Tassia was curled up on her bed, still slightly drunk from when she was with Mor and Amren. Despite that, despite her date and despite living in a house full of people, Tassia had never felt more alone.

And for the first time in over a year, she started crying. She cried broken choked sobs as burning tears slid down her face. When she was done, she looked up and could have sworn she saw a whisper of a black shadow.

When Tassia woke up, she felt something off. She showered and slipped into her fighting clothes for her training session with Cassian before looking for her brothers.

Charlus wasn't in his room and neither was Aleskand. Tassia's breathing quickened and she started to panic. She ran to the dining room but neither were there. She went to the few other places she could think of, the gardens, the balcony, and the sitting room but they weren't there either.

She was about to start freaking out when the wind shifted and she caught their scents. Lavender and dirt. She followed it up to the floor their rooms were on and stopped right outside a door she had never been in.

She knocked on the door but when no one answered, she opened it slowly. The room had silver and black-themed designs. Azriel and her brothers were cuddled up on the bed, all of them asleep. Tassia stiffened when she realized it was Azriel's room and made to go out.

Azriel's eyes opened and Tassia pointed to her brothers. Azriel shrugged and attempted to move them away so he could talk to Tassia but Charlus just held on tighter to him. Tassia smiled at that and waved her hand, signaling to him that it was fine and to let the boys sleep. She pointed to the door and whispered goodnight before walking out.

The sun had just started rising when Tassia looked up from the book she was reading. She opened the room door to see Azriel waiting outside, his arm raised as though he was just about to knock.

"Um," His hand lifted to scratch the back of his neck, "so Charlus had a nightmare woke me up and I didn't want to wake you so I tried to get him to calm down and then Aleskand woke up and neither of them wanted to go back to sleep so I took them to my room and we were talking about random stuff and we must have fallen asleep."

Tassia nodded, "I'm really sorry they woke you up. I usually get up when they have nightmares."

"Yeah, I know. I just didn't mean to overstep or anything."

"Oh, no. It's fine." Tassia's eyes darted around the hallway, looking for a way to escape the painfully awkward conversation, "Thanks for letting me sleep in, by the way."

Azriel's eyes narrowed, "Sleep in? You woke up at 4 in the morning."

"Yeah," Tassia crossed her arms over her chest and leaned against the doorway, "Charlus and Aleskand have had nightmares pretty much every day since we've come here."

"Do you need us to do anything?"

"No. I think they just have to adjust to the new environment and everything. When they're awake, they seem to be doing much better though."

Azriel nodded and moved away from the door. "Let us know if you need any help."

Tassia nodded back, sure that she wouldn't bother them with anything.

AZRIEL'S POV (finally)

"I told you, she needs help but she's too stubborn to ask for it," Azriel pleaded to Rhys who just stared at him.

Rhys sighed, "And I told you, Tassia needs to ask us for help. She needs to show us that she trusts us."

"She'll trust us if we help her without her asking. Tassia will ruin herself otherwise."

Rhys slammed his hand down on the table, sick of the conversation, "Tassia's dating someone. She's not going to fall in love with you. Don't think I haven't noticed you staring at her when you think she isn't looking."

Azriel's shadows tightened over him and his face was wiped clean of any emotion.

Rhys raised his hands, his features relaxing, "I'm sorry. I went too far. But my point still stands, she has to ask us for help herself."

Azriel looked his brother in the eye, "You're not usually this pissy. What's going on?"

Rhys fell into his seat and rubbed his eyebrow, "Amarantha. The High Lord of the Day Court is concerned about her and believes she wants to start another war."

"And what do you think?"

"I don't know. But Joen is smart and his concerns might have some merit."

Azriel nodded, "I haven't heard anything from my spies but I'll check in with them and get more in." Rhys nodded back, before Azriel continued, "What do you want to do now?"

"Get shit-faced drunk."

BACK TO TASSIA'S POV

Tassia, Cassian, Azriel, and Rhys winnowed into a bar. Mor was having her cycle and Amren didn't want to go and offered to look after Charlus and Aleskand instead.

Rhys bought the first round of shots for everyone, giving Azriel a look she didn't understand. They each bought the others a few rounds until Rhys' face was on the table, Cassian was drunk and Tassia and Azriel were extremely tipsy.

"Hey, pretty lady," A male holding a beer bottle walked up to Tassia. The strong smell of alcohol on his breath was enough to make her gag. "What do you say to ditching these males and coming back to my place with me?"

"No thanks, I'm fine," Tassia swiveled on her barstool, facing Cassian, assuming the conversation was over.

"Come on, lady," The male's hand snaked around Tassia's bare waist and she tensed, gripping her drink tightly. "I can guarantee you'll enjoy yourself."

"I said I was fine." Tassia gripped his hand with her own and spun around so the male's arm twisted.

The fae's flushed with the pain as Tassia shoved him backward. "Bitch."

Tassia opened her mouth to snort a reply but Cassian stood up, his face furious and he glared at the man in a way that Tassia would have hated to be on the receiving end of. "Apologize."

The fae clearly either didn't know who Cassian was or was too drunk to care as he stared back defiantly at him. Two other males, burly with tattoos around their muscles stood up behind him.

"Why would I?"

"You touched her without her wanting you to and when she did something about it, you insulted her," Azriel spoke now, his voice full of barely restrained rage.

"Well, maybe, she doesn't know what she wants."

The Illyrian was about to reply when Tassia stood up and placed a hand on his arm, letting him know that she could handle herself.

