A Dark Heart - Rhysand's Sister Fanfic AU

F I V E

overdue

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"You're never truly lost if someone cares enough

to come find you. Lost is waiting to be found." 

— Barbara Claypole White

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+amren

"What?" Cassian just all but barked.

Eralyn just incredulously looked at Cassian. "If Rhysand can't go in and get his own damn mate, what makes you think I can? I know it's been a long five-hundred years, at least for me, but would it kill you to remember that Rhysand and I have almost the same goddamned scent?"

Cassian looked down, feeling guilty and probably a whole lot more emotions and sunk into the sofa that was closest to him, but I still needed to get Eralyn on our side. Azriel, who looked torn between continuing to analyze Eralyn and comforting Cassian, seemed not to care, however, as he found the situation at hand more intriguing. But who could blame him?

"Eralyn," I said her name a bit more harshly and she whipped her gaze to me, a fierce glare coming onto me as she stopped looking down at Cassian, the slightest bit of regret retreating quickly to wherever it had come from as she had. "I have a plan. Please, do this for us. You have more skills than I give you credit for and I come to you not as your family, but as a person in need. Our country is about to go to war. We need all the help we can get."

I could the words immediately hit its mark. Eralyn always had a weakness to those in need, it was what made her who she is. I knew Eralyn was smart enough to realize that if I had come unannounced, it was obviously important and life-threatening.

However, Eralyn's considering silence seemed to be too long for Cassian as he blurted, "We'll pay you."

Everyone looked at him in shock, Eralyn the most so as she flung out a "what".

Cassian abruptly stood up from where he sat, and repeated, "We'll pay you." Azriel grabbed his brother by the arm and glared at him. The two seemed to start a mental battle as a shocked Eralyn just gazed at me. I, being equally dumbfounded, just shrugged. Then she snorted. I knew she thought the idea of being paid to aid her family was completely ridiculous, but Cassian took it negatively and thought she was going to reject yet again. "Name your price, we'll pay it all. Double it if that's what it takes."

Eralyn narrowed her eyes at the Illyrian as she desperately tried to hide her amusement from an observation Azriel. "What makes you think I want your money? Besides, it'll do me no good here in Terrasen."

Cassian just fisted his hands and gritted out, "Surely you'd like to buy something in your homeland. At least visit places." Visit us, was the words he had left out.

Eralyn just picked at her nails. Moments went by of silence before she finally sighed and took another swig of her alcohol. She then directed her ice cold eyes to me, a frown deeply engraved to her face as she said, "Fine," and then turned to Cassian and Azriel to say, "but only for the money."

She stomped out of the house, with the entire wine glass in her hand, muttering that we'd be rooming here and that she was going to inform her Queen of this new "inconvenience".