#a court of thorns and roses
Rereading ‘A court of thorns and roses’ after a year for research related purposes- part 1
Feyre was in her flop era babes
WAIT WHY DO I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO RECOLLECTION OF THIS CHARACTER HE’S NEVER MENTIONED AGAIN
Feyre so humble and selfless you guys she’s not like other girls frrr
Omg it’s almost like- like the wolf and the doe are a METAPHOR for the power dynamic between Feyre and Tamlin
GROWL??? RHYSAND IS THAT YOU??
Elain’s literally so annoying like honeybear why don’t you grow some vegetables or something
okay *Tamlin shows up*
This bargain makes no sense to me like i know there’s some bigger stuff going on but this is the equivalent of “you killed my bestie? well now you have to suffer living with me☺”
PROTECT NESTA AAAHHHH
Lucien was actually my favorite character in the first book he’s the only one with a personality
How to get the girl 101 with Tamlin
Ayyo how are we all forgetting the women’s rights movement of 2021 when our feminist icon rhysand chose not to tell his very pregnant wife that the birth would 100% kill her
He pretty much went around battling misogyny with his mountain shaking roars y'all could never-
“Enemies to lovers this!!” “friends to lovers that!!” “no rivals to lovers is superior!!” “It goes strangers to rivals to forced friendship to fake lovers to real lovers to enemies to-” Sweetie please call your therapist back they’re worried about you
so basically
~~ If you would like updates on this fic please follow the tag “acotar: restrung”~~
Individual tags on tumblr have been very temperamental and haven’t working well for most people so I don’t think i’ll be doing it with this fic anymore.
Fic Summary: What if it was never up to Tamlin to break the curse? What if, instead, in a true test of love, Amarantha sent out Prythian’s most abhorred and cruel Highlord, to watch his land fall into ruin while trying to change the heart of a hateful human? A Court of Bitterness and Jasmine…A Court of Rhysand. Set in the same universe as our favourite Sarah J Maas characters, but with a twist.
If Rhysand were to take Tamlin’s place how different would our story be? Or would it stay the same?
Extras:
Deleted snippet
CHAPTER 3′s out! :D
A Second Starfall
Ok I know I don’t booklr much anymore but everyone should watch A Clockwork Reader’s latest video where she reads 5 popular books and then come back here and freak out with me over how she pretty much conclusively proves that A Court of Thorn and Roses is just Howl’s Moving Castle fanfiction
I finally finished a Mor chibi, so now I have one for every member of the Court of Dreams! I’ll be selling sticker sheets soon :) More can be found on my Instagram, at evalesco5
Holiday Feyre for her birthday.
I post much more frequently on my instagram. My name is evalesco5 there if you’d like to follow me!
What book universe do you talk about way too much?? Anyone else currently obsessed with Shadow and Bone?
Currently rereading every single Sarah j Maas book so I’m refreshed and caught up entirely when I finally read A Court of Silver Flames
*5 years later*
Azriel is sitting out on the back porch of the cottage style home that him and Elain moved into right after they got married three years ago. The backyard is currently filled with kids running around and chasing each other, well all but one child that is.
Next to Az on the porch is his four year old nephew, Emerson who’s the oldest of Cassian and Nesta’s children. He’s a lot like his mom and isn’t much for people or social events. So he just watches the three families gathered at Az’s house with his uncle.
It’s the last weekend of the summer before sending the kids back to preschool and kindergarten for Emerson. Elain had decided to host a cookout as a last little get to getter before all their lives got crazy again. Not that Elain’s business hasn’t been keeping her very busy.
When Elain finally opened her shop a few years ago she already had a waiting list of orders and the business has only grown since. Last year she opened a second location in another part of Velaris and now she’s working on another location in the capital of Winter, where Vivianne moved two years ago to be with her boyfriend recently turned husband.
Due to the growth Azriel decided to step back from Rhy’s law firm and focus on new goals that he started to grow passionate about alongside Elain. Now he runs a non-profit Rhys helped him build from the ground up and at the beginning of the year they finally were able to open up the office.
The charity focuses on helping victims of abuse whether it’s with a partner, parent, or even a stranger. Az even hosted the first event for the charity in the spring where they held an auction and donated the proceeds to several women’s shelters in Velaris. In October he’ll host a Halloween party filled with rides and haunted houses and games for all ages. Then in December he’ll partner with Rhys at the Starlight ball as well.
On top of all the success Elain and Az have both accomplished in their work lives there’s also been rewards in their personal lives. A few months after they got married Elain discovered she was pregnant with their daughter, Hope. Then six months ago they welcomed their second little girl, June.
Currently Hope is running around playing with Rhys and Feyre’s oldest, Hunter. The two were born three weeks apart, Hunter being the older one and since then they’ve been inseparable. As for June she’s currently playing with the other babies by their mother’s.
Feyre is pulling a car toy out of her daughter, Rose’s mouth while Nesta is yelling at her third child who takes after her father. Marley is currently two years old and in the middle of her first prank war of many with Cassian. Oliver, Nesta and Cassian’s youngest is laughing as he watches his troublesome sister.
