Archive of Our Own ^beta

Today was the day. 

The day that Rhys was finally going to teach me how to fly. I’d been dying to learn since I discovered I had wings, but this was all new to me. I had wings. Actual wings.

Rhys took the day off as High Lord in order to teach me. He’d been overwhelmingly supportive and encouraging about it, but I was still incredibly anxious.

That left us to right now – both of us standing on the edge of the House of Wind. I looked down to the city below, but that was a terrible idea. I backed up a few steps, wrapping my arms around my waist.

Rhys stepped up next to me, placing a comforting hand on my lower back. “Feyre, darling,” he said softly. “If you’re not ready yet, we don’t have to do it today.”

I shook my head. “No, I want to learn. I need to learn,” I said. “I want to be able to fly with you and the Illyrians. I am the High Lady of the Night Court, I should know how to fly.”

Rhys’s lips curled up into a smile. “Then we’ll start now.” He walked around me, and I could feel his hot breath on the back of my neck, causing goosebumps to instantly appear on my skin. “We’ll do it the way I learned.”

I thought back on the stories he told me about flying – about his mother teaching him. I instantly froze.

“No way, Rhys. You are not pushing me off this cliff.”

Rhys chuckled. “Come on, Feyre. It’s how I learned. It’s how all Illyrians learn.” He dragged a finger down my spine, between the membranes of my wings. I shivered.

I turned around to face him. “I will knock you on your ass if you even think about it.”

He put up his hands in a sign of surrender, that typical smirk gracing his lips. “As you wish.”

I turned back around to look at the open sky before me. I could do this. I’d encountered so many evils and difficult tasks in my life – I could fly. No big deal.

Just as I was preparing to step off the ledge, I sensed Rhys behind me. That could only mean one thing.

Don’t you dare, I said to his mind.

I felt his amusement through the bond. Do what, darling?

I swiveled around and pounced, pushing him off the cliff.