Acomaf -Rhys Pov

Pt 5 . Night court.

I never in a million years let myself imagine how it would feel to show Ferye my home... Valaris. Day by day I had promised her... life was emerging back into Ferye not just a will to live but life. She was falling in with my inner circle as I always hoped. She loved Mor... who couldn't , though I did suspect some guilt at how much she thought of Mor as a sister when after meeting her sisters no such closeness existed. Cassian had become her friend and teacher . She found an immediate trust in him when he shared he understood her past in a way myself or Mor never would. They both were inclined to sharp tongues so I worried they would clash but they perfed tag teaming ... mostly at my expense. Her first impression of Azriel was like most, his shadows can be unnerving to those who are not used to them . He was always a male of few words but Ferye had accepted his aloofness without reproach, even seeking him out in a way I never expected when she asked him to carry her to the human lands ... I knew Az wouldn't outworldly show his discomfort at that much physical closeness but something passed between them that day I wondered if maybe his shadows told him about the bond ... if they could sense it or if it was something just between them I didn't ask but I could tell he had the same level connection he had with us. I knew my powers didn't scare her but even Armens didn't get a flicker of fear once they met. Whether it was both being made or something personal I didn't care they accepted each other fully. It was more than I had ever let myself think about let alone live it... it was far from perfect but there were flashes that gave me hope... hope was something even if it was small and fragile.

I had entered the sparring Ring with Az knowing he needed to work off his frustrations at his failed first attempt to get into the Queens castle ... Az rarely found a challenge to his spy work, so while I knew he enjoyed the challenge he was also fuming .

His shadow swept near my ear playfully sweeping towards where Ferye and Cassian were talking.  I tuned into their conversation, noticing that Az had intentionally slowed down.
"We get the tattoos when we're initiated as Illyrian warriors—for luck and glory on the battlefield." Cass was telling her. Her shield was up but I could see from her face she was admiring us ... a flicker of a smile from Az told me he knew it too.
" You're enjoying the fact she's watching you brother." His shadow whispered in my ear. It always surprised me when he did that . Like a ventriloquist can throw their voice so too could he speak though his shadows.
"She's watching you too." I hedged low enough that they couldn't hear
" perhaps... but " I didn't hear the end of what his shadow told me because I felt her anger flair up and heard cassian challenging her I could read his bantering tone but Ferye didn't seam to think he was messing around I went into cassian's mind

"What did you say to her?" I asked him

"You're a busybody too." And shut me out.  I looked at Az. Though we kept sparing, he sent a shadow over between them Cassian flicked it away when he reached for Ferye's wrist a clear indication that he knew what he was doing .

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hit a nerve. Az only told me because I told him I needed to know for my own forces; to know what to expect. None of us ... we don't think it's a joke. What you did was a hard call. A really damn hard call. It was just my shitty way of trying to see if you needed to talk about it. I'm sorry," he said to her, dropping her arm. Cassian seldom apologized for any measure of pushing someone he rarely needed to because he could read people better than anyone I knew.  He spoke loudly enough for me to hear it so he knew I was paying attention and glared at me when he set his hands into the pads for her to punch.  I focused back on my duel with Az.

" Let me get to that side" I huffed.

"Cassian's needs to know her limits ... let him." You said to yourself the more emotional she is, the more likely she is to lose control" he said, reminding me of a conversation from a few days ago. I pushed my way rather brutishly into his side to get to the side of the ring I wanted ... I needed to watch her ... my mating bond was screaming at me to protect her which it didn't normally do around cassian. Az snarled at me but eased up our fight so I could focus . I felt the bond opening felt her shields coming down and then it hit me worse than any blow of a knife. Everything she was feeling lit her fire.  And she burned through the pad in cassian's hands. I saw his siphon flair around his hands to protect his skin without ever dropping his hands.

"I'm alright" he said to her waiting for that punch. I realized then he would take, take fire, ice , wind darkness no matter what she needed to release ...even if she beat him bloody if it meant having a shot at her healing herself from what's eating her inside. My heart broke in a million ways ...everything from how much I loved and respected him for what he was doing... to how much I hated that she was broken enough he had to go that far to help her ...but she never threw that punch with her fist but her words sucker punched us all.

"I killed them" her words bleeding out of her. My instincts moved me forward right into Azs outstretched arm blocking me, his siphon shining and him shaking his head no . She needed to get this out. I knew ... Cassian was the right person to help her but still my heart bleed. Az looked me in the eye and I felt exposed. I'm almost certain any guess he may have about what she really is to me is clear now.
"It should have been me" she whimpered. And have no idea if I walked, flew, or winnowed to her. But I cocooned her in my wings "You will feel that way every day for the rest of your life..."
I heard Az and Cassian beginning to spar... they were clearly listening more than fighting but I thanked them for at least pretending that they were not shocked by my behavior. Wrapping her in my wings like that would shock any Illyrian. It was viewed as an intimate gesture and one that even well known mated pairs almost never displayed in public.

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cassian's pov while Rhys talks to Ferye
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My mouth stood gaping as I saw Rhys cocoon Ferye in his wings. I didn't even catch the sword that Az threw at me as he started to spar With me .

"Your just going to pretend you're not seeing that ?" I knocked my head to where Rhys was.  Az didn't say anything, just kept sparing. I finally moved enough I could pick up the blade from the ground. And match him in the fight.

"Is she ?" Az asked softly both of us pretending not to be eavesdropping every word between them as they banter in that cocoon.

" ...mates?..... I know something's different" looking at Az hoping his shadows knew more.

Az knocked out my breath getting a lucky hit in my ribs because I was still focused on Rhys and Ferye. Az looked them over and smiled a smile that rarely anyone but mor saw.  He was happy for them... and it made my own heart twist at how much Rhys deserved to finally find love.

"...but she's still in love with Tamlin... Or at least she's not over tamlin. " I huffed. Azs smile faltered.

"Love and mates are not always the same thing, Cass . We all know this. "  He added. Then a magic night swirled around us. Soft glittering night... almost as if to answer our questions .. a lovers night filled the air.  wrapped in that night ... I knew then that...love... might not be enough to describe what he feels for her.