Nyx's point of view:
I stumbled back after a solid kick to the chest. My sternum heated in pain, and I could feel the bruise forming. Despite the discomfort, I recovered quickly, much to the disappointment of my opponent. Karyan's wings flung towards me in a vain attempt to knock me to the ground. However, because of the movement, she was off balance. I was able to grab the bone of the wing before it smacked my side and twisted her backward. Her momentum was all she needed to tumble backward, and I would have smiled if I hadn't been tired from our fight.
Karyan's alarmed expression as she hit the ground was priceless, and while she tried to stand, I quickly put my foot down on her wing. She struggled against my weight, but it was pointless. I wasn't even using my total weight to press her down as I knew how sensitive our wings were. My wings were pulled tight against my back to ensure they weren't used against me, but the thought of them being stepped on by a lot of weight made me cringe.
Karyan sighed from where she lay on the ground, and despite her sword still being in her hand, she conceded to me. I removed my sword from where it was pointed at her neck and lifted my foot. She pushed back the sweaty red hair from her eyes and bit out a scowling retort, "You know that almost worked if only I were a little quicker." I shook my head as I offered her a hand. She gracefully accepted as I said, "You could be as fast as light, and still, that move wouldn't work. You don't have the mass. Davina has more mass than you, and it doesn't even work on me most of the time."
Karyan nodded as she stood from the dirt, dusting herself off with a sour expression. Despite her loss, she quickly smiled as she said, "Noted, I won't use that move in battle." I shook my head at her change in attitude and whipped the sweat from my forehead as I said, "Not unless you want to end up with a sword in the gut." Karyan seemed to consider it like it was an option before she said, "Cassian had that happen once, but I don't think I feel like repeating that particular experience." I shook my head before leading us to the water station.
The group of us were at the training rings behind Azriel and Gwyn's home. Built along the river's edge, the cabin was secluded enough for the shadowsinger and his family. Plus, it was only a short flight to the ocean, so it was useful on a day like today when our allies were coming to visit.
While Davina was with her father today to review her work with the Illyrian women, the rest of us were here to train. Lorćan and Rainer were fighting in a separate ring, their moves blinding even to me. The two of them knew each other's fighting styles like it was their own, so rarely they could best one another without trickery. I had been training with Asteria and Karyan simultaneously to create a multiple-opponent scenario for me and a partner session for them.
Karyan had survived longer, only because I didn't give Asteria enough time to form a strategy. Asteria was a great player of the game, but a fighter she was not. And while they did work together, which almost allowed Karyan to beat me, they faltered when I changed my focus to Asteria. Karyan's attempts to protect others end up being the cause of her losing in fights.
Karyan dropped into the dirt unceremoniously beside me as she sipped on her water. Asteria was sitting on the bench with narrowed eyes. Her face was stern and was an uncanny replica of our father's cold expression. It chilled me slightly to see his face only used with the Court of Nightmares on her, but I knew it was only her expression when she was analyzing something. I assumed she was analyzing both my fight and the boys.
Karyan, unbothered by Asteria's cold expression, chirped up from my feet and said to her, "You know it won't matter how well you know our fighting style if you can't get out of your head enough to defeat us." Asteria took a moment to realize the comment was directed toward her. Though her eyes blinked away the unfocused cloudiness, she looked down her nose at Asteria from her place on the bench. Karyan gave me a pleading look to back her up, but I refused to get in between the argument when she was the one who started it.
Shrugging, I gestured between the girls and said, "Your beef is with each other, not me. I wasn't the one who said it." Asteria shook her head as if disappointed I wouldn't defend her before saying, "My skills are better used elsewhere." Karyan wiped her mouth with the back of her hand before speaking with a tone betraying her concern, "But you must know how to fight. Seeing the moves is great, but feeling them lets you know how it works in battle." I was distracted from their conversation when I saw Lorćan stumble backward, dropping a knee to the dirt after Rainer sent an unsuspecting knee to his stomach. Rainer took the opportunity to give his brother a smirk as he pointed the sword at his chest. He resembled the cold confidence of my aunt at that moment, which made Lorćan begrudgingly concede. However, Lorcán didn't stay a spoilsport for long. He cheered almost the instant he stood and gave his brother praise on the win.
