A Court of Death || ACOTAR

73

Things were quiet. Astryn stopped visiting Nesta. Azriel had returned home, Rhys was off in the mortal lands. Things were quiet. Cassian and Astryn both refrained from mentioning that Nesta had succeeded at upsetting Astryn, but the fact that the visits had stopped clued Azriel in one the fact that something was going on. It wasn't hard to guess that Nesta had said something to make Astryn decide to stay away from her.

And, between Astryn and Azriel, things were good. Quiet, but good. Azriel hadn't moved his stuff to her room, but he slept in Astryn's bed with her every night now.

The quiet was broken when Rhys sent an urgent message, and immediately they were all up and ready to rescue Feyre. Mor waited on the border while Astryn, Azriel, and Cassian went into Winter Court territory.

Cassian landed first, the ice cracking beneath his feet. Azriel came next, shadows slithering over the cracks in the ice his landing made. And, finally, Astryn winnowed in. Her landing was the quietest, but her power hung heavily over everyone—a wordless threat. Look what I can do, it seemed to taunt for her, look at the power you should have killed when you had the chance.

Eris stilled, looking at her like she was a ghost.

"Eris," Astryn said, head tilted as she observed him, "I hope I don't leave this interaction regretting asking Azriel to spare your life four hundred years ago."

She raised her eyebrows expectantly, and the movements did not feel like his own as Eris released his grip on Feyre, as the flames he had bound her in were snuffed out. Cassian opened his arms to Feyre and she hurried towards him, like she was only just now settling into the reality that he truly had recovered after that mess in Hybern.

"My father had no idea what kind of power had fallen into his lap all those centuries ago," Eris commented quietly, almost sounding amused at Beron's failure.

With a fleeting glance, Astryn misted the blades Eris's brothers used in their fight against Lucien and Azriel.

"Feyre?" Astryn asked, and Feyre knew exactly what she was asking—if Beron's sons would leave this ice alive. She decided to spare them, and announced herself as High Lady of the Night Court. They met up with Mor first, and then all returned to the Night Court—Lucien Vanserra along with them.

Astryn dismissed herself from the situation, and Azriel wanted to follow, but she shook her head at him. Lucien watched her leave, as if he was trying to make the link in his mind between this Astryn and the version of her his father had kept so completely powerless.

Astryn wasn't quite sure why she didn't want to be there. Maybe it was because it was as hard for her to make the connection as it was for Lucien. He had only been a child back then, and here he was now. He had stood by Tamlin's side when he made that deal with the King of Hybern. It left a bitter taste in her mouth.

It wasn't long later that Azriel caught up with her as she wandered aimlessly around Velaris.

"Rhys kicked us out," he offered up an explanation, "for obvious reasons."

"Delightful," she muttered sarcastically, earning a quiet laugh from Azriel. "So...we're welcoming Lucien in."

"Feyre wants to," Azriel replied, "I imagine your opinion differs?"

"I don't know what my opinion is," she admitted with a shrug, "he backed up Tamlin on that deal with Hybern. Perhaps he believed Feyre truly did need to be saved from this place, or maybe he just didn't have it in himself to go against Tamlin. I don't know. But I can't imagine any scenario in which making a deal with that monster would benefit anyone."

"What do you want to do?" Azriel asked.

"I want to not see him again until I can decide how I feel about it," she said after a few long moments, "until I can look at him and see anything but someone who was willing to work with him."

"He'll be staying at the House of Wind," he offered up as a comfort, "you shouldn't have to see him much, and if he does end up around more than expected, there are other places we can go. The house you got in Velaris is still yours, and there's mine but...I'll admit, it's in a bit of disarray. And your cabin in the Middle, of course. I'm sure the monsters you made friends with there have a horrible opinion of me but I'll face their wrath if you allow me to accompany you."

She laughed and then smiled at him.

"I'd never subject you to that," she dismisses, "I've decided I quite like you again so it would be rather inconvenient if the Weaver ripped you apart now."

"I'm so eternally grateful to longer be on your list of inconvenient to lose to a terrifying death creature," he teased, earning another laugh from her. "But, truly, if Lucien is around more than you're comfortable with, we can go somewhere else. Or you can go somewhere else, if you'd prefer it that way. I don't mean to intrude."

"Yes, you do."

He grinned, "yes, I do."

"How incredibly lucky you are that I like you again. I might have to rid myself of the intrusion otherwise."

He pulled her closer to him, and she leaned into him. And, for at least this moment, things were quiet again. For at least this moment, as a war loomed on the horizon, things were quiet and okay.