For the next two weeks, Feyre worked discretely to make the citizens fall in love with her. And I worked to keep suspicion off of her and on me. In fact, people were so focused on me, I had people know my routine, and if it varied, Tamlin was notified.

I had had a few meetings with the distasteful High Lord already. None were appreciated. I was pregnant and moody, after all. I was honestly a bit weirded out by how fast my body was changing. I assumed because the baby was going to come out with clawed Illyrian wings.... Mother help me.

I knew exactly who was behind the tattle-tale business. The twins and Lucien hated me, but for some reason, Jurian and I got along. We shared a mutual hate for Amarantha, after all. He also found it interesting that I was related to Hybern and would ask me questions, not knowing he was only getting lies in return.

It was announced we would be taking a journey to the Wall. Feyre argued with Tamlin to let her come until he finally relented. He couldn't deny the fact that he had locked her up before. I would have killed him if he did it again.

Tamlin, Lucien, Brannagh, Dagdan, Jurian, Feyre, and I made our way into the forest that afternoon. I didn't let Feyre leave my line of sight.

"You can relax." Dagdan said in my ear, making me flinch away from him. "No one is going to hurt her."

"I don't exactly find that comforting." I snarled. "As long as you remember my promise, you can rest assured that no one will hurt her."

Dagdan chuckled and he looked an arm around my shoulders, squeezing tightly as he hissed, "You're funny. The only reason you're still alive is because you are my cousin."

I hissed right back, "The only reason you are alive is because there hasn't been a convenient enough time for me to kill you yet."

He glared at me and Brannagh tugged him away from me and Feyre approached, touching my shoulder. "What's wrong with you two?"

I looked at her. "My cousin is a pain in my ass. Threatening you and me was a mistake."

A small smirk touched her lips. "Perhaps it will be his last."

"Hm. Perhaps." I replied.

We were given horses, and I refused to ride with Lucien and took my own horse as Feyre mounted up with Tamlin.

We then began our trek south into the woods. We travelled for several hours, Ianthe talking our ears off about the Mother and the Cauldron and all that horse shit.

When we finally reached our destination, Tamlin was suddenly called back to the palace on urgent business.

"Go ahead. I'll stay here with the Hybern emissaries. I'll be safe." Feyre reassured him before watching him transform into a beast and run off into the forest. Leaving us alone with our targets.

We continued on as if nothing had changed. That night, we made camp, and I sat next to Feyre and leaned back against a tree. My stomach was killing me from the traveling we had done today. Being pregnant really was a struggle.

The silver Syphons on my wrists glowed as I snapped my fingers and a fire sprang to life before me on the logs a guard had brought.

Several pairs of eyes were riveted on me and I narrowed my eyes at them, shadows curling around the tips of my Illyrian wings. "Can I help you?"

They turned away and resumed their usual chatter. When dinner came, I refused food, feeling too nauseous for the stew that was made. I let Feyre eat, however, and watched the people around me watch her eat.

At some point, Feyre dozed off on my shoulder, but woke up as a scream made us both look up to see Brannagh and Dagdan dragging two screaming humans towards camp. Children of the Blessed.

"Hey!" I shouted. "Let them go!" I got up and Feyre was after me.

"And why should we?" Brannagh hissed. "They wandered here of their own accord. They worship us, don't they?"

My heart was beating fast as she ran her hand down the man's chest, Dagdan smirking at the woman he held.

I glared at them. "Let. Them. Go."

"And what are you going to do about it, Illyrian?" Dagdan hissed, stroking a hand down the woman's face.

I glared and with a flick of my wrists, shadows appeared and wrapped around the twins' throats and they dropped the humans and I looked at them and said, "Get beyond the Wall and don't come back on this side of it, is that clear?" I snarled and they got up immediately and ran off.

I released the twins and they fell to their knees, gasping for breaths.

The guards stiffened around us, Lucien and Jurian watching, the formerly dead man's face contorted in a grin.

I knelt in front of them and offered a sweet smile. "Let that be a warning of what's to come if you disobey a direct order from me, hm?"

"Now, let's not argue." Ianthe said and I sent her a scathing glare. "The Children of the Blessed did come to this side of the Wall on their own accord."

"It doesn't mean they gave consent for whatever these monsters were going to do." I snarled. "If you even touch them, I will kill you." I said to the twins. "Let the others here just try to stop me."

Jurian smirked. "I've never seen an Illyrian fight- other than your mother. Much less a Shadowsinger. I think it would be interesting."

"And what would High Lord Tamlin think of this?" Lucien demanded, the Spring guards around him nodding.

I sent him a look of contempt. "High Lord Tamlin isn't here. Besides, Hybern told me to take care of dangers to the cause. And if the humans discover their own are disappearing on the other side of the Wall, we'll have trouble. Not that the humans wouldn't be hard to dispatch, but last I checked, Hybern doesn't want the humans to know what he's planning. Am I correct?" Silence. "Exactly. So, logically, killing humans for sport would be stupid and reckless. And I don't stand for rape. So keep your damned hands to yourselves, and if you must be horny, fuck yourselves. But keep your hands away from people who haven't given consent."

