A Court of Bastards [ACOTAR]

Chapter 46

In less than ten minutes, the inner circle had been assembled - except Xander, who was unreachable on his mission to the Western outpost with Emerie. Even Amren and Varian had deigned to join them in the wartent, where their family had gathered in nervous clusters throughout the room.

No one was quite sure what had happened, or why no one was saying anything. But they'd all heard Nyx's dramatic arrival, and the fury sitting plain in Azriel's clenched jaw served as warning enough to keep quiet until the spymaster said otherwise.

Fiona stood by Riordan's side as he was checked over by Madja. Though she was overjoyed for her cousin's return, she couldn't take her eyes of Nyx. The difference between them was marked by Dan's patchwork of bruises and wounds, and his silk shirt from the night of the battle, now discoloured and grey. Nyx, in comparison, looked effectively unharmed - a little sleep-deprived, perhaps, but otherwise unscathed, seated in the centre of the room in a fresh white tunic. He seemed distraught, glancing nervously at his uncle several times a minute as they waited in sullen silence.

"Nyx!" 

An excitable squeal cut through the atmosphere when Luna arrived, accompanied by Diana, who stood, frozen in the doorway, clutching at her baby with wide eyes. Little Luna had already bolted half-way across the room towards him by the time Azriel threw out a hand to catch her. 

"Stay back." His tone was steady, but his gaze was trained on Nyx with the intensity of predator on prey. The young fae came to a screeching halt, staring up at her uncle with those round blue eyes of hers. But Nyx's gaze was on Diana, and had turned quickly from fearful to pained.

"Diana," he called softly to her, his eyes dropping to the baby in her arms. "Is..is that Wyla?" He asked, almost nervously. "Can I see her?"

Diana's nostrils flared and that frozen look vanished. She shook her head frantically and hurried to the corner of the room where Elain was sat, staring down at the floor with wild eyes as she rocked little Wyla back and forth in her arms. 

Azriel watched the exchange, clearly resisting the urge to shatter the chair on which he sat. Instead, he gestured to Phoebus and another Illyrian guard, hovering by the door. "Get him in chains."

Cassian immediately rose from his seat. "Are you insane?" He moved into their path, standing defensively in front of his nephew.

His brother in arms stared him down, dark eyes flashing. The others waited with baited breath, watching every twitch between the two males. After a weighted pause, Az slipped out through gritted teeth, "He was working with Keir."

Luna took an involuntary step back, one hand over her open mouth. The room absorbed his words like a blow, the quiet that followed like the sharp intake of air after a puncture or a fist.

Nyx watched suspicion and incredulity bloom on their faces as they tried to decide whose words weighed heavier in their mind, which of their kin to trust. Fiona chanced a look at Diana, whose gaze was still fixed firmly to the floor. Without seeing her eyes, she couldn't tell if it was shock that kept her still or if this was, in fact, not news to her. It seemed they finally had reason to break their silence with Azriel's daughter, Fiona thought - it was high time they asked some questions.

The weight of the family's silence seemed to press down on the Prince, who turned his attention to his little sister, twisting in his seat. "I had no idea about the invasion." He began to babble frantically. "I never wanted any of this to happen - I would never have done anything to hurt-"

A growl rumbled through the tent, so deep and animalistic that it took Fiona several seconds to process that it had come from Azriel. "You sold secrets and locations." His lip curled as he bore down on Rhysand's son. "You told Keir where the Illyrians were, how he could reach them, who was in command."