In The Mist of Shadows

Chpt. 10

The end of the week was only two days away, so it naturally came fast. In those two days Adela continued to adapt to her new life, distracting herself with training and her late night walks with Thea where they would shelve books, and now with babysitting Nyx. The first day he cried for about an hour after Feyre left, then soiled his diaper and her shirt. She got through cleaning him up with gags and watery eyes. But he seemed to settle very fast by the next day, he didn't cry at all. In fact when she was talking to him in the highest voice she has ever used he smiled. Her heart warmed instantly and she thought she could cry right there. It was harder to give him back to Feyre that day.

When the day came for her to meet everyone she willed the training with Azriel to quiet everything else. She focused of her balance, now walking back and forth along the rope. Azriel watched her form with pride, she was indeed a fast learner and adapter. He however wished she wasn't so good so they could spend more time up here, just the two of them. After she masters balance the next step is hand to hand combat. He hoped she was good enough to start hand to hand on the rope so it could be just them again.

"Good. Tomorrow we can start with some workouts, then try hand to hand if you wish."

Adela stepped on to the platform. "Okay." She was willing to try hand to hand, if not with Azriel then Nesta. Whom seemed to run away with Cassian, again.

Azriel and Adela winnowed down just in time for Rhysand to walk over with Nyx and the enormous bag Feyre packs for him everyday. Adela smiled wide, her eyes lighting up when she saw Nyx. Azriel took a moment to admire it. "He just got fed and changed so he should be good to go." Rhysand allowed Adela to grab him from his arms. The babe cooed at her making her talk to him in the high pitch voice again.

Something in Azriel felt like it was being tugged on. Seeing Adela with a babe, acting the way she did with him made him warm and made something deep deep down rise to the surface. Rhysand shot his eyes to him, making Azriel shut the feeling out. He grabbed his glass of water and walked into the house.

"Are you ready for tonight?" Rhysand asked.

"I think so."

Rhysand watched Adela smile at Nyx and thought of how it might have been if he got the chance to be apart of her life when she was that small. "Well the only ones you haven't met are Elaine, Feyre and Nesta's sister and Amren. Although she is also bringing Varian, her partner. He's actually from Summer Court, he wanted to ask you a few things about the rip as well. He'll take the information to Tarquin and he can close it."

"Is Lord Tarquin... Angry that I invaded his court?"

"He was at first but I explained what happened-"

"You what?"

Rhysand saw the horror in her eyes. "Not everything. I told him that you were from another realm coming here for business and you ended up here, and that we were related."

The way Rhysand made it sound made it seem like it was no more than a happy accident that they found their way to each other. When in reality she came her to help her father conquer and destroy this land. That familiar feeling was rising in her chest again. She didn't deserve this. She was going to hurt them, their home. She was going to blindly support her father, the male who hurt her the most. Because she felt like she didn't deserve more than what he handed her, a mother who was murdered and orders to harm her and-

"Adela." Rhysand saw her eyes water and her chest heave. Nyx began to fuss and Adela looked like she was seeing the most terrifying creature in front of her. "Adela." He repeated. Nyx began to cry and Adela fell of her knees. "Adela!"

Rhysand caught Nyx and held the now screaming babe. Azriel ran over to them, so did Nesta and Cassian. Adela was gasping for air now, grabbing at her throat. "Adela." Nesta spoke. But she couldn't hear anything, nothing but the ring of betrayal. And the ring of feeling like she doesn't deserve this, doesn't deserve anything... But maybe death.