Chapter 4

Cassian watched Nesta as she grabbed a dagger. She had been training for weeks. Even Cassian was tired of how much training they did a day. He watched every single movement she ever made.

Azriel took over some of the training. Azriel was a calming presence in Nesta's life. He had no ill feelings towards her. He could tell that she was just misunderstood. Understood that whatever she was going through, was a battle that she was going to need to solve herself.

When Nesta pointed the dagger at Azriel, Cassian stepped between him, the tip of the dagger resting against his chest. He looked down at her. She stood with her head held high, the fire blazing in her eyes.

"What are you doing?" He asked her.

"Training."

"Why?" He kept his voice even. He wasn't sure he wanted to know the answer. The flames in her eyes only burned brighter.

"To be stronger." She answered. That was vague. At least to Cassian it was. He knew there was more to that statement. More that she wasn't going to tell him. She didn't move the dagger and he didn't move away from it. Azriel however, did move. He wasn't getting in the middle of whatever was going through either of their minds.

"Tell me the real reason." He started. "We've been out here for 3 weeks training like we're going to war."

"Aren't we?" She asked.

"No." She smirked at that. He might not be going to war. But she was. "Tell me what you're training for." He demanded.

"Revenge."

They stopped training immediately. Cassian ripped the dagger out of her hands and put it back where she got it.

"What is wrong with you?" She asked, following behind him. The last three weeks had been brutal. She had put so much work into training and getting stronger. Not only did it make her feel better mentally, physically she felt like she could destroy an entire city.

"Me?!" Cassian shouted. "What's wrong with you?!" He grabbed her arm and dragged her away from the others who were training. "So what? You're just planning to overthrow Rhys?"

"No. Of course not. I'm not dumb." She said. "Just want him to suffer the same way I did."

"Oh that's fucking great." He huffed.

"He dropped me into a fucking mountain range and left me there!" She shouted at him. She didn't want to be shouting at him. Cassian knew this would happen soon. Her anger was building. He could see it in every single punch she threw. Every single kick that she aimed at him. He was training her to take out Rhys.

"I know! But you can't fuck with the High Lord! Are you insane?! Let alone the fact that he's with your sister!"

"I honestly don't care." She crossed her arms.

"This ends. Now. No more training."

"So what am I supposed to do? Let him get away with what he did to me?"

"Yes! Fucking let it go! I saved you."

"Let it go." She nodded. "Go fuck yourself." She stormed away from him. The rage burning in her eyes. He knew trouble was brewing and he just made it ten times worse.

Nesta flung open the door to the stairs and started down them. Around and around. Her breathing ragged. Her anger was driving her forward. She would burn the entire city to the ground if she needed to. One way or another, Rhys was going to suffer for what he's done.

Cassian said he wouldn't train her anymore. Fine. But she was going to take everything he has taught her so far, and she was going to make Rhys pay for it. She would start a war right here in Velaris if she needed to.

She only made it halfway before heading back up. Cassian was waiting at the door. Could hear her breathing from a mile away.

"Make it?"

"Shut up." She grumbled.

"Why do you wanna hurt Rhys? Who will it help?" He asked following her to her room.

"Me."

"How?" He shook his head. "Revenge is not going to make you feel better. It'll make you feel worse if you do something to your sister's mate and you know it."

"How could she just forgive him so easily?" Nesta asked. "She for some reason has a loyalty to all of you that she does not have with me." The flames in her eyes were replaced with tears. "Why?"

"Because we didn't let her go hunting in the woods." That shocked her. It wasn't like Nesta sent her into the woods to hunt. She didn't stop her but what was she supposed to do? Her father should have stopped Feyre from running off into the woods. He should have tried harder to protect all of them.

"So it's my fault we were poor?"

"I didn't say that."

"You didn't need to." Cassian hated fighting with her. He didn't want to make it seem like he didn't have her back but he also couldn't turn on Rhys. He was stuck between a rock and a hard place. He couldn't stand looking at her as tears streamed down her face.

"How can I help?" He whispered, setting his hands on her face, his thumbs wiped away her tears.

"I wanna get drunk and forget."

"Okay." He nodded. "Okay."

"Okay?"

"Let's go get drunk." He was going to regret this.

Somehow, he got them to the Wolf's Den in one piece. Nesta was already on her second drink. He was going to be in trouble. But, she was falling apart. She needed this. He would take care of her and get her into bed at some point within the next few hours.

A storm was brewing behind her eyes. If he didn't let some of the rain out, she would flood the whole town.

She was sitting at a table across the room from him playing cards. He watched her closely. He watched the other's around her closely. If anyone tried to get handsy they would lose that hand. He sipped his drink as he watched. Another round of drinks was brought to the table. It was going to be a long night. He kicked out the chair in front of him and put his feet up. He might as well enjoy seeing her kick their asses.

