The artwork above is not mine.

•~ ❘ ۞ ❘ ~•

    The storm carried on into the next morning. Eris woke to the sound of booming thunder, and lightning crackled outside his window. When he made his way downstairs, he found Evren and Celosia in the sitting room. Evren was playing the piano.

    Eris leaned against the doorframe, watching her. There was a sparkle in her eyes as her fingers roamed over the keys. A smile tugged at her lips, but it wasn't quite there. That was where he'd start. He would convince her to smile, somehow.

    Evren looked up, meeting his gaze. "Are you here for your lesson?"

    "Or for the company?" Celosia added.

    Eris entered the room and sat down beside Evren. "This lesson will have to be short. We're leaving for the Night Court soon."

    Celosia raised an eyebrow. "We?"

    "Evren and I," Eris clarified.

    It was Evren's turn to look surprised. "We?" She echoed.

    "I contacted Lucien last night and asked if I could bring you along. I think you'll like the Night Court," Eris explained.

    "What about me?" Celosia interrupted.

    Eris shook his head. Evren looked away and gestured for him to begin playing. Eris spread his fingers across the keys and played through the warmups she set before him.

    His gaze drifted to Celosia. She wore an annoyed expression, but said nothing. After half an hour, Celosia left. When the door closed behind her, Evren spoke.

    "How long will we be staying in the Night Court?" She asked.

    "One night."

    "Why do you want me to come with you?"

    "Like I said, I think you'll like the Night Court," he said casually. Evren turned the sheet of music over. Eris played through those notes almost without mistake.

    "Isn't there a job for me to do here?"

    "I'm waiting to see who our next priority should be," Eris replied.

    "Do I have to come? I doubt they'll appreciate you bringing an assassin into their court."

    "I told Lucien to explain the situation to Rhysand. They know what you are and they still said you could come. But no, you don't have to if you don't want to."

    Evren slid off the bench and stood near a window. Droplets of rain slid down the glass. She lifted a finger to the window and traced the path of another raindrop. Eris kept playing, but watched her from the corner of his eyes. There were cracks in her cold shell. He was beginning to see them. Evren met his gaze.

    "All right," she said. "I'll come."

    "Pack a bag."

•~ ❘ ۞ ❘ ~•

    Late in the afternoon, Evren joined Eris outside of the house. The rain had finally let up. Eris took her by the shoulder and wind roared in her ears. Evren squeezed her eyes shut until the roar faded.

    She opened her eyes to see a mountain clearing. A chilly wind blew around them. Evren shivered slightly. "Did you bring a sweater or a cloak?" Eris asked.

    "No, I don't wear cloaks or anything of the sort."

    "Why?"

    "I can't stand how they feel," she answered vaguely. Eris didn't press her for further explanation. His hand grew warm on her shoulder. That warmth spread through her body gradually. Two winged figures appeared in the distance. "I've never seen Fae like them before."

    "That's Cassian and Azriel. They're Illyrians," Eris replied. "There are three main species of winged Fae. Illyrians, Peregryns, and Seraphim."

    The two males drew closer. Evren's eyes widened as they landed. These males were even more beautiful than Eris. Both had dark hair, with hazel eyes and tanned skin. One had shoulder length hair and wore seven red gems across his leathers.

    The other had shorter hair and seven blue gems. There was a dagger strapped to his thigh. Evren watched him curiously. It seemed like he was covered in shadows. A small flaming band rested on one of his arms. His hands were covered in terrible scars.

    "So this is the assassin?" The male with red gems asked. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I'm amazed she hasn't killed you yet, Eris."

    Eris gave him a wry smirk. "She tried."

    "I could have succeeded," Evren added.

    The male held out a hand to her. "You'd have been doing most of us a favor if you had. I'm Cassian."

    Evren shook his hand hesitantly. "Evren Bastile."

    "Tall, dark, and broody over there is Azriel," Cassian chuckled.

    "We should get home," Azriel said. "The others will be waiting."

    Evren swallowed as Cassian pressed a hand to her shoulder. Eris touched her other one. Shadows folded over them. Evren held her breath, feeling as though she'd been submersed in water. When the feeling faded, they were standing just beyond the gates of a grand estate. A river gurgled behind them.

    Cassian led the way to the estate. Evren peered into the lush garden they passed. It was filled with roses, peonies, snowdrops, and an assortment of other plants. They reached the front doors of the estate and continued inside.

