#and whatever the fuck mor got going with cassian

[arson-09]

i wish mor was a likable character. instead sjm made her into a girl on girl hater with the personality of flatbread and half toasted diversity. sad

[cressidagrey]

The Witching Hour - Chapter 5 - Rhysand

Summary: 

5 Times members of the Inner Circle get absolutely terrified by Azriel's...whatever she is, and 1 (of many) times Azriel thinks that his witch was the best thing that ever happened to him.

Warnings: 

Mention of Amarantha, Mention of Murder, Mention of torture, Rhys Bashing

(super pretty dividers by @cafekitsune)

Rhysand's mood was far from pleasant. The events of the past week had left him on edge, his patience sorely tested, the tensions between Nesta and Cassian seemed to have escalated exponentially, and the atmosphere in his Court was becoming unbearable.

As he sat brooding in his office, his mate knocked on the doorframe before walking in. Feyre took one look at his stormy expression and winced.

"Let me guess," she said, bracing herself. "You're in a delightful mood today."

Rhysand's only response was a low growl, which was answer enough. Feyre sighed, settling herself into a chair across from his desk.

"There's something you are going to like even less," Feyre admitted.

Rhysand's eyes narrowed, his already bad mood worsening. "Wonderful," he grumbled, a hint of sarcasm in his tone. "Please, do tell, Feyre Darling.  I'm all ears."

Feyre looked uncomfortable, which only served to increase Rhysand's anxiety. Whatever it was, it must be bad if even Feyre was struggling to tell him.

"It's about Elain," she began, her voice hesitant.

"Elain?" Rhysand repeated, his confusion deepening. "What about her? What's wrong?"

"She..." Feyre's voice trails off, her expression troubled. "She's an oracle."

Rhysand's eyebrows shot up in shock, his eyes widening.

"An oracle?" he repeated, his voice coming out in a whisper. "Are you sure? Who made that particular call?"

Feyre swallowed hard, her expression guilty. "Cate," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.

Rhys froze.

"Feyre darling," he said very carefully, trying to keep his voice down. "When exactly did you come across Cate ?"

Feyre shifted uncomfortably in her seat, avoiding his gaze.

"Well...this morning."

Rhys's eyes widened, a sense of bad, bad foreboding washing over him. "And what exactly were you doing this morning that led to you encountering the infamous Cate?"

"We had lunch?" Feyre admitted questioningly. "Or we would have if Mor and her hadn't clashed."

Rhys let out a strangled sigh, raking a hand through his hair. "Of course, you did."

He took a moment to process the information, his mind racing through the implications. Cate, in the city...it was bound to cause havoc.

"And I assume Mor and she...had words?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

"To put it mildly," Feyre said ruefully. "They got into quite a heated argument. It almost ended in a brawl."

Rhysand pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling a headache coming on. "Do I even want to know what they were arguing about?"

Feyre shrugged, her expression sheepish. "Cate's sex life and Azriel."

Rhysand suppressed the urge to bang his head against the desk. "Of course," he muttered under his breath.

He let out a deep, weary sigh, his mind already working to figure out how to damage control this situation. Cate's presence was a wild card, and her interactions with Mor were bound to cause more trouble than they were worth.

"What about Elain then?" he asked, forcing his voice to remain calm.

"Cate offered to teach her."

"Did she now," Rhys murmured, the wheels in his mind turning.

The idea of Cate teaching Elain was...disconcerting, to say the least. Cate was not exactly a bastion of stability and sanity. And yet, there was a part of him that was intrigued.

And also fucking furious because clearly, he was the last person in his family that knew anything about what was happening in his court.

Rhys's anger bubbled up inside him, mingling with his already frayed nerves. He had been completely blindsided by this information, left in the dark while Cate and Mor were engaging in their verbal duels and Feyre was having lunch with the bane of his existence .

It was utterly frustrating.

"Did Azriel get her for Elain?" He bit out. Azriel clearly wasn't listening to his orders when he was bringing Cate around for Elain. Thought Rhys wondered what the fuck Azriel had told Cate to get her to behave and not spill the beans of their century-long tryst to Elain.

Feyre looked at him curiously, clearly sensing his irritation.

"What do you mean?"

Rhys clenched his jaw, trying to keep his voice level. "Cate doesn't just agree to help people on a whim," he said tersely. "Azriel must have done something to convince her."

Feyre's eyes widened in realisation, a hint of amusement flickering across her face.

"And it must have involved a lot of ...physical persuasion," Feyre said slyly, a wicked smile spreading across her lips.

Rhys could only scowl in response, his irritation growing by the second. The last thing he needed was Feyre making light of the situation.

"This isn't funny," he growled, leaning forward in his chair. "Azriel knows better than to bring Cate here without my knowledge."

Feyre's expression softened, her amusement giving way to understanding. "I know," she said soothingly, "But she isn't all that bad, you know. If you'd just give her a chance-"

"A chance?" Rhys repeated, his voice filled with barely suppressed frustration. "Feyre, she is a walking disaster ! She causes nothing but trouble, and now she's inserting herself into the lives of my Inner Circle! You know what happens to the people that surround Cate? They mysteriously disappear. Or worse!”

Feyre shot him an unimpressed look, her hands on her hips. "You're being overdramatic," she chided.

"Hecate the Undying," Rhys said lowly. " How do you think she earned that name, Feure?"

Feyre's expression faltered, the teasing look in her eyes replaced by a hint of unease. "!.... don't know," she admitted, her voice quieter now.

Rhys took a deep breath, reminding himself to remain calm. "Hecate is a witch,” he said slowly. “One of the few of that particular dying breed. She’s over a millennia old, Feyre. And she has the cunning and cruelty to match her age. She is not someone to be trifled with."

"So has Amren," Feyre pointed out harshly.

Rhysand's eyes blazed. "Amren is a different case entirely, and you know it," he said through gritted teeth. "She has been on our side for centuries, working to protect this court and everyone in it. Cate...Cate is a rogue element. No one knows where her loyalties lie. Not even Azriel, for all his obsession with her."

"And Azriel," Rhys continued, his voice lowering. "He thinks he can control her, that he knows the limits of her power and her intentions. But he's fooling himself. She is unpredictable, volatile, and dangerous. The last thing we need is for her to cause chaos in our court."

Feyre opened her mouth to speak, but Rhys cut her off.

"And don't try to tell me that she just wants to help Elain," he said, his voice firm. "Nothing she does is without purpose. There is always an angle, an agenda. And I don't trust her, not one bit."

Feyre was quiet for a moment, her expression thoughtful.

"I understand your concern, I do," she said slowly. "But have you ever stopped to consider that Cate might not be the monster you have built her up to be in your mind? That maybe there's more to her than meets the eye?"

Rhys laughed bitterly, his anger still bubbling just under the surface. "More to her than meets the eye?" he repeated, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "What do you want me to believe, Feyre? That she's some sort of misunderstood soul, with a heart of gold under that cold, unfeeling exterior?"

"I'm not saying she's a saint," Feyre said evenly. "But maybe she's not the villain you're determined to make her out to be."

Rhys gritted his teeth, his patience wearing thin. "And what would you have me do, Feyre?" he said tightly. "Just sit back and let her run wild in my court, unchecked and uncontrolled? Is that what you're suggesting?"

"No," Feyre said, "Of course not. But maybe instead of treating her like a threat, you could try seeing her as an ally. As someone who could potentially help us."

Rhys let out a guttural sound, his frustration mounting.

"You can't be serious. You want me to trust her, to let her into our inner circle? She hasn't given me one reason to trust her, Feyre. Not one."

"She helped Nesta with her nightmares."

Rhysand's eyebrow quirked in surprise. "Is that so?" he said slowly. "She helped Nesta with her nightmares, did she?"

His tone was sceptical, but there was a hint of intrigue in his expression.

"With a dreamcatcher spell," Feyre answered quietly.

"Is that why Cassian is so furious with Azriel?" Rhys asked, pinching the bridge of his nose. This was just getting better and better.

"Oh yes," Feyre said with a slight wince. "Cassian is quite...upset about it."

Rhys's eyes widened. "Upset" was an understatement. He knew Cassian well enough to know that he would be seething with rage at this news.

Rhys closed his eyes. Already Cate was making a mess.

The thought made Rhysand's headache worse. Cate had only been in Velaris for days, and already she was causing ripples of turmoil in his court. How much worse was this going to get?

He had to nip this problem in the bud before it spiralled out of control.

The worst thing was that throwing her out of Velaris was not actually something he could do. She had a carte Blanche to live in Velaris, something he could thank his Grandfather for... they had had an agreement of sorts, the exact nature lost to time. But even Rhys’ own father hadn’t trifled with that witch. 

He rose from his chair, his expression steely with determination. "I need to talk to Cate," he said gruffly. "Now."

Feyre's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Now?" she repeated, looking nervous. "Don't you think you should calm down a bit first? You look like you're going to rip her throat out."

Rhys shot her a withering glare, his patience wearing thin.

"That's exactly how I feel, Feyre," he ground out. "If I don't speak to her now, I can't guarantee I won't do anything I'll regret later."

Feyre held up her hands in surrender. "Okay, fine," she conceded, standing up. "But try not to be too harsh, alright? I'm not saying we should trust her blindly. But she's not a monster, Rhys."

He could argue that point

Rhys took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down.  The thought of dealing with Cate again after all these centuries was not exactly appealing.

The problem was only that he knew...he knew that they would be evenly matched

And that thought was worrying. Cate was not someone he took lightly. He had seen firsthand what she was capable of, both in power and cunning. The idea of going up against her, even if it was just a simple conversation, was daunting, to say the least.

Yet, he knew it was necessary. He couldn't let Cate continue to run rampant in his court, stirring up trouble and disrupting the peace he had worked so hard to maintain. He would just have to be careful, be on guard at all times, and hope that his own wits would be enough to keep her in check.

With a determined nod to Feyre, he headed out of his office. It was time to confront the source of his current headache.

Rhysand stalked out of the house and into the streets of Velaris with a scowl on his face. It was late afternoon, and the sun starting to dip below the horizon, casting long shadows across the cobblestones.

He knew where to find Cate. She had a townhouse, where she always stayed at.

He made his way quickly through the city, his steps measured and purposeful. He could feel the eyes of his people on him, the weight of their curiosity and concern. They could sense that something was off, that their High Lord was not in his usual good mood.

Finally, he arrived at her townhouse. The building was impressive, situated in a prime location and beautifully maintained. It screamed opulence and power, much like its owner.

Rhys took a deep breath and walked up the steps, his mind racing. He knew he needed to be careful, to tread lightly. He couldn't afford to let his anger get the better of him. But the thought of confronting Cate was making his heart pound in his chest. He had to remind himself that he was the High Lord of the Night Court, the most powerful ruler in Prythian. He could handle one stubborn and infuriating witch.

(Hopefully.)

He knocked firmly on the door, his knuckles rapping against the solid wood. There was no response for a moment, and he wondered if she was even home. Just as he was about to knock again, the door swung open, revealing Cate's slender form in the doorway.

"Ah, Rhysand," she said with a smirk, leaning against the doorframe. "I was wondering when you'd show up."

Her tone was casual, almost flippant, but he could see the glittering eyes assessing him warily. She knew he wasn't here for a friendly visit.

"May I come in?" he asked through gritted teeth, trying to keep his voice even.

Cate stepped aside, gesturing for him to enter with a sweeping motion of her arm. "By all means," she drawled. "Make yourself at home."

Rhys walked into the foyer, his eyes flickering around the room, taking in the expensive furnishings and art pieces.

The townhouse was every bit as opulent as the outside, with high ceilings and wide windows that let in the fading sunlight.

"Can I offer you anything?" Cate asked behind him, closing the door with a click. "Tea, perhaps? Or maybe something stronger?"

He ignored her, his eyes narrowing as he turned to face her. "I'm not here for hospitality," he ground out. "I'm here to discuss you and your sudden appearance in my court."

Cate raised an eyebrow, a sly smile playing on her lips.

"Oh, so you're not here to see an old friend?" she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

He clenched his jaw, her casual demeanour only serving to annoy him further. "We are not friends, Cate," he said through gritted teeth. "And I need to know why you have been meddling in my affairs."

Cate sauntered past him, walking over to a nearby armchair and gracefully sinking into it. "You wound me, Rhysand," she said, placing a hand over her heart. "I'm hurt that you think I would meddle."

He followed her, standing before her with his arms crossed. "Cut the crap, Cate," he said, his temper fraying. "You know exactly what I'm talking about. You've been causing trouble since the moment you stepped foot in Velaris."

"Is it the Dreamcatcher spell or my offer of lessons for Elain?" Cate asked him.

Rhys scowled, the mere mention of the Dreamcatcher spell making his blood boil. "Both," he said through gritted teeth. "You have absolutely no business getting involved in my court's affairs."

Cate leaned back in her chair, a smirk playing on her lips once more. "Oh, but Rhysand, I just want to help. Is that so terrible?"

He clenched his fists, fighting the urge to grab her by the throat and strangle her. "I don't trust you, Cate," he growled. "I don't trust your intentions or your motives. And I certainly don't trust you offering your...services to my inner circle. Let's not even start with my spymaster," he ground out.

Cate chuckled, her voice dripping with amusement. "Ah, Azriel," she said, her eyes glinting. "Such a complex and intriguing male."

"You stay away from him," Rhys warned, his voice low and dangerous. "You keep your distance, and you keep your fingers out of our business."

Cate's smirk widened. "Oh, I was under the impression that Azriel was just as interested in me as I was in him," she said slyly. "Or was I misinformed?"

Rhys ground his teeth, his irritation and anger reaching their boiling point. He knew all too well the strange and complicated relationship between Cate and Azriel, and he hated how easily she seemed able to get under his skin.

"You know exactly what I mean," he said, his voice growing louder. "You keep your distance from all of my court. That includes Azriel."

Cate's smile grew even more aggravating. "You have quite the possessive streak, don't you, Rhysand?" she said, her tone mocking. "Are you afraid I'll steal away your precious shadowsinger?"

"You won't lay a finger on him," he snarled, his patience completely frayed. "You stay away from him, and you stay away from my court. I don't want you meddling in my affairs, or causing any more trouble. Is that clear?"

Cate leaned forward in her chair, her eyes narrowing. "You think you can order me around, is that it?" she said, her voice cold. "You think I'll just bow down and submit to your commands?"

"Damn right I do," he shot back, stepping closer to her. "This is my court, my territory. And I will not tolerate someone like you causing chaos and throwing my people into disarray with your presence."

Cate's eyes flared with anger. "And what exactly do you mean by 'someone like me'?" she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "You mean a witch? Or is it because I'm a woman?"

He clenched his jaw, the accusation hitting a nerve. "Don't play that card, Cate," he said through gritted teeth. "You know damn well that's not what I meant."

Cate stood up, her eyes blazing. "Oh, really?" she challenged, her hands coming to rest on her hips. "Because it sure sounds like you're implying that women, especially those with magic, are beneath you. Maybe even a threat to your precious little court. Is that why your tradition of wing clipping still lives on?" She asked, her voice dripping with disdain.

He flinched, his irritation replaced with a hint of guilt. She had hit the mark, and they both knew it. The ancient tradition of clipping wings was still practised in Illyria, a symbol of dominance and control over the female population.

"That's different," he said gruffly, trying to shake off the feeling of unease that settled in his stomach. "Change is slow. We can't just murder everybody like you are prone to be doing." 

Cate's eyes flashed with anger, her hands clenching into fists. "I don't just go around murdering people," she snapped. "I fight for what's right, and I don't shy away from getting my hands dirty if it means protecting those that cannot protect themselves."

Rhys sneered, his own anger flaring. "And who are you to decide what is right and what is wrong?" he said, his voice harsh. "You think you're some kind of moral authority, do you? That your way of doing things is the only way?"

"You're a daemati, I am a seer," she said icily. "You read minds. I read the future."

He let out a scoff, his annoyance growing by the second.

"And you think that gives you the right to do whatever you please, just because you can see into the future?" he said, his tone dripping with disbelief.

Cate's eyes narrowed to slits, her voice dropping to a dangerous level. "I use my abilities to help people. To protect them. To make sure that history doesn't repeat itself. And if that means making hard decisions, then so be it."

He let out a cold laugh. "Hard decisions," he said sarcastically. "Is that what you call it when you go around murdering people and meddling in other courts' affairs?"

Cate bristled at the accusation, her face contorting with anger. "I don't go around murdering people for the hell of it," she said, her voice rising. "Every life I've taken has been for a reason, a purpose. People who deserved it, who would have caused more suffering and pain if left unchecked."

Rhys shook his head, his annoyance and frustration mounting. "Oh, so you're some kind of judge and executioner now?" he sneered. "You get to decide who lives and who dies based on your own twisted sense of justice?"

"Yes, because apparently nobody else seems to have the guts to do what needs to be done." Cate retorted, her voice filled with conviction. "You have no idea what I've seen, Rhysand. I have a job to do, and it doesn't end until the world is a better place. So please, drop the holier-than-thou attitude and leave me alone."

"You didn't kill Amarantha," Rhys spat out. "That would have saved us some suffering."

Cate's eyes darkened at his words, anger flashing in her gaze. "Don't you think I wanted to, Rhysand?" she said, her voice low and dangerous. "Don't you think I've spent centuries reliving that moment in my mind, wondering if I could have stopped it from happening?"

He crossed his arms, his expression guarded. "Why didn't you then?" he challenged. "You could have ended it all right there, before all the suffering and the pain and the bloodshed."

Cate's shoulders slumped, the anger being replaced by a weariness that betrayed her centuries-long existence.

"It's...complicated, Rhysand. There are things at play that you don't understand, consequences that you could never fathom. I couldn't just kill Amarantha and expect everything to be perfectly fine afterwards."

He let out a scoff, his irritation mounting. "So, what, you just decided to let her rule and terrorize my court for 50 years instead? To put us through hell and back?"

Cate's eyes narrowed once more, her voice tight with suppressed emotion. "I had a duty to protect the people of Prythian," she said through clenched teeth. "All of Prythian. And sometimes, that meant making sacrifices for the greater good. Even if it meant letting evil exist for a little while longer."

He let out a derisive laugh, his anger bubbling to the surface. "The greater good? What about the good of my people? My court? My family, my friends, my people, all tortured and brutalized for fifty years because you decided to let Amarantha sit on the throne?"

Cate's face contorted with pain, his words hitting a raw nerve. "You think that was an easy decision for me to make, Rhysand?" she said, her voice cracking. "You think I enjoyed watching you and your people suffer, knowing I could have stopped it all in an instant?"

He sneered, his anger still searing. "Yet you didn't. You stood by and let it happen. You let us suffer for fifty years because you were too much of a coward to do what needed to be done."

Cate's hands balled into fists, her eyes narrowing. "You have no idea what it means to be responsible for fate, Rhysand," she said through clenched teeth. "No idea what it means to carry the weight of history on your shoulders. Don't you dare accuse me of cowardice when you don't have a single clue about the sacrifices I've made?"

He clenched his jaw, fighting back the urge to lash out even further. "Fifty years, Cate. Fifty years. My people suffered unspeakable horrors for fifty years because you decided that it was for the greater good. How do you expect me to forgive that?"

She let out a bark of bitter laughter, her face twisting into a grimace. "Forgiveness?" she said, her voice thick with disdain. "You really think I'm looking for forgiveness, after everything that's happened? I'm not asking for any forgiveness, Rhysand. I know the mistakes I've made, and I have to live with them every damn day."

