A Court of Illyrian Hearts

Chapter Seven

After Feyre left I explored the room. There was a spacious bathroom filled with toiletries and some very soft looking towels. I quickly wash my face and body, leaving my dirty leathers draped across the bath.

Built into the wall across from the bed was a large walk-in closet, inside were more clothes than I had ever seen in my life. Flowy dresses in blue, turquoise, peach, silver and black, pairs of baggy pants and crop tops in the same colors. The shoes were like the Illyrian stealth shoes (the ones we used for a mission like the one I was sent on last night; we use thicker shoes on the battlefield) mainly in black and blue.

After ten minutes of marveling at the fabric and colors I pick out a matching set of dark night-blue crop top and pants and slip my feet into a pair of black shoes.

The breeze coming through the huge windows is warm blowing my hair out of my face. The sun is already sinking low in the sky. I must have slept in the cell for most of the day.

With nothing else to do, I pad my way into the large hallway. It's empty. I pass Cassian's room and suddenly remember the painful tugging at my head and heart last night. I pause, waiting to see if it would come again, if there was something in the air or something about Cassian's room that made it happen. But there's nothing, no tug, not even a strong emotion other than uncertainty.

I shake my head, trying to get rid of the thought.

As I continue down the hallway, I hear that same sobbing coming from the other side of the door across from Cassian's. I walk up to it soundlessly-something I mastered from years of practice-and press my ear against the cold door. Yes, it's faint but clear; someone in this room is crying and has been for at least an hour. Carefully, I turn the door handle and slip inside. The room is similar to mine, but lighter and colder. Dozens of pot plants sit on cabinets, bed-side tables and outside on the balcony. In the middle of the room is a large bed like mine, in the colors peach, white and light pink. On top of the soft looking sheets lies a young girl, face down, shaking.

I turn to leave but before I reach the door, the girl says a name through her sobs. 'Azriel?' I look back over my shoulder and see her now sitting on the bed rubbing her eyes.

'I'm sorry,' I say. 'I should not have intruded.'

'You're not Azriel,' she says, looking confused and swollen eyed.

'Last time I checked I wasn't,' I reply and give her a small smile. She doesn't seem to notice the humor, so I put my hand on the door handle.

'Don't go,' she says in a small voice. 'Please.'

'Are you alright?' I ask letting go of the door handle and walking a few steps into the room. Her eyes fill with tears and she chokes. 'No. I'm stuck in this place with six fae who all want me to adjust to a completely different life, my fiancé doesn't want anything to do with me, and my sisters keep fighting all the time.' She buries her head in her hands and exhales. 'I just want my old life back.'

I think of my own life in shatters. Betraying and being betrayed, blindly following orders in a desperate attempt to do the right thing, even talking to a perfect stranger because I heard her crying. I sigh. 'Me too.' I sit on the edge of the bed and stare out at the mountains.

She lifts her head and wipes her eyes. 'Where are you from, I haven't seen you here before?'

'I just got here actually, it's kind of a long story but I'm staying here for now,' I tell her. 'I'm Baelyn.'

'Elain Archeron;' She gives me a small smile. 'Feyre's older sister.'

I raise my eyebrows. 'I thought Feyre only had one older sister.'

'Oh Nesta, she isn't particularly open to newcomers, I would suggest you keep your distance.'

'Her reputation isn't something unknown throughout the Night Court.'

She gives a small laugh and sniffles. 'Do you want a tour of the House?' she asks.

Well, I don't have anything else to do except brood so I say, 'That would be nice.'

For the rest of the say, Elain and I roam the rooms and halls of the House of Wind. She shows me the training area, the many lounges and studies and concludes the tour with showing me the library. The semi-large space is filled to the brim with books and comfy chairs and blankets. A roaring fire sets the room in a golden light, and in one of the chairs by the fire sits a young woman, her hair up in a bun and a book open in her lap. When we enter the room she looks up and her eyes grow cold when she sees me. 'Oh, Nesta,' says Elain; from the corner of my eye I can see her wringing her hands. So this was the infamous Nesta Archeron. 'I, I didn't know you were in here.' 'I'm always in here,' Replies Nesta and looks at her sister with annoyance. 'You know that.'

'Well sorry to bother you,' Elain grabs my arm and starts dragging me out of the library when Nesta's eyes turn back on me. 'Who are you?' Elain lets go of my arm and I turn to face her sister. 'Baelyn Salthadorin. You must be the third Archeron sister.'

'The first actually.' Nesta says.

'Well, it's good to meet you despite your...reputation.'

Nesta gives me a long look, her cold eyes piercing mine, then turns back to her book. Without another word we quickly leave.

'What's her problem?' I ask Elain as soon as we are a few paces away from the library door.

'She doesn't like people she doesn't know,' Elain replies looking straight ahead.

I nod. I don't like people I don't know either.

The rest of the day goes by fast and soon it's time for dinner. Elain told me she wasn't feeling well so she wasn't going to join us. We all sit around the table, Rhys, Feyre, Mor, Cassian, Nesta; although Azriel is nowhere to be seen. The table is mostly quiet except for the occasional chatter about things happening in the Night Court. Cassian doesn't look at me. I try my best to keep my eyes on my full plate as I push my food around. I feel Nesta looking at me, but I force myself not to look back, I didn't have the energy to fight.

'I saw you with Elain today,' Feyre says quietly to me. 'She hasn't come out of that room in days; I'm surprised she even gave you a whole tour of the House.'

'I heard her crying,' I admit. 'She told me she has a fiancé in the mortal world.'

'Graysen.' Feyre's look is a mixture of anger and sadness. 'When he found out she had been turned into Fae he told her he didn't love her anymore, that he could never be with a creature like the one she had turned in to.'

'I had no idea,'

Poor Elain; to be changed completely and to be told that your beloved could not-would not-love what you had become must be a kind of pain that words cannot describe.

After dinner Rhysand calls me aside. 'We've been watching Devlon's movements and have found that he is sending letters to an unknown source by a messenger. Azriel tried to follow him the last time he went but there was some sort of portal that he disappeared into. Az is watching the camp right now; hopefully the next time a messenger leaves he can follow him to the source.'

'So Devlon is the one sending the letters. But how did he get General Cassian's signature on them?' I ask, only a little shocked.

'We don't know yet but we're working on it.' Rhys replies. 'Tomorrow I want you to start training; if we find the information we need, we're going to invade the camp and destroy everyone involved in the plot.' I can tell Rhysand is furious about the attempt on his mate's life by the flicker of rage in his eyes that he fails to hide.

I nod.

'Oh and another thing,' He goes on with a slight twitch at the sides of his lips. 'Cassian will be training you.'

Surprise! I know I said that I wouldn't be updating soon again but A Court of Illyrian Hearts just reached over 200 views and I wanted to post this short little chapter to say thank you to everyone who has been reading, voting and commenting on my stories, it honestly means so much to me. This chapter is really short but like I said it's a filler chapter; the next one has some more tension and chemistry between our two main characters and I can't wait for you guys to read it!

Thanks again xxx