raced toward Velaris, clearing logs and ripping through the thicket. Even Nova was out of breath from her exertion when they reached the lip of the city.
Screams met their ears, and she turned to Bran and Finch, both steady in their stances as they panted.
"Bran, left. Finch, right. I'll move forward. The goal is to get as many citizens out as quickly as possible. Go!"
On order, they all rushed into the smoke-filled streets. Nova dashed into an alley that would bring her into the city's center, wishing now she'd explored in more detail to know the layout better. Above, she watched Cassian and Azriel fly overhead, with the speed of a falling star, but she didn't stop as she launched into the crowded street. Swept in panic, the people of Velaris scrambled in different directions, all running from a single source.
The Autumn Court soldiers.
Nova planted herself into their raging path, screamed, and pointed down the alley she'd come from that would lead them closer to the forest, "Go! Toward the camps! DON'T STOP!"
Those sprinting in her direction, many carrying a child to their chests, took heed of her instruction and turned sharply down the alley. While crowded, at least as they dispersed, they could take to the trees and have a better chance of hiding.
Nova knew, with a sickening twist of her gut, that the soldiers weren't there for the inhabitants of the Rainbow District.
They were there for her.
Kyra slammed into the barracks, and Hollis clambered from his bed and to his feet with surprise.
"What's going on?" Hollis asked as his people followed suit.
Kyra yelled over an infant's cry, "Get your people to the ships. Velaris is under attack. Go, now!" She left, spread her wings, and took flight beside Ansel.
Paler than he'd ever been, Hollis' eyes widened as all eyes turned to him. Bran was not here…neither was Finch. The city was under attack and…Nova. The fear that had begun to swallow him was gone instantly as something different took him over.
Something primal.
"Let's go! Leave all personal belongings behind!" Hollis slipped into his boots; glad he hadn't changed from his working clothing yet after his day with the horses.
With haste, everyone squeezed through the doors to the outside, and from where they stood, they could see the smoke in the distance. Tightening his jaw, Hollis swallowed harshly, ignoring his instincts to race toward Velaris.
He needed to be smart about this.
"Run! Let's go!" Hollis charged forward, toward where he knew the ships to be docked. Being so near the beach had been a precaution; Hollis knew many would take longer to arrive. The elderly couldn't run as fast as the young, so Hollis took the rear.
"Keep going!" He called out as the more fit court members took the lead. "Come on, don't stop!"
Hollis waited until they were closer to the horse stables and then took off in a mad dash to the front of the group. As he jogged, he looked at the woman in the lead. She was the same age as he and had shown nothing but resilience through the trek from the Winter to the Night Court.
Talia was the strongest among the rest.
"There is a crew waiting at the docks," he said to her, his brow rigid and eyes alight, "Get everyone on board. They will take you to the Winter Court."
With a curt nod, Talia moved faster as Hollis took the left fork in the road and departed from the group. He ran faster than ever before, arriving at the stables in no time. He shook his head at Leon, who snorted at him.
"I'm sorry, old friend. You won't be fast enough," Hollis said as he saddled Wild as fast as his fingers allowed and mounted. To his surprise, the horse he'd never been able to tame before didn't fight him, even as he reared his head back and whinnied.
Astride Wild, they took off into the descending night, leaving behind an echo of hooves.
While people fled, Nova centered herself amidst the chaos. Sliding her blades from the side of her boots, she ducked and dove over the reaching hands of soldiers intent on grabbing even just an inch of her clothing. Another hand, outstretched to her, had made the fatal mistake of getting too close. She brought her blade down, slicing the appendage off, and ignored his screams as she slammed her boot into his chest.
Turning at the sound of steps behind her, she was met with another snarling face, but without hesitation, charged toward him and jammed her short sword up through his chin. The warm spray of blood coated her face as he dropped before her.
Then, before she could avoid it, a dagger sank into her left knee, and she buckled. The soldier slammed into her, sending her backward, feet off the ground, and crashing onto the cobblestone.
"You're coming with me!" He sneered as he snatched the dagger, yanked it free with a wet slide, and drove it back down into her thigh just above.
