The Heir of Night

47

The weeks following Theia's talk with Feyre were graciously not as different than before. Theia had expected being under scrutiny from the family, being bombarded by Nyx, or simply just being treated differently. In all truth, the days fell away just as they had before Nyx's confessions. He didn't force himself to be at her hip at all times, nor did Feyre and Rhysand hold her to a different view.

Theia had entirely been expecting for Rhysand to scold her after he had stolen Nyx away. Not even his warm smiles had disappeared. As though no change had been made, the High Lord still greeted Theia as he had many times before. She hadn't asked Nyx what conversation took place when they left the table. The two males had returned with small grins and continued eating like nothing had happened.

Now, curled against the headboard of her bed, Theia had taken to borrowing ink and parchment from Feyre to sketch on her own. She held no talent, but the High Lady had given her enough advice to know which skills to use. Nyx had gone to spar with Azriel hours before, and Rhysand and Feyre had left to visit the Day Court for a few nights. Alone in the estate, Theia chose the one spot she felt most comfortable.

Her teeth gnawed on the mangled skin of her lip as she added another line to the sketch on her lap. She hadn't succumbed to the emotions Nyx had riled within her, but alone, Theia couldn't help but envision his beauty. Her heart warmed as she recognized the hooded eye and straight nose. Nyx's left eye, nose, jaw, and half his lips laid across the parchment. Perhaps someone who hadn't spent hours studying his face wouldn't know it was him, but Theia knew.

Sitting back against the headboard, she stared at the paper. Something was off, one thing missing. She used a smudged piece of charcoal to add the shadows that lingered beneath his eye, jaw, and cheek; half of Nyx's face was complete. Her brows furrowed, glancing between the filled ink and the empty half. With a sigh, she leaned forward and flicked the metal tip along the paper.

Soon enough, the brows she'd created were fuller, a shadow creased between the two. Her teeth pressed into her lip again, Theia added to the lashes. Thick and dark, beautiful frames around his steely blue irises. Of course, she hadn't added the color, but Theia could envision it.

It had been six hours of sketching his face before she felt it was closing in on a clear match to the real thing. As soon as Theia sat back to study it once more, her bedroom door opened. The beauty she had been imagining for hours bared it's face at her as Nyx walked into the room. Her heart swelled, body already leaning toward him. Nyx was beside the bed quickly, cupping her cheek and pressing a long kiss to her lips.

"Rita's tonight?" He murmured against her mouth. Theia nodded, reaching her own hand up to feel the jaw she had just drawn. When her lungs begged for air, Theia pulled back. Nyx kissed the tip of her nose before pulling away fully. His eyes dropped to her lap, a brow lifting. Theia's cheeks heated as she tried to close the sketchbook, but Nyx caught it. He pulled the book from her lap and held it up, studying it silently.

Theia slid down the headboard, hiding behind her hands. "Nyx, stop it," she whined, frowning as his head tilted. He still studied the page, tracing a finger over the drying ink. It was then that she noticed her hand had transferred charcoal to his face during their kiss.

"Is this me?" Nyx asked softly, eyes flicking to Theia. She nodded hesitantly, heart pounding. She wasn't an artist, not like Feyre, but she'd done her best to portray this male as she sees him. Her heart wasn't ready to claim its love over him, and Theia hated to watch as he gave her every piece of himself over and over again. She felt greedy as she took that love and savored it, but she hardly given him a crumb of her own self.

"Is this how you see me?" Nyx asked through a heavy breath, his forefinger gently running over the dried ink. Again, Theia nodded. She watched his eyes as he studied the page. Finally, his eyes lifted to hers and he grinned. "It's beautiful."