He let out a scoff, his anger now mixed with a hint of incredulity. "You expect me to just act like nothing's happened? To just let bygones be bygones and move on like you didn't stand idly by while my people suffered?"

"I don't expect anything from you, Rhysand," she said coldly, her eyes hardening. "I know things can never go back to the way they used to be, that there's no erasing what's been done. But that doesn't mean I'm not doing everything in my power to make things right, to prevent it from happening again. That's all I've ever tried to do."

He let out a dry laugh, his heart still thudding with anger.

"Oh? And what exactly are you doing to make things right, hm? Meddling in my court, offering lessons to my inner circle, causing chaos and trouble wherever you go?"

Cate's eyes flared, her temper rising once more. "I'm not causing chaos and trouble, Rhysand," she shot back. "I've been helping you and your court in ways you don't even realize. Maybe if you took the time to look past your own anger and pride, you'd see that."

He let out a derisive scoff, his irritation growing with every word. "Help? You call meddling in our affairs and offering your so-called 'services' help? I'd hate to see what your version of hindrance is like. I want you out of my court," he hissed.

Cate scoffed, glaring at him with equal measure of anger and frustration. “ As long as my blood rules this throne, you shall always have a place here, ” she quoted at him, hissing. “Your grandfather pledged that to me. Just let me know when exactly you want to make your family an oathbreaker.” 

He had known that she had…had permission to come and go from Velaris as she pleased, but he had not known, how pointed these words must have been. What his grandfather had pledged to her in…

“I’ll take that risk if you are gone for good,” he growled, his own anger bubbling to the surface. "One word from me, and you'll be gone from this court for good."

His magic thickened, night rising.

Cate braced herself, her own power crackling around her in response. "You think threatening me with your magic will make me cower and leave?" she challenged. "I've faced much worse than you, Rhysand."

His eyes narrowed, the darkness in the room growing thicker as his power surged. "You have no idea what I'm capable of," he warned, his voice low and dangerous. "| won't hesitate to do what I have to to protect my court, even if it means using every ounce of my power to remove you from it. And do not touch my brother," he hissed.

Cate's eyes flared with anger, her own power flaring in response. "You think I would do anything to harm your brother?" she snapped. "Your arrogance is astounding. I'm not a monster, Rhysand. I wasn't the one who treated him like he wasn't even a person," she hissed at him.

He flinched, a brief flash of guilt passing over his face before he could mask it. "Don't you dare bring him into this," he said through clenched teeth, his anger flaring again.

"You started it," she ground back. "You treated him like he doesn't have feelings. You told him to go to a pleasure hall, Rhysand."

Rhys's jaw worked, his anger and defensiveness mixing with a hint of shame. "You don't understand," he said, his voice strained. "It was for his own good."

She snorted.

Rhys clenched his jaw, bristling at her reaction. "What is that supposed to mean?" he snapped.

"It means that I find your excuses pathetic," she shot back, her eyes narrowed. "You claim to care about him, yet you treat him like he's less than nothing. You tell him to go to a pleasure hall, to lose himself in mindless pleasure instead of facing his own emotions. It's repulsive."

Rhys flinched again, her words hitting a nerve. "It's not that simple," he said, his voice low and defensive. "You don't know what he's been through, what he had to endure."

Cate scoffed, her eyes flashing with anger. "Oh, I don't?" she said, her voice tight with emotion. "I don't know what he's been through? I know him, Rhysand. Don't you dare tell me l don't understand." 

"You think you understand him just because you have shared his bed a few times?" he shot back, his own anger flaring again. "You think you know him better than I do, better than his family and his friends?" 

Her magic flared. He had been unprepared for the cold fury on her face.

Rhys took an involuntary step back, startled by the intensity of her magic and the anger etched on her face. He was so used to being in control, to being the one everyone feared, but for the first time, he felt a hint of trepidation.

"You come to my house and threaten me, insult me and my relationship, insult Azriel..."

Rhys opened his mouth to respond, but nothing came out.

Her words had caught him off guard, and for once, he was at a loss for words.

Her magic heaved, cracking.

Rhys watched her with a mix of awe and caution. He could feel the power in her, the cold, sharp edge of her magic that crackled through the air like lightning. He had never seen her so angry, so intense.

"You have no right to speak to me like that, no right to dictate who I sleep with or who I care about," she hissed, her voice dripping with anger. "Azriel is not your property, Rhysand, and I will not tolerate you treating him or me like we are lesser than you."

Rhys clenched his fists, his own anger and defensiveness flaring again. "You think I treat you as lesser?" he said, his voice tight. "I'm the High Lord of this court. You're a guest here. You don't get to come here and tell me what I can and cannot do."

Her magic exploded.

Rhys was caught off guard by the sudden explosion of her magic, the force of it knocking him back a step. He barely managed to keep his balance, his own magic reacting defensively in response, a shield forming around him instinctively.

He stared at her, his eyes widening with surprise and a hint of fear. He had seen the extent of her magic before, but never had he seen her lose control like this. Never had he seen her so unbridled and raw.

The air around her crackled with energy, charged with the cold, sharp power of her magic. It was a force to be reckoned with, a storm of anger and frustration. And yet... there was something else there too, something deeper, something more vulnerable.

He swallowed

"I have not survived for a thousand years so you'll tell me what to do in my own house," she said darkly.

Rhys's jaw worked, his own anger and defensiveness clashing with a hint of uncertainty. He had never seen her so intense, so powerful. He could feel the cold, sharp edge of her magic in the air, and it sent a chill down his spine.

And then her magic snapped. He wasn't quick enough.

Hadn't expected another surge, as she forced him back, back towards the door. "Out of my house, now," she hissed.

Rhys stumbled back, caught off guard by the sheer force of her magic. He tried to fight it, to push back against her power, but it was like trying to swim upstream against a fast-moving current. She was stronger than he had given her credit for, and he found himself being pushed towards the door.

He gritted his teeth, his own anger and frustration mounting once more. "You can't just throw me out of here," he said through clenched teeth, struggling against her magic. "This is my court, my territory. You have no right-“

"I have every right," she cut in, her eyes flashing with anger. "You came here, uninvited, threatening me and insulting me in my own home. I have the right to defend myself, and if that means kicking you out, so be it."

Rhys clenched his jaw, his own anger and sense of entitlement warring with the sheer force of her magic. He wanted to fight back, to show her that he was the more powerful one here, but he knew deep down that he was outnumbered. Her magic was far stronger than he had expected, and he knew that he couldn't overpower her in her own home.

Not when her wards closed around him like a vice

Rhys felt the wards close around him, constricting his movement, and cutting off his connection to his own magic.

He tried to struggle against them, but it was like trying to push through a solid wall. He was trapped, unable to use his powers or fight back against her.

The realization of his helplessness hit him like a ton of bricks. He was the High Lord, the most powerful fae in the Night Court, and yet here he was, being held captive by a woman he had underestimated and disrespected.

The thought made him furious, his heart thudding with anger and frustration. He couldn't believe he had let himself be put in this position, that he had been taken down by her so easily.

But there was something else, too. A hint of fear, a hint of uncertainty. The realization that he had misjudged her, that he had underestimated the extent of her power and her determination to stand up for herself.

He swallowed, his mind racing as he tried to find a way out, a way to break free from her wards and regain his power. But there was nothing he could do. He was trapped, completely at her mercy.

"Out," she repeated, her voice razor sharp.

Rhys listened.

[violetscar656]

"New Beginning" - Aftermath Part 5 (Last part)

Summary: Y/N is sister to Rhys and Cassian, but what is she to Azriel?

Warnings: 18+ Fluff with smut (somewhere between loving and fucking),

Authors Note: Last part, finally here, and it's like a dual POV. And I have officially realised that writing smut is a challenge. Comments are open to any suggestions, ENJOY!

Y/N POV

“I don’t know about this one” I said, looking at my reflection wearing a one-shoulder maroon A-line dress. The dress was pretty, but not what I wanted

A sigh reached me “This is the 6th dress you have tried” Mor said, sitting on one of the chairs in the trial room of the shop. I rolled my eyes

After that kiss, I didn’t trust myself staying in the same house as Azriel. I knew sooner than later I’d somehow end up in his bed. So, I went to The Town House, it’s not like I didn’t try to make other excuses for why I wanted to stay there, but Mor and Feyre cornered me, and well, the truth came out

“I knew it” Feyre screamed “You two are thing now, right?” I just shrugged and looked at Mor

She smiled at me, shaking her head, her eyes were apologetic, though, for all those years when she strung Azriel along. I just hugged her, letting her know what happened, happened

Somehow, telling them, and whatever happened in these past couple of weeks, made me feel freer

“Do you even know where he is taking you?” Ferye asked, handing me an emerald green dress

“He just told me to be ready by 8, I don’t have a clue where we’ll be going” I bit my lip,

The dress was beautiful, equal parts of elegant and sexy, something that said You better fuck me tonight. Well, I didn’t tell the other thing to the girls, it somehow seemed wrong to. Seeing the sweetheart neckline of the dress, I knew it’ll show the deeper scar mark. I’m used the mark showing until my collarbone but-

“Okay, go try this one” Mor ordered, I turned towards her, “Whatever your mind is thinking” Mor narrowed her eyes “It won’t matter to him, you and I both know what kind of male Az is”

Mor was the only one who knew about the extent of the scar; she got suspicious after seeing me wearing an outfit completely out of my element to Rita’s. I suck in a breath, Azriel of all the fae in the world will not be horrified from scar marks; mustering up the courage and go try the dress

As I emerge from the curtains wearing the green dress, a gasp rippled out from Feyre, and Mor just looks at me, mouth wide open “WOW” that’s all the high lady said

I stood in front of the mirror, my eyes going to the angry scar; a hand went towards the middle of my chest, even with the Illyrian healing, the scar stayed, an angry shade of pink and brown mixed

“It's funny how you see the scar first” Feyre says, looking at me “But we see how beautiful you look in that dress”

The dress was more than beautiful, the neckline, the slight shimmer on the dress, which made it shine on different angles according to the light, and the way it hugged my curves, but was also flowy.

“I bet by the night he ends ripping it off you” Mor says, grinning

My face went red.  It’s not like I didn’t want Azriel; hell, I needed him. But he wanted to take it slow, and understanding that I agreed to it

A sigh left me “I don’t think there is going to be any Ripping tonight” I replied

Mor and Feyre start laughing, I look at them raising my eyebrow “Y/N, you have too much faith in Azriel’s control” Feyre says midst laughing “When it comes to you” she adds, teasing

“Oh shut up”

--

Arziel POV

I couldn’t wait for tonight, finally sorting my feelings out. The pining after Mor, and then an attachment with Elain; all because my mind couldn’t process the fact that there was a female who was interested in me, even after knowing my darkest sides.

In a way, I was glad that Y/N wasn’t there in the house when I woke up. I didn’t trust myself around her anymore; it fucking took 500 years of self-control to leave her room after that kiss, well I had to pump myself 3 times before I got any hint of sleep.

I kept thinking about how she would feel, tugging on her silky hair, her mouth on my cock, the taste of her pus-

I heard footsteps outside “Who is it?” I said before anybody knocked

Rhys entered grinning, working like an ice bath over my thoughts “Hello brother” he said

“Hey” I replied, sitting on my bed, and staring at my open closet

“I came here to check up on” he said, and I raised up an eyebrow “Well, Feyre, Mor and Y/N are out and” he pauses “I just wanted to make sure you are not a mess”

I chuckle “Well, it’s a date, Rhys” I pause “With my best friend, with everything on the line” The confession left me without me thinking

Rhys looked shocked, then he chuckled, “Brother, I know you two” He gave me a knowing look “It’ll be more than fine” he walked toward the door, he paused “Just don’t wear your leathers” He teased me and shut the door

--

Y/N POV

I looked beautiful, I had to admit, somehow, I looked feminine, with the makeup and dress. Mor was a magician when it came to my hair. I did tie it up in braid before, first knowing it’ll just get in my way while flying, and second, I didn’t know how to manage it,

 “A braid belongs on the training field and not on a date” Mor said, finishing the last section  “We should head down, your lover boy should be here soon” I laughed at the lover boy nickname

“Thank you, Mor” I told her, standing up, my hand reaching to the to mark

 “You look beautiful, Y/N” Mor reassured

“Thank you”- “You need to teach me how to do hairstyles Mor. These curls look great” I tell her

I reached the end of the stairs and froze, warm honey eyes looking into mine. His eyes travel up and down the length of me

“Hi” Azriel said, taking 2 long strides to reach in front of me

I was at a loss of words, Azriel was wearing a white shirt with dark grey pants. I rarely saw the male in anything but black

He reached out “These are for you” I look at the bouquet of dark purple tulips, and just blinked

“You're not wearing black” My mouth uttered the first thing before thinking; I bit my tongue

He chuckles and gestures to the flowers in his hand “Oh, thank you” I said, our gaze locks again. My breath hitched at the contact of our hands, heat already creeping its way

“You look like a goddess”- “It should be a crime to look this beautiful” Azriel whispered

I couldn’t help but blush “You're one to talk, shadowsinger” I tell him

“I’ll take these” Mor chimed in, taking the bouquet “You two need to leave before a make-out session begins right here”

My face heated, turning crimson

Azriel offered me his hand “Shall we?” I nod

--

Azriel POV

After dinner, we landed on the hillside top in Velaris, a place I usually visited alone, but I wanted to show her this

“Azriel!” Y/N exclaimed “This place is beautiful” she told me looking at the city lights below us

“When did you find this?” those hazel-green eyes were looking towards mine

I huffed, walking towards her “You’ll be surprised at the places you find flying around the city” I reply, sitting near the edge of the grassy ground

She narrowed her eyes to me “Well thank you for the obvious statement” moving to next to me

My hands moved before she sat, and I placed her on my lap, her cheeks turning pink

“Dove?” I look towards her, voice husky “When did you know?” – “That I was not a friend to you” A question that was burning up inside me

Y/N let out a sigh, looking at the lights “I always knew”- “I tried to see you differently” she shook her head “But I couldn’t, I also couldn’t act on it cause I thought you saw me as a sister” She huffed out a laugh

“I never did” I wrapped my hands around her waist, looking into her eyes “You were always my best friend, never a sister” –“But my mind- it never comprehended that someone could show interest in me”

I reach out to her scar mark, pausing, looking up to her, and Y/N slightly dips her head. My finger traces her mark, and Y/N stiffens; the urge to kill those bastards again consumes me. We sat in silence for a while, looking into each other.

“This is the second place my mind is quite” I confessed

“Second?” Y/N asked

I took a breath, knowing it’ll be now or never “First is always next to you” My eyes graced upon the scar again “I did not know before, but I know now” I look into her eyes again

I took her hand and placed it on my heart, and I did the same with mine. Y/N’s breath hitched

“That I loved you before, I love you now, and I’ll love you for my whole existence and beyond” The confession left me, 2 heartbeats pass by

I saw it then, the golden light, the string that bonded us; my eyes widened and my body froze, then I felt a tug towards her

I choked on my breath “How long have you known?”

“When Rhys walked in with your limp body” She threw grass strands on my face “You luckied out, you felt the snap when your mate is on your lap, not bleeding out” Every vein in my body was on fire

I moved, kissing her, placing a hand on the nape of her neck to get her closer, trying to simmer down this need. Y/N opened herself instantly for me

She shifted in my lap, and her body touched my already hard cock, I growled in the kiss. She started grinding herself, our kiss turning from passionate to devouring. Her need hit me like a drug. I moved away from her mouth, kissing her neck

“Azriel” Y/N moaned, rolling herself on me, and a curse left my mouth

I don't know whether it was the mating bond, just us, or how she moaned my name. A part of me was ready to fuck her right here. Another, had to stop this madness before I cum in my pants without touching her.

“Let’s go from here” Y/N said “Or this place is going to turn into something else” She bared her teeth, her need as potent as mine. I tried to reach towards a sane part of me, winnowed us away

--

Y/N POV

I was wrapped up around Azriel’s waist, our mouths in an open kiss, teeth clashing, my hands were already unbuttoning his shirt when we landed. My body, working on its own, grinding on his hard length. A thud sound was the only indication of finally being where we are supposed to be  

“Dove” He growled, placing me on the edge of the bed

I bite down on my lower lip, and start unzipping my dress. While watching my mate remove his shirt, his eyes nearly black

Azriel pushes me on the bed and pins my hands “So impatient little dove” he says voice full of silk

His eyes roaming over me, wearing a lacy black underwear, his finger flicks my already hard nipples, I moan and arch my back at his touch, Azriel hums his approval “Your body is so responsive to my touch”  

That finger travels down the length of my scar, and then he stops “Azriel” I whimper his name, moving my hips

Biting his lip, he rubs my core through the barrier “You are drenched” He growls

I moan his name, tired of this game, wanting, no needing him “Mine” I snarl

A growl sound was the only response before Azriel ripped my underwear and kissed me hard. His mouth travelled down me, placing kisses; he stopped at my breast licking a sucking one and kneading the other. My nails digging on his back, careful of the wings, he nibbled my nipple, and pleasure zigged in me.

“Azriel” I moaned out his name, he pinched my other breast. I could feel my already drenched core getting wetter

I gently tugged on his hair, a slight command, he obliged me, kissing his way down my centre

I moaned at the painfully slow lick down my core, he did it again

“You taste exquisite my love” Azriel’s voice low, I whimpered

He sucked on the bundle of nerves and my back arched more, I was at his mercy. He inserted a finger down me, and I gasped at the sensation, my focus on that single finger

He added a second one, my eyes flew open, looking towards him to find him staring at me, as if waiting for the movement, he curled those digits.

Pleasure gathered down my spine, as his mouth sucked at clit again “Azriel” – “I’m I’m gonna” words fail me as white hot pleasure fills me wave after wave

I come down from my high, panting, my eyes go towards my mates, and he slowly licks does finger clean. Blood pumps in my veins at the sight of him, I get up and tug on his belt, noticing his hardness that’s caged

He lets himself free, my mouth waters at the sight of him, I was gonna devour him. I moved forward “Later” his voice came, barely leashed

He moved us back, and slowly he guided himself in, stretching me to the sweet point of pain and pleasure. He moaned, and the sound that came out of me was not of this world. He filled me so deliciously, letting me adjust to his size

He was inside to the hilt “Are you alright?”