Crying out, Nova snatched his wrist and, twisting under him, managed to place the heel of her boot at his throat. Using every bit of muscle she had, she sent his head backward with a sickening snap. She clambered to her feet, snatching the handle of the blade he'd used and pulling it out again with gritted teeth before flipping it in her hand to hold the blade coated in her blood, and threw it with such force that it pierced through the skull of the soldier approaching from her left.
Limping, Nova pressed her hand against her thigh as she rotated around. She watched her mother send arrows into enemies. Mor sliced through throats. And Amren sent crushing debris with the mere shift of her fingers. Above, wings filled the sky, but the fire that reigned sent some crashing to the ground where more soldiers waited to prey over them.
They just kept coming.
Hordes of them.
With every soldier they killed, it seemed five more would appear.
"Nova!" A familiar voice called to her, and she turned, watching in horror as Peter ran toward her, holding a bloodied kitchen cleaver.
Just as she darted toward him, the shadow of a figure loomed behind him. Before she could release a scream of warning, the sword the soldier carried plunged through Peter's back.
He crumpled to the blood-soaked ground, and Nova fell forward, her battle cry caught in her chest as she numbly clawed her way toward him. As she found purchase and collided with the soldier who still wielded his sword, she slammed her hands against his chest and tore out his still-beating heart.
Finch was the first to slide to Peter's side, grabbing him by his shoulders as Nova tumbled forward and put her body over Peter's, watching as the front of her shirt spread with a crimson hue.
"PETER!" They cried together as Finch pressed his hands into the wound, only to leak around his fingers in a growing pool.
Nova grabbed Peter's hand and squeezed as her body shook. She looked down at his face and said, "Look at me! Look at me! Don't close your eyes. Please don't close your eyes!"
But Peter smiled as he gazed up at her with fading green eyes and bloody teeth.
"You're holding my hand…"
Novas' forehead crumpled as she touched his cheek tremblingly, "I always should have…"
Releasing a gurgled, rattled breath, Nova watched the sparkling light of all the smiles he'd worn leave Peter's eyes.
Peter.
Her Peter.
Was gone.
"No no no no…no…please.. no…." Finch sobbed as he pressed his face against his chest. "Don't leave me. Please don't leave me!" His entire body shuddered and convulsed as Nova slowly sat back on her heels and stared at the dull eyes and blue lips of everything she'd always wanted.
As Peter's heart stopped…so did Nova's.
She stared down at him as something frigid swept through her like a winter's breeze. Forcing herself to look away, silence filled her ears as she watched her family fight. Her father swept through a group, disintegrating them on command as she slowly stood to her feet.
Stumbling, she didn't hear her voice as she called out to them, and the soldiers searching for the Star turned her way. She staggered backward, turning entirely from Peter's body as Finch continued to hold his brother limply to his chest, and tore through the bodies that lay dead or dying and ran for the forest.
Nova didn't stop.
She didn't look behind her as she stepped through the trees and kept running. Catching the scent of the citizens who had escaped, she sprinted in the opposite direction as fast as her legs would carry her.
Only when she couldn't breathe anymore did Nova fall into the dirt. The heavy footsteps of an army encompassed her, and with each passing moment, the circle grew tighter.
Nova waited. Patiently. Murderously.
They were away from her home, and that was what mattered.
Peter's pale, slackened face in the forefront of her mind as she dug her fingers into the soil and released an earth-shattering scream. A wave of energy erupted from her core, sending out a force so strong that the dozens of Autumn Court soldiers who had followed her, nearly all of them, fell with stopped hearts.
The pulse flattened the Earth.
Trees collapsed in its wake, and windows in Velaris shattered.
Hollis, astride Wild, felt the thunder aftershocks through his chest as all sound around him ceased. He and his stallion fell on their journey, and in his unconscious state, he lay beneath his horse as blood leaked from his ears.
Then, with the meager ounce of power Nova had left, she winnowed.
Nova slowly opened her eyes and lifted her head as her fingers plunged in warm moss and a gentle fog balmed the gaping wounds that littered her body. Unable to keep her head up, Nova's body gave in, and she fell into darkness.