Chapter 8

When I landed, there were stares. My wings bared wide and proud, spanning the width of the street. For once, I did not feel the unease that once came with them. But it was not me that was choosing not to bear that sensation. It did not meet me at all. The Fae, High and lesser, stared at me with curiosity and even some in dismissal. My wings were the subject of their interest, yes, but there were no jealous women despising me when their own had been shredded. If only those women knew what I did to keep them. Some – the more logical minded – glanced from me then to the House of Wind, high on the mountainside.

I lowered them back to their rested state and the bodies started weaving around me, going about their day. That I was used to. It was barely after sunrise, but already the markets were flooding. Fae eager for the best produce, or returning to their homes from drunken nights in houses of pleasure. I forgot about Cassian, forgot about Azriel's hands gripping my arms, forgot it all. For I was in the city of Velaris, under the protection of the High Lord and for once I could wander without looking over my shoulder. I had no money, but I was not here to buy pretty things. I was here to look at them, to look at the people.

I wandered freely, with no sense of mind to know my direction. It did not matter where I went or where I had to go. I smiled at the Fae who looked to me and peered over merchant's stalls and gazed into the windows of the more permanently placed stores. I came to notice, after some time, that there were a plethora of stores that sold many goods of a fashionable kind; jewels and decorative wear, cloth, clothes, shoes and bags.

I was curious enough to wander over to a kind-looking High Fae who stepped out of a brick lain store. He had brown swept hair pushed away from his forehead. He wore a white shirt, a vest of red with golden swirls to cover it. "Excuse me." The Fae turned to me, a dazzling smile already at the ready.

"Good morning, miss," he greeted with a charming voice that verged on boyish.

I offered him a smile and tucked my hands over my stomach. "Forgive me for my naivety but I've never been down here before. I'm just wondering where all the shops with…. Well, food are?"

I couldn't help but laugh when the young (well, objectively appearing) Fae let out a bellow, holding his stomach. I was not sure what we were laughing about, but I knew that my question must be somewhat entertaining and that, along with the sight of the laughing Fae, was humorous to me as well.

"My apologies," he quickly blurted out as soon as he regained his composure. "You're… innocence-" I rolled my eyes at his choice of word "-is well placed. This is the Palace of Thread and Jewels. One of the four market spaces. You can find a source of food in the Palace of Bone and Salt. It's not a far walk. Or fly, I note. I can escort you if you would like a guide."

"Oh no," I smiled, shaking my head. I ducked it to hide the warmth that I knew showed brightly. "Thank you, I was simply curious." I leant to the side to glance past him. He stood in front of a store that displayed exquisite jewels in the window. "Shopping for someone? Or are you a man of jewels, yourself?"

The Fae grinned widely and held up a silver key. "Selling, actually. I'm the owner of Silver Chains. Co-owner," he added with a partially wincing face. "My mother refuses to sign over the rest of her ownership even though she wants nothing to do with it. It was my fathers, you see. But she thinks I'm an idiot, and that I will lose the business."

I tipped my head close to my shoulder. "And how would you do that?"

The Fae threw out his hands to the side. "No idea!" he chuckled. I smiled and began to think of kind words of departure since I did not know what else to say, but the Fae clicked his tongue and pointed the tip of the key at me. "You come from the court, don't you?"

I rose my brows. "What makes you say that?"

The nameless Fae stretched his neck backwards. "Illyrian woman. Two Illyrians and a half-Illyrian for a High Lord. Forgive me for making assumptions, but I presume that you are with them? And if you are with them, you are either a permanent addition to the court or a very strange visitor."

I was slow to answer, but my concerns in the confidence of my position did not need to be shared. "I am not sure if I should be insulted by being named strange, but as far as I am aware, I am a permanent addition."

"Strange was not in any way undesirable," he swiftly assured. His hands linked tightly behind his back as he took three, swaying steps forward. He bowed his head. "It is a pleasure to meet you. My name's Rav."

"Annika," I answered, bowing my own head softly.

"Pleasure," he repeated. "Forgive me for the inquisitiveness, but it is not hard to see that it is your first time in the city. No escort?"

"I, uh…" I glanced back to the House of Wind, "snuck out," I half-lied with a chuckle. "Not that I would get in trouble, but I preferred to see the city alone and it was made noted the desire for me to have company." I did want to bring Rhysand down with me as well, but that would be for another day.

Rav tossed his thumb over his shoulder then. "Should I leave your company then, since you have tried hard to rid yourself of it? I wouldn't dare spoil your adventures of being alone."

