Azriel's Heir

10: Kova

She'd known it was coming from the second she had caught the glint in Keir's eyes. She was not afraid of Keir or the Court of Nightmares but joining the court would mean leaving her father...

And Ash.

"No" Ash's voice was cold, radiating total command. Some part of her leapt with joy at his protectiveness, But her mind crushed the feeling. She was only his tool to use, a friend at most, but still only a pawn with little worth. Thayer was approaching, his face fixed in silent rage at Keir's request. "So you don't want our help, my Lord?" Keir drawled, they had played right into Keir's trap. Kova had expected a bargain but she thought it would be some deal to enter Valaris or have a representative in the inner circle. It never occurred to her that her history here would mean that she was the asking price of the alliance.

"You cannot take her away from her home" Ash was saying but when Kova looked at Thayer she saw his wings had dropped slightly as if he knew that this was the only way. A sacrifice had to be made and it was smaller that she could have hoped for. What was her life compared to the lives of Rhys and Feyre? Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

"Valaris is not her home. Her home is in the shadows. Her inheritance is waiting" Keir's words echoed its words. Kova could almost see it's black eyes gleaming at her as if it had known what Keir would throw at her. Her heritage. Ilya's birthright now passed onto her. "She belongs were she is loved" Ash's words shocked her. Was it possible? No.

Keir was opening his mouth when Kova pushed Ash's hand off her shoulder. Ignoring how the warmth that had seeped through her vanished. "Enough" every eye was on her. "If you aid us and when Rhysand is freed and only when he is freed I will come and join your court".

Thayers face was sullen a she sunk back against the wall. She didn't dare look at Ash. "We will come when you call" Keir mockingly bowed for Ash, grinning at Kova.

Footsteps.

A hand grabbed Kova's arm, grip like stone. The smell of mint and the wind filled her nose. Ash. He was half dragging her towards the exit, Thayer already exiting ahead.

The light of day made her head spin after the darkness of the cave. "Go and scout" Ash command Thayer. Thayer made a sound of protest but Ash growled at him.

Growled!

She had never seen Ash so close to loosing his temper. His grip on her hadn't loosened.

"Why!" He almost yelled at her spinning her to face him but she kept her head down not looking at him. Ash wouldn't understand that she would do anything to see him returned to his family. A family who could help him become the High Lord she had seen in her dreams. Ruling in a world of peace between Fae and humans. She had never told anyone about her dreams had thought the boy in her dreams was some figment of her imagination till she had seen Ash.

"We need his help and the price was lower than I expected"
"Lower!?" He repeated incredulously, "Your life! You're life is worth more than this. If you do this you will not able to see Valaris, to see Azreil. To see me!"

"You don't get it do you! My life is nothing compared to yours. I would die if it kept you alive. Serving the Court of Nightmares is not the end of life"
"But it is the end of freedom"
"You don't know that!" She yelled back at him, they had never fought like this both of them crackling with power. Kova had always though Ash's power would swamp hers but now it came down to it they were equal. Even Ash paused as he felt her power.

It shouldn't be possible for a shadowsinger like her to equal the most powerful Fae's son. But some how it was.

"Why do you care so much?" she yelled at him. Something cracked in Ash he flew at Kova's pinning her against the wall of the mountain. "Because your my first friend" he was tense as he gazed at her. He was looking at her in the same way he had in the woods, those emerald eyes shining with some unreadable emotion.

"Because I care about you more than I can say. Because your my breath of fresh air. When I look at you I can breath. Your my little Lynx" his face was inches from hers their breaths mingling together. "I can't stop thinking about you. You've awoken something in me, something that won't go back to sleep".

The two of them were poised at a metaphorical cliff edge. One more step and they would tumble off it into a sea that they couldn't swim in. Kova waited to see it Ash would jump, if he jumped she would follow.

She always would she realised as Ash's lips met hers.

The kiss was hard but soft at the same time as if the undetected desire between them had exploded.

They tumbled off that cliff edge together. Into territory neither of them knew how to navigate.

Kova was about to kiss back when hands pulled Ash away from her.

Kova herself was thrown away, a cold laughter filled the air. Xavier stood his knife placed against Ash's throat. Behind him Thayer was bleeding held in chains by two masked men. A cut on his forehead was bleeding badly into his left eye. "How romantic. Really Asher a love to rival your parents."

Kova remained were she was not daring to move while Ash was captive. "On your knees of both die now" Kova growled but slid slowly to her knees, glaring at Xavier. "I'll give it to you Kova. You have done well hiding him from me but did you ever think that perhaps I wanted you?"

Ash's eyes widen at her but Kova found that she couldn't meet his eyes. Something in her chest is pulled taught something linking her to Ash. "It is too bad that I no longer need you" confusing spread though her.

"Did you really think i didn't know where you were for the last two months?", they had kidded themselves into thinking themselves safe. They had been naive. "You fulfilled your role perfectly Kova dear. Though I must say I didn't expect you to enraptured him so quickly".

Realisation settled on her, Xavier had used her to make Ash weak. Ash had been so distracted by her that he had forgotten safety after they had exited the mountain.

"That's right I planted in Keir's mind the idea of you being the bargain price. My plan worked perfectly you see. Keir didn't have a clue it was me that had been in his dreams so often"

"What do you want" Ash growled angrily struggling against Xavier's grip. "I want you to be reunited with your parents."

He waves his hand, the two men and Thayer vanished. Ash struggled more trying to escape. "Goodbye. I'm sure your mother will be glad to see you"

Kova saw it coming too late she had been looking at Ash. An arrow collided into her side piercing deep. A scream so pain filled split the air that Kova cried out in pain but not from the arrow but the feeling in her chest of a heart breaking wrench at her heart. She fell forwards her eyes catching emerald green as Xavier vanished taking Ash him.

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A/N Thankyou so much for the support on this book we are ow at over 300 reads!

Tess