A Court of Fire and Shadows -ON BREAK!!!-

Elain

Aelin told Rowan that she'd be out most of the night and Manon just told Dorian that she was going to get a drink. That seemed to be explanation enough.

We all changed into some plain pants and shirts, nothing that anyone could use to identify us. 

Aelin and I made sure to grab a ton of concealed weapons, we're assassins, you can never be too careful. Manon however didn't want them, then again, she has iron teeth and nails, she probably doesn't need weapons. 

Aelin linked her arms with me and Manon and we all walked towards the nearest club, all of us with hoods obscuring our faces.

When we got to the door of the Sunset, Aelin looked at Manon and I, "Ok, no backing out now,"

Manon and I exchanged a glance, "We are very offended that you think so little of us," I said with mock horror while Manon snickered, "besides I could outdrink both of you any day," I breezed past them into the club.

Aelin scoffed, "In your dreams assassin." She shouted over the noise of the faeries in the packed club.

"I don't need to dream, princess" I shot back.

"Ladies, ladies, let's not fight, you both know that I can outdrink both of you." Manon told us with a cocky smirk.

"You're on."

We walked over to the bar, not lifting our hoods and sat down at three barstools next to each other.

Aelin called the bartender over, "We need some shots," She threw a handful  of gold down on the counter, "As much as this can buy."

The bartender's eyes went wide, and he greedily grabbed it all up before just setting down bottles and bottles of whiskey and vodka, with a three cups, one for each of us.

"Wait," Aelin and I looked at Manon, "Shouldn't we get someone to keep score, we're going to be too drunk."

Aelin looked at me, "She's not wrong."

"Ok, Manon, you go find someone."

She sighed dramatically, "Fine."

"So, Lainey," Aelin drawled, "w-"

I held up a hand to stop her, "Lainey? Seriously."

"Ellie  then." I looked at her weird again, "We need to use a different name in case we know whoever Manon finds."

I rolled my eyes and groaned, "Fine Ellie."

Aelin clapped her hands a few times, "I'm going to start calling you Ellie by the way, that's your new nickname."

Just then Manon slid back into her seat, "What's her new nickname?"

"Manon, meet Ellie, Ellie, meet Manon."

Manon raised an eyebrow at me, I just shrugged and gestured towards Aelin as if that explained everything. She nodded and smirked.

"So, I found our scorekeepers." Just then, I saw two pairs of Illyrian wings moving through the crowd.

Shit. I looked over at Manon and she just gave me an innocent smile. I threw her a vulgar gesture in return, which only served to make her smile wider.

"Hello ladies, fancy seeing you here." Cassian smirked, looking at Aelin and Manon, "And who is your friend?" He turned his attention to me.

"This is Ellie, we found her in the club."

"And, unlike those two, I'm happily single, so don't get any ideas." I added, Azriel's gaze snapped to me when he heard my voice and I felt the comforting touch of shadow curling around my delicately pointed ear.

Ellie? Did Aelin come up with that?

How could you tell.

Because it seems like one of the two nicknames she would give you, it's either that or Lainey.

I had to hold in a laugh at how accurate that was.

Aelin clapped her hands once, "Ok, now is the time to place bets, boys. Who do you think can drink the most, me, Manon," Manon bared her iron teeth at them, and Cassian took a small step back, "or Ellie."

"Twenty gold on Manon," Cassian said, not moving forwards.

"Fifty for Ellie." Azriel smirked at Cassian, voice smooth as silk.

"Aelin, Manon and I are each putting 50 on ourselves, obviously. So make sure you have enough money to pay me."

_____LINE BREAK_____

By the time we finished all the bottles of alcohol it was nearly midnight.

Aelin was stumbling around and heavily slurring her words, she was so drunk that we could barely understand her. Manon was a little better but not by much.

I was staggering around, but unlike them, I could form coherent sentences.

Aelin once again slung her arms around me and Manon as we stumbled around. We were all leaning on a drunk -but not as drunk as the rest of us- Azriel. Cassian was following us, but at a distance, last I saw he was checking out some females he saw on the streets on the way back.

We weren't even twenty yards from the club when Aelin passed out, Manon falling with her.

"Lightweights," I slurred, hauling Manon up.

Aelin, it seems, was out cold so Az just winnowed us into the Erileans' room, before I assumed, he would go to find Cassian. The last thing I saw before falling asleep was him setting us down on the couches, then everything went black.

I will continue