“I’m perfect, Az, now please move”

He started moving at slow pace “You feel heavenly, so tight love” he hissed

“Az, harder” I said between pants

“Are you sure it’s our first time”

“HARDER” I commanded, moving my hips

I wrapped my legs above him for emphasis, and he sped up, setting a punishing pace. I met his each thrust with my own. He shifted, hitting the spot, and my eyes rolled back

“There” I cried out “Just like that”, pleasure gathered again

His pace didn’t falter, hard and brutal. The sound of our moans and slapping of skin on skin filling the room

 “Azriel Azriel Azriel” his name was like a prayer on my lips

I felt my walls tightening, but I wasn’t ready to let this end

“Let go dove” Azriel panted his thrust losing their rhythm “Cum on my cock Y/N”

I cried out his name, shattering, compelled by his words  

 “Y/N” he roared, filling me

He lay on top of me, panting, still seated inside me, the thread between us shimmered. We looked at each other and chuckled, slowly, he pulled out of me

“I’ll be right back” He came back with a towel, and moved my legs apart

I blushed “Az I can do it” and said trying to take the cloth, he held my hand and smiled

“Let me take care of you” He smiled “My mate”

--

Lying on the bed all cuddled up “I love you” I looked in those hazel eyes

“You are mine and I’m yours, dove” Azriel says, wrapping his arms tighter around me

I bit my lip “I know things are busy for me and you both” I pause “But I, I want to accept the bond Az”

His head jerks up eyes widening, “Not now” you say, tapping his chest

His soft eyes look into mine “Would you like a ceremony?” He asked, I shook my head

“A week alone would be good” I tell him, my face heating up

He furrows his brows “Just a week?” He says teasing

I gape at him, and he smirks

“I bet it’ll be a fun conversation with Rhys” Azriel teases “Brother I need at least a month off to accept my bond” He mocks me

My eyes widen “A month??” Shocked, I look at the male

He bites my lip “With all the things I want to do to you” he traces my scar, and my core heats “A whole lifetime is not enough” his voice was full of shadows

--

Few Months Later

Slamming a stack full of documents in the living room, I let out a sigh, and turn “That’s it we are moving from here” I tell my brother

“You tell this every time” Cassian just grins “A little scent bothering you, sweets?”- “You should be used to it by now”  

The training sessions began in the House of Wind with one additional member in the house, Nesta. I were not sure about the female at first, but as the days went by, she was improving, we bonded over our mutual love for books. But the house smelled of sex, and my brother smelled of her; the thought of that made me want to puke

“Oh c’mon now” – “You and Az were worse” Cassian yelled

Well we have been worse, but we barely got time after we accepted the mating bond. Azriel had left for his spymaster work, and I helped with the females' training lessons. Ruby, Lucy and Sarah joined along with 2 more.

Rhys did offer us to stay at the River House, but with Cassian, Azriel, and Nesta looking for the dead trove, someone had to stay. There was also the fear of losing Rhys and Feyre, in short things we fucked up

“I can’t fucking sit in the library cause of the memory of you two clawing each other there, and don’t get me started with the dining room” I yell back

Cassian starts laughing, I glare at my brother

--

4 Months Later

I was walking behind Azriel “Okay, okay, but where are you taking me?”

“It’s a surprise” Azriel said smiling at me

We were near the hillside, of Velaris, Azriel stopped and turned his head to the small house building there,

My eyes widen “Az you didn’t” I gape at my mate “So all the What's your dream house questions you asked”

Azriel grinned “It’ll be ready soon my love” he leaned forward and kissed me gently

“Decorate it as you wish” A tear slips from my eyes

“This is gonna be our home” I say, Azriel hugs me from behind and places one hand on my stomach

“A family home” he whispered

Note: I’M finally done with this series, and I know they being mates is cliché, but I wanted a happy ending. I hope you guys enjoyed it and well I think imma either take a break from writing or just write another drabble. I don’t know, but thank you to everyone.

My Taglist <3: @the-onlyy-angie @lreadsstuff @xadenswhore @willowpains @secretsicanthideanymore @a-chegwidden @tele86 @i-am-infinite

[berryz-writes]

Game Night

Azriel x reader

Summary: Game night with your mate and the IC. Safe to say your ready to fight Cassian. Mostly fluff at the end

I was inspired after the game of monopoly with my cousins. it was extremely chaotic😭

I leaned in even closer my head resting against his chest, his head ever so slightly resting on the top of my head. I was sat, very comfily, on Azriel's lap his wings cocooning us into a warm and peaceful environment.

"Az? Can you stop making y/n so comfy?" Mor asked from across the room choosing her character. I looked up at Azriel who had a small smile on his face. His hand tightened around my waist, his other hand continuing the circles he was making on my thigh.

"I will do whatever my mate tells me to do. If she wants to play she plays. If she wants to sleep she sleeps." Azriel said to Mor pressing a warm kiss to my head.

I sat up a little and slid off of Azriel's lap to sit next to him, he looked a little disgruntled but all the same kept his arm around my waist his left wing around my back. "She's right. I want to play but it's just- your too comfy." He raised an eyebrow at my statement. He was probably confused as to whether I was complimenting him or not.

"You can come sit on my lap, y/n" Cassian said grinning. Nesta whacked him on the arm, earning a surprised yelp from him. "Sorry, love. I didn't mean it" He muttered.

The monopoly game soon started and of course the rules were changing as the game went on. That was one reason why Elain had opted out and had instead taken up Lucien's request to join him for dinner. Her evening was probably more peaceful than mine was currently going.

I stood up ready to kick Cassian out of the game "Cassian! You can't just land on pay two hundred and then proceed to put it in the bank. It's supposed to go in the middle"

He stood up crossing his arms "It goes in the bank! NOT THE FUCKING MIDDLE! I'm not-"

"Watch your tone" Azriel interrupted, his voice threatening and causing Cassian to send me a wink "he's whipped" he mouthed at me, earning the middle finger from Azriel.

"Why is it going in the middle? I thought-" Mor added, trying to hide her money behind her so we wouldn't know how much she had. It was quiet obvious. 

"It's not, it goes in the bank. Where did that rule even come from?" Rhys asked, annoyed that the game had stopped because he was currently winning and he wanted to continue charging us every time we landed on one of his properties.

Feyre rested a hand on his arm to calm him down "It goes in the middle because when someone else lands on free parking they get the money. Otherwise what would be the point of landing on free parking if you don't get anything?" She tried explaining. Cassian just looked even more angry and Rhys decided it was best to agree with whatever his mate was saying.

I clapped my hands at Feyre "Thank you! At least someone knows the rules"

"I'm putting it in the bank, none of you even know how to play" Cassian snatched the two hundred from the middle and handed it to Azriel who was playing as the banker. Azriel shook his head putting the money back in the middle.

"It's not going in the bank, mate." He looked tired from all the unnecessary arguing that was going on.

Cassian tried to shove it in himself "It does! Just let me put it in"

"Hands off the bank or else your ass is out of the game" Azriel said. Cassian reluctantly took his hands back and crossed his arms looking angry.

"Cassian just put it in the middle! Someone else could end up with it. It could be you if you land on free parking" I said stretching out my hand for the money.

"Nes! A little help here" Cassian said to Nesta pleading with her. Nesta merely shook her head "You wanted to play. So play. Teams don't work in monopoly sweetheart"

After a few more minutes of arguing and a few more refusals of Azriel not accepting Cassian's money, he put it in the middle and the game carried on. Eventually Mor got the money and made sure to tease Cassian with it as much as possible.

"Whatever. We'll see who wins" Cassian muttered sulkily. Nesta patted him on the arm "I'm sure you'll win"

We all knew he wasn't going to. Rhys in fact won. Then it was Nesta, Azriel and then me and Feyre in joint fourth. Mor came second to last because she forgot she had stashed her money behind her and so became bankrupt. And last but not least came Cassian who kept landing on Rhys's properties and eventually had no money left. He survived for half the game, a new record for him. He seemed extremely pissed but all the same asked "So, should we play again?"

"If you mean without yourself then sure" Rhys said looking rather pleased with his win.

"How about a game of cards? They're a little less...chaotic" Feyre asked reaching for a deck of cards and shuffling them.

Everyone agreed, readying themselves to play. I wasn't really someone who enjoyed playing cards so I opted out and settled back onto Azriel's lap, resting my head in the crook of his neck. He smelt delicious like usual. Like wind, smoke, musk something so delightfully intoxicating. And something that made me sleepy. Everyone's voices had become more distant, almost as if someone had turned their volume down. All I could hear was the low hum of their conversation and feel the slight rumble of Azriel's deep voice whenever he talked.

I felt Azriel tilt his head slightly down to look at me. I looked up at him snuggling in closer to his warmth. I pressed a kiss to the underside of his jaw earning a small smile from him.

"We can go up if your sleepy" He said quietly so only I could hear. I shook my head resting my hand on his chest. "You need to win for the both of us"

His lips quirked up even more. Those perfect lips. Lips that I wanted all over me. "Sweetheart, your eyes are closing without you even realising" He brushed a strand of hair out of my face.

"No they're not. Win for me Azriel"

"Ok, love. Whatever you say" He pressed another kiss to my head and let his shadows cocoon me so I could just barely hear their conversation. It was almost like a lulling buzz in the background.

*later on

I woke up to find myself in our gigantic bed (Illyrian wings were no joke) my face pressed into his chest. One of his hand cradled the back of my head while the other was wrapped around my waist. His wings were behind him, the warm blanket being enough for the night. Although it wasn't cold I still liked the feeling of the heavy weight of his wings draped over me. It felt like we were safe. Nothing could pull us apart.

I looked up at Azriel to see he was already awake. He smiled at me. A small dimple appearing in his cheek, his hazel eyes full of warmth. I kissed his cheek and then left a small kiss on his perfect lips.

"Your cute when you smile" I whispered to him. It was still night outside but because the curtain was left open I could just about make him out in the moonlight.

"And your gorgeous every single moment of the day" His voice was deep and full of tiredness. I reached up, my arm trying to get to his wing. He let it drop closer to me so I could gently pull it down onto me until it was draped over me like I wanted.

"Not too warm for you, sweetheart?" He asked rubbing his thumb up and down my bare skin, where my nightshirt had ridden up.

"No. Now go to sleep, shadow singer." I nuzzled back into his chest and let myself fall into a dreamless sleep.

MASTERLIST

[siriuslystyle1989]

Illicit Affairs

Eris Vanserra x Rhys!sister reader

warnings: Angst, Rhys being annoying :(

masterlist

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"We're all going to Rita's tonight, if you want to join." Mor spoke to her cousin, motioning to the inner circle.

"I would love to, but I'm visiting a friend tonight." Y/n replied her voice laced with false apology that was so convincing it even surprised herself.

"I swear you're always visiting someone Y/n" Cassian spoke, chewing loudly on his toast as Nesta scowled at her mate.

He leant forward and smirked at her knowingly.

"Ew stop." Y/n grimaced "It's nothing like that just a few friends I've got back in contact with recently."

"Hmmmm." Cassian was not convinced.

"Anyway, I've got to go, I'll see you all in a few days."

And with that, Y/n left. Her leather boots clicking on the cobblestone streets as she winnowed away.

............................................................................................................................

The girl arrived in front of the large doors of the forest house, breathing in a sigh of relief at the comforting atmosphere.

She raised her hand to knock but it met nothing as the door swung open to reveal her mate.

Eris Vanserra.

The redheaded male looked down at her with a smirk and spoke, voice smooth and sultry.

"Hello my fawn."

Y/n moved towards Eris, swinging her arms around his middle, snuggling her face into his chest as he kissed her hair.

"I missed you." She murmured, trying to pull him impossibly closer to her.

Eris let out a low chuckle, as he moved them further into the house.

Falling down onto the sofa, Eris dragged Y/n on top of him, resting her head on his chest snuggling down.

Kissing the top of her head, Eris stroked her hair seemingly in a comfortable bliss.

"Eris." Y/n spoke up, breaking the comfortable silence.

"Yes my love?" He replied, concern lacing his tone.

"I'm afraid my family have become... suspicious of me." She bit her lip and looked up at him with worry.

Eris sighed and continued stroking her hair.

"Whatever you want to do, I will back you. If you want to tell them, tell them, if you don't, don't. The decision is yours sweetheart." He stated.

"I just- I just don't know how much longer I can keep this from them all, especially Rhys." Y/n felt her eyes well up with tears.

Eris' heart broke at the sight as he pulled his mate closer to him, kissing her tears away.

"So there's your answer baby, tell them."

Y/n nodded, anxious thoughts consuming her mind as her head fell into the crook of Eris' neck.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Leaving Eris was always hard but the pair had to carry on as normal. Eris not wanting his father to know about Y/n and Y/n not particularly wanting her family to know about Eris, it was something they had to get used to.

They found ways of communicating: sending emotions through the bond, meeting up whenever they could, writing letters to each other.

This is how Y/n found herself on a Tuesday morning, reading through the copious amounts of love letters her mate had sent, over a cup of morning tea.

Unfortunately this was short lived as a harsh knock was heard on her door, followed by the sound of it opening.

"It's just me." Her brother's voice bounded off the walls before she even had time to consider hiding the letters.

"Hi Rhys."

"Hey Y/n/n" He spoke with a smile, pulling the girl into a hug.

"I just came to check up on you, I feel like I haven't seen you in-" His words paused and Y/n felt her heart drop into oblivion.

"Who are all these letters from?"

"Rhys, they're- they're private!" She tried to grab the letters as he picked one up.

Clear as day.

'from your mate, Eris.'

"What the fuck Y/n."

"Rhys just- just let me explain- please" She attempted to reason with her brother as anger flamed his eyes.

"What is there to explain Y/n! After what he did to Mor..." He spat, his face laced with disgust.

"You never tried to hear his side of the story Rhysand. Maybe he's not as bad as you think he is-" Y/n spoke, trying to get her brother to look her in the eye.

"Who are you. Genuinely I don't even know you." Rhys muttered looking down to the floor, shaking his head and pulling at his hair.

"Rhys- please- just listen-"

"It's him or us." He finally looked her in the eye.

"W- what?" Y/n replied, fresh tears rolling down her cheeks.

"It's him or us. Your family or him. Your title or him."

"Rhys, don't make me choose you can't-"

"Oh I can." Rhysand replied, eyes wild with anger.

Y/n looked down, eyes scanning the letters on the table. She couldn't begin to imagine a life without Eris.

"Him."

Shock fell to Rhysand's features

"You are no sister of mine." He muttered as he barged out of her home, leaving the door swinging wide open.

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Eris lay his head back on the sofa, one of his hounds making its way up to put its head on his lap.

KNOCK

The sound made the hound jump up and start whining. Eris looked down concerned and began making his way to the door.

As it opened with a creak, Eris was met with the tear stained face of his mate.

"Y/n/n, my love what happened."

"Rhys knows, he saw the letters." She spoke in between sobs falling into his arms.

"Shhhh" Eris cooed, stroking her back to calm the girl down "Its okay sweetheart, everything will be just fine."

They moved into the house, Y/n letting out a wet laugh as Eris' hounds fussed over her.

"Okay fawn." Eris spoke, sitting her on his lap. "Tell me what happened."

"Rhys came into my house, and saw the letters." Y/n shakily begun as her mate nodded, holding her hand coaxing her to go on.

"And he told me I had to choose you or my family. And when I said I'd choose you, he told me- he told me I was no sister of his." At this she let out a small sob and turned to look Eris in the eye.

"You chose me?" he spoke up.

"Of course I chose you." Y/n laughed through a sob.

"Y/n. I promise this will sort itself out, Rhysand will come around. You're his sister, he just needs time to process it." He kissed her face gently, pulling her closer.

"I love you." She sighed into him, feeling the most at ease she had all day.

"I love you too, whatever happens I swear to you, I'll always be here."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

A/N: I am SO sorry for my absence school is killing me. Anyway SUE ME im obsessed with Eris

[cakesunflower]

reasons why Elriel is endgame because it’s so goddamn obvious

Elain starting a conversation with Azriel (because he seemed the most approachable to her) during their dinner at the Archeron Estate.

Elain wearing a cobalt blue dress (matching the color of Azriel’s siphons) when the mortal Queens came to visit.

Azriel sitting with Elain in the garden, arguably the one who spent the most time with her during a time she wasn’t speaking to anyone after turning Fae.

Azriel being the only one who figured there was something more to what Elain was saying in regards to her visions and then being the one to figure out she is a Seer.

Feyre asking Rhys why Azriel and Elain couldn’t be mates, wondering if Azriel is who she needs.

Azriel being the one to realize Elain was missing when Hybern kidnapped her, and him being dead set on rescuing her.

Elain saying “you came for me” when he and Feyre found her.

Elain being the only person Azriel allowed to use Truth-Teller in all of the centuries he has had it.

DEATH AND THE LOVELY FAWN!!!! DARK AND LIGHT!!! DEATH AND LIFE!!!

Azriel not wanting to keep tabs on Lucien because it would be an invasion of Elain’s privacy.

Azriel sitting with Elain late into the night, listening to her plans for the garden.

Elain buying presents for Azriel on Solstice, but never buying them for Lucien.

Azriel staying up at night, staring at the first gift Elain gave him.

Elain finds Azriel approachable, someone she can talk to (and obviously has feelings for), but shrinks into herself and becomes quiet whenever Lucien is around.

Azriel subtly defending Elain when Amren snapped at her during dinner in ACOFAS (“I’d feel bad for the mice).

Feyre noting multiple times that Elain moves quietly, is a good secret keeper (foreshadowing Elain becoming a spy)

Elain’s best friends are Nuala and Cerridwen aka the spies for the Night Court aka Azriel’s spies

Rhysand trained Feyre, Cassian trained Nesta. . . Azriel is going to train Elain.

Azriel following the sound of Elain’s laugh. Something charged passing through the air (Nesta notices) when their eyes meet.

THEIR ALMOST KISS???? HELLO???

Azriel being in a shitty mood after Solstice when Rhys forbade him from being near Elain

Azriel asking “what happened to Elain?” when Cassian mentions the argument between her and Nesta.

Azriel’s shadows being ready to strike at Nesta when she said to Elain “maybe you’ll become interesting after all.”

Nesta knowing why Azriel stayed far from Elain and Lucien during Solstice because he could smell their mating bond and it made him sick enough to stay far away.

Elain immediately wanting to wear the necklace Azriel got her, meanwhile she obviously rejects/dislikes the gifts Lucien has bought for her.

It’s 3 brothers (the bat boys) and 3 sisters (the Archerons). 3 mountain peaks. 3 items in the Trove. 3 is a big number for SJM. You don’t think that has any significance?? Think again!

The cauldron has been said to be corrupted. Mor has mentioned it, Azriel questioned if the cauldron was wrong, and (SPOILER) its corruption is noted in House of Flame and Shadow, too. There’s a chance it fucked up (or maliciously formed) the mating bond for Elain.

Whether or not Elain’s real mate is Azriel, her bond with Lucien brings up the idea of rejecting the mating bond. There’s a reason SJM had Feyre asking Rhys if mating bonds can be rejected. Elain’s choices have been stripped from her, time and time again. No control over her life since her family lost their fortune, turning Fae against her will, losing Grayson.

SJM has said her books are about the female protagonists finding their agency. Elain’s book is going to be about that, obviously, and rejecting the bond with Lucien and CHOOSING Azriel is no doubt going to be a part of that. Along with whatever SJM has in store for Elain.

Feysand are Night Triumphant and Stars Eternal. Nessian are Lord of Bloodshed and Lady Death. Elriel are Death and the Lovely Fawn. There’s a reason SJM has these titles. You gotta be blind not to see it.

anyways! if you can’t see how all of this is gonna lead to an Elriel endgame then i feel sorry for you

also back in 2021 when we were all in lockdown and i had nothing better to do (and because i am a writer and a little insane) i wrote a whole essay after ACOSF was published explaining why i think Elriel is endgame (i’m pretty sure i use all of the points here in the essay) and if you wanna read my musings that are all derived from fact you can read it here!!!!!

[throneofsapphics]

finding you again epilogue

Azriel x f!Reader

summary: after he ended your relationship, you didn’t expect Azriel to pop into your life again - and you’re not happy about it

warnings: implied sexual content

a/n: here's the last part to this little series! thank y'all so much for reading it <3 and thank you to @whisperingmidnights for your help <3

series masterlist

“Your shadow is here,” your sister cooed. 

