A Court of Gold and Shadows

I breathe flames each time I talk - Chapter 1

I breathe flames each time I talk

The story of how Oriana Fireborn Belmont finally meets her mate's family.

Also the story of how Rhysand, The High Lord of the Night Court, finally recognises that by the cauldron, there is no fury like a female scorned.

Azriel would just like everybody to get along.

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Chapter 1: none of us thought it was gonna end that way

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There weren't many things that shocked Rhysand, High Lord of the Night Court. The sight of his brother, brutal bruises painting his face after what should have been a simple retrieval mission in the Winter Court... that did it.

It had been supposed to be a meeting to exchange intelligence on whatever was currently going on with Tamlin in the Spring Court.

Instead...it had apparently turned into...a mess.

"I was caught in an avalanche," Azriel said, his voice harsh. "Rhys, I told you that it probably wasn't gonna end well. There was nobody there...and that avalanche wasn't natural."

Nobody but a trap waiting for Azriel.

That was the last thing that he wanted to hear. Peace in Pyrithian was hanging on by a thread, somehow seeming all the more precarious to Rhys, ever since Nyx had been born.

Maybe it was the instinct of a young father...maybe it was something else, but he couldn't dare to not trust them.

And so he had wanted to keep his allies close, but the ones that kept away from it all...even closer.

"Right. And I told you that this was important," Rhys responded just as sharply. "I'll write to Kallias. And you should probably do something against the blood that is currently dripping on my carpet," he said pointedly. Azriel wiped at his split lip. Rhys opened his mouth to tell Azriel to go see Madja damnit, but Azriel beat him to it.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of it," Azriel's voice was dripping with disdain, and Rhys opened his mouth to respond, but Azriel's shadows were already converging onto him.

Mother help him.

His brother was gone, shadow travelled away, before Rhys had even dismissed him.

He sighed as he sat back down at his desk, fingers tapping against the dark wood of it.

There were so many moving pieces and so little time.

And still, his mind turned towards his brother. Not Cassian, who seemed as content as Rhys had ever seen him with Nesta in the House of Wind...but Azriel.

Azriel, who had, ever since that Solstice nearly 3 years ago, pulled back from him. Who had still not forgiven him for what Rhys had done.

At the start, Rhys had thought that Azriel would get over himself in a few weeks.

Azriel was infatuated with Elain. It would be a few weeks and then it all would be back to how it was before.

Oh, but he had been so wrong.

He had not been wrong about what he did. He hadn't.

Rhys had done what needed to be done.