In Her Shadow (ACOTAR)

Chapter Six: Torn

"I've always hated these rooms," Cassian complained, throwing himself into the armchair by the fire.

"Well why don't you go and hate these rooms with your mate?"

"Okay grumpy gills, what's going on?"

Azriel rolled his eyes, throwing the last piece of clothing he'd brought into the chest of drawers and shutting it hard, "I haven't been sleeping well,"

"When do you ever sleep well?"

Sighing, Azriel sat down on the bed and shot his brother a sharp look, "Where's Nesta?"

"With Feyre and the little one. The fly over wasn't as smooth as they had hoped and he won't stop screaming,"

Azriel laughed softly, "He has a pair of lungs on him, doesn't he?"

"That he does,"

They were here at the Hewn City at the request of Keir, who was demanding that the rest of Rhysand's court be allowed to look upon his heir. Rhys and Feyre had put this off for as long as possible but with the winter solstice only a matter of weeks away, they figured doing it now saved them bringing Nyx here then and they would be able to get back to their own celebration much quicker.

"And what of your prisoner?"

Standing and beginning to pace Azriel cast his mind down to the dungeons beneath them, his chest clenching. He hadn't been down there in days, paying off a guard to bring her food and water, threatening to skin him alive if he touched her. Had she been able to eat it? Had she been conscious? He had no idea and he kicked himself every time his mind had wandered to that cell, and the guilt he felt at not being able to get anything out of her as well as leaving her down there.

"I... I don't know what to do," he admitted. "I can't bring myself to... and we can't take her back without inviting an attack in retaliation from Valhallan,"

"She's just another soldier Az, just like anyone else we've had to work on,"

"She's different,"

Cassian snorted, "And by different do you mean she's got pretty eyes do you?"

Azriel punched his brother in the arm, "I mean I thought she would have snapped by now. And she hasn't,"

"So switch it up. Maybe you'll need to get your hands dirtier than you intended,"

"Cassian..."

"What?" Cassian threw his hands up in the air. "Isn't this the person who attacked Mor? The assassin?"

Sitting again he shrugged, "It was her name that was uttered in the courts, her face that Mor remembered, who else could it be?"

"Alright well then let me have a turn at her?"

"Oh yeah? And what would Nesta have to say about you torturing women, hm?"

Standing and pacing to the door Cassian paused at the door handle and turned, "Just do what needs to be done brother. If not for Mor, but for yourself. You have to let this go,"

~

"Gods I hate it here," Nesta murmured that night, swirling the glass of wine she held.

Azriel snorted, "Cassian said the exact same thing earlier,"

The night had been fairly uneventful so far. Rhys and Feyre were playing their usual game of pretending to be cold hearted rulers, with the one added distraction of the gurgling winger baby who was currently pulling Cassian's hair while he spoke to Amren and two other members of Keir's court, Azriel rarely bothered to remember their names.