Chapter 1

~~~LOKI~~~~~

"The Shadow man is gone, for now, so they shouldn't sense us entering Velaris," Inej told the two faes standing next to her just outside the barrier for Velaris. 

"Patience wraith," Loki said, looking at the pocket watch in her hand. 

They waited for a few minutes, Inej and Nina growing antsier as the seconds ticked by. 

"What are we waiting for, Loki?" Nina spat, her boredom clear.

Loki didn't answer, only putting the watch back into the pocket of her black trenchcoat. 

"Now." She said casually walking across the border towards the city of Velaris. 

"What was that for? Why'd we have to wait." Nina asked.

"Well Nina dear, the barrier can sense someone's intentions and reason for coming. As we are technically here on business and we don't plan on killing anyone yet, it let us through. At this exact moment on the other side of Velaris, a caravan of merchants, also here on business, is arriving as they do every week at this time. The High lord can sense people entering Velaris, but only knows where they are if they are a threat... So?"

"He senses us, and thinks we are part of the merchant caravan." Inej finished Loki's thought. Once again impressed by the girls planning. 

Loki gave a nod of confirmation, continuing towards the main city. 

As they entered the beautiful city of starlight, they tried to look casual as they could. They hid their crow tattoos underneath long sleeves and placed a glamour meant to ensure people would not pay attention to them. 

They didn't speak until they made it to the base of an enormous staircase. 

"Inej... Do your shadows sense anyone in that house up there?" Loki asked. 

"No. The house is empty besides two maids." Inej responded after a moment. 

"Think you can fly us up there?" Loki looked to Inej as she nodded her head, dropping the glamour on her Illyrian wings.

"No! I hate flying! I'm scared of heights!" Nina cried in horror backing away from the smirking Inej.

"Trust me," Loki said calmly, as she grabbed Nina's wrist.

"I wouldn't trust you to tie my shoes without stealing the laces, Loki!" Inej laughed at Nina's accurate statement. Loki rolled her eyes nodding to Inej in command. 

Inej grabbed both girls and took off into the sky. Loki raised her hand slicing the spell that kept unwanted guests from entering. Nina tried to subdue her screams as she held Inej in a death grip before finally arriving on the landing into the house. 

"Oh sweet, sweet solid ground! Oh, how I've missed you." Nina sang dramatically as Inej and Loki shook their heads in amusement. They pulled the black hoods onto their heads as they all crept through the shadows following Loki's lead. 

They came across the two maids and Nina expertly put them to sleep. 

Nina had a type of healing magic. She had the ability to not only manually force your body to heal, but she could control the chemicals in one's brain. She could force emotion or she could inflict sleep on her victims. A terribly useful skill to a group of criminals. 

They stepped into an office and on a shelf at the far wall they saw a locked box. 

Without hesitation Loki picked the lock in seconds, pulling out the book, before once again locking the box. 

"What the fuck is that?" Nina asked, the book sending a chill down her spine. 

'Hello, Queen of thieves. Lady of liars. Bastard of the Barrel. Will you read me?' 

Even Loki felt uncomfortable with the book in her gloved hands. "This is the book of breathings. And it is going to lead us straight to the Caldron." 

"...Loki. Who's house is this?" Inej asked, not really certain she wanted the answer.

"The Highlord of the Night Court and Feyre Curse Breaker," Loki answered casually as if she hadn't admitted to dragging them into a death sentence. 

 "LOKI! DID WE JUST ROB THE NIGHT COURT?!?!" Nina screeched.

Loki said nothing, just put the legendary book in her bag, before once again checking her pocket watch. 

"We were a lot faster than anticipated. We still have thirty minutes till we can leave Velaris in step with the merchant caravan." Loki pocketed the watch, walking casually out the office door. 

"Loki! Three people just entered the house." Inej whispered. 

Loki didn't hesitate to through up an invisibility glamour on each of them. Ensuring to cover their scents and shadows they crept down the stairs without a sound. 

They saw three men sitting on the couches. Each sporting a pair of large Illyrian wings. 

Loki knew who they were, she prided herself on knowing everything. It was how she stayed on top so long, being one step ahead of everyone. 

Cassian, General of the Night Court sat casually beside his son Finch Archeron. She recognized the red siphons worn by the man who fit the general's description and his son looks exactly like him so his identity wasn't hard to deduce. 

Across from them sat Rhysand High Lord of the Night Court. 

Loki stayed still, allowing Nina and Inej to creep towards the balcony first. Loki was a genius at glamour. It was a horrifying skill for her enemies. Everyone in the crows had their strengths, Loki was better at planning and glamour than anyone in the world.

Loki tested her luck, ignoring the panicked look on her comrade's faces as she crept up to the High Lord of Night before creeping away as if nothing happened.

They reached the opening and took off, the three men not aware of their presents. 

When they touched down near the barrier, Loki pulled out her pocket watch, nodding to the two and walking through without trouble.

"Why did you walk up to the High Lord when we were trying to escape?" Inej asked. 

With a wide smirk, Loki reached into her jacket pocket holding something up in between her pointer and middle finger.

"I nicked his wallet."

