Nyx | Carpe Noctem ✓

Chapter 8: Like Father Like Son

∙ Nyx POV ∙

"A bargain? With the mortal girl? You don't even know her. You are completely out of your mind, aren't you?" Noora exclaimed, punching into my hand once again.

"Your elbow is too low and the punch was weak," I stated, ignoring her stupid question. I had just told her about the bargain but she did not take me seriously and rather made fun of me.

"Nyx, you did not answer my questions! Why with her? You have tones of girls drooling over you here in Velaris? Even in other courts. I can see the looks those Day Court females give you when we go and visit aunt Elain. Why her?" she queried. Because she was special?

I shrugged. "There is something about her," I stated while she threw another punch into my palm, this time harder.

"She is a mortal. Within a few years she will be wrinkly and old. What do you want from her?" I shrugged again.

"Who is a mortal?" Eve's voice sounded behind me and I took a step back to look at my little sister.

There she stood in her small Illyrian training leathers. Here long blue-black hair was braided and she was closely followed by Balthazar and Catrin, Azriel's twins. They both also wore Illyrian leathers, swinging their wooden swords around in the air. Both grinned at us, mischief lacing their features.

"No one," I said and turned my attention back to Noora who of course had to speak up again.
"The girl your brother has a crush on is a mortal," Noora expressed, smirking and Eve's mouth dropped open before she grinned brightly. Her white teeth shone in the sun light and her grin turned even brighter when her gaze landed on me.
"Like mother and father?" she beamed. Groaning under my breath, I shook my head. "I don't have a crush on her and mother was fae when her and father got together!" I protested.

"Not when they met! She was very much mortal when they met as much as I know," Noora insisted but I shook my head again. "Can we go back to training, please?" I grumbled. Noora pouted her lips, but was cut off by Eve before she could speak up again.

"I think it is cute. I want to meet her. Is she nice? Is she pretty?" my little sister happily questioned. Catrin nodded eagerly, also grinning brightly at me. "I want to meet your crush, too!"

"Don't annoy me, you dwarves! You don't even know what a crush means, so please go play with your wooden swords and let us train," I whined, desperately wanting them to finally shut up before one of the elders found out. I hadn't worked extra hard on keeping my mental shields up these past weeks for no reason.

"Don't call me that!" Eve huffed, bracing her hands on her hips, but then a wicked grin spread over her face and she spun around. No way, Eve.

"Mooooother. Faaaaaather. Nyx has a crush on a mortal girl!"

Hell. No. Eve.

Eve started running towards the door that lead into the living room with full speed, her wings flapping behind her back. I dashed after her, stomping my feet into the ground. I wanted to stop her, but before I could reach her the door was already ripped open and mother, father and Cassian walked outside. Uncle Cass wore a shit-eating grin while my father had wide eyes, giving me an incredulous look.

"Like father like son, I would say," Cassian chimed in and Noora, who had also joined us by then, high-fived her father. "Exactly what I said," she laughed and uncle Cass and her high-fived again.

"You also were head over heels with Nesta when she was still mortal," my mother cut in, appearing behind my father. But when she wanted to continue my father interrupted her and spoke up.

"Explanations, son?" my father asked sternly, approaching me with long and fast steps. My mother bit down on her lip and tried to search my gaze. She brushed against my mental shields, but I was so focused on my father I kept her out.