Azriel chuckles as he watches the failed prank Marley attempts on Cassian who likes to call himself the King of Pranks. When he catches his daughter she shrieks and runs away only to have her father race after her. Those two are going to be trouble, Az thinks as he takes a sip of the mixed drink Feyre had made for all of them.
“Mom’s going to lose her voice again,” Emerson says, watching his little sister be caught by their dad. “She just got it back too.” Nesta had always been the one to yell when she gets mad and ever since Marley learned to crawl Nesta’s been losing her voice every few weeks.
“Yeah but it’ll only get worse if Oliver takes after those two,” Az responds. He can only imagine how much Nesta will start drinking if she ends up with two meddlesome kids, especially considering Cassian is trying to convince her to have another baby within the next year.
“That’s why Marley won’t be allowed to influence my brother,” Emerson says sternly. He’s definitely like his mom, Az thinks as he watches the young boy next to him. Emerson may act like his mother but he looks just like his father. He has the say dark hair, skin tone, and grin as Cassian the only difference is the eyes, those are grey like Nesta’s.
Rhys, who’s been manning the grill calls out that the burgers and hot dogs are done. The kids rush to their seats, even Emerson who has the same love for food as Cassian. Azriel walks over to his wife and takes June from her so she can run into the house and grab the side dishes.
There’s already potatoes and corn out on the table but Elain had made a salad and chopped up some fruit before everyone came over. Az puts June in her high chair they had set in between him and Elain’s seats. Strapping her in putting a bib around her neck Az shakes out a bag of cereal for her to snack on.
His wife comes back out and adds some fruit to June’s tray as well before sitting down and grabbing her own food. Bowls and trays of food get passed around the table as they all make their plates for themselves and their children.
Once everyone is settled the conversations start. There’s talk of the kids which is everyone’s favorite topic. Then there’s talk of work and some charity events Az hopes to do throughout the next year. They also talk about the little things that have taken place throughout their lives.
“Sometimes I wish we took a page out of Amren’s book and waited to have kids,” Nesta tells her husband as the conversation switches topics once again. Amren who is Nesta’s closest friend has spent the past year travelling the world with her fiance, Varian before getting married and settling down.
“If you went the Amren route you probably would never have kids,” Rhys comments knowing his former partner. When Amren got back together with Varian she decided to leave Rhys’s firm and work at a different one in Adriata.
“That’s very true and why would you want to miss out on this cuteness?” Cassian says as he bounces Oliver on his lap, their son having scarfed down his dinner. Oliver realizing that people are looking at him, smiles and babbles as he looks up at his mother.
Nesta smiles widely at her youngest. “Yeah I guess you’re right for once,” she tells her husband as she takes Oliver from him. Hugging her son close. Elain is smiling just like everyone around the table who all know what Nesta went through to get where she is now.
“So does that mean we can have another?” Cassian says hoping he’s finally broken through to his wife.
“Ask me when he’s one,” Nesta responds, rocking Oliver who’s starting to doze off.
“Deal,” Cassian says lovingly watching his wife and son. Az knows his friend is also thinking about what he did in a past life to deserve this.
“Anyone else want more kids?” Feyre asks curiously.
“Maybe in another couple of years,” Elain says looking over at Azriel.
“Sounds good to me,” he tells his wife with a smile. Back when they had first started talking about a family Azriel had told her he didn’t care how many kids they had as long as she wanted them.
“You want another baby darling?” Rhys asks his wife using her nickname.
“I don’t know,” Feyre says honestly. Rhys nods, smiling.
“Well whatever you decide I’ll support you all the way,” Rhys reaches down into Feyre’s lap for her hand bringing it to his mouth for a kiss. Feyre smiles.
“Even if she asks you to get a vasectomy?” Cassian asks with a shudder.
“Yes because I actually listen to my wife,” Rhys combats.
“Hey I listen to Nesta!” Cassian argues.
“Rarely,” Nesta mumbles, causing Cassian to huff in annoyance mostly because he knows it’s true.
Az laughs as he watches his friends, his family and appreciating that this is his life. It’s a life he never thought he would get to hold. Then a woman with the kindest soul moved into his building and made him crave a life like this one.
Looking over at the woman that changed everything for him, his love, his wife, his Elain Az can’t hold back his smile. It’s a smile she reads easily and returns knowing that he changed her life just as much as she did his.
“I love you,” Elain whispers to her husband, all the unsaid feelings and emotions wrapped in those three words and he’s hit with it all as he grasps and squeezes her hand.
“I love you,” Azriel whispers right back with the same impact as Elain’s own whispered words.
They both hang on to each other as the banter between their family continues until it starts to grow dark and the children grow restless along with the dimming light. Saying goodbye they watch as Nesta and Cassian drive back to their home as well as Feyre and Rhys.
Elain and Azriel walked back into the house, hand in hand with Hope running ahead and June knocked out on her father’s shoulder.
