shadows don't lie

Chapter Thirty-Four

When Inei woke up, she felt lighter than she had in days. The mantal and physicalpain that had plagued her for the past three days was almost nonexistent, and much more tolerable than it had been.

Her eyes flickered open, and looked to her left, only to find the bed empty beside her.

Azriel had slept beside her all night. She knew that much because the few times she had woken up, she found him fast asleep next to her.

She didn't know when he had left though.

She frowned and sat up, watching the fire for a moment, and one of her shadows whispered, "He is in the kitchen at the end of the hall."

Well that answered one of her questions.

She pushed her way out of the bed with a stifled groan, and she yawned, stretching her arms above her head.

Something thumped on the table behind her, and she turned around to find a cup of tea steaming, along with a small bunch of grapes.

Something about it just appearing was rather amusing, and she couldn't help it as she laughed a little.

She had learned of the House's supposed intelligence from Nesta, but hadn't quite believed it until now.

"Um.. thank you?" She said, still chuckling a little, and the fire seemed to burn brighter in response.

She took the tea in hand, and left the room, to go find her mate and to ask him why he wasn't sleeping in.

It didn't take long. Not when she found him covered in flour as Nuala shoved something misshapen into the oven.

It reminded her of the time she had tried to make bread only for it to turn out similarly.

Inei waved politely at the half-wraith, who smiled and burst into shadow, leaving her alone with Azriel, who was silently pouting from his seat on one of the stools.

"Did you really mess whatever that was up so badly that you sent for Nuala?" She asked, sitting down next to him, and even his wings seemed to slump.

"The butter got too warm. She just happened to be here at the right time, and decided to help me."

"Uh huh." He flicked her, and she smirked.

"How did you sleep?" He asked, and she sipped her tea. "Just fine, until the bed began to get cold."

Both of his brows raised.

"You really missed me warming your bed that much? I'm shocked." His sarcastic tone said anything but.

She blushed and the conversation dropped off for a moment, but it wasn't an entirely uncomfortable silence.

The sun was just beginning to come through the huge windows across the room in the attached living room, and it gave a golden hue to everything.

Her gaze drifted to his wings, and she admired the colors of them in the light of dawn. Part of her wanted to run her hands over them, but she knew that it would only lead to events that she wasn't sure they even wanted yet.

Azriel caught her line of sight though, and his resulting smirk was nothing but sinful. "Like what you see?"

She stuck her tongue out, but a better idea occurred.

"I heard something interesting from Feyre and Mor a while back." She grinned, and his eyes narrowed. "So is it true that out of you, Rhys, and Cassian, that you have the longest wing length?"

He choked, and turned away as he coughed violently.

"Glad to know that they tell you the important things at least," He replied after a moment to regain himself, and Inei smiled at the loss of composure, even if his words made something inside of her twist painfully.