A Different Type of Meeting

Chapter 21 - Feyre

Feyre

Thesan stood from his chair to greet us, evidently sensing the tension in the air. Only one other Court was here, besides Night and Dawn, and that was winter. The home of the High Lord Kallias. 
"Hello Tamlin," Thesan said, "Feyre, Lucien." He nodded to each of us in turn, and I only nodded back as Lucien bowed in response. "How pleasant to see you again." He didn't seem to be focused on Tamlin, but instead his attention was on my mask, the face that he could see. Not my own.
"It seems we are early." Tamlin said, his voice neutral as always, unfeeling and bored. Thesan smiled slightly, trying to warm up the sullen mood that developed when we entered the room. 
"You are on time, it seems everyone else is late." Thesan said and then motioned to the seats that we were standing near, "please, have a seat." So we did, and no one spoke until people started arriving and the Meeting finally commenced.

It took half an hour for all of the High Lords and their consorts to arrive, last was Autumn. Lucien's old Court, and the Court that seemed to have sneers constantly plastered to their face no matter what they were doing or saying.
"Considering we are all here, perhaps we should begin." Thesan spoke, ever the gracious host. "We are all here to discuss what is happening between the Spring and Night Courts and why Hybern has all of a sudden come back into the light again. Rhysand, I believe you had something you wanted to say." He nodded in approval and when he spoke, I nearly cried. I missed it so much, I missed it all so much. Barely five days, and I was already torn apart, like the fractured galaxy on my head.
"Nine days ago, my Court was attacked by the soldier of both Spring and Hybern, working together in unison." He said, his voice more sharp than Tamlin's, but it still held no real emotion. "Due to this, we are under the impression that Spring is working with Hybern for reasons unknown and are planning something to destroy Prythian." 
"And what are these wild accusations based on? You have no proof of half of the things you have said." Tamlin growled back almost immediately, and so the battle began. Spring made the first move, and tensions rose in the room almost immediately. I felt it simmer in the room, as shields locked into place around all of the Courts. I put one into place around myself, Tamlin and Lucien Sticking to the act, the façade, that I wanted now more than ever to abandon. 
"I have proof enough to know that you are planning something." Rhysand said back, his voice a deadly and unsettling calm. I sat silently, watching, debating, as the High Lords around us considered. Beron, High Lord of Autumn, was still on Spring's side, and so was most of the other seasonal Courts including Tarquin, from Summer, and Kallias. The Solar Courts, Helion, High Lord of Day, and Thesan. This wouldn't be good.
"Would you be able to provide us with this proof Rhysand." Thesan said, his voice lilting compared to the two males who seemed to be facing off.
"The proof is sitting next to him," He said, his eyes now shifting to meet mine. "Hybern's newest spy."

All attention was focused on me, including that of Tamlin and Lucien, both of whom had no idea that I was spying on them. 
"Funny, you seem to have been given false information through your own little spy." I smirked at Azriel. My heart was beating faster than usual and, for some reason, I couldn't let them know that I was 'working for Hybern'. 
"You expect us to believe that after you lied to this Court for weeks before leaving to give away everything to the Spring Court." He snarled back, and I could feel his powers surging to life under his skin, accompanied by the growing anger. 
"I believe we need to hear the full story before we can make a judgement on it." Kallias said, his voice also sharp now at the rising tension.
"You just heard it." I replied, my eyes never breaking from Rhysand's. 
"Perhaps the Spring Court needs to stop trying to attack its allies before they lose them all." Helion spoke from his position, leaning back against his chair. Visibly relaxed, but obviously agitated as well. 
"Then perhaps the Night Court should have chosen the right side. Against Amarantha." Tamlin spoke from beside me, my eye contact now breaking with Rhys as he looked at Tamlin.
"I did that to protect my Court, and try to help Prythian." He snarled back, making all of the people in the room flinch. Except me. Somehow I was expecting it, somehow I knew exactly how he would react and when.
"Sure you did. That was exactly what you were thinking while you were warming her bed." I flinched internally at Tamlin's comment, because it hurt something deep inside of me. Something I didn't quite understand yet, Something that was making itself a lot more evident as the days went on, as it pushed its way to the surface.
"Perhaps, if you pulled your head out of your ass, you might have realised why Amarantha didn't just kill all of you and be done with it." Rhysand replied, and the room fell into silence. But I could still hear the anger buzzing backwards and forwards around the room.
"You were just weak, too weak to stand up against her." Tamlin growled back, his anger out of check, and I knew he had crossed a line. Because all of the shields in the room seemed to blink out existence as Rhysand's power swept through except his own. And ours. Everyone looked at me then, because it was my shield that stood against Rhysand's power outburst, not the ones of the High Lords, or even Tamlin. Me. A confident smirk sunk onto my mask as I noticed that I appeared slightly shocked.
"You may think you are stronger than everyone here Rhysand, but you underestimate me." I knew he hadn't, because he knew me too well, but he was testing me. For some reason I couldn't understand, he was testing me. But I didn't let my mask falter as my wings flared out from my back, painting my portrait as a Nightmare. That smirk still planted on my face, and leant back in my chair, feigning relaxation. "You and all of your little mutts." And Azriel exploded in a storm of shadows, coming straight for me, so I let him. 

As he hit me with an impact I had never felt before, the chair fell backwards and I locked a soundproof shield around both of us. 
"Azriel listen to me." I said, holding him at bay with my second shield solely around me. "Please, I need you to help me. You've watched me, you know I am doing this for the Night Court. You know I am lying to them." He smirked at me, invisible to all of the people outside the shield, including Tamlin and Rhysand who appeared to be yelling at each other. 
"I know, why do you think I did this? If you really think that little of me I am offended." I kept a neutral face at his response to trick those outside the bubble, but on the inside I was grinning.
"Honestly you have given me nothing else to go off of. But I need you. I am going to winnow us away, out of here, and come back alone. I will lie to everyone, but I need you to contact Rhys as soon as possible, before he murders me when I return." Azriel nodded subtly and we disappeared from the meeting room, into a forest of pine surrounded by mountains.