Laughing Elain follows her oldest into Hope’s room while Az puts June in her crib. With the girls in bed they head to their own bed together.
“I still can’t believe I get to do this every night forever,” Az whispers into the darkness as he pulls his wife into his arms. She rests a hand on his chest and smiles at her husband.
“I can’t either,” Elain says, pressing kisses onto Az’s bare chest.
“We have to be up early,” Azriel tells her as she continues down his body.
“I don’t care,” Az chuckles before pulling his wife back up and flipping her onto her back.
“Well then I guess it’s about to be a long night,” he whispers in Elain’s ear, rocking his erection against her sensitive core. Elain moans into a searing kiss.
This is the dream, Azriel thinks as he kisses his wife and pours all the love he feels for her and all the love she’s given him into one beginning kiss.
Tag list:
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a new light | chapter fourteen (Elriel)
Elain woke up the next morning to the smell of coffee and what could only be homemade waffles. Stretching herself out she threw herself out of bed and headed for the kitchen. The kitchen she now officially owned with Azriel.
After they had unpacked some last night once their friends and her sisters had left Az had gone down to turn in the papers he had previously signed. Technically he was supposed to sign them this morning but he hadn’t wanted to wait so he went down to their landlord after they moved all of Elain’s stuff into his place.
Heading down the hallway that leads to their now shared bedroom Elain finds Az holding a bowl of batter that he’s pouring into the griddle. Smiling at her boyfriend she leans against the wall, arms folded and relaxed. It’s hard to believe that just within a week their lives have taken a complete turn for the better.
There was a time when Elain believed she would never get to feel this happiness with her best friend let alone anyone else. Yet here she stands watching Azriel as he makes them breakfast and there’s no doubt in her mind that he’s as much hers as she is his.
“You just want to stare at me all morning?” Azriel askss, smirking at her as he closes the waffle maker and let’s it cook. “I mean I don’t blame I’m a very attractive view.”
“And a very cocky one as well it seems,” Elain responds with a smile that Az returns. Pushing off the wall she makes her way around the counter and to his side where he tucks her in under his arm.
“How was your first night in our apartment?” Azriel asks as he plays with a strand of her messy hair.
“Very restful,” Elain responds, her fingers trailing the band of his grey sweatpants.
“I see you’ve also found my side of the closet,” Az says as he tugs on the shirt Elain had pulled on in the middle of the night when she got up to use the bathroom. It’s one of her favorites he notices as well. Most of his closet is made up of dark and plain t-shirts but this is one of the few graphic shirts he owns. It’s also the one Elain had talked him into buying when they went to a music festival last summer with a few friends.
“Well it is our closet,” Elain smirks, looking up at him with her innocent little face.
“So does that mean I can wear your dresses?” Azriel asks, teasing her. Elain laughs, still smiling up at him. The look fills him with warmth and happiness, something he hasn’t felt since before his mom passed.
“If you really want to,” Elain says just before the timer dings. She moves to the other side of the island as Az takes the waffle out and sets it on a plate. He pushes the plate in front of her along with the syrup, a fork, and a glass of fruit punch because it’s the only type of juice she will drink.
With a smile Elain starts cutting up her waffle as Azriel pours more batter to make his own. Once it’s done he sits next to his girlfriend and they enjoy a peaceful breakfast together. Elain cleans up breakfast once the waffles are consumed and Az goes to get dressed.
They’re planning on having dinner with some friends tonight but until then they have the day to themselves. Azriel pulls up the website for the local drive-in theater to see what they might be showing this afternoon.
Turns out today is a flashback theater today where there’s a showing of Gone with the Wind, which Elain hates. Then there’s The Wizard of Oz which is a favorite of his, and lastly Dirty Dancing.
“Feel like going to the drive-in theater for a showing of The Wizard of Oz?” Azriel asks, taking a seat on a barstool and watching his girlfriend in the kitchen. He can’t get enough of calling her that even if it’s only in his head.
“That sounds like fun,” Elain says as she hangs the towel she used to dry her hands once again. “You grab snacks and drinks while I go get dressed.”
“Deal,” Azriel says. With a bright smile on her face Elain runs off into their bedroom while Az grabs a couple of bags for snacks and drinks. Starting with the cooler bag he grabs some water and a few of the lemonade flavored sparkling waters that he knows Elain loves. He also adds some fruit from the fridge and an energy drink or two for himself.
Zipping that bag up Azriel heads for the small pantry in the corner of the kitchen. He tends to keep the pantry fairly stocked with a variety of snacks considering how Cassian is always radding his food supply. There’s a few snack sized caramel corn popcorn bags which Az grabs because how could they go to a movie without popcorn.
There’s also sour gummy worms that he adds to the bag. It’s a big bag but Azriel always finds himself craving the candy in the middle of the night. Lastly, he adds a couple big bags of unopened chips from a party he had gone to a couple weeks ago.
“Got everything?” Elain asks, walking out of the bedroom in one of her many sundresses. This one is yellow and white in a plaid pattern, which is her second favorite right after floral. She’s pulling her hair back into a ponytail as she walks back into the kitchen.
