Autumn Burn

Chapter 6

I wore something chic to the dinner. Not too chic, but a pair of black skinny jeans, a white tunika tucked into the jeans and a pair of ankle boots in wine red with a wide seven centimeter heel. I left my hair how it was, only brushing through it a few times. Then I grabbed my favorite pair of earrings, a cresent moon on a slim chain on the left side and a sun on a chain on the right. I had five more ear piercings, three more on the right, one of them a helix, and two more on the left. Then I put on some silver rings on my fingers and left my room. I met Nyx on the stairs, his tunika unwrinkled and clean pants on his hips. But his hair was a mess.
"Will you ever be able to brush your hair?" I grinned as we made our way down the stairs. But before I even sat a food on the first step I grabbed Nyx arm for support. His hand wrapped around my upper arm automatically. I had a special talent at falling down stairs and since I wore some heels I didn't dare to risk it. Nyx was used to it, he had to catch me once or twice already and got used to holding me whenever a staircase was nearby.
"Will you ever be able to walk down the stairs on your own?" I stuck my tongue out at him. He only winked at me, his grin wide and bright.
"Oh, shut up." I smiled and made it down the stairs without falling.
Feyre and Rhys, as well as Azriel were already in the dinning room as we entered. I wasn't the only one that dressed a little nicely, even though I could see that Feyre's dress was equally beautiful and comfortable. Azriel looked like a fallen angel, ready to seduce every woman on Earth and Rhys was ... well, he was Rhys. He was breathtaking.
"Your hair." Feyre grumbled at Nyx and I had to laugh at that.
"Told you." I said mockingly and quickly sat down at the table, before he could poke me in the side. He couldn't escape his mother, that used her fingers as a comb and brushed through her son's hair. Rhys smiled at that and Azriel nodded to me as he said down across from me.
"Good evening." he said, his voice thick. I always thought that his and Nyx voices sounded alike, at least a little bit.
"How was your day?" I asked, because I actually wanted to know. It was an open secret by now, that he was confused by his feelings. He wasn't in love with Mor anymore, but he still had deep feelings for her that would never go away as I knew. When someone loved that deeply that love won't fade aways without a reason. One can move on but some part will always belong to that person. And now he was confused over his feelings for Elain and Gwyn, Nesta's best friend. That was something Nyx didn't tell me in all of the stories about his family. That's something I figured out myself, simply by observing. It wasn't that hard to see, so ... open secret.
"It was fine." he replied, a small smile on his face. His brothers were busy with their mates and even though I knew they loved him deeply I sometimes felt like they sort of forgot about him. Just having someone to simply ask how the day has been could make the whole day better. And with that little smile on Azriel's lips I knew it was a good choice to ask.
"Devlon finally let's the females train with the males." Devlon was an asshole I didn't have the pleasure to meet yet and I guess that was the better choice for both him and I. I couldn't keep cool like the rest of the Inner Circle when it came to sexism.
"But he's still refusing to share the weapons with them. So I had to submit new orders for the females to the blacksmith." I rolled my eyes at that.
"What a scared baby." I said and Azriel's smile grew wider. He didn't like the Illyrians and I could understand why. I guess his day wasn't as good as he said when he had to start it with Devlon, out of all.
"He is stubborn but eventually he'll grow out of it." he shrugged and then continued.
"After that was done I went to the borders of the Autumn Court." Uhh, now it was getting exciting. And since he went himself and didn't just send one of his spies I guess it had something to do with Beron and the Tropes.
"Did you find something?" He shook his head, the smile disappearing.
"No, I couldn't go in. Beron has tightend the border patrols. Nothing and nobody comes trough that." Except for one of their own, obviously. Where we were back to the topic.
"We need Eris." I sighed and Azriel nodded.
"Lucien won't be able to come through either. We need to get Eris on our side."
"Great." I said, my voice thick with annoyance.
"Then I guess I should start leading him on." I hated that though. Azriel looked at me with surprise and I realized he didn't knew about that.
"You will not do that." Rhys said, sitting down next to Azriel, Feyre taking the place to his other side. Nyx came down to my right just as Mor, Nesta and Cassian walked in.
"What won't she do?" Mor asked as swung herself next to me. Nesta took place on the head of the table, Cassian next to her around the corner. Now only Amren and Elain were missing. "Feyre and Amren think that the only way to get Eris to help us is by Amber seducing him." I flinched as Rhys spoke without any caution. He was still furious and as I could see, the rulers of this Court didn't come to an agreement yet. Nyx looked at his mother in disbelieve.
