𝒜 𝒞𝑜𝓊𝓇𝓉 𝑜𝒻 𝑅𝑒𝓈𝒾𝓈𝓉𝒶𝓃𝒸𝑒 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒮𝒸𝒶𝓇𝓈 | ᴀᴢʀɪᴇʟ

Chapter 101

Chapter 101

Arwen wiped at her sleepy eyes, each step she took down the staircase of the town house making a resounding thumping noise. "Good morning," Rhysand greeted her quietly as she made her way to the bottom. "You look dreadful."

She dropped her hands from her face. "It is always pleasant seeing you," she grumbled. "Do you have to insult me first thing in the morning?"

"I say it in worry," he countered, though his tone hinted that an insult was still somewhat intended.

Arwen had slept alone. Though sleep had hardly taken her as she tossed and turned well into the midnight hours. "Didn't sleep well," she informed her brother. "I blame the full moon."

"The moon?" he echoed in amused curiosity, turning on the spot as she passed him.

"Haven't you heard the tales of the moon turning people into lunatics?" she said over her shoulder. "It's sort of in the name."

He pursed his lips. "Can't say I've put much thought into it. Besides, you look terrible but your ability to be snarky at such an early hour informs me that your head is still perfectly on straight." 

She gave a glare but couldn't be bothered to continue the banter. He caught her hand. She looked back at him. Rhys's head was tilted, a look that could mean a hundred different things, but today she knew which one he intended. "I'm okay," she promised. 

Slipping from his hold and wandering down the hall to the kitchen, she was surprised to see Cassian leant over the island benchtop. Arwen hadn't known that he would be here as he hadn't spent the night but if Rhysand's description of her appearance was anything of truth, Cassian didn't look far better.

"Would you like a drink?" she asked.

He lifted his bowed head and smiled tightly with a nod. 

Arwen made them both a honey and camomile tea, placing the steaming mug that matched hers in front of him. Cassian cupped it, taking his time before bringing it to his lips. "What's got you so glum?" she dared ask.

At his dry answer, she wished she never had. "Who do you think?" Nesta. Arwen wasn't aware he had gone to see her—if that is how their interaction had occurred. "She pisses me off. The way she acts—speaks about Rhys."

Arwen caught a slight hesitance in his words. "And me?" she guessed. Not that she'd be surprised, or truly offended. She believed what she told Cassian; Nesta was angry at the world and Arwen belonged to it.

Cassian rounded his jaw, the muscle straining, but gave another nod.

"Should I be curious to know?" 

His eyes darkened. "I'm not going to repeat her. It's not worth it."

She fingered the ring of the ceramic mug's lip in thought, weighing the choice of pushing him to speak more or forgetting the subject altogether. Taking a deep breath, she finally said, "I told Azriel. About everything."

He stared at her for a moment, perhaps attempting to deduce how he would approach the topic. "How did it go?"

"How do you expect?" Arwen glanced around the kitchen. "He listened then he left. I don't suspect he went back to the House of Wind last night?"

Cassian shook his head, a crease forming between his brows. "No," he answered. "Fucking prat."

She was unaffected. Or at least, not angry in the way that Cassian was showing himself to be. So, she told him just that. "I'm not sure what else you would have expected from him. You know Azriel as well as I do."