A Court of Love and Family

Chapter 24

He would not deny that he was anxious as he returned to Windhaven. Hewn City always made his skin crawl. But coming back there was not the best feeling either. The sun had started to set, the last piles of snow had melted away. The grass had started to grow again, and spring filled the air. He could hear the snivels from some warriors who had problems with hayfever. Nyx had been blessed to live without that problem. He remembered the days when he was younger and Cassian's sneezes would wake up half the camp in the spring mornings.

But right now he was on edge, keeping an eye out for anything or anyone out of place. He had a bad feeling growing in him, one that made him eye every corner, every tree. But why? Or for what? He didn't know. Maybe it was the nerves over all the things happening, or rather, the things that didn't happen. No new information, no new developments. Nothing. The safety and security he had grown to know in the camp was gone. He came up to the house and sighed in relief at the fire that was lit, and Evalyn who sat on the sofa with a blanket over her legs and a book in hand.

"I am back." He said and walked in, making sure the wards were in place.

"Did everything go as planned?" She asked back, not even looking up from her book.

"Sort of... Luna tells you hi." Nyx sat down in an armchair and relaxed.

"Sort of?" She placed her book down.

"Well, no one died. But some tried to attack Luna's mind, and that ended as well as you can expect. Then Keir did call her a whore, and a dirty dog." Evalyn's eyes grew larger.

"What!" She called out. "If anyone is a whore it is me, heck Luna has never even been kissed." Nyx's body stiffened at her words.

"Don't call yourself that." He said, noticing that his voice had dropped lower.

"Well if Keir calls her that, then he should definitely call me one too." She got up.

"Well, if he does, he will not survive." Nyx shocked himself with the words.

"He survived Luna."

"Only because dad put him in pain, and Tirian acted out before Luna got the chance." Nyx shook his head. "How was your day? Any broken bones? Nasty infections?"

"Sadly only a pulled muscle and some that came in for hayfever." She said back. "I will probably go crazy soon and hope for a civil war or anything close to that. Just to have something else to do."

"Sounds boring... But I don't really think a war or conflict will be appreciated by anyone." Nyx tried to smile. But worry grew in him once more. She was standing against the wall, one hand resting on the small of her back. The charm hung around her neck. "Evalyn, how are you feeling right now?"

"I am fine. Better than what I have been for many weeks now." She said but the way she was bracing herself against the wall told a different story.

"I see..." He moved over to her. "Have you eaten anything today?"

"Yes. I will go to sleep, see you tomorrow."

Nyx stayed up for the rest of the night, too restless to sleep. He stayed at the windows, looking out into the night. The only movement was the night patrol flying over the sky, blocking out the stars and moon as they passed by. He stayed in that place the entire night. Waiting, watching... The sun started to climb the horizon, He could see how the night patrol landed, and the day shift started. He had asked to not be on patrol, opting instead to work in the rings with the novices.

Evalyn came down. Joining him at the table.

"Did you sleep at all?" She asked.

"No... But I am fine."