Of High Lords and Heirs

9

Much to Feyre and Rhysand's dismay, the situation in the Hewn City was continuing to worsen. In fact, those horrible, cruel old people no longer seemed to be bothering to hide their evil objectives and purposes. And to think, that if Thanatos' daughter, Saraiyu, hadn't forwarned them, they would have been headed into it blind.

Not that the girl's warning had done them much good. Despite the extra spies that had been placed in the Hewn City since the children's kidnap, the people of the City still seemed to be a half step ahead of them somehow.

The spies that Azriel had scattered through the Hewn City disguised as servants, had already reported that some of the most senior lords had been hosting secret meetings. Meetings that were attended by Thanatos and members of Keir's family. Despite the refreshments that were served at these meetings, not a single spy was able to gain access. It seemed that they had taken Feyre and Rhys's warnings of closer eyes on them seriously, and were now trying to weed out who could and could not be trusted.

And for that, Feyre and Rhys felt that they had no one to blame but themselves. If only they had been a little less high-handed when informing the residents of the Hewn City that they would be more closely observed from that moment on. If they hadn't been then they might have been able to gain more information – information that they still needed so desperately.

Azriel's spies had so far only managed to get a single piece of somewhat useful information out of the Hewn City. Nesta, it seemed, after her banishment, had decided to ingratiate herself with the people of the Hewn City. Had decided to throw her lot in with the Court of Nightmares.

For no apparent reason other than to torment her sister. For the sole reason to cause Feyre even more anguish and distress.

But Nesta hadn't just defied orders to leave the Night Court in its entirety. Nesta had gone a step further and married one of the Lords of the Hewn City. On the spur of the moment, Nesta had married Thanatos, the man who supposedly considered himself to be Keir's right hand man. A man who had likely played a part in the kidnapping of her nephew and niece. A man who had eagerly been looking forward to marrying his very own daughter. Married to a man who would expect Nesta to be utterly subservient to his every wish. A marriage that the old Nesta normally would have hated. Despised.

The only good thing to come from Nesta's sudden, rash marriage was that she was unable to provide them with the knowledge they would have wanted about Rhys and Feyre, the Inner Circle and Velaris in general. For Nesta had been banished before they had started to discuss their next steps in relation to regaining custody of Gavriel and Sophie from Tamlin.

"I just don't understand why Nesta would do something like this," Cassian muttered drunkenly, chugging straight from the wine bottle. "I thought Nesta loved me. Besides, Nesta isn't even allowed in the Hewn City. She was exiled from the Night Court in its entirety. She must know know that the Court of Nightmares is still well within the borders of the Night Court. Marrying a completely total stranger literally two seconds after I broke up with her? Even for Nesta, that's a low blow. It hurts, Feyre. It hurts so damn much. I don't know what to do without her. I just don't understand why Nesta feels like she has to do this to me."

"You know full well that Nesta's behaviour – this rash marriage of hers – has aboslutely nothing to do with you," said Feyre with no small trace of cynicism colouring her tone. "This likely has more to do with Nesta's constant wish to get one up over me than it has to do with you, or even Thanatos."

Rhys watched the scene unfolding with no small amount of concern. Despite knowing that Feyre was right about Nesta, he was worried about the effect the situation would have on Cassian. You never exactly knew what way Cassian would bounce, particularly when inebriated.