    Evren could barely take in all of the sights. The entryway was filled with paintings of all shapes and sizes. Some of them depicted the two males beside her. Most were one distinguishable style, but a few looked different.

    Evren stopped beside one painting. It depicted three females. All were High Fae and had chestnut blonde hair. The one in the center wore a crown, crafted of golden spikes. She held a sword. Another's face was partially hidden by a mask. She also held a sword. The third carried a harp and a dagger.

    "Feyre, Nesta, and Elain," Azriel said, pausing next to her. "Seren, my mate, painted this after the War with Koschei."

    "She doesn't know about the war," Eris said.

    "She should learn." Azriel turned away and headed down another hall. Cassian waited for Eris and Evren to follow.

    At last, they entered a cozy sitting room filled with several chairs and sofas. Most of the seats were filled. Evren recognized the three females in the painting and Lucien. "You must be Evren," one female said. She stood and shook Evren's hand. "I'm Feyre. This is my son, Nyx." She gestured to the young winged boy who held her hand.

    "It's nice to meet you." Evren's voice came out quieter than she intended.

    Feyre smiled and began to point out some of the other people in the room. "Over there is Elain. The baby she's holding is Estelle, Seren and Azriel's daughter. The blonde female beside her is Mor. Amren is the short dark haired one beside Nesta. You've already met Cassian and Azriel. The male Eris is talking to is Rhys, my mate."

    Evren eyed the High Lord of the Night Court warily. He was talking to Eris, looking completely friendly. There was a faint glimmer of amusement in his amethyst eyes.

    "Who is this?" Came a voice from behind her. Evren turned to see another beautiful female. This one had dark olive skin, warm amber eyes, and dark curly hair. Her cheek was marred by a jagged scar and wicked burns covered her lower arms and hands. Shadows wove through her locks and down her arms.

    "Seren, this is Evren, Eris' guest," Feyre introduced her.

    "It's nice to meet you." Seren smiled. Evren took her offered hand. Feyre drifted away, leaving the two of them to talk. "How did you meet Eris?"

    Evren pursed her lips. "I tried to kill him."

    Seren's eyes widened. "I suppose that's one way to make a first impression. I met Azriel while trying to spy on his family." She grinned. "I'm from the Autumn Court too, originally."

    "You are?"

    Seren nodded. "What do you think of it?"

    "It's beautiful. How does Eris know all of you?" Evren gazed around the filled room.

    "Well, that's kind of a long story. He's known Mor the longest out of all of us, I believe. They were supposed to be married once. I was supposed to marry him too."

    "Really?" Evren raised an eyebrow.

    "It was part of a deal I made with his father. Beron killed my parents and gave me a choice. I could work for him by spying on the Night Court and he would reward me by betrothing me to Eris and granting me power in the Autumn Court, or he would kill me. I chose the first option and found my way here. Over time, I realized that I couldn't betray these people. Especially not when I found out that Azriel was my mate."

    "Did they ever find out why you were sent here?" Evren asked.

    Seren nodded with a sigh. "They did and Rhys ordered me to leave. I returned to the Autumn Court but refused to tell Beron what he wanted to know. He tortured me for weeks." She held up her scarred hands. "Eris is the only reason I survived. He kept me alive and helped Azriel rescue me. In the end, my family forgave me."

    Evren swallowed. "Beron killed my parents too. I became an assassin, hoping to avenge them. When I came to the Autumn Court, I tried to kill Eris, mistaking him for Beron. Eris told me that his father was dead and offered me an alternative way to avenge my parents, hence why I'm working for him."

    "I see. I would only have avenged my mother. She was pregnant when she died. I found out that Beron had raped her and she was going to try to escape to another court and raise the child to become the next ruler of the Autumn Court. Beron found out about her plan and murdered her."

    "What about your father?"

    Seren narrowed her eyes. "He was an abusive bastard. I have never mourned him." Evren watched her with new interest. Seren shook her head after a moment. "What do you think of Eris?"

    "I'm not sure," Evren replied. "I'm realizing we're more alike than I thought. I don't know if that's a good or bad thing."

    "Hm." Seren glanced across the room towards Eris. "Well, I will tell you this. Don't let Eris' cruel demeanor fool you. He might act like a prick sometimes, but underneath it all, he has a kind heart. He's as much of a victim and a survivor as everyone in this room." Evren nodded thoughtfully, watching the High Lord as well.