A Court of Tears and Petals

Chapter 25

~Night Court~

"I wonder where she could be?" Leo said enthusiastically checking under the bed looking behind chairs.

He heard more laughter coming from the wardrobe, the high pitched giggle making him smile.

"Gotcha!" Leo swung the doors open and a squealing Avalon ran into his legs.

"I win!" Avalon said while Leo lifted her in the air. Technically Leo had won, but with the happiness his cousin radiated he couldn't stand to tell her.

"You are just too good at this game." Leo smiled, placing his cousin back on the ground. He turned around to see his mother leaning against the doorway, looking fondly at her son and niece.

"Hi Aunt Fey!" Avalon smiled brightly, and Feyre smiled back.

"Hello Ava, I'm going to borrow Leo for a little bit okay?" Feyre spoke standing up straighter and signaling Leo to follow her.

"Okay." Avalon said and Leo followed Feyre, but Avalon was right behind him following his every step.

"I'll be right back, you wait here, look for a good hiding spot alright?" Leo smiled, but Avalon just nodded her head and walked back in her room pouting. Once Avalon closed the door Leo looked at his mom.

"Is everything all right?" Leo asked.

"No, there's been an attack on Spring Court." Feyre and Leo walked side by side.

"By the Human Queens?" Leo was shocked to say the least, he thought Azriel was keeping an eye on the borders. Not to mention they weren't expecting an attack this early, especially on Spring.

"We don't know. Tamlin only told Lucien just barely, from what we know the attack happened a couple days ago on a small village."

"That's all of the information we have? Is Lucien going there?"

"Lucien is already there." Leo looked up to see his Father standing by the door, Azriel by his side. Leo looked at his father closely, his posture and the way he was dressed, a sense of formality covering him. Leo was familiar with this act Rhys had to put on, only seen when he left Velaris.

"You're leaving?" Leo had recently spent a lot of his time attempting to be more professional, but when he asked his father if he was leaving he sounded like a whining child. And Leo hated it.

"Azriel and I are going to investigate the village in Spring Court. From what we've heard my... talents could be helpful. I wanted to say goodbye before I left." Rhysand stepped forward embracing Leo in a hug.

"Your talents?" Leo asked, letting his father wrap his arms around him.

"Your mother can explain, but we need to be going. You need to assist her and Amren while we're gone, things will be moving faster than we hoped." Leo nodded and hugged his uncle while Feyre and Rhysand held each other, having a silent conversation, something that Leo was able to identify identify over time.

"Stay safe." Leo spoke trying to muster the confidence he saw in his parents, but apparently didn't inherit as his voice became small.

Azriel and Rhysand walked away as Leo and his mom watched them leave. He felt Feyres arm pull him close.

"They'll be fine." Feyre murmured attempting to comfort both herself and her son. Leo nodded, not in the mood to speak. Didn't wars start out with battles and arguments? Right now everything was just conspiracies and theories, until recently, an actual attack in Spring Court. On a small village filled with innocent people. Leo suddenly felt sick, how many casualties were there? How many people cried for help or lost a loved one.

"Leo, baby, it's okay." Feyre pulled him closer and held him tightly. Leo hadn't noticed how fast his breaths got, or the water in his eyes threatening to overflow; but once he did, he realized how ridiculous he was being. He was 22 years old and crying while his mother held him.

"Don't think like that." Feyre said, looking her son in the eyes.

"That's against the rules." Leo said, scolding his mother for looking inside his head.

"I don't care, you are an amazing young male and your sensitivity is something I love so much about you." Feyre spoke while pushing the hair away from Leo's face.

"When you were my age you were slaying beast and winning wars. I don't know how to live up to that." Leo said, revealing something he didn't realize was true until now.

"Leo, you don't have to live up to anything. You are your father and I's legacy. And you have centuries to slay beasts and win wars, hopefully you have other goals though." Feyre smiled at her son, the smile that had the power to make everything feel alright. So Leo smiled back at his mom.

"Let's get to work." Leo wasn't sure what changed, but he was feeling a little more confident than before.

"We've got a lot to do. Your father, Azriel, and Lucien are at Spring because of an attack, it's unclear who caused it but the people of the village are showing similar signs that you would see with daemati abilities."

"How many casualties."

"So far one."

"I don't mean to sound insensitive but dad left to investigate one death in Spring?"

"It's not that simple, the whole village is in a state of shock, some with missing memories and others are completely insane."

"So what are our next steps?"

"We're pushing up the meeting about the alliance."

"How soon?"

"Two days, you and Denton will be at the war camps, as far as we know Night Court isn't in any immediate danger. Spring Court on the other hand, they've been directly targeted. So depending on how the meeting goes, we could be sending our troops to the border between Spring and the Human lands."

Leo got that feeling again. Like there was a weight in his gut, and everything around him was moving faster than it should. But instead of feeling anxious, he tried to feel determined. Because even if he disappointed the people relying on him, he knew his parents would be proud no matter what.

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I know this chapter took a while, I'll try to write more but schools been a little crazy. Hope you enjoyed