A Court of Flame & Shadow - Eris x OC

The Cabin

Eris awoke with a start. At first, he thought it might have been the unfamiliarity of his environment or the approach of some beast. Then, a few feet away, he noticed a strange rippling, similar to the sun bouncing off stone on a hot day. But the air was cool and there was no sunlight. More ripples appeared, and through them, like a mirage, he could see the vague silhouette of a cabin. Ruby padded over and licked his hand.

"I never doubted you, girl," he murmured, scratching the hound behind her ears. Ruby's nose had led them to this spot, but a full day later he hadn't been able to figure out a way to bypass the wards Vel had erected over the space. In every way that counted, it was just another clearing in the forest – green grass, tall pines, grey boulders strewn about. There was no smell or sound or anything he could feel that would indicate otherwise. And yet, there was a tug on his heart that pulled him here. He was running out of time, he'd already been gone from Autumn for three days. Any longer and Beron would get suspicious. When he saw two pairs of bat wings in the sky above he knew what he had to do. He gave Ruby the order to stay behind and moved upwind. Eris had the nagging feeling Vel knew that he was poking around and chose to ignore him. But he was sure the Night Court spymaster wouldn't show the same restraint.

Eris kneeled in the shadow of an old pine tree, partially hidden from view by a set of thick bushes. He didn't have to wait long, a moment later the shadows seemed to shift, and he felt the cold metal of a dagger against the skin of his throat. Illyrians could be so predictable.

"What are you doing here?" Azriel hissed in his ear. The slightest scent of lavender and pine clung to him and it was all Eris could do to not burn the male to a crisp. Instead, he clenched and unclenched his fists and concentrated on keeping his voice even, nonchalant.

"I could ask you the same question, Shadowsinger. You're a longer way from home."

"Did Beron finally send you to clean up his mess?"

"Unless you recently got promoted to the Oracle's guard dog, I fail to see how my reasons for being here are any of your concern. Be a good pup and take me to her."

"Or I could kill you right here. Nobody from your court would know it was me."

"But Vel would. And I think she would be furious." Eris crooned. He wasn't sure if she would be, but it was enough to make the Illyrian hesitate. What did he know? How far could he push? The dagger moved from his neck to his back. He felt its sharp tip poking through his leathers.

"Any sudden moves and I won't hesitate to plunge this into your spine." Eris nodded and Azriel guided him forward with a hand on his shoulder.

Crossing the wards felt like walking through a cold curtain of rain. The sensation sent goosebumps up his arms. A few steps in, the true clearing revealed itself. An ancient oak tree dominated the view, its gnarled branches casting shade on the modest wooden cabin built into its side. Unless there was some magic at play, the inside must have been smaller than Eris's rooms in the Forest House. The wooden exterior bore the weathered marks of time, but the cabin was well kept as a whole – one stained glass window, lazy smoke coming out of the chimney, and a small porch adorned with wildflowers. There was a sprawling garden away from the shade of the oak tree – mostly herbs, some of which Eris couldn't identify, a few vegetable patches, and some berry bushes. There was a slight pressure from the dagger at his back, a signal to not tarry and to keep his eyes ahead.

Vel was standing at the edge of the garden, arms crossed in front of her chest. Her hair was unbraided and she looked slightly disheveled as if she'd rushed out of bed. She was wearing a loose white shirt, brown leggings, and leather boots. In contrast, the male she was talking to looked entirely put together in his black suit and shined shoes. Rhysand, the High Lord of the Night Court. The two weren't talking, but rather standing there, watching each other with serious expressions. Eris remembered that Rhysand was also a Daemati, so whatever conversation was going on between them, it was mind-to-mind. He kept an iron grip on the jealousy that flared. How easy life must have been for Rhysand when minds were just open books to him.