A Court of Bastards [ACOTAR]

Chapter 17

AN:

Sorry for the late update! Am trying to find time to write around my work now that I'm back at uni, so updates might slow a little x

Thank you all for staying with ACOB and hope you're enjoying it so far!

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Another day passed quickly, and soon enough Fiona was back to full health. In the morning she pushed her body more than she ever had before, ate the most exotic of foods at lunch, and in the evenings she drank in the company of the inner circle of the Night Court. It was different, knowing that she wouldn't have to go back to the Mountain Palace and her family at the end of the night - her laughter came easier, and the hours of training under the weak winter sun lifted freckles from her skin that she hadn't seen since the quiet years of her childhood. 

Although the dark was never far away. On her second night it crept in as it always did, shadows lengthening around the attic room into the shape of wicked sneers and long, thin noses creeping up the wall. They began to blur together until she felt like she was drowning in them and - perhaps on instinct after their training - Fiona winnowed to Bella's room in the middle of her nightmare. She'd woken to the Illyrian's yelp of surprise as she landed on a wing, and immediately scrambled to apologise despite the sweat coating her forehead, despite that knife of a smile still burned into her eyelids. 

The next day they trained again, and Fiona was able to perform basic evasive manoeuvres with more success, elbowing, twisting and then winnowing out of every exercise Cassian thought up for her. She began to enjoy the way her body ached after hours on the rooftop, and found a strange satisfaction in feeling the groan of her muscles at the end of a long day.

On one such evening she was huddled around the dining table in the townhouse, a bottle of wine between her Illyrian companions and a hearty dinner digesting. A fireplace roared on one side of the room, warming their cheeks with an orange glow - though it hardly made a difference to Gabriel, who was already a little pink from all the wine. Lord Cassian had even deigned to join them for a drink, though Fiona didn't complain when he declined Bella's suggestion they invite her mother, the legendary Nesta Archeron.

Fiona was now well accustomed to the slightly hollow feeling that came from sitting amongst the Night Court; knowing that as welcome as she was, she might never have a family such as theirs. And she would have been content to listen to them share stories all night, to hear about Xander and Bella fighting back to back in the Blood Rite, and watch Cassian name the countless scars coating his shoulders by the monsters that gifted them. Inevitably, however, the conversation soon worked its way back to her and the Autumn Court.

"So, Fiona," Cassian's grin faded a little as he opened another bottle. "What's the plan?" He pulled the cork out with his teeth and dropped it onto the tablecloth. "You seem like a clever girl, so you must know you can't hide here forever."

Their smiles faltered but Fiona nodded. "I know," she sighed. "But I don't know what I could do without implicating all of you in a political mess," she answered, frowning. She caught Riordan's eye. "Is there any chance your father would take me in?"

He looked away guiltily. "I've already asked. Several times, actually. Helion is dedicated to his people – he wouldn't see the sense in risking Eris' wrath at a time where relations between courts are strained at best." Riordan's eyes met hers. "No matter who it was for."

A twinge of disappointment tugged her heart, though in truth, Fiona wasn't surprised. She glanced to Xander. "And I assume Lord Rhysand would feel the same."