A Court of Water and Shadow

3

"Well? What do you think?" Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Mor staring at me, but I was too caught up in my surroundings.

Children laughed as they ran past us playing with toys that moved in the wind. So many Fae walked the streets laughing and talking. They all looked incredibly happy here. Looking up, my eyes were transfixed on the thousands of stars that did in fact shine brighter than in Summer. The black surrounding them seemed to elevate their shine and the moon was a glorious glowing ball in the sky. It was all just so... "Incredible." I breathed as I finally met Mor's eyes.

She let out a laugh, then looked past me.

"I'm glad you think so, welcome to Velaris, Evelyn." Rhysand's voice sounded from behind me.

I spun to see Rhysand, Cassian, Azriel, and a Fae that I hadn't met yet. She was very tiny with black hair that fell to her shoulders. Her eyes glowed silver, and something deep inside me shivered at the image.

As if Rhysand knew my question, he gestured to the short Fae. "This is Amren, she's my second in command."

I gave her a smile. "I'm Evelyn, it's nice to meet you."

"You too, girl." Amren spoke with an edge to her voice, like she didn't have one single care for anyone or anything. I can tell why Rhysand chose her to be his second, just her stare alone could make everyone around her uncomfortable.

Mor slung an arm around my shoulder. "The night is young Evelyn, let's go celebrate."

The way she kept saying "celebrate," it seemed like there was a double meaning behind the word. As we started to walk through the streets, I finally gathered the courage to ask. "How do you all celebrate?"

Cassian snorted, and I noticed a shadow curl around my wrist. "We drink profusely and regret it in the morning." Cassian gave me a wicked grin.

"Oh, so where are we going to drink?" I asked.

"Rita's, our favorite bar. I think you'll like it a lot." Mor shot me a wink, and I didn't know if she was being sarcastic or not. I was never much of a drinker, but then again I never really had friends to drink with.

Every friend I had either mated and moved away or just naturally drifted away from me. It was sad to see them go, but I didn't see the point in putting effort into a friendship that wasn't reciprocated.

It was a short walk to Rita's, but I noticed the place from down the block. Fae gathered outside in a line waiting to be let in and booming music could be heard from the outside. I've been to a few bars in my lifetime, none of which seemed this popular.

Mor dragged me past the line of people and through the doors. As soon as we entered, a strong smell hit my nose. It was a mixture of sweat, alcohol, and arousal. I gawked at the Fae dancing in suggestive ways on the floor, but that was only a few of them. Most were dancing with friends and laughing, which made me smile in awe. The bar was situated to the right, with a small seating area surrounding the dance floor on one side.

Mor yelled something to me about grabbing drinks, but I couldn't quite hear over the music. Cassian slung a heavy arm over my shoulder and directed me to a booth along the wall of the bar. The five of us sat down while Mor brought over a tray of drinks and shots, handing us each one of everything.

"I'm surprised you didn't snag the whole bottle." Rhysand raised an eyebrow at Mor, who rolled her eyes.

"You seriously doubt me cousin?" Mor pulled out a bottle of clear liquid from behind her back and set it down in the center of the table.

Everyone laughed, even Azriel let out a soft huff as Mor sat down next to me in the booth, squishing me between her and Cassian.

Mor raised her shot glass, prompting everyone to do the same. "To celebrating."