𝐀 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐓 𝐎𝐅 𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐃𝐎𝐖𝐒-𝙖𝙯𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙡

VI

Azriel's shadow was acting up. Lorelei couldn't focus on the drawing she was finishing in Feyre's studio at the house. It moved up and down her arms like a dog full of excitement. She continued trying to draw for a minute more before she shot up and ran out of the studio. Everyone was crowded in a circle and parted when the shadow that had faithfully rested on Lorelei for these few weeks shot between them and to its owner.

Azriel looked the same as he did when he left, but Lorelei knew that when he would look at her, he would see someone else standing in her place. Indeed, when he turned his attention on her, his face morphed into surprise, not bothering to hide the shock.

Her first instinct was to shrink back and blush, but Mor's pointed look had her straightening her back and keeping her head high. She couldn't do anything about the heat clawing up her neck and covering her cheeks.

"Lorelei." She nearly fell at the sound of his voice. That same dark and cold timbre that went straight through her. Everyone seemed to scatter, finding somewhere else to be quickly. Lorelei caught Elain's eyes before leaving, an odd look in them. She smiled and waved as she walked out of the house with Lucien. Presumably to be alone with him and get to know him more.

They were truly and utterly alone in the foyer. Though, neither of them moved. "You look good." Azriel finally said, then cleared his throat. "I mean, you look better, healthy." She saw the inner struggle he had to find better words to describe the transformation she went through while he was gone.

Lorelei laughed. "Thank you. You look good too." And she meant it. She would never get used to the beauty that Azriel was. "How was your trip?" She started to walk closer to him and she saw him tense, like he wasn't ready to be so close to her again. Or like he was holding himself back.

"It was...work."

She smiled. "So, not fun."

"Never fun." Many things flashed behind his hazel eyes, but he blinked and cleared his throat again. "I, uh, need to shower."

"Of course." She watched as he walked up the stairs, wanting to spend more time with him. Instead she waited for him to enter his room before walking calmly up the stairs to her own. Like she knew, Mor was waiting for her on her bed. Mor looked at her expectantly. "What?"

She groaned and threw herself back on the mattress. "You two are helpless."

"What do you mean?" She joined Mor on the bed, kicking her slippers off and pulling her legs up.

Mor stared at the ceiling for a second, glanced at Lorelei and then sat up. "Do you like Azriel?"

Lorelei's eyes widened and she clasped her hands on Mor's mouth. Her cousin's eyes widened and her eyebrows flew up. She mumbled against Lorelei's hands, a smile accompanying the words. She pulled back and started excitedly saying, "I knew it." Over and over.

"What does it matter?"

Mor gave her an incredulous look and sighed. "I will excuse your obliviousness because you're young, but I thought Azriel has made himself pretty obvious. It makes sense why he hasn't given me a passing glance since you got here." She threw her braided hair over her shoulder.

Lorelei frowned, trying to make sense of Mor's words. "Are you saying...Azriel likes me?"

"Yes!" Mor stood up, going to her armoire.

"What are you doing?"

"You need to wear something sexy. You saw the way he reacted to you earlier and you're in a lumpy dress." Lorelei gazed down at her dress. She hadn't thought it was that bad.

Then she looked up at Mor, cutting her a look. "I don't want to give him a heart attack." Mor pulled out a silk dress that looked like small panels sewn together. Like it wouldn't cover much. "How did that get in there?"