The Heirs of the Night Court

13

"Did Christine get home safe?" asked Luna and folded her arms together, as if she wanted to protect herself.

Standing in a grey, cold room, Nyx and Luna leaned against the wall opposite of their fathers. Rhysand and Azriel came as soon as they realised that their children were involved.

Mother, they got home barely a week ago and they already had to deal with things like this. Azriel nodded. "Cassian picked her up."

"Lennart and Phoebe?"

"Mor winnowed them back to Windhaven," Rhysand said and leaned forward, to the metal table where the girl was displayed. They had stripped her down naked, but was now covered with a sheet. Only her face was visible. "They will be safer at their own place."

Both Luna and Nyx nodded, understood. Nyx could barely keep his eyes from the girl. She wasn't the first one he saw die. She wasn't the first corpse he examined.

But she was the first one he saw burn to death from the inside.

"How did this happen?" asked Rhysand and looked up at his son. They already told them what happened.

Except for the kiss. He had a soft shield around them, hoping that they fathers wouldn't smell their scents over each other. Oh gods, that kiss...

"She said she barely took a gram," answered Luna, breaking the silence. She was standing far away from Nyx, her shadows dense and heavy in the air, as if they wanted to hide her.

"Drugs?" said Azriel and his gaze drifted to Luna. Offended she straightened her back.

"To be clear, I didn't take any. I only drank alcohol. This is something I don't know," she said between gritted teeth and Azriel nodded. Nyx could never see through Azriel's facade. He could never decide what was going on behind the cool mask of the Spy Master.

"Good. So she threw up?"

"Yes," answered Nyx and recalled the red vomit coming out of her mouth. "It wasn't blood."

"Are you sure?" asked Rhysand and Nyx could feel his fathers magic roaming towards him, checking him.

"I'm sober enough to remember, dad. Give me a break." He shrugged off his fathers magic, shielded himself. He wasn't a child anymore.

"Alright then. And you're saying she burned? From the inside?"

Nyx and Luna nodded and she shuddered. He wanted to comfort her, but knew that it was the best to stay where he was. She probably didn't want him near after he had kissed her so roughly. She was too embarrassed.

"The Autumn Court?" asked Luna. Azriel and Rhysand shook their heads.

"No, they can't use their magic like this. I'll let Madja take a look at this. For now... go home and don't go downtown anymore. I want both of you safe until this is over." Rhysand looked at Luna and Nyx, didn't break eye contact. "Is that understood?"

Not his father talking, but his High Lord. Both nodded. "Yes, sir."

"Good, now go."

* * *

"Are you sure you don't want to come home with me?" asked Azriel and looked at Luna. Nyx wasn't gone yet, probably waiting for Luna.

Her stomach felt weird when she thought about going to his place. Being alone with him. She didn't dare to glance his way.

Luna didn't want to think about the kiss. The way he had grabbed her, made her knees weak...

"I'm sure, dad," she said and smiled at him. "I'll stay with Nyx until we know what is going on. That way we can look out for each other."

Azriel looked at Nyx and back at his daughter. He then nodded. "I'll bring your bags tomorrow." He kissed her cheek before he headed off with Rhysand.

Taking longer than needed, Luna walked up to Nyx. "Please tell me your place is clean," she said, hoping to break the ice. She didn't want things to get awkward after this night.

"Spotless. And I'll kill every spider for you," he said as they walked back to his apartment. It was on the third floor, which was also the highest.

"Is your aim right?" Nyx laughed and Luna finally started to relax a little bit. Good, everything was normal. They didn't need to talk about it.

"My aim is probably better than yours. You sure remember the time I threw a shoe at your head from a fifty feat distance?"

"Throwing a shoe down from a roof doesn't count."

"Oh it does. I hit you hard." He grinned and Luna hated the way heat made her blood boil in a delicious way.

"Yes," she said breathless. "You hit me hard."