A court of Shadows & Blood (An ACOTAR / Azriel fanfiction)

Chapter 6

Alcina did most of the explaining with me providing information whenever necessary. I just didn't have it in me to talk much after seeing my parent's grave and all the deaths weighted down on me. Someone gave me a drink which I was thankful for but didn't bother looking up to see who it was.

"-after she left." Alcina stopped explaining.

"Lily?" She gently touched my elbow. I smiled faintly, hearing the nickname after quite a while.

"Yes?" I looked up. "Is there something anyone wants to ask?" I shifted on the couch.

Rhysand and Feyre didn't say anything, probably communicating through their bond.

Amren sat forward, " Where did the Ideosy come from? Surely, there must be a place where they live."

"Nobody knows where they live. Some older witches say that before I was born, they used to steal and trick people into giving them money. I don't know how true that is."

She nodded, her silver eyes moving like reading invisible sentences. "And they have never attacked during the day?"

"Never. They take refuge in the dark forest."

Her gaze met Cassian's and he moved from his place near the window. "How many of them are there?"

"They all have numbers inked on their left wrists. I have seen one with the number six thousand. There might be more than that, but this is all I've see." I replied.

"How do you know they don't just live in the forest near your house?" He interrogated me furthur.

I forwned. "I have lived there for five hundred years. I may not be a commander of armies but I'm not stupid. I have gone looking for places where they might be living."

"I didn't mean that. I was just asking." He mumbled.

Morrigan interrupted us, "If witches have so much knowledge about god and the devil, how do they not know what can stop the devil?"

I couldn't help but snort, "The devil works in more ways than one, Morrigan." I leaned back, remembering the night of my twelfth birthday. "I have tried that too. Only once, in desperation. Foolish that I was, I threw myself into the devil's home. That was the gravest mistake I have ever made besides being born." I shrugged at the last part.

Somewhere behind me a spymaster's shadows curled around mine.

"She was there for months." Alcina added. "Struck between hell and earth. Her shadows would sometimes spread throughout the house when she was extreme scared."

Feyre questioned, "How? Did you see anything of importance?"

"My mind was in hell but my body was stuck on earth." I set my eyes on her. "What could I possibly find out? Hell is not the same for everyone. Your hell-" my eyes flickered to her mate. "- is different than mine, cauldron-blessed."

Rhysand looked between me and his mate for a moment before breaking the silence, "So, in conclusion, we know close to nothing about The Ideosy?"

"We know there are at least six thousand of them." Cassian commented.

Rhysand's mouth twitched upwards but didn't form a smile. "We have enough force to stop them, don't we?"

"No." I told them. "One witch, in good health,-" I added, referring to myself. "Can face twenty fae and walk away unharmed."

"That is true." Amren nodded, lost in thoughts. "Witches are much more powerful. I won't be surprised if Lillith can defeat Rhys."

"Do witches have no weakness?" Morrigan forwned. "If we don't know their weakness, we can't face them. The Ideosy are a rank of witches, after all."