Chapter 17

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

Nyx could say without a doubt that seeing his mate interact with his family was the happiest he'd ever been. 

She dripped in beauty and sensual grace. Every movement she made felt like the whisper of a lover, effortlessly lust-inducing. 

Her inner circle, the people she clearly saw as family, joked about being referred to as an investment by her. The crack in his heart mended immediately when he heard it. 

She called him an investment. 

The day they first spoke in that cave in Hybern, she told him he was an investment nothing more. 

Was she hinting at something? 

Did she desire him as fiercely as he craved her? 

Oh, how he wished he could crawl into her mind and read her thoughts, but he refrained. He refused to break her trust, no matter how desperate he was. 

She had ensnared his every sense from the moment he first looked into her eyes, but what was he to her?

He couldn't read her. 

She called herself a monster, yet saved people like a saint. She hid behind excuses and cold exteriors but what lie underneath? 

"Why do you call yourselves crows?" Feyre asked. 

Loki's eyes softened, a look that Nyx wanted to see every day of his life as she explained, "Crows remember human faces. They remember the people who feed them, who are kind to them. And the people who wrong them too. They don't forget. They tell each other who to look after and who to watch out for. They take anything shiny and protect their own. What better way to describe a group of destitute thriving bastards?"

The conversation continued but Nyx's thoughts drifted back to his mate's words earlier and he couldn't find it in himself to agree with her. 

No, Loki Brekker was not a monster. 

Nyx could see her as a leader, a desperate girl who fought to survive, but a monster? 

She was beautiful and secretly kind in a way no stranger would be able to recognize. She was selfish in the way she cared for her own beyond all else. She would burn the world and dance in the ashes to protect her people. Perfect for a High Lady. 

His mind was pulled back to the present by the light rasp of his mate's voice, "Don't act so almighty, High Lord. My shadow singer would best yours any day. As would my brute, my weapons expert, and any of my crows really." 

He smiled at the unfiltered arrogance in her aloof tone. Rhysand straightened, the smirk of a challenge growing on his face. 

"Is that so? Very well, tomorrow morning. My inner circle against your circle. Leaders will choose who their competitor is each round." Rhysand's hubris did not make him fail to see her ingenious plan to evaluate their strengths and how much of a threat his court posed. 

But it went the other way as well. 

The crows smirked and looked at their boss, slightly horrified to see the mischievous glint in her eyes.

"Scheming face," Inej murmured.

Jesper nodded. "Definitely."

A coy smile played on Loki's dark red lips, "Very well, High Lord. Though I warn you I don't do anything without benefit. We will make it bet. The leader with the most wins owes the other any favor. Any favor to be cashed in at any time."

"A dangerous bet," Rhysand responded.

"Is there any other? What's bet without risk?" There was an edge to her voice that Nyx found endlessly attractive. 

"How do I know you'll keep your word? When you lose I mean."

"Loki is a liar, a thief, and utterly without conscience. But she'll keep to any deal you strike with her." Inej defended her boss without hesitation. 

"Also, we'll make it official with a fae bargain. I'm not forcing you, there is no shame in backing out. I just don't like putting forth effort into anything unless the stakes are high." Loki's sharp eyes only grew harder as she smirked at the high lord.

Feyre looked to her mate. Everyone else already knew he'd agree the moment she implied he would be a coward for backing out. "Don't you dare-" "DEAL!"

They shook, the competitive glint in their eyes growing when they tried to crush their opponent's hand. The bargain tattoo appeared as a band around their biceps. 

"Inej go fetch the rest of my Inner Circle tomorrow morning. I'm excited to make a high lord cry." 

