Flames of Cobalt and Crimson

The Looming Threat

Azriel

The next week flew by in a flurry of activity. I met with at least one of my sources in Velaris daily, often taking Amren along with me so that she could examine and reinforce the wards around the city. It bothered both of us that we couldn't find the spot where Keir's Darkbringers had gotten in, but Amren was positive that with the new wards she'd found and enacted, we would know if they tried again.

The lack of news from Nuala and Cerridwen also had me on edge; the only time I had gone this long without hearing from one of them had been when they were trapped Under the Mountain with Rhys, and the long silence made it difficult not to imagine more and more horrible scenarios. Cassian, of course, had picked up on my anxiety, and made it a point to spar with me every morning and let me fuck him into our bed every night to help burn off the extra stress.

In between our meetings and matings, we trained with the rest of our family. Cassian and I worked with our new Siphons, and after just a few days I could call on his power as effortlessly as my own. Mor, who had warmed immediately to Antares, started teaching the boy how to defend himself, and he in turn adored her and eagerly asked for stories about the Winter Court when he learned she was friends with its High Lady. When he tired physically, I would spend whatever time I could with him, teaching what little I knew about our shared ability. He was a bright, willing student, and asked so many questions that I even pulled Amren in to help with his training, since her knowledge of the origins of fae power vastly dwarfed my own.

On the eighth day since the twins had left, our entire circle gathered together at the House of Wind, Rhys and Feyre having finally joined us. "You males have it so easy," she had complained when she arrived, looking distinctly worse for wear. Rhys hovered around her while trying to appear as though he was not doing so, and a quick nod from him confirmed that she had just finished her semi-annual cycle. While I knew my brother was disappointed that his mate was not pregnant, I couldn't help but be relieved that we wouldn't have to face Keir without them.

This morning, Cassian was testing Antares on everything Mor had taught him, and the sight of them together as I experimented with my shadows tugged at my heartstrings. I knew my mate was a good teacher - I'd seen firsthand how lethal Feyre had become - but watching his patience and gentle encouragement made me want to shove him against a wall and drop to my knees for him.

"Az," Feyre called, snapping me out of my increasingly-lascivious train of thought. I turned to find her regarding me with a thoughtful expression, and I braced myself for whatever was about to come out of her mouth. "Keir's spell made your shadows' weapons turn solid, right? You could make a sword and it could actually cut?" I nodded, and she cocked her head. "And Helion stopped it by creating light so bright there weren't any shadows left?" I nodded again.

"It also stopped his heart, so whatever you're thinking, Feyre, you need to stop," Cassian called warningly, but she waved him off.

"Do you think you could make them insubstantial again?" she asked, never removing her eyes from mine.

I started to shake my head, but stopped as I remembered how strangely my shadows had reacted to the new Siphon. We had kept strictly to sharing Illyrian power, but there was no telling what we might be able to do together with my shadows. "It might be possible," I said slowly, "but when Keir had me under that spell I couldn't do anything. It was like the shadows didn't answer to me anymore, the way that Antares's shadows don't."

Feyre nodded thoughtfully. "Maybe that's what you should try, then. See if you can switch a shadow's loyalty."

Horror clawed at my throat as I thought about pulling shadows away from Antares, the potential pain it could cause him. "Feyre, the implications –"