A Court of Bastards [ACOTAR]

Chapter 47

The tent functioning as a prison cell was plush - more plush than its prisoner deserved. Shadows on the wall danced and leaped in the dim light cast from the crackling camp fire outside. It illuminated barely a sliver of the interior, a flickering strip which revealed Nyx on his knees, strapped around a beam in the centre.

When Fiona entered he looked up, his expression quickly changing to one of disgust as he recognised his visitor. Nyx picked his wings off the ground where they had been resting, and flared them out proudly, sitting straight. 

"Come to gloat, have we?"

She did not give him the dignity of an answer. Nyx's lip curled as they watched one another, Fiona with that sharp, omniscient expression that meant she was registering every emotion as it crossed him.

"I wish you had just listened to me, and gone home when I told you to," Nyx sneered up at her, shuffling as far forward as he could manage.

"You mean when you tried to manipulate me," Fiona corrected him, raising an eyebrow.

Malice bloomed in his eyes. "When I did what needed to be done. At any cost required," he fired back. "If you had left when I told you to, none of this would have happened."

Fiona nearly laughed. "Is that so? I didn't realise I was the lynchpin in your grand plan. Tell me," she stepped closer, head cocked to one side. "How exactly would my leaving Velaris have kept your parents alive?"

She saw him flinch internally, though he was still proud enough to hide the hurt from his face.

"My father was busy alienating the Autumn Court - on your behalf. To keep poor Fiona away from evil uncle Eris," He jutted out his chin, glaring up at her. "And look where he is now - parading through the streets of Velaris - burning my city."

"It's not your city." Fiona spat.

"It's not yours either." He returned, drawing himself up to his full height, sliding his bound hands up the pole until he was towering over her in the dim.

 She could feel the venom behind the words, knew that if he wasn't restrained he would likely have launched at her by now. Why Nyx had decided she was the villain was beyond Fiona, but if she could egg him into making a mistake amid his own vengeful rage, then all the better for her.

She crossed her arms. "It was my mothers'."

Nyx dropped his head back against the beam, looking down on her. "And it was your brother and grandfather who lit the torch, burning it to the ground." A small, smug smile tugged at his lips. "What a family."

Though she knew exactly what game he was playing, Fiona couldn't help but bristle. "He's not my brother." She clenched her fists, feeling heat building in her palms. "And If I'd had a family like yours, I would have defended them to my last breath."

Nyx's gaze dropped to her hands, where smoke was beginning to seep out from between her fingers. Ignoring it, Fiona stepped closer, delighting in the flicker of fear it earned her. 

"It is your own cowardice that has landed us here, Nyx." She hissed. "And you have no one to blame but yourself."

Fiona moved away, noting the deep breath he took, rolling his shoulders from where he had pressed his wings flush against the pole. She rubbed a little ash between her fingers as she went on. "I came to ask you two questions."

"The first," she lifted a grey finger, rooting him to the spot with that look of hers again. "Comes as a credit to your involvement in the attack on Velaris. Since you were such a key part of the plan, I want you to tell me - was Eris at the battle with Keir?"