"Let's go to Rita's." Nesta said coming over to Cass. She was already swaying a little. He wasn't too sure that was a good idea. Let alone that she put all of these drinks on Rhys' tab and he was going to find out pretty soon.

"Why?"

"They dance there." When he made no movements, she sat on his lap with her legs on either side of his chair. He nearly died on the spot. She rested her arms over his shoulders and gently played with his wings. "Please." She whispered.

He blinked at her and let out a small sigh, tipping his head back a little.

"Fine." He commented. She smiled and looked down at his lips. They were both going to be in so much trouble. Cassian knew what she did after drinking all night. Knew that the last time she went out drinking, he found her the next morning with some random male in her bed. He didn't want her going home with a random male. If she was going home with anyone to fuck, it was going to be him and he would make sure of it.

He stood and let her fall to her feet. He gave her his elbow and she gripped his arm as they headed to Rita's.

"You're in huge trouble." Mor said as soon as they exited the building. "Rhys just got that bill." Cassian and Nesta looked at each other. She didn't drink nearly as much as she used to. "And it's funny that you've ignored his wishes." Nesta didn't know what his wishes were. Honestly she didn't really care.

"I'll pay him back." Cassian answered.

"He doesn't care about the money." Mor rolled her eyes. Of course he cares about the money. All he cares about is the money. "He cares that you're still trying. He told you what needed to be done." That got Nesta's attention. She had gotten good at ignoring all of them.

"What?" Nesta asked, looking at Cassian. He couldn't even look at her. "Cass?" She asked. "What does Rhys want?"

"You. Out of Velaris. For good." Mor confirmed. Cass still refused to look at Nesta.

"And I told you all I was handling it."

"Handling it?" Nesta asked. It sobered her up the second the words left his mouth. She wasn't a thing to be handled. She was a person. Well, used to be at least. But she shouldn't be handled by anyone. She wasn't an animal. She took her hand away from him. She had told herself not to trust anyone. To not let anyone get close enough to hurt her again. She thought that Cassian could be trusted. Clearly, he could not. "What do you plan to do with me?" Finally Cassian looked at her.

"I plan to take you to Rita's."

"I'm not going to fucking Rita's." The fire in her eyes was back. It never really freaked him out. Not like this. It was never directed at him. This time it was directed at him and he was going to die. She was going to murder him in cold blood and he would probably let her.

"Nesta-"

"Where does he want me to go?" She asked. Wasn't being locked in a house with 10,000 steps torture enough? She couldn't leave on her own. The house still didn't fully like her so it only gave her her basic needs. Even though she thanked it and tried to be kind to it.

"No where."

"Stop lying to me!" She screamed at Cassian. A few females locking up their shops for tonight turned to look.

"I'm not bringing you anywhere." Cassian confirmed. He had spoken with Rhys after the fight at the River house. Rhys wanted to either live at the library or he was building a house in the mountains, away from everything and everyone, and expected her to live there alone. Every month they would bring up what she needed. He felt that she could live out her extremely long life alone.

"But he wants you to. Which is going to cause problems." She commented. She looked towards the sky. All she wanted was to be human. She was in this situation because she wasn't human. "What does Feyre think?" She asked. No one moved. No one breathed. No one said a word. But she got her confirmation. "She agrees." She had felt pain in her life. Broken a bone dancing when she was a kid. Nearly broke her back when she fell out of that tree. But nothing hurt like this. Nothing hurt more than her sister wanting to ship her off to some house in a mountain.

Cassian knew they couldn't stand here for long. Eventually Rhys would know that they were in town and he would come find them. And they would both be in trouble when that time came.

"You honestly thought Rhys wouldn't try to get you out of here again? He's not the type to let things go." Cassian was not moving Nesta. No matter what she was staying with him. He had made that clear. He wasn't sure why no one was listening to him.

Nesta started walking away. Cassian chased after her. She didn't get very far before he grabbed her arm.

"Nesta please." He begged her. "Please don't."

"Don't what?"

"Walk away. I promise I will protect you okay? I promise. I will not let them ship you off to some house. I promise." He begged her. He couldn't handle seeing her cry. He couldn't handle seeing the pain in her eyes. "I promise." It didn't matter how many times he promised her, she was never going to believe him.

"I just want…" She trailed off.

"What? What do you need?" He grabbed her face. He looked her right in the eye.

"Support." She whispered, looking at him. "I have no one. I just want support."

"You have it. I am right here. And I am not going anywhere." She gripped his arms, lowering her eyes as the tears flowed from her eyes. "Look at me." He whispered, his voice hoarse like he had been screaming for days. "It will always be more than enough for me."