"You want what?"
"That is the only way, boy." Amren walked in, behind her Elain. The latter took place next to her sister and Amren across from Mor next to Azriel.
"Eris helped us in the past because he knew what his father did, was wrong. He knows it now too, that's why he came her with that information." she explained, her red painted nails shining in the light of the candles and faerie lights.
"He came to us with the intention of helping. But then he saw Amber and the mating bond snapped into place. If it weren't for her, he would be helping us already. But he is clever and knows pretty well that we wouldn't let her come near him. That's why he is refusing to help us now. He wants Amber in exchange for his help." I blinked and realized she was right. The question was now, would he really put the fate of Prythian into my willingness of accepting that bond or did he actually have a heart?
"He will not risk that." Rhys said, refusing to let me do this. And I was very much thankful for this. I didn't want this. Because who knows what exacly I had to do for that. I could flirt with him and stuff but I was sure he would want more. He would want sex and I wasn't willing to sleep with him only to gain his help. I felt sick to my stomach only thinking about it.
"He will." Mor said, her voice strangely emotionless.
"He will not give in. Eris always gets what he wants. And if he doesn't he will take revenge for it." He revenged it on Mor in form of a leaving her to die. And she wasn't even his mate, only his promised wife. And for not getting his mate, he would let Prythian get destroyed and ruled by his father. And because of that he would probably get me in the end anyways. What a great prospect. I closed my eyes and brought my always cold fingers to my temples to push away the up coming headache. I hated politicals. And I hated that stupid mating bond.
"We have to find another way." Cassian said and I was pretty sure Nesta agreed with him.
"Amber isn't something to give away, she is a living being and she already refused the mating bond." I didn't. At least I didn't say it out loud and I knew as long as I didn't say that to Eris he had a claim on me.
"It would only be temporary." Feyre said. I couldn't even be mad at her and Amren. They just didn't see another way. And I didn't either.
"The moment we are done with all of that she can drop the act and doesn't have to see him ever again."
"And what does she have to do as long as this goes on?" Rhys asked, anger pushing through his voice. I still didn't open my eyes. I didn't want to see all of their faces. It was too much.
"Where is the border of what she should do to insure his help? Kiss him? Touch him? Let him touch her? Or better, should she let him fuck her?" Now I knew why he was so angry, why he didn't want me to do this. The more time I spent here with Nyx, with him, the more he liked me. Sometimes I feel like he sees me as his daughter. And now it reminds him of Amarantha. How he had to do all of that to help his Court. He doesn't want me to endure all of this.
Feyre went silent and I knew she realized it too. I knew all of them did. But Amren was different than the other. Of course she thought about their emotions as well, but for her, the things that had to be done came first.
"Of course she shouldn't do that." she said.
"But she should let him believe that she would. That she wants to get to know him and is interested in being his mate."
"And what if he decides he doesn't want to wait anymore?" Cassian asked, now getting angry too.
"What if he just takes her body when he decides he waited enough? Is she supposed to play along and prentend to like it while he rapes her?" I opened my eyes and slammened my hands on the table with so much force, that my glass of water fell over.
"That's enough!" I said, now angry as well.
"I don't want to hear anything about me getting raped!" I never had a problem with sex, not even when I had my first time. I was nervous but I wasn't afraid. I enjoyed sex even though my sex partners weren't always the best. I never came from just penetration but that was always fine for me. I liked sex. But thinking about it being forced, touching me and being inside of me without consent and with pain I didn't want ... I felt like I needed to throw up.
"Eris won't give in." I continued. Nyx opened his mouth next to me but I interrupted him before he even started.
"You said yourself that he is clever and that intruge is his speciality." He closed his mouth again.
"You need his help so I'll do my part." Rhys stood up, rage filling his violet eyes.
"You will not!" I could feel the power in the words, the power of a High Lord.
"I like to think that I am a part of this Court." I said calmly and stared into his eyes.
"But officially I am not. I don't live here, I never swore you anything. You are not my High Lord and if I chose to help you in a way you don't like I'll do that. Be mad at me if you want, never speak a word to me again if that's what makes you happy but it won't change my choise." Then I looked at Feyre.
"Please sent word to Eris that he should come here as fast as possibly. Tell him," I swallowed hard, almost choking on the words but forcing them out anyways.
"Tell him that I am ready for him."