A Court of Lies and Secrets | ACOTAR fanfic [Girl x Girl]

Iagan

~Renae~

"You know why we're here." I don't need to shout- the room is small enough for the sound to reach Iagan perfectly fine. He doesn't smirk or sneer or mutter anything in response.

I wonder whether to ask him again- whether he heard the first time. I still restrain from looking at someone else for help. Iagan and I both know this business is entirely our own. Having the others here is for support and protection mainly- if I could do all of this safely and alone, I would. The king and queen aren't known for their kind and helpful qualities. I need to do this myself.

"Interrupting my alone time?" He finally speaks up after a few more awkward, silent moments.

"You knew we'd come here." I state what everybody already knows, the number of chairs a frighteningly clear indication.

He leans forward slightly and leans his head atop his hand- staring through the darkness and into the dim golden light where I sit. My heart pounds in my chest, knowing that all eyes are on me, everybody waiting for my promise to pull out all the information we need from Iagan. Their overwhelming expectations.

"Why are you here?" He mutters with little emotion, a cold sentence that almost sends shivers down my spine. I want to scream in his face and march over to his personal space and make true to my earlier promises. But the strain of the expecting stares is making my own voice close in on itself. He knows exactly why we're here and he also knows the pressure I'm feeling to be the slightest bit intimidating. He has the power here- always will.

A thought flickers in my mind, I should just leave. This won't be successful. Iagan is too manipulative to let us win and everyone is too tired to fight him. The thought vanishes even quicker than it arrives as I remember who I'm doing this for and who I've lost because of this pathetic king before us all.

"Iagan, you know exactly what we want. How about stop wasting my time and just tell us what we want to know?" I give a one-shoulder shrug as if flicking off every speck of discomfort. Alirra painted on my mind to remind me to not cower at his presence.

He only gives a soft laugh that's barely audible this far away. Cassian removes a blade and places a fingertip against its point. His arms rest comfortably atop the pine chair arms. The indication perfectly received by Iagan who looks at Cas through his peripheral vision.

"It hurts when people ask about you." He mumbles as if it's only me who can hear him.

"Feeling regretful, are we?"

"Yes," his eyes- mocking empathy- land on my own gaze, "I regret not killing you the first time." I know exactly what he means. My first kiss. My first female. I genuinely thought that day I would die, I thought nothing would convince my father to see that I'm still the same, that I never actually changed and have always been this way. He hated that more, that he hadn't noticed 'the signs' earlier on and sent me to get help when I was younger. It ripped apart at my heart and teared my soul to shreds at the thought of my parents disappointed in me. Joining the Night court finally made me realise how wrong they were to hate me for such a thing.

Azriel doesn't react well to his comment and pulls out his own dagger, pressing it lightly against Iagan's throat, a single movement from either of them could have him bleeding out atop his shined stone floors.

Nobody flinches at his actions or shows any interest to stop him from cutting the king into pieces before our eyes.

"I know how you feel father-"

"You don't get to call me that." He spits and if I could I would flinch or sob at his words. I just laugh. I've dealt with this hateful male for most of my life and his words hurt deep but I've mastered the unfaltering exterior.

"I have regrets too," I stand from my chair and saunter into his space, the light finally away from my face and the shadows blending with my own features, "I regret not fucking a female sooner."

His top lip curls upward and if Azriel didn't have a blade at his throat he would've lunged and never pause to snap my neck. I can feel his anger and hatred bubbling away from him in thick black blisters. His eyes burning into my own as if he could change my opinions by that action alone.

"Now if you don't mind, I want my mate back. In the same condition as you found her." The final word is the cherry on top for Iagan as he lunges upward and throws himself at me, all fists and muscles. I feel multiple blows to my face but choose to shut out the picture of it all. My skin burns repeatedly after every pound against my jaw, then my eye, then my cheek. Over and over until I'm sure there's no more pain left to feel. I can't forget about Alirra- all of this for her- all of this worth it if I get her back.

It takes Cassian, Azriel, Jurian and Rhys to get him up. Throwing him down into his chair and Vassa provides a few blows to the raging king after Azriel steps back. I finally open my eyes to see the delicate hands of Elain and Feyre pressed against the bruises forming. Cassian shields Nesta a few steps away from the king and Lucien is begging Elain to move away.

The shouts and smacks of punches being thrown are all I can here. Feyre's soft voice is mute and I can't take my focus away from Iagan. Blood is splattered against his fists and I realise the warm trickle down the side of my face. A few bubbles of spit coat his bottom lip and with each heaving breath through his teeth, little drops fly away in different directions. His fists cling onto the surrounding male arms, fingers digging into their leathers and if they didn't have the protection, he would've had them bleeding too. His veins along his hands and arms are accentuated by the dying sunlight, almost hidden by the horizon.

"Tell us where she is!" Rhysand's voice booms in his face and his own hand grabs the sweat soaked neck of the king. Feyre still background noise as I focus wholly on Rhys and Iagan.

Iagan hasn't removed his stare from mine since he leapt from his chair. Grunting and sneering from his forced position beneath the hands of the Illyrians.

"Make me." He spits at Rhysand's feet and gains another blow to the face courtesy of Cassian.

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