A Court of Three Stars

21: Leathers

House of Song, Velaris, Prythian

Azriel

A package arrived at the house the next morning.

It was nothing but a basket of fruit and a familiar little bottle, one I had seen about a million times before. It was the hangover potion Mor swore by, a little note tied to it written in familiar script.

Leur,

Heard you got yourself into trouble. I'm not sure if this will help or not, but I figured I'd send it anyway.

I love you always, sister. No matter what.

-Morrigan

Leur had marched the entire thing to the trash, thrown the whole basket away, and then washed her hands afterward mumbling to herself, "If she thinks a fucking fruit basket is going to make me forget what she did, she's sorely mistaken."

How Mor had even known and how the hell she had gotten that sent here, I had no idea. But I did know exactly what it was, a signal to me that she had made her decision.

I decided that I would deal with that at a later date.

We all had gathered in the dining room again for breakfast which had turned into a meeting about our next steps. If I was being honest, the last thing I wanted was to do anything else with this war. After the massive fucking disaster that had been the Viper Queen, the reality that all of this could go horribly wrong had sunken in. And I had more to lose right now than I ever had in my life.

But war wouldn't wait for me to be ready.

There was no option but to keep pushing forward.

"So, we'll leave for the Hewn City in three hours." Rhys addressed the table, "I know nobody wants to hear it but-"

Leur covered her ears, pulling her knees to her chest dramatically, "Don't say it."

Rhys just gave her a look, rolling his eyes, "But we actually do have to meet with Kier before we go down into the caves."

There was a resounding groan from everyone at the table, aside from those who didn't know the hell that was the Hewn City.

"Who's Kier?" Ruhn questioned, leaning back in his chair.

"Mor's father." Rhys explained, "He runs the Court of Nightmares, the more... unsavory part of the Night Court."

"You didn't tell him who Kier was?" Cassian rose his brows at my mate.

"I was sincerely hoping to just never take him to the Hewn City." Leur frowned, disdain spreading through her.

"Well, he doesn't have to go." Rhys put a hand out to calm Leur, looking between us, "But I was hoping that one of you would."

Leur just leaned over on my shoulder with a huff, voice no more than a whine, "Why?"

"I think he's scared of you two."

"Who isn't?" Nesta scoffed.

"Wait." Bryce leaned forward, "So, it's still part of this court? They're your armies but you have to ask someone else to use them?"

"Don't bother trying to understand Rhys's politics." I told her, "It's a mystery to everyone."

"It's a simple deal, really." Rhys started to explain, "Keir acts as-"

Leur shut her eyes where she was leaning on me, making dramatic snoring noises to interrupt him.

Rhys rolled his eyes at his sister's antics, settling to just look at Bryce and say, "It's complicated, but essentially- yes."