A Court of Dreams and Promise

Chapter Twenty-Four

Velaria

Velaria clutched her head, groaning. She sat up, blinking. She was stretching her arms above her head when the weird scent hit her: night-chilled mist and cedar. She looked around frantically, and then she remembered what had happened.

Az had taken care of her, then put her in his own bed.

Velaria furrowed her brow, wondering where her mate had slept, wandering over to a dresser and taking her dirty clothes off. She dug through until she found a black button up shirt and a pair of leather pants. Digging around in the closet, she grabbed a belt and tightened it around her waist until the pants stayed up. Then she made her way downstairs, where the smell of eggs wafted up the stairs.

"Who's cooking?" Velaria called as she descended the staircase.

Azriel smiled at her before blinking at her once, twice. "You're...wearing my clothes."

Velaria shrugged. "Didn't see another option," she said, sliding into the seat next to him. "Do you mind?"

"Absolutely not," Azriel said quickly, kissing her cheek.

Feyre smiled at them from her position at the stove, frying up a couple of eggs. "It's good to see you two together."

"Thanks, Feyre," Velaria said. "Are you making breakfast?"

"Didn't have anything better to do," Feyre said. "Speaking of – what are our next steps?"

Velaria glanced at Azriel, who looked just as puzzled as she did. "Do we have any intel about the rest of Prythian?" she asked both of them. "Because if we do, I would suggest finding allies and making a plan with them. If we don't, I would say we go get intel."

"Great idea," Feyre said. "We don't know anything besides what Emerie knew before she was imprisoned, so I'll finish making breakfast, we'll eat, and then go out. Sound good?"

"Sounds perfect," Azriel said, smiling at Velaria.

Feyre's power brushed up against Velaria's mental shields, and she let them down.

I truly have never seen Az smile this much. Ever, she murmured, stirring the eggs.

I don't know whether or not we're going too fast, Velaria replied after a moment. I know we were friends before, but the decision was too quick, rushed by a few strenuous circumstances.

You're walking a hard road, Feyre admitted. I doubt another has ever walked in your shoes.

If anything, that makes it harder.

I'm aware, but you have us now. Velaria looked up at Feyre, who didn't show any emotion at all, but her magic conveyed her sincerity. None of the people you knew are the same as they were when you left them, and that certainly is difficult by itself, but I watched Azriel with Elain. They weren't right for each other.

Thank you, truly, but that's not a reassurance. Velaria inhaled sharply. I trusted him five centuries ago to fall in love with me, but he's so different now. I can't tell if he's being genuine.

Feyre didn't respond for a minute as she portioned eggs out onto plates, but her presence never left Velaria's mind. Ask him, she said finally. Open communication is best. Always.

Open communication is scary.

That's what makes it so useful. And then Feyre was gone.

Azriel glared at the two of them. "It's terribly boring not being a daemati," he grumbled.