A Court of Love and Healing {ACOTAR}

Denial and Revival

Rhys grunts as Cassian and Azriel toss him back in the living room, battered and bruised, their hands all messed up but slowly healing. Feyre gasps and jumps up, running over to him.

"What is wrong with you, are you crazy!?"

Rhys coughs up some blood and stumbles to his feet. "No, no. Feyre—it's...I think I deserved it. It was a long time coming. I accept it. Honestly, if anyone should have done that to me, it should have been you."

Feyre shakes her head and helps him to the sofa as he pants, leaning his head against it as his face heals.

Cassian still wears a grimace but reaches for Nesta, who early hooks arms with him. Azriel's shadows swarm him in anger, and it's not helped by the way Mor had reappeared and taken his mate for some family emergency. He trusts her with Gwyn, of course. But the fact that he isn't there and can feel Gwyn's distress puts him severely on edge.

As if he has summoned her, Mor and Gwyn winnow into the River House. He immediately notes that her face is tear-streaked and he goes to grab at her to comfort her, but she evades his arms, making a beeline to Nesta.

"Nesta! Oh gods, thank the Cauldron you're still here. I need your help immediately!" Azriel's shadows quickly abandon him to swarm around Gwyn, toying with her hair to comfort her.

Nesta blinks and takes her hand. "My help? With what?"

"I need the Dead Trove."

"Rhys and Feyre sit up straight and Rhys's brow furrows. "The Dread Trove? It's locked up in the Day Court. It's a danger to have around, Gwyneth. Nobody can even access it—"

"Except me", Nesta interrupts him. "What exactly do you need it for, Gwyn?"

Gwyn takes a shaky breath and looks around the room at everyone weakly. "I know you all probably won't care. But I do."

Azriel hugs her from behind and nuzzles her shoulder. "If you care, I care."

Gwyn scoffs a bit. "I think you may care the least, Az."

"What is it, love?"

She swallows hard and glances between all the faces staring back at her. "It's my father—it-it's Eris. He's dead."

Faces turn stunned and Azriel's jaw sets slightly, but he keeps a hold of his mate. Before anyone can get a word in, she continues.

"I know he has a bad history, and he has not been the best person. I know that he is not on your list of favorite people, but he was working with us. He wanted to make Autumn safe for everyone when he takes over, right? And he promised we could get to know one another. Please. I need to bring him back. I lost my mother and my sister. I can't lose him too. I can't lose the opportunity to know him, and Prythian cannot lose out on having hope for a fair and just Autumn Court in the future. Please!" The tears begin to flow down her face again as she pleads her case and Nesta hugs her tightly, tears welling up in her own eyes, remembering how she was not able to stop her own father from being slaughtered in front of her very eyes.

Nesta sniffles and squeezes her best friend's hands. "I'll help you. Eris may not have been my favorite person, but I lost time with my father that I pray we could have had to get past all the bullshit. I never got that chance. If I can give you the chance, I will. You're my best friend."

Rhys stands up and crosses his arms. "Nesta, that is not a good idea. Yes, I get that it may be in our best interest to keep Eris around, but at what cost?"

Nesta flashes her teeth at him and a spark of that silver fire flickers in her eyes. Gwyn's lip trembles as she clings to her friend and mate.

Cassian speaks, lowly and carefully. "Of course you are thinking more about the best interests of us, than you are of Gwyn's grief right now. I fully admit there were times I hated that male with a passion. But I came to see that like you, he has to wear an armor like a second skin, pretending to be an evil that he is not to survive, to garner any sense of control or respect because of Beron. Rhys, you had a terrible father. So did I, so did Azriel, Amren, so does Mor, and so does half of Prythian. As much as I hated him, I don't think he would have been a terrible father to Gwyn. Not only that, but yes, it is in the best interest of all of Prythian to keep him here to take over Autumn when the time comes."