Nesta stood next to Rayna, Elain a few steps behind them. Three males entered the room along with Feyre who no longer wore her coat, revealing a Night Court's gown.
Azriel could scent the fear coming from the three women. His curios eyes locked on the third, little fear in her scent compared to the others, only mud and dirt. Her clothes were different from the other two's dresses. Her and Nesta stood straight, chins raised high. But while the eldest sister resembled a wildcat, Rayna was a lone wolf. Her fiery red hair was braided, revealing her round ears. She stood more relaxed than the other two, a trick, he used many times. He knew that was only the calm hiding a storm, ready to jump into action if necessary.
Her calculated eyes scanned their figures, her face betraying nothing. Her eyes stopped for a moment too long on his side. A wave of pain shot through him as he hid his hands behind his back, he always hated people's reactions to them. Her gaze didn't move though, for she had not been staring at his scarred flesh, no, it was his dagger, Truth Teller. Rhys had told them to put weapons away, but he kept that one just in case.
Rayna looked up to find him already staring at her. She purposely lowered her eyes back to the dagger and then to his face once more. She raised a brow in question. He just froze for a moment, too surprised by her boldness. But before he could answer, Feyre spoke.
'My sisters, Nesta and Elain Archeron and Rayna Castellan.' She then pointed to the male with long hair. 'Cassian.' She turned to the one with the dagger. 'Azriel.' Her face visibly softed as she turned to the male without wings 'And Rhysand, High Lord of The Night Court.'
It took all those practice years she had to keep Rayna from hiding the shock she felt. High Lord, fuck her, what were the chances. The rational part of her was yelling at her to run and never look back, but her heart beat for the two sisters and she could not leave them alone.
'Thank you for your hospitality and generosity.' Rhysand said.
Rayna noticed how it pained him to say the words as if he didn't believe them to be true at all. He smiled and Elain tried to mirror it but her fear made her fail miserably.
'The cook left dinner on the table, we should eat before it goes cold.' Nesta took the attention away from Elain as she turned her back to them and started walking with purpose towards the table.
Elain only moved to follow her sister when Rayna nodded her head in approval. She was going to go last, in case anything happened it would not be their backs turned to the fae.
Of course, Nesta sat at the head of the table. Rayna shook her head, amused and went to sit next to her but Feyre beat her to it. They all sat down. Nesta at the head, to her left Elain, then Rayna and Cassian. Facing them to her right sat Feyre, Rhysand and Azriel. Each looked terribly uncomfortable.
Azriel smiled at the way Elain seemed to use Rayna as a shield between her and Cassian. He then cringed along with his brother as they tried to adjust their wings in the chairs.
As soon as Feyre started eating she forced herself not to look disgusted, but naturally both Nesta and Rayna noticed. Her three other companions didn't seem to mind the food at all.
'Is there something wrong with the food?'
Rayna started massaging her temples, of course Nesta had to. Feyre shook her head as she took another bite.
'So you can't eat normal food anymore? Are you too good for it?' A question, a challenge.
The redhead watched the fae's reaction carefully, a hand on her thigh where her dagger rested. Was Nesta being a bitch? Yes, but she was a bitch Rayna would die for. Rhysand let his fork loudly drop on his plate, scaring Elain in the process.
'I can eat, fight and fuck just as good as before, better even.' Feyre's answer came.
Cassian laughed the way Rayna wished she could at her bold words. But she kept quite, her eyes glued to the High Lord for his reaction.
'If you ever come to Prythian, you will discover why your food tastes so different.' Rhysand finally spoke in an attempt to calm the situation.
'We don't plan on traveling on fae land, for our kind is not welcomed there. So, we'll have to take your word for it.' Rayna spoke before Nesta could open her mouth to let out another retort that would make everything worse.
Elain took her sister's hand under the table, a silent plea. But the eldest sister's eyes weren't on either of them, they were on Cassian.
'What are you looking at?' She questioned.
The male looked her up and down amused.
'Someone who let her younger sister risk her life every day in the woods while she did nothing. Someone who let a fourteen year old child to go into that forest, so close to the wall. You sister died to save my people. She is willing to do it again to protect you from war. So don't expect me to sit here with my mouth shut whi-'
'But you will.'
It was Rayna who spoke, interrupting him. She didn't even look at him as she chose her next words, her voice never flattering.
'You will sit here with your mouth shut, in the house you came to beg to use. It had never been Nesta's job to raise Feyre or Elain. She's not the one who failed. You seem to forget she was also a child, as was Elain. And yet you come here ask for help that could destroy the life they built and have the audacity to speak about a past you know nothing about. You weren't there with them, therefore you can not voice your opinion about it since you don't know the whole story. Nesta is allowed to be angry.'
Azriel's eyes watched her carefully, like he had just discovered a very interesting new book he could not yet read. He was intrigued. Even Cassian's arrogance flattered a bit.
'And what are you doing here? You are not an Archeron. Came here to live of their money?' The General bit.
Rayna finally turned to look at him, a dangerous smile on her face. Cassian waited, ready for her attack, but it never came. She just silently smiled at him and it frustrated him more than any words she could have said did.
Azriel found himself fighting the urge to smile at his brother and the female who made him shut his mouth.