The Cracks in the Universe (ACOTAR/TOG Crossover)

Chapter 9 - Cassian

Rhysand's commander had been sparring with Lorcan Salvaterre for over an hour, and neither of them were showing any signs of weakness or slowing. It frustrated him, not being able to find faults in his opponent and exploit them, since Lorcan was a flawless warrior. They were a formidable match. His lungs already heaved from exertion and tendrils of hair that had fallen from his bun were now plastered to his forehead. They'd removed their shirts after twenty minutes or so of fighting, so sweat ran in rivulets down his toned chest and back. He could see the four other males on the patio were in the same situation.

In the other two sparring rings that overlooked the city from the House, Azriel parried Aedion's sword thrusts as Rhys' mist and night clashed against Rowan's wind and ice. His brothers had opted for weapons-based combat (magic was wielded too, like any kind of sword or hatchet), but one look at Lorcan and Cassian has known that they would be fighting hand-to-hand. It was good to work out, to relieve the stress and tension that had built up within him for the past few days. Elain was having one of her bad spells; her visions due to her seer abilities almost overwhelming her to the point that she could barely function. Naturally, Lucien and Nesta refused to leave her side at these times, although Cassian could see it pained Azriel to not be there for her as well. The middle Archeron sister and the shadowsinger had struck up a fast friendship, and Cassian often wondered if their relationship would instead be romantic if it wasn't for Mor and Helion's flame-haired son. But Rhys needed Az more than Elain did - she was in safe hands. Since Nesta had been tending to her sister, Cassian had barely seen his mate for a week and it had begun to grate on him.

Grunting, Cassian lunged for Lorcan and swung his right arm in an uppercut. Lorcan dodged it and swept out a foot in an attempt to trip the commander, but Cassian leapt away and landed a punch to Lorcan's jawline. That only served to anger his opponent, and a fist connected with his face a second later. Cassian was furious at himself for not preventing the blow. He shook his head in an attempt to clear his thoughts and stalked around the edge of the ring, concentrating solely on the soldier facing him. Death and destruction and desolation writhed in Lorcan's black eyes. It seemed he was only partially tame in Elide's presence - here he was utterly feral. 

The six of them continued for another hour or so, by which time the remainder of their group had joined them outside. Dorian was engrossed by a book, turning the pages with intense care and adoration, while Elide and Feyre were chatting quietly and glancing appreciatively at their respective male lovers. Amren and Manon were like two cats - both cautious and yet acutely curious of the other - prowling around the object of their fascination. 

Aelin had initially mirrored Dorian, with her nose stuck in some ancient tome that did not interest Cassian slightly, but now stood with her arms crossed and a critical expression on her face. Rhys had finally yielded to Rowan, while Azriel's shadows had unnerved Aedion enough to give the spymaster a slight advantage. To an outsider, it might seem that Azriel and Rowan were the stronger of the four, but he knew that Rhys and his spymaster were actually testing the abilities of their guests, and figuring out any weaknesses should things turn sour. 

Still, Cassian and Lorcan continued, neither willing to show any sign of tiring. He aimed a kick for Lorcan's gut, but the soldier grabbed his foot and twisted sharply, flipping Cassian onto his stomach. Rolling away from what would have been crippling strike between Lorcan's boot and his ribs, Cassian sprang back upright and went on the offensive, throwing punch after punch at his opponent. Lorcan deftly back-pedalled and blocked each attack expertly. That was when Cassian realised Lorcan's Achilles Heel: he was arrogant. Too arrogant. Too confident in his abilities. As his adversary prepared for another round of hits, he made to feint to his left. Lorcan leant left to dodge the impending assault from the right and that left his other side exposed. Cassian took his chance and struck his rival's shoulder with a sharp downward elbow jab. Lorcan roared and fell to one knee. Rhysand's general offered a hand to help him up, but the warrior glowered at him and smacked it away. Cassian shrugged and instead turned to exit the ring, only to find the Queen of Terrasen standing in his way. 

"That was quite a show." She clapped slowly. "How about a duel?"

Cassian snorted. "I don't think so."

"Why?" Aelin squared her shoulders and took a step forward. "Too scared to be beaten by a woman, or too scared to hit a woman?"

"Neither." He pushed past her, but a wall of fire ignited around the two of them, preventing him from moving another inch unless he wanted fourth degree burns across his body. She chucked a sword to his feet.

"Alright, I'll level with you. We battle, and I won't use my magic. Just old-school, classic, no-nonsense sword fighting. Deal?" Something glinted in her eyes like a steel blade reflecting the blaze of an inferno: madness and genius and power. 

He thought for a second before picking up the weapon. "Fine."

Aelin smirked and the flames disappeared. Lorcan had already removed himself from the ring, now sulking by the doors but watching Aelin and Cassian's interaction intently. 

Cassian stepped to the edge of the ring, the Queen doing the same opposite him. He rolled his shoulders, flipped the sword in his hand, and flared his wings. The ebony membrane caught the light of the sun, displaying hues of ruby and charcoal and aubergine. The scars that zigzagged across his wings shone proudly, and something in Aelin's expression seemed to change. As if she understood. He pushed it to the back of his mind and tucked in his wings, then nodded at his new opponent. 

She didn't hesitate to attack, charging at him and slashing her blade at his torso. He could tell that this would be a much faster-paced contest than it had been against Lorcan - she was smaller and lighter on her feet than the Demi-Fae male. He adjusted to the darting movements that she made, quickly parrying each of her blows and jabs. 

Her knee lifted towards his groin but he moved away and struck the side of her head with the pommel of his sword. She winced and paused to regain her bearings, giving Cassian time to slice her thigh open. The wound began to bleed profusely, but Aelin ignored it as she straightened and began to strike harder and faster, each thrust gaining momentum. Her moves became a blur and Cassian struggled to keep up with her dexterity and complex formations. Mother's tits, she wasn't just good at sword fighting: Aelin was incredible. 

A commotion amongst the rest of the group caught his eye, and Cassian glanced up to see Nesta. The bond between them went taut, and her steely eyes met his gaze. A cacophony of emotions flooded through him and down the link to his mate, and Aelin took full advantage of his distraction to somersault him onto the ground and pin him there with her sword at his throat. 

"You don't become Adarlan's Assassin and defeat Erawan without a little skill at swordsmanship," Aelin panted, and then drew away to allow Cassian to stand. He clenched his fists and got to his feet.

"Not. Fair." He spat through gritted teeth, "I was distracted."

Aelin laughed. "Honey, I could have killed you twenty-five moves ago. I just figured a longer fight would make things more interesting." She spun on her heel and strutted away. Cassian growled and grabbed her arm, bringing them face to face.

"I want a rematch." 

She didn't even consider it for a second. "Maybe in a few days, when you're in better shape." And with that, she swaggered inside along with her husband, amid shocked reactions from the Inner Circle and knowing looks between the guests.

Nesta said from behind him, amusement blatant in her tone, "Nice to know there are females other than me who can kick your sorry ass."

That was too much for Cassian to handle; he spun his mate round and kissed her deeply before sweeping her off her feet and carrying her to their bedroom. He had barely glimpsed her for two days; they had a lot of catching up to do.

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Thank you to the lovely @RebekahLeslie26 for the idea of a fight between Cassian and Aelin! (For some reason the dedication tool isn't working for me, but once it is I'll dedicate this chapter to you!)