A court of Night and Fire

playing with fire (literally)

Rhysand POV

I watch her take on Cassian. She's like a storm, constantly in motion. Cassian meets her with equal energy and the two face each other off. Asterin seems to enjoy the rhythm of the fight just as much as Cassian does. Lord help us if the two of them get loose on a battlefield. Her turquoise and gold eyes are alight, sparkling as she deflects Cassian's attack. It takes longer than it did before, Cassian having learnt more about her technique than before, but he ends up with two blades at his neck. Having fun brother? I say into his mind. Surprisingly, yes. 

I know from experience that Cassian doesn't usually take well to being beaten, but I think the thrill of the fight and having another skilled opponent to match overrides his ego. Azriel takes over. The two Illyrians fight so differently and Azriel's style matches Asterin's allowing her to use that fluid grace that signals a skilled assassin. This is less of a rhythm and more of a dance. Asterin manages to beat Azriel after a while. She laughs as she holds out a hand to help him up. He accepts it but I watch him freeze as he remembers what he just did and the scars that lay there. It was impossible for Asterin not to have noticed but she does nothing that signals she did and continues bantering with Cassian. I watch Azriel relax slightly.

Az, are you alright? I ask into his head. He looks over to me and meets my gaze. I don't know. Do you think she noticed?
I think she did. I watch him tense
Relax Az, it means she's not going to talk about it unless you are. She's not bothered by them
She's a kid Rhys
No, she's not. If it bothers you that much, talk to her about it.
I don't think I can
Just try, Az. I think it'll help you.
I'll talk to her later

I nod to him and he nods back. I really hope he does manage to talk to her. It'll eat him up if he doesn't. I watch Azriel go over to join Cassian. I realise what they're about to do and I call Feyre down the bond from where she was watching Nyx and Ash spar. Feyre looks up to me and I gesture over to where Cass and Az are with Asterin. Are they about to do what I think they are? 
Yes, I think they are.

Cassian and Azriel were about to fight Asterin. Together. God above.

Cassian POV

I stand next to Az, ready and facing Asterin, who's smirking. "I know I haven't got a hope against the two of you together, but it'll be interesting to see how long I can last" she'd said when I suggested this. I smirked at her. I lunged first and she deflected it. Azriel and I worked together, centuries of joint training meaning we could fight together and virtually read the other's mind. I knew when to attack to allow an opponent to remain vulnerable long enough for Az to strike. Az knew my weaknesses and i knew his. 

Me and Azriel fight her for cauldron knows how long. She just does not seem to stop or falter. Neither me nor Az are holding back, striking with enough force to cut through armour, bone and flesh all at once. Her turquoise and gold eyes are shimmering as she grins and attacks once more. Somehow, she worked out precisely how me and Az would strike and took us both to our knees at the same time. She grins as she places a blade to each of our necks. Gods above this girl is like fire taken form.

Asterin POV

I lasted longer than I thought I would against Azriel and Cassian. All in all, it went rather well. I have an idea says Rhysand into my mind. What kind of idea?
When did you last use your power?
The day before I fell into this world
I'm guessing you have to keep using it?
Kind of, yes
If I shield the two of us, do you want to try using it? We don't know if it will work the same in another world
Alright then

Rhysand wordlessly communicates this to the others who take a step back to give us space. I can feel the shield Rhysand put up around us. Everyone has stopped to watch the two of us. I smile and reach into the storm of power inside me. I feel my blades and allow my magic to wind through them. I think they look spectacular when they're like this. The fire follows the pattern of the engravings. My fire has a mind of it's own. Not a conscious mind, but a mind none the less. It explores and moves in it's own way if I release it, it likes to do it's own thing when I release it.

Flame surrounds me, dancing over my skin and forming a burning crown of flame a top my head. My flame has a flare for dramatics it seems. It coils around me, exploring. I look up to Rhysand who's smiling at me. I wink at him and release my flame.

It explodes from me, reaching Rhysand's shield and following the boundries, shifting and swirling as it explores. It retreats back towards me and I allow it to wrap back around me. It seems content to explore me, dancing over my leathers, staying close to me, the crown above my head still glowing. I release my ice next, replacing the fire on my blades with ice, highlighting the engraved pattern and allowing my ice to mix with the fire. 

I just stand there, playing with the two, watching the two powers explore me. Previously my power had been building in my veins, itching to be let out. Now I had released it, I could sense the fire building in my veins gradually dying. When I felt like I had used enough, I extinguished the flames and the ice. My power chose to let the crown of flame atop my head die last. Rhysand dropped the shield around us. "That was impressive" he says, smiling. "my powers have a mind of their own if I let them, and as you saw, they seem to have a flair for the dramatic." Rhysand laughed and walked with me to greet the others. Feyre smiled at me, Nyx and Ash were gazing at me intently, Cassian seemed impressed and Azriel... well... Azriel was smiling. I smiled back at him.

"well, that proves your Mala's descendent" says Amren from behind us. She must have been watching the whole thing and none of us had noticed. I turn to face her "did you ever doubt it?" "no, but that display just proves what we already knew" she says, stalking towards me. "you said you had two shifting forms, and two forms of magic, which suggests two separate powers." I nodded in agreement "what happens if you mix the two?" 

Oh. I never thought about it like that. "I have no idea" I reply "try" is all Amren says. I hand Azriel my blades and Rhys and I walk back over to where we were stood previously. "Rhysand you might not want to be inside the shield when she does it for the first time" Amren says. Rhysand gives me a reassuring look and steps back, creating a large shield around me. I focus on the two powers, bringing ice into my right hand and fire into my left. I can feel the two streams of power running through me. I focus on both of them, bringing my hands closer together. 

I feel for the two powers, pushing them closer together. As soon as I touch both my hands together, focusing on joining flame and ice, I feel a surge of power run through me. I throw my arms wide and release it, letting it flow through me. Blue flame erupts in a blinding flash of light. I shut my eyes, focusing on maintaining the joint powers. The temperature plummets. My head starts to spin but I ignore it, focusing on the power, gradually gaining control. As soon as I feel the power under my control, I extinguish the flames. I open my eyes. Everyone is staring at me. I'm covered in sweat and shaking slightly. Rhysand drops the shield and Amren approaches. "well" I say, panting slightly "now we know what happens"