The Spymaster's Assassin (An ACoTaR Fanfic)

Chapter 26

Azriel helped me walk and we found Rhys in the pavilion. Amren, Mor, and Cassian all sat with him and looked up when Azriel and I entered the room.

Rhys stood as I slowly sank into a chair, leaning back and letting my wings slip through the holes in the back. Feyre sat to my left and she reached over and took my hand, giving it a squeeze as Azriel sat to my right. I noticed Feyre sat at Rhysand's right hand.

"Adrianna, what happened in the human realm?" Rhys asked carefully.

I bit my lip, then let out a slow breath, and said, "I believe you failed to mention one very important detail about Ravenna, High Lord." I looked at him coolly.

"And what is that?"

"Ravenna is my mother. My real mother. And you knew." I said.

Cassian choked on his wine. "What?" He demanded. "But, that would make you...make you..."

"Hybern's daughter." Amren finished, eyeing me over the rim of her blood filled goblet, silver eyes sparking in amusement. "What are you going to do about this new dilemma, girl?"

"I don't know." I found myself saying. "How and why would I ever ally myself with a monster who believes in slavery? A coward who hides on his lone island and sends his lover to do things for him?"

I felt Azriel's pride radiate off of him and down the bond like it was a warm blanket.

Cassian grinned. "There's the Adrianna I know."

"I just need to ask you all one thing." I said simply. "Why didn't you tell me? Why did you keep it a secret?" I looked to Rhysand. "And why did you choose to lie and keep secrets rather than tell me the truth and the real reason you wanted me in your Circle so quickly?"

Rhys folded his hands and his violet eyes stared into mine for a long time before he answered. "I don't know what Ravenna told you, Adrianna, but I can guarantee you it is false."

"She told me you were supposed to kill her and me. And you spared her. Allowed her to hide me in the Night Court because I was half Illyrian. And you kept my true identity a secret from everyone, including my caretakers. She said you only did this so you and your Circle could use me when the time came. Against my father."

The table was silent and everyone was staring between me and Rhys. "Only part of that is true. Yes, I was supposed to kill her. But never you. I heard them speaking to one another, that they had a Shadowsinger. I immediately listened to their conversation, hiding behind their tent. They were planning on killing you. Hybern said he had wanted a boy. Ravenna said she would give him no more children. They discussed you as if you were a nuisance they had to deal with." He cleared his throat. "Having family difficulties myself, you could say I sympathized with your plight.

"So, when the time came when I meet Ravenna on the battlefield, I cornered her. She had you in her arms. I demanded to know what she planned and she said that no one would want an Illyrian half-breed. She was on her way to get rid of you. So, I fought her. I challenged her and said that if I won, I got to have you and bring you to the Night Court. She agreed. I won, and I took you away. In a way, she was right. You were safer in the Night Court. Because you would not have made it past childhood had I not intervened."

I stared at him in shock. I felt my eyes water and I looked at him and asked hoarsely, "And you gave me to those Illyrians? The ones who ended up selling me off? Hating my existence? Why not keep me here with you?"

He frowned, actually looking sad, a flare of guilt flashing in his eyes, and said, "I wanted to, to raise you here had a member of our family. But the Court of Nightmares would have said you were my bastard. A bastard child in the Night Court is not treated kindly, let alone a woman. You would have been treated even worse, if possible, than you were in those camps. I didn't want to give you away. I would have raised you myself, but then Amarantha came. And I was glad you were so far away from me when she did."

I found my eyes brimming with tears. "You...you protected me all that time. Even in the Ring. You connected Azriel and I. All this time... you..." I drifted off and looked at him and he reached out and rested a hand over mine.

I smiled a little and wiped at my eyes and pulled on the sling my injured arm was in. "I have an idea." I say finally after taking in a deep breath.

"What is it?" Rhys asks.

"My mother believes she has me under her thumb. I say let her believe that. I'll be your spy in Hybern."

Rhys' eyes widened. "No. That's too dangerous. Hybern is too strong and will know if you try to send any message or use magic."

"But Rhys. I'm his blood. I have his blood. Wouldn't that mean I would be able to break through spells and magic and wards with no trouble? Wards designed to only admit himself, Ravenna, and his men?"

Cassian shifted uncomfortably. "That's very risky, Adrianna, I hope you understand that. And there's no way for us to contact you at all at any point."

"I do." I say with a nod. "But how else will we know what he is plotting if we don't try and do this? We might not have a better opportunity."

"You could get hurt or even killed, Adrianna." Azriel said next to me. "It's not safe." His hand, which had moved to rest on my knee, tightened just a bit, as did the shadows around my ankles.

"It won't be safe, I know, but I need to do something. To help." I said seriously.

"You're in no shape to do anything in your state. You should rest and heal and wait until we come up with a plan." Rhys said with a decisive nod. "In the mean time, why don't you go and rest? You can continue training when you are healed up. There is much to prepare for with the coming war."