You groaned. Gods, you were going to kill her. She’d taken to calling Azriel ‘your shadow,’ anytime she spotted some patch of darkness moving - as in every single swaying tree. Sure, it could have been Azriel a few times, but  he had much better things to do than follow you through Velaris on your infrequent visits. He’d made that perfectly clear. 

“Casual,” he’d said. Or had you? Either way, he’d agreed. You both did. 

Pressure built in your temples, the uncomfortable semi-headache that usually accompanied thinking of him. 

A pointy elbow jutted into your side. “There,” she snipped, nose upturned - offended you thought she was lying, perhaps. Or putting on a show. The second option was the most likely, knowing her. 

But you had bigger issues at hand. Mainly the Illyrian warriors strolling down the sidewalk, their massive wings taking up most of the space, females and males alike ogling them. 

You had no right to be jealous. When you were certain you wouldn’t be caught, you ogled them. Any sane person would. Besides, you got to see several of them in vastly different states. 

-

He knew that scent anywhere. The sweet unfurling of a flower, a step beyond your usual one. Sure, he was already aware of your presence but to scent that, and not even see you looking in his direction. Cassian’s hand on his shoulder was the sole thing keeping him from stalking over to you and winnowing you back to -

“Control yourself,” Cassian snickered. 

He shook his brother off, fixing him with a look that did nothing to wipe the smug grin off his face as he kept going - Right. To. You.

Just like that, he was signed up for dinner with you, your sister, and Cassian. He had a sinking feeling in his gut two parties would be missing. It was something he’d do. 

Az was nearly a millennium old by the time he was convinced to retire. By you, by everyone. To you, in private, he groused about the others' opinions. 

You were surprised by how quickly he agreed to retire to the home you’d created so many years ago. Not Velaris. 

Maybe he craved some peace and quiet as well. 

After all, the two of you managed a ‘long-distance’ relationship. His form of winnowing made the moniker redundant, but you still spent a few nights apart each week. 

Not that it had started as a relationship, not even close. In the moments, those years had been full of turmoil and unrest throughout the world, but you’d enjoyed the reliable banter with him, the push and pull that lasted centuries until there was an intervention. 

Mor had become your friend over the last few centuries, and it wasn’t a surprise that she showed up for you out of the blue. 

The surprise came in the room filled with the inner fucking circle of the Night Court. Well, a good portion of them. 

Rhys had a wicked smile on his face, similar to when you’d received the bargain and your heart caught in your throat. Whatever it was, it wouldn’t be good. 

“Everyone’s sick of you two dancing around each other,” Mor started - and it only got worse from there on. Azriel had inched closer to you throughout it, and at one point you felt him attempt to winnow the two of you out - to save both of you, but the High Lord had prepared for everything. You shot Az a grateful look. 

As soon as there was a pause in conversation, you turned to him. “When is a good time to announce our marriage?” He paled. Just a shade, but you’d made the feared spymaster pale and mother above you’d remember it for the rest of the day. “I’m joking,” you added quickly to the room. 

Less than a month later, the two of you eloped, not telling a soul until after. They had all gloated over how their intervention worked.

taglist: @mellowarcadefun @acourtofbatboydreams @macimads  @sirens-and-moonflowers @tele86 @kalulakunundrum @anxious-study @mika-no-sekai-blog @judig92  @randomperson1234sblog @fightmedraco @caraaaaugh @thelov3lybookworm @tothestarsandwhateverend @fxckmiup @scatteredstardustt @tooweirdtolive-toorareto-die @redcap3girl @boygeniuses10 @anuttellaa @aunicornmademedoit @inloveallthetime @florencemtrash @juniperberriesaries @azriels-shadowsinger @mybestfriendmademe @prettylittlewrites @bubybubsters @emryb @blessthepizzaman @littlelou22 @topaz125 @prrius-tylersapphire  @skylarkalchemist @lilah-asteria @sheblogs @fan-of-many-bands @whatasweetgeorgiapeach  @lipstickmarks @moonlwghts

[famouscyclenerd]

Mor's reactions to Az and Elain are explained in his BC

this is my opinion btw, nothing's been confirmed.

I've seen both sides use her reactions to "prove" that their ship is endgame in whatever way. We don't have her pov in any of the scenes however.

So as of right now, we don't know why Sarah chooses to highlight Mor's reactions whenever there is an interaction between Elain and Az in her presence, but I have my theories, and ya'll already know it's not going in e/riels favor, SO BUCKLE UP MY DUDES WE'RE GOING FOR A RIDE!👹

I think it's important to note that Azriel and Mor's relationship has been slightly... turbulent throughout all of the decades they've known each other. Don't get me wrong, it hasn't been absolutely unstable, but there is a huge lack of communication on both sides that's been in dire need of resolvement in order for them to have a good and healthy friendship.

Although Sarah hasn't confirmed it, moriel was supposed to be endgame. PERIOD! I still can't believe there are moriel deniers. Reading ACOMAF, moriel was the plan and that's a !fact! (TRUST, I was there when MAF realeased and the couples were feysand, elucien, nessian and moriel) and it became evident in ACOWAR that she changed her mind on them for unknown reasons.

So what do we know about them and their feelings for each other? In MAF Feyre noticed Azriel reactions towards Mor. I honestly find that so fucking funny when "Beautiful, but near-unreadable." and "His skin was as cold as his face." is how Feyre first describes his face, yet she clocks his feelings for Mor almost immediately.

"It was almost enough to distract me from noticing Azriel as those shadows lightened, and his gaze slid over Mor's body (...) A wisp of shadow curled around Azriel's ear, and his eyes snapped to mine. I schooled my face into bland innocence."

"Mor patted Azriel on the shoulder (...) The lurking shadow vanished entirely as Azriel's head dipped a bit (...)"

This was the very first scene where Feyre observed Mor and Az together.

"Yes - Azriel, who kept a step away, whose shadows trailed him and seemed to fade in her presence."

I find this interesting since some of you can say: "GOTCHA! His shadows vanishes around Mor like they do with Elain and moriel was supposed to be endgame in MAF" but I don't think this is good for the e/riels at all, as Sarah kept this going even after she decided that they weren't going to be together. This basically established e/riel to be moriel 2.0 and it didn't work out the first time, so why would it work a second time?

I find it interesting when Feyre, Rhys, Cassian and Azriel leaves to go see Elain and Nesta for the first time - Azriel decided to leave behind his shadows.

"(...) No shadows trailed us, as if he'd left them in Velaris."

Why? Because he didn't want to unsettle the sisters as they were there to convince them to work with them.

"Then I shifted to the right, grateful those shadows were nowhere to be found (...)"

"But Azriel's attention was on my sister, a polite, bland smile on his face. Her shoulders loosened a bit. I wondered if Rhys's spymaster often got his information through stone-cold manners as much as stealth and shadows."

How sweet! First meetings :D

To speed things up a bit, we have Mor finally telling Feyre more about their relationship. How she's aware he wants her, but doesn't see himself good enough to be with her.

“He might have defied and proved those Illyrian pricks wrong at every turn, but it won’t matter if Rhys makes him Prince of Velaris—he’ll see himself as a bastard-born nobody, and not good enough for anyone. Especially me.”

This is very crucial and something I'll circle back to later!

Then we have the cauldron scene that seemed to be what would finally make a change in their so far static relationship.

"Faster than any of us could see, Jurian fired a hidden ash bolt through Azriel's chest. Mor screamed."

"Mor was shaking - trying hard not to, but shaking as she stared at the protruding end of that arrow, visible between the gap in Azriel's wings."

"Jurian's sword was already out - and he was looking at Mor as if he was going to kill her first. Azriel's blood-drained face twisted with rage as he noticed that stare."

"Azriel cried out in pain. She froze."

"Mor looked at Azriel and there was real fear there. Fear - and something else. She didn't stop moving until she kneeled beside him and pressed a hand to his wound. Azriel hissed - but covered her bloody fingers with his own."

I've said this before and I'll say it again. If you know SJM terminology, you know what the "something else" means. This was the mating bond snapping into place for Mor. We were all waiting for it to be adressed in ACOWAR, but clearly that never happened.

As of WAR and FAS, Azriel's feelings for Mor doesn't waver. He continues to stare after her with longing, hunger, sadness whatever - even with Elain in the room fyi. But Mor's feelings for him has been changed irrevocably - as Sarah decides to sink the moriel ship once and for all by telling us Mor is not romantically interested in men, something Az is not aware of, as far as we know. And she continues to sleep with men, which makes him confused and hurt. Their relationship remains the same as it always has been.

So with this out of the way, let's take a look at Mor's reactions to e/riel!

"Azriel's hazel eyes churned as he studied my sister, her too-thin body. And without a word, he winnowed away. Mor watched the space where he'd been standing long after he was gone."

This is... an interesting reaction and something that Sarah obviously wants us to notice. So why is that?

"Az said nothing. No, he just moved toward her. Mor tensed beside me."

Ah, the lovely potato scene! As I was re-reading it, there really was nothing romantic about it whatsoever. Rhys explaining why, as this was more to highlight Azriel's ptsd than show any romantic indication between him and Elain.

However, Mor's reaction is certainly something to note on. She tenses as she watches them. And in here comes my reasoning as to why Az's POV is so important to her reactions. Because previously, we see Elain and Az together through other people's eyes, and it can come across as very sweet and innocent, ♫the start of something new♪ perhaps. But the BC really just threw any sliver of a chance for e/riel out the window, imho.

There was simply nothing sweet about Azriel's inner thoughts as he was interacting with her. His self worth is at an all time low around her, meaning it has most likely always been like that whenever they've been together.

He is so aware of his own flaws, his status, his looks etc and basically comparing himself to her. She is so flawless and good and he is this ugly monster.

"Az tried not to look at his scarred fingers as they took the gift."

"His shadows skittered back at the sound. They'd always been prone to vanish when she was around." ← as they do with Mor

"Letting his scarred fingers touch her immaculate skin."

"Wrong - it was so wrong."

"She looked up at him, her face so trusting and hopeful and open that he knew she had no idea that he had done unspeakable things that sullied his hands far beyond his scars."

"Such terrible things that it was a sacrilege for his fingers to touch her skin, tainting her with his presence."

"He hadn't gotten that far with his planning, certainly not beyond the fantasies he pleasured himself to." ← this is straight up diabolical💀

Although we have never gotten Az's POV when he's around Mor, I imagine it to be very similar in terms of how he views himself and them. And I think Mor understands this. When she looks at Elain and Az, she sees herself and him. And I think her heart breaks for him as she watched history repeat itself, likely knowing that there isn't much she can do but watch as he self destructs again and again.

As I mentioned, this makes me look at e/riels interactions differently when knowing how Az views himself around her. I believe this made every interaction between them, that could carry hints of potential romance, into something much darker than what it seemed like on the surface. And I think Mor sees this, as well as Rhys.

This kinda leads into a post I was planning on writing, but couldn't be bothered. But it was about Az and Rhys and how as of SF, the character that knows Az the best is Rhys. And we see Rhys shut down any e/riel interaction known to man. Feyre: "how handsome they could be together" and Rhys: "Azriel has been preoccupied with the same female for five hundred years" etc.

With the bonus chapter in mind, I have a headcanon that, like Feyre did to Lucien, Rhys used his daemati powers on Azriel and essentially read what we read, leading to him interrupting them as he (like many of us) did not view what was happening as something romantic. If you read on a surface-level, what Rhys did could appear mean, but to me, he did this because he cares for his brother and that particular kiss would not make Azriel feel better about himself. At all!

"What of Mor, Az?" Azriel ignored the question." ← He is not completely over her, even in SF.

If my headcanon is true (which we might never even find out) I just have to point out that Feyre found no ill will when it came to Lucien's regard for Elain, only concern, sorrow, longing etc. Compared with Rhys and Az, where good intentions was not on the table, but simply lust and self-hatred on Azriel's end at least.

I'm not sure why Sarah decided to toy around with e/riel except because Azriel was suddenly available after she decided to ditch moriel, but I do believe that they've turned into nothing but a red herring for gwynriel and elucien. And it worked, a little too well maybe.

See I could pull in my girl Gwyn and her scene with Azriel to compare and show the contrast of it, but I'm not going to..

"The young priestess smiled - and he thought it might have been directed at his curious shadows."

This is already... so different to what we've seen with the other two.

"He blocked out the bloody memory that flashed, so at odds with the Gwyn he saw before him now."

He thinks about her and how far she's come compared to when they first met.

"Her breath curled in front of her mouth, and one of his shadows darted out to dance with it before twirling back to him. Like it heard some silent music."

"He blinked. It wasn't every day that people took him by surprise, but..."

This is just cute c:

"Azriel couldn't help his soft chuckle."

"(...) rubbing his hands against the cold, grateful for its bracing bite and the distraction of this impromptu lesson."

He is aware of his hands and not thinking about how "ugly" they are when she is around him. He is also happy about this surprising lesson, not at all interested in being alone to mope anymore.

"Azriel laughed."

"(...) something restless settling in him. Even his shadows had calmed. As if content to lounge on his shoulders and watch."

You already know. But Az was in a shitty mood right before this, and it did not take much of Gwyn to calm him down, leading him to feel slightly better about himself and even feeling like he could get some sleep after all.

Compared to both Mor and Elain, his shadows are present and interacting with her and she's paying attention to them as well. Which is a first. And let's not forget the ✨spark✨

Which of these three ladies is better for Azriel? Mor and Elain are basically the same for him, himself and his shadows reacts more or less the same around them. Or Gwyn, which read in a lot more positive note than the previous two?

I think Sarah knows at least🤷‍♀️

[fr0stf4ll]

Forge of Starlight - Part 14

paring; Azriel x reader

summary; In the heart of Velaris, a skilled blacksmith's quiet life is turned upside down when unexpected bonds begin to form with the enigmatic Spymaster of the Night Court. As she navigates the challenges of her craft and the complexities of newfound relationships, she discovers that love and loyalty may be the strongest forces of all in a world where darkness often lingers just beyond the light.

word count ; 6.5k

warning; smut :)))

notes; Hey everyone, we are getting close to the end of the story, I'm glad that you guys are enjoying it. I love reading your comments <33 So tbh this is my first time writing this kind for "hum hum" content... So I really hope that you will enjoy this chapter ;))

here is the link for part 13 or part 15

---

Azriel stepped into the Town House, his mind still spinning from the confrontation with you. The door closed quietly behind him, but the weight of the conversation lingered heavily on his shoulders. He had hoped for a different outcome, but now he was left wondering if he had made the worst mistake of his life.

As he made his way into the living room, Cassian was lounging on one of the sofas, a glass of whiskey in hand. He looked up as Azriel entered, raising an eyebrow in surprise.

“What are you doing here, Az?” Cassian asked, a teasing grin on his face. “Shouldn’t you be in the arms of your beloved blacksmith right now?”

Azriel sighed, rubbing the back of his neck, his expression filled with regret. “I might have fucked up, Cass.”

Cassian’s grin faded, replaced by a look of concern as he set his glass down. “What do you mean? What happened?”

Before Azriel could answer, Mor came striding into the room, her eyes narrowing as she took in the tension in the air. “What’s going on? Why do you look like someone just punched you in the gut, Az?”

Azriel hesitated for a moment before he finally spoke, his voice low and filled with guilt. “Y/N overheard me talking to Rhys. She knows we’re mates, and… I didn’t tell her. She’s angry—hurt, and I can’t blame her.”

Mor’s eyes widened in shock, and then, in a rare burst of emotion, she nearly screamed at him, “Azriel, are you serious? You didn’t tell her? How could you keep something like that from her?”

Azriel winced at the intensity of her reaction, but he knew she was right. He had messed up, and now he was paying the price for it.

Cassian, ever the voice of reason—or at least attempted reason—leaned forward, trying to keep the mood from completely spiraling. “Alright, let’s not lose our heads here. Az, it sounds like she just needs some time. It’s a lot to take in, and she’s been through so much already.”

Mor shook her head, her expression a mix of frustration and disbelief. “Time, sure. But what are you even still doing here, Azriel? You should be with her, apologizing, explaining—whatever it takes to make this right. You can’t just sit here and wallow in self-pity.”

Cassian nodded in agreement, though his tone was gentler. “She’s got a point, brother. You need to go back, talk to her again. Hell, get on your knees if you have to, but don’t just give up.”

Azriel looked between the two of them, torn between his own guilt and the advice of his friends. “I… I don’t know if she’ll even want to see me right now.”

“Doesn’t matter,” Mor snapped, her voice firm. “You go back to her, and you don’t come back here until you’ve made things right. And Az, I mean it—you better not step foot in this house for the next few days. Focus on her.”

Cassian clapped a hand on Azriel’s shoulder, offering him a small, encouraging smile. “You’ve got this, Az. Just be honest with her, and give her the time she needs. She cares about you—don’t forget that.”

Azriel nodded slowly, the weight of his friends’ words sinking in. He had messed up, but he wasn’t about to give up on you. He couldn’t.

“Thanks, both of you,” he said quietly, his resolve strengthening. “I’m going back. I’ll make it right.”

“Good,” Mor said, her tone softening slightly. “Now go, and don’t come back until she’s forgiven you.”

With that, Azriel turned and headed for the door, his heart heavy but determined. He knew he had a lot to make up for, but he was willing to do whatever it took to win back your trust.

As he left the Town House, he couldn’t help but think of you—alone, hurting, and confused. He had made a mistake, but he wouldn’t let it be the end of what could be something truly special between you. He would find a way to make things right, no matter what it took.

Azriel’s heart pounded in his chest as he made his way back through the quiet streets of Velaris, the cool night air doing little to calm the storm of emotions swirling inside him. He had never felt so conflicted, so desperate to fix something that he wasn’t even sure could be mended. But he knew one thing for certain: he wasn’t going to give up on you. Not now, not ever.

The path to your apartment felt longer than usual, each step heavy with the weight of what had transpired between you. When he finally reached your door, he paused, taking a deep breath to steady himself. His mind raced with thoughts of what to say, how to explain, but in the end, he knew that words might not be enough. It was his actions that would have to speak for him now.

He raised his hand and knocked softly, his heart in his throat as he waited for you to answer. The silence that followed felt like an eternity, but then, finally, he heard the sound of your footsteps approaching the door.

 His heart was pounding, a mix of regret and determination driving him as he looked into your eyes. The silence between you was heavy, but he knew he had to speak, to say what needed to be said.

“Y/N,” he began, his voice steady but filled with emotion, “I’m so sorry. I know I should have told you about the bond. I should have trusted you with the truth from the beginning. I was wrong to keep it from you, and I can’t express how much I regret that.”

You looked at him, your expression guarded but not closed off. He could see the hurt in your eyes, but also the glimmer of something else—something that gave him a shred of hope.

“Azriel,” you said, your voice calm but firm, “why didn’t you tell me? I had to find out by overhearing a conversation. Do you have any idea how that felt?”

He flinched at your words, the pain in your voice cutting deep. “I was afraid,” he admitted, his voice low. “I was afraid of overwhelming you, of losing you before we even had a chance. I didn’t want to put more pressure on you after everything you’ve been through. But I realize now that I was wrong. You deserved to know the truth.”

You studied him for a moment, your gaze unwavering. “You should have trusted me to handle it, Azriel. You should have let me decide how to deal with it.”

