A Court of Wildest Dreams

Chapter 38

Silence fell...

Even the thundering heartbeats of them all, racing by second, seemed like a distant call.

Rhys had finally stood up, a casual step closer, towering above him with Cassian.

Weary, a gleaming star burning in their gazes.

"It can't be." Azriel shook his head. Suddenly heavy and restless. He needed a place to lay it down.

"Gwyn has already agreed." Rhys drawled.

"She hasn't told you?" Cassian eyed him carefully.

This was not the place nor time to discuss why Gwyn hadn't told him of her decision.

Him being an asshole and ruining her day in the library as the reason, maybe.

"It doesn't matter," Azriel sniffed. "she is not going anywhere."

Rhys raised a brow but didn't dare to comment on it.

"You two need to talk." Cassian walked by his side, pressing a hand on his shoulder, "try being reasonable."

"There is absolutely nothing to talk about. She is not going there." He snapped. Baring his teeth, hissing like a serpent.

"Sorry, I think I'm lost here, what is going on?" Mor's innocent question rang between them. Brown eyes probing for answers.

Cassian cursed under his breath before turning toward her.

Azriel didn't bother to volunteer anything. Just kept watching his knuckles flexing when the silence stretched.

"I don't think I've been gone for too long and you all are acting like I've come back from dead." Mor scolded.

Rhys threw Azriel a vague look. Urging him with the movement in his brows to step up and tell her himself. He was conservative enough to keep out of his mind.

Cassian looked like he was embracing himself against what he thought was coming. As if Mor would go all teary and emotional once knew that Azriel was mated.

"I knew I should have asked Feyre." She puffed out. "why would Eris ask for Gwyn in my stead, anyway? From what I've heard she has some ties to Autumn Court and Beron, surprisingly, celebrates this kind of things but that doesn't mean she will be safe there or even Eris on that account." She dragged her questioning gaze toward Azriel. "she is not even an official member. Is she?"

"No, she is not." Rhys confirmed.

"Is it because she is a Valkyrie or...?"

"Try Azriel's mate." Cassian cut in, grimacing.

Azriel, for the life of his own, couldn't bring himself to look at her in the eyes. Yet the wave of her surprise and the hot breath she sucked in was dynamic enough to make him fidget.

"Mates? Really? How did this happen?" she was talking to him now. "that's the reason why you were acting like a sick pony in Rask?"

"Save it for later, cousin." Rhys warned when Azriel didn't show any signs of interest in indulging the matter.

"How can I? This is huge." She exclaimed.

"Been there and it's not cute when someone tells you to shut up." Cassian snorted.

Azriel shook his head and stood up in one great push. "Work on some other agreement with that prick. Gwyn is staying."

Mor agape, Cassian worried and Rhys surprised watched him exit the room in fool's arrogance.

...........

"What happened to your face?" Nesta asked, wheeling her cart forward.

Gwyn dumped the volumes in her arms, eyes searching for a red spine on the shelf before her. "What do you mean?"