Tassia woke up and stretched her arms out, yawning. She turned to one side to see Kaera staring back at her as the memories from the night before filled her mind.

"Good morning." Kaera smiled softly, half of her face smushed by a pillow.

Tassia tensed but forced herself to smile back, getting out of bed, "Good morning."

Kaera sat up, a frown on her face as she sat up, "Where are you going?"

"Oh, um," Tassia began, jumping around as she slid her legs into her pants, "I have work with Azriel. And I have to check up on the boys."

"Oh," Kaera sounded disappointed as she got up, sliding her feet into ridiculously puffy slippers and wrapping a bathrobe around herself. "Will I see you tonight?"

"It depends on how long it takes." Tassia looked for her bra before giving up, pulling her shirt over her head. Kaera nodded and moved to give Tassia a kiss but the girl ducked her head. "Um, bye."

Tassia walked around on the streets, trying not to think about how wrong everything felt.

"Walk of shame, Claremont?" Mor teased as soon as she winnowed into the Rainbow with Amren.

"You're one to talk," Tassia paused, hesitating, "I don't even know your last name."

"I don't go by it." Mor's voice was dark and Tassia looked at her before Amren interrupted them.

"What was she like?" Amren purred, a clear way to change the topic.

"I don't want to talk about it."

"That bad, huh?" Mor's voice was a little too bright, her smile a little too wide.

"The sex was fine." Tassia stated, "Can we go back to the House now?"

Mor laughed and grabbed Tassia's hand and the three of them winnowed into the House of Wind. Charlus was waiting for them, his arms crossed in front of his chest.

"Hey darling," Tassia bent down, looking over her brother, "What happened?"

"Are you mad at me?"

Tassia blinked, confused, "No. Why would you think that?"

"Well, you spent a week away and the moment you came back, you left again to hang out with my teacher." Charlus' lower lip wobbled slightly. "You haven't spoken to me at all this week."

Tassia smiled softly, "I'm sorry, I've been busy. Let me wash up, and then we can play some games, okay?"

Charlus nodded, "Okay."

"Don't forget, Rhys is throwing a party today."

Tassia turned to Mor, "A party?"

"It's an annual thing that Rhys does for fun."

Amren wiggled her eyebrows, smirking, "Don't worry about it. We'll dress you up and do your hair and paint your face. All you have to do is go."

Mor breezed in Tassia's room with a concerning amount of clothes in her arms. Amren walked in behind her with her arms full of bags. A look into one of the bags told Tassia that each of them contained jewelry that cost more than anything she had ever stolen.

"We have to figure out what you're going to wear."

Tassia shook her head, "You guys do know I can dress myself, right?"

Amren flicked a hand in Tassia's direction, "Yes, but not well."

Tassia's mouth fell open and she was about to retort when Mor dropped the dresses on her bed. "What color are you feeling like?"

"Blue," Amren replied for her, "Because of her eyes."

Mor nodded and shifted through the dresses, pulling out all the blue ones while Tassia looked through Amren's jewelry.

"Don't you guys need to decide what you're going to wear?"

"Later. We're doing you first since you need our help more." Mor laid out the three blue dresses on the bed and swept the rest off.

"Wear that one," Amren pointed to a dark blue gown and Mor smirked in agreement.

Tassia was ready for the party. Her dark brown hair was styled on her head in an intricate bun, fastened with pearls, sitting gently on the braids with a few wisps escaping the bun and framing her face. Covering her eyes was a mask so vivid it seemed to have been stitched from the sky itself. She wore a dress the color of the rich blue of the evening sky, barely reaching her knees in the front but stretching out past her heels in the back. The off-the-shoulder sleeves were net with small roses stitched on them and extended in a flowery weave towards her forearm. The corset was snug on her waist, laced on a little tighter than she would have liked. Her hands were gloved with a black net that reached her wrists. The back of the dress was embroidered with clusters of roses and the dark net swept behind her, flowing in a small train. Tassia's neck bore a simple chain necklace and black fabric stilettos adorned her feet. She was the moon, her eyes a soft pale blue highlighted by the darkness of her outfit.

Amren grinned, her silver eyes glowing in the dark as she looked over Tassia. "I think we've done our job."

Mor grunted in agreement, focused on herself in the mirror as she pinned gold earrings to her ears.

Tassia twirled, a bright smile on her face. She stumbled and her arms reached out, instinctively grabbing Amren who tsked and steadied Tassia. "You still have to learn how to walk in heels."

"I'll figure it out," Tassia winked before they all winnowed into the party.

Amren and Mor walked in different directions. Tassia saw Azriel standing by himself and walked towards him.

A shadow darted to Azriel's ear and he turned to see Tassia.

He went completely and utterly still as he took her in.

The dress hugged her curves, revealing each breath as Azriel's eyes roamed over her body. Down the dress- then up to her pinned back hair before settling on her face, which was mostly clean, save for a line of kohl on her upper eyelids and a touch of rouge on her lips.

By the time Tassia had reached Azriel, his face was carefully blank and his shadows danced closer to him than before.

"Hello." Azriel's voice was hoarse.

"Hey," Tassia spun in a circle, making sure not to fall on the heels. "Amren and Mor dressed me."

"I can tell. You clean up well."

