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38. Come Closer

You needed some time to process everything, so you pretended to be asleep in Azriel's arms.

As soon as you'd left the cottage, he'd winnowed into the Winter Court. You didn't know how far he'd winnowed, but he must've strained himself because he'd looked pallid.

When you were hit with an extra cold gust of wind, you shivered and clutched at Koschei's diary.

Azriel tsked and, without thinking, tucked your face into his neck. You were startled by the action, but once your surprise faded, his kindness almost made you cry — again. You swallowed around the lump of unwanted emotion in your throat and realized it was sore, and that — that didn't surprise you, not one bit.

Because after you'd had a good, albeit short, cry with Azriel, you'd unlocked the front door to rip Eris a new one.

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"Hm. Hold on," Azriel said, glancing into the kitchen. He was still holding your face like he didn't want to let go yet. "I'll get you some tissues."

As soon as he dropped his hands, your fingertips went numb with bloodthirsty magic. And as soon as he turned his back, you unlocked the door and then stepped outside, looking for Eris. Thankfully, you didn't have to look far because he stood a few yards away with his back to the house. But when he heard the door unlock and open, he whirled around, eyes wide.

"What the fuck was that?" you asked, approaching him.

"Stay back," Eris said, holding up his hands. His amber eyes burned with displeasure. "I mean it, (Y/n)."

You ignored him. "What're you doing to do, High Lord of Autumn?"

You heard Azriel swear even though he was still inside.

Eris sneered at you but took a few steps back. "I'm serious, (Y/n)."

"Fuck you," you seethed, stopping a few feet away from him. The air was crowded, thick with built-up magic. "You don't get to act normal now. If you want to stay on Twilight's good side, you'll apologize. To me. Right now."

"Watch it," Eris snapped. "You're still in Autumn Court territory."

"Watch it?" Your brows shot up in surprise. "Wow. Okay. Fine, then. Burn me, Eris. Or wait, do you only burn those who deserve it?"

Eris's nostrils flared.

"Like your father?" you continued. "I wonder, what happened to your moral compass?"

Eris's chest heaved. "I killed my father to save you. Maybe I shouldn't have."

His nastiness didn't sting this time.

A small voice in the back of your head told you to hit him where it hurt.

"It wouldn't have mattered," you said coolly. Eris's face pinched together in raw anger. Strands of his hair rose like a dog's raised hackles. This was the second time you'd seen him as a High Lord, but this was the first time you'd thought of him as one. You could feel his magic, could taste it in the back of your throat. "You saved me, and now we're here, and now, you're acting just like your father. So did you really kill him? Or will he live on through you?"

Eris erupted in blue flames, but they burned neither him nor his clothes.

Azriel unsheathed a weapon behind you.

You simply stared at the new High Lord. "I'm waiting, Eris. Apologize."

As feathers broke through the skin of your cheekbones, the same thing happened to Eris — but with scales.