He nodded, swallowing hard. “You’re right. I should have. And I’m sorry that I didn’t. But I’m here now, and I want to make things right. I’ll do whatever it takes.”

There was a long pause as you looked at him, weighing his words. Finally, you stepped aside, opening the door wider. “Come inside, Azriel. We need to talk.”

Relief washed over him as he stepped through the doorway, his heart still pounding but with a renewed sense of purpose. You closed the door behind him, and he followed you into the living room, where the remnants of your evening lay scattered—a half-empty cup of tea, a blanket draped over the back of the couch.

You both sat down, the air between you still thick with unspoken words. Azriel watched you, waiting for you to speak first, wanting to hear what you had to say.

“I’m not going to lie,” you began, your voice steady, “I was really upset when I overheard you and Rhys. I felt… blindsided. But I also know that you didn’t keep it from me to hurt me. You were trying to protect me, even if it was the wrong way to do it.”

Azriel nodded, his gaze never leaving yours. “That’s exactly it. I thought I was doing the right thing, but I see now that I should have been honest with you from the start.”

You sighed, running a hand through your hair as you considered your next words. “I don’t know what this bond means for us, Az. I don’t even know how I feel about it right now. But I do know that I care about you, and that I’m willing to figure this out—together.”

A wave of relief washed over him, and he leaned forward, his voice soft but filled with conviction. “We’ll figure it out, Y/N. I promise you, I’ll do everything I can to make this right. I’ll be here for you, no matter what.”

You looked at him, your expression softening slightly. “I believe you, Azriel. But this is going to take time. We need to rebuild the trust that was shaken tonight.”

He nodded, fully understanding the gravity of your words. “I’ll give you all the time you need. Just know that I’m not going anywhere.”

You both sat in silence for a moment, the weight of the conversation hanging in the air. But there was also a sense of resolution, a quiet understanding that while things weren’t perfect, they could be mended.

Finally, you broke the silence, a small, tentative smile playing on your lips. “Would you like some tea? It’s not much, but it’s something.”

Azriel smiled, the tension in his shoulders easing just a bit. “Tea sounds perfect.”

You stood up and made your way to the kitchen, and Azriel followed, the distance between you feeling just a little bit smaller than it had moments before. As you prepared the tea, the normalcy of the moment brought a sense of calm to both of you.

When you returned to the living room with the tea, Azriel took the cup you offered and sat down beside you, the warmth of the cup a comforting weight in his hands.

Azriel sat on the couch, his heart still heavy with the weight of your earlier conversation. The tension between you had begun to ease, but there was still so much left unsaid, so much to work through. He watched you as you moved about the kitchen, your back turned to him as you prepared something else. 

A few moments later, you returned to the living room, carrying a small plate with a slice of cake on it. You set it down on the table in front of him with a quiet smile.

“I, um, had planned to give you something to eat later,” you said, your voice soft but steady. “But since you came back so quickly, this is all I have for now.”

Azriel looked at the cake, then back at you, his heart swelling with emotion. The gesture, simple as it was, meant more to him than words could express. He could see the effort you were making, the tentative steps toward repairing what had been shaken between you.

“Are you sure?” he asked, his voice low and careful. “Does this mean… does this mean that you accept the bond?”

You met his gaze, and for a moment, there was only silence between you. Then, slowly, you nodded, your eyes softening as you reached out to take his hand in yours.

“I love you, Azriel,” you said quietly, your voice filled with sincerity. “I was hurt, yes, and I needed time to process everything. But the truth is, I’ve felt something between us for a while now. The bond… it’s just a name for what we already have. And yes, I accept it. I accept you.”

Azriel’s breath caught in his throat, his heart hammering in his chest as your words washed over him. He had been so afraid that he had lost you, that his mistake had been too much to overcome, but here you were, telling him that you loved him, that you accepted the bond that tied you together.

Without thinking, he set the cup of tea aside and pulled you into his arms, holding you close as a wave of relief and love washed over him. You leaned into him, your arms wrapping around his waist as you rested your head against his chest.

“I love you,” he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. “I love you so much.”

You smiled against him, the tension between you finally melting away as you allowed yourself to fully embrace what had always been there. The bond, the connection, the love—it was all real, and it was all yours.

Azriel pulled back slightly, just enough to look into your eyes. “Thank you for giving me a second chance,” he said, his voice earnest. “I won’t let you down, Y/N. I promise.”

You reached up to cup his cheek, your thumb brushing lightly over his skin. “I know you won’t, Azriel. We’ll get through this together.”

He leaned in, his forehead resting gently against yours as he closed his eyes, savoring the closeness, the warmth of your presence. For the first time in what felt like days, he allowed himself to truly believe that everything would be alright.

After a few moments, you both pulled back, and Azriel’s gaze fell to the cake on the table. He chuckled softly, the sound full of warmth and affection.

“You know,” he said, a hint of teasing in his voice, “I don’t think I’ve ever been more grateful for a piece of cake.”

You laughed, the sound light and genuine, and it filled the room with a sense of peace. “Well, enjoy it,” you replied with a grin. “It’s the least I could do after everything.”

Azriel picked up the fork and took a bite of the cake, savoring the sweet taste and the even sweeter feeling of being here with you, in this moment. When he looked back at you, his eyes were filled with love, the bond between you stronger than ever.

“You know, Y/N,” he said softly, his voice laced with affection, “I don’t need anything else. Just you. That’s all I’ve ever wanted.”

You smiled, your heart full as you leaned in to kiss him, the bond between you humming with contentment. “You have me, Azriel. Now and always.”

Whatever control Azriel had been holding onto snapped. In a swift movement, he lifted you into his strong arms, holding you close. Your breasts pressed against his chest, and your legs instinctively wrapped tightly around his waist. The intensity in his gaze was like a fire that had been smoldering for too long, finally unleashed.

He kissed you with a fervor that made your heart race, his lips claiming yours as if he couldn’t get enough. The kiss was deep, demanding, and you met it with equal passion, your fingers tangling in his hair as you pulled him even closer.

“Gods, Y/N,” Azriel murmured against your lips, his voice rough with need. “I’ve wanted this—wanted you—for so long.”

“Azriel,” you breathed, your voice trembling with the intensity of the moment. “I want you too. So much.”

Azriel carried you effortlessly toward the bedroom, his wings flaring slightly behind him, adding to the sense of raw power that radiated from him. You could feel every muscle in his body as he held you, the strength and control that he usually kept so tightly in check now fully on display.

He pushed open the door with his foot, never breaking the kiss, and carried you inside. The room was dimly lit, the soft glow of moonlight filtering through the curtains, casting a silvery hue over everything. The air was thick with tension, the bond between you humming with anticipation.

Azriel set you down on the edge of the bed, his hands sliding down to your hips, gripping them firmly as he leaned in to kiss you again. This time, the kiss was slower, more deliberate, as if he was savoring every moment, every taste of you.

“You’re so beautiful,” he whispered against your lips, his breath hot against your skin. “I can’t believe you’re mine.”

You shivered at his words, the possessiveness in his tone sending a thrill through you. “I’m yours, Azriel,” you whispered back, your voice filled with emotion. “Always.”

His hands roamed over your body, tracing the curves of your waist, the swell of your hips, and the softness of your thighs. Each touch sent shivers down your spine, igniting a fire in your core that only he could stoke. You arched into his touch, your breath hitching as his fingers teased the hem of your shirt.

With a slow, deliberate movement, Azriel lifted your shirt over your head, exposing your bare skin to the cool air. His gaze darkened as he took in the sight of you, his hands moving to cup your breasts, his thumbs brushing over your hardened nipples.

A gasp escaped your lips at the sensation, your back arching as you pressed yourself closer to him. Azriel’s lips curved into a wicked smile as he leaned down, his mouth trailing hot, open-mouthed kisses along your neck, down to your collarbone, and finally, to your breasts.

“You drive me wild,” he murmured, his voice husky as he took one of your nipples into his mouth, his tongue flicking over the sensitive peak as his hand massaged the other. “I can’t get enough of you.”

Your hands roamed over his back, feeling the ripple of muscles beneath his shirt. Without thinking, you tugged at the fabric, eager to feel his skin against yours. Azriel complied, pulling away just long enough to strip off his shirt before pressing his body against yours once more.

The feel of his bare chest against your skin was intoxicating, the heat of his body searing into you. You could feel the hard planes of his abdomen, the strength in his arms as he held you close, the steady beat of his heart beneath your hand.

Azriel’s mouth was on yours again, his kiss rougher this time, more desperate. His hands continued to explore your body, one slipping down to the waistband of your pants. He paused, his gaze meeting yours, silently asking for permission.

You nodded, your breath hitching in anticipation. “Please, Azriel,” you whispered, your voice trembling with need. “I need you.”

Azriel wasted no time, his fingers deftly unbuttoning your pants and sliding them down your legs, leaving you bare before him. He stood back for a moment, his eyes raking over your body, his expression filled with a mix of reverence and hunger.

“Perfect,” he muttered under his breath, almost as if he was speaking to himself. “You’re absolutely perfect.”

Before you could respond, Azriel was on you again, his mouth trailing hot kisses down your stomach, stopping just above the apex of your thighs. His hands gripped your hips, holding you in place as he pressed a kiss to the sensitive skin there, his breath warm against you.

Your heart raced, your body trembling with anticipation as his lips moved lower, teasing you with feather-light touches that had you aching for more. When his mouth finally found its mark, you cried out, your hands fisting in the sheets as waves of pleasure crashed over you.

“Azriel,” you moaned, his name a desperate plea on your lips. “Please… don’t stop.”

He chuckled against you, the sound vibrating through your core. “I don’t plan to,” he murmured, his voice filled with wicked promise.

Azriel was relentless, his tongue and lips working you with a skill that left you breathless. He knew exactly how to touch you, how to push you to the edge and then pull you back, driving you wild with need. Your hips bucked against his mouth, but he held you firmly, keeping you right where he wanted you.

“You taste incredible,” he growled, his voice rough with desire. “I could do this all night.”

The sensations built, spiraling higher and higher until you thought you might shatter from the intensity of it all. And then, just when you thought you couldn’t take any more, Azriel slowed, his movements becoming more languid, more deliberate, drawing out your pleasure until you were a quivering mess beneath him.

He kissed his way back up your body, his lips lingering on every inch of skin, until he was once again face to face with you. His eyes were dark with desire, his breathing ragged as he looked down at you.

“Y/N,” he whispered, his voice filled with awe. “You’re everything to me.”

You reached up, cupping his face in your hands as you pulled him down for another kiss, your lips meeting his with a fierce intensity. The taste of yourself on his lips only fueled the fire inside you, your need for him growing stronger with each passing second.

Azriel’s hands were everywhere—on your breasts, your hips, your thighs—fanning the flames of your desire. You could feel the evidence of his own arousal pressing against your thigh, and the thought of what was to come sent a fresh wave of heat coursing through you.

But even as the frenzy built between you, there was no rush, no hurry to reach the final act. This was about savoring the moment, about exploring each other’s bodies, about giving and taking pleasure in equal measure.

“Azriel,” you whispered against his lips, your voice trembling with emotion. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” he breathed, his voice filled with raw emotion. “More than anything.”

And with those words, you let yourself get lost in him—in the feel of his hands on your skin, the taste of his lips, the sound of his ragged breathing. You let the bond between you hum with energy, fueling your desire, guiding your movements as you and Azriel gave yourselves over to the intensity of the moment.

Azriel’s breath was hot against your skin, his kisses trailing down your neck as he murmured words of love and desire. Your body was already buzzing with the pleasure he had given you, but a new kind of hunger was stirring within you—one that demanded to be fulfilled.

You pushed him back slightly, meeting his gaze with a look that made his eyes darken even more. Without a word, you flipped him onto his back, straddling his hips as you leaned down to capture his lips in a searing kiss. Azriel’s hands gripped your thighs, his touch possessive as he groaned into your mouth.

But you had something else in mind.

Breaking the kiss, you trailed your lips down his jaw, along the column of his throat, savoring the way his breath hitched with every touch. You continued your descent, your fingers tracing the hard planes of his chest, feeling the way his muscles tensed beneath your touch.

“Y/N,” he rasped, his voice thick with desire. “What are you—”

You silenced him with a look, a wicked smile playing on your lips as you pressed a kiss to his sternum. “I want to make you feel good, Az,” you whispered, your voice low and sultry. “Let me take care of you.”

Azriel’s breath hitched again, his hands flexing on your thighs as he watched you with hooded eyes. “You don’t have to—”

“I want to,” you cut him off, your tone firm but filled with affection. “Just relax.”

His eyes fluttered closed, his chest rising and falling with deep, uneven breaths as you continued your journey down his body. You took your time, kissing and caressing every inch of skin, savoring the way he shivered under your touch.

When you finally reached the waistband of his pants, you glanced up at him, your heart pounding with anticipation. Azriel’s eyes were on you, his gaze intense and full of need. With a slow, deliberate movement, you tugged at his pants, pulling them down along with his underwear, revealing the full extent of his arousal. 

Azriel let out a low groan as he was freed from the fabric, his length hard and pulsing with need. Your eyes got bigger, seing that the rumors about wingspand were in fact accurate and wonder how that could fit in your mouth. You couldn’t help the way your mouth watered at the sight of him, your own desire flaring even hotter.

You wrapped your fingers around him, your touch firm but gentle as you stroked him slowly, watching his reaction. Azriel’s head fell back against the pillow, a shuddering breath escaping his lips as he surrendered to your touch.

“Y/N,” he groaned, his voice strained. “You’re going to drive me mad.”

“That’s the idea,” you teased, leaning down to press a kiss to the tip of his length, earning a sharp intake of breath from him.

You didn’t waste any more time, your mouth closing around him as you took him in slowly, savoring the way he filled you. Azriel’s hips bucked slightly, a low curse falling from his lips as he tangled his fingers in your hair, his grip tight but not forceful.

You set a steady rhythm, your tongue teasing the sensitive underside of his length as you moved up and down, your hand working in tandem with your mouth. Every moan, every shiver that you drew from him only fueled your own desire, making you want to please him even more.

“Fuck,” Azriel hissed, his voice rough with pleasure. “Y/N, that feels—gods, you’re incredible.”

His praise spurred you on, and you hollowed your cheeks, taking him deeper, reveling in the way he responded to you. Azriel’s breaths were coming faster now, his control slipping as you continued to work him with your mouth and hand.

“Please,” he rasped, his voice raw with need. “I’m not going to last if you keep that up.”

You glanced up at him, your eyes locking with his as you pulled back slightly, your tongue flicking over the tip of his length in a way that made him shudder. “Maybe that’s exactly what I want.”

Azriel’s grip on your hair tightened, his gaze burning with desire as he watched you. “You’re going to be the death of me,” he murmured, his voice rough with emotion.

You smiled wickedly, your mouth and hand continuing their relentless assault on him. You could feel him starting to lose control, his hips bucking up into your mouth, his breathing ragged and desperate.

“Y/N,” he groaned, his voice strained. “I’m close—so close.”

You didn’t let up, your pace quickening as you pushed him closer and closer to the edge. Azriel’s entire body tensed, his muscles flexing beneath your touch as he teetered on the brink of release.

And then, with a low, guttural moan, he came undone, his release spilling into your mouth as he shuddered beneath you. You took it all, swallowing him down, your hand and mouth working to prolong his pleasure until he was a trembling mess.

When you finally pulled back, you looked up at him, your lips curled into a satisfied smile. Azriel was breathing heavily, his chest rising and falling as he tried to regain his composure. His eyes were half-lidded, dark with lingering desire as he gazed at you.

“Y/N,” he whispered, his voice hoarse. “That was… incredible.”

You crawled back up his body, pressing a kiss to his lips, letting him taste himself on your tongue. “I’m glad you enjoyed it,” you murmured, your tone teasing.

Azriel wrapped his arms around you, pulling you close as he pressed his forehead against yours. “I’m not done with you yet,” he promised, his voice low and full of intent.

You shivered at the promise in his words, your own desire flaring up again at the thought of what was to come.

The night was far from over, and with the bond between you humming with energy, you knew that this was only the beginning of a night you would never forget.

Azriel’s eyes were still dark with desire as he looked at you, his chest rising and falling with the remnants of his release. But the hunger in his gaze told you that he wasn’t satisfied—not yet. The bond between you hummed with energy, pulling you closer, urging you to take this final step.

He rolled you onto your back with a swift movement, his body hovering over yours, his wings spread wide, casting shadows across the room. The intensity in his eyes made your breath hitch, and you could feel the heat radiating off him, searing into your skin.

Azriel kissed you deeply, his tongue sweeping into your mouth with a ferocity that took your breath away. His hands roamed over your body, exploring every inch of you with a mix of reverence and need. The feel of his roughened fingers against your soft skin sent shivers of anticipation down your spine.

“I need you, Y/N,” he murmured against your lips, his voice thick with desire. “I need all of you.”

Your heart raced at his words, and you nodded, your voice trembling with want. “Then take me, Az. I’m yours.”

A growl rumbled deep in his chest at your words, and he moved lower, kissing and nipping at your skin as he positioned himself between your thighs. The heat of his arousal pressed against you, and you felt a thrill of anticipation course through you.

He paused, his gaze locking with yours as he gently caressed your face, his touch filled with love and tenderness. “Are you sure?” he asked, his voice soft but filled with an undercurrent of urgency. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

Your heart swelled at his concern, and you cupped his face in your hands, pulling him down for a slow, languid kiss. “I’m sure, Azriel. I want this—I want you.”

With a nod, Azriel positioned himself at your entrance, his eyes never leaving yours. Slowly, he began to push inside, the sensation of him stretching you inch by inch causing your breath to catch in your throat. He was big, and the way he filled you, inch by inch, made your toes curl in anticipation and pleasure.

“Gods,” you gasped, your nails digging into his shoulders as he continued to press into you, the fullness of him overwhelming but intoxicating. “Azriel…”

He groaned as he sank deeper, his hands gripping your hips as he buried himself fully inside you. The stretch, the way he filled every part of you, sent waves of pleasure radiating through your body. You gasped, your fingers clutching at his back, your legs wrapping around his waist as you urged him to move.

Azriel began to move, his thrusts slow and controlled at first, as if he was savoring every moment, every sensation. The rhythm he set was steady, each movement sending shockwaves of pleasure through your core. You met his thrusts, your body moving in perfect sync with his, the bond between you humming with energy.

“Gods, Y/N,” he groaned, his voice rough with pleasure. “You’re so tight… so perfect.”

His words sent a flush of heat through you, and you reached up, your hands trailing along the powerful muscles of his back until you found the base of his wings. The moment your fingers brushed against the sensitive skin there, Azriel shuddered, his thrusts faltering for a moment as a low, guttural moan escaped his lips.

“Y/N,” he gasped, his voice raw with need. “Touch me… right there.”

You did as he asked, your fingers tracing the edges of his wings, marveling at the way they trembled under your touch. The reaction was immediate—Azriel’s thrusts became faster, more desperate, as if your touch had ignited something primal inside him.

The connection between you sparked with an intensity that made your head spin. The pleasure built, spiraling higher and higher until you thought you might lose yourself in the sensation.

Azriel’s thrusts became more powerful, his hips driving into you with a force that left you breathless. The bed creaked beneath you, but you barely noticed, too lost in the overwhelming pleasure that was building inside you.

You could feel the tension coiling in your lower abdomen, ready to snap at any moment. Your hands continued to caress his wings, your touch sending jolts of pleasure through him that matched the waves of ecstasy coursing through your own body.

