A Court of Rage and Fire

Chapter 6

Nesta could not find any indication that her outburst had offended any of the Vanserras. She was so used to the immediate disapproval and threats of murder from the Night Court every time her temper flared that the lack of response from the Autumn Court verged on disconcerting. Perhaps they were all used to each other behaving badly—she distinctly remembered Eris being the only Vanserra to reign in his dreadful brothers at the High Lords' meeting in the Dawn Court—but she couldn't shake the feeling that her behavior would come back to haunt her, that Regis would drive a butter knife into her gut, or that behind Beron's impassive eyes lay a plan to swallow her whole the same way she had bitten power out of the Cauldron. But after a moment of staring at her in silence, they just jumped back into conversations with each other.

To settle the rising feeling that she had already revealed too much in front of Beron and his ghastly sons, she observed them quietly, hoping she would learn anything that she could use to better prepare and protect herself. Beron and Keir mostly discussed some kind of dull trade agreement, though Nesta was sure that had not been the subject of their private meeting. Keir wanted a smokehound, whatever that was, and Beron was adamant that no hounds would leave the Autumn Court's possession. "We're practically family, now," pleaded Keir.

"No more family than we were the first time you asked five hundred years ago," Beron replied drily.

Meanwhile, the three younger brothers ate heartily, jostling each other as they competed for the choicest portions of each dish, which consisted of well-spiced meats, root vegetables prepared a dozen different ways, and a delightful soft squash browned in sugar and butter. Although Alvis and Regis ignored Nesta entirely for the rest of the meal, Hollis seemed intensely interested in humans, asking Nesta about life below the wall until Beron overheard and snapped at him to "go live among the human filth like your little brother if they're so fascinating to you."

Hollis stopped asking questions, and Nesta said little after that. No other Fae had shown so much disdain for humans in front of her before, but Beron was by far the oldest of the High Lords and his prejudices ran deep. No wonder Nesta's ancestors had built the wall to keep his ilk out of their territory.

Although the wine poured freely among the younger brothers, Beron, and Keir, Nesta noticed that Ada did not touch her glass. And although Eris raised his glass to his lips throughout the meal, his sips must have been minuscule, for his wine glass did not drain more than a fraction of an inch, nor was it ever refilled.

Nesta had allowed her wine glass to sit at her setting, perhaps just to prove to herself that she could abstain if she wished, or perhaps for the mere reason that the Night Court would not have even allowed her the option. But tempted she was not. Even if she had felt comfortable and safe enough here to cloud her head...she had grown disciplined these last months. She enjoyed waking early, pushing her body to its limits. And she certainly could not do that with a pounding headache, a roiling stomach, or alcohol leaking from her pores. But as it was, she had no interest in losing her presence of mind in this den of foxes, especially after she had already drawn so much attention to herself.

The wine was not the only temptation Nesta faced that evening. No one rose from their seats after dinner; rather, little cups of hot, dark liquid were served once the table was cleared, and Beron handed a deck of cards to Eris, who began shuffling.

"My father likes to have a hand of cards after dinner. Do you play?" Eris asked.

"It's been a while," Nesta admitted, surprised to see the Beron, in all his horrid reputation, engaging in something so mundane for after-dinner entertainment. She had half-expected the evening to end in burning a human or lesser faerie at the stake, especially with Keir in attendance. "What do you play for?" Not that she had anything of value to gamble anyway.