A Court of Dark and Decay

Chapter 28- A Blade Given Form

Nesta responded without thinking. 

"I'll meet you in Rosie's tent in ten." 

Sera nodded shortly and swept back out of the house. 

Nesta turned, only to face a worry in Cassian's face that made her blood boil.

"What's that about?" He asked, his hands still around her waist.

It took Nesta ten seconds to concoct the lie. It only took another 5 to get over the guilt of lying to Cassian. 

It fell so easily from her tounge, that single drop of posion. 

"Sera wanted me to cut her hair." Her smie was golden. "Apparently the bravery to do the deed has found her, so tonight it is." 

She carefully stepped away from Cassian, who's hand lingered on her waist. She could read him like one of her books. 

He bought every word.

It should have been harder to lie to him. Should have pulled her morals, swayed her judgment. She should have doubted her intentions and looked for other options. 

Instead, she smiled. 

Nesta rose to her tip toes and laid a kiss to his cheek. 

Looking her mate in the eye, she lied, "I'll probably stay the night at Rosie's tent, too. Don't expect me." 

Cassian, for all his brilliance, nodded stupidly and watched her as she walked to the door to pull on her cloak and shoes. 

"I'll just cuddle a pillow and try my best not to dream of you, I suppose." He said, stepping toward her and helping her tie the cloak shut. 

"You are hopeless." She said, the only truth she would tell him that night. 

Nesta memorized the smile he gave her. 

"Only for you." Cassian kissed the top of her head.

Love blinded him. He was so willing to seek out and only see the best in her. Cassian was susceptiable to every kind of manipulation. Nesta knew he beleived she was healing, she was better, she was happy. 

He ate every lie out of the palm of her hand like a good dog would eat a bone. 

No, she was not healing. 

Her healing would only come from the swipe of a blade, from crimson stains and silver flame. 

Bloodshed called, and she could not ignore it's siren song. 

"I'll see you tommrow, then, Nes." Cassian opened the door for her, kissing her cheek as she passed him and walked out. 

Nesta smiled. It felt wicked. "Until tommrow." Her voice was distant, a false thing that did not belong to her. 

Her foolish, love-sick mate closed the door, locking it. Nesta followed the path until she was deep in the forest, then turned back and looked at the cottage. 

One candle glew in Cassian's bedroom window, and from within she could see the expanse of his wings and he streched and readied himself for bed. 

A fool. A blind, trusting, ignorant fool. Again, Nesta should have felt guilt. But as she turned from the cottage and continued to the tents, she only felt a tingling numbness. The calm before the storm. She felt her magic reeceding, waiting patiently for the night's adventures. 

The flame in her blood rang sweetly in her ears as she exited the forest and ran the rest of the way to Rosie's tent. 

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