A Court of Shadows and Lies / ACOTAR FF

Chapter 56

---Azriel POV---

Niamh patted the seat next to her, a smile on her lips. "Come, Az, sit with me," she told me. I took it quietly, no reason to fight one of the few females in Jez's family who was marginally okay with my presence. My family were deep in conversation, my High Lord and Lady scanning the room, head tilting and pointing at some Beings. Feyre occasionally gasped, with Nyx covering his mouth in unison, while Rhysand looked pleased about his knowledge. Mor and Amren were deep in conversation, with Mor picking up one of the silver utensils and examining it. Elain was touching the bouquet in the centre, inspecting the flowers. Nesta, Emerie and Gwyn were giddy at the end of the table, while Cass had already started on the alcohol that was now filling our cups magically. "I want to talk to you about something."

"Sure," I murmured, surprised at how comfortable I was on the chairs.

"I may have dipped into Jez's thoughts while she was in the library and heard something I may not have done. What's this gift that Vel gave Jez?" she asked quietly. I looked at Jez's younger sister, my brows furrowed at her attempt in gaining information. The female shrugged, turning her body towards me. "She hasn't really been talking very much and has been keeping to herself."

"Death," I grumbled.

"I knew it," Niamh said, an odd mixture of triumph and understanding laced in her tone. "You see, I have a theory that Sif doesn't like. I think that it's shared amongst all of us."

What the fuck?

"What?"

Niamh giddily sat closer to me, oddly like Jez whenever she understood something. "My sisters and I...we all felt something weird that day at the battle. We're all connected, mind and soul, and when Jez left...it was like a part of us went missing. I know we can switch it off or mask it, but even when we do there is always that linger of a connection."

I stared at the short female, unsure where this was going or why she was talking to me about it.

"So, when Jez disappeared into Velaris, we were surprised none of us could feel her and when we got that blip on the Continent and even Summer Court, it got me thinking-"

"You knew she was in Favilla?"

"...it was delayed," she admitted. "It's not normally this off but I think it's because we're all maturing."

"Maturing? You're all thousands of years old," I told her, more confused than ever.

"Yes, we are, but that doesn't mean anything when you know how old Mother is. I have a sinking suspicion who our father is and I think there's the expectation for us to..." she trailed off, lost in her thoughts, or thinking she may have spoken too much. "You don't speak to Jez anyway."

I certainly didn't.

"No, I don't."

"I think there is the full expectation for us to take our seats in the family," Niamh admitted lowly, her silver eyes jumping from me to the crowd, scanning. "And, I think, the reason why there is a plague is because someone was promised those seats, or had hoped for it. Then poof, we were born. They're angry and were fully expecting to take Vel's magic, then use it to kill every single God and Goddess."

I blinked at the female, unsure how I was meant to understand or what I needed to do but Niamh seemed to want to get it out of her system. "Why haven't you told Jez?"

"She's a hard one to track down, I'm sure you're aware," Niamh said quietly, a sadness in her tone. "We can fix her back, you know. We have the magic and salves to do so but she refuses. She hasn't been this withdrawn since Vel's death, perhaps even Phillipe's."