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A Court of Flames and Curses 15

book 4 of the ACOTAR series ~ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

He brings her to the surface for her proposal. He can’t say no, so long as she follows all the rules. And he tells her it’s best she’s on the surface as whatever animal she bargains herself away into.

“What do you like,” he says, once he has them hovering above the center of the lake. “Birds? Flowers? You strike me as a cat kind of girl, actually. Wild cat.”

“Do you want to hear my bargain or not?” Nesta snaps, shivering now that she’s in the air. To her surprise, no one has come looking for her. The banks are empty, and so is the dark treeline.

“Alright, let’s get it over with.”

“In exchange for the freedom of everyone you’ve ever made a bargain with,” Nesta starts. She pauses, allowing him to agree to this first term.

“Including Vassa?”

“Everyone.” Nesta rolls her eyes. Obviously including Vassa.

He nods.

“And in return...”

Nesta swallows hard, hoping for success, and continues. “I want you to lose the freedom to live in this lake.”

Koschei, feigning a very interested examination of his nails, freezes. “You what?”

Nesta repeats herself.

“You want me trapped,” he says slowly, “in everywhere except this lake.”

“Yes,” she says. “Do we have a bargain?”

He looks directly into her eyes, hand still hovering around his shoulder, forgotten. “We have a bargain.”

For a moment, nothing happens. She stares at him.

And then she drops back into the water.

But he isn’t there to hold her arms. She’s alone.

She claws with her hands like she’s climbing a ladder, like she could push herself out, but it’s the Cauldron and there’s no way out and it’s dark and cold and her bargain has trapped her here in his place —

Two arms pull her up.

He’s yelling at her but she can’t breathe.

She’s gasping and water is running from her hair into her eyes and —

“What did you do?” he thunders.

She shakes her head, trying to clear her eyes of the blackness of the lake.

“What did you give him, Nesta?”

“Nothing,” she chokes, trying to cling to him without wrapping her arms around his neck. “Get me out, please, I…”

Seeming to realize where they are, Cassian once again pulls her to the side of the lake and pushes her up onto the bank.

“What.”

“All of their freedom for his freedom,” she says, pawing at her eyes.

He climbs out beside her and kneels beside her head. “What?”

She coughs, splattering water droplets across his knees. “Can you say anything else?”

Seemingly in spite of himself, he smirks. “Nes. Nesta. I was so worried.”

“I didn’t see you…”

“You two just rose out of the water like…like you were flying.”

Like him. “And made a bargain. Not for me. Everyone is free.”

“How?”

She pulls herself off the ground to sit beside him, wiping her soaked hair out of her face and looking up at him. “Aren’t I the smartest female you know?”

There’s a pause where she’s positive he’ll say that position belongs to Amren or Mor, but then: “Yes.”

“The answers came in the lake,” she says. “Everything I needed. Just came to me.”

“How?” Cassian asks again.

“The lake is death, and so am I.” She isn’t sure where this answer comes from, but it feels right when she says it.

“So everyone is free. You did it.”

Despite herself, she can feel a smile blooming on her face. His eyes flit down to her lips and back up to meet hers.

“Nes,” he says, “you’re incredible.”

Her hands reach for his unconsciously — perhaps even despite her efforts not to touch him.

“And your smile,” he whispers.

And, despite this, too, and how it makes her feel, her smile relaxes as she looks at him.

“And —”

She cuts him off with a kiss.

His lips taste cool like the lake, but he also tastes the way he smells when he’s lying beside her at night to keep her warm. He feels the way his arms do, around her, when he’s keeping her safe. Not only her defender, but also her twin Commander of Death.

She allows her lips to part against his, and she can feel his sharp inhale before his tongue brushes against her full lower lip. She pulls back abruptly.

“Are you —”

“I trust you,” she blurts.

He blinks, startled, before his brows dip in confusion. “I would hope so.”

“I’ve never trusted a man before.”

He squeezes her hands in his. “You can trust me. I’m honored you do.”

Somehow, all her concerns about revealing her feelings are gone. A weighty relief settles on her shoulders, like a blanket over the chill of the lake. Glowing, she smiles back up at him again. Despite it all — the drowning, the bargains, the arguments — she has never felt more comfortable than this.

“I think I love you,” she says.

His eyes melt. “Nes. Sweetheart. I love you, too.”

THE END <3 <3 <3

thanks for reading darlings <3 @togreblog @propshophannah @lu-cien@sparkleywonderful @illyrianazriel @illyriantremors @asteria-astraeus @valamerys @blogtealdeal @sarah-bae-maas @immortal-awesomeness @meabhd @cresseida @madswagswaggers @azrielsiphons @modernbookfae @urban-skys @rowanismybae @its-suriel @foreverlovingthenightskies @sashby93 @majornerdess @astronautrabbit @isiled@2-bookmaster-2 @aurora-sleeping-killer @fanfic-masterpost-site @wolffrising @always-love-your-self @queen-of-the-night-court

also for those who liked my cutthroat: @ships-and-saints @xjellllx @nightlark-naitohibari@yalenayardeen @stripesandpolkadot

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