A Court of Shadows and Lies / ACOTAR FF

Chapter 79

I was losing my Gods damned fucking mind.

I could repeat Alfoor's spew word for word, and this time I did.

This was the fifteenth time my family and friends had gone through this ordeal, with the fae wondering why my sisters, Cherry and I were screaming by the tenth. They must have thought Etta was insane when she barged her way through to the front on the eleventh time, only to punch the dais. On the twelfth time, Azriel was holding me back while I clawed my way towards them, swearing at Mother and the God she was sat next to. The thirteenth time saw Celeste turning the entire room into darkness, her short hair whipping about with the support of Els, who was stirring up a storm. On the fourteenth time, Sif had slipped into Artemis' mind and stabbed Alfoor with her concealed weapon.

We were now on number fucking fifteen and the fae had no idea.

My aunt was no longer humoured, instead looking annoyed at the constant repeat.

Mother had caught on, Gods only knew how she wasn't reliving the whole ordeal. Cherry's parents and Artemis hadn't, yet.

Niamh, fucking do something, I begged through the connection as I marched towards the dais, making the God do a double take. Murmurs began in the pews, with all eyes on me, possibly discussing how his daughter could throw away traditions I had never heard of, or was taught. What was I meant to do in a situation that required me to relive the same 10 minutes of my fucking life?

"Welcome," I boomed in a lowered voice, poorly mimicking the average male. "Firstly, welcome home to my love, Phanes or as many refer to her as Mother, as well as her sister Lilith, the Dark Mother." I paused, staring up at the God with a fervour I felt deep within me.

"Jez," I heard Cassian call. "He's the Alfoor, what are you-?"

I raised my hand, making the Illyrian stop in his tracks.

"Did I get that right?" I yelled at the male, who grinned at me. "I want to know."

Jez, I don't think my powers will stop the God of all Gods, Niamh responded. It elicited a chorus of laughs through the connection from my sisters and I.

If you don't, I'm going to get Etta to come up here and clock him in the mouth, I said.

I can't punch him! Etta gasped.

You fucking will, Celeste hissed. I'm not doing this for the sixteenth time. Niamh, you do something, or Etta's going to punch him.

I can't, both my sisters said.

"Exactly how I would say it, Jezreel," Alfoor smiled and I watched as he spread his hands apart, ready to clap.

"However, we must address our guests! It has been a long time since we had a fae from Prythian here, but welcome to all of you. I see Vel's bloodline is as strong as ever," I recited, my body shaking. "Did you say that to him?"

Alfoor paused, his brows raised and head cocked slightly. "Excuse me?"

"When you gifted Death to him," I said, my voice cracking, recalling the conversation in the library. He stared at me, still caught mid-clap. "You knew he was going to die, even before Niamh saw it." I paused momentarily, realising what Mother had meant when Alfoor knew he was going to die. It wasn't because the power of Death was overwhelming, my sisters and I had it in us. Death was silent, forgiving. The male who towered above me was not. "You knew giving him Death would lead to his own death, because Erebus was looking for it, looking for his powers, looking for a reason to come back and take his seat."

The golden room fell silent.

Alfoor looked like he was going to strip me of everything I loved in that moment.