“Yeah, ready?” Azriel asks, shouldering both the bags onto his shoulders. Elain smiles with a nod before heading to the small entrance hall where a pair of brown sandals wait for her to slip on her feet. Elain then grabs her purse off the hook Az had installed on the back of the front door.
Opening the door they head out and down to the parking garage where they decide to take Azriel’s truck, having more room for them to lay out the blankets and pillows they had grabbed from Elain’s car beforehand.
It’s quiet for a bit as Azriel drives. The theater is on the outskirts of the city in the more rural area of Velaris. It’s a place he knows Elain is very familiar with as she gets antsy when she’s in the city too long.
“So I’ve been thinking,” Elain says, breaking the silence. Az turns down the music he had put on so he can hear her better. “Since I know longer have to pay full rent and with the bonus I’m expecting soon it might be time to start my business.”
“Really?” Az asked, a little surprised. Elain had been saying that she wanted to wait another year before looking into renting out a space in downtown Velaris for her floral arrangements shop. “You don’t want to wait any longer?”
“Some events have taken place recently in my life that are causing me to rethink things,” Elain says, smiling over at him. He knows she’s talking about their recent relationship status. “I don’t want to wait any longer and I plan on starting small.”
“What do you mean?” Azriel asked. He’s smiling, feeling the joy and happiness along with her at finally being able to kickstart her dream.
“I’ll start as an assistant with a local floral shop in order to learn everything else I don’t already know,” Elain says. “The owner wants to help me so she’ll help create my website and even let me start independent orders as I learn.”
“That sounds amazing,” Azriel says, taking the exit ramp that’ll lead to the drive-in theater. “What about after that?”
“Well I’m thinking I’ll do this through the winter and look for my own space to rent and hopefully by spring I’ll be set up in said space and ready for the summer season,” Elain explains.
“Also known as wedding season,” Elain smiles at him, loving that he knows that little tidbit.
“It’ll be the perfect time to start,” she says.
“Well I can’t wait to watch you succeed.” They’re both smiling as Azriel pulls into the drive-in and pays for the movie. Pulling into the lot where the movie is set up he finds a space right in the center of the lot.
Elain sets up the bed of his truck with the pillows and blankets while he unpacks the snacks and drinks. Settling down together Az kisses the top of her head as he tucks her into his side.
The movie starts and Elain’s focus is on the black and white opening scene while Az watches her intently. A part of him still doesn’t believe that she is his and yet here they are finally in each other’s arms. And all he can think is that he can’t wait for more moments like this throughout the rest of his life.
Tag list:
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This is a little project I’ve been working on as an acotar/tog crossover. I thought I’d give you guys a sneak peek for if I ever decide to post the full thing. Anyway, you’ll never guess who Fenrys’ lover is. (Don’t tell me I’m weird if you figure it out)
*****
Whimpering, Fenrys put a shield around himself that he knew would do no good, his body shivering as the house shivered. His ears rung with every crash, the grumble bouncing around in his head.
The bedroom door opened. He should have locked it. Should have left before this city of light was torn apart, cast into eternal darkness along with all the people within it.
“Fenrys?”
Fenrys squeezed his eyes shut as thunder sent the windows rattling.
Someone was in front of him. Kneeling there. She was using his lover’s voice, coaxing him out only to go for the throat in the next. He knew it. She’d done it before.
“Hey, what’s going on? Fenrys. Look at me.”
No. Because when he opened his eyes, it would be real. She’d take him, thrust him back into a nightmare of her own making.
“Puppy.Look at me.”
The pure command in that voice called to him, a shout in the dark. And that name. She didn’t know that name. Only those here, those in the City of Starlight, had ever called that name and only to one would he listen for it.
Quaking, he peeled open his eyes to find a man before him, hands hovering over his body. No. Not hovering. The faint glimmer of gold in the air told Fenrys his shield had worked.
“There you are,” his lover breathed and the shadows around Fenrys tightened. “Can you put down this shield for me?”
*****
Anyway, let me know if you’re interested and if you have any guesses to who Fenrys’ lover is.
Part 4
*I want to preface this by saying I know absolutely nothing about medical stuff sooo
*Also this chapter contains some content that might not be suitable for young readers. Read at your own risk**
The surgery lasted hours. Shvan wiped sweat from her brow with her forearm and called Madja over.
“I need you to reconnect a few nerves. Your hands are steadier than mine.”
“I’ll do my best.” Madja took up the tools. “What about the tendons?”
“I have the left wing almost done.”
She paused. “Do you… will this really work?”
Shvan smiled. “I have done this once before, on a young girl. She still flies to this day. But…” Her smile faded. “She fled the camps before they could clip them again, or worse. I’m afraid that dear Marlee may have to do the same.”
“Ares will keep her safe. I will keep her safe.”
“I know.”
