A Court of Dark and Decay

Chapter 17-Ripple

"You want my help?" She asked, not a drip of bite to her words. Genuinely confused- interested.

Lori chuckled, hiding her smile with her hand and looking away.

Iona looked at the floor between her legs.

Verra was looking out the window.

Only Cassian, Az, and Jaida had thier attention fully on Nesta, lingering, waiting for her response.

Nesta leaned back against the door frame again, guestering to the females in the room.

"They don't want my help."

"I do, dove."

"Who told you to say that?" Nesta snapped, eyes locked on Az even as she spoke to Jaida.

Az stiffened, holding onto his manners and his tounge. He was always silent, but his words could be deadly. That would not be the way to approach this conversation.

He started, "The blood rite is in four months. Are you aware of what that is?"

Nesta nodded.

Az continued, "We want you to help us end it."

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Nesta's mind was still spinning, drunk enough to bring her chin back up, but not enough to start becoming a giggling little shit.

It also meant, though, that her words weren't filtered. And whatver the hell Azriel was talking about seemed important. She had to tread carefully.

"End it?" She held back a giggle.

Azriel nodded. "The stigma between females and males comes from the ideolgy that only males can be warriors. The blood rite is what deceides if a male is a worthy warrior. If it stops, so does the stigma."

Lori again, had her hand over her mouth, keepig her smile to herself.

Nesta noticed. So she turned to Lori. "What do you think of this idea?"

Lori paused, obviously surprised. Just as she formed words, though, Azriel cut her off.

"You don't have to answer that."

Lori turned her head slowly, facing Azriel.

But Nesta was already onto Verra, staring out the window. "Verra?"

The healer turned their head.

"I think ...." They ooked to Cassian, then to Azriel. "I think it is one possible solution to the problem."

Nesta looked past Verra. "Iona?"

The gentle giant only met Nesta's eyes and moved her head in a way that Nesta could not decipher as a nod or her shaking her head.

"Nesta," Azriel began as Nesta started to understand what was happening. "The blood rite is the key to creating an enviorment of equality here at Windhaven."

He was speaking like he had memorized notes from a lecture.

Lori spoke up, looking right at her superior. "That we can agree on."

"No."

All eyes swept to Nesta.

"I'm not going to help you."

Cassian spoke, unable to help himself. "Nesta-"

"I said no."

"Why?" Henery spoke, sipping soup right from his ladel. He seemed like he was being entertained by all this.