A Court of Trust and Enemies

Chapter 12

Cassian's leg was not getting any better, but at the same time, it wasn't getting any worse. It was a small victory for her as she redressed the wound. The General sat still, Nesta was out with Maddy leaving only the two of them in the tent.

"Any pain?" Evalyn asked him. Washing her hands once she was done.

"No."

"No pain at all?" Evalyn lifted her brow, she did not believe him.

"Just some discomfort, but no pain."

"Discomfort is pain." Evalyn said back. Shaking her head. "You have declined every tonic we have offered you."

"I don't want them." Cassian said with his eyes fixed on her. "I don't want to be addicted to some pain dulling tonic to function. And if I am on it, the risk of me 'forgetting' that I can't do certain things is high." Evalyn guessed that a third reason lay within his words.

"I hear you." Evalyn started to pack her things. "But I don't like to have a patient in pain when I can do something about it." bearly do something about it. Her mind corrected her. If she had all of her powers, the powers that were still sleeping inside of her, then maybe...

"Have you talked to Nyx?" Cassian asked. Forcing her to stop moving to focus on her breathing.

"No. And I don't plan on it." She said back in a short tone.

"I think you should."

"I don't need to listen to you." Evalyn bit her tongue.

"I think he knows that he fucked up, and he wants to make it up to you." concern filled his words.

"I don't care." But she did.

"I have seen Rhys mess up, and it physically hurt him to stay away from Feyre for three days. And don't get me started on me and Nesta..."

"I don't care!" Evalyn spit back. "I need the time apart, for he not only hurt me, but made me doubt if he even respected me and my choices in life! That is not the same as what Rhys did to Feyre, or your and Nestas arguments!"

"The difference is that Nyx was just angry, he never meant it!"

"And I should just accept and forgive him because he was angry? Fuck no!" She placed her hands down on the table, her back against the Illyrian.

"I am not saying that-"

"But you did. So no, Cassian, I will not talk to him." For if she did she might forgive him, she might even ask him to kiss her.

"He is a born leader." She still had her back against him. "He asked for help the first thing he did when things got hard. He made sure to trust his instincts and seal alliances. He tried to get you to a better place to live so he knew that you were safe."

"Just to call me a coward the moment things got bad."

"He didn't."

"'You fleed, instead of facing your responsibilities.' Those were his exact words."

"Towards his sister."

"But I did the same thing!" Evalyn turned now to face him. "I got raped, and preagnant and I hid from it for almoste a year!"

"Has he ever judged you for that?" Cassian raised his voice. "I have trained that boy all his life, if anything he looked at you and felt as a failure for not helping you earlier."

I don't like to see you in pain like that... I can't see one of my friends in pain... Evalyn closed her eyes.

"What he said towards Luna, was his own anger towards her, and a situation he has no power over. Not against you. Never."