Acotar oneshots

You're on your own, kid (Nyx)

"You've got this, kiddo." Cassian smiled at the strong boy. It felt like just yesterday he had been holding him as a newborn. Somehow, 80 years later, little Nyx was about to compete in the Blood Rite.

Cassian had been training him his whole life, still his chest felt tight watching the kid sharpen his knife. "You know you can't take that, right?" Nyx glanced up, his long, raven hair falling over his eyes. "I know."

Nyx was easily one of the strongest warriors Cassian had met. Arms the size of tree trunks, wings more powerful than the strongest wind, hair neatly cut, he was the perfect picture of an Illryian.

The door of the A-line cabin they sat in opened, and a pale Feyre dashed in. She kneeled infront of her son, holding his hands tightly. "You know you don't have to do this, right? You don't have to prove yourself to anyone, Nyx, please don't do this!" Her voice was shrill as she begged him. "Mama, I'll be fine. I'll be back before you know it, and we can have a big family dinner to celebrate me winning the Blood Rite! Cuz' you know I will win, right?" Feyre swallowed thickly. "I know, but, Nyx, you're just so young! What if you are too young!"

"Mama."
"I wont stop you from doing this, but, please, don't think that you have to prove yourself!"

Nyx wrapped his arms around his mother, as she sobbed into his shoulder; "You are so grounded if you die!" He chuckled, letting her go.

He turned to his family. Cassians mate, his aunt, cradling their newborn baby, gave him a grin. "Go show them strong, Nyx!" He smiled back with a wink.

He turned to his uncle Azriel, who cut him of before he could open his mouth. "I am not planting weapons for you, so don't you dare ask again."
"I wasn't gonna!" He grumbled, flopping back on the couch.

"What?" Rhysand snapped, mouth agape. "Nothing, doesn't matter." He muttered with a scowl.

"Have you learnt nothing about principles, Nyx?" His governess, Gwyn, demanded from where she stood beside her mate, Azriel. "You were going to help him with this?" She cried at Azriel.

"No, honey, I just said no..."

"Eh, I think it shows initiative, y'know, thinking outside the box."
"Shut up, Amren." Mor scowled at her.

Amren bared her teeth, but Mor just rolled her eyes. Varian wrapped an arm around her shoulders, muttering something in her ear. She grinned up at him, forgetting Mor entirely.

~

Cassian sat with the warrior late that night. "You gotta make a decision, kiddo. If you don't go to sleep, they can't take you."

Everyone else had cleared out ages ago. Their only visitor since had been Lucien, to deliver a small meal Elain had made especially for him. He had eaten it quickly, but now he sat fidgeting. "You aren't having second thoughts, are you?"

Nyx clenched his jaw, glancing up. "What if I die?"
"You won't. But, hypotheticaly, if you did, you would die a hero."

Nyx was quiet for a long minute, before laughing slightly. "Didn't know you know long words like that!"
"Shut up."

His laughing subsidied after a moment, a look of grief drifting over his face. "Mama and Father would be so miserable if i died."
"They would be. But, you won't die."
"Isn't there anything you can do?" His voice sounded like barely contained tears.

Cassian let out a long breath, looking at the male he had been training since birth, contemplating what to say. Of course there were things he could do, but he knew Nyx wouldn't be happy with winning by cheating.

"You're on your own, kid. I'm sorry."

Nyx took a deep breath, and met his eyes. "Guess I'd better get to bed then!"

As the strode out of the room, pride swelled in Cassians chest. His nephew, about to win the Blood Rite.