Daisy Blooms - Azriel

Chapter 9

Snow clung to Nesta's hair as we stared at each other across the threshold. Pink tinged her cheeks from the frigid night, but her face remained solemn. Cold as the snow-dusted cobblestones.

Feyre opened the door a bit wider. "We're in the sitting room."

"I saw."

Conversation, tentative and halting, carried to the foyer. No doubt a noble attempt by everyone to give them some privacy and sense of normalcy. When Nesta remained on the doorstep, Feyre extended a hand toward her. "Here-I'll take your coat."

She glanced past her, into the house. As if weighing whether to take that step over the threshold.

"You'll fall ill if you just stand there in the cold," Elain tutted to Nesta, smiling broadly. "Come sit with me by the fire."

Nesta's blue-gray eyes slid to Feyre's. Wary. Assessing. She held her ground. Held that door open.

Without a word, Nesta crossed the threshold.

It was the matter of a moment to remove her coat, scarf, and gloves to reveal one of those simple yet elegant gowns. She'd opted for a slate gray. No jewelry.

Elain linked elbows to lead Nesta into the room, and Feyre followed, watching the group beyond as they paused. Watching Cassian especially, now standing with Az at the fire. He was the portrait of relaxed, an arm braced against the carved mantel, his wings tucked in loosely, a faint grin on his face and a glass of wine in his hand. He slid his hazel eyes toward Nesta without him moving an inch. Awkward. I feel like they have something going on.

Elain had plastered a smile onto her face as she led Nesta not toward the fire as she'd promised, but the liquor cabinet.

"Don't take her to the wine-take her to the food," Amren called to Elain from her perch on the armchair as she slid the pearl earrings Az had given her into her lobes. "I can see her bony ass even through that dress."

Nesta halted halfway across the room, spine stiff. Cassian went still as death. Elain paused, that plastered-on smile faltering.

Amren just smirked at Nesta. "Happy Solstice, girl."

Nesta stared at Amren-until a ghost of a smile curved her lips.

"Pretty earrings."

Then the room relax slightly.

Elain said brightly, "We were just getting to presents."

It occurred to me only when she said the words that none of the gifts in this room had Nesta's name on them. Well none of them had my name either, but I'm fine.

"We haven't eaten yet," Feyre supplied, lingering in the threshold between the sitting room and foyer. "But if you're hungry, We can get you a plate-"

Nesta accepted the glass of wine Elain pressed into her hand. Elain turned again to the liquor cabinet, she poured a finger of amber-colored liquor into a glass and knocked back the contents with a grimace before facing Nesta again. A soft snort from Amren at that, missing nothing.

But Nesta's attention had gone to the birthday cake still sitting on the table, its various tiers delved into many times over.

Her eyes lifted to Feyre's in the silence. "Happy birthday."

She offered a nod of thanks. "Elain made the cake,"

Nesta only nodded before heading for a chair near the back of the room, by one of the bookcases. "You can return to your presents," she said softly, but not weakly, as she sat.

Elain rushed toward a box near the front of the pile. "This one's for you," she declared to Nesta.

Then Rhysand said to Varian, "Does Tarquin host a formal party for the Summer Solstice, or does he have a more casual gathering?"