shadows don't lie

Special Chapter #3 Christmas Shopping Edition

Inei set down her book as her stomach growled again. She had refrained from going to eat breakfast, and it was quickly coming back to haunt her.

She glanced around her room, eventually settling on Az, who was still fast asleep in his bed.

One of his wings twitched slightly.

He had been sleeping in a little more lately, since their return from her mess of a first mission, and so she had often found herself watching him sleep on such mornings.

The sun rose later now too, as was normal during the winter. Now it didn’t even peek through their window until mid to late morning.

Taking one more look at him she set aside the copy of ‘Strategy, Tactic, and Infiltration’ and pushed herself up and out of bed.

Walking over to her armoire, she grabbed a pair of thick wool-lined black leggings and a long white tunic that laced up on her back. It wasn’t the warmest outfit for what she had planned today, but she wanted to get acclimated to the cold anyway.

After a couple minutes in the bathroom, dressing and fixing her hair into a neat bun, she stepped back out and walked over to the desk that sat against the wall with the window.

Grabbing a piece of paper and a pen, she wrote, ‘I’ll be out in Velaris today, tell me if you need anything.'

She put the note in the palm of her hand, and stared at it intently.

She hadn’t yet mastered the ability to transport things with her shadows yet, but she had been practicing with small things lately.

Pulling her shadows around it, she willed them to take it from her, and make it reappear on Azriel’s nightstand. After much concentration, they did.

Inei sighed and suppressed a laugh at the neatly folded paper that was sticking straight up on its side on the bedside table.

She would definitely need to practice more.

Standing up and slipping on a pair of comfortable plain leather boots, she left the room and closed the door behind her without a sound.

She would need to find Rhysand or Feyre before she could leave, and so she reached out through the house with her shadows.

“The High Lord is in the dining room with the Morrigan and the Seer. High Lady Feyre is in her rooms.”

Rhysand it is, she thought, and she began walking to the dining rooms.

--

Grabbing a slice of toast before sitting down at the table with the others, Inei nibbled on it as Mor finished telling a story about some drunks on the continent.

She ended up zoning out though, and it wasn’t until Elain laughed loudly at something Mor had said that she tuned back in.

Rhysand caught her eye and raised a brow at her sudden attention. “Sorry, I didn’t sleep much last night.”

Mor snorted and Elain smiled along with her. “Was it Azriel?” Mor asked, and Inei rolled her eyes with an exasperated sigh.

“No it wasn’t. Just didn't sleep very well.”

“Well if you ever need anything, please don't hesitate to come and ask Feyre or I.” Inei smiled politely at the understanding in Rhysand’s eyes, and said, “Actually, I do need your help with something..”

He leaned back in his chair, his eyes twinkling in amusement. “Sure, what is it?”

“I need to buy some things, except that I don’t have any money. I’d be willing to work for it, and-” Rhysand laughed and she stopped talking. “You don’t have to work anything off. Just put anything you want on a tab and I’ll see that it gets paid for.”