A Court of Three Stars

24: Demons

Velaris, The Night Court, Prythian

Azriel

"Why do you guys ever walk anywhere?" Ruhn called out over the wind, twisting in the air as we aimed towards Velaris, "This is fucking amazing!"

I heard the echo of Leur's laugh as she soared ahead, zig-zagging back and forth around Cassian. They were playing some kind of game, one I had never bothered to learn the rules to that they'd been doing since childhood. I'd never bothered to worry too much when Leur was with Cassian at all. If there was anyone who rivaled me in protectiveness over her, it was him.

He'd never let her get hurt. Not when we were kids. Not now. Not ever.

And so I was completely fine to trail behind Ruhn, more than content to watch him experience all of it so innocently. The pure and utter joy on his face was so rare in this world, in any world. The freedom in his spirit seemed to almost surround him, like rays of light that came from his very soul. I could feel it, pulsing with every synchronized beat of our shared heart, pure happiness. Light, completely uninhibited by shadow or loss, just solid, uncontaminated bliss.

Perhaps it was because of that lift in our mood that when we all landed on the roof of the House of Song, looked down at the city and the hillside below, and found some massive, disgusting creatures creeping up the hillside and skittering across our porch: none of us freaked out. Well, not at first at least.

At first, there was only the four of us, staring down at whatever the hell those things were.

We probably should have been significantly more concerned about whatever the fuck that was. But Leur, always Leur, who scowled down at the huge, black, bug-like creatures with nothing but pure disgust on her face and said, "That's it. I'm putting the fence back up."

Something in me snapped, an instinct overtaking me before I could think rationally. All of that joy and happiness of our morning, nothing would harm it.

Nothing would take it from me.

Ruhn blinked over at her, "Is this... a regular occurrence?"

"Trouble finding its way onto my porch? More than you would think." My mate moved so that she was half behind where I stood guarding her and Ruhn, grumbling the whole way, "I don't know what the fuck the point of building your house on top of a mountain is if everyone and their mother just waltzes right up on the damn porch." She peered out and paused for a moment, "Those flowers just fucking bloomed, and those things are ripping them up."

"You're worried about the flowers right now?" Ruhn looked over at her.

"Elain is scarier than you'd expect when she's mad." Leir scowled, "She just fixed those."

"What the hell are those things?" Cassian pulled a sword from its sheath on his back, siphons flaring as he peered over the balcony, "They look like roaches."

One that was trying and failing to crawl up the smooth marble of the side of the house let out a screeching hiss, staring right up at Cassian with eyes of pure black. He was unbothered, just frowning at it as if it was any old pest.

"I don't care, just get them off my porch," Leur answered.

Ruhn looked over at her, "I feel like we're all being way too chill about this."

She shrugged, "You get used to this shit after a while. Nothing surprises me anymore. It's like fucking roulette every time I open my door."

"You want me to kill them?" Cassian pointed a finger at his chest, blinking at his sister.