I stood and sat back down at the fire, daring anyone to say anything to me after that.

At some point, the camp was quiet enough for us to sleep, and we did. I woke up the next morning to the smell of blood.

I nudged Feyre's leg and she opened her eyes, recoiling as she smelled it, too.

I got up and offered my hand and she took it and we disappeared into shadows, reappearing where the source of the smell was coming from.

It was the two Children of the Blessed. Their clothes discarded, bodies a bloody and torn mess, dead. Their glazed eyes stared up at the sky in horror. I felt sick.

Lucien appeared behind us and said, "We should bury them."

"An excellent idea." I said. "You can do that. I have to go find the twins."

Lucien grabbed my arm as I tried to pass him. "Let me go." I snapped.

"Adrianna. Listen. You're treading a dangerous path here."

I looked at him and snarled, "What exactly do you think I'm even here for, Lucien? Why do you think Feyre and I came here? You know Azriel is really my mate, so why would I be here? Hm? You don't know? Perhaps you will figure it out at some point. Or perhaps you already have, and you're on to both of us. You haven't once trusted either of us since we arrived, and maybe you're right. Maybe you're wrong. But I guess you'll never really know, now will you?"

He glared at me. "You never really changed, Adrianna. You're still the same person. Neither of you have fooled me, even if you've managed to fool the rest of the Court and Tamlin."

"And what will you do about it, Lucien?" Feyre asked.

"Nothing. I'll join you."

We glanced at each other, then I said, "If you really are going to join us, you'll have to prove your loyalty to us. Send away the guards. And tell Ianthe that Feyre wants to speak to her. I'll take care of the Hybern emissaries."

I pulled myself free from Lucien's grasp. I jutted my chin. "Go. And remember, you break this, I'll know."

He nodded somberly and turned and left, walking back into the forest.

I looked at Feyre. "It's almost the full moon. We need to act now. And get to Winter."

She nodded. "Then let's do this. You go. I'll have Ianthe help me with them."

I nodded my head, then pulled a par of daggers from the sheaths on my thoughts and handed them to her. "In case you decide you need them."

A small smile played at her lips. "Thank you."

I nodded, then dissolved into shadow. I found the twins and remained in the shadows as I watched them lick their fingers, seemingly satisfied as they talked quietly.

I appears out of the shadows and drew a sword. "Did you enjoy your meal?" I asked darkly.

The twins stood up, drawing daggers. "You really have a death wish, don't you, cousin?" Brannagh snarled.

I smirked. "I'm not your cousin. My name is Adrianna Sundavr, Night Court Assassin, and heir to the throne. My father is Rhysand. And that will be the last thing you hear before you die."

Dagdan lunged at me with his knife and I swung my sword and took off his hand. He held the gushing stump and I took his head, cutting off his gurgled scream.

Brannagh looked at her brother's head on the ground, and in a rage, lunged at me with her knife. I raised my wings and jumped into the air, dodging her knife. She growled and pulled from her sleeve an ash dart and one stuck in my arm. I ground my teeth against the pain and landed, gripping my sword in a different way as I spun and launched it like a spear and it went through her chest and pinned her to a tree trunk.

I flinched and pulled the ash dart from my arm and walked over to Brannagh's body and wrenched the weapon free. "Rhysand sends his regards." I said with a small smirk.

A twig snapped and I spun around to see Jurian standing in the clearing, leaning against a tree, a crazed smile on his face.

"I knew you were an interesting one, Illyrian." He mused. "I didn't, however, believe you could do this."

"As I said to you once before, people tend to underestimate me. And those who do tend to die."

Jurian laughed. "Thanks for killing them. They were really annoying. I almost did myself a few times. I guess I'll have to tell the king about the tragic accident with the Bogge that got to them in the night. There was nothing we could have done." He smirked.

I narrowed my eyes. "Why would you do that?"

"Because I don't actually want to work for him." He said. "I just say I want to destroy Miryam and Drakon. I really don't have any interest in that at all. I loved Miryam, and I desire to protect her from Hybern, and any who would kill her."

"I am too young to know these people you speak of, but I know their names and their stories. If what you say is true, I wish you luck in getting away from Hybern."

"And I wish you luck in returning to the Night Court, Assassin Adrianna. Perhaps we will meet during the battle to come." He bowed his head to me and I returned the gesture.

"Perhaps as allies." I said with a small grin. And with that, I wiped the blood off of my blades and made my way off into the forest to find Feyre. And make our way out of Spring Court and home.

*****

Ayyyyy was lowkey inspired by Game of Thrones writing this story (was rewatching and I'm in season 8 (ew) now and I was both inspired by the Lannisters and Arya Stark for Adrianna's one-liners. If you know GoT- YAY- if you don't, that's ok! I highly recommend 👌

Thanks for reading, and low always,
~Cora Knight xoxo