"I would welcome you to stay, actually, but I think you have a shop to run," I pointed out. I knew that part of me was being hypocritical – accepting the company of this man so quickly yet being cautious around those who had already sworn their protection of me. But this man bared no resemblance to any moment of my past. No wings, no weapons strapped to his body. Pointed ears. I think I liked Rhysand because of his ears too. The curve point of Fae blood.

Rav glanced over his shoulder, pursing his lips together. "It is still quite early. In truth, we usually don't open until midday. We stay open later that way. Have you seen the city at night, yet?"

"No," I confessed. "Only from the window of my room."

Rav shoved his key into his pockets and swayed towards me. "Let me tell you – beautiful." We started walking in sync, a small gap between us that was comfortable but not a strange or awkward distance. He spoke so freely that it was almost enchanting the way I could get drawn into his words. "It's called the city of lights for a good reason. Wait till you see Starfall from here."

We walked – and talked – for a while, browsing stores as I had been before, but this time with a guide to point out the best places to be, and the easiest Fae to bargain with. There was one man, proud and bald, who almost kicked us out of his shop of jewels, ranting about Rav coming to check his competitor's stock. We left in a fit of chuckles.

"So how is living with the High Lord?"

"Technically I don't live with him."

"Oh right," he sighed. "He has that townhouse, doesn't he? I think I've passed it a few times."

I nodded affirmatively. My fingers drummed against my elbow, contemplating if I should question him. I did. "Do you like the High Lord?"

Rav thought on my question, and I could feel the pattern of my heart jolt. I prayed to the Cauldron that I was not wrong in my hopes. "I do," he finally agreed. "He's come into the shop a few times actually. Always a good buyer. We see him all the time, sometimes we forget he's the High Lord. But he does have that…"

"Air," I finished for him. "He has that air of pure power that no disguise or acts of normalcy could conquer."

Rav snorted. "I was going to say a pruned appearance. You identify see him from a city away." I covered my mouth to hide the smile, even though I knew it had no need to be hidden. "How about I show you the delights of my inventory, then you can continue your acts of solitude on the promise that I will see you again."

"I-"

I didn't know how to respond, in all truth. At first, it sounded rather promiscuous, but I revisited his words in my head and placed them into the correct context. I noticed as we turned back to the way of his store, that a few shadows were moving without the guidance of a changing source of light. I ignored them but knew that Azriel would likely know of my whereabouts sooner or later. If he was looking for me.

"Sure," I smiled at him. "I'd like a friend in the city."

"Good," he nodded. "And I'd like to hear gossip about the court." I gave him a slight look of playful warning that told him I would not be sharing details of the inner court's working. "Fine, but at least let me know if there are any lethal threats about."

"I suppose I can do that. But no promise."

Rav led me into his shop, unlocking the door with his key. It was dark in the design, counters of fine, reddish wood that resembled polished marble. But there were cases enclosed behind thick glass that displayed jewels on cushions of white and velvet. It was a romantic atmosphere and cleverly created.

"Anything catching your fancy?"

I shot him another look that told him I had barely even begun to look around. But I did just that. I was suddenly annoyed that I did not have the coin to buy anything, even if just as a thank you for accompanying me around the market, but I knew that I had no need for jewels. There were a plethora of choices, some alone, some in sets of necklaces, earrings and rings. Rubies, sapphires, diamonds.

I was about to point out a set of ruby embedded earrings, glancing up to Rav, but his eyes were set on the door. I looked over my other shoulder, brows raising as the High Lord himself let himself in.

"High Lord," Rav greeted with a bow of his head. Rhysand nodded at him fleetingly as his eyes snapped to me.

My stomach constricted, twisting like a python around its meal. The violet orbs were hard and pinned on me and I knew this was no chance encounter. He marched towards me and the lower curve of my back pressed against one of the counters.

"Are you alright?"

My stomach dropped, then shot around. "Yes," I breathed. "I'm fine."

"Azriel said that you left frantic. He guessed that something spooked you. Or someone." Rhysands voice was low, but soft. I glanced at Rav who was obviously trying not to appear overly indulged in listening to the conversation at hand.

I shook my head, forgetting the image of the general. "No, I'm fine. I had a nightmare last night and came down here to clear my head. My wings are fine, so I thought, why wait?"

I felt the light prodding inside of my mind. I placed a block in place but I knew it would be like a sheet of paper, easy to flick away by the skilled daemati. And I knew that he did just that. I felt shame swell in me, but I could not change the way I had reacted. Instead of reaching to touch me, which he knew I would avoid, I felt the brush of his touch in my head. It was strange, and I did not know if I liked it, but I did not speak up on the matter.

"This is Rav," I continued at the growing silence. I gestured to the Fae who waved his hand. "He gave me a tour of the Palace of Thread and Jewels."

