A Court of Fire and Mountains

Chapter 6

Nesta

Nesta huffed into the thick scarf wound around her neck. The frost that usually coated the windows of the hut was gone, and Nesta glanced through the glass to check for any Cassians. He must be out. They'd parted ways in a bit of a hurry this morning, with Cassian grabbing his clothes from the sofa and was basically flying through the window in the space of 5 seconds. 5 hours later, after a grueling training session, Nesta sat in her thermals and leathers on the steps outside the hut. Adrenaline was still coursing through her after an intense sparring session, and she wasn't ready to rest just yet. 

This had led to her perched on the dodgy wooden steps facing toward the rest of the quiet camp. She tucked her hands into her armpits and squeezed her eyes shut, tunneling down far into herself. She searched for a glimmer of her dark magic, that deadly power she had stolen but found instead a void of nothingness. She opened her eyes and scowled at the younger girls walking past, watching her curiously. 

This gap, this empty chasm left deep inside her, had been this way ever since the war. It was almost like it had been sucked away with her father's last breath. She had told nobody, and nobody had asked her about the formidable power she possessed.  Not even Cassian. She willed a flicker of power to stir in her veins, but nothing came. She could almost feel a wall holding back the tsunami of magic trapped inside herself, and she growled in frustration. Cassian took that moment to approach her place on the steps.

"What's with the face?" He asked, pulling her up and dragging her inside.  "Come on, I'm not gonna let you skip more training because of another 'cold'." Cassian motioned to the chilly fog outside, before kicking the door closed with his boot. He followed Nesta into her bedroom and she threw off her layers and sat down, beginning to comb out her hair with her fingers. 

"Nothing," Nesta declared. "Just thinking about tomorrow." Cassian turned to her in mock confusion. 

"What's tomorrow?! I hope nothing important," He exclaimed. Nesta rolled her eyes. 

"My birthday is not important. But it is an excuse to get out of this miserable camp for a day." 

Cassian nodded and then grinned. "Yep. I hope you have fun." Nesta rolled her eyes again. 

"You're my ride. And you said you know the nicest places to go in these disgusting mountains." Nesta's heart sped up as Cassian came to sit beside her.

"You know," He said, eyes dancing with amusement, "Just the two of us, going somewhere 'nice' for your birthday... That sounds to me a bit like a date." Cassian leaned closer, space between their bodies close to non-existent. Nesta felt heat flare in her cheeks but fought to keep her face neutral.

"Whatever makes you think that I would fraternize with the bastard classes?" She asked imperiously. Cassian smirked.  Their faces were so near she could feel his breath caress her nose.

"Maybe this." He lifted his calloused hand and laid it on her chest, just above her heart. Her iron will couldn't stop the flustered heat race up her neck and onto her cheeks as her heart beat traitorously fast into Cassian's palm. He grinned. "I'll see you tomorrow morning." And he left her room, shutting the door behind her.

Cassian

Cassian's heart outraced Nesta's by miles. It was a steady drumbeat to the endless stream of thoughts creating a frenzy in his brain. He shoved them out, refusing to give them space. He was better than having his brain addled by some female. Instead, he started to pack food into a bag for the trip the next day. 

Before settling in on the couch after dusk, he knocked on Nesta's door and peeked his head around. She sat at the desk at the window, hunched over a book. Her hair created a curtain shielding her from the outside world, and she sat perched on top of the piles of dirty clothes heaped on the stool. She didn't stir as Cassian cleared his throat pointedly.

"What is it?" She snapped, face still hidden. Cassian grinned internally. Did he make Nesta blush? He schooled his face into an arrogant smirk.

"We are leaving early tomorrow, so don't turn all bloodthirsty on me tomorrow morning," He said.

"I can't make any promises," She sighed, shutting the book and climbing into bed. "I find it very easy to 'turn bloodthirsty on you'." She stared at him pointedly as Cassian made no move to leave. He was trying to subtly memorise the way her hair was tucked behind her delicately pointed ears, the slightly bloodshot eyes darting between him and the door, her stare laced with a drug (or a poison) that seemed to only attract Illyrian war generals. Finally, Cassian let out a groan. 

"Okay, I'm going. See you tomorrow." And he sauntered over to the couch, a genuine smile plastered on his face.

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Hi! Sorry, this is shorter than usual, but it's just kind of convenient to stop this chapter here. Hopefully, I'll have the next one up by Christmas! I really appreciate any votes or comments, and feel free to IM me about anything and everything.

Lots of love xxx