A Court of Surprises and Twists

Chapter 4

-Ava's POV-

I had a nightmare, my nightmare.

I forced myself to look at who woke me and saw Azriel stood there, looking shocked.

"Oh god, I'm so sorry," I stammered.

"It's ok, just breathe," he told me, I did as he asked.

"Good, can Feyre come in?" He asked, I just nodded.

She walked in and smiled gently at me.

"Hi Ava," she said, sitting at the vanity.

"Sorry I freaked out," I whispered, looking down.

"It's not your fault, want to come down and try again?" She asked, I glanced at Azriel.

"I'll stay with you," he told me.

"Ok," I breathed.

We walked down the stairs and back into the sitting room, I sat with Azriel on a low backed sofa.

"I'm curious, you said you know a lot of languages, how many?" Rhys asked.

"I'm fluent in seven then I was working on an eighth," I told him, looking at my lap.

"If we show you a language, would you be willing to see if you recognise it?" Feyre asked.

"Yes, but I cannot guarantee I know it," I told her, she nodded.

"What are you thinking Feyre?" Mor asked.

"That if two languages from her world translate over, maybe others have as well." She said with a shrug.

There was a brisk knock on the door.

"It's open Amren," Rhys called.

I braced myself for the power that Amren emitted but I found that instead of terrifying me, it relaxed me.

"Who's the kid?" She asked, glaring at me.

"Amren, this is Ava, Ava Amren," Feyre quickly introduced.

"Why was I bringing this damn book?" She asked, setting it on the table.

"Tu n'es pas de ce monde," it hissed at me. You are not of this world.

"Le Livre des Respirations parle François, parce que bien sûr qu'il le fait, pourquoi ne le ferait-il pas!" I exclaimed. The Book of Breathings speaks French, because of course it does, why wouldn't it.

"That Amren, is why we asked you to bring the book," Rhys said, I blushed.

"You speak the book's language?" She asked, turning curious eyes to me.

"Apparently," I grumbled, glaring at the book who kept trying to talk to me.

"Tais-toi," I snapped at it, I had enough. Shut up.

I placed the book in my lap and opened it to the first page, it was definitely written in French.

"So, what does it say?" Cassian asked.

"I've read half a page Cassian, have some patience," I snapped at him, that shut him up.

"Peux-tu parler cette langue Amren?" I asked, looking back at her. Can you speak this language Amren?

"Oui, je suis meilleur à le parler qu'a le lire ou à l'écrire." She replied. Yes, I am better at speaking it than reading or writing it.

"Voudriez-vous de l'aide pour traduire ceci?" I asked her, smirking at the others gob smacked faces. Would you like help translating this?

"Oui s'il te plait, ne leur dis pas que j'ai dit ça." She said, eyes sparkling. Yes please, don't tell them I said that though.

"Je ne le ferai pas, ne t'inquiète pas." I replied, grinning. Don't worry, I won't.

"Je pense que jet'aime bein gamin." She told me. I think I like you kid.

"Je pense que je t'aime aussi Amren." I replied. I think I like you too Amren.

I looked back down at the book.

"Et penser que mon père me punissait avoir apppris," I muttered under my breath. And to think my father was punishing me for learning.

"Can you switch back so we can understand you?" Cassian asked.

"I'm sorry, was I bruising your ego?" I said with a smirk.

Mor burst out laughing while Cassian snarled at me.

"Well now that you and Amren have had your little private conversation, care to clue in the rest of us as to what you said?" Rhys asked.

"Not really," I replied, looking back at the book, I saw Amren grinning from the corner of my eye.

"It is seriously creepy that you can just switch between the two." Cassian grumbled.

"I can do one worse et basculer au milieu d'une phrase." I said, grinning. And switch in the middle of a sentence.

"Can we keep her?" Mor asked.

"Pas un animal de compagnie, je suis un humain," I snapped, forgetting what language I was using. I'm not a pet, I'm a human.

"Je déteste te le dire gamin, mais tu es fae." Amren told me, eyes narrowed. Hate to tell you kid but you're fae.

"Excuse me?" I squeaked.

My hand shot to my ear, and it was definitely pointed.

"That isn't possible, cela ne peut pas être possible, the world I'm from is just human, pas de magie du tout, there is no way I'm fae," I rambled, switching between the two in my panic. That can't be possible. No magic at all.

"Ava s'en sortir, calme-toi!" Amren yelled at me. Ava snap out of it.

"Je veux juste rentrer à la maison!" I yelled back at her. I just want to go home.

"Tu as besoin de respire," she told me calmly. You need to breathe.

"Je ne peux pas, je suis fae, je ne peux pas rentrer chez moi maintenant, je serai traqué et tué pour ça." I told her, sobbing into my hands. I can't, I'm fae, I can't go home now, I'll be hunted and killed for this.

"S'il te plait respire Ava, avant de t'évanouir," she said walking over and crouching in front of me, taking my hands. Please breathe Ava, before you pass out.

"Ils vont me tuer," I sobbed. They're going to kill me.

"Non, ils ne le sont pas, je vais te protéger," she replied, her silver eyes meeting mine. No, they aren't, I'm going to protect you.

"Tu promets?" I whispered. You promise?

"Je le fais, je le promets, maintenant s'il te plaît, respire la fleur." She said, beginning to trace shapes on my palm. I do, I promise, now please breathe flower.

I tried to copy her breathing patterns and eventually got my body to cooperate, two panic attacks in one day was not good for me.

"Bien, bien joué, continue de respire," she told me, smiling. Good, well done, just keep breathing.

"les autres n'ont aucune idée de ce qui se passe, n'est-ce pas?" I asked, looking around at the confused faces. The others have no idea what's going on, do they?

"Nan," she said with a smirk, I smirked back. Nope

"Now that you have both had your bonding moment, what is going on?" Cassian asked.

"Aucun de, no wait, wrong language, none of your business." I told him, frowning.

"Are you ok?" Feyre asked.

"I am now," I told her with a soft smile.

"That's the important thing," she replied.