She grinned at him and eyed his black jacket that showed off the muscles in his shoulders and arms, "Apparently we both do."

They continued talking but paused when they felt the vast might of the High Lord, now without a damper on his power, before he strolled into the room.

Tassia dropped one knee in a smooth bow, following Azriel and the others as they did the same.

She stayed with her head bowed, staring at the reflection of the girl who both didn't and did look like her, in fancy clothes with her hair and face done. The room was silent as she heard Rhys move towards the dias, each step slow and deliberate. He sat, smiling at his court, a cruel grin showing everyone that he owned every inch of their homes. Of them.

Everyone was still on their knee, no doubt recalling what happened the last time someone had risen unbidden. Rhysand took his time surveying his court, the smirk still plastered onto his face as he drawled, "Rise."

As one, they did and Rhys just waved a hand at them, "Go play."

They obeyed, some darting as far as possible from the High Lord. The musicians began playing an unfamiliar song.

Azriel reached out and got two glasses of champagne from a servant, holding one out to her. Tassia took the glass from him and tapped the rim to his.

When they finished the drinks, Tassia took Azriel's glass and put both of theirs onto a table.

"Let's dance." Azriel stilled at Tassia's words and the shadows froze.

"Do you even know how to dance?" Azriel asked, his eyes focused on Tassia's hand which rose to press against her chest in mock hurt as his own stretched out, to let her decide whether to take it or not.

"Of course, I know how to dance." Tassia took Azriel's hand and he moved his other to rest on her waist.

She had danced with all of them except Rhys and drank more than she probably should have. She and Azriel danced twice, the second time, noticeably slower.

She pulled away at the end of the song and grabbed another flute of champagne, her cheeks bright and her skin flushed. Every part of her hurt but she had never felt this light before. And it wasn't only because of the alcohol.

Azriel watched her, a faint smile on his face when her eyes widened, looking over his shoulder.

"Shit, shit, shit." Tassia grabbed Azriel's arm and turned them, so her back was towards whatever had spooked her. Azriel's brow rose in confusion and Tassia sighed, "You see the male in bright red? Well, I know him from when I lived on the mountain, and we didn't exactly end things on the right note."

"You robbed him?"

"No!" Tassia's cheeks reddened even more as she remembered the press of Tyde's lips against hers.

"Tassia?" The girl stilled and turned towards Tyde a false smile on her face.

"Tyde! I didn't see you there."

"Sure you did." Tyde smirked, "You saw me, freaked out, and spun around with your friend to hide from me."

Tassia scowled, "Shut up." She looked at the blonde male and relaxed when she saw that he didn't seem too mad about her running away from him. Literally. "So, how have you been?"

"Fine, fine." He waved his hand toward a white-haired female who was talking to another. "I found my mate."

"Oh, that's great!" Tassia's smile was real and she turned, remembering Azriel. "This is Azriel. Az, this is Tyde."

"Hey." They both shook hands and Tyde's smirk widened as Tassia shook her head, "I doubt Tas here has told you about the time we kissed, and she ran away."

Tassia groaned as Azriel's eyes widened, "You ran away?"

"Okay but that was my first kiss and I maybe kinda freaked out."

"Oh, you definitely freaked out."

Azriel and Tyde laughed and Tassia tried to change the topic, "How's Nubia?"

Tyde's smile faded, "She's alright. She gave birth to a girl last year."

"Oh! What's her name?"

"Tassia." The girl flushed at that. "We're indebted to you for what you did for her. And the others."

Tassia fought back against a burning in her eyes, "There isn't any debt to be paid."

Tyde nodded and inclined his head to Tassia and then Azriel, "I'll leave you be."

Azriel turned to her, a question in his eyes. "A few years ago, a man asked me for help. His daughter, Nubia, was kidnapped and sold to one of Keir's pleasure houses. He offered me a large sum of money if I ensured her safe return and I worked with her brother, Tyde. Long story short, we shut down the brothel and freed the females. I divided the money I found between them and refused to take any pay from the father. I had a crush on Tyde and he kissed me. I freaked out and ran away and this is the first time I saw him since."

"That's nice." When she raised a brow, Azriel clarified, "The you-not-taking-any-payment part, not the running–away."

"Yeah, it was," Tassia looked away, thinking about how much she regretted that decision when winter came and the land turned barren.

"So, what's going on with you and Kaera?"

"Um," Tassia winced, "We broke up."

"Really? Why?"

"We weren't working out." She had shown up at Kaera's house after playing cards with Charlus and broke up with her then.

Azriel opened his mouth when Cassian walked over and slung an arm over Tassia's shoulder. "You look really pretty." He yelled into her ear.

Tassia laughed and shrugged out from under his arm, "You're drunk."

"No, I'm not." Cassian crossed his arms over his chest and pouted. "Let's sing."

"Cassian, no-"

"Deck the halls with boughs of holly!"

"We don't even celebrate Christmas!" Tassia protested as Mor and Amren walked up to them.

"Falalalala lalalala," Mor sang and draped an arm around Tassia.

"You guys aren't even human!"

"FALALALALA LALALALA!" Amren screamed walking to the center of their little circle. Some people around them turned and gave them looks at the disruption of the party.

"It isn't even-"

Azriel grinned at Tassia before joining in, "FALALALALA LALALALA!"