A Court of Wind and Song

5: The Note

Azriel

Sorry I threatened to start a war with you.

I love you even when you act like an ass,

-World's best little sister

Rhys read the note on the basket of Solarean goods aloud. Leur had put it together for him last night after she had calmed down from their fight. It contained a few bottles of wine from Anil, some fresh fruits and vegetables from Adhira, and clothes from the seamstresses in Astra that she had picked out for both him and Feyre.

And, because my mate was who she was, it also contained a satchel of gold marks that was the exact same amount as whatever Nesta had spent at that bar a few nights before.

"I'm glad to see she is taking this seriously." Rhys frowned down at the basket.

"She apologized. Consider it a win." I shrugged at him, keeping myself in check.

Rhys fumbled with the golden thread of the satchel as he spoke, "True, at least there's that."

"It's not like you weren't acting like an asshole too." I reminded him.

"I guess that is fair." He rubbed his temples, "I just thought we had gotten past all of this after the war."

"Siblings fight their whole lives, Rhys." I said, leaning back in my chair, "It's not like this isn't normal."

"She doesn't fight with Cassian like this." He spoke, voice almost... pained?

"They're different and they always have been." I offered, "You know that she loves both of you equally."

Something else is wrong. The shadows whispered in my ear, Something bigger.

"Sure, yeah." He said softly, "Tell her I said thank you, and that I'm not mad either."

I wanted to let it go, but I couldn't.

"Rhys, what's happened with you and her over the years is not the kind of thing that heals in a few months." I caught his eye, "It's not the end of the world, you're well aware that she is going to walk in here and pretend like none of it ever happened later."

"Do you have any clue how loud Cassian's thoughts are?" He cocked his head at me, violet eyes glowing.

I furrowed my brows, unsure what exactly he was getting at, "I can't say that I do."

"He practically screams them half the time with no shields up, no matter how much I bitch at him to stop." The High Lord frowned, "Which means that right now, I get a front-row seat to just how wonderful spending the morning is with Leur, and just how fantastic it is to see her training Nesta."

"I think you need to focus less on her relationship with Cassian, and more on your relationship with her." I said, "What does it matter what is going on with them? It's not a competition."

"I feel like he knows how to be a brother, and I don't. That's what I am getting at." His head fell in his hands, "All I ever do is fuck up when it comes to her, over and over again."

Yet, there is still something he is not saying. My shadows hummed, Something that does not pertain to our mate.

Find out what it is. I commanded them.

"I don't know, Rhys. I don't have a sister." I shrugged, "I think you'd be better off asking Cassian for advice on this."

He gave me a look that was nearly identical to his sister's, the same kind of incredulous frown I watched her do nearly every day. I immediately dropped my shields, letting him see what was in my head. I let him see the comparison I made, how they weren't so different than he thought they were.