To Kill A Kingdom | ACOTAR ✔️

Chapter 4 - "Or are you just inquiring to be nosy?"

The four of them were stood before the fountain, as upon the statue of a heron flapping its wings, there was a Fae head. High Fae, Evette realised upon analysing the head. The stoke of the statue beneath it was covered in blood that was now dried. This clearly indicated that the head had been fresh when it was impaled upon the statue.

"I assume he wasn't part of the Spring Court due to the lack of a mask." Evette mused to the other three, wrinkling her nose a little as she stared up at the amputated head.

"Not Autumn Court either." Lucien added in. "I don't recognise him at all."

"Neither do I." Tamlin said, a growl within his words. Before he looked to Lucien and gestured to the head, and Lucien stepped into the fountain, and waded through the red water, and stared up at the head.

"They branded him behind the ear with a sigil." Lucien announced to them all. "A mountain with three stars."

"Night Court." Tamlin uttered softly.

Evette had heard very little about the different Court's of Prythian. So, she didn't exactly know if that was a good thing or bad thing - though, clearly, from their reactions it was bad. "Who are the Night Court?" Evette asked them curiously, her brows furrowed.

"Why...why would they do this?" Feyre breathed.

Tamlin looked between both of the women. "The Night Court does what it wants." Tamlin explained to them both. "They live by their own codes, and their own corrupt morals."

"They're all sadistic killers." Lucien added in with a look of great distaste upon his face - with his lips forming a slight sneer. "They delight in torture of every kind, and would find this sort of stunt to be amusing."

"Oh, well, they sound pleasant." Evette mused sarcastically.

"Amusing, but not a message?" Feyre asked.

Evette shook her head gently. "No, this is definitely something you do if you wish to send a message." She replied. "To inspire fear."

"They want Tamlin to know they can get in and out, and past all his defences to commit a crime like this without being seen, nor captured." Lucien agreed with Evette. "It's exactly the type of thing the High Lord of the Night Court would find amusing. The bastard."

Tamlin brushed his thumb over Feyre's shoulder comfortingly. "You're still safe here." He told her, before he glanced at Evette. "Both of you. This is just their idea of a prank."

"So, this isn't connected to the blight?" Feyre asked, and Evette furrowed her brows in confusion, and when she caught Lucien's gaze he shook his head at her slightly.

"Only in that they know the blight is again awakening - and want us to know that they're circling the Spring Court like vultures, should our wards fall further." Tamlin said. "They'll get what's coming to them soon enough. Hopefully the blight will wreck them, too."

At this moment, Lucien grabbed the head and began to leave them, and he gestured his head to Evette to signal for her to follow him. Evette gave Tamlin and Feyre a small smile, before she turned to follow behind Lucien, catching up to him with a slight jog.

"So, urm, what's the blight?" Evette asked him.

"Amarantha." He replied. "Tamlin's curse ensures he can't tell Feyre about any of it. So, he decided to make up something he could tell her to explain everything happening around here to her."

"Oh, I see." Evette nodded slowly. "And...the Night Court? Are they really...as you both described?"

"Yes." He replied. "And worse. They literally have a place in their land called the Court of Nightmares. If anything, you should be glad you landed here instead of anywhere else in Pythian. Tamlin is the only High Lord that would offer such kindness to you. Every other...they would've held no kindness for you."