THE GREAT PRETENDER ¬ ACOTAR

chapter x.

* 　　 · . 　  　　✺    　　  ✧　.  　✵  * 　　* 　　 · . 　    　　✵  * 　　　　  ✫  * 　 . 　　·          ⊹ 　  ✺    .  　  ✧　　　  ✦    ✫ 　 .   ✫  * . 　　　　　 　 　　    ·  　 ⊹ 　  ✺ .   　　　  ✧　.　  ✦    ✫ 　 .  .

CHAPTER X

SOMETHING'S COMING

"JOINING ME FOR TRAINING TODAY, CALLAGHAN?" Cassian asks when he saw her laying on one of the couches.

"Can't," she replied, her eyes not leaving the leather-bound book in her grasp, "I'm still quite sore from yesterday."

"Yeah, sorry about that," Azriel jokes.

It annoyed her that she didn't immediately realize what he implied. Nothing sexual happened, he just sparred with her but the way he said his statement sounded like something else occurred. "You're an absolute asshole, Az!" she throws a pillow at him, which he successfully dodges.

"Did he really?" Cassian asks eagerly, not understanding the joke. "Tell me everything."

"Nothing happened, now get out," she continues to throw pillows at them, "Both of you!"

"What? I was just asking!" Cassian intercepts a pillow from the air, "Was he good? How are you even walking right now?"

Another pillow flew through the air, this time hitting the general right in the face, "Get out, Cassian!"

"You're so easy to tease, Cal."

"You're so easy to stab," she dodges a pillow that came from Cassian, "Get out!"

Azriel stayed back, preferring to watch rather than take part in the mess the two made.

"Is she like this with you too, Az?"

"Sometimes," Azriel answered, crossing his arms in amusement.

The two only stopped when Cerridwen knocked on the open door.

"Cerridwen!" Callaghan walked up to the half-wraith, "My savior!"

"Lord Rhysand requests for you, my lady," she says, amused at the three.

"I'll take anything just to get out of here," Cal says as she leaves, hearing the Illyrians burst into laughter when she got out of the room.

──────────────────────────────

HER ENTIRE DEMEANOR CHANGED when she saw the serious look on Rhysand's face as he had his fist pressed to his lips, staring at a letter before him.

He gestured for her to sit on the chair across him, and she did.

"Amarantha," he said after a few moments, "She had invited me and the other High Lords for a celebration, but it'll be held in the Middle."

Cal remained silent. The Middle. Their powers won't be at full in that place. Attending would be risky, but so would not attending at all.

"I want you to come with me."

Her eyes widened, "Are you certain? Rhys, I'm nowhere near as capable as the others. I won't be―"

"Which is why I asked for you specifically," He says, "You will be my ears, listen in for gossip and plans. Any one of the others would gather too much attention, but you, Callaghan, you know how to blend in. No one could suit the role better than you."