~~~~~~~NYX~~~~~~

It was already dark when Nyx flew into the house of winds after training with his mother to find his father, uncle, and cousin laughing on the couches.

He smiled at the happy scene, moving his way to sit next to his father. 

"How was training?" Rhysand asked his son fondly as he took a sip of the whiskey in his hand. 

"Good. Mom says I'm learning how to use the water faster than even she did. Still suck at fire though." Nyx responded honestly, laying back on the couch. 

Rhysand felt around his pockets for a second in confusion.

"Hey, go see if I left my wallet on my desk in the office," Rhys said patting his son's shoulder. 

Nyx obeyed standing to do as he was told. 

He made his way into the office before stopping. Something didn't feel right. The air in the office seemed lighter for some reason. 

Nyx turned to look at the box on the shelf.

 "What no creepy sass today?" Nyx asked the book. 

Usually, as he walked into the office he'd hear that book's creepy-ass voice. 

'Hello son of the night'

'Read me child of the curse breaker.' 

'open the box heir of wonders' 

But today, the book was utterly silent. He moved towards the box-checking the latch and noticing it was still locked.

Something in his gut told him to check. 

He walked back down towards his father, "Hey dad, let me see the key for the book of breathings."

"What why?" Rhys asked looking up at his son. 

"The room feels... different. The book is quiet, too quiet. The box is still locked, but I just want to make sure." Nyx explained. 

The three men looked worried, standing and all making their way towards the office. 

As they walked they heard a groan in the kitchen. They peaked their heads in to find the two servants passed out on the ground. 

"SHIT" Finch and Cassian panicked in unison. 

As the two ran to check on the girls, Nyx and Rhysand raced to the office. They threw open the door and Rhysand immediately sensed the difference. 

He checked the lock finding it indeed still intact. He pulled his keys out, struggling to grab the right one in his terror. 

Finally grasping the correct key he unlocked the box to find the inside... empty.

Utterly empty as if the legendary book had never been there in the first place. 

"M-maybe Amren has it?" Nyx suggested. 

Rhysand immediately used his daemati powers to contact the Inner Circle. 

'The book of breathing is gone from the house of wind, do any of you have it?"

His father's voice echoed in his head as they waited for the response. 

A collective 'not me' swept through Rhys' mind as rage fuelled by panic took over.

"SOMEONE STOLE FROM US! HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE?!?" Cassian came in raging. 

"How are they?" Nyx asked finch. 

"They're fine they were just put to sleep. I'm more worried about how thieves got into Velaris in the first place. Uncle Rhysand would have sensed it. Plus no one can get into the House of wind without his or aunt feyre's permission." Finch responded his face in a scowl identical to Nesta's. 

Rhys paused for a moment sensing the spell, "Someone made a crack in the spell, allowing them to slip in undetected. That shouldn't be possible, those spells are as old as Velaris, no one should be able to get through them."

"Did they break the barrier of Velaris as well?" Cassian asked.

Another pause, "No, the barrier is still perfectly intact and no one has been in or out of the barrier beside us and the merchants, but they were all monitored all day so the thief couldn't have come with them." Rhysand responded. 

"Maybe they're still in Velaris then," Nyx suggested, though the worry and anger in his furrowed expression left for little optimism. 

"I called everyone back immediately, if this is Xesha, war may be closer than we think." Rhys finished his drink moving back towards the sitting room. 

war. 

Nyx had never tasked war. 

In honesty, he has never had experience with any kind of hardship besides training. His parents wanted to prepare him for the world, but they were so afraid that he would live a life of misery as they had before finding their mate. 

Nyx had a hunger to prove himself, that he was more than just the son of heroes. 

But was he truly ready to understand what suffering really meant?