Flower of the Night ACOTAR

Chapter 43

Abella's own inner circle met in the whispering willows were no one would be able to hear them speak.

"You did what" Apollo exclaimed as he jumped to his feet anger crossing his stricking features. "You told Nyx of the artifact that we need?"

"I didn't tell him." Abella began to explain herself. "I made a deal with him." She smiled and when she saw the confused faces of her circle she further explained, "Which is held by ancient fae magic that he is not able to break."

Nina cleared her throat "Not only is it ancient fae magic but it's the magic of the night court." She said backing up Abella. "We may not be able to trust Nyx just yet, but we can trust this deal."

Abella casted Nina a thankful glance. "If he successfully retrieves the book and brings it back to me then I will continue with the deals."

Ares shock his head in defiance. "Why not just send us to retrieve the artifacts." He continued to refuse his eyebrows drawn together in anger.

"Think about it." Abella continued. "He has been with the death gods in their kingdom this whole time if anyone knows where the artifacts, we need are its him, and if he doesn't know he has the best resources to find it."

"and if he is lying?" Apollo asked his arms crossed but the tension in his face was slowly melting away as Abella convinced him.

"I only told him we need the Life Goddess book if we don't get that artifact then it is not the end of the world. We will be able to conquer without it."

"And he is not lying." The bone carver said speaking up for the first time in this meeting. Besides him his sister nodded her head.

"The fates are settling." The weaver said her lifeless eyes meeting with Abella's. "everyday the feature is becoming more and more clear. We are moving in the right direction."

"As if we can believe those two." Ares scoffed still not sold on the idea.

"It has already been decided we will wait for the book, if it is not brought to us in a week's worth of time then we will strategize once again." Abella said that and before anyone else could interject she winnowed away.

........

Abella anxiously paced the halls of her castle, 6 days had gone by without any word from nyx. Was she so wrong to trust him? Would he be able to find some sort of loophole in their deal?

"Anxiously awaiting my arrival?" Said Nyx's voice from behind her.

Jumping at the sudden noise Abella whipped around to face him. He leaned against a wall a cocky smirk on his sticking face. Shadows of darkness outlined his muscular body. In the morning light, with his black hair swept back from his face, his features were harder, harsher, and somehow all the more beautiful. Not being able to hold it in a breath of relief escaped her lips as she took long strides to him and tore the book from his hand.

"You found it." She breathed her vibrant green eyes filling with surprise and awe of the golden book that held the spells of all the goddesses before her.

"Come on princess, you have to have more faith in me then that if we are going to be working together." Nyx drawled his lips tugging up into a smirk at Abella's annoyed expression.

"Who said we are working together?" She snapped, pursing her lips together- clearly unimpressed. Turning on her heels she walked toward her own quarters.

"What else would you call this?" Nyx said following after her. "What other artifacts does her royal highness need?"

Abella shot him a glare from over her back, Nyx's only response was a deep chuckle.

"Why are you so eager to help me now?" Abella asked, her eyes narrowing in on Nyx.

"I always have been." Nyx responded his expression turning somber. "I just wasn't able to show it before, but this was always the end goal."

Abella scrutinized him a little longer her green eyes burning holes into Nyx's seeming to find what she was looking for she spoke "Next we need the book of creation from the original Goddess of Life."

Nyx brows furrowed "That is going to be harder to source." He looked away his features scrunching together.

"Are you saying you aren't able to help me?" Abella questioned lifting her chin defiantly.

"No." Nyx scoffed. He crossed his arms, the outline of his muscled arms pressed against the black fabric of his shirt. "That's not what I'm saying. Many people- including Malice have tried to source the original book of creations and have failed." Annoyance burned in his gave, "I will need help finding this."

"No." Abella said. "We can't trust anyone with this information that is not in my inne-"

"I will need your help Abella." Nyx interrupted. "The book belonged to the original creator and she put her ancient magic into it only allowing her succeeders to touch it." His lips pinched together. "I know of its estimate location, but many people have been sent in search of it and usually they do not return."

Nothing malicious or mocking lay beneath his word. Did she dare call it sympathy? Abella's nostrils flared, her golden eyebrows arched. Her head tilted back as she gave him a searching look and her gaze hardened. To her he seemed to speak sincerely, and Apollo had told her similar information. She regarded him without a response for many moments before finally she nodded her head in agreement.

"I will help you in retrieval of the Book of creation." She said lifting her hand upward. "But the same deal as last time applies."

Nyx gave her a victorious smile as they shook hands together.

"We will have to leave soon." She said deciding to ignore his look of victory. "I will send word to a few people and then we will leave." Abella said as she moved to her office beginning to write a detailed letter.

Uncertainty knotted at her stomach as began to write the letter. She knew the risks she was taking, knew it could lead her straight to danger. Not many years ago, she trusted him and that got her nowhere-.

"Are you in a rush to get more time with me?" Nyx drawled from behind her cutting her out of her thoughts.

"No, I'm in a rush to get back to my fiancé." Triumphant laughter filled the goddess eyes and voice. "I have a wedding to plan Afterall." Abella said looking up from her letter to look at him.

His grin matched hers, "Congratulations." He almost spat out. "I can't wait for the invite." An evil glint shown in his eyes. "Sadly, we will need a couple more skilled fighters with us."

"Why?" Abella questioned.

"The creatures that roam the land of dead gods are much more deadly then the ones here."

"I thought we couldn't be killed?" Abella questioned her brows furrowing together.

"Maybe not killed but seriously injured, and if we don't need to I would rather not test that being killed theory." Nyx responded.

Abella nodded her head in agreement, better safe then sorry. "We will bring as many people as we can." "It will be good anyways, training for the inevitable war." Abella watched Nyx as she said this waiting for how he would respond to her mentioning the war.

Nyx nodded his head in agreement. "Invite whoever you please, but not too many people we do have to go by unnoticed. And meet me at the night court by night fall."