A Court of Thrones and Thieves (ACOTAR FANFIC)

Chapter 45

Inej's POV* 

As usual in Inej's life, things did not go according to plan. 

Faebane coursed through Inej's veins, she and Finch had both been injected with it the second they were caught. The world was far quieter without the never-ending whispers of her shadows. 

Two men held Finch as he fought to get free. He only stopped when his dulled hearing finally picked up the approaching footsteps. 

The King of Xesha walked into the room and scanned Inej and Finch head to toe. 

He had a certain glow about him, that came from invulnerability. He looked somehow more immortal than the fae around him, though there wasn't a specific reason why. 

He was rather plain looking, but something about him screamed that he was untouchable. 

"Well, well... what pretty assassins the Night Court has sent for me." The man cooed as he dragged a knuckle down Inej's bruised cheek. 

"Don't fucking touch her!" Finch roared, fighting against the two soldiers holding onto him. 

Inej didn't move, a firm glare sat on her pretty features as, some how even on her knees, she looked down her nose at the king. 

"It wasn't a very well thought out plan..." The King said turning to look between them. 

The king looked at Inej one more time, noticing a letter sticking out of her pocket. He reached and grabbed it examining the paper. 

In all honesty Inej had forgotten about it. 

Loki had handed her the note and ordered her to keep it on her but not open it, no matter what. She never knew exactly what Loki was planning but she always trusted her boss none the less and did as she was told. 

By the amused smile and laugh the King had while reading the note, she assumed this was part of Loki's scheming. 

"Do you know what this says?" The king asked the two. 

When he noticed that neither had a clue he began reading allowed, "Dear King of Xesha, I sent these two to kill you though in all honesty the probability of that working was rather low. I just couldn't help myself. So, on to plan B. Your two assassins are rather important to me you see, so you have wonderful hostages for the negotiations we will be hosting at the crow club in Ketterdam, a city in Hybern. It is completely neutral territory and so we invite you to join us so we can avoid another slaughter, Xesha blood is really quite hard to clean up you know. We will expect you tomorrow evening. And do keep our loved ones in one piece, we do rather like all their parts where they are. With Love, Nyx Archeron, Heir of the Night Court." 

Inej recognized Loki's hand writing immediately and a few things stuck out for Inej to realize what was happening. 

1.) Loki wrote that note, but specifically signed it from Nyx so no one would know of the connection to the crows. 

2.) Ketterdam was most certainly NOT neutral ground. Loki owned Ketterdam and she knew that they would have the King utterly surrounded. 

3.) The letter was a back up plan. She knew if they were caught they would be searched and questioned. They'd find the paper and plan B would come into play. If they had managed to kill the king, the letter wouldn't have mattered at all. But by exposing that Inej and Finch meant something to the Night Court, Loki has ensured that they are kept safe and alive as hostages and returned to them. 

Sometimes it truly was scary how brilliant Loki Brekker was. 

The King laughed once more, ordering Inej and Finch onto their feet and prepare for departure. 

They were thrown into a cell as the guards scurried around to prepare for the unplanned trip to Ketterdam. 

The second the cell door slammed shut, Inej got to work. "You might want to turn around for this..." Inej warned Finch. 

"What why? What are you gonna do?"

She stuck her hand down her pants stabbing her nails harshly into the skin right around the vagina. She started bleeding profusely, the blood, well hidden in her black leather pants. 

"WHY! STOP!" Finch called out horrified. 

"I need to bleed out the faebane so I have access to my shadows faster. I need to be able to winnow by the time we reach Ketterdam. They'll scent the blood but assume I'm in my womanly bleed based on the location."

"Why do we have to wait till Ketterdam to escape?"

"The letter had messages for us as well Dumbass. Loki loves using double meaning phrases. Loki wrote, we do rather like all their parts where they are. She needs us to stay as hostiges for now." Inej responded. 

"I thought Nyx wrote the letter." Finch said as more of a question than a statement. 

"No, Loki wrote it. I recognize her hand writing."

"Did she really set us up?"

"No, like she said in the letter, this was plan B. It was a fail safe uncase we were caught before we could kill him. She knew if they were caught we would be searched and questioned. They'd find the paper and by exposing that we mean something to the Night Court, Loki has ensured that they are kept safe and alive as hostages and that we will be returned to them." 

Finch nodded in understanding leaning his head against the wall. 

Inej looked at him, really looked at him for once. 

She couldn't deny that he was extremely handsome in a refined, yet rugged way. His grey eyes and dark brown hair and naturally tanned skin. He looked like the less clean version of Nyx. His hair was longer and he was a lot broader than Loki's mate. 

They looked very similar but the two could not be more different. 

Inej had been having a hard time keeping her mind off the male for some reason. Finch Archeron had been plaguing her thoughts since she met the male. 

Before Inej could continue inspecting the male, he looked at her. 

Time stood still as their eyes locked. Cold grey met black. 

And something clicked into place for her. 

Something she never thought she would ever feel. A completeness took over her as she felt the Bond lock in and strengthen. 

The color drained from her face as Inej looked wide eyed at an extremely confused Finch. 

In a whisper. 

Almost like a prayer to her saints. 

Inej breathed out a single phrase that changed everything between the two, 

"You're my mate."

.