A Court of Love and Healing {ACOTAR}

Intel and Intimacy

Gwyn huffs as she walks into her house. Cassian had dropped her off after training and had informed her that Azriel had been working all day. He wasn't quite sure what mission he was on, but he knew that it was important since he and Rhys had been hush-hush about it. That didn't do much to quell her anxiety, or the persistent dread welled up in her chest as she prayed to the Mother that he would be okay. It has become a prayer that she's included in her daily routine.

Today she had gone to the Cesere Temple to pray in the early morning. Azriel had been gone when she awoke but had left a sweet note with some pastries on the kitchen counter. He had told her that today would be rough and that he had an early start, but that didn't quell the disappointment she had. He had spoiled her recently by staying just a bit longer to cuddle in their bed. That ball of silent dread had ached a hole through her all day, despite trying to distract herself with extra Valkyrie training. Luckily Emerie had been there, and they had exchanged stories about recent happenings in each other's lives; mostly about Azriel and Balthazar.

Balthazar had shown up to fly Emerie home and the pink flush to her face was delightful to see. Her friend deserved that happiness, and he seemed like an amazing male.

Coming out of her brain fog, Gwyn realizes she has been pacing around the house for a while. Feeding her anxiety won't do her any good, so she heads to the washroom. 'A hot shower should help', she tells herself.

Once the water has heated and she has stripped the clothes off of her body, she steps under the stream, the warmth and the steam easing her nerves a little.

.

.

.

Azriel huffs and presses his hand to his side, where blood is now pouring out. Rhys had asked him to attend a private meeting with him early this morning. Since Eris is no longer in Autumn, he needs some spies there to try and get a read on Beron's plans for the war. While he had certainly done what his brother and High Lord asked, he couldn't help but realize that this was a clear distraction from the real problem—Illyria.

Rather, that the Queens and Koschei are overcoming Illyrian males to fight for them in the war. Not any Illyrian males, but Blood Rite survivors and trainees—most who have earned siphons. If the Queens can control their minds and they take off their siphons, they will be a deadly force that is unstoppable. He would know...a few centuries ago, his half-brothers had tracked him down once and ripped them from him; locked him up again when they created a fake mission that they had all thought to be real and he had gone alone as he usually does. He went mad, not only from the trauma but the killing power that resides inside of him, his shadowsinging making it all the more potent. He had nearly killed Rhys and Cassian when they had rescued him, barely leaving his half-brothers alive, and definitely maimed.

He shudders, knowing that if he had hurt them, he never would have forgiven himself. He would most likely be ten times harder on himself than he already is, if that's even possible. About now he isn't thinking so highly of himself...not with having snuck onto Illyrian territory against Rhys and Feyre's word to see if he could get any sort of indication of how large their puppet army is so far.

{ "You stay away from Illyria. I know it isn't your favorite place anyway, but it's pertinent that neither you nor Cassian step foot there. Understood?", Rhys demands.

"It's too risky", Feyre adds. "We don't need to lose anyone when we are so close to a peaceful Prythian."

"Understood. My spies are gathering intel on Autumn, whatever scraps they can retrieve. I will confer with them." }

Liar. He is an insolent liar. He went right to Illyria the moment he received word that intel-gathering was very slow in Autumn due to all the wards.

Never had he been so quickly discovered. Never had he been ripped from his shadowy disguise like that. The Caldron magic that swirls within the Queens and those puppeted Illyrians is as strong as Nesta once was. It had sensed his magic being used.