𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟓

𝘊𝘳𝘪𝘮𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘙𝘦𝘥 

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╰┈˚ · ° .  MY EARS ECHOED THE BEATS OF MY HEART— one, two, three... too loud and too quick. My eyes— pupils dilated slightly— couldn't move from the place previously occupied by Azriel. The imprints of his boots were still carved in the fresh snow that covered the ground.

"You are already good enough, love." He had said the words as he had truly believed them.

At that moment, I didn't know if it was the fact that he thought that I was good enough, the term of endearment that had passed through his lips or the unexpected but not unwanted touch, that made my cheeks flush, rosen to a bright pink that I couldn't only blame the cold weather for.

Get a grip— I thought as I buried my face in my hands.

I wasn't one to blush easily. I couldn't even remember if male attention had ever caused that before. It took the shadowsinger to speak a few words joined by a gentle touch, and my heart couldn't take it. Was it him?

I sighed, thinking about it more wasn't what I needed at that moment.

Velaris. I looked at the city, the sparkling water of the Sidra River, the sea beyond...

One beat, two, three. it came back to its normal pattern.

My hand reached my neck, feeling the coldness of the chain resting there. The blood-filled crystal whispered my name. Calling upon my magic was starting to become as easy as breathing.

Blood erupted from the red crystal, clearing its color back to its transparent state. It flew through my hands, playfully as it had its own life.

The ground shook.

My magic went haywire, not following my commands.

The countless stars that covered the night sky of Velaris colored themselves in a deep shade of Crimson Red. They shined upon the city, bright and vivid as the magic flowed from me to land.

I widened my eyes, forcefully locking my powers in. The blood sealing itself again in the crystal but the stars stayed in a red tint.

I winnowed away from the mountains and appeared on the balcony of the House of Wind breathing heavily and eyes panicked.

What the hell was happening?

Upon my arrival, I found The Inner Circle standing side by side watching the sky glowing with the crimson stars.

"Who wants to explain?" I asked, a finger pointed upwards at the phenomenon happening at that moment in the night sky.

Cassian yelped, placing a hand on his wildly beating heart, "I forgot you that you could winnow inside."

"Velaris reacted to your magic," Amren explained coolly. I was coming to understand that she had this particular tone in her voice, like she knew everything, her eyes, silver like a speck of the moon, glistening with knowledge. "It absorbed your power sealing it with the city." she tilted her head in my direction, "It welcomed you home."

Mor exhaled out an awed breath, her eyes never trailed off from the sky. "It's stunning."

Yes it was.

Instinctively as I trailed my eyes to the sky, I searched for the bond in my chest, swirls and ribbons of red and black, of the night twined together with streamers of blood.

"Where are you? " I asked through the Eardreor connection. No reply came, only a tug. I followed it without a second thought.

A couple of levels below, Rhysand too stood outside on a balcony, his elbows on the railing as he looked up at the stars.

I walked next to him and sighed, "I understand." I said after a moment, "I understand why you didn't tell me anything about the war. I am not saying that I'm not upset that you didn't but... I understand."

Rhys straightened up and turned so he could look me directly in the eyes. "You have been through enough, Vee. I know that you are not made of glass. You could never be of glass with your past. I just wanted..."

"To protect me." I finished. I knew without any doubts that that was his intention. Rhysand nodded his head, moving his eyes again towards Velaris. "Come on." I said through a smile, "Let's go upstairs with the others. The view is much better there."

"Here you are." Mor grinned as she saw us joining them. She aimed that breathtaking grin back to the stars, "I always wanted to see it. "

"Yeah." Rhysand said, eyes softening. He extended his arm, wrapping it around my shoulders, "I always wanted to see it too."

I smiled, warmth expanding in my heart as I closed my arm around Rhys' middle, resting my head against him.

"So..." Our focus was caught by Cassian as wide as he could, he grinned in Rhysand and I direction, "When can I have my hug?"

Mor glared at the Illyrian, "What!? No, I met her first!"

──── ⋅⋅•☽⟡☾•⋅⋅ ────

╰┈˚ · ° .  That morning it hadn't been the sun to wake me from my slumber, no, it had been the incessant tug in my chest of the Eardreor bond.

I was ready to murder Rhys.

When I lowered the shields enough for the scent of rain, salt, and citrus to drift up my nose, I didn't have the time to even breathe before he was speaking.

"Come here. I need help with your sister." He said, quickly and slightly panicked.

"I was sleeping," I grunted, my eyes still weren't fully open. It was his desperation that flowed through the bond a second later that made me understand how much he actually needed me. "Fine. Give me ten minutes."

Twenty minutes later, just to spite him, I was dressed in black pants, an off-the-shoulders black tunic with a corset on the waist and knee high boots. The fashion of the Night Court was really different from the one in the Spring Court, definitely much more to my tastes.

I strolled through the hallway, reaching the veranda just at the end. I could already see where my sister and Rhysand were— actually, currently arguing.

"Nothing else transferred to me." Feyre said, eyes evading the one of the High lord.

"It'd just be rather... interesting," he smirked at his words, "if it did."

"It didn't, and I'm not going to learn to read or shield with you."

"Why? From spite? I thought you and I got past that Under the Mountain."

"Don't get me started on what you did to me Under the Mountain."

Rhys went still and with him, so did I.

For The Cauldron's sakes— I groaned in my thoughts. I had just woken up, hearing these two speaking of Under the mountain wasn't high on my list of things to do at that moment.

"Morning." I said, it was definitely spoken with much more cheer than how I actually felt.

"Morning." Rhys repeated monotonously contrastin my tone.

