Strangely, when darkness fell, it didn't really hinder our progress all that much. Cassian was nearly constantly correcting me about this or that. The first time he put his hands on my hips to correct my stance I nearly jumped away from him. By this time I hardly noticed as he slid his foot between mine to tap my foot into a better position.

"Sorry." I muttered trying to focus on all of my body at once.

"You're doing great." He said with a small smile. "You might be a natural." I laughed at him, but he just watched me with a steady gaze. "Again." I punched at him and felt proud when he smiled widely. "Good. I think that should be good for now."

My body actually was sore, muscles aching for the first time since I woke up. It was nice. The aching pain grounding me in the moment. Cassian rolled his shoulders his wings moving in a slightly mesmerizing way.

"Do you know what they say about wingspan?" Cassian said catching my eye. I flushed at being caught staring. Something akin to rage fluttered at the back of my mind. Confused I shook my head.

"No, what do they say?" I played along trying to wipe the blush away. Cassian smirked and stored the training equipment. He walked over, a slow saunter that brought attention to the slight movements of his wings.

"That the span of an Illyrian's wings can be a good measure of ...other things." Cassian said leaning a bit closer. I stared impassively at him hoping that I wouldn't blush again.

"Is that so?" Two could play this kind of game. I looked up at him through my lashes not quite containing my smile. I had never been the best at flirting, but I was not going to let him win. The rage increased and I pushed it down and away from me. There was no reason for me to be so angry. Instead I tried to school my features into something attractive. Cassian for his part had lost the slight predatory edge that he had been putting on. His eyes roamed over my face just a bit more earnestly for a moment. "Aren't Azriel's bigger?" I asked after a moment.

To be honest I had no idea who had a bigger wingspan between the two. I hadn't spent much time with either, though I seemed to get along with Cassian better. Azriel was too distant. He always looked torn when he looked at me. Cassian just looked like an ass. Surprise flitted across Cassian's face, and an echo of that surprise dimmed the rage that had been burning in the back of my mind.

Morrigan burst into laughter falling slightly into Cassian. I couldn't help the grin that sprang to my face. Cassian winced pressing his hand to his heart.

"That bruises." He said laughter gleaming in his eyes.

"Your ego could do with a bit more bruising." Morrigan said reaching out to inspect one of my hands. She winced in sympathy. They were purple. Turns out you're supposed to aim with the first two knuckles, too bad it took me an hour before Cassian realized.

"So, what do you think?" Cassian asked looking me over.

"I like it." I said truthfully. Cassian and Morrigan both smiled. "Thank you, by the way." I added to the both of them.

"For what?" Morrigan asked.

I glanced at my hands, the soft and splotchy shade of purple that covered my knuckles. "Doing this." I fluttered my hands, feeling the deep seated soreness that was only increasing. "Worrying about me. Most people wouldn't do that for a stranger."

"You don't have to be a stranger, you know?" Morrigan said taking a small step toward me. Love fluttered in the depths of my mind. I blinked and found myself smiling at her. She was beautiful and so kind. A deep affection for the both of them surged and I found myself softening a bit. The feelings were powerful, and for once I let them wash over me.

"I'm sorry." I was suddenly ashamed of myself for running from these people. I had known from the beginning they were good and yet I had run from them.

Morrigan looked concerned. "What for?"

"I ran from you." I admitted softly. The world seemed to hold its breath, even the wind died down. "I'm scared of all of this. You're all so different. You have wings." I told Cassian as if he didn't already know. "I'm not like you. I don't fit with you at all."

"You seem to be fitting in just fine now." Morrigan said looking me over.

"You're all so close," I said motioning between the two, "You don't seem to need an extra person in your lives."

"That's a hell of an assumption." Cassian said looking me over. "Feyre was an outsider once, too. Does she not fit in?" He asked quietly. I couldn't think of her as not being part of this tight knit group. Not being hand in hand with Rhysand.

"She fits." I answered quietly.

"If we had room for her, why don't we have room for you?" He asked.

"I'm not like you-"

"You are like us." This voice was beautiful and unexpected. Azriel melted out of the shadows walking over to us with a grace that reminded me of large cats on the prowl. Both Cassian and Morrigan greeted him smiles on their faces. "You were Made, same as Feyre or Elain."

"Hello Azriel." I greeted him feeling suddenly still.

"Hello."

"You three just don't understand."

"Understand what?" Cassian asked walking over physically turning me to look at him. "Feeling like an outsider? I'm a low-born Illyrian bastard. You think I haven't felt alone?"

"I never said that." I said frowning and touching the hands that were still warm on my shoulders. Automatically trying to comfort him. "And...you shouldn't have felt alone because of that."

Cassian blinked. "Why is that?"

"Because, that shouldn't matter. Who you are is what matters." I mumbled. Azriel, in the corner of my vision, smiled the smallest bit.

"That doesn't apply to you?" Cassian's eyes were drilling into my own.

"You don't know who I am."

"I'm getting a pretty good idea." There was a long moment where Cassian and I simply stared at each other. A battle of wills. His hands felt strangely heavy, like he was keeping me grounded in a world out of control. If I joined them, it felt too much like giving up. Losing my home...my world...it was devastating.

Yet the sense of friendship and love that threaded through this group was so much more than I ever had back home. I was touched that they were even offering to try and take me in. Conflicted I bit my lip meeting Cassian's eyes dead on.

"I understand." Azriel's voice broke the silent show-down. Both Cassian and I looked to him. He looked like a fallen angel. "Perhaps, while you're here, you should make yourself as comfortable as possible." There was a sort of pain that flared when he spoke of the thought of me going back home, followed by that thunderous conflict.

"You must feel so alone." Morrigan piped up taking a step toward me. All at once I felt like crying. Azriel took a step toward me his face unreadable. I shook my head trying to step away from them. These complicated three. Cassian's hands fell away.

"Why?" I shouldn't be so aware of Azriel. Every movement he made some deep part of me watched. That strange moonstone expanse in my mind flared. Ripped between the mental and physical worlds it felt like I was in two places at once. I softly touched that bridge and let myself follow it for a moment, reaching out toward whatever it was on the other side. Azriel's eyes dilated. Morrigan was staring between the two of us her expression soft and open. I could smell him, that deep smell of leather that was constantly on his skin, but beneath that was something more. He smelled like the sky, like cassian, but while cassian was all sunsoaked warmth this was the softer subtler scents you would find in the shadows. Crisp like winter air.

On the other side of the moonstone bridge something slowly and tentatively reached back.

"Rhys and Feyre should be coming soon." Cassian spoke and the breathless moment shattered leaving me pulling away from the moonstone expanse and looking toward Cassian. "I think they want to speak with you." He added catching my eyes. I shivered slightly and Morrigan frowned reaching out casually to touch my arm. If she noticed my slight flinch she didn't remark on it.

"You're cold." She muttered her touch lingering over one of the runes. "Let's get you inside."

Cassian brushed a hand against my other arm and nodded going to press on the middle of my back to get me moving. I could feel the heat of his hand through the thin fabric. Something about the way they moved me, worried for me, made me realize that just like before I had already fallen into their trap.

I wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.