A Court of Shadows and Stars; Azriel

VII

The sight of Elain trembling, either from her truth revealed or the memories of Jurian, was enough for me to step threatening close to his tan figure.

" I came alone," Jurian said before looking at me. "You can stop snarling."

Once I unwillingly stepped back , Jurian looked away from me and inclined his head to the three sisters. "Ladies."

We should kill him. I should kill him. Kill him for that bolt he'd put through Azriel's chest and for threatening Miryam and Drakon, causing for them to abandon us an fight this war on our own-

A scarred hand unwrapped my clenched fist, and Azriel sent me a look as if to ask if I was okay. I nodded slightly and squeezed his hand before looking back to Jurian.

"The queens are snakes," Jurian said, leaning against the edge of a table shoved by the wall.

His eyes gleamed brightly with madness, or clarity, I'm not sure, and he continued on a tangent about the queens. When he was done he looked to Mor, whose mouth was a tight line. Az and I immediately straightened up as his attention was set on our friend.

"You were my friend," he said, voice straining. "We fought back-to-back during the battles. And yet you believed that I'd let them turn me."

Mor scoffed. "You went mad with Clythia. It was madness. It destroyed you."

"And I'd gladly do it again," Jurian smiled a cruel smile. "I was glad to do it, If it brought us closer to the end of the war. I didn't care what it did to me, what it took from me. If it meant that we could be free. I've had five hundred years to think about it. While being held prisoner by my enemy, tortured and broken. Five hundred years, Mor." the way he said her name, so familiar and knowing-

"You played the villain quite convincingly, Jurian," Rhys purred.

Jurian snapped hid face towards Rhys. "You should have looked. I expected you to look in my mind. Why didn't you?"

Rhys was quiet for a long moment. The he said just above a whisper, "Because I didn't want to see her."

Amarantha.

We were silent, Lord Graysen and his father watching- or the latter did. Graysen and Elain were just staring at each other.

Feyre said to Jurian, "You don't want to kill Miryam and Drakon."

The pure honesty in his eyes shocked me.

"No," he said roughly. "I want to beg for their forgiveness."

I looked to Mor. Tears lined her eyes, but she blinked them away.

I could not believe it. Jurian was not my enemy. Not our enemy. Without a glance I felt the familiar sensation of being winnowed away. When my vision blurred back to normal, Azriel stood in front of me.

"We need to warn Cassian and move the legion."

I nodded and let him winnow us to the camps.

*le time skip*

"I'm too old for these sort of surprises," Mor grunted as the war-tent we were currently seated in groaned from the howling wind outside. Camp was set up at the northern border of the Winter Court. The Illyrian army settling down and preparing for the attack tomorrow after flying all day today.

Cassian had choked when Rhys told him Jurian's battle advice. However, this was a much milder reaction than when Azriel and I initially told him.

Feyre asked Mor the question that was on my mind.