They were kicking her out. Throwing her into the wild, perhaps to go back to the human landsâ
âIâll take the blame,â Feyre went on, âfor things getting this far, and getting this bad. After the war, with everything else that was going on, it ⊠you ⊠I should have been there to help you, but I wasnât, and I am ready to admit that this is partially my fault.â Partially? The insults, the sneers, the jokes at her expenseâ that was definitely her fault. But whatâ what did she want here? It didnât seem like the start of an apology, it seemed like the beginning of a lecture, or an intervention. So whatâ what was she saying was her fault?
âThat what is your fault,â Nesta demanded.
âYou,â Cassian said from the armchair to her left. âThis bullshit behavior.â
Her spine locked up, fire boiled in her veins at the insult, the arroganceâ
âI understand how youâre feeling,â Feyre cut in.
âYou know nothing about how Iâm feeling,â Nesta snapped.
âItâs time for some changes.â Feyre plowed ahead. âStarting now.â
âKeep your self-righteous do-gooder nonsense out of my life.â And stop meddling in it. She might have been her sister, but what right did that give Feyre to meddle so much in her life? Sheâd already fought in Feyreâs war, what more did they want? For her to be lovely and nice and perfectly gracious to the same people who had jeered at her and made jokes about her to her face? That wasnât happening anytime soon.
âYou donât have a life,â Feyre retorted. âYou have quite the opposite. And Iâm not going to sit by and watch you destroy yourself for another moment.â
Rhys tensed at the sneer, but said nothing, as sheâd done countless times when theyâd sneered in her face for letting Feyre go into those woods. For her attitude, her lack of bowing and scraping. For not being respectful to the people who has caused Elainâs pain, who had made them to fight in a war they had no part in.
âI want you out of Velaris,â Feyre breathed, her voice shaking.
Nesta triedâtried and failedânot to feel the blow, the sting of the words. Though she didnât know why she was surprised by it. Theyâd never They were kicking her out. Throwing her into the wild, perhaps to go back to the human landsâ
âIâll take the blame,â Feyre went on, âfor things getting this far, and getting this bad. After the war, with everything else that was going on, it ⊠you ⊠I should have been there to help you, but I wasnât, and I am ready to admit that this is partially my fault.â
âThat what is your fault,â Nesta demanded.
âYou,â Cassian said from the armchair to her left. âThis bullshit behavior.â
Her spine locked up, fire boiled in her veins at the insult, the arroganceâ
âI understand how youâre feeling,â Feyre cut in.
âYou know nothing about how Iâm feeling,â Nesta snapped.
âItâs time for some changes.â Feyre plowed ahead. âStarting now.â
âKeep your self-righteous do-gooder nonsense out of my life.â
âYou donât have a life,â Feyre retorted. âYou have quite the opposite. And Iâm not going to sit by and watch you destroy yourself for another moment.â
Rhys tensed at the sneer, but said nothing, as heâd promised.
âI want you out of Velaris,â Feyre breathed, her voice shaking.
Nesta triedâtried and failedânot to feel the blow, the sting of the words. Though she didnât know why she was surprised by it. They didnât want her here anyway. Theyâd always been blatantly clear that they hated her. There were no paintings of her in this house, they did not invite her to parties or dinners anymore, they certainly didnât visitâ
âAnd where,â Nesta asked, her voice mercifully icy, âam I supposed to go?â
And for once, Cassian wasnât grinning as he said, âYouâre coming with me to the Illyrian Mountains.â To the mountainsâTo train with the Illyrians. Exile. They were exiling her because sheâd been cold towards them, because they all hated her. Sheâd heard the comments they made about her, sometimes right in front of her.
âWatch out! Here comes the ice queen! Donât look at her too long or sheâll turn you to ice!â
âI donât know what on earth Cassian sees in her, I bet she doesnât even have a heart.â
âI canât believe that sheâs your sister, Feyre. How do you put up with her?â
âCassian should give up on her, she doesnât deserve him.â
âIâm going to need so much more wine if I have to put up with her all night.â
âYour sisters love you. I canât for the life of me understand whyâ
The memories echoed and overlapped each other as icy rage spread through her veins.
âFine.â She bit out. âYou donât want me here. Iâll go. But not with him.â
Cassian snarled at that, âYouâre coming with me whether you like it or not, princess.â
Nesta glared at Cassian. âAnd what if I refuse? Youâll force me to go?â She said coldly and slightly mockingly.
Rhysand smirked. âWe certainly could force you, that would make things easier.â He mused.
Nesta turned her glare onto him. âWhat right do you have to meddle in my life?â She seethed.
Rhysand stood up. â What life? All youâre doing is drinking and fucking your way across Velaris, using the money that we provide you. And yet you still canât find it in you to say a single nice thing to anyone. Not even Elain, your own sister. Do you know how much you hurt her when you stayed away? How much she hates your lifestyle? She was going to be here you know, but then she decided that she couldnât face you. That she couldnât face what youâd become.â
Every word hit Nesta like knives against her skin. ElainâShe hadnât meant to hurt her, she didnât realize that sheâd even cared that much. Elain had her new family-the inner circle-and she hadnât thought that Elain would need or want her anymore, and sheâdâsheâd hurt Elain. Hurt her by staying away like sheâd thought Elain wanted. And RhysandâHow dare he fling that sort of bullshit in her face when heâd done nothing but ridicule and hate her since the moment heâd laid eyes on her. How dare he criticize her as though every aspect of her life was under their jurisdiction.
âElain was so disappointed, you know, sheââ Rhysand continued with that hateful smirk on his face, enough to make Nesta see red. She barely noticed her arm moving until a very loud thwack sounded, and she realized that sheâd slapped him across the face. Hard, if the red blooming across his face was any indication. As he turned his face up to look at her, disgust and hatred dancing across his expression along with the slightest hints of surprise, she snarled âExile me if you want. But donât you dare lecture me about how to live my life.â She left him standing there and stormed out onto the streets, and headed towards her place in the slums. She walked in and locked all four locks and slumped down behind the door, leaning her head against it. The Illyrian mountainsâWhere she was going to be exiled soon. And with Cassian. Sheâd be surprised if they lasted a week without killing each other. She sighed. Sheâd survived the war. Sheâd survive this. She wasnât going to break and join their perfectly happy little circle like they wanted her to.