“Azriel,” you moaned, your voice breathy with need. “I’m close… so close.”

“Me too,” he panted, his voice strained with the effort to hold himself back. “Gods, Y/N, you’re incredible.”

With one final, powerful thrust, the world around you shattered. Your climax crashed over you, your body tensing and then releasing all at once as you cried out his name. The sensation was so intense, so all-consuming, that you felt like you were floating, the bond between you and Azriel pulsing with shared pleasure.

Azriel followed you over the edge, his own release tearing through him as he shuddered above you. He groaned deeply, his wings trembling as he buried himself deep inside you, his body quaking with the force of his climax.

For a moment, the two of you remained intertwined, your bodies still connected as you both came down from the high. Azriel’s forehead rested against yours, his breath coming in ragged gasps as he tried to steady himself.

“I love you, Y/N,” he whispered, his voice filled with raw emotion. “I’ve never loved anyone like this before.”

You smiled up at him, your heart swelling with love and contentment as you stroked his cheek. “I love you too, Azriel. So much.”

He kissed you softly, the touch of his lips gentle, almost reverent. The bond between you was stronger than ever, the connection solidified by the physical and emotional closeness you had just shared.

Azriel slowly pulled out of you, leaving you both feeling slightly empty yet completely fulfilled. He rolled onto his back, pulling you with him so that you were lying on his chest, your bodies still tangled together.

The room was filled with the soft sounds of your breathing as you both lay there, basking in the afterglow of your shared experience. The night was quiet, peaceful, and for the first time in what felt like forever, you felt truly whole.

As you drifted off to sleep in his arms, you knew that whatever challenges lay ahead, you would face them together. The bond between you was unbreakable, and with Azriel by your side, there was nothing you couldn’t overcome.

Well you wished you could have drifted off to sleep in the comforting embrace of Azriel, but the moment you felt his hand trailing down your back, you knew that the bat boy wasn’t ready to stop. The frenzy of the bond had a hold on both of you, and the desire that had been temporarily sated was reigniting with a vengeance.

Azriel’s lips found your neck, pressing soft, teasing kisses along your pulse. The heat of his breath against your skin sent shivers down your spine, and you could feel the tension building in his body once again. His hands roamed over your back, pulling you closer, as if he couldn’t bear to be apart from you for even a second.

“Az,” you murmured, your voice trembling with a mix of exhaustion and renewed desire. “I thought… I thought we were done.”

He chuckled against your skin, the sound low and filled with promise. “We’re never done, Y/N,” he whispered, his voice thick with the intensity of his need. “Not until you’re completely spent… not until I’ve had my fill of you.”

You couldn’t help the way your heart raced at his words, the way your body responded to his touch, despite the exhaustion that was beginning to settle in. The frenzy was overwhelming, but you knew there was no resisting it—not when every fiber of your being craved him as much as he craved you.

Azriel rolled you onto your back, his wings flaring out behind him as he looked down at you with a predatory gleam in his eyes. The sight of him like this—so strong, so powerful, and entirely focused on you—was enough to send a fresh wave of heat coursing through you.

“You’re insatiable,” you whispered, your voice breathless as you looked up at him.

“For you?” he growled, his hands sliding down to grip your hips. “Always.”

Without warning, Azriel spread your legs wider, positioning himself between them. The sheer size of him, combined with the intensity of his gaze, made your breath hitch in anticipation. He wasn’t going to hold back this time, and the thought of what was to come made your core clench with need.

He entered you in one swift, powerful thrust, burying himself deep inside you. The stretch, the fullness of him, was almost too much, and yet it was exactly what you craved. A cry of pleasure escaped your lips as he set a demanding pace, each thrust sending shockwaves of ecstasy through your body.

“Azriel!” you moaned, your hands gripping the sheets as he pounded into you, his pace relentless. “Oh gods, yes… don’t stop.”

He didn’t. He drove into you with a fervor that made your head spin, the bond between you humming with the intensity of your shared pleasure. His wings flared out above you, the muscles in his arms and back flexing with every movement, a testament to his strength and stamina.

But it wasn’t just about the physical connection—it was the way he looked at you, the way he touched you, as if you were the only thing in the world that mattered. The love and desire in his eyes were enough to take your breath away, to make you feel completely consumed by him.

As his pace quickened, you felt the tension coiling in your lower abdomen, ready to snap at any moment. Azriel leaned down, his lips capturing yours in a bruising kiss, his tongue delving into your mouth with the same urgency as his thrusts.

“I love you, Y/N,” he growled against your lips, his voice rough with need. “Let go. I want to feel you shatter around me.”

His words were your undoing. With a scream of his name, you came undone, your body convulsing with the force of your climax. The intensity of it was overwhelming, your vision blurring as wave after wave of pleasure crashed over you.

Azriel followed you over the edge, his release hitting him with such force that his wings trembled above you. He buried himself deep inside you, his body quaking with the strength of his orgasm as he groaned your name, the sound filled with raw emotion.

For a moment, the world seemed to stop, leaving only the two of you, locked together in the aftermath of your shared release. The bond between you pulsed with energy, sealing the connection that had been forged in the heat of the frenzy.

Azriel collapsed beside you, pulling you into his arms as he tried to catch his breath. His wings draped over you like a protective cocoon, his body warm and comforting against yours.

The way Azriel’s hands began to roam over your skin again, the heat in his gaze, told you that the night was far from over. The bond between you hummed with energy, still unsatisfied, still craving more.

As you looked into his eyes, a shiver of anticipation ran through you. The night was going to be long, and neither of you was ready to stop.

---

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[danikamariewrites]

Okay, so what about some hcs with poly bat boys being jealous of a friend or something like that? Maybe they have a ddlg relationship with y/n?

When They’re Jealous headcanon

Bat boys x reader

A/n: they would be unbearable and the worst jealous boyfriends pouting and throwing lil tantrums to each other. Personally I’d squish their cheeks and just say awwww

Warnings: jealousy, slight ddlg and of course fluff

Usually Rhys, Az, and Cass can be very calm and collected

They know you have friends and hobbies outside of your relationship and they love seeing you happy bc it makes them happy

But they are prone to moments of jealousy when they see another male near you

The group had decided to go to Rita’s for the evening and you were ready to get tipsy and dance with Mor all night knowing your boys would take care of you

Wandering up to the bar you ran into an old university friend and talked to him for a while

The boys watched as you laughed with the mystery male, wondering why he was touching you and speaking to you

They watch as you leave him to join Mor back on the dance floor

Azriel watched you like a hawk for the rest of the night. His gaze going between you and the mystery male until Cassian had enough of the male practically eye fucking you

He dragged you and Mor off the dance floor, throwing you over your shoulder. Your giggles making your mates forget all about the male

When you got home the boys pampered you a little extra and snuggled you even tighter

They had almost forgotten about the mystery male, almost, until you and Azriel ran into him a few weeks later

With Cassian and Rhys busy in Illyria for the day Azriel decided to spoil you

Walking through the busy shopping district you tightly held Azriel’s hands as you excitedly peered in through the window displays when you saw something that caught your eye

“Oohhh daddy, that looks pretty. Can I get it?” You ask, pressing your nose against the glass. Azriel gently holds your hips, letting out a small chuckle. “You can have whatever you want, princess.” He kisses the back of your head

A shadow circles Azriel’s ear, letting him know the male from the other night was approaching. “Y/n,” he calls out. Your attention snaps to him as you wave him over

Azriel holds you a little tighter, pulling you flush against him as his arms wrap around your midsection. He glowers at the male and Azriel can tell he’s uncomfortable

After the male stutters a few more times he rushes away from the two of you

You tilt your head curiously at his sudden change in attitude. “Huh, I wonder what that was about.” You turn to Az with that cute curious look on your face. It immediately makes him melt, smiling down at you as he pulls you into a hug

“I’m sure he’s fine princess. C’mon, let’s get you that new outfit.” You shriek with excitement and run into the store

Every time you went out with your mates you seemed to run into your friend. When you see him the boys always keep you close and become overly affectionate, making sure to get their point across that you are theirs

One night while you’re fast asleep Az brings up the topic of the male from school. The three of them are sitting in Rhys’s office talking and drinking whiskey. “He keeps popping up where ever we take her. Don’t you find that odd.” Cassian crosses his arms and huffs. “I hate that guy. If he’s stalking y/n I’ll kill him.”

Rhys lets out a sigh, “I don’t think he’s stalking her. It’s time to admit it boys, we have become jealous mates.”

The boys didn’t want to believe it but Mor and Amren started picking on them for being jealous

You were oblivious to their behavior, just thinking that they were being more affectionate

The situation came to a head at Starfall

Your friend tried to dance with you and you had refused him. As the night went on he became more and more persistent

Rhys, Az, and Cass didn’t like that. They ended up pulling him aside and scared him off, telling him to never come near you again

Later that night Mor brought up them being jealous bat babies to you and everything clicked

Going to bed that night you pinched their cheeks and teased them for being jealous, “My jealous bats. How could you ever think I’d have eyes for someone other than my mates?” “We know, darling.” Rhys pulled you close to him, “We just can’t stand the thought of someone else giving our mate attention like that.”

[delaneytveit]

I've said this before but like i also feel like it needs to be said again low key.

Morrigan is no one's friend.

Like yeah she's Rhysand's second in command and commander of Hewn City or whatever and his cousin. But there's no evdence that she ever really does anything, especially because Keir (her father) has most of the power anyways and they apparently even needed to distract him and the rest of Hewn City so that they could get whatever it was they needed in maf (tbh i didn't really pay that much attention to what they were going their for because i was too confused with the whole fact that Morrigan as the de facto ruler and Rhysand as the actual fucking ruler should have just been able to waltz into HC and just get whatever the fuck they wanted with no questions asked). She rides on his coattails and condemns the people that she supposedly helps rule over, but she doesn't do anything to enforce corrections. She's Rhysand's cousin who got the job because of nepotism and nothing more.

She's not Cassian's friend as apparent with the fact that she was willing to put him in mortal danger just to get herself out an arranged marriage. Which like yeah you do you girl but also she high key manipulated Cass into risking his life just to get laid by the girl that his supposed best friend is in love with. And with the fact that Mor explicitly said that she chose Cass because she knew that she could get him to do it makes it all the more icky.

She's not Azriel's friend because what do you mean you thought that far ahead to know that Cassian would absolutely fuck you but Azriel who is supposed to have been pinning for you, won't touch you so you know you can't go to him because he has too much honor. But you don't think far enough to even consider the fact that Cassian could be executed for even touching you??? And she doesn't even hide it. Azriel was the one to get her from the Autumn Court boarder in the first place. And she continues to just not acknowledge anything!!!

Like I get it, as a member of the queer alphabet, coming out is tough with your family. But my fucking god you can't just tell Azriel that you don't like him in that way? That you won't see him in that way? Just so that you can pretend to the rest of your "family" that yeah you only like males? The hyper sexuality just to push Azriel away is so fucking cruel when you refuse to have a single honest conversation with the male.

And she is no friend to any of the Archeron sisters. SF proved that Mor will put Rhysand's wishes before Feyre's. Morrigan fucking suggested that Nesta should be condemed to HC, knowing what happens to women their, simply for embarrassing the "Royal Family" with her sellf medication, nevermind the fact that everyone in the IC has done much worse. And I can't even remember an instance in which Mor had an interaction with Elain tbh.

But I digress. Thanks for coming to my tedtalk. Morrigan sucks and i low key don't want her to be the major betrayal just because it seems like an easy cop out. I just think that she's a horrible person. but thats okay because at least she's more interesting than RiceBoy in the corner.

[foxglovethicket]

Wishbone

For @nestaarcheronweek day 7: free day!

Summary:

You’re as much of a monster as they are, Nesta accuses when the wine-haired woman unleashes hell in the prison and leaves them to clean up the mess. You’re as much of a monster as they are. Love will do that to you. Was that what had done it? Was it love that had made her into this? Maybe so. She had died for love, for her sister and her family. And whatever had made her into this undead, monstrous thing—had that been love? Or something worse?

A look into Nesta's point of view during HOFAS.

Chapters: 1/2

Read on AO3

At some point in the months after Ramiel and Briallyn and Feyre nearly dying and Nesta saying I give it up I give it all up I swear—those flat, white, unending months—Nesta finally learned the lessons her mother had been trying to teach her all her life, and she thought to herself, Ah. 

Once she beat down the instinct for self-preservation, it was easy. Oatmeal with no sugar. She let them shape her body and her magic into something easier to wield. Training was no longer a release for her; she realized that it was never supposed to be such a thing. It was a whetstone, painted to look like a symphonia and a white ribbon fluttering in the air. There was no more shelving of books; there was only Amren pointing and Nesta destroying, because the Mother had forsaken her, had not listened to her desperate plea to take it take it please take it back, because Nesta had known, she had known. There were dinners with wine she wasn’t allowed to drink and evenings where she watched Mor give Cassian a back massage that required her to climb entirely on top of him, and Nesta didn’t care because it wasn’t her place to care. And in the end Cassian always fucked her body, and ran his fingers over her widened hips, and in the end she always, always told herself: It doesn’t matter what happens to me, because I am already dead. 

It had taken her a while to realize. The wildcat-bitch-viper of her railed at first, was selfish enough to want dignity and softness and to have Cassian all to herself. She had thought Ramiel and Briallyn and Feyre had meant something. She had thought that she had earned it. Brother, she had called Rhys. 

But he hadn’t called her sister back. 

So back to the House and its stairs. Back to oatmeal and sweat. Back to being the fanged thing they kept high in a tower where she couldn’t make a mess of things. And months passed and nothing changed, nothing ever changed, and it was like a dream: everything stagnant and dull and soft-edged. Forgiving Feyre and forgiven Rhys, their soft new child, red wine in a decanter on the table next to her hand untouchable and gleaming dark like blood. 

A hot autumn day, where the sheer heat threatened to rot the woods outside the city, Amren took her to a clearing and told her, Kill. 

Nesta’s flames, silver like running water and blazing like decay, swept away a swath of trees before them. A bead of sweat trickled down her brow, and that was it, it was done, and every living thing was gone. 

Dinner at the river house that night. Cassian knocked back whiskies like water, until he declared he couldn’t fly them home, and they would sleep here. Even though she said please, even though she had been soft and good all day, and could they at least go to bed, then? She was tired. She was so tired. He was drunk, and he said, If you’re so sick of spending time with the family, then go to bed by yourself. 

She went to bed. Her navy-and-cream room had been requisitioned for Nyx’s play room, Since you’ll be sharing with Cassian from now on, right, Nesta? and so she went to the room that had been made for Cassian: dark, warm woods and burgundy sheets. She could hear his laugh and Mor’s from all the way down the hall as she stood in front of the mirror and pulled her hair from its braid. She got angry, furious, imagining his argument with her in the morning and seething at the way he would dismiss it all and complain about her to everyone else. She hated him and hated him and then, as she had worked herself up to the point of ripping out her hair, it clicked, and she thought: This isn’t a life. This isn’t living. She thought, I died in the bloody room with the harp in my hands and I never came back. 

She thought: None of this matters, because I am already dead. 

What does a dead girl do with herself? Nesta mulled this over all night, while the stars slowly turned across the earth through the window. What does a dead girl do with an immortal life? 

It came to her only at dawn, when the rising sun pushed shadows across the room, into the corners and under the furniture, and her face in the mirror felt a little bit wrong, a little bit gaunt, a little bit far away: What does a dead girl do with an immortal life? 

She haunts. 

Cassian never came to bed; she found him snoring on the sofa in the morning, bathed in this cold, watery light that didn’t bother to make him look soft. She watched him for a minute while the world woke slowly around her. She could pick out Mor’s scent curled around his wings, entwined with the sliver of Nesta’s own that would be there always. She felt nothing. She didn’t need to. 

She didn’t need anything, anymore. She was nothing. She was just a figment of a girl who had once been, and was no longer. It no longer mattered what she did, what they did to her. It never really had. 

So Nesta became a bow. A weapon they could load with arrows and point where they pleased; a shape Cassian could bend and fuck at whatever angle he wanted. 

She didn’t falter when they asked her to unleash her fire, to fight, to politick. Any part of her that mattered—that was long gone. She didn’t care about what was left. The only time she ever wavered was with Gwyn and Emerie, when it was just the three of them and the charms on their bracelets glowed and burned hot, like a reminder, and her friends traded glances and said things like, We’re worried about you, Nesta. Is everything alright? Did Cassian do something?   

She said no, he hadn’t done anything, and she was fine, hadn’t they noticed how much better she was? She was better now. She could be part of the family, now. Anyway, did they want more tea?

Neither of them knew what to say to that. 

It didn’t matter. She’d already forgotten, refilling their cups. The House, timely as ever, had produced a plate of shell-shaped pastries that Nesta nudged towards her friends in offering. Forget, forget. 

Ah, the House. That was another thing. 

Some think it’s a haunting all on its own, but Nesta was always the ghost in this story. She knew Cassian feared it a little, and she thought that deep down, he knew it was her he was afraid of. He always fucked her like he feared her—as if he could conquer her like a nightmare. 

But she’s a nightmare that they like to use, so when a girl falls out of the sky and onto the lawn of the River House, she is not surprised when Azriel summons her to help. 

Cassian won’t like it, she tells him. They both know how Cassian likes to be the one to wield her. 

Cassian isn’t High Lord, says Azriel, and that is interesting, isn’t it?

So she goes to the dungeons. She does as Rhysand tells her. And when the wine-haired girl goes missing, something inside of Nesta, long thought dead, begins to smoke, and she knows she must be the one to go retrieve her. 

Cassian won’t like it. Well. She’ll deal with it just like she deals with every other one of her transgressions. Grit her teeth and let the rest of her become pliant and toothless. 

***

The wine-haired woman is reckless. She is like Feyre, in a way, forging ahead with an unearned and incomprehensible arrogance that would have driven Nesta mad, before. Now, she waves the irritation away as easily as she would a fly, or a feeling. 

When they reach a cavern of roaring water, Nesta waits to see what the woman will do, what magic she will have to give up in order to continue on. She hems and haws about her magic being drained, neatly skirting any divulgence of its extent, and then inelegantly asks if Nesta can’t winnow. 

I’ve never tried, Nesta says against the knives in her throat. 

The worst part is that it’s not a lie. At first, she simply hadn’t thought she’d be able to; her power was death, and winnowing was too synonymous with escape-life-living for it to be a power she possessed. 

And then, later, she—well, she couldn’t think about it. She wouldn’t have been able to stomach it if she’d had the means to escape all this time and never used it. If this songbird’s cage had been wide open and she’d never even bothered stepping a foot outside it—what did that say about her? Maybe some part of her knew that this was how she was meant to be, that this was everything she deserved. She would never be quicker than fate, would never be able to run from it; she knew it now. 

Regardless, by the time she stopped cringing away from her magic in fear, all of her deaths had come to pass, and it wouldn’t have mattered anymore. 

She can feel Azriel’s curiosity radiating behind her. She ignores it. 

Then, of course, the insouciant, feckless woman plunges into the rushing water, and before Nesta can let herself remember anything as primal as fear, she jumps in after her. 

Faced with her first death—the icy, biting water of the Cauldron—Nesta’s body wants her to remember fright. Wants her to panic. Wants her to return to the frailties of the living and grow in her teeth to protect herself from them again. 