Oh, sweet cauldron what had they gotten into?

~~~~LOKI~~~~

The next morning the crows walked down in their fighting leathers bright and early. Inej had retrieved Wylen and Matthias from Ketterdam with the words, 'Loki did something stupid, we need you.' 

"Well, your highness! Are you ready to be crushed?" Rhysand's chipper voice reached her ears as they walked onto the training ground. 

Loki didn't hesitate to take charge, "Five rounds. Leaders aren't to participate, that, unfortunately, includes you, high lady. No killing, maiming, or separation of a limb from the body. All else is legal. First to tap out or be incapacitated loses. Of course, all injuries sustained will be considered outside the rule of 'no harm' as dictated in my deal with your son. In the unlikely event of a tie, I will fight the leader of your choosing. Are these terms acceptable High Lord?" 

Rhysand stalled for a moment, picking through her words carefully for anything that would give her the advantage. Finding nothing, he nodded resuming his malicious smirk. 

"First round! How about a battle between shadow singers? You are so boastful of yours." Rhysand crooned, his confidence in his brother's ability evident. But he didn't know inej. 

Loki's sharp eyes caught the slight tension in Finch's jaw when Inej was mentioned. An observation she would save to examine at a later date. 

"Inej... If that overgrown bat bests you you are grounded for a month..." Loki said it teasingly but Inej recognized the very real threat that she would not be allowed on ANY missions for a month. 

"No mourners." The crows said in unison.

Inej shot then a bloodthirsty smile as she replied, "No funerals." 

The Inner circle shot them a confused look as Wylen began to explain, "No mourners. No funerals. Among the crows, it passed for 'good luck." 

They shot them another confused look. Nyx added, "Why not just say 'good luck?"

It was Jesper who shot him a mischievous smile, "We like to keep our expectations low."

Ignoring the slightly harrowing response they turned their attention to the ring housing the two shadow singers.

"If you lose to a 17-year-old I'll never let you forget it, Az!" Cassian's grin was palpable his booming laughter echoed off the mountains. 

"I know, I know" Azriel responded turning his full attention to Inej. 

"BEGIN!" Rhysand called as they watched with bated breath. 

Neither moved, waiting for the right moment. 

Then like a crack of lightning, Inej sprung. 

Though Azriel was physically much stronger than Inej, her speed was unmatched. 

In the time he blinked his eyes, she had used his bent knee as a stepping stool to wrap her thighs around his neck. 

She twisted her body with such deadly speed and force that in a matter of a second, the wraith had thrown the shadow man to the ground. 

The jaws of the Night court dropped as they saw such unfiltered speed. Azriel did not let his shock last long as he was back on his feet. He swing a powerful punch, hitting her right in the side unchecked. 

They traded blows, blocking and dodging as each moment they increased in speed. For the first time since his early days in the Illyrian war camps, Azriel was struggling with an opponent. 

They were decently evenly matched, though Azriel had more strength and solidified technique Inej's incredible speed and light feet made it nearly impossible to get a clean hit on her. 

They began using their shadows forcing them to face in an arm wrestle-style battle for dominance. Blue and Gold siphons shining with life. 

It was getting more difficult to see and the opponents were noticeably slowing down. 

"INEJ! Do the thing from the fjerda heist!" Nina called, excitedly. 

A smirk grew on Inej's face as she heard Nina's words. 

Before Azriel could think, Inej had taken Nina's advice and used his wide stance to her advantage. He had grown too accustomed to her aiming high, chalking it up to her young age and lack of experience.  So he failed to notice his wide stance as he refused to be thrown off his feet again. 

She slid between his legs, using the force of her slide to thrust her fist into his most sensitive male area. 

"OOOOOOOOO" From both sides, the males winching as they watched her malicious tactic. 

In the time it took Azriel to register the agony she had just inflicted. She was back on her feet. 

She jumped on his back grabbing the base of his wings as she used their combined weight to twist him to the right and face-first into the dirt. 

She didn't give him time to get back up as she trapped him. 

Her left knee dug into the sensitive area on his back between his knees, she had dug her right heel into his right wrist, his other hand trapped under his body. 

In one hand she grabbed onto his black tousled hair pulling his head up and with the other, she held one of her concealed daggers to his throat. 

"I believe that is one point, team crows." Loki turned smirking at the shock-filled faces of the night court. 

"Who's next?"

.