Asteria just seemed to be analyzing them again before she remarked to Karyan, "I know enough to defend myself in case of a dire situation." Her dark eyes, like amethysts, turned back to eye Karyan and said, "But my job is to understand every strength and weakness of our court, no matter how big or small, and then plan how not to let those be discovered and used." Karyan didn't comment, but I could see she disagreed still. It was hard to argue with Asteria, and sometimes, it was easier just to let it go. I looked over Asteria's shoulder before changing the subject and saying, "Lorćan, if you keep fighting like that, your sister will best you here soon."
I rolled my eyes at Lorćan's arrogant laugh as he said brightly, "The day I lose to my sister Nyx is the day I'll kiss Karyan." I watched as Karyan balked at the idea, her face skrewed up in a scowl as she said ruefully, "Why did I have to get dragged into this." However, what was odd about the comment was Rainer did not agree with his brother about the disgrace if their little sister won. Rainer just scowled in a familiar cold expression but would flit a look at Karyan every once in a while. I would have asked his opinion, but Rainer seemed uninterested in the two bickering Illyrians besides watching their body language to prevent a potential fight.
Lorćan nudged his shoulder against mine, and I had to put a foot out to prevent me from stumbling. I wiped the sweat he left on me off and rolled my eyes as Lorća shook the sweat from his skin like a wet dog. I stepped back to avoid the spray, which proceeded to gross the girls out. I saw Karyan staring at the boys, probably with the same disgusted feeling as me. But when she met my gaze, she said annoyedly, "I was wondering what shirts did to offend the twins." Rainer looked down at his dirt and sweat-covered chest and brushed it off self-consciously. Lorćan, however, traded her sarcasm for a beaming grin as he said, "Shirts don't offend me, but why would I choose to cover myself? It would be an insult to cover this masterpiece with a cloth."
Karyan tried to shush him by flicking some water, but Lorćan was happily annoying her with words. I saw Rainer shake his head in amusement before happily taking the water I offered him. Karyan tried to get out of the argument with Lorćan by holding a hand to his face and turning to me. I raised an eyebrow expectantly before she said, "So when's your mate arriving?"
I felt my cheeks raise into a smile despite myself but was quickly saved from answering when Lorćan licked Karyan's hand, causing her to yell with annoyance before rubbing her hand on her tunic. Rainer rolled his eyes as if mentally chiding them for being children. But the distraction didn't last long, and I was quickly reminded of the previous question as the boys smirked expectantly at me. I quickly smother the smile with a scowl before pointing at the twins, "I want no taunts from either of you, got it." They nodded, but Lorćan tapped his brother's chest to get his attention. Rainer perked up instantly, and the two shared a wordless conversation. I couldn't help the gritted teeth at their planning before I turned back to Karyan when she cleared her throat.
The auburn Illyrian was waiting expectantly for my answer, and I checked the sky. It was almost midday, and the decoded message I had received said around this time. However, I hadn't felt anything at the borders yet. I crossed my arms, though, and gave a slight shrug before briefly saying, "Soon, if I was to guess." Asteria chuckled before nudging my side from where she sat and saying, "Feeling a bit impatient, brother?"
I didn't dignify myself with a response to my snickering family in front of me. I sighed before saying, "Children, the lot of you." Rainer shifted the duel sheaths he had at his back before saying, "I would assume they would be close. We could fly out and check their location." I nodded, knowing that was an option before Karyan questioned, "How are they getting here?" Both twins shrugged before she looked at me. I moved from where I leaned against the bench while saying, "Don't know, didn't ask."
Lorćan waved his hands wildly as he recounted his assumption, "My guess is she winnowed just outside the barrier and is waiting on the water. She's a summer court child, so I assume she can stand on it." Rainer shook his head as I walked past them. They moved to follow me to the middle of the arena as I unfurled my wings. I shook out my wings, letting them stretch wide as Rainer said, "Then why wouldn't she just pull up to the land side of the city? At least that way, it's drier." Karyan snuck up between the twins, making the former jump as she said, "But it's in Night Court territory and would alert either our parents or one of our many armies of their arrival. Probably would have caused someone to go investigate before we even get there, which would cause issues to the whole secrecy thing."
