A Court of Golden Shadow || Elain x Azriel

Chapter 16 - From a Doe to a Cat

Although the race had begun at a breakneck speed, the brothers had since settled into a quiet rhythm with one another, gliding and soaring through the stars before resting for most of the morning on the northwestern border of Day, napping in the warm sun on a cliff edge overlooking the sea. Rhys had produced a meal for them through his magic, and they lazed together in the beach grass, listening to the waves crash on the shore, swapping stories of their pasts and dreams of their future, always ribbing and joking.

It was refreshing.

Azriel mused that he had missed these times with his brothers. Ever since they had both been mated, and then even more after Nyx was born, it was seldom they were ever able to spend time like this together. It didn't help that Azriel had barely been able to be at the River House over the past year, his frustrations over Elain causing him to avoid the manor altogether, opting for the House of Wind. But when that had been overtaken by Nesta and Cassian's... explorations... it felt like he had been exiled yet again.

But they were his only family. And though his brothers may be receiving the emotional and social satisfaction of the bond with their mates, Azriel was left with only his shadows to listen to his thoughts. The realization tugged at something within him, and he felt his eyes drift to Rhys, the order on Solstice chafing at his mind, begging to be challenged.

Azriel smiled, sipping the cup of coffee the High Lord had produced for them, his eyes trained on the horizon. "You know Rhys, if you truly wanted me to stop panting after Elain, then you should have spent more time with me. Maybe I've been lonely."

Rhys looked toward him, a question arching his brow as a smile curled his lips. Cassian whipped toward Azriel, nearly dropping his own cup of coffee. "Elain? What? When did that happen?"

"That's what I'm saying." Azriel quipped, ignoring his brother's questions. "We've spent such little time together that you don't even know what's going on anymore."

"I do know what's going on with you. I sure as hells know you were mad at me for ordering you to stay away from her." Rhys drawled, standing up and casting his eyes from Azriel, toward the cresting waves of the ocean. "If the rocks in the snowballs at Solstice were any indication."

Laughing, Azriel leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees as Cassian mimicked the movement. "Mother Az, Rhys never has to pull rank on us. What did you do?"

"He tried to fuck her while she was still sharing a roof with Lucien." Rhys answered as Cassian gaped at the Shadowsinger. "My roof, to be exact."

"I did not try to fuck her." Azriel quipped, throwing his hands behind him and leaning back, crossing his legs at the ankle. "She was receptive."

"Receptive or not, she's mated." Rhys shot back.

Azriel felt his shadows begin to hiss and swirl, angered on his behalf, ready to strike as he faced the High Lord who stared back at him with a hard glare, his posture shifting toward Azriel, ever so slightly, into a defensive position.

Sensing the tension, Cassian rose, slinging an arm around Rhysand's shoulders as he walked by, pulling the High Lord to the ground as he wrapped his other arm around Azriel's shoulders. Patting both their arms lightly, they turned to stare at him right as the general's arms shot toward his chest, pinning both their necks in the crooks of his elbows, their faces nose-to-nose, cheeks smashed into Cassian's chest. Rhys began to struggle, trying to pull his head from Cassian's death grip as Azriel merely relaxed, chuckling and closing his eyes.

"Ah ah ah. No use struggling. Rhys may have his power and magic, and Az, you may have your wingspan," Azriel let out a chuckle, attempting again to wrench his head away, "but we all know that I am the strongest." Rhys began to laugh then as well, throwing his weight to the side as Cassian gripped their necks tighter.