"Good morning." This time my sister didn't evade Rhys's eyes, but mine.

"You said ten minutes, Vee." Rhysand uttered through the bond.

I smirked at the High Lord, filling up my plate for breakfast. "I was feeling rebellious."

Actually, I was feeling like giving the two a bit of space to speak only between each other. Even if Feyre didn't know, they were mates.

"We have company." Rhys directed the words to Feyre, "And no, I'm not talking about your sister. We'll discuss this later."

"No, we won't." Feyre replied, a quick motion of her head to join the words.

Quick, light footsteps sounded down the hall, and then she appeared. Morrigan."Hello, hello," she chirped, her full lips parting in a dazzling smile as her rich brown eyes fixed on Feyre.

"Feyre, Maiven." Rhys said smoothly, "meet my cousin, Morrigan. Mor, meet the lovely, charming, and open-minded Feyre." Then, as an afterthought, he added. "And her sister."

"Wow thanks." I said sarcastically. Petty? Pretty much so.

"Is this the payback for my lack of punctuality, Rhys?" I asked through the Eardreor bond. The High Lord just answered with a sly smirk.

"I've heard so much about you," Mor said as Feyre got to her feet, awkwardly jutting out her hand forwards, which was ignored by Mor, who insted grabbed her into a bone-crushing hug.

"And of course, it's a pleasure to meet you, Maiven." Mor said, winking and keeping up the farce that I did not know her, "Can I hug you too?"

In the end, the previous night, much to my happiness, Cassian and Mor ended up betting on who I was going to hug first.

"No thanks." I said, blinking at the girl with a hidden smirk.

"You look like you were getting under Rhys's skin," Mor said, talking back with Feyre, strutting to her seat in the meantime. "Good thing I came along. Though I'd enjoy seeing Rhys's balls nailed to the wall."

Rhys slid incredulous eyes at her, his brows lifting upwards.

Feyre hid the smile that tugged on her lips. "It's—nice to meet you."

"Liar," Mor said, pouring herself some tea and loading her plate. "You want nothing to do with us, do you? And wicked Rhys is making you sit here."

"You're... perky today, Mor." Rhys said.

"When she is not." I said through our bond. Mor, in simple words, she was a force to be reckoned with. Her cheerfulness was something I had never encountered before in my life.

A smile tugged at the corner of Rhysand's lips that he quickly hid as his cousin talked again. "Forgive me for being excited about having company for once."

"You could be attending your own duties," he said testily.

"I needed a break, and you told me to come here whenever I liked, so what better time than now, when you brought my new friends to finally meet me?"

"You two look nothing alike," Feyre said at last.

"Mor is my cousin in the loosest definition," he said. She grinned at him, devouring slices of tomato and pale cheese. "But we were raised together. She's my only surviving family. And as my only remaining relative," Rhys went on, "Mor believes she is entitled to breeze in and out of my life as she sees fit."

"So grumpy this morning," Mor said, plopping two muffins onto her plate.

"I didn't see you Under the Mountain," Feyre said.

"Oh, I wasn't there," she said. "I was in—"

"Enough, Mor," He said, his voice laced with quiet thunder. Rhysand set his napkin on the table and rose. "Mor will be here for the rest of the week, but by all means, do not feel that you have to oblige her with your presence." Mor stuck out her tongue at him. He rolled his eyes, "Did you eat enough?" He asked Feyre who nodded her head. "Good. Then let's go." He inclined his head toward the pillars and swaying curtains behind him. "Your first lesson awaits."

"If he pisses you off, Feyre, feel free to shove him over the rail of the nearest balcony."

Rhys gave her a smooth, filthy gesture as he strode down the hall.

Feyre eased to her feet when he was a good distance ahead. "Enjoy your breakfast."

"Whenever you want company," she said, "give a shout."

"I'll see you later?" Feyre asked in my direction, not once landing her sight on me.

"Yell if you need me, alright?" I replied to my sister giving her a tight lipped smile.

My twin merely nodded before she followed after Rhysand.

Once she was out of earshot, Mor spoke again, "Are you okay?".

"I hate to lie to her." I replied, "And if you are asking about why she is not even looking at me, I must say that I have no idea of why."

Ignoring the last part, probably understanding that I did not want to talk about it, Mor spoke again, "I know. Hopefully you will not have to lie to her for much longer."

"Let's hope so."

"Everything will be alright, Mai." The blonde placed her hand on my arm to comfort me, "Now," she started, ending the sentimental flow of the conversation,"It's actually the first time I see you in something other than those boring leathers." a beaming smile etched on her features, "You look amazing."

"Thank you." I couldn't help but chuckle at the totally different direction that the conversation headed.

"And I am sure I would not be the only one to think so," Mor wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

"By the Cauldron." I groaned, hiding my face between my hands. "Please don't."

"I think you and Az would look really cute together." Morrigan commented, having no mercy whatsoever on me.

I rose from my seat, "Goodbye Mor." I said while walking away, but even with my quick steps, I didn't escape the booming sound of the blonde's laughter.

✎

˗ˏˋ 𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫'𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞 ˊˎ˗

Hello everyone!

This is such a cute chapter. The stars tinting red to signal that the bloodsinger is home actually made my heart melt.

I love the way Mai feels comfortable with Rhys. They are my roman empire you guys. I am so proud of how I am writing their friendship, but let me know your thoughts!

Anyways, thank you for reading this chapter, I'll see you on Thursday!

˚ · ° . 𝐔𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐞 . ° · ˚

𝐓𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲

𝐓𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲

𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞!

– 𝐋𝐨𝐥𝐚 ☾