Two weeks.

Two weeks since Fenrys had crashed through worlds to find you.

Two weeks since you'd been dragged from the life you'd built in Velaris and thrown back into the one you'd thought you'd lost forever.

Two weeks since you'd felt whole.

The night court stretched beyond the balcony in a sea of houses, whose chimneys billowed smoke from fires warming the families within.

The distant mountains starting to crown with snow with the changing of the seasons, summer was ending and autumn was upon you. The updraft tickled your face with the scent of flowers that bloomed below the townhouse balcony.

It should have felt like home, at this point.

And it did.

Mostly.

Yet there were moments when you caught yourself looking toward shadows, expecting to see dark wings overhead.

As if muscle memory kicked in, most mornings you would turn towards the windows to see if Az was about to bank into the open window.

Of course, that stopped a long time ago now.

The guilt lingered longer than you wanted it to. Longer than you had thought.

in your close to 300 years of life, you couldn't understand how you had single handedly hurt the two males you loved the most.

The thought twisted unpleasantly in your chest as you stood on the balcony outside your chambers.

The sun was starting to heat your cheeks when, behind you, the balcony doors slid open.

You didn't need to turn around.

The bond had already announced him.

Warm.

Ancient.

Beloved.

Yours.

The feeling wrapped around your heart before strong arms slid around your waist.

Fenrys buried his face into the curve of your neck.

You immediately relaxed against him.

The male had become almost impossible to separate from over the last fortnight.

Not in an unhealthy way.

More like someone who had spent years starving and had suddenly been handed food.

Neither of you could quite get enough of the other, in any sense of the word.

His lips brushed the sensitive skin below your ear.

"You disappeared."

You smiled softly.

"I've been standing here for ten minutes."

A low rumble vibrated through his chest.

"I know."

His arms tightened.

"But I walked into the room and you weren't there."

The smile faded.

You turned slowly within his embrace, the sunlight caught the blonde in his hair.

The scar crossing his face.

The exhaustion still lingering beneath his eyes.

Two weeks later and he was still recovering.

Not physically.

Emotionally.

The scars from your separation ran deep. You knew you looked the same, though you were improving.

You were putting on weight, finally. Your hair was stronger with more shine. Your were starting the sparkle again, the bond was healing you.

Your hands settled against his chest.

"Fen."

His jaw flexed.

And there it was.

That same expression you'd been noticing more and more lately.

The one he tried to hide whenever he thought you weren't looking.

The one that spoke of insecurity.

Fear.

You frowned.

"What is it?"

"Nothing."

A blatant lie.

You raised a brow. Fenrys groaned.

"You've spent too much time around Rowan." You jested as a hesitant laugh escaped your lips.

Fen, didn't return the sentimate.

His gaze drifted toward the distant mountains as his hands loosened around your waist and held limply around your hips.

"Fen?" you prodded, craning your head to grab his eye sight, but he was avoiding it.

Which was answer enough.

You reached up and cupped his cheek.

The rough scrape of stubble met your palm.

Immediately his eyes closed.

Leaning into your touch.

Like a wolf seeking comfort.

Your heart cracked.

"What is it?"

This time his answer came quietly.

"I keep wondering."

The words were barely audible.

Your stomach dropped, your skin prickled and you didn't know if it was anxiety or the bond that made your stomach plumet in your abdomen.

"Wondering what?" you asked softly

His eyes opened.

the morning sun illuminated every ounce of vulnerability there.

"If I never came here" he started and you froze.

"If the portal hadn't worked. If we were seperated any longer than we were"

His voice remained carefully neutral.

"Fen—"

"Would you have stayed with him?"

The question speared you in place, you felt ever muscle, no, ever fiber in your body stiffen.

For a heartbeat, neither of you moved.

Neither of you breathed.

The bond pulsed painfully between you.

Fenrys finally swung his eyes to you, the onyx eyes that only a few moments were full of love now uncertain.

But as you starred up at him, trying to find the words you noticed something our simmering in his gaze.

Not jealousy.

Fear.

Fenrys had spent years unable to reach you.

years imagining every possible outcome.

years not knowing another male had held your hand.

Comforted you.

Loved you.

Years wondering if, eventually, you might stop waiting for him.

Your throat tightened.

"Oh, Fen."

His eyes squeezed shut.

"I know it's stupid."

"It isn't."

His laugh was bitter.

"It is."

You stepped closer, yours chests now touching.

"You think I stopped loving you."

His eyes snapped open.

"No."

The answer came immediately.

Instantly.

Without hesitation.

"I never thought that."

The raw certainty in his voice stole your breath.

"I know you love me" emotion thickened his words. "I've never doubted that."

"Then what?" you whispered

"I just, I can't get the idea out of my head that you would have eventually moved on. Maybe not fully but-" he shook his head, like he was trying to shake the thoughts away.

You sighed and rose on your toes, placing small kisses to each of his cheeks.

"I don't think we should dwell on what ifs fen" you said softly as you settled back on your heels.

"I can't help it" he shrugged.

You nodded, but before you could speak you were interrupted by the door sliding open again.

"Cousin, Rhysand is asking for you and Fen" Rowans voice cut all the emotion out of the air.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The study had become Rhysand's prison, it seemed.

Ancient books covered every available surface. Scrolls spilled from shelves and lay open across the floor, while dozens more floated through the air under the influence of his basic magic.

It looked less like a High Lord's office and more like the aftermath of an explosion in a library.

