A Court of Love and Devotion

IX

HAZEL

"You are impossible!" Callum huffed.

"A little party never killed anyone, Cal," Hazel raised her chin as she prepared the large dining room of the House of Wind.

"What's the point if they don't remember it anyway?" Callum threw his arms up.

Hazel had gone to the river house after seeing her little sister with...her. The living ghost of her mother. And she'd proposed a little get-together before they had to leave.

Hazel knocked on the door to the river house, her aunt Elain opened and smiled politely.

"May I help you?" she asked. Right, she was a stranger to the female.

"I'm looking for Feyre and Rhysand. Are they here?"

The High Lady was in the foyer behind Elain who opened the door wider. She smiled. "Please, come in. How may I help you?"

"Is he alright? My father...I mean, Ca—"

"Yes," she chuckled. "He's fine. He's in the family room."

The three females joined the rest of the family in the room where the group was discussing the strange events of the past couple of days.

"Hello," Hazel said. "I should probably introduce myself. My name is Hazel."

Cassian sat up from his armchair, "The third one, right?"

She smiled brightly. "Indeed."

His brows turned up. "You look so much like her."

Her smile didn't drop. "I know. People tell me all the time." She turned back to Feyre who had taken a seat on the armrest of her mate's armchair. "I was wondering, because we'll all be leaving soon, if we could have a party. A sort of get-together, at the House of Wind, before we leave and before you, well, you know..." she pointed her finger to her temple.

The Inner Circle looked pensive.

"I thought," she continued. "Even if you don't remember the last couple of days, we could all spend time together. You may see, what the future looks like. How happy you all are."

Because even if their mind would be erased, perhaps their hearts would remember.

Feyre smiled sweetly. Elain approached Hazel. "I don't think she'll come. She's refused our last invitations."

Hazel bit her lip. Yes, her mother had told her how she pushed her family away at that time. "The point is not whether or not she comes. The point is that she knows she's invited and welcome." Hazel wanted her to know, to see, how happy she was in the future. How she belonged.

"I have no objection to this," Feyre said. "I'd love to spend some time with all of you. Even if I won't remember it tomorrow."

"Let's do that tomorrow, then. Before you leave," Rhys added with a smile.

Hazel returned it before turning to Cassian. "How are you feeling?" She asked.

"I'm alright, I've been through worse," he chuckled. "How's your sister?"

"Fine. She's like you, you know. Uncle Rhys and Uncle Azriel used to call her mini-Cassian when she was little." She looked at the two males. The former was smiling brightly, the latter still looked awed. "You have your mini you, too.," Hazel told him. "Callum. He looks like you. While Catrin is a lot like her mom. It sometimes feels like they're in competition for who will talk the most."