I turned back to the three and let my wings stretch to prepare for the flight. Asteria was still seated on the bench, reading something. I nudged the shields of her mind, which made her look up. Despite my waiting expression, she waved a hand while saying, "I don't have wings, remember? I'll wait till you return." Karyan snorted before placing her hands on her hips and saying, "Uh-huh. It's really someone's just afraid of heights."
Asteria didn't even bother to respond before Karyan launched into the sky. I let my wings reach full length before shooting up to follow her. I heard the twins leave the ground a moment behind me as I ascended. I relished the feeling of the wind against my face. It was a feeling of freedom as I stretched into the endless sky. I drew a deep breath of the air as the trees became a field of darkness below. But the height didn't bother me; no, the endless sea of blue above drew me higher. I soared to the clouds, touching the slightly cool wisps as I glided.
As I drifted contently under the clouds, I saw Karyan doing barrel rolls from below. Compared to the boy's steady batting of wings, her silent wing flaps could barely be detected as she flew. I saw Lorćan weave around his brother to get closer to Karyan. Though from the expression, I assumed it wasn't for a good reason. I only had to bank lower to see him pull back his wings into a strong movement and blow a gust to knock her off course. Despite the startle, Karyan didn't make a sound, which was a testament to her training, but she did throw a kick at Lorćan when he got too close, nailing him in the thigh.
The Illyrian howled, which gave way to my quick descent. I dropped to glide above him before pushing my feet down on his back, making him descend to avoid me. The scowl on his face when he took the other side of his brother made me laugh. Luckily, it also sparked a laugh in his brother, whose grey eyes were full of mirth as he said, "I do believe you had that coming."
Lorćan gave an annoyed growl at the three of us, which caused a collection of laughter. I turned my wing slightly to bank towards the right, careful not to hit Karyan before approaching the coast. The water crashing against the stones could barely be seen from our height, so I said, "Let's get lower before we cross the water." The four of us were quick to plummet towards the water. While I pulled up quickly to avoid hitting unseen rocks, Karyan and the others flew right to the surface. They looked like birds skimming for fish as they flapped right at the surface.
I laughed when Rainer lowered himself enough to dunk his chest into the water. He shivered as he washed off the dirt, but I saw the expression from Karyan and Lorćan. I shook my head as I said, "You better pull him out." I saw Rainer look up too late as the two dropped into him, using their weight to force him down into the water.
I winced at the painful-sounding splash, but the Illyrians high-fived with gleeful expressions as I turned back. Rainer wasn't hard to find against the dart water. His dark skin and large brownish wings stuck out against the azure sea. Rainer scowled at the sky as I approached, and while he seemed fine in his new aquatic environment, his wings were definitely weighing him down. Looking slightly like a drowned bat, I grabbed his hands to pull him out. While it took a few moments to get his wings dry enough to flap successfully, he shook out his slightly floppy hair as he said to me, "You think my mother would forgive me if I killed them?"
I thought about Nesta's reaction if we came home with only one of her sons and shook my head. The vision of death wasn't particularly the one I wanted to see this afternoon. Rainer sneered as he said grimly, "How unfortunate." I saw Karyan, who had doubled back, give a smile to the soaked Illyrian, but before she could tease, I asked, "Do you see them yet?"
I saw Lorćan flying back to find us before she shook her head. I sighed before saying, "Me neither, but I was busy fishing Rainer out from his bath." The two chuckled, but Karyan approached to ensure Rainer was okay despite his apparent lack of injury. The stoic warrior seemed to tolerate Karyan's worrying only for a few moments before saying stoically, "I'm fine."
Lorćan shook his head at the two warriors soft-talking before saying, "I'm gonna check the perimeter." I nodded, and the warrior flipped in the opposite direction of his brother before I called out, "I'll check the horizon." Lorćan gave me a thumbs-up from a distance before I flew up. The two Illyrians now turned to me, abandoning their conversation, and followed as if I summoned them. It took a few wind beats, but eventually, I got high enough to scan the horizon.
