A Court of War and Sacrifice

4. Silent Trials

Seren knelt beside the tub of water. Mor and Elain were across from her, already eyeing the apples that floated around. Are you sure about this? Azriel's voice came across the Bond.

Yes, I'll be all right. My swimming lessons last summer helped a lot, Seren replied. Shadows flickered through her hair, tickling her neck.

"Ready?" Gwyn asked. The three contestants nodded. "Go!"

Seren dunked her head into the bucket and began searching blindly for apples. Someone bumped into her a few times. Old panic lingered in the corner of her mind, but did not surface. Seren dug her teeth into an apple and sat up. Water poured from her hair and down her face. Mor had beaten her, but Elain was still searching. A moment later, Elain sat up with an apple in her mouth.

"Mor won," Emerie announced. Her cheeks tinged pink as Mor gave her a dazzling smile.

Azriel offered Seren a hand. He pulled her to her feet but didn't let go right away. He lightly ran his fingers over her scars. "Where is Amren?" Seren asked.

Mor knit her brows. "I'm not sure. I thought she was going to be here."

"Have you two been getting along better?" Gwyn asked.

"Not exactly," Seren replied. "We usually just stay out of each other's way." Azriel sighed, almost inaudibly.

"She probably went to see Varian again," Elain said. "Or she's doing other...Amren stuff."

Feyre joined them, holding a sleeping Nyx. "Thank you all for the gifts. We're going in so try not to be too loud?"

"No promises," Mor said with a wink.

Feyre chuckled and carried Nyx into the house. Rhys followed, attempting to balance all of the gifts in his arms. Cassian and Nesta joined the group presently.

"Well? Are we going to stand here all night or are we going to Rita's?" Mor asked.

"Only you would think of going to Rita's this late," Lucien scoffed. Elain took his arm and batted her eyelashes sweetly. "All right."

"Count us in," Cassian agreed.

"And us, of course," Gwyn added.

"Az? Ser?" Mor looked at them.

They both nodded and the group headed towards the gates. Mor took Emerie, Cassian, and Nesta and winnowed away. Lucien took Gwyn and Elain. Seren laced her fingers with Azriel's before winnowing them to Rita's.

Wind roared through her ears, and when it faded, they were standing in front of the club. They followed the group inside. Music filled the club and waitresses wove through the crowd, carrying trays of food and drink.

Mor led the way to a booth and they sat down. A waitress came by to take their orders. After she left, Nesta, Cassian, Lucien, and Elain made their way to the dance floor. Seren watched the dancers with a small smile.

"Do you want to join them?" Azriel asked.

"Sure." Seren slid out of the booth. Azriel wrapped an arm around her waist and they spun onto the dance floor. Shadows leaped in between them. The shadow around her arm crept up to her neck. "Are they saying anything?"

"They're asking for your flames."

Seren focused on the flaming band around Azriel's arm. At her behest, it began to crackle and split into a few individual flames. The shadows flocked to them and began writhing with energy.