A Court of Light and Embers

Chapter Twenty-Three

a/n hey guy! its been a hot sec since i've written a chapter- i've taken a bit of a break from writing as inspiration has eluded me, much like how good plans bypass Lorcan's brain. okay enjoy the chapter xox

The night of the ball came all too quickly. Somehow, Bryce had managed to convince her father to give her and a few "friends" an invitation. The ball was scheduled for the end of the week, so it was all hands on deck at Bryce's apartment.

They spent most of the time brainstorming what sort of object this weapon could be, as well as memorising the security, the traps set for robbers, the treasure archives, everything. It took a lot of time, research, and digging around, before they had made the perfect plan. Though it was risky, Aelin believed they could do it.

Since she and Feyre were still wanted criminals, they had to come up with fake personas and disguises to enter the ball unnoticed. So Aelin and Feyre were now Bellona and Sauda Walters, friends of Bryce who were visiting from overseas.

All too soon, it was time to leave. Aelin quickly wriggled into her dress, the multiple layers of her skirts floating in the air. The princess-sweetheart neckline plumped her cleavage, the bodice and skirts a solid burnt orange colour. A golden necklace in the shape of laurel leaves wrapped around her throat, and ornate gold heels added a few more centimetres to her height. She twisted her hair up on top of her hair in a delicate knot, pinning it in place. Finally, she placed the mask on her face, the golden swirls covering the top half of her face. The main upside to this ball; there was a requirement to wear masks, so their identities would be even more hidden.

She sighed, brushing her hands down the front of her skirt. She just wanted this over with. She just wanted to go home.

Their was a soft knock on the door. "Aelin?"

"Come in," she said, and Feyre stepped into the room. Like Aelin, she wore a dress with autumn themed colours. The gown itself was a pale orange, with puffy tulle sleeves that hung down her shoulders, and a loose, layered skirt the flowed down her legs. She wore a pretty pair of nude heels that wrapped around her calves, and her hair was cascading down her back to help hide her tattoos. Elbow-length orange gloves covered the ink on her forearms. Her mask was similar to Aelin's with the filigree metal swirls.

"Are you ready to go?" She asked, slipping a knife into the bodice of her dress.

Aelin drapped a white-fur shawl around her shoulders, hiding the top part of her tattoo. "Lets just get this over with."

"That's the spirit," Feyre said, approaching her.

Aelin quirked a brow. "Why so perky?"

Feyre shrugged, fiddling with her gloves. "We might be going home today." She paused, then corrected, "I might be going home today."

"We can only go back to our worlds if we find this stupid weapon," Aelin reminded her. "We can't return to Prythian without it."

"We'll find it. I'm sure."

Aelin laid a hand on her arm. "Will you be okay doing this?"

Feyre rested a hand on her stomach, her brow twitching. "I'll be fine. I can keep the nausea under control."

Aelin nodded, sliding a large sword Bryce had managed to procure for her down the length of her spine, the gilded and lavish hilt appearing as though it was apart of her gown.

Bryce yelled from the other room, "let's go! We need to be at the FiRo soon."

The FiRo, or the Five Roses, they had learnt, was the Autumn Kings territory, inhabited mostly by Fae. It was located towards the North End of Crescent City. During their planning sessions, Bryce and Hunt had given them a run-down of their city, Lunathion. Aelin and Feyre were quietly shocked at all the beings inhabiting the city; Aelin was especially shocked that the witches were healers and actually pleasant.

Aelin and Feyre emerged from the spare bedroom, tucking weapons galore into any spaces of their dresses they could find. Bryce sat up on the kitchen bench, her off-shoulder dress's collar decorated with fall leaves. Her pale thigh was exposed through a long slit up the side. She rested one hand on the bench while the other tapped away on her phone, her wine-red hair done up in pretty braid down her back. A simple masked was fixed over her face.

She glanced up as Aelin and Feyre stopped in front of her. "Alright. Everyone understands the plan?"

Aelin crossed her arms. "Of course we do. How are we getting there? And where's the over-sized pigeon gone?"

Bryce slid from the bench, landing gracefully on killer heels. "Hunt's gone ahead of us. He needed to stop at the 33rd Legion and put a fake lead into the system about your whereabouts. Something about you guys being spotted near the Meat Market."

"Great," Aelin casually slid a dagger from the sheath at her thigh, fingering the sharp tip lovingly. "And remember, if you even think about betraying us again, I will take great pleasure in cutting you up into little bit-sized pieces and eating you for lunch. Got it?"

Bryce rolled her eyes. "Sure, sure."

Aelin cocked her head. "Bite me."

"Alright," Feyre raised her hands, ever the peace-maker. "Let's just go. I think being cooped up in this house for a few days isn't doing us any good." a/n quarantine got us like-

Bryce huffed, grabbing her clutch from the counter. "Fine. Follow me, ladies."

The three women quickly headed down the steps of the apartment building, lifting their gowns to make movement easier. They passed the clerk at the front desk, who gaped as they floated by, and stopped out the front of the building.

The cool night air was crisp and fresh on Aelin face and she glanced up and down the street, watching as night-club goers headed to their venues, their backs turned towards them. "All clear."

Feyre grabbed onto Aelin and Bryce's hands. "Are you sure you know where to go?" Bryce asked as Feyre took a deep breath.

"Have a little faith, Bryce," Feyre replied, and they disappeared in a flash of darkness.