After a few moments, it was apparent that something was moving up the coast. Rainer had a faint smile as he flapped to hover next to me and asked, "Is that a ship?" I nodded hesitantly before Karyan put both hands on my shoulders as if to see around me and squealed, "Oh my cauldron, it's a pirate ship!"
Keres's point of view:
I enjoyed sailing.
I take that back; that's not wholly true. I enjoyed being on the water. And while one could argue that sailing was on the water, as Emerson has stated before, it was different.
Being on or near the water made me feel connected to myself, to something more significant in a way. The water always felt like a strong pulse I could feel wherever I was. Lake, river, stream, or ocean, I was connected to it. And the closer I got, the more the tether pulled me to it.
And when I finally reach a body of water, it's like a warm blanket descends on me. Any pain, tiredness, or discomfort washed away.
But usually, I couldn't let myself be pulled to the water as often as I would like. The water strengthened me, but with too much strength, and the sharks in my court would circle like they smelled blood. Words like dangerous, unnatural, and female would float among them. And even worse, words about the natural order.
It was that questioning that I couldn't allow. So I stayed away from water when I could, and when I knew I could be alone for some time, I went sailing. The activity provided isolation and freedom while allowing me to use my abilities freely without concern about what may happen if someone were to see.
I heard footsteps approaching my position on the bow of my ship. Lyssa had a seafoam green cloth wrapping her hair, which was tightly pinned in place to fight the wind. Her clothing was careful to prevent any skin besides her face and hands from showing. I wondered if it was because of being on the sea and trying to avoid her scent from being detected or if it was to deter the curious gazes of our allies.
Lyssa leaned against me, though she took a careful sniff as she said, "You radiate power. It was almost a deterrent to my approach." I gave her a warning glare as I was already done with the topic, but she continued to say, "I never understood how your courts only allow males to be high lords when clearly you possess more raw power." I gave her a narrowed eye expression before I said, "That's because, in your underwater world, you kill the head of your household to lead." Lyssa shrugged but didn't comment. I knew she had done a fair share of killing before joining the surface, but I chose not to comment.
Lyssa looked up at the three light blueish-grey sails billowing in the wind. It was meant to blend in with the sky while we sailed; in the same way, the ship's wood was stained the blue color of the ocean waves. To anyone not within a battlefield's distance, they wouldn't see our movements. Lyssa called over the wind that was currently battling the loose strands of my hair, "Would you ever challenge your brother?"
I raised an eyebrow in surprise, almost choking on my tongue, before I stuttered, "Absolutely not." Lyssa's frown became set in stone as she said, "That's unfortunate." I saw Lyssa adjust the blades at her hip, carefully hidden by a cloth, as she said, "I do not see your brother's rule over your court to end well." I shook my head, as I didn't see it ending well either, but there wasn't anything I could do. Women could not be high lords. So I would have to support from the sidelines.
I looked towards the stairs below deck before asking, "Where are the dangerous duo?" Lyssa snorted before she waved toward where I was watching and said, "Emerson is cleaning the cannons, though I don't know why, and Ceto is trying not to get seasick." I snorted before saying, "Ceto will never get used to not being on land. I swear we torture her every time we sail."
Lyssa nodded, amusement slipping into her features before she said, "How much longer till we dock?" I waved my hand toward the land. We had already passed the frozen lands of the Winter Court, and I assume these were the ports of either the Day or Dawn Courts. I told Lyssa as much before I said, "I'm not quite sure. The Night Court has enough wards that I wouldn't be sure if we sailed past it or not."
Lyssa glared at the land before saying, "I would assume our lord-to-be would have escorted us, but I see he hasn't emerged from the land." I shrugged, knowing if worst came to worst, Asteria would find us, though I didn't know how with her not possessing a ship or a way to fly.
I heard a quick movement of feet behind me, which would have surprised me if he hadn't slipped a few feet away. My shadows quickly shot towards him from where they were curled at my neck, and I said, "It's rude to sneak up on people, Emerson." I turned toward the part wraith who had a disappointed scowl at being caught, but he just leaned on the railing next to me before saying, "Very few ladies complain when I do." I gagged, but Lyssa next to me said, "Probably because they don't have vocal cords left to do so." Emerson glared at her and bared his shark teeth for good measure.