It was three more hours before they were finished. Madja was so exhausted, she wasn’t sure she could see straight, but she bathed in the wealth of knowledge she had learned. She gave Marlee careful instructions to not move the wings for several weeks, as they need to heal. The girl cried through it all after the anesthesia faded.
Heavy on her feet, Madja returned to the dining hall to find it empty, save for servants cleaning up dinner. One paused. “I can send a plate up for you so you can rest,” he said.
“Thank you,” Madja murmured, and braved the stairs.
Once she reached the top, exhaustion took over. She collapsed onto the bed, too lazy to change from her blood stained clothes. When she opened her eyes again, the room was lit by candles, and a plate of steaming stew lay on the nightstand. She dove into it hungrily, grateful that someone had kept it hot.
As she scraped the bottom of the bowl, the door opened, bringing Ares with it. She set the bowl aside, chewing a bit of potato slowly.
He wordlessly passed her a nightgown that she quickly changed into before climbing back into bed.
“How’d it go?” he asked her.
“Pretty well, I hope. Only time will tell.”
Ares put a knee on the bed, leaning in to give her a swift kiss. “I’ll never get to thank you enough for what you did.”
“I would do it for anyone.” She cupped his face. “Plus, Illyrian wings are absolutely fascinating.”
“Really? How so?”
“Well.” She sat up, reaching a hand towards his wing. “There’s a tendon right here.” She traced just along the inner top edge. “It leads directly into the back of your thigh. And here, that goes up your shoulder.”
He shuddered as she traced that one too.
“Really, most of your wing movement comes directly from the muscles of your back and legs. Are you… are you okay?”
His face was flushed, eyes closed. “Yeah. Just… um.”
Her brows furrowed. “What is it? Did I hurt you?”
“No. Er. I don’t know if you know this, but Illyrian wings are very sensitive.”
“Of course they are. There are so many nerve endings, especially along the inside.” She flattened her hand over the thin skin. “I assume it helps in sensing airflow and temperature.”
“Yes, but not that kind of sensitive.” He caught her hand, pressing a kiss to her wrist.
“I’m not sure I catch your meaning.”
He leaned his brow against her wrist, letting out a low laugh. “How do I say this? Many males can… find completion just from having their wings touched.”
“Completion? You mean…” She trailed off as her cheeks began to burn. “Oh. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize. Come; you need to rest.” He tugged her down onto the bed, drawing her against his chest, and whispered, “You can touch my wings anytime you like.”
*****
Madja awoke the next morning to the impression of Ares laying on the center of her chest. The position made it a little difficult to breathe, but she relished his weight. His head was pillowed on her breasts, his wings splayed across the bed and dipping off the sides.
Madja lifted a hand slowly, careful not to jostle him. She ran her fingertips lightly over the top edge of his wing, feeling the texture of the bone beneath paper-thin skin.
Ares shifted at that, nuzzling his face into her breast. “Mmm, don’t stop.”
She smiled, brushing her fingertips back down to the joint between wing and back. She traced a vein there, one that feathered out across the expanse of the webbing.
Ares groaned, his arms tightening around her. “Feels so good.” His voice was rough, his stubble stretching at the sensitive skin on her chest.
Heat shot through her as she felt his hips shift between her knees. “Are… are you…”
He ground into the mattress again, nodding.
Madja laughed, raising her other hand to run it through the soft locks of his hair. “Shameless.”
“Only for you.” He lifted his head, dragging himself up the bed to kiss her lips lightly. “How does a bath sound before breakfast?”
“Amazing,” she whispered, her body tingling.
Ares grinned, scooping her up in one swift movement, gripping the bottom of her thighs. She reached up as he carried her, dragging her palm up the bone to drag his talon a little closer to her. “These really are fascin—”
Ares pushed her hard against the wall next to the door, cursing.
Madja ignored him, thumbing at the skin just beneath his talon. “Are these a defensive tool or is it more of a dominance thing? Kind of like an elk’s horns.”
“Fuck, don’t talk science to me.” He kissed her throat, biting softly at the skin there.
She grinned, tightening her legs around his waist. “I think that they’re mostly just an accessory that never evolved out. You don’t use them much.”
Ares let out a series of unintelligible sounds as she wrapped her hand around the bone beside the talon. She blushed as she felt a certain hardness pushing against her center when he ground his hips into hers.
“You’re trying to ruin my plans,” Ares groaned.
Madja laughed, sliding her hand away from his talon to press against the webbing just beneath. “What plans?”
He gathered himself enough to pull his head back, snatching her hand away from his wing. He breathed hard for a few seconds, leaving her biting her lip to hide a grin. He kissed the inside of her wrist. “I was planning on taking you away for a week or so and going to a mountain retreat so we could be alone.”
“Alone for what?”
Molten gold eyes lifted to hers. “Hopefully for our mating ceremony.”
“Oh.” She’d forgotten about that.
“If that’s something you want to do.”
“Hmm.” She smoothed her hand over his chest. “Do you promise to be a good mate?”
“I promise to be an extraordinary one.”
She gave him a smile. “Then I do too.”
