A Court of Scars and Shadows

Fire Night

GWYN'S POV

The flying lesson has gone terrible. She had fallen into the river twice and flew into a tree. At this rate, she wouldn't have even the slightest chance at beating Azriel.

Feyre had recommended staying in the wings for the next few days, to grow more accustomed to the weight of carrying them.

She had gone home directly after the lesson to take a bath.

Azriel had yet to come home so she had decided to cook something for herself before passing out on the bed from exhaustion.

On the kitchen counter there was a note. Tamlin had sent her a reminder that her visit to Spring was tomorrow and he would be waiting for her by the stones in the forest.

She cursed at herself for forgetting and immediately stopped preparing her food to start preparing her things for her week visit. Her wings felt heavy than when she arrived.

By the time she finished, it was almost late evening. She dropped herself onto the bed, wearing a blue silk nightgown, and passed out right away.

She woke up to the sound of someone in the kitchen. Lifting up her pillow, she grabbed the dagger there and got off the bed as quiet as she could with the wings. As she stepped into the kitchen, she almost dropped the dagger in relief. It was Azriel in the kitchen, finishing up what she hadn't had cooking.

Without looking at her he said, "You could have used your shadows to see who I was."

"I didn't think I had them." Her stomach growled as the smell of the food wavered towards her. "This smells amazing."

She sat herself down on one of the stools and served herself some of the food he made. It was a meat lentil stew. Her wings were dropping at her sides but she didn't care, she was too tired to waste energy in keeping them up.

"You are still in your wings, why?" Azriel asked, as he cleaned up and sat down next to her.

"Feyre and Cas told me to stay in them to get used to carrying the weight." Azriel nodded his approval at their advice.

"How did the lesson go," he served himself some of the stew.

"It went well," she lied smoothly. "I hope you have a plan on how you are going to cut Cassian's hair."

Azriel's mouth turned into a grin, "I didn't know falling into a lake several times counted as a lesson gone well." At Gwyn's expression, he explained, "When we aren't with each other, I leave a shadow with you. A precaution."

Gwyn turned to her shadows to see that almost imperceptible shadow that wasn't one of her own. When she noticed it, it moved to her and nuzzled her face in a kind manner before going back to its original owner.

"I should start doing the same with you." Gwyn shrugged and all her shadows started to whisper at her to choose them to be the one to be with Azriel.

Please stop the whispering, she groaned to her shadows.

Sorry. We get very excited when it comes to being with our father, a shadow responded to Gwyn as the whispering quieted down. Her eyes widened when they mentioned him as father.

They sat in comfortable silence and they finished eating.

"Why do you have your things packed? I hope you aren't leaving me already," Azriel teased but Gwyn could feel his lurking curiosity at the bags of her things.

"My visit with Tamlin is tomorrow. He sent a reminder today," she explained.

"I'll come with you," he offered but Gwyn shook her head with a soft smile.