Despite having the ears and expression of high fae, Emerson's teeth were razor sharp, and he had the bad habit of biting when he wasn't supposed to. It didn't usually end well for either the partner he chose or his target. It was a sensitive subject for him.
I, however, patted Emerson's arm, which was sparkling in the sun, before I said, "We all make mistakes. You should hear the story of Lyssa interrogating the first time." Lyssa scowled as Emerson perked up to ask. I watched, amused when Lyssa quickly stated I would not be telling him that story, which caused some subsequent bickering between them.
Lyssa, not realizing we aren't supposed to scare people to death as a method of getting targets to tell us the truth, revealed her true form to a victim. To this day, he raves about a monster of enormous size whose teeth drip with acid and wings that could take down buildings. He's still locked in the underwater depths of anchor, though I visit him occasionally to see if he has broken out of his madness yet.
Emerson pouted on the railing before he said, "I find this whole trip to be quite ostentatious. Couldn't we have just shadow-traveled into the city?" I glared at him as he knew quite well why I had decided to sail. Emerson, however, was just in a complaining mood, and I didn't bother with an explanation and let Lyssa say from beside me, "No, we couldn't. We were given orders, so do quit complaining."
Emerson went to say something, but I felt the shadows along my neck spiral from my body. Their fast moments caused Emerson to jerk away from me as the dark wisps circled me. Their whispers were rapid, and they had picked up on something approaching us.
I looked at Lyssa, and her eyes filled with alarm as she knew something was up when my shadows acted like that. I quickly threw my hands forward, stopping the ship's movements on the waves. The waves lapped at the sides, but we didn't move; we only looked for a potential approach. Lyssa's eyes scanned the waves before I murmured, in case someone was listening, "Get below deck. I'll see what's approaching." Emerson's face, now profound, watched the waves before Lyssa pulled him to follow her. They were barely below deck before my shadows slithered over the wood, pointing towards the Night Court.
I crossed the ship's deck as my shadows pulled against my back. They were chattering uneasily in my ear, making comments about something approaching. It could be anyone. While it could be someone from the Night Court, it could also be a member of Lyssa's home coming to find her or something unknown. Either way; I watched cautiously. The Night Courts tree line was unfortunately quite empty in contrast with the growing unease of my shadows. I watched the row of trees before the sun was blocked from my face.
I looked up, momentarily confused, before I watched as something above seemed to be circling the ship. The forms appeared to be birds, but the wings were off. I realized they were Illyrians about at the exact moment that one dark form plummeted down to the deck, making the wood shake with the impact of their landing. However, the wings accompanying the individual before me quickly override my annoyance at the landing.
Nyx's dark windswept curls and his blinding smile were a startling pair. Nyx smiled at me and gave a little head half bow before saying, "Princess." I could only look him over, slightly startled as the brown and black bat-like wings stretched wide behind him. They were thin but long as they stretched across the desk, even in a comfortable position.
Nyx seemed to preen slightly at my gaze, and I quickly checked my features, but it was too late. The Illyrian stretched out his wings, giving me a cheeky smile as he said, "What, like what you see?" I rolled my eyes at the comment before I said, "'More amazed that you have them. I didn't know you were an Illyrian." Nyx raised his eyebrows, and I sighed before saying, "Don't give me that look. I knew you had Illyrian blood, but I've never seen you with these things, and your sister doesn't have wings either. So it led me to believe you were wingless."
Nyx seemed slightly confused by that, but his face became soft with understanding before he said, "Forgive me for not telling you then. I don't show my wings to anyone outside my court. If rumors got out, I was part lesser fae; the more traditional high lords wouldn't be pleased." I nodded, knowing that it would cause some scandal. So, to save Nyx the embarrassment of trying to explain more, I changed my focus to his name for me and said questioningly, "I'm less concerned with your wings and more concerned with your use of the word princess."
I walked across the deck to approach Nyx, and during that time, my shadows bolted towards him from where they curled at my back and neck. A few stayed to guard my neck, but the rest held no decorum and rushed towards Nyx. I watched his amused smile as they twirled around his chest. One twisted into his hair, causing him to laugh and for an odd feeling of jealousy to creep into my mind. I blinked it away as Nyx stepped back from my shadows to give himself space, and I shooed them away. Nyx grinned at a few stayed at my shoulders, but the rest vanished below deck on my orders to find my sea serpents.
