The Last Shadow

Chapter 5- Remember

Azriel couldn't help but fiddle with his cutlery. Feyre has once said that he was easily the most well-mannered fae in the inner circle, but tonight Feyre almost certainly would not have said so. In fact, he felt like a wreck.

Despite how he tried to keep his emotions hidden, it was clear for the other members of the table to see his nerves. His shadows, normally calm, were circulating around him with alarming speed, generally seeming to be in more of a frenzy than usual.

And his eyes. Nobody could ignore his eyes: the way they seemed to flicker every time a noise was heard upstairs, or the fleeting glances he kept shooting in the direction of the doorway.

"Az dear, do calm down," Drawled Mor, who was sat opposite Az, with a wicked grin, "Your shadows are giving me motion sickness."

Mor's remark seemed to snap Azriel back to reality and he hastily dropped the fork he was playing with and cleared his throat, "Sorry." Was all he has to say, yet his shadows slowed down dramatically in response.

Cassian, seated to the right of Azriel, reassuringly gave him a nudge with his elbow, "It'll be fine. She floored you during training, I highly doubt she's going to clam up on you now."

Still, Azriel felt he would've been calmer on the battlefield, rather than sat at that table. In fact, he almost excused himself from the table when the door swung open.

As ever, Feyre looked beautiful in her emerald green gown, but Azriel's eyes slipped straight past her to the figure standing by her side.

The sight took his breath away. Eva was dressed in a deep amethyst-coloured gown with a plunging neckline that made Azriel's cheeks heat up. Her dress perfectly complimented her eyes, to the point where they almost seemed to glow. Azriel gleefully noted the twinkle in her eyes, reassuring him that she wasn't feeling scared out of her mind as he might have been if the roles were reversed.

Cerridwen had worked wonders on her hair. Now it was styled to make her look more elegant, yet the kohl lining her eyes still ensured that she looked fearsome. With her hair styled back, her pointed ears were on show so that she seemed to fit in perfectly with the rest of the inner circle.

Azriel's eyes met with Eva's and they seemed to lock on to each other. It was as if the room fell silent around them, which honestly was just as likely. "You look stunning." Azriel half-gasped.

"Thank you." Replied Eva, modestly dipping her head, yet still not breaking Azriel's gaze. Their look seemed to last forever and the room appeared to melt away around them.

Eventually, Rhysand coughed, bringing them both back to reality. Eva's gaze snapped away from Azriel's to the table of guests. Amren merely rolled her eyes and Cassian gave her a cheesy thumbs up gesture, which Eva supposed was meant to be reassuring. No matter, she still couldn't hide her reddening cheeks.

Gently, Feyre guided Eva into the room. "You can sit opposite me," Feyre smiled as she took her seat next to Rhysand and Eva took hers opposite, which she noticed was next to Azriel. As she sat down, her cheeks seemed to what even more, of that was even possible.

Once Eva was seated, Rhysand announced, "Welcome Eva, it's a pleasure that you could join us."

Eva nodded her head demurely, "Really, the pleasure is all mine."

"So nice to meet you, dear," Mor cut in, extending her hand across the table to shake Eva's hand. Mor took Eva's hand in her own and shook it vigorously, "I'm Morrigan, call me Mor. I've been dying to meet the person who's been staying in the guest bedroom for the past few days."

Eva smiled shyly, "Well, I'm just as happy to meet all of you. I'm so grateful for everything you've done for me."

"Well it's only to be as expected seeing as you're-" Mor was cut off with a jolt and she shot a glare across to Azriel sat diagonally across from her. Eva looked puzzled, but decided to let it go. After all, she didn't know the dynamic between the inner circle.