A Court of Song and Shadow

Chapter 27

Somehow I ended on top of the bar--dancing between two random males I did not even know. I let the music take control of me as I continue to dance. I try to remember how many drinks I had but I lost count after twenty five. I look over and see Mor dancing on the other side of the bartop in between a male and female. I let out a laugh as we make eye contact across and she shrugs her shoulders at me. I look to see where Rhys, Cass, and Az were dancing at but instead I see them sulking in a corner. I jump down off the bartop and almost lose balance but I keep myself standing up right as I make my way to the boys.

"What are you three doing?" I shout at them, they just all give me glares instead. "Lets go dance! Have fun! Look at all the pretty ladies here, go dance with them!"

"Tanwyn would murder me." Cassian points out.

"That is a very good reason, Cass. Good boy." I shout over the music at him, but he continues to glare at me.

"And you two's excuse?" I ask Rhys and Az.

"Rhys is pissed because he asked a girl to dance and she turned him down, and Azriel does not know how to ask a girl to dance so he is just always like this when we go out." Cassian answers for them, and I let out a roaring laugh which makes them glare even harder at me. I shout to Mor to come over and help me get them to dance and she slowly makes her way over. We try to get them out of their seats but they will not get up.

"Come on, Vel! We do not need them, they are just mad we can pick up more people at bars than them." Mor taunts them.

"Is that a challenge, cousin?" Rhysand asks, raising an eyebrow.

"I speak the truth, do I not?" She smiles at him and he quickly takes a shot and begins walking over to where there is a crowd of people dancing--and immediately begins dancing with a pretty female. I laugh at the sight and keep laughing as Mor uses all her strength to get Cassian up to dance. "If I get Tanwyn to come, will you dance then?"

"Maybe." Cass says, and Mor instantly winnows away and reappears minutes later with Tanwyn. She comes over and quickly embraces me.

"I heard Cassian was being lousy." Tanwyn says, and Cassian immediately stands up and crosses his arms.

"I was not." He tells her and she just throws him a pretty smile as she takes Cass and Mor to dance with the crowd of people. I turn to Azriel who has a small smile on his face as he looks after them.

"Are you going to join?" I ask him, trying to control my breathing. I have to fight my shadows as they try to float over to him.

"Not tonight." He says to me.

"Oh, why not? I was just tortured for a week straight and am now being sold off to be wed! Let's get drunk!" I laugh as I grab his hand to try to pull me up but he grabs my hand and slightly pulls me toward him.

"It is not funny, Velaris." Azriel says, my smile falters for a second when I hear the concern in his voice and at the touching of our hands. I quickly grab my hand back and look to him.

"While I was in Hybern, I never thought I would be back here. So I am sorry if I want our family to have a good time and forget about all the horrible shit that has happened and is about to happen." I lash out at him and I immediately regret it. I walk away before I can see the hurt on his face but I feel him follow me. I do not look back or slow down as I walk out of Rita's, but I still feel his presence behind me. I stop as a group of children run out in front of me, and they look to me with wide eyes, and then they look at each other and begin whispering.

"Hello." I say with a smile , Azriel comes up beside me and they look to him with wide eyes also. His shadows seem to disappear when he realizes how frightening we must look to the children.