Rhysand nodded at the store owner again. "Thank you. It looks like she's enjoyed your company, if she's stayed in it for so long."

Rav tossed his head from shoulder to shoulder. "I'm a charming man." Rhysand held his snort, but I heard the slight huff of air through his nose. Rav nodded to the earrings that I had been looking over before. "You like them?"

I smiled and nodded. "The rubies are gorgeous. I've never had earrings. I'd have to get my ears pierced. Not to mention I don't have a coin to my name. But… I would like to buy them for myself one day. Something like them."

I felt Rhysand's presence over my shoulder, observing the piece of jewellery for himself. "You do have money to your name." My brows pinched as I looked at him over my shoulder. "I opened an account for you. You're being paid every week."

"But… but I'm not working. I haven't done anything."

"You're employed as a member of my court. You are getting paid for being in your position."

I looked back down at the earrings. They were gorgeous. And now I had money, but I couldn't spend it whimsically on the first pretty thing I saw. I had to be smart.

"Can she see them?" Rhysand requested.

My lips fell apart, my head beginning to shake. "Rhysand, I-" There was a soft touch on the small of my back. My spine stretched, curving to move away from the touch of fingers. They lightened even more so, prepared to drop away. But I didn't move. Slowly, the tension in my spine released and softened into the hand. I blinked forgetting about the earrings and only thinking about the featherlight touch. I knew he was reading me, even if his attention was turned on Rav and the jewels. It wasn't comfortable, but it wasn't the worst feeling in the world.

"How much?" questioned Rhysand.

Rav leant on the counter and pressed his lips into a firm line. "How about nothing? Take it as a thank you for the lovely morning, and a hope I can establish a good business relation with the High Lord?"

There was no hesitation in Rhysand's nod. I swept myself out of his touch so I could look at him properly. "Thank you," I said to Rav, my eyes fleeting towards him before returning to the smiling High Lord. "I shall have to have my ears pierced now."

Rav grinned and bundled the earrings into a velvet box then into a carry pouch of the same material. He handed it to Rhysand who stood closer. "Pleasure doing business, High Lord."

"Seeing as I have to friends that like to adorn themselves in jewels, you can be sure that I will be back," he replied, patting the counter with his palm. He looked to me and gestured to the front of the store with his head. I smiled at Rav and offered him another thank you before returning to the streets of the marketplace.

We walked in silence. I had no destination in mind and I began to believe neither did Rhysand. "Why did you come down?" I asked after a silence nearing ten minutes.

He looked down at me over the curve of his shoulder. "Like I said, Azriel said you left panicked. His shadows found you and he reported back to me. I wanted to make sure you were alright." I nodded and looked back to the street. "Was it Cassian?" I shook my head, but it was no use. "Azriel said you came from the rooftop where Cassian was training this morning. But Cassian hadn't even heard you come up." I couldn't find my voice, but there was another probing at my head that I let slip through. "Would you like to have your ears pierced today?"

I was flustered by the sudden change of topic. "Oh, another day, perhaps? I'd prefer to be somewhere more familiar right now."

"And you were so eager to come down here."

I smiled up at the High Lord. "And it's wonderful. But I can only take so much in at once."

We continued walking, and I expected at any moment to follow Rhysand up into the air so we could fly back to the House of Wind, but Rhysand kept striding along the lane, hands delved into his pockets. I took it as my opportunity to watch how people reacted to his presence. But the strange thing was, was that there was no reaction. People moved out of his way out of politeness, but there was no bowing of their heads, no staring or acts to gain his attention and approval. He was a person, in the city streets.

My fingers flexed and stretched, inching up and back down before I got the nerve to press my own boundaries. I reached up, pinching the black material of his shirt around the loose part of his elbow. "Rhysand, where are we going?"

Rhysand cocked his head towards me, eyes flickering down to his arm then back to my face. "My townhouse," he answered. "I know it's not familiar to you yet, but I think you'll find it comfortable. There's a spare room in there if you wish to stay the night."

I dropped my hand back to my side. "Thank you, but… Why?"

"I think I underestimated how… flamboyant my brothers are," he replied with a crooked smile. "I promised to see your full recovery, and I think that will be a tough achievement when you're not comfortable with the people you're living with."

"And you're assuming that I'm comfortable with you?" I couldn't help but probe.

Rhysand took the question with pride and subtle smirk. "I do."

I flashed my eyes away, wondering if he was guessing and taunting me, or if I truly was comfortable with him and he could see that. I wasn't sure what answer I came to. "I like Cassian. I really do. I just scared myself is all. And I haven't even really gotten to know Azriel at all. And Morrigan, well, that's my fault."

"Stay as long as you need here."

And at that, Rhysand nodded his head towards the door of a gorgeous townhouse.

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