A court of Night and Fire

Nyx

Seated in the council room of the Court of Dreams, Nyx leaned back in his chair. "It's past three in the morning" Nyx grumbled, leaning back in his chair as he crossed his arms.

"Perhaps" Evander snapped from where he sat across the table, "if you and Mor hadn't raided the wine supplies of Velaris into the wee hours of the night, you wouldn't have been so tired". Nyx rolled his eyes and didn't dare glance at where Mor sat on the other end of the dark glass table. Most likely grinning.

As her aunt, Mor wasn't the best role model. But Nyx didn't need any, seen as a drinking buddy is far better than an old hag, telling you what to do and say. A smile tugged on the corners of his lips as the image of the distraught vinter flashed through his head.

If his mother brought it up (which she would) he would say what he said last time... 'I won't do it again'.

His mother. High lady of the night court, Feyre Curse Breaker and Defender of the Rainbow. But he knew her as mother. And there she sat, at the very end of the table, dressed in a silken gown of cobwebs and stardust. A glittering crown of diamonds atop her head.

Rhysand, High Lord of the Night Court and Nyx's father, was nowhere to be seen. The same was to be said about his sister-in-law and war master. Nesta and Cassian. They had been gone for two weeks now, off in Faeire Realms of the east, settling an issue his father hadn't either bothered or wanted to share with him.

But their daughter, Jada Archeron, was here to represent them. She sat opposite Nyx, and if she hadn't inherited that onyx hair and wings from her father, then anyone would have sworn it was Nesta herself. Those sharp stormy blue-gray eyes, that queenly jut to her chin and favored yet simple gowns all came together to form an exact yet somehow icier replica of her mother.

Jada, his cousin, tapped a manicured finger on the dark glace surface of the table— board yet aware of everyone and everything in the room.

"Sorry we're late"

Nyx looked away to the door as it creaked open, Elain and Azriel slipping through. With their eyes glazed with sleep, their hair both ruffled and sleepy looks about them, it was obvious that they'd been shaken awake by whatever maid had brought the news they'd been summoned to a meeting. An apogetic look from Feyre was all she let on as the two took their seats beside their son, Damian. "Now that we're all here" Feyre anounced, staitening as all eyes turned to her, "i'd like to address the problems the very serious topic of this meeting".

Jada only picked at her nails, "I hope it's more important than that wonderful dream I was having". Feyre leveled a look at her niece, "I can assure you, that the matters at hand are of the utmost importance".

Nyx leaned forward, listening intentinly. Waiting.

Feyre only stood up, selecting a scroll that she had left in front of her, and rolling it out along the legnth of the table. Everyone leaned forward, cranning to see the long extended map of the realm.

There were two things wrong with the map.

Nyx new every kingdom, city, court, mountain range and even river by name. Knew the history of not only prynthia, but of their neighboring lands. Only a fool would deem them useless.

And yet there were unfamiliar names etched onto the map, landmasses and islands he'd never seen before. But the seeping black ink that had been used for these unknown names and places was different from that of the regular places. Freshly drawn.

Much like the other strange red-ink dots on the map. Some in clusters, some separated. Most of them were in marked great groups on the eastern faerie realms. But a few had been marked in the southern areas of prynthia itself, but not nearly as many.

"These" Feyre breathed with a heavy sigh, gesturing to the red dots, "are markings on the location of daemon sightings"

Nyx straightened, and by the surprise in everyone else's eyes, they had been as clueless as him. But Nyx only blinked, turning his gaze towards his High Lady.

"what daemons?"

"Valg"

A.N: Ok so that's the first chapter done, hope you like it. So some of you might not like how I ended up putting Elain and Azriel together... but they've always seemed perfect for each other. Elain had gone through so much heartbreak and confusion and Azriel was always the person who listen, never really needed to respond. So I hope you liked it and are ready for the rollercoaster of events :)