"You're a dick." She spat at the male and looked him up and down, a small smirk on her face. "Although I suppose you might be compensating in other ways."

She purposely said it loud enough that the others in the bar could hear her. They were already focused on the conversation and the fae looked around, his face contorting in anger as the crowd laughed at him.

"Walk away while you still can." Tassia threatened. She was in no mood for a fight but if she had to, she would.

Azriel looked at Tassia, asking her if she was okay when the man's hand took the shape of a fist and she got a solid punch to the face. Tassia didn't stumble but her head jerked back. Her eyes were bright and she laughed, wiping blood from the corner of her mouth before launching herself at the male.

He tried to raise a hand to protect his face but Tassia's knee was already aimed at his crotch. When he bent forwards, Tassia slammed her elbow onto his back and the male cried out in pain.

She heard a rustle and turned to see Azriel and Cassian taking care of the other males. The others in the bar took full advantage of the fight and flung themselves at each other. When she was distracted, the fae jerked his head up, slamming it into her nose. Tassia took a step backward and felt her nose gingerly, definitely broken. Blood was dripping down her chin and onto the floor as Tassia punched the male's face and he stumbled backward, falling into a glass table that shattered under his weight. He fell onto the pieces of glass and Tassia was about to step on him, quite literally when Rhys' voice echoed throughout the bar with the full power of the High Lord of the Night Court.

"Enough." Tassia's foot dropped a hair's breadth away from the male's crotch. And she whirled around to face Rhys.

His face was carefully blank and there were no traces of his previous state of being passed out as his eyes flickered in distaste over the male Tassia was near. He looked at the owner of the bar who was cowering in a corner, "My apologies. We'll pay for any damages."

The owner tried to refuse the money but Rhys ignored him, now focused on the fae males she, Cassian, and Azriel were fighting. "Spymaster, take them to the cells. It's late and we'll deal with them in the morning."

Azriel nodded and grabbed the males, his shadows twisting behind him as he winnowed away.

Rhys looked at Tassia and Cassian, signaling them to follow him as he walked away, the two of them a few steps behind.

Rhys stumbled right outside the bar and Tassia rolled her eyes as she stooped to help him stand. "I'm just surprised you managed to act sober for as long as you did."

Rhys mumbled something incoherent and Tassia smiled. Rhys laughed and took the opportunity to pull Tassia in a headlock. She grumbled half-heartedly.

"Do you need help?" Tassia looked towards Cassian who shook his head, insisting he's fine standing by himself right before he walked straight into the Sidra.

"Oh my gods," Tassia turned to see Kaera rush forward and help a soaking Cassian onto the pavement. Tassia smiled again as Kaera turned to look at her, "I saw you in there and was going to help you but it looks like you can handle yourself."

"Most definitely," Tassia laughed lightly and turned to Rhys and Cassian, "This is Kaera. Kaera this is Rhys and Cassian."

"I think I'd know the High Lord and General, Tas," Kaera leaned forward and pecked Tassia on the lips before slipping her arm under Cassian to help him stand.

"Um," Tassia hesitated as she looked in the general direction of the House of Wind, "There's no way I can get to the house especially with them."

"I have a house here," Rhys suggested before his head dropped again and he passed out.

Tassia stumbled under his weight before grumbling, "It would have been useful if you told us where it was before passing out."

"I know where it is," Kaera offered and the two girls walked to where the house was, struggling while carrying the males.

They hesitated in front of the door, not realizing it would be locked. Tassia straightened and winced as Rhys fell backward, hitting his head on the stone steps leading up to the house. She pulled the pins out of her hair which fell loose against her shoulders and she shaped them before twisting them in the lock, breaking into the lock.

"Do I even want to know where you learned that?" Tassia shook her head with a laugh and opened the door, turning on the lights as she helped Kaera lie Cassian down on the couch.

They then did the same to Rhys and turned both the males onto their sides in case they threw up. Tassia got two glasses of water and put them on the table before placing two wastebaskets near each of the males' heads.

"What now?" Kaera asked, her eyes following Tassia's.

"I'm not sure. It's weird being here without either of them being awake." Tassia had broken into people's houses before but it had never felt this wrong. Although she supposed it was because she considered Rhys to be kind of, maybe a friend, so being in his house without him conscious felt weird.

"Do you want to sleep at my place?" Kaera asked, walking over to Tassia. Her fingers lightly traced her nose. "We should get you cleaned up."

"Yeah, sure."

Tassia walked to Rhys' townhouse, her head pounding. She and Kaera ended up talking most of the night and both of them got very little sleep.

When she knocked on the door, Rhys opened it, looking as bad as she felt. She held up the small basket she was carrying, "Kaera sent breakfast."

"Oh thank gods, Cassian just burnt his sixth egg." Rhys stepped to the side, holding the door open as Tassia walked in.

"Why do you have two houses?"

"I stay here. The House of Wind is for guests and formal things." Rhys replied

"Food!" Cassian yelled, making both Rhys and Tassia wince. Cassian lowered his voice, "I love you so much. You got me food." Cassian reached into the basket and pulled out a box of pancakes. "Tell your girlfriend I love her too."

Tassia grinned and her hands twisted together as she looked at Cassian and Rhys, "Thanks for yesterday, by the way."

Cassian froze and looked at her, his expression frozen, "Of course."

"We'll make sure they regret ever considering doing it." Rhys confirmed and paused, "Although I'm sure Azriel is already handling him."