He swung her around, making her squeal. “We’ll leave today after breakfast.”
“Today? What about my responsibilities? Yours?”
Ares shook his head as he walked them into the bathroom. “Shvan won’t mind, and she can watch over Marlee. I couldn’t care less what else I have to do here—they can handle me being gone for a while.”
“How irresponsible of you.”
“I want to do so many irresponsible things.” He set her on the counter, kissing her softly. “The only thing we have to do now is hold out until we get there.”
“I think you can manage,” she said against his lips.
“I don’t know. Having you naked in the bath… with me, naked in the bath.”
“Well, I have a solution for that.”
“Oh?”
“Mhmm. Step back.”
He obeyed as she hopped off of the counter. She took another step, forcing him back until the backs of his knees hit the edge of the tub.
“What are you—”
She planted her hands on his shoulders and shoved him into the tub. Water splashed everywhere as his wings tried and failed to catch his fall. He stared up at her from where he splayed in the tub, the water soaking into his clothes.
Madja caught the gaping look on his face, and laughed.
Ares tried to glare at her but his own lips wouldn’t turn down. “Why you…” He moved too quickly for her to follow, leaning forward to snatch her around the waist.
She squealed, scrambling to get out of his grip, but he was relentless as he dragged her into the water with him.
For good measure, Ares also grabbed the pitcher, filling it all the way before he dumped it on her head.
She glared at him, wiping the water from her eyes. “That was unnecessary.”
They both stared at each other for a long moment before breaking into laughter. Ares’ laugh was a healthy boom that came from deep within his chest, rumbling through her. His face completely changed— the harsh lines of the warrior she’d met in that tent melting with mirth into the man she’d come to know.
As the laughter faded, his face remained like that, lines creasing the sides of his eyes as he grinned at her.
Madja cupped his cheek, drawing him down for a kiss, but paused. “I can’t kiss you properly if you’re smiling like a drunk fool.”
“I can’t help it.” He leaned against the back of the tub, pulling her into his lap. “You make me forget what it’s like to frown.”
Her own smile softened at that. “You got all of the water out of the tub.”
“OhIdid that?” But he switched on the faucet, shaking his head. “You’ve made a massive mess on the floor. The people below us are likely going to think it’s raining.”
“I’ve solved your problem.”
“Yes, because now we are both fully clothed in the bathtub, rather than naked. As I was hoping.” He tugged on her nightgown, giving her a pout.
Seeing her opportunity, she kissed that jutting lip, making him smile again. “Then take them off.”
“More like peel,” he muttered, but indeed lifted the garment over her head.
She helped him out of his own clothes, tossing them from the tub with a wet slap. “We’ll be gone before they can complain about the mess.”
“How noble of you.” But he was running his hands up and down her waist, his eyes clearly not on her face. He leaned his head back against the tub, humming. “I really don’t want to wait until we get there.”
Madja’s cheeks heated. “You can be patient.” She didn’t want to be patient, but she wasn’t about to tell him that. “The faster we get clean, the faster we leave.”
She laughed again as he lunged for the soap.
*****
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Just pure, undiluted fluff.
Nesta woke to an empty bed.
Confused, she patted the sheets beside her to find them still warm, as if he’d only just risen. It was hardly dawn, but she supposed it wasn’t abnormal for him to be up this early.
Her sleepy eyes trailed away from the abandoned sheets to the light coming from beneath the bathroom door, where she could hear the sounds of a bath beginning to fill. She slid out of bed, padding on bare feet to the door.
Cassian was washing his face in the sink when she came in, squinting against the lamp light. He smiled at her in the slightly fogged mirror. “Good morning, my love. I didn’t mean to wake you.”
She scrubbed her eyes. “What are you… why are you up?”
“I’m just gonna take a bath before heading into Illyria. They need me to speak to some of the camp lords.”
She grumbled and shuffled closer to wrap her arms around him from behind. “‘Ts cold.”
He ran loving hands up and down her forearms as she rested her head between his wings. “You can go back to bed, my love. I’ll be back later today.”
She let out a low whine and squeezed him tighter.
“Nesta,” he sighed, unwrapping her from him so he could turn around. “Do you want me to tuck you in?”
She deposited her face in his chest. “Mmm, no.”
“Well, I have to take a bath, so you can either get dressed or go get some more sleep. Aren’t you helping with the young Valkaries today?”
She whined louder.
“Alright.” Cassian bent down to pick her up by her thighs and she hooked her feet behind his back.
Burying her face in his neck, she began to grumble again when he made his way back into the bedroom.
“What?” he asked, exasperated.
Her hands lifted to tug at his hair. “Bath,” she mumbled.
“You don’t have to be ready for a few more hours, my love. You can take your bath later.”
“Noooo.”
“You’re just gonna fall asleep in the tub.”
“Nooooooo.”
He sighed once more before turning to set her on the bathroom counter. “Alright, but no funny business or I’m gonna be late.”
Nesta lifted her arms in signal for him to take off her sweater.
He peeled it off of her effortlessly before discarding his own night clothes and ridding her of the rest of hers.
