𝐀 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐓 𝐎𝐅 𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐃𝐎𝐖𝐒-𝙖𝙯𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙡

VII

Lorelei tried to complain that she wasn't in dancing clothes and didn't exactly feel dancing ready after the sparring that she had just done. Mor assured her that she was perfectly fine and exactly the way she needed to be.

What she needed was to be back in her room where she could think about that moment she had with Azriel in the make-shift ring by herself. But she couldn't very well use that as her excuse.

She tried not to think about it as they walked, but it was impossible. She remembered the feeling of his back against her, his hand against her skin. She could swear that his grip had tightened ever so softly against her.

Lorelei would be lying if she said she didn't want things to go further with Azriel, wanted to know what it would be like to be in bed with the Shadowsinger. She could push away her troubles and worries for him. She would do it for him.

But then he pulled away and she remembered that she was standing in the courtyard with an audience, and he was doing his best to avoid looking down at her. She was almost glad for Mor breaking up that thick tension. She wasn't glad, however, for her suggestion.

Halfway through the walk to Rita's–where they usually went to dance, Rhysand had paused, said Feyre needed him, and disappeared back to the house. So now it was just Mor, Lorelei, Cassian and Azriel. Lorelei had a sneaking feeling that Mor and Cassian would find a way to disappear somehow and leave her and Azriel alone.

She was right about Cassian, claiming that Nesta was ready for him again, to which he flew off to the House of Wind. Mor pulled them into a building with loud music coming out of it. Drunk fae danced about, swaying to the music, not caring that they touched complete strangers in the process.

Lorelei tried to step in between to not disrupt the dancers, but their sweat wiped off on her and she wished to go back home. She was going to tell Mor just that, but she felt a warm hand wrap around hers. She felt the scars that accompanied that hand and looked back to see Azriel giving her a comforting smile. As if to say he understood the overwhelmingness of the dancers.

She gave him a smile back and followed Mor as they got spit out at the bar in the back. A single woman stood behind the counter. She prepared the drinks that Mor ordered. She handed the small glass to Lorelei who sniffed it and cringed at the strong smell. Mor shook her head. She yelled over the music, "You have to just throw it back." She handed Azriel his and they demonstrated what she had to do. "Don't hesitate."

Lorelei's heart pounded as she brought the glass to her lips and then threw the liquid down her throat. She choked on the burning alcohol, coughing it back up. A glass of water was put into her hand and someone was wiping her face.

"It's okay, try again." Lorelei looked at Mor like she was crazy, but she was already ordering her another glass. Lorelei sighed, grabbed the glass and made sure the liquid made it down her throat this time. She screwed her eyes against the burn and groaned, but when she opened her eyes, Mor was applauding her and Azriel was giving her a small smile. She smiled back.

+

Lorelei wasn't quite sure how long they had been dancing, but her feet were aching and she had to use the bathroom. She wasn't sure how many shots she had either, but she knew she was very drunk. She pulled Mor close and told her that she was going to go pee. Mor asked if she should go with her, but Lorelei assured her she would be fine.

Lorelei didn't know where Azriel had disappeared to, probably in some shadow. She had lost him a while ago, but was enjoying the music too much to go looking for him.

She pushed through the crowd, not caring anymore that their skin touched hers, she was drunk and sweaty herself. She stumbled out of the sea of people, landing against the counter of the bar. She giggled at herself, using it as stabilization as she made her way to where the bathrooms were at.