Nyx ruffled his curly hair as I said, "I believe I told you last time that you would regret calling me princess." Nyx's smile turned up at the corner into a cheeky expression before he said, "Potentially, but I was too beguiled by seeing you to remember."
I rolled my eyes before waving his words away as if that would help from the warmth gathering in my chest. My shadows curled around my neck, which warmed slightly as I said, "Despite your lapse in judgment, I'll let it slide this one time." Nyx's expression turned smug, and I had a feeling it would never go away. But I changed the subject before he could gloat, and I said, "Are your friends going to join us, or are they content on circling like vultures?"
Nyx looked above briefly as if evaluating them before saying, "I was waiting for one of them to return. Makes introductions easier." I chuckled, but it was as Nyx raised his arm to beckon them down to the deck that I realized he wasn't in his standard suit attire. Instead, he wore brown Illyrian leathers that did little to hide the strength in his arms or the leanness of his body. I looked over his broad shoulders because something surprised me. His shoulders had hints of black ink peaking over his collar, and they traveled down the nape of his neck. I was curious about the pattern and tried to observe any other ink around his toned body, but the armor covered most of his skin. I surprised myself when I was curious about the pattern trailing Nyx's skin, as I wasn't interested in tattoos usually.
I managed to look up from the Illyrian just in time to see a few more individuals descending. They descended lighter than Nyx, though he usually is one to make an entrance. The female was who landed on the deck first, and I recognized her slightly. Of course, I've seen her from a distance during that one mission, but I've also seen her clocked and spying in other courts, though she was barely recognizable now to that spy. She was clearly not all Illyrian, as she was paler than her counterparts, and her auburn hair was almost like flames in the sunlight. She, however, gave me the warmest smile as the other two touched down on the deck, and the freckles along her cheeks and nose rose.
The two males, I realized, were identical save for their haircuts. Both possessed tan skin with sharp grey-blue eyes, and both were built large and muscular in contrast with Nyx's sly athleticism. The only difference I could notice was their hair, as one had long, wild hair that curled in parts while the other had short-styled hair, though it looked slightly wet. Actually, he seemed somewhat wet as his leathers appeared to be dripping. The one male tilted his chin up at my studying, and I was unamused at his attempt at intimidation and said, "You're dripping on my deck." The boy, which is the only way I could describe him based on the youthful surprise that crossed his face, looked down and whipped at the water dripping off his leathers.
What I assumed was his brother chuckling next to him before jokingly saying, "Terrible first impression, brother." The first boy shared a scowl before I waved a hand. The water pulled from his body, and I saw the surprise as the water previously all over his body was collected into a floating ball of liquid. The scowling boy patted himself to know if he was completely dry before I dumped the water overboard. The long-haired jokester smiled at me before saying, "Hell of a trick." But before I could respond, he turned to Nyx, who was looking between us amused, and asked, "Why can't you do that?"
I saw the immediate scowl on Nyx's face, and the joker seemed to realize something I didn't. What did he mean? Like, collect water because that was only a Summer Court talent. Maybe he meant to use his abilities so controlled. I haven't seen much of Nyx's magic yet, but I would assume he would have descent control. But judging by the power he always radiates, maybe not. I looked between them, but neither shared what they were thinking. To save the boys from their silent argument, I waved my hand to my shadows, and the door of my ship opened. I saw the immediate alert of the three Illyrians, but surprisingly, they didn't jump for the weapons I saw on their bodies.
Lyssa leads the way from the stairs below. Her dark skin matched the Illyrians, but her swirling green eyes clearly showed some great magic was at play with her. I briefly wondered if she would reveal her wings to them. I only see them when we train together or fly somewhere, as she keeps them covered out of tradition. I doubted she would show them, but I thought maybe if they challenged her, she would consider it.
Emerson was less reserved as he matched Lyssa's pace. Her gave a closed-mouth smile to the group, but his confidence was evident as he walked. He was trained to be confident no matter how powerful the individual around, but I had a feeling he didn't consider these Illyrians powerful at all. Ceto trailed behind the two, clearly trying to avoid gazes, and her face betrayed caution as she watched Nyx, who didn't even notice her.
