Long Live | | Helion

12

Helion couldn't decide if inviting Emelia and Azriel to stay a few days was the best or worst decision he had ever made. He was not an impulsive, reckless male. Despite his outwardly casual nature, he took care to make his every action calculated. He thought before he did anything, because he was a High Lord and his people deserved better than someone who would treat that title as if it meant nothing.

He enjoyed his fun, that was no secret, but he took his responsibilities seriously, and he weighed the merits of every choice he made.

Except when it came to Emelia. In all things regarding her, he was a male possessed.

It was far too easy to get wrapped up in her easy grace. He wasn't the only one being swept away—it seemed like everyone who crossed her path stopped and stared for a moment. He remembered the night before, when she called her beauty a commodity, something to be bought and sold. A resource to trade on. As she gave out gracious smiles to anyone who met her eyes, he wondered if she hated it. From what little he knew of the Court of Nightmares, females had few rights there, and her beauty would have indeed made her a valuable commodity for her father to sell off to the highest bidder. What a horrific existence.

But still, she smiled and moved with such elegance. Azriel was always at her side, his cold glare warning off any would-be suitors.

Helion was aware of every set of eyes on Emelia as he showed her and Azriel his favorite places in his Court, or at least what was left of his favorite places. He didn't bring up the things that were lost during Amarantha's reign. He showed off what remained instead, the art galleries, museums, and the libraries. Emelia soaked it all in with adoring fascination, immersing herself into the look at the history and culture of the Day Court as if it was the most fascinating thing in the realm. That only made Helion more fond of her—seeing the way she appreciated his people and their art and their lives. She was alight here in a way she hadn't seemed back in the Night Court.

Azriel noticed it too, noticed the way her smile was brighter here than it had ever been back home, noticed the happiness in her eyes he hadn't seen much of before. He and his family had tried to show her these same things back in Velaris, the life and the culture, but she hadn't been nearly as interested. She hadn't wanted to see all the thriving artistry and culture back home. Here, though? Here, it seemed like she wanted to breathe it all in so deeply that it might become part of her too.

When they went out that night after spending the day taking in the culture of Day, Emelia did not find some strange, underwhelming male to leave with. She went back with Azriel and Helion. She stayed awake and let Helion show her his private libraries, and then she went back to her chambers. Azriel was still up and waiting. She curled up next to him on the couch, and he draped an arm over her shoulders, waiting for the breakdown he knew must be coming after such a good day.

"I think I hate Rhysand," Emelia murmured after a long, crushing few moments of silence. "I think I hate him a lot. And I don't know if I can go back to his Court and pretend I have any respect for him."

Azriel went tense. He had been understanding of the divide between the two. He understood Emelia's fear of Rhys, understood Rhys's careful distance from Emelia. Rhysand and Emelia were never going to be good friends, not after the way she grew up. But he was still Azriel's friend—his brother. And, in some ways more importantly, his High Lord. Emelia was his friend, a close friend who he had come to care deeply for over a short time. To hear her say she hated Rhys and had no respect for him...that hurt to hear about his brother, and it was uncomfortable to hear about his High Lord.

"Lia," Azriel began, but he didn't finish because he didn't have the words.

"It's okay," she assured him, "I know he's your family. I shouldn't have said anything."

"The version of him you knew before—" he started, unsure of what he was trying to defend. Emelia was already getting up, out from under Azriel's arm. Her eyes didn't have that glittering happiness anymore.

"I have heard over and over that he is the most powerful High Lord in history, but I think he's a spineless coward. All that power, and he chooses to continue to let half his Court suffer! I know none of you are stupid enough to believe that I'm the only one born into the Court of Nightmares who hates it. I know you all know there are other good people there. I know Rhysand knows that. But he does nothing, because doing nothing is easier. His power is wasted on him, Azriel. Wasted."

Azriel couldn't think of a response, of a justification. He could bring up the ancient treaties, the power balance. But none of it really matters, not to someone like Emelia. Someone raised under the brutality and violence, someone whose entire existence was nearly sold, someone who was conditioned to fear Rhys. Maybe none of the justifications matter at all. It would be a hard fight, certainly, but isn't it one Rhys could win? He doesn't like doubting Rhys like this.

"I won't spend time in his house anymore. With him or with Feyre."

"And me?"

Azriel had been a good friend, he was certain of that. Just as certain as he was that Emelia knew it too. But, they both knew that, if she asked him to choose which friendship he could not abandon, he would hold onto his loyalty to Rhys and Feyre.

"You are my friend," Emelia said after a few moments of hesitation, "that will remain separate from them."

"Cassian too?" Azriel questioned, painfully aware of the defeat in his tone. Cassian wasn't as close to Emelia as he was, but it would still be a loss. It would still hurt.

"Cassian is my friend too. You and he both...the choices aren't yours. As much as I know you love and respect your High Lord, I also know you don't think I'm entirely wrong when I say he could have done more a long time ago."

Azriel did not confirm or deny that conclusion, instead asking, "what now then? If you hate Rhys and do not want to be around him or Feyre or even in the Night Court at all."

"I don't know. Perhaps I'll ask Helion if I can become a citizen of his Court, or I'll travel to the Summer Court."

"Think about it first, please. I understand your desire to leave, but don't make any choices like this until you have thought it through entirely."