Reborn

Sneaking

Third Person (A/N – sorry for all the different perspectives but I couldn't think whose opinion to do this part from, and also sorry for the long wait)

Once arriving at Velaris the Inner Circle go to the small house where Nyx had first been brought to by Rhys when he had found her, thanks to Tamlin, in the Spring Court.

"I'm going to bed." Nyx says, making her way up the stairs, the others waiting in silence.

As soon as they hear the door click shut they all turn to look at Azriel.

Suddenly Rhys pushes Az up against the wall, Azriel not making a move against his High Lord, his friend, his brother.

"My sister's your mate?!" he questions, closing in on Az, careful not to yell too loud so as to not alert Nyx.

The others start firing questions at him behind Rhys, although happy they were all somewhat worried as to what this meant. They had only just got Nyx back, not that this meant they were going to lose her, but they didn't know how she would cope with having a mate after everything, or how Azriel wants to proceed.

"What's going on?" Elaine asks, appearing from around the corner.

Some of them turn to look at her, others keeping an eye on the Shadowsinger and their High Lord, not sure whether to step in or not. Despite Lucien being Elaine's mate, many of them believed that the Shadowsinger was more suited to be with her after having seen them interact in Elaine's safe haven of a garden.

"Azriel has found his mate." Cassian says, a small smile on his face, happy for his brother, although feeling a little over-protective of Nyx.

"Oh." Elaine says, not exactly sure what to feel. She enjoyed Azriel's company and had thought that maybe something would happen, needing a quiet soul, but maybe that could still happen, he might not like his mate either. It's not that she didn't like Lucien, it was just that she still loved her human fiancé, or at least still pined for the life she could have lived with him. Maybe she should give him more of a chance than she had, maybe he needed that love as much as she hoped for it.

"Congratulations. Is she nice? Has she accepted you?" Elaine asks softly, having had Feyre explain how the mate thing works.

Azriel tightly nods his head, Rhysand still keeping him pinned to the wall. "She is lovely." He says roughly, "but she does not know." He finishes.

"She doesn't know?" Elaine responds.

"I have not told her that she is my mate. I am not worthy of her." He responds, looking down in shame. Rhys releases him, seeing the sorrow in his friend's face. Feyre comes up to Rhys and holds his hand tightly smiling up at him.

"You deserve a mate who loves you, as much as I deserve Rhys." Feyre says to Az, as she elbows Rhys in the side, trying to appease him and calm him down.

"She's right." Rhys says, finally a smile making its way onto his face as he looks down at his mate and back up to his brother.

Suddenly a loud bang comes from the hall and they all turn ready to attack the intruder to find that Nyx is standing there, staring at them in confusion and anger. They had all been too busy paying attention to Rhys and Azriel that they hadn't heard her coming back down the stairs.

Nyx's POV

I didn't need to have heard their entire conversation to know what they were on about, or at least know that it had created some form of tension. They were all stood in the same spots I had left them in.

I was tired but realised that I couldn't sleep whilst I was hungry, or at least not anymore. It was strange to think that not all that long ago when the only focus I had was to live, hunger was never that important as I knew I could survive without food for a while.

As I made my way down the stairs, I could feel the shock and confusion and heard a quite female voice ask about acceptance, or something like that. The tension in the air and the sound of Az's voice had e freeze in my tracks.

"She is lovely." He says, "but she does not know."

I tilt my head to the side and quietly make my way toward the room they are all in, listening to what they are saying. Jus as Rhys utters the words, "She's right" I accidently catch my wings on a vase, having let them out to try and once again get used to them. But of course my spatial awareness is a little off – probably not the best idea to have them out when I'm trying to be sneaky...

Everyone in the room turns to stare at me, having moved into the door way in slight fright at the noise I had made. Still confused about who they were talking about and angry at myself for knocking the vase onto the floor I look up to Rhys and Feyre and say, "I'm sorry, I can fix that?"

They look at me, everyone still stock silent, not having moved yet, Azriel even looks a little scared. "Were you asking if you could fix that or were you telling me you could fix that?" Sandy asks, making me redirect my gaze back to him and off of Az.

I ponder for a second, "Both?" I question again, still trying to think of an excuse.

After another few seconds of silence I admit, "I'm hungry. Do we have any food?"

The room seems to collectively release a relieved sigh, as though they were all expecting me to say something else. Meanwhile I notice Feyre's sister, Elaine, staring at Azriel and then turning to look at me, as though she has just come to a great revelation, her eyes widening before looking down to the floor.

"Yeah, come on, I'll make you something." Rhys replies to my request, about to make his way to the kitchen as Elaine hurriedly rushes out of the room and out to her garden.

I look over to Az, knowing that something has made Elaine agitated I furrow my eyebrows in confusion. I look over to Rhys who is staring at the door sorrowfully, as though pitying the girl. "Do you mind starting to make me something? I'll join you in a minute, I just want a bit of fresh air." I say, turning to look at the door Elaine just left through.

Rhys shakes his head and smiles at me, "Take your time."

I nod and make my way out the door to Elaine as the others remain silent, Az's eyes piercing a whole in the back of my head.

Just as I close the door I hear a voice, "Well that was close." I can almost hear his smirk, Cassian. "Oomph."

"Shut up you idiot" Mor replies, probably having hit him. I think about confronting them but think better of it, knowing I need to speak to her. To Elaine. And so I step toward her safe-haven, and away from mine.