A Court of Fate and Failure | Azriel

29: Over and Out

"What's this?" Mor asked.

Shit shit shit.

Naoise scrambled for anything truthful to say and dragged out hesitantly, "Uh... a bite."

"Well, yes, I can see that. Did someone try to... well, do what you do?"

Thanking the Mother they were almost there, Naoise winced. And reluctantly pieced together that her thing was now ripping out throats with her teeth. And knew she was now between a rock and certain death.

"Yes. They missed," she lied.

Mor stiffened the instant she said a word. 

Then she hummed and placed her hand atop the bite once more. Through layers of fabric, it twinged the slightest bit and Naoise jolted harshly. As if on instinct at the scrutiny, she tucked away drifting darkness.

"What a wonderful lie," she mused.

"It's not—"

"And another."

Naoise took a vow of silence, slowing down and touching down on the balcony. Just inside, everyone was standing at the table, conversing with Amren at their heart where she remained seated, lounging back like a royal before her subjects. What a bitch.

As Mor lowered to the ground, she gripped Naoise's arm so she couldn't flee as she itched to and tilted her head, spearing her down with her gaze. "Now what kind of bite could that be for you to lie so vehemently?"

Naoise gently pried her arm from her grip. "Let's stick to one secret for now," she said, a light teasing to it that didn't match the low tone her voice took.

"So they're separate?"

Huffing, Naoise slipped past Mor, still feeling the scrutiny of an unanswered question watching her every breath. "More than you know."

"Wait," Mor called out, stopping her where she stood. Naoise should've just kept walking. "Will this secret cause harm to any of us?"

She thought on it for a moment, then realized there wasn't anything to think on. She would die soon. Azriel would lose the one mate he'd been given. She'd be taken from him. Perhaps her death would even cause the others distress, and if distress and grief hurt as much to them as it did for her, she would most certainly be harming them all.

There was no use lying about her answer. So Naoise opened the door and said over her shoulder, "Yes."

Because she didn't know what else there was to do.

The others noticed her immediately and silence fell, only her footsteps and the rustling of Illyrian wings to fill it. Although with varying kinds of silence, they made it heavy. Heavy enough where panic gripped her for the briefest moment and her powers surged. They wished to fill the silence. Prevent the weight of it and their emotions to reach her. 

They wished to... protect her. Something she never thought they'd want.

It all just made her so helplessly confused.

Stopping before the others with the countenance of a soldier, Naoise raised her eyebrows at the impatient look on Rhysand's face. Cassian's unnerving grin. Azriel's cool, indifferent, yet amused smile. Amren's piercing glare that Naoise couldn't give a shit about. And she was sure Mor, who trailed in behind her, looked concerned enough to warrant the emotions swirling around her. 

Like a storm threatening to swallow her for all she'd done. Or, rather, had failed to. All she never did.

Rhys sighed and shoved his hands into his trousers pockets. "What is this secret, then?"