Chapter 43

Nyx's POV*

"No way in Hell!" Rhysand roared at Nyx's suggestion. 

"Would it not be better to meet the blow? If we attack Xesha, we can keep the fight off of our soil! We are being too passive waiting for their next attack! We weakened them, now is our time to strike!" Nyx spat back, declaring once again that they should invade Xesha. 

"We would be at a disadvantage, we don't know the terrain. We don't know their numbers. We know nothing about them! And besides are you really willing to drag innocent civilians over in Xesha into a war they didn't ask for?" Rhys asked leaning over the table to his son. 

"They would willingly slaughter us! There is no place for heroics in war. I care about our people and our people are put in danger if we keep allowing them to come to us!" 

The battle between father and son continued to rage on. Feyre gave up trying to calm them hours ago, agreeing somewhat with both sides. 

"AND WHAT DO YOU KNOW OF WAR, SON? We got lucky in your first battle, don't become arrogant just because your mate's suicide mission worked out." 

"It was a good plan! Just because you are pissed she didn't let you in on the plan in advanced-"

"Don't act like you knew what she was planning either. Loki Brekker kept us all in the dark until we were already fucked and had no choice but to follow her lead. She put us all in danger, she nearly got you killed. She is twenty years old! She has neither the experience nor the right to make a call like that. She is a suicidal maniac with no regard to who gets hurt-"

"Careful, father! You are getting dangerously close to insulting my mate." Nyx hissed grabbing the front of his father's jacket. 

"Watch it... I may be your father but I am still your High Lord." Rhysand growled. 

"Then tell me, High Lord. What would you have done differently? What master plan did you concoct, that would have brought better results if only that gosh darn Loki didn't spoil it? Hm?" Nyx cooed maliciously, only angering his father further. 

"It was too risky!"

"We had no casualties! We slaughtered them!"

"They were weak! It was a warning shot, the King wasn't even there with them. A weak portion of their army tripled ours in its entirety. I know you are looking for some glorious easy victory but that is not how war works. We got damn lucky... that's it." 

"Well... If you two are done comparing wing spans. Can we get back to politics please?" Loki said calmly as she entered the room, Inej following close behind. 

"I found out the king's weakness. Remember how I told you that when someone drinks from the Holy Grail, they are gifted with only one weakness?" Inej said.

"And you found the Kings?" Rhys asked, now visibly calming down. 

A gigantic smile spread across Inej's face, "Oh yes. The fates are in play, indeed. His weakness is water from inside the Cauldron."

"We'll have to get a hold of Drakken and see if he could send us some. It may take a while to-" Rhys was then cut off by an equally grinning Loki.

"Oh, there's no need. We just so happen to have two vials of water from within the cauldron in one of our vaults back in Ketterdam." Loki said calmly. 

"How did you get your hands on that?" A wide-eyed Rhy asked. 

"We stole it a while ago from the island," Loki answered honestly, a smile grew across Nyx's face as he recalled the memory of how she did it. 

"How did you find the island? Even we don't know where it is." Rhysand asked.

"We stole the Book of Breathings and used it to-" 

"IT WAS YOU!?!?!? WE PAID YOU TO FIND A BOOK YOU STOLE!?!?!" Rhysand roared.

"Yes now hush! All we have to do is get the water into his system somehow." Loki paced back and forth trying to come up with a strategy. 

Rhysand was far too horrified to process anything else as he realized how stupid they must have looked to her. They paid her to find herself. 

Rhys dramatically fell back into a chair calling out like a winning child, "FEYRE!!!" 

"Yes, Rhys?" Feyre asked walking into the room. 

"Feyre darling, were you aware that the crows were the ones who stole the Book of Breathings from us in the first place?" Rhys asked. 

"WHAT?!? W-WE PAID YOU TO FIND IT! AND YOU WERE THE ONE WHO STOLE IT?!?!" Feyre screeched, turning to the two crows in the room. 

Nyx laughed at his parent's reactions. 

"You knew didn't you, son." Rhys pouted. 

"I was made aware. Yes." 

"So what is the plan? How are we to kill the king?" Inej asked, as always turning to Loki. 

"Well, strategy one is we sneak back into his palace and put it in his drink like poison. Inej and Finch can do that I'm sure." Loki said off-handedly. 

"You are making a habit of partnering us together and I'm not fond of it. He's obnoxious." Inej spat crossing her arms over her chest. 

'You know their mates don't you?' Nyx asked through their bond. 

Her eyes widened slightly, 'I wasn't sure, but I guessed as much.' 

'How'd you guess?' 

'He looks at her the same way you look at me. Like a lovesick puppy.' She responded, smirking as a pout graced his pretty features. 

'Don't tease me Loki darling. It gives me the nastiest thoughts of things to do to you.' 

Loki raised her eyebrows, her cold grey eyes shining silver in amusement and delight. 

"You both will leave tonight. I'll make preparations for your passage and write the plan out... No mourners." 

"No Funerals."