Long Live | | Helion

1

"Your form is terrible, Emelia," Cassian said with a tsk, "you look like a novice again!"

"Well, then you shouldn't have gotten me wasted last night," she shot back, earning a few quiet chuckles from the others in training.

"That excuse never works," Nesta chimed in unhelpfully, "like ever."

"I don't know how you completed this training," Emelia muttered, earning a bark of laughter from Cassian before he sent his mate a bright, proud smile.

"She, much like you, had an excellent trainer," Cassian boasted, and Emelia resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

"Oh? I didn't know Azriel participated in Nesta's training too," she quipped, earning a muffled laugh from everyone but Cassian, and a smirk from Azriel.

"Far too sassy for such bad form, Lia," Cassian warned, "I'll make you train an extra hour if you keep running your mouth."

"Sensitive baby," Nesta teased, to which Cassian raised his eyebrows and gave her some look that only she could read. Whatever that look was, it had her squirming.

"Don't forget, we'll be having a guest today," Cassian brought up as he surveyed the collection of priestesses, Illyrian females, and other females from around the Night Court he, Nesta, Emerie, Azriel, and Gwyn were training as Valkyries. "Are we all still okay with that?"

It had been a long conversation about whether or not the group was comfortable being observed by an outsider—a male outsider no less—but, in the end, there was a unanimous agreement that the High Lord of the Day Court could come look in on their training. He had heard about the Valkyrie training program, and he was interested in the revival of the fearsome unit. As the Night Court's closest ally, Rhys and Feyre decided Helion would have the chance so long as all the females in training were comfortable being observed.

Everyone voiced their agreement that they had not changed their minds.

Emelia got her form together, unwilling to be embarrassed in front of an outsider. Not that Cassian would tease her too much around a stranger. Any of those leading the training would still correct the trainees on their forms, but the teasing would probably cease in the presence of someone unfamiliar, someone the trainees did not have the same comfort with as they did with their peers and their trainers.

Eventually, Rhys and Feyre entered the training space with Helion. Cassian let Azriel and Nesta take over on guiding the training and went to join the discussion with Helion. They didn't reveal too many of the secrets of the Valkyrie, but Cassian gave a basic rundown on the program and pointed out the different levels of progress in the three subgroups. Gwyn worked most directly with the beginners. She had more patience than anyone else in the group. Emerie and Azriel usually focused on the intermediate. Cassian and Nesta usually handled to most advanced in the group. The levels weren't too formal, and trainees often moved back and fourth between them as necessary.

Helion observed, but he found his eyes continuing to drift to one trainee in particular. He didn't let himself stare too much. Rhys and Feyre had explained some things about some of the females involved in the Valkyrie program and the last thing Helion wanted was to risk making anyone uncomfortable, especially in their own safe place.

Despite his best attempts, Emelia was aware of the High Lord's lingering attention. Cassian, of course, noticed her noticing and grinned at the pink on her cheeks that he knew was not from the physical exertion. He would certainly tease her for it later, when Helion wasn't around to hear it.

Emelia hadn't been entirely opposed to make attention in the time since Feyre brought her from the Court of Nightmares to Velaris, but Cassian could say with certain no male here had ever made her blush like the High Lord of the Day Court.

Rhys sent Cassian a warning look, as if he worried Cassian might voice whatever inappropriate amusements were lighting up his expression at the moment. Cassian only shrugged, and Rhys let out a long suffering sigh.

Cassian left the training area with Helion, Rhys, and Feyre, and it was quite possibly the first time in as long as he had known the Helion that he didn't try to entice Cassian into joining him in bed. Cassian wondered if the High Lord was more interested in Emelia than those fleeting glances gave away.

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