A Court of shadows and love

Chapter-36

The Court of Nightmares lived upto its name. Xander knew as much when he saw the doors to the throne room. Great scaled black beasts were carved into it. Nests of claws and fangs carved so accurately they looked alive. Some beasts were devouring each other, fighting and sleeping. Vines of jasmine and moonflower twined together.
Xander didn't balk at the sight as they walked past the gathered crowd. Unlike Nesta he ignored the gathered crowd as if they were dirt under his shoes. The throne of those black beasts loomed in the front. Everyone except Rhys and Feyre stopped at the foot of the dais.
"Bow," Rhys's voice echoed in the cavernous throne room. And Xander did. Gripping Nesta's hand in his own, Xander did.
And then it happened. As if testing their new found faeness. Tendrils of power snaked toward him. And by the way Nesta tensed beside him, he knew she must have also felt it. Nesta just squeezed his hand as if she knew what he was thinking.
Xander let them creep near him.
And then he wrapped his own power around it. Smothering and suffocating it. The magic faltered. Xander followed it back to its owner and entered his mind as if it was an unlocked door. It was a golden haired male. No wonder related to Keir.
Xander was ready to melt his brain when he decided against it. Only when Nesta tugged him up did he realized they were going to move.
Amren bowed her head when they reached the dais where his sister and Rhys were sitting, "By your leave, High Lord."
"Go enjoy yourselves," Rhys said. Xander caught Feyre's eyes as he turned around. Pure malice and disinterest danced in her eyes.
But a shadowy talon scraped on his mental wall of daggers. And Xander sent a thumbs up in answer.
A few heads turned their way as they walked away. But a bob of Amren's head, they looked away.

Hewn City would be beautiful if not only for its wretched occupants. Nesta and Xander followed Amren as she guided them away. When they reached a bronze double door, Amren laid her palms on it and the doors clicked open. Amren jerked her head and motioned for them to step in. The door clicked shut as they entered the room. Fae lights bobbed to life and Xander stifled a gasp of pain as he felt the magic around him.
It was sinister and cruel and tricky. Some outright sneered at him and others begged him to touch it. He didn't know what he was doing until he was jerked away by Amren.
"What do you think you are doing?" Amren growled.
Xander blinked his eyes. That was when he noticed his hands drifting towards a black chest on the table.
"It just... it called me," he said, rubbing his hands and trying to erase the mark of that trickster magic.
"That is what it does. That is what you are here for. Take out that chain and feel. Do not touch anything," she said looking between both Nesta and him, "You can not wrap your magic around everything. Be careful or it may eat you alive otherwise."
Xander looped the gold chain around his forefinger and clasped it at his forearm.
Power as beautiful as a night melody flowed into him. And the objects in the room started shrieking. In glee or fear he did not know. Xander let his power coat the room without making contact with anything. He let it feel everything. And he came in contact with something.
Xander hissed as another power slithered inside the room like a predator. Stalking and waiting. Making everything balk in its wake. Xander let his own wrap around the power and got a feel of it.
It was so cold. And hot. And stifling. He hasn't felt a power like this from anyone. But he knew the feeling. He knew where it came from.
Something inside of him urged him to take it and tear it away. But Xander didn't. He controlled every instinct of him and let the power slither away.
Is that you Nes?
He asked without turning away from the blade he was examining.
A beat passed as he waited in Nesta's head. It was like their sitting room. Back in mortal lands. It was designed like that. And there in the distance a door opened. And her voice answered.
Yes.
Did you—?
Yes, I took it. It took something from me so I took something back.
Every nerve in his body urged him to rip it away from her. Tear into her and drain her dry.
He immediately escaped from Nesta's mind. And Nesta turned around to look at him. Xander braced himself on the table and hung his head down.
Take it.
Take it back.
Tear it away.
A melody sounded in his head and Xander roared back in response.
It was his sister. And he would not harm her.
It was his sister.
Xander raised his head and met Nesta's stare.
I know.
He said and let her see. Let Nesta see everything. A single tear rolled down her cheek and her power in the chambers slithered away from him.
It's alright.
Said Xander and retreated back from her mind.
Xander continued to look around the things in the room. Avoiding Nesta's power at all cost.
"Did you get a feel of the magic?"
Amren asked after several minutes.
Xander and Nesta nodded their heads.
"Now find a tear in the magic."
Nesta and Xander looked around and settled their gazes on the tapestry hung on the wall.
Midnight black cloth sewed with silver thread. The designs depicted whereas fae and beasts together.
"That one," both of them said together.
"Now both of you try to mend it," Amren said, coming to stand near both of them.
That was going to be a problem. He didn't even want to think about what would happen if he let his magic mix with Nesta's.
"I will do it," Xander said looking at Nesta and Amren.
"Both of you need to learn how to work together if you are going to repair the wall," said Amren, looking between both of them suspiciously.
"It's not that. We—" Xander licked his lips before continuing, "Both of our powers are volatile. We don't know what will happen if we combine it together."
"Volatile?" Amren bit out, baring her teeth at both of them. Xander winced.
A shadow as cool as night wind caressed the mating bond. He let Azriel know it was nothing.
"What do you mean—"
"Someone's here," Xander said, cutting her off. He pulled both of them together and flung his power through the door, he caught hold of whoever it was on the other side and locked their limbs together.
Xander looked at Amren and she nodded her head.
"Well well well," Xander said, approaching the golden haired male from earlier, "look what we got here."
He slid his hands into his pockets and smirked at the male before him.
"One of Keir's lackeys."
The male looked between all of them and sneered in response.
"I will have your head for this you mortal filth," he hissed.
"Is that all you got little boy?" Xander clicked his tongue and picked at his nails, seemingly uninterested.
"If you didn't notice I have you by the balls," he squeezed his neck and the male struggled and clawed at his throat.
"Are you hungry, Amren?" He asked her.
Amren had a wicked smile on her face and the male wetted himself before passing out.
"Wipe his memory," Amren told him and waited.
Xander wiped the male's memory of their interaction and found the root of his questioning.
"Keir sent him," he said, straightening his cuffs, "to follow us and find out what we are doing."
"I am going to eat him whole one day," Amren growled, "let's get out of here."
They stood outside only for a few minutes before the other party joined them.
Are you alright?
A shadow curled around his ear and asked lovingly.
I told Nesta.
Xander told Azriel, looking at him.
Is she —?
Yes she is fine. How did it go there?
Azriel arched one perfect eyebrow at him.
How do you think it went in there? With Keir, Eris and Mor in a room together?
That bad?
Xander grimaced. Azriel slid his hand around his waist and shadows swarmed them.
You will find out soon enough.
If that wasn't cryptic.