A Court of Darkness and Melodies

Chapter 17

Gwyn's POV

"So it's not Koschei?" Gwyn asked, confused.

She, with Emerie, Nesta and the rest of the Inner Circle, had been going on and on about the fog since the past fifteen minutes over dinner. 

Over the last three days, Rhys and Cassian had helped the families of those who actually lost someone. When Gwyn had asked whether there were anyone had actually died, Rhys had given her a look of dismay and his chin had dipped tightly in a nod. And that was that.

Nobody had yet asked her about what she had done and what had happened to her. She was glad. She didn't know how she'd tell them and she really didn't want to lie to her new friends.

"I never said it isn't Koschei." Rhys corrected her, and she frowned.

"But what reason would he have to attack us?" Mor asked, sipping from a glass of wine. "I mean we haven't done anything to provoke him at the moment." 

"That's what we plan to find out." Cassian said to her grimly.

Rhys sighed, leaning back against his chair wearily, and Feyre reached over to him and squeezed his shoulder sympathetically. He glanced at her and gave her a small smile, to which she replied with a flying kiss. Rhys just shook his head, a genuine grin on his face.

Gwyn watched the interaction while eating her steak and rice, and she would be lying if she said she didn't feel the unexpected lurch in her heart. 

She glanced towards her right discreetly, and looked at the shadowsinger eating his own share of food. Azriel's shadows rested on his shoulders, and she saw one swirl around his ear before his gaze darted upwards to see Gwyn's eyes on him. 

She looked away hurriedly, pretending as if she hadn't been staring, and felt her cheeks warm slightly. She felt the shadowsinger looking at her and she took another bite of food. Then she noticed how everyone was staring at her expectantly and she realized she had zoned out of their conversation.

"What?" She asked quizzically, her mouth full of food. 

Nesta shook her head at her, and Gwyn flushed. "I'm hungry okay?!" 

Amren pointed her clean fork at her. "Rhys asked you whether you know how to summon that golden light again."

Mor hit Amren's arm, muttering, "Nice way to put it," under her breath. Gwyn looked around the room at the hopeful faces of the Inner Circle, wincing as she recalled the pain of activating the genes.

"I mean I could try right no-" Gwyn started but was interrupted by a low voice.

"Absolutely not." Azriel said roughly, and everybody went silent. Nobody had the courage to ask him why and Mor cleared her throat in the awkward silence.

"Alright then." Gwyn said weakly, leaning back against her chair, feeling tired all of a sudden.

Azriel's eyebrows knotted together in a frown as he noticed her, but he didn't say anything. Wanting to move on from the conversation, Rhys said, "We're going to need to send someone to Koschei's army as a spy."

All eyes immediately went to Azriel, and his face as unreadable as ever when he asked, "When?"

"As soon as possible."

"I'll go." He said quietly, drinking from his glass and standing up suddenly.

Everybody gave him questioning looks, but he pretended to not notice them as he started to walk out of the room. He reached the dining room door and as he opened it Gwyn blurted out, "I'll go with him." 

She saw Azriel freeze in place and he turned around slowly, their eyes meeting. "It's too dangerous." He said calmly, the room completely silent as if they wanted to see where this was going.

"But I can help." She said, looking towards Rhys as if he would side with her. "I've gotten it under control now. It was only the activating that almost killed me." 

Everyone gave her a sceptical look at her confusing choice of words. 

"And besides," She continued, "Azriel needs my Valkyrie skills." She threw him a smile. "I'll be there to defend your sorry ass."

Cassian snickered and threw a spoon at Azriel, which he grabbed out of the air, face still unreadable as he looked at Gwyn. Everybody stayed still, the air tense despite the joke Gwyn had made.

"I can't stop you." He said, his voice quiet. "It's your choice, Gwyn." She ignored the goosebumps that arose on her skin at hearing him say her name. "I'll teach you the basics of spying in training tomorrow if you really want to come along."

Then he walked out.

Gwyn let out the breath she had been holding and turned towards Rhys. "Do you think I should go?" She asked him, and Feyre frowned.

"Yes." Nesta said before anyone else, and Gwyn looked at her, eyebrows raised. 

"I think he needs someone with him." She added, Emerie nodding slowly in agreement beside her.

Her eyebrows knotted together as she thought of Azriel's closed off face, his cold exterior, so at odds with how he had been earlier. She really didn't understand him.

"It's settled then. You're going with him." Rhys said, disrupting her thoughts, and Gwyn took a sip of water before she bobbed her head in finality.

"I'm going with him." She confirmed.

Word Count: 984

Istg I'm having the absolute worst case of writer's block ever. I haven't uploaded in over ten days and this chapter is so short ugh djfhjds. Soorryyy guyss but do know I won't be giving up on this story! I've literally reached 16k views aaahh thank you all!!

I might not upload as often anymore, but I'm not abandoning this story. I have tons of ideas, just don't know how to put them into words, if that makes sense lol.

Anyways thank you guys for reading! Don't forget to vote and comment!

-BookAddict79