Nesta muscles it all back and plans to excise those feelings from her body later. She swims hard, atavistic desperation guiding her body, and makes it to the other side. There was no other side in the Cauldron, and that is different enough to be comforting. 

Azriel is curious again. She can feel his curiosity tugging in her stomach, searching for the flames of life—hope of escape and fear of death—but he won’t find anything there. 

Later, when she reaches for the Mask, he still reacts as though there is. He does not understand. What grip does the Mask have over a dead immortal? Nothing, nothing nothing. Nesta is one with it. It does her bidding the way her hands do as an extension of her arms. 

Take it off, Azriel orders. It’s amusing. He’s so afraid for her. He should be afraid of her. 

Take it off, Azriel pleads. No, no. He doesn’t understand. This is the only place she can rest. Here, with the Mask, surrounded by her fellow dead. Here she is the purest distillation of what they want of her, isn’t it? She is death incarnate. She commands it. She is it. This is right. 

Take it off, Azriel snaps. Cassian’s waiting for you, Nesta. Take off the Mask. 

Ah, yes. She supposes Cassian would not like her like this. She would not please him as Death. 

Azriel says, He’s waiting for you at the House of Wind. At home. 

The House! Nesta does love the House. She knows the House does not like the Mask, the way it jumps the House’s wards.

Azriel says, Gwyn and Emerie are waiting. And Feyre and Elain. 

Well. Gwyn and Emerie do not like her when she is Death. Nesta’s gaze falls to the bracelet on her wrist, glimmering softly in her own silver fire. Feyre and Elain will never like her, but they hate her when she doesn’t pretend at life. 

Azriel says, Nyx is waiting, too. 

Ah yes, the deal. Nyx’s life for her death. A deal she couldn’t unmake. 

Nesta drops the mask. 

***

It was the music that ruined everything. 

You’re as much of a monster as they are, Nesta accuses when the wine-haired woman unleashes hell in the prison and leaves them to clean up the mess. 

You’re as much of a monster as they are.

Love will do that to you. 

Was that what had done it? Was it love that had made her into this? Maybe so. She had died for love, for her sister and her family. And whatever had made her into this undead, monstrous thing—had that been love? Or something worse?

Nesta thinks of those long, hallowed tunnels, where the wine-haired woman had played her music from her phone—such a wild and beautiful variety, sounds that swelled from deep in her stomach to the tips of her fingers and toes, sounds that she desperately wished she could hold onto for longer than a few minutes, sounds so lovely that she found herself wanting to cry. The music had broken something in her. She hadn’t cried in a good while. Not since the night after Nyx was born. Not even after her mating ceremony. 

When Nesta and Azriel return from the Prison, she is so lost in her own head trying to grasp onto every melody she could remember that she forgets to be afraid. 

Cassian is furious. At her, for volunteering to retrieve Bryce, at Azriel, for letting her. Nesta forgets to go pliant, snaps, Get over it, you overgrown bat, says, Stop treating me like a child. 

I don’t understand you, Nesta, says Cassian. You were doing so well. You were healing. Why are you doing this? Why would you be so reckless? Why are you getting angry with me for caring about you?

We need to set your behavior straight, says Cassian. You have to learn that there are consequences in the real world. As your mate, Nesta, I can’t just let you put yourself in danger like that. Nesta, I love you. I just don’t want you to get hurt. 

Nesta knows that if she had just apologized, it all could have gone away. Cassian would have chastised her for a minute, and then she would have calmed him down with reassurances and platitudes—I’m still here, I’m still yours, you still have me. There might still be time to save it; she could needle him with the teasing words that always get him riled up, let him fuck her, let him use her body to get the frustration out of his system. 

Instead, Nesta says the worst thing. She says: If you love me, you don’t love me in a way I understand. 

Cassian flinches back. Azriel, who has been watching tensely from a few steps away as everything devolved, sucks in a breath. 

Cassian says, You don’t know anything about love, Nesta. 

And he leaves off the balcony. 

***

When the world rends in front of her, Nesta is sitting in the library, quietly panicking in an armchair before the fireplace. 

It is evening, and she hasn’t seen Cassian in days. She has spent them alone, unwatched, a little feral. There has been no training on the roof. No early rising. No fucking. No family dinners. It is making her madly anxious. She oscillates between staring blankly at a random page of a book while she waits for him to come back, dancing wildly and untamed across the halls, huddling in a corner with her hands tucked over her ears as she tries desperately to remember the notes of the music Bryce had shown her. The music, the music. Every time she remembers a string of notes she grasps at it greedily, wanting to cry again. 

Nesta rises, palming a dagger. The wine-haired girl again, this time in a backdrop of brutal snow. Hello, Nesta, she says. 

What are you doing? Nesta asks. 

I needed to talk to you, says Bryce. 

There are three fae with her, shivering in the cruel landscape behind her. Nesta has not seen anyone for days. 

How did you know I’d be alone? Nesta asks. 

I didn’t, Bryce says. 

Nesta hums. Whatever Bryce wants, Nesta cannot give it to her. Nesta has nothing at all, save death. 

Fitting that death is exactly what Bryce asks of her. I need you to give me the mask, she says. Begs. 

Nesta feels the event horizon of Rhys’s darkness approaching, stars winking out in its wake. She wants to say, stay a while and death will find you easy, but doesn’t. 

Please I need it please I’ll do anything I’ll give you anything just take my parents at least, begs Bryce. Please. Please. Please. 

It is laughable to even consider. Nesta loves the Mask. The Mask loves Nesta. It is her calm, her peace, her place. Her pure death, where she belongs. She cannot give that up—she needs it. 

Take my parents, Bryce asks. They’re good people. 

Nesta has never been a good person. She does not intend to start now. But she looks at the humans, huddled in the cold, frightened, and she thinks of herself years ago in the cottage with her sisters and her father. How hard she had fought to cling to life. 

She thinks of music. She thinks of dancing. 

The mask is in her hand. 

Good luck, says Nesta. 

The two humans are shoved towards her; the portal closes just as the primal, unquenchable fury of Rhysand’s darkness erupts into the room. 

You can only whet a blade so far before it becomes brittle, and breaks. 

[cressidagrey]

Lightning in a Bottle - Chapter 3

Summary: 

Eira Archeron was neither a Valkyrie, nor a Seer, nor the High Lady of the Night Court. She was actually pretty much useless. The only thing she wanted was to be somebody's first choice for once in her life.

Also known as: Azriel's shadows decide that if he doesn't treat his mate right... they'll just do it for him.

Warnings: 

Stabbing, Azriel unalives somebody that really had it coming, Death by being put on fire

(super pretty dividers by @tsunami-of-tears)

*If you keep glaring at Keir like that we are never getting anywhere,* Rhys said into his mind, some amusement bleeding into his voice. 

*I think he’s trying to waste your time on purpose,* Azriel responded with a scowl. 

 The shadows hadn’t picked up anything out of the usual…but that didn’t mean anything…even Keir could manage to hide something if he really wanted to…and he did want to, Azriel thought. 

He wasn’t sure yet what…but there was something. There must be something. 

This meeting was utterly useless, was slowly turning into needless sniping at each other and Azriel didn’t like it…it felt like Keir was just trying to keep them in place for longer. 

The question was just for what? 

It made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up like a cat…the feeling that something…something was…not quite right, that he couldn't put his finger on…

He hated that feeling. Azriel much preferred it, when he got all the facts… when he could make plans and plans for his plans…

But he couldn’t…and he was still stuck with being in the Hewn City and not in Velaris.

*Cassian is thinking the same,* Rhys responded with a sigh. *We’ll give it another hour. Don’t worry, we'll be back in Velaris soon enough,* he teased Azriel lightly. Rhys must have caught one of his thoughts. *Give Feyre some time and then you can go get your girl.*

An easy promise given. 

*Not my girl,* Azriel gave back immediately. *Not yet. Not…* Not until she wanted to be. Not until she knew the truth and…

*She won’t turn you down, Az,* Rhys said quietly, sussing out what was really bothering him immediately. 

But what if she did? Eira had every reason in the book to turn him down. Starting with his ill-thought-out pursuit of her actual twin sister to the simple fact of who he was…

She had every reason to tell him to fuck off to the continent because she never wanted to see him again. Granted, he highly doubted she would do that…he had never heard as much as a curse word out of her mouth. 

She had been raised as the daughter of a wealthy merchant, and clearly, that’s how she carried herself, even after everything had happened. 

At least she had clung to that bit of her human life.

*She has every reason to,* Azriel disagreed quietly.  Every reason to turn him down. Regardless of what he wished for…every reason not to be interested. 

What if she wanted to cling to even more of her human life? If the wings that he sprouted from his back were a step too far for her…if the scars that marred his hands were…

Or what if she simply didn’t want him? That would be a valid choice too and he would accept that. 

Of course, he would. 

He never wanted to force her into anything that she didn’t want. 

So what if she hated him? 

*She won't and she doesn't,* Rhys disagreed sharply. *Azriel, Mor was right,” his brother told him pointedly. “Eira has been having a crush on you for years. She’ll probably be ecstatic and immediately start planning your wedding…Maybe Elain can lend her all her wedding binders,” Rhys teased him. 

He bit back a smile at that. Maybe…maybe… He wished for that. He wished that would be…

Whatever she wanted. She wanted a big wedding? He would suffer through that, just for the chance of seeing her happy. Just for her smiling at him…not as painfully polite as she had been last evening but bright and happy and unbridled…He wanted to see that. 

He wanted to see all of that. 

But he pushed that thought away.  

*I am intrigued and terrified by what is actually in these binders,* Azriel admitted drily. *Even you didn’t have that many when you were planning Nesta and Cassian’s mating ceremony.*

*Helion is overcompensating,* Rhys quipped, though they both knew that it probably was the truth. 

After everything had gone down in Autumn, ending with a dead Beron, High Lord Eris and Lucien Vanserra officially becoming Lucien Spell-Cleaver…well.

*I owe you an apology,* Rhys said at that moment, and Azriel stared at his brother, who was listening to Keir with a bored expression on his face. *I did only want…the best for you that solstice but how I went around it…that wasn’t particularly nice to you.*

*Actually I owe you my gratitude,* Azriel said drily. *I didn’t want to hear it then…but I was…I wasn’t in love with Elain. I was…infatuated,* he admitted. *I was jealous of you and Cassian and that…that clouded my judgement. It could have ended very badly if you didn’t intervene.*

Very badly. A Blood Duel would have been their smallest problem then. 

*It could have,* Rhys agreed. *That’s why I interfered in the first place…But I still hurt you in that moment, and I wish I hadn’t.*

*If I keep behaving like an idiot you have my full permission to call me out on it,* Azriel gave back with a sigh. 

*Then stop thinking like you don’t deserve her,* Rhys said with a mental eye roll. 

*Sure, I’ll stop once you stop thinking the same about Feyre,* he shot back. Rhys would have retorted, but he was beaten to it. 

The shadows came suddenly, in a frenzy whispering in his ear, voices hurried and panicking: Master, Master you need to come NOW!

*What’s wrong?* Rhys demanded, just as that dormant bond in his chest was flooded with pure, undiluted terror.  

The Princeling and our Mate! 

*Eira and Nyx,* he choked out. The shadows already grasped him, before Rhys’ mental order could fully reach him.  

*GO!*

They dragged him out of Hewn City, into Velaris.

The ground he hit was scorched. 

That was the first thing he realised. 

Magic crackled in the air, thick and furious, untrained and uncontrolled…that was the second. 

Nyx had one specific playground he loved…one where Azriel knew members of their family often brought him to…with swings that he adored…

It was a place of happiness…of children laughing…of Velaris at its best…

Now…now it was a scorched wasteland. 

The swings? Gone. The smell of burning human flesh in the air, making his stomach twist, eyes tracking over the carnage. 

At least two dead…difficult to say because their bodies were burned…beyond recognition.

One more dead…mouth open in a silent scream…  One…one male held by his shadows, bearing him down onto the ground…and then, right in the middle of that carnage… in a heap on the ground…

The high-pitched crying of Nyx reached his ears, covered by the unmoving body of Eira. 

Azriel had thought that panic had been burned out of him centuries ago. He was taught something better that morning. Because it was panic that flooded his veins. Panic and Terror and…a thousand other things. 

*I need Mor! And Madja!* he snapped along the mental connection to Rhys, already hurling for both of them…sliding onto his knees as he so very carefully touched Eira’s body, feeling the delicate bones underneath his fingertips, a near unseen tremble, the smell of acrid blood clinging to her, layering over her scent. 

She had always smelled like snowdrops to him. Snowdrops and almonds and a crackling hearth. 

Now the blood…the blood…He turned her around, getting no reaction, finding Nyx safe and sound tucked underneath her, crying, his little face red and splotchy as he sobbed. 

*AZRIEL!?* Rhys demanded. 

*Nyx is fine. Not a scratch.* 

All he managed…as he finally saw the scarlet red dripping down onto Nyx…smeared all over him…and then he saw the handle of that dagger protruding from Eira’s limp form. 

Blood. Her blood. 

“Ra! Ra! Ra!” Nyx gargled, just as he finally managed to slap a patch of his killing power around that knife, keeping it steady. He didn’t pull it out, knowing that that could kill her…even when the blood that oozed out around it was starkly black in places…and he could smell the scent of…something burning in the back of his throat. 

Poison. That knife had been poisoned. 

A curse left his mouth at that. 

That wasn't good. That was everything but good. 

*Eira?* Rhys demanded at that moment. 

*Stabbed.*

The connection went silent, just as the booming sound of Morrigan winnowing went in beside him. 

“Az?”

“She needs Madja. Now,” he bit out. “Take them both.”

Safe. Safe. 

He needed her safe. And then he needed…

He leaned down, picking up one limp hand and pressing a kiss against it, her skin clammy and grey…even when he could feel her pulse thrumming underneath the thin skin on the back of her wrist... He breathed in snowdrops and almonds and sweetness...and then let go, because if he didn't...he never would. He would lie right down next to her, waiting for his demise. 

He grasped Truthteller without even thinking about it, as he stalked across the ground towards the one sole survivor. The shadows jerked him up, and Azriel grabbed hold of his throat. 

“What. Did. You. Do?!” he growled. What had they done to Eira?  To his mate?

“I…we…just the Prince…Grab the Prince. No matter the cost,” the male garbled out, the acrid smell of urine hitting his nostrils and only now Azriel took in the black uniform. 

Darkbringer. 

Court of Nightmares. Keir. 

Suddenly… it all made sense. It came together. The secret Keir had been keeping. It was so clear now. 

“Who hired you?!” Azriel spat out, wanting a verbal answer before…before... 

“The Steward!” 

And that’s all he needed to hear, before he drove Truthteller into him, into the exact same place where they had stabbed Eira…not immediately killing him, but seeing his eyes widen, seeing the realisation set in….the pained scream escaping him. 

“She’s mine,” Azriel whispered. “Mine. And you hurt her. You hunted her.” Like a game. Like an animal. 

She was his. His mate. 

And Azriel hadn’t been there to protect her.  He hadn’t been there for any of this…

“Lightning,” the male choked, blood bubbling on his lips. *She…killed…lightning.”

He didn't care what the male told him. It didn't matter. None of this mattered. 

The only thing that mattered was her. 

He watched as the light dimmed in his eyes, feeling a sick sense of satisfaction that he at least had gotten to do this. At least…

*It was Keir,* Rhys said into his mind, his voice deathly quiet.  *He…He ordered…*

*He wanted Nyx,*  Azriel agreed, pulling Truthteller out of the body, letting the male fall to the ground, wiping the blade on his trousers. 

*How many did you kill?* Rhys asked. No judgment. He could have slaughtered three dozen and Rhys wouldn’t have cared at that moment. 

*One.*

He could feel Rhys’ surprise. Then: *He said he sent 4.*

*Two were burned beyond recognition,* Azriel explained. *Another is dead, but still recognisable. I do not know how he died. The whole ground is charred. Scorched.*

A second later…Rhys and Cassian appeared, winnowing in from Hewn City. He imagined that Feyre had gone straight to their son.  Cassian took one look around at the ground, the carnage…the…

“Fuck,” he breathed. “Mor took Nyx and Eira?” he asked and Azriel forced a nod, feeling for that golden thread bound around his rib…wished he would get something, anything from her…

“She shielded him with her body,” he said nearly tonelessly. “He was smeared in her blood because she shielded him.”

Even stabbed, even feeling like she was going to die…Eira had done everything to shield her nephew. Had used her own body to keep him safe. Had protected him with her life. 

Azriel had never doubted that she loved him…but it still…she must not have even hesitated. Just done it.

She was a slip of a girl, with no combat training…and she had faced four of the Court of Nightmare's most elite soldiers and laid down her life if that meant that Nyx would be safe. 

He had seen grown Illyrian Warriors that would have tucked tails and run in this situation. 

Outnumbered…Outpowered. And still, she had stood her ground. 

“What happened here?” Cassian asked as he checked the other recognisable body. 

“They must have surprised her,” Rhys said, his voice shaking. “She thought they were safe. We thought they were safe…”

And they hadn’t been. They hadn’t been safe. 

At all. 

Death had been brought right to their doorstep in Velaris. 

“How did he die?” Rhys demanded from Cassian. 

“He was struck by lightning,” Cassian responded drily. “I have seen this before…on a cow though. It would also explain the scorched ground. If lightning hits the ground, it makes a pattern like that.”

What?

Lightning?

He looked up to the sky. It was a beautiful summer’s day. Not a trace of a storm…anywhere. 

“Do you think it was Nyx?” Cassian asked quietly but Rhys shook his head. 

“I have never seen anybody channel lightning,” Rhys answered, scrubbing a hand over his face. “Never. I…” Neither had Azriel.  “He’s too young to channel magic like that.”

But was he? In a situation like that? When he had just tried to protect Eira? and himself? Maybe even at 1-year-old Nyx had recognised what…what would happen if he didn’t protect himself. Maybe it had been pure instinct on his part…Maybe he had seen Eira fall and that had been…

Eira. 

He reached for that bond again, feeling it tremble and he hung onto it with all his might, clenching his teeth. 

He…

He had failed her, hadn’t he? It should have never come that far. It should have never…It should have never…

Azriel should have been the one taking that knife to the chest, not her. 

“Clearly not,” Cassian disagreed with a snort. “He’s your son,” Cassian pointed out drily. “He’s Feyre’s son…who knows what he has inherited from her.”

Rhys stayed rooted in one spot, blinking once. 

“Rhys?” Cassian asked immediately. 

“Get Nesta,” he ordered Cassian. “We are needed at the River House.” And then after a second that felt like eternity…“It’s not…It’s not looking good.”

And with one sentence…everything crumbled. 

[olenvasynyt]

26 for Lucien, Eris, Tamlin, Rhys, Feyre, Nesta (sorry lol I want to see you go on both rants and gushes)

For this character ask game

26. What's something the character has done you can't get over? Be it something funny, bad, good, serious, whatever?

Alrighty, get ready:

Lucien:

I will never ever ever be able to get over him and Jesminda and just his entire backstory. I love a good forbidden romance and unhappy ending, and I love young, rakish Lucien rebelling against Beron and the Autumn Court, him finding love in a dark time in his life, respecting and learning about lesser fae culture. And I just love how he is this rakish, charming and witty character who secretly has so much guilt and trauma. This quote I will NEVER be able to get over:

Eris:

Probably his whole past with Mor and why he left her on the border, and also his whole past in general. But specifically about his betrothal with Mor: I totally think Mor reminded Eris of his own mother, which is weird to say but Mor was in a very similar situation as LoA was with this betrothal.