I gave her a warning look as we had already discussed that he was not Brandon, but old wounds run deep. However, the three lined up as if to face off with the more docile-looking Illyrians.
Nyx moved to be closer to me, possibly to convey a more allied front, before he said to the group, "Meet my family. My cousin Rainer is who was previously dripping on your deck." I chuckled at his scowl towards Nyx before saying, "Fitting, considering your name." Rainer rolled his eyes before Nyx continued and said, "His twin, Lorćan." The Illyrian gave the group an exaggerated bow, and the charming smile was well-practiced. Nyx continued and said, "And I know you've met Karyan at least once." Karyan gave me a cheerful grin before she said, "Yes, but never on a first-name basis." I nodded in agreement before adding, "Yes, but we are both usually covered head to toe in black. Besides her eye color, I couldn't tell you what she looked like till now." Emerson eyed her from the line, and I groaned internally as he said, "No wonder we joined forces. I'd kill to work with radiant beauties like this every day."
I watched Rainer stiffen slightly, and I swore he must be allergic to smiling because he only glared at Emerson. Though I doubt either boy noticed, he also called them handsome with how deeply Karyan blushed. To distract from my courtier, I waved a hand and said in order, "These are my Sea Serpents." Before Lorćan could question me, as I saw his mouth open from across the deck, I rephrased, "These are my most trusted advisors. Lyssa, my second in command. Emerson is my courtier. And Ceto, she's my ranger." Each gave a slight nod to the others, though the mistrust seemed a shared sentiment between the groups.
Emerson smiled, but it was Rainer who questioned from across the deck, "Only three?" I narrowed my eyes at his judgment before Lyssa snapped from my side, "When you are that good, you don't need more."
Lorćan across from me snorted before his wings flared in confidence as he said, "If they are so good, they wouldn't have agreed to our help." I saw Emerson stiffen before he said, "Just because you're pretty doesn't automatically mean your opinion is correct." I saw both brothers stiffen, and Karyan tried to smile and calm both sides down, but the comments ensued. I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose between my fingers before I looked at Nyx. He smiled at me as if apologizing for his team before I asked, "Still think this is a good idea?"
Nyx chuckled before he said, "Potentially. Maybe the fighting will get out their differences." I watched the Illyrians flare their wings from across the deck before I said, "Sure, we'll go with that." Nyx sighed before saying, "Would you like me to relocate us?" I raised an eyebrow, concerned at what he would do, before I said, "Should I drop anchor first?"
Nyx seemed to analyze the sea and whatever he saw at the shore and said, "Probably." I gave a half nod and moved away from the arguing group. Nyx followed me, seeing as how both sides didn't seem to notice our absence. However, Nyx pushed closer to me and said, "I do apologize for them. I did tell them to be on their best behavior." I gave Nyx an understanding smile as I reached the anchor and started to undo the ropes manually. Nyx seemed confused at my actions but didn't interfere as I said, "I did try to get mine to behave, but they don't always listen." Nyx chuckled, and the anchor finally slipped free and dropped into the water.
Nyx gestured back toward the still-arguing group as he said, "At least they have something in common." I saw the three arguing before I said, "Should we send them through together?" Nyx gave me a devious smile before he said, "You read my mind, princess." I watched as Nyx warped space to wherever he had planned, but it was my blast of water that sent the six of them into the area Nyx was using to winnow. I saw the amusement on Nyx's face as the alarmed yells sounded. However, without warning, Nyx wrapped a hand around my waist before he winnowed us as well.
I don't typically winnow as I usually use my shadows, but this time I didn't complain. We were gracefully dropped someplace rural, and I was shocked by the sudden cold. The Illyrians were standing in the grass, desperately trying to put space between the two groups, though one of the Illyrians seemed to be on the verge of hurling. My serpents seemed to be gaining their footing from their sudden change in scenery, but the cold seemed to be alarming to them. Lyssa wrapped her arms around her chest for warmth while Emerson's lips appeared to be turning blue.
Nyx just smiled at the collection of people in front of him and said, "Welcome to the Night Court."