The bath was thankfully big enough for them both as well as a pair of Illyrian wings. Nesta sighed in content when he set her in the water, blissfully hot. She tugged him insistently down in front of her so she could cling to his back once more.
He huffed but resigned himself to the treatment as he went about washing himself. Nesta laid her head on his shoulder, content to watch until his hands lifted to his hair.
She hissed, wriggling away from him. “Nooo. Let me.”
He looked over his shoulder at her to deliver a single brow raise. “You want to wash my hair?”
She nodded, moving to sit on the far bench. “Pretty hair.”
“Has anyone ever told you how articulate you are in the mornings?”
Her half-lidded eyes lifted to an almost-glare.
He laughed softly, but leaned into her arms.
She grabbed the pitcher beside the tub, filling it with water to pour over his head until his hair was as soaked as the rest of him. Then she lathered it with shampoo, her long fingers massaging his scalp.
Cassian let out an animal-like purr as he closed his eyes, his wings going limp inside the water. “Mmm. Fuck. So good.”
“Very articulate,” Nesta mumbled as her hands worked the soap in. Once he had almost fully melted, she rinsed it from his hair before reaching for the conditioner.
He turned onto his stomach as she did so, water sloshing over the sides of the tub. She didn’t mind, though. Not as his brow leaned against her sternum, his arms wrapping around her. He hummed while she worked the conditioner in, nuzzling into her.
She rinsed that too, his hair going silken in her grasp, and grabbed the rag he’d abandoned, filling it with soap. She scrubbed at his shoulders and upper back, down the column of his spine as far as she could reach. When she made to start on his wings, however, he lifted his head to glare at her.
“I said no funny business.”
Nesta pouted but resigned herself to rinsing the rest of the soap from his body. When she was done, he rose and lifted her with him, both of them dripping wet.
“Will you go back to bed now?” Cassian asked as he wrapped her in a fluffy towel and set her on the edge of their bed.
She shook her head, watching him in growing appreciation as he dried himself.
He huffed, grabbing his hair brush from the vanity.
Nesta snatched it from him, arching a brow when he tried to contradict her. “Sit,” she ordered, pointing to the space between her legs on the floor.
He plopped down at her feet and her legs swung carefully over his shoulders and wings to keep him in place. As she brushed through the dripping tangles of his hair, he massaged her calves, occasionally turning his head to kiss her knee.
“Stay still,” she said as she set the brush aside.
His hands paused when he felt her beginning to part his hair. “What are you doing?”
She didn’t answer and he didn’t push, instead surrendering himself once more to her ministrations.
Ten minutes later, she was done, finally allowing him to rise. He went to the vanity mirror to find four braids neatly worked along the left side of his head, stopping just above his ear. His smile was the one reserved only for her as he turned back. “Thank you, my love.”
She gave him a similar smile in return, if a little more sleepy, and let out a yawn, lifting her arms. He obeyed the unspoken command, moving her further onto the bed so she could lay properly on the pillows. “I’m going to cancel your training today,” Cassian said, working the towel out from under her.
Her eyelids fluttered. “Why?”
He tucked the comforter into her sides with expert care. “Because I want you just like this when I get home.”
She didn’t have the energy to fight, instead snuggled into his pillow. “‘Kay.”
He pressed a kiss to her brow, but she had already drifted off. “I love you.”
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Author’s note: Hello, I’m back. My computer broke there for a while, but I was finally able to buy and new one and actually sit my ass in the chair to write. Anyway, this is like wholly unedited because I really wanted to just get it out there and posted because a few people have been asking if this series was going to continue. Enjoy!
For the first time in a long while, Nesta was cold. She stood on the beach wrapped in a flimsy shirt, listening for the sound of footsteps on the sand behind her. There weren’t any for a long while. Just this silence.
She took a moment to breathe and smelled dead fish.
“I hope I didn’t keep you waiting,” a voice came from behind her.
She didn’t turn, the wind ruffling her hair. “What do you need me to do?”
“Show me your siren form.”
At that, she looked over her shoulder. Hybern stood a few paces back, a woman to his left and a man holding a camera box. The carriage loomed behind them, horses nickering. Nesta tensed. “My face won’t be in any of the photos.”
“Of course, my dear. They will simply be for record keeping.” He showed his hands, palms up in a placating gesture.
He was lying. She knew photographs were expensive, but they were impossible to fake. No one would waste that kind of money if they didn’t expect profit.
She took a step back towards the sea. “Tell me what you plan to do first.”
“I have done my research on the mythologies. I have scoured the sea for your kind for decades and the people thought I was crazy. Now, I will have my proof.” He stepped towards her and she stepped back again, feeling the sea begin to lap at her heels.
“I will let you photograph me and nothing more.”
“That isn’t what we agreed to.”
He was right. They’d agreed to an experiment.
“I want scale and blood samples.” Hybern waved the man on his right forward. What she had thought held a camera, was actually simply a normal box. The man set it on the ground and lifted a syringe from it.
