Song of Shadows

Chapter Nine

Azriel

The meeting continues for a few more hours, but I ignore the bickering of the High Lords. My rage seethes inside of me, a beast given form. I feel ashamed for losing my temper and endangering the tenacious peace of the meeting.

Mor's face was pale and horrorstruck as Feyre led me to my chair. I noted her entire body shaking. Elain's eyes were wide with an emotion I couldn't read. She refused to look at me for the rest of the meeting. Thesan offers us accommodations to continue discussing matters tomorrow. Every other High Lord agrees to spend the night.

One of the attendants escorts us to large suit. Several bedrooms encircle a large sitting room. I mark all of the exits and windows, setting a shield to keep our words private around them. Rhys eyes the birdcage. I encircle the cage as well.

"That went well. It would seem none of us won our bet about who'd fight first," Rhys says, his eyes sparkling with humor.

I glance down at the floor, shame flooding through me. "I'm sorry."

Rhys shrugs it off. "He had it coming."

I walk to the large windows and drink in the spectacular view. Mor sprawls on one of the couches, and Cassian seats himself next to her and between us. Just as he always has been a wall or a buffer between us.

Feyre and Mor shoot occasional worried glances at me, but I ignore them. My rage is too fresh, my emotions too raw, for me to talk to anyone. The scent of flowers and new soil draws my attention to Elain approaching me. She lays her soft hand on top of mine.

"Are you alright?" she breathes, loud enough only I can hear her.

Nesta bids everyone good night and returns to her room. Feyre and Rhysand communicate down the bond. Mor is pointedly ignoring us. I wrap my fingers around Elain's and give her a subtle nod.

She squeezes my hand and smiles at me. A knock on the door has everyone on their feet. "Don't open it," Mor warns.

Rhys grins at her and pulls open the door revealing Hellion on the threshold. The male swaggers in, his sharp eyes taking in the room and our positions. "How did you convince Thesan to give you a better view?"

Rhys closes the doors behind him and shrugs. "He finds my males prettier than yours."

Cassian barks a laugh. My dark mood lightens a bit more. Hellion chuckles too. "It's probably a wing fetish."

They exchange some more banter, but my attention falls on Elain. She rests her head on my shoulder as if to let me know I'm not alone. Hellion approaches us and clasps my shoulder. "Good on you for knocking Eris on his ass. That will be my fantasy for the rest of the night."

I tense at the words, but I keep my attention focused outside the window. "I wondered when you would start coming onto us," Cassian snorts.

Elain shoots the High Lord a confused look before she meets my gaze again. I shrug in response. Hellion moves to the couch across from Mor and Cassian. "It's been four hundred years and you still won't accept my offer."

"I don't like to share," Mor says.

Hellion chuckles. His voice grows low and seductive. "You never know until you try."

The talk turns to troop movements and armies. I commit the information to memory. I move to an armchair in the far corner of the room. Elain brings two glasses of wine and sits in the chair next to mine. I don't miss the way Hellion gazes at Mor as her bare leg shows. Her brown eyes light up with interest, and they share a heated look.

My burning anger transforms into something icy and brittle. My fingers clench the wine glass harder, but I keep my face neutral. Elain notices the shift of my hand and looks over to Hellion and Mor. Her eyes darken for a moment.