You stepped carefully around a pile of parchment, trying not to knock over his semi organised work as you made your way over to him.

"Please tell me you've slept." you said, craning your head to the side to peer at him.

Rhys didn't bother looking up from the book in his hands.

"No."

You sighed and looked over your shoulder where Fenrys and Rowan lingered in the archway of the door.

"I can tell." you sighed turning your attention back to the highlord that sat at your feet.

"Was it the bloodshot eyes or the fact I've been wearing the same shirt for three days?" his violet eyes finally met yours, and they were indeed bloodshot.

"The shirt." you answered with a hint of sympathy.

That finally earned a laugh. But it didn't come from Rhys.

It came from the young queen of terresan from where she sat curled into an armchair beside the fireplace.

"He's been insufferable." she groaned as she stretched her arms over her head, a book grasped in one hand.

"I can hear you." Rhys softly snarled

"Good." she quipped, flopping her arms and the book back on her lap.

You smiled despite yourself.

Two weeks had passed since Fenrys's arrival.

And at the first sign of hope, Rhys and Aelin had been ( reluctantly ) working together to see if instead of people falling into this world, they could reverse it and send you all home.

The only thing they had to work on was Aelin's description of world walkers and what maeve was able to do.

After that, the pair had rummaged the library and started reading ever old text they could find to locate the answer you all hoped for.

"You asked to see me Rhys?" you finally questioned and watched as Rhys shook the thoughts out of his head.

"Yes, I-" his words died on his tongue.

His head snapping to the side so quickly you were sure he had broken his neck.

Getting to his feet at a lightning speed, he raced to one side of the room and grabbed an old tome, flipping through the pages.

"Rhys?" Rowan's voice held a certain edge of unease as he watched the highlord.

No response.

The High Lord's violet eyes darted across a page.

Once.

Twice.

Then he slowly he looked at you all

"Oh."

The room fell silent.

Aelin narrowed her eyes slightly, trying to comprehend what that meant.

"What is that look?" Fen asked no one in paticular.

Then, Rhy's smiled.

The genuine sort.

The dangerous sort.

The I've figured something out sort.

You immediately became suspicious.

"What?"

Rhys ignored you.

Instead, he looked directly at Aelin.

"You told me you have a close blood relation, a.... cousin yes?"

The room blinked.

Aelin frowned "What?"

"Aedion." you prompted, your skin covering itself in goosebumps as Rhys's excited energy filled the room.

Rhys pointed toward her.

"Your cousin."

"I know who Aedion is." she mused "Y/N just pointed it out"

To your surprise, Rhys's smile widened at her small jab.

You exchanged a glance with Fenrys.

Neither of you had any idea what was happening. Though he extended a hand and flexed his fingers once. Not as an order but a request for you to join him.

Backing up a few steps, you fell into the easy embrace of fenrys as Aelin sat forward in her chair.

"Rhys, now is not the time to be keeping things to yourself." she prompted as she picked at her nails.

The High Lord tossed the ancient book onto the table with a loud thud, causing discarded parchment to fly across the room.

"Blood." he announced as he pointed to some ancient text on the page

You looked around the room to see if anyone understood what he was on about. Only to find Rowan looked unimpressed.

"Groundbreaking discovery" your cousin murmered softly, causing you to stiffle a laugh.

Rhys rolled his eyes as his finger traced one of the symbols.

"Blood connections." he explained softly.

Silence.

Aelin frowned.

"What about them?"

Rhys practically vibrated with excitement.

"I've been trying to figure out how to find Terrasen again."

You nodded in understanding, that much you knew.

The problem wasn't opening a portal, at least not for Rhys and Aelin.

The problem was knowing where to open it.

There were potentially countless worlds.

Countless realities.

One mistake could send someone somewhere entirely different. And then this would all be for naught.

Rhys continued. "Every method we've looked at requires an anchor."

"Which we don't have," Rowan said in his usual grumpy tone.

"We do." Rhy's answered looking directly at Aelin.

The room went still.

"You."

Aelin blinked. "No."

"Yes."

"Rhys—"

"You and Aedion share blood."

Understanding slowly began spreading around the room.

Not yours, not yet.

But Rowan's expression shifted.

Then Fenrys's.

Then Aelin's.

Slowly.

Very slowly.

Realization dawned and Rhys grinned.

"Exactly."

You looked between them.

"What am I missing?" you asked, turning to each person in the room hoping someone could spell it out for you.

Aelin stood abruptly.

"The blood, the familiar tie" she explained, excitment starting to lace itsway into her voice.

You frowned.

"What about it?" you prompted, starting to feel a bit annoyed.

"The texts describe bloodlines as threads." Rhys explained, turning his eyes to you finally.

"Linking each person, by blood to a relative, obviously" he chuckeled as he ran a hand through his hair.

"Blood and blood connections transend worlds, they don't just stop because you're on a different plane... no.. Aedion would be Aelins blood relative no matter where she is.. and as such could work for Aelin to anchor too"

"Aedion is still in Terrasen." you said as the realisation hit you.

Your pulse quickened.

"And because you're related—" you turned to Aelin

"We're connected." she smiled

"Worlds drift, Magic changes, But blood remains."

"That's how you find Terrasen." you smiled as hope finally hit you.

Rhys's smile turned triumphant.

"That's how we find Terrasen."

A/N: this is probably the second last chapter tbh!! so hoping to finish this off in the next few weeks