Nesta swallowed hard.
“What are you waiting for, my dear? You need to shift. We have an agreement.”
“Why did you let me think you had a camera?” It wasn’t even the right lighting for photographs. How could she have missed that?
“I do have a camera. We will take photos later.” Hybern spoke quietly with the other man for a moment before lifting his head. “Do you have gills? Where are they on your body?”
“No.”
“Really? How do you breathe, then?” He was moving closer, the other man coming in from the other side, as if they were trying to trap her against the sea.
“No. I will be breaking our agreement.” She was up to her ankles now in the surf, the sea waiting like a predator behind her.
Hybern laughed. “Oh, my dear. You don’t have a choice. If you will not come willingly, then I have other forms of persuasion.”
“There is nothing you can do to keep me.”
He sighed. “I really didn’t want it to come to this, but we had a deal and now you leave me no choice.” He snapped his fingers and the woman approached with a net. It was one of the large, sturdy ones, made for heavy extreme amounts of fish from the sea.
Nesta moved without thought, her body turning into a dive as her fin replaced her legs.
She screamed as Hybern slammed a knife through the end of her tail, pinning her in place. Her hands scrambled on the rocks while she felt another pair of hands on her, pulling at her golden scales.
“Where’s that damned syringe?” Hybern snapped. “Hurry up. Both of you.”
Nesta shrieked again when the net collapsed on top of her, the holes too small to fit her hands through. Her voice echoed across the beach as she was pulled out of the water. The waves chased her, spindly cold fingers grasping her skin, letting her slide easily over the smooth rocks.
She kicked out her tail, ignoring the spike of blinding pain in search of a way out of the net. Through its metal fibers, she could see the man Hybern had brought with him, carrying that syringe.
As he approached in quick, purposeful steps, she realized that it wasn’t empty. There was already liquid inside–likely a sleeping agent or something to weaken her.
No. If they got her to a separate location, she would be dead.
In her panic, she shifted back and forth between her forms, but found the pain to be worse as a human, drawing her back into her scales. She was crying as the man knelt beside the net and wondered what Cassian would think if he saw her right now.
Pathetic. His mighty siren reduced to a blubbering mess.
His siren.
Hybern’s man grinned a slimy grin. “Thomas sends his regards.”
She had made a vow when Cassian gave her his heart. A vow that had gone unbroken, her lips sealed shut against the song that threatened to pour out.
The man lifted the syringe.
She would break that vow.
The man froze in time as the notes started quietly, barely a whisper, but just loud enough to be heard over the crashing of the waves. His eyes widened, becoming glazed as the syringe slipped from his fingers.
The rocks crunched as Hybern yelled, “Plug your ears!” but it was too late.
“Will you give me your heart?” Nesta asked the man.
“Yes. Gods yes.”
“Take off the net.”
“No!” Hybern was still shouting and Nesta’s gaze snapped to him as the net lifted. His fingers were in his ears like a child refusing to listen, but Nesta could see the struggle. See his eyes roll back, then widen.The woman he’d brought was on her knees, crawling across the beach to Nesta.
“Grab the knife,” Nesta told her.
She scrabbled for where it had fallen, still sticky with seafoam. Hybern lunged at her, but his knees collapsed underneath him as another voice joined the song.
Nesta didn’t turn, not ready to see the other siren ready to drag her back to her watery grave. They would let her do this, at least. Let her deliver her hearts.
“Cut out his heart,” Nesta ordered the girl and in an instant she was on top of the other man, the knife sinking into his chest with animalistic fury. Nesta turned her face away to watch Hybern, who was clutching his head now.
When the girl finished, she returned to Nesta like an obedient dog, her blue eyes wide as saucers.
Nesta lifted her chin between thumb and forefinger. “And your heart? Can I have that one too?”
The girl nodded, knife turning in her hand. It sank with expert precision into the skin above her breast. She stared at Nesta with a pain-free expression, however, as she carved the center of her chest out, her body becoming weaker with every movement until she was dead.
Nesta took the knife from her and shifted into her human form, limping over to Hybern.
“I won’t give it to you,” he hissed into the remaining silence. She hadn’t even noticed the other siren stop singing. “You can’t have it.”
“I don’t want your heart,” Nesta said simply, and drove the knife into his neck.
His eyes widened, a gurgling sound coming from his lips as his hands reached up to scrabble at hers while she twisted the knife over and over again.
It was two passes before his head fell from his shoulders.
Nesta watched it roll across the beach.
Slow clapping came from behind her. She turned, chin raised and palms bloody. She’d kill a siren too. Whatever got in her way.
Amren had perched herself on a boulder, her tail as blunt and short as a sharks. “I thought I would come help. Well done.”
“You—”
She held up a hand, her nails catching the moonlight. “I’m not going to hurt you, dear girl, but we need to move and quickly. Every siren in a twenty-mile radius likely heard your shrieking.”
“What?”
“Why are you still standing there like a fool? Shift and lets go. Plans have moved up. We’re leaving tonight.”
*****
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