A Court of Fire and Lies

30- Nessian

I happened to get a special request for this, and so this chapter is for you darling

Not eddited

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I had been in the night court for over a month with nothing. They don't say anything and they don't include me in anything. 

Not that I even wanted this, though Elaine's embraced everything. The swiftness, the ability. The beauty. Everything. It's a second skin to her. And for me, it's something to shed. 

Something I bear. 

I probably would have killed myself if it hadn't been for Elaine. 

She still needs me, but these days I think I need her more than she needs me. 

I get up from my bed slipping into a sweater as I crawl out my window to sit on the roof. 

The one thing I love about this world is the sky. So beautiful, dripping in light and gorgeous chaos. I don't know, but somehow I think I could breathe it all in and wrap it around me as a cloak, shielding me from the light. 

A sound beside me has my head whipping towards it in a second. 

My eyes land on Cassian. Hair slicked back and gaze heavy upon me. Though his wings are still bandaged. 

"What are you doing here?" I ask him. We had spoken quite a bit since I've been here, and I have warmed up just a little to this narcissistic illyrian.

"My bedroom is just a few doors down so I thought I might check on you."

"Afraid I might jump off?" I say. 

"No, I'm not worried about you, I'm pretty positive you can take care of yourself." He says with a soft chuckle. 

I crack a smile at his words. 

"At least you got that figured out." I say and he scootches a little closer to me. 

And for some reason I don't move away, it's so hard for me to believe that at one point I hated the Fae and here I am one sitting next to one. 

I let out a sigh and look back at his wings. 

"Do you think you'll ever fly again?" I ask him. 

"Yeah, but not for a while." He says but with the way his eyes don't meet mine I know there's so much more to this story. 

"Can you still fight?" I ask turning to look at him. 

"Hell yeah, what do you take me as? Some loser?" 

"Maybe, but really, can you?" I raise an eyebrow at him as his eyes wander up and down my body. 

And for that, I smack him on the back of the head. 

He laughs and rubs the sore area. "Why? Want to learn how to kill us?" 

I flinch at his words, almost menacing. As if I could kill anyone. But truly, I think I could. 

"I want to learn how to fight to defend myself."

"From what?" He says. 

"I don't know yet. But I'm sure I'll find out soon." 

He looks straight ahead as he says, "we begin at dawn." 

I'm about to say a thank you of sorts but when I turn my head to look at him he's gone, and nothing but the smell of night and soft leather lingers in the air as I lean back and close my eyes.