A Court of Trust and Enemies

Chapter 18

She didn't like this, not at all. She did not like the way Nyx was looking at her as he explained the plan, she did not like how he asked her to stay in the camps, or more preferably, in the Summer Court with Kira's Family. She did not like how she held onto his hand, and had no words to talk him out of this plan, mission, thing...

Two days from now, Luna, Gina, Azriel and Nyx were supposed to fly into the Darkness. The four of them held meeting after meeting, keeping it a secret from almost everyone else.

"Gwyn knows, but we have decided to not tell Cassian and Nesta." Nyx had told her the night before.

"Why?" Hope was sleeping already in the late summer night.

"Cassian might decide to follow us."

"He will do that if he doesn't know and then learn what you are doing." Evalyn tried to talk with a low voice. "You need to tell them."

"I don't want to give them false hopes." Nyx sat down in the bed, moving the far too long hair out of his forehead. "Only to fail. Nesta will resent me for the rest of her life. And Cassian might too..." Evalyn moved over the bed, placing her hands around him in a hug.

"They are your family, they will not resent you."

"Have you ever met Nesta?" He turned towards her, and Evalyn rested her head on his shoulder.

"I have, and I know that neither she, nor Cassian, will hate you if you fail. But they will hate you if you fail and didn't tell them what you were planning."

"If we fail, we might end up dead." Nyx then said, adding one more reason why Evalyn hated this plan.

"You better not." she hoped it sounded a little playful, that she had managed to hide the fear his words had awoken.

"I need you to be as far away from here as possible." Nyx took her hand in his. "I need to know that you and Hope are safe."

"And if I refuse?" She moved back, creating a cold distance between them. "If you succeed, you will need me here to help them, you would waste time by sending me away, and then needing to get me back here."

"If we fail I want you as far away from here as possible." Nyx said back.

"Then tell Cassian and Nesta, and I can go with them if that happens. I will be safe with them. Kira can take Hope with her to Summer, if we need to flee, she will be safer with Kira and her family than with me. And you know it." She had already asked Kira to take care of Hope, and the tattoo of that bargain burned under the first one. This one, a small cluster of stars and just like the first one, they were in white ink.

"Take care of my girl, be her mother, be her friend. Make sure she lives if anything happens to me." Her words had been a warning.

"Nothing will happen, but I will take care of her." Kira had laughed it off at first, but stopped as Evalyns stern look became clear. "Do you really think something will happen?"

"I don't know, but if it does, I want her as far away from here as possible, if not further. And if things go to hell, Then she might be safer with you then with me." Evalyn had looked at her daughter, who was playing with some toys on the ground. "If this goes to hell, and Nyx is killed, I will be next on their list. As his mate. Hope is not related to him in Blood, so she will be safer far away from me."

"I will watch over her. You have my word."

"Is that a barigan?" Evalyn smiled at her friend.

"Yes, it is."

Nyx got up from the bed, bringing her back to the moment. He was dragging his hand through his hair again, getting stuck on the small tangles that formed in the back of his neck. And she watched, followed him as he walked around, how he was trying to stay calm in a less than calm situation.