Autumn and the Court of Nightmares are similar; misogyny is super prominent in both of these courts.  Females are suppressed, their virginity is sold; they are abused. Mor and the LoA are both huge examples of this.  They are two females with power who were sold to males: LoA comes from a very strong bloodline of fire wielders, and Mor has…whatever her powers are. 

And I’m not using this to compare Eris to Beron, but Eris knows how females are treated in Autumn, he sees it all the time with his mother.  Mor would be brought into the same court and High Family that abuses and suppresses Eris’ own mother.  So that in my opinion is probably one of Eris’ motives for refusing to take her in and instead leaving her there on the border.  She was one female that he could protect from Autumn and Beron.

This is actually something that Eris hints at here in ACOSF:

Chapter 14 of ACOSF: “I told you years ago what I wanted, High Lord,” Eris said. “To seize his father’s throne.  “Why?” Cassian asked. Eris grasped what he meant apparently, because flame sizzled in his eyes.  “For the same reasons I left Morrigan untouched at the border.” “You left her there to suffer and die,” Cassian spat. Eris sneered.  “Did I?  Perhaps you should ask Morrigan whether or not that is true.  I think she finally knows the answer.”

Cassian is like, “Why do you want Autumn’s throne?”  Eris answers, “Because the male currently sitting on that throne sucks and abuses females including my mother.”  

And this quote actually illustrates something I find frustrating.  Mor wanted to cancel the betrothal so she slept with Cassian to do so.  And Eris understood that.  When she was dumped at the Autumn border, he was like okay, I understand what you did. You slept with Cassian because you don’t want to be in Autumn.  I got you.  I won’t touch you, because then you’ll be my problem, aka Beron’s problem.  And that makes sense.  

And the IC is almost mad at him for that and it’s so jarring to me.  Because Mor is like I don’t want to be in Autumn, Eris is like cool, then I’ll leave you here and I won’t bring you into Autumn, and the IC is like “You left her there.  How dare you!” 

I am a huge Eris defender, as you can tell lmao. I love him.

Tamlin:

"MY SHAYLAAAA!😩 My Shayla🥺" I will never get over his past and his inherit goodness. He was raised in an abusive household: his father allied with Hybern; he grew up around slavers and murders and abusive people.  Amarantha, a mature, probably several hundred-year-old fae at the time, was lustful of Tamlin.  She was lustful over a child.  A fucking child.  That alone is evidence of how awful his childhood was if he was a child victim to a predator.

He most definitely hated his life and family.  He was ashamed of it, which I think is shown by how he did not want the title of High Lord, how he spoke badly about his brothers and father, and how he became friends with Rhysand, a male who sided against his father in the war.  And the fact that Tamlin grew up in an abusive household and found love and peace through music says a lot about his character.  He was still peaceful at heart and craved something else.  He wanted to join a traveling music band, for fucks sake.  He wanted to get out of his court so badly.

And when he became High Lord, it was violent and sad, and many people supported his father left. And I think Tamlin helped Spring grow a little softer after the Human War.

Rhys:

...you had to throw Rhys and Feyre in there lmao.

There are many things I can't get over when it comes to Rhys but I dislike him in ACOFAS with Tamlin the most. I will never get over him walking into Spring, seeing Tamlin in such a depressed state and Tamlin asking "will Feyre forgive me?" and he kicks him further into the ground. I thought it was so sad and horrible of him! T amlin told your mate to be happy, he SAVED YOUR LIFE, and he has went back to Spring and been in his depression by himself, not hurting you or Feyre or anyone else.

And I will be fully honest: if Tamlin was the one who had died and the High Lords were trying to bring him back, Rhysand would not have lifted a finger. And I think that makes Tamlin the better male than Rhys.

Feyre:

Like Rhys, there are a lot of things Feyre has done that I can't get over 😂😭. I wish Tiktok was still up so I could link the dozens of videos I made ranting about Feyre taking down Spring, or her being a shitty friend to Lucien. But I got this post on tumblr about Feyre being a shitty friend to Lucien, and I got this quote I can simply share:

Chapter 15 of ACOWAR: “Lucien was waiting in the sitting room when Rhus and I came downstairs at last… I fought my cringe as I halted at the threshold.  Lucien was still in his travel-worn, filthy clothes.  His face and hands, at least, were clean, but…I should have gotten him something else.  Remembered to offer him— The thought rippled away into nothing as Rhys appeared at my side.

AJFBEFERGUEVFBJWEFHIFEHJFVEKJHOIF

Nesta:

I just love how Nesta was written in ACOSF (did not like the book, I like Nesta) because I relate to her inner dialogue and self-loathing. She’s so sad and traumatized and that makes her relatable 🙃😂 and people hate on her for “being mean” but I personally love it, and she is (usually) only mean when she’s provoked. I will never get over this exchange with Mor in ACOWAR 😂

[mira-s-bookclub]

Beneath a Veil of Shadows Part 3

Azriel x Reader

Note: Its very short, so i will try to post something the next couple of days :3

Warnings: Mention of trauma, kidnapping and perhaps torture?

Word Count: 1k

. . . . . ╰──╮ ╭──╯ . . . . .

The night had passed when Rhysand summoned the Inner Circle. The wind outside was relentless on The House of Wind, so much so that the house seemed to braze itself for every new gust of wind. Cassian walked hand in hand with his mate, both clad in whatever they first found in their closet. It had been purely luck having them sleep over at the House when Rhys summoned.

The evening before consisted of numerous drinks for the others, and sober dancing for Cassian and Nesta. He understood her need for distance against substances, not only so she wouldn’t relapse into old habits when things got bad again, but because she gagged every time, she smelled a certain drink. He couldn’t do anything other than laugh at her then. Drinking his own water, hoping they would end up in bed at the end of the night without her heaving at his breath.

But right now, the atmosphere was tense between them. Rhys wouldn’t assemble them all by dameati if it wasn’t urgent, and Cassian’s biggest fear was that it was concerning the only missing members of the Inner Circle; Y/n and Azriel.

The meeting room was at the end of the hallway up the stairs from their room. By the time Cassian and Nesta came up the stairs, Cassian could faintly hear Amren coming through the front door, presumably with Mor should the feminine whisper shouting give any indicator. A quick Hush from Amren seemed to shut her up and Cassian let out a soft laugh. Soft enough that only Nesta whipped her head towards him, frowning like she couldn’t believe he dared.

“It is probably not as bad as it seems, Nes. It never is.” He whispered in her ear, making her shiver. Her eyes seemed distant. “You don’t know that.

Coming to a stop by the door, they waited for the rest of the party. Everyone but Feyre and Rhys, and Y/n and Azriel, but that was to be expected, stood outside the door. Seemingly waiting for someone to dare open it, as if everything would change, for better or for worse. Cassian lifted a hand towards the door. “Whatever happened with those two, they will come home,” Amren swore softly. Cassian wished he could agree and opened the door.

At the head of the oval table sat Feyre. Apparently in silent communication with Rhys, considering the soft glances and Rhys stopping his pacing by the fireplace in the corner to kiss her cheek. “Sit,” he ordered. One by one they filed into their assigned seats, they had sat here a million times before, discussing wars and missions, politics, and information, never without knowing what they went too. As they did now.

Feyre sat on Cassian’s right, looking down at her hands in contemplation, he tried to catch her eyes, with no luck. She seemed so sad and… worried perhaps. At the thought, he glanced to Rhys having almost paced a hole in the floor, he, too, looked worried. Neither observation helped his anxiety.

Azriel was his stone when things went south, and now Cassian knew things would go further than south, and Azriel wasn’t here. He wouldn’t overreact to anything, having gone through almost anything one can imagen going through; Azriel was a fighter, not only a warrior, but a fighter through and through. He had fought his whole life, making him a safe option for Cassian to rely on. The chair opposite Cassian seemed so empty, he wouldn’t even begin to think about the chair to the left for Azriel’s. He had felt the emptiness the second she had left for the mission. They might not have known each other for long, considering she was a babe by the time Cassian had fucked his way through half the camps in Illyria, gotten bored and settled in Velaris, and gotten his High Lord locked up under a mountain. She had still taken hold in his heart, forever his little trainee.

Nesta brushed her hand against Cassian’s thigh, catching his attention. He turned his head to Feyre and Rhys, who stood by her side, not yet taking a place by the table. He was restless, Cassian noticed.

“They’re captured.”

Total silence followed the words. No one dared say anything at all, hoping they heard Rhys wrong. Cassian’s heart stopped.

“And how  did  this  happen?” Amren’s words were slow.

Rhys looked to Feyre, who watched their reaction. They had known this, it seemed, for a time. Cassian didn’t feel anything. He knew Nesta had turned her gaze to him, knew she was expecting something from him, as they all did. But he couldn’t think. Couldn’t think beside the roaring in his head. Azriel wasn’t new to this, Cassian knew, fuck he had even been captured a time or two, together with Rhys and some other warriors. It either ended in the enemy dying, or the enemy dying together with someone they knew, those times were the hardest to swallow. But Y/n had never been captured. She wasn’t made to fight like they were, but what she lacked was made up by her fierceness and unwillingness to give up. She had gotten better over the years. But something about Feyre’s tone made Cassian’s body lock up, it would be worse than a simple capture. And Y/n would never break.

Feyre took a breath, readying herself. “We got a note of their capture early this morning. Rhys and I have been negotiating with their Commander for the release of two of their prisoners in exchange for an artifact,” Cassian’s throat constricted. Commander. They had an army, a structured enemy, not just a lone fucker or fuckers thinking they’re good enough to take down a court. “Who, Feyre?” Cassian looked her in the eyes, this meant war again. At her hesitance Cassian growled, not at her, but the situation, the male thinking he was powerful enough to take this chance. “Rhysand,” Mors hard voice caught his attention, meeting her furious stare.

“The letter was signed ‘Commander of Koschei’s army’.”

. . . . . ╰──╮ ╭──╯ . . . . .

To be added to the Taglists, comment:

All ACOTAR - 🌹

All Azriel - 🥀

All TOG - 🌼

[rheareadsss]

Mistake 9

Hope you guys enjoy! Leave me your thoughts and sorry for the wait!♥️

••••

Feyre was in the river house when she heard Cassian

‘Training ring, it’s Azriel’

She immediately left after leaving Nyx with Elain with the excuse of over seeing things in her gallery, she didn’t say anything to her but when she got to the house of wind her suspicions were true.

Azriel laid on the couch clutching to his chest, almost as if he was breathless “where is she?” He asked, his voice pained, she had never seen him like that in all the time she has known him.

“Who?” Nesta asks as she was next to him, she trying to calm him down by touching his arm and keep a hold of him.

“Gwyn, she’s- she’s in pain” he said his voice pained, his eyes bloodshot red looking helplessly at Nesta

“How do you know?” Feyre asks as she gets closer to him

“I can feel her, bring her to me” he growled

“Azriel, Gwyn is not in the night court remember?” Nesta says trying to soothe him

“What am I missing here?” Cassian asks as he tries to keep a hand on Azriel’s shoulder which Azriel shook off

“Bring me my mate” Azriel growls in a menacing tone now trying to leave the couch

“Mate?“

“Gwyn” he says in a low menacing tone trying to get away from the hands of Nesta and Cassian

Cassian was surprised by the revelation

“She’ll be back” Feyre says holding on to his cheeks now and gives Cassian an apologetic look as they held him back.

Azriel shakes his head “she won’t” he touched his chest “why does it feel like I lost her?” Tears now leaving his eyes

Nesta widen her yes “Did it snap?” She asks Feyre wanting confirmation to what she suspects now

Feyre looks at Nesta then at Azriel “Az, maybe we should go see Elain”

“No” his eyes go to Nesta “where is she?” He growls “Nesta please” he sounds defeated and pained, his eyes pleading

“You know where she is, she told you” she answers “she went to suppress the bond”

Azriel shook his head then tried to push everyone away from him so he could go to her, he could feel the immense pain in his chest and wanted to be near Gwyn.

He felt a threat pull at his chest and he knew immediately that his bond with Gwyn was being messed with, the shiny golden threat that pulled at him felt as if it was singing for a moment then it pulled harder and then he felt as if it was ripped apart, it shined then it would turn grey and it kept going back and forth. He could feel her pain and desperation crashing in to him and then a pain that made him fall back in to the couch.

He stopped resisting the moment the bond had stopped glowing, he could no longer feel anything and yet everything at once.

He sat up in the couch, everyone stopped holding him and just looked at him, Feyre being the closest to him “are you feeling better?” She held his cheeks again

His eyes met hers, they looked darker, almost empty “yeah”

Cassian looked at his brother “Az, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing is wrong, everything is fine now” he answered in a cold tone and shook Feyre’s hands from his face

“Az, maybe we should-“ Feyre started

“I’ve got to go” Azriel said cutting short whatever Feyre was about to say and stood up

“It snapped” Nesta said sure

Azriel met her eyes but didn’t say anything, he just walked to the terrace and left the house of wind, Feyre wanted to chase after him but knew better.

“Somebody tell me what’s going on!” Cassian exclaimed at last

Nesta sighed and sat on the couch “Gwyn is Azriel’s mate, her bond snapped before Azriel married Elain”

“Fuck” Cassian swore

“Nobody knew, except us 3” Feyre adds

“Emerie knows” Nesta adds

“So I’m the last to know?”

“Gwyn wanted to keep everything a secret, Elain doesn’t know, nor Mor or Amren” Nesta answers “she told him and he reject her basically, he chose the relationship with Elain. Gwyn didn’t want to intrude in their relationship as Azriel made his choice very clear and decided to suppress her side of the bond as his side hadn’t snapped”

“I don’t think it would be wise for Gwyn to return if his side snapped” Feyre whispers more to herself than to anybody else

Nesta turns to her “I actually think the opposite, if she returns then we can see how he would react”

“It could be asking for trouble” Feyre says

“Are you all forgetting that he made his choice? Like you mentioned” Cassian asks “he choose Elain right? if his side snapped i’m sure he will suppress it, Gwyn can came back, she doesn’t have to run away from her home, she has been through enough”

“When do they get back?”

“Tomorrow”

•

Nesta decided to spend her day at the river house just to be present when Rhys and Gwyn came back, she knew Feyre had told her mate her concerns but knowing Rhys and the love he felt for Gwyn, he wouldn’t leave her behind in Day court.

Azriel had left since yesterday, according to Elain, he was in the hewn city taking care of business. Nesta was almost sure that he would show up today as soon as Gwyn made it back, she loves her sister but even she was having doubts of her decision.

She made it to the kitchen where she found Elain baking, Nuala and Cerridwen no where to be found.

“Nesta” Elain looked up from her cake and smiled at Nesta

“How are you feeling today?”

“Good, Azriel hasn’t been back since yesterday and I’m just baking him a cake, I’m sure he’ll be back today”

Nesta nods “how about the other-“

“We talked about it, made a compromise- he won’t push further”

“That sounds like-“

“My bond is aching” she blurs out

“what do you mean?“ Nesta asks

“I- there is a chest pain that won’t go away” she adds and drops the spatula that she was using on the cake

She sighs “I went to Madja, she says the bond is still there, it isn’t like he reject it”

“Why don’t you reject it?”

“I can’t reject the bond” Elain says offended “it will hurt him”

“What about Azriel?”

“Azriel is my choice, I love him, I really do and I can’t do what you’re thinking to him either just because I have a mating bond”

“What if he has a mate?” Nesta asks nonchalantly

Elain straightened “what? You think he might?”

“I said what if”

Elain sighs “he doesn’t” she says getting back to her cake “when does Rhys and Gwyn get back from their research?”

“Maybe Helion might have answers for you”

Elain was about to say something when they felt the raw power entering the house, Rhys was back.

Nesta walked in to the living room and there was Gwyn smiling and radiating happiness like she always does, she hugged Rhys “thank you”

Rhys nodded

Gwyn saw Nesta, her smile widening and she made her way towards her, in that moment Azriel appeared from within the shadows.

Gwyn hugged Nesta

“Did it work?”

“I think so” she beamed happily

“Berdara” Azriel’s shadow-kissed voice sounded

Gwyn turned to him “shadow singer” she said with a playful smirk, she was expecting to see the same playful smirk but he looked defeated, his eyes missing the twinkle they always seem to have.

Nesta also noticed his change in demeanor, he looked more serious, back to his old self when he was always stoic and observant.

There was no hint of the Azriel who trained with them and would give a hint of a smile, specially towards Gwyn.

“What’s wrong love?” Elain asks Azriel

“Nothing” he answers and walks out of the room

Elain furrows her eyebrows confused about her cold partner and walks out after him

“Sleep over tonight? We have missed you”

Gwyn smirks “I wasn’t gone that long Nes”

“So? Came” Nesta says pulling her out of the room “tell me everything” she adds

•

Gwyn was back in the house of wind, Cassian had picked them up. She was lounging in the living room in a sleeping gown as was Nesta and Emerie, they were giggling at the gossip they kept spilling.

Gwyn heard before any of the girls did, the grunting and the hits, she knew who it was without even peaking outside.

Azriel was undoubtedly training, her thought went to him

“How do you feel about him?” Emerie asks

Nesta hadn’t dared ask, she didn’t want to intrude Gwyn even thought she wanted to know, Emerie still doesn’t know that the bond snapped for Azriel. Only Feyre and Cassian know and most likely now Rhys.

Gwyn shrugged “normal, I know he’s my mate but the feelings and agonizing pain that used to plague me isn’t there anymore” she admits “when I saw him earlier it was like back to normal, I can’t feel the bond”

“Do you think you can be civil?” Nesta asks

“There’s only one way to find out” she smirks towards the training arena

Nesta smiles and tosses her a robe after asking the house for one.

•

Azriel’s senses were filled by her scent and he stood still, his skin prickling at the cold and the enticing scent of her nearing.

‘Our Valkyrie’

‘She’s not ours’ he argues back at his shadows

‘Oh but she is’

“Shadow singer” she smirked as she got closer to him

He turned towards her, his breath caught as she was infront of him in only a robe and hair down “Berdara” he nods

“Aren’t you going to ask if it worked?”

“I know it worked, I felt it” he confesses

She was confused “what do you mean?”

“I felt it, felt as if it was being ripped apart almost”

“Ahh, well I’m feeling back to normal, I think we can be civil and maybe retake our nightly trainings?” She asks playful trying to be friendly and like their normal selfs

He smiles finally “of course”

She returns the smile “I did miss you shadow singer”

“And are you good? No pain or any other feeling towards me” he asks concerned

“I’m good actually, it was very painful while the bond was active” she admits “how ever I was feeling about you is still the same, I’m just not in pain at the sight or thought of you with Elain” she adds

“And how do you feel about me?”

She smirks “wouldn’t you like to know.. no can do thought” she says

His eyes darken, so did his shadows, he took a step closer to her “of course I do” he said tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear

Gwyn only looked up at him, when their eyes met she bit her lip without thinking

His gaze went to her lips, he swallowed “tomorrow night?”

“Yeah, of course”

His gaze met hers again “can’t wait” he said before leaving her dumbfounded

Gwyn took a minute before feeling like herself again the she walked back to her girls “I- we can be civil”

Nesta smirks “I doubt it”

“Why?” Emerie questions

“Something is bound to happen” Nesta adds