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

Elain

Jurian was not my enemy, I couldn't wrap my mind around it. Even though I knew he was telling the truth, I still wanted to kill him. What he did to my- to Azriel, I knew that if he ever hurt Azriel again, I wouldn't hesitate to kill him. I would take a long while doing it, and I would savor every fucking second.

Azriel glanced at me and I met his gaze, I'm going to talk to Cass, if you need anything, anything at all, you can talk to me through the shadow.

I nodded slightly, Thank you again, Azriel, I told him as he vanished into shadows to warm his brother to move the legion of Illyrians.

I was lost in my thoughts when I felt someone elbowing me in the side, Aelin. I quickly snapped back to reality and looked at Graysen again, "I did not mean to deceive you."

His father merely said, "I find I have trouble believing that."

Graysen swallowed. "Did you think you could come back here, live with me as this, lie?"

"No. Yes. I-I don't know what I wanted-"

"And you are bound to some, Fae male. A High Lord's son. You are his mate. Do you even know what that means?"

"It means nothing," I said, forcing my voice to break. "It means nothing. I don't care who decided it or why they did-"

"You belong to him."

"I belong to no one. But my heart belongs to you."

Graysen's face hardened. "I don't want it."

I shoved hurt deep into my eyes, made my face crumple, as if in sadness and rejection.

Feyre stepped close, pushing me behind her, Aelin moving with me. "Here is what is going to happen. You are going to take in any people who can make it here. We will supply these walls with wards."

"We don't need them," sneered Nolan.

"Shall I demonstrate for you," Feyre said, "how wrong you are? Or shall you take my word for it that I could reduce this wall to rubble with half a thought? And that is to say nothing of my friends. You will find, Lord Nolan, that you want our wards, and our help. All in exchange for taking in whatever humans need the safety."

"I don't want riffraff wandering through here." I could see Aelin physically restraining herself from launching herself at him.

"So only the rich and chosen will walk through the gates?" Rhys asked, arching a brow. "I can't imagine the aristocracy being content to work your land and fish in your lake or butcher your meat."

"We have plenty of workers here to do that."

The son of a bitch.

Jurian said to the lords, "I fought beside your ancestor. And he would be ashamed if you locked out those who needed it. You would spit on his grave to do so. I hold a position of trust with Hybern. One word from me, and I will make sure his legion takes a visit here. To you."

"You'll threaten to bring the very enemy you seek to protect us from?"

Jurian shrugged. "I can also convince Hybern to steer clear. He trusts me that much. You let in those people, I will do my best to keep his armies far away."

He gave Rhys a look, daring him to doubt it.

They were still too stunned to even try to look neutral, Aelin's face and my own were meticulously crafted masks, hiding any and all of our true emotions.

Then Nolan said, "I do not pretend to have a large army. Only a considerable unit of soldiers. If what you say is true," A glance at Graysen. "We will take them. Whoever can make it."

I wondered if the elder lord might be the one who could actually be reasoned with. Especially as Graysen said to me, "Take that ring off."

I curved my fingers into a fist. "No."

"Take. It. Off."

It was Nolan's turn to murmur a warning to his son. Graysen ignored him, and I did not move.

"Take it off!" The roared words barked over the stones.

"That's enough," Rhys said, his voice lethally calm. "The lady keeps the ring, if she wants it. Though none of us will be particularly sad to see it go. Females tend to prefer gold or silver to iron." Now steel, but they didn't need to know that.

Graysen leveled a seething look at Rhysand. "Is this the start of it? You Fae males will come to take our women? Are your own not fuckable enough?"

"Watch your tongue, boy," his father said.

Graysen only said to me, "I am not marrying you. Our engagement is over. I will take whatever people occupy your lands. But not you. Never you."

I made tears slide down my cheeks, the scent of salt filling the air.

Then, faster than anyone could see, Aelin was in front of Graysen. She punched him in the stomach, no doubt breaking at least a couple ribs, causing him to double over in pain. She slammed her knee into his face, breaking his nose with a crack. His head snapped back, blood flowing freely down his face. 

A wave of satisfaction rolled through me as Aelin snarled in his face, "You never deserved her." she turned to Feyre, "I assume we're done here." 

Aelin linked our arms once more and we turned to leave, but Jurian stopped us, he looked me in the eye, "Tell the shadowsinger I'm sorry about the arrow to the chest." I couldn't stop the rage that burned in my eyes, I gave him a curt nod, and we left the guardhouse. Mor winnowing us and Nesta back to the Illyrian camp.

I will continue