Tassia opened her eyes to see a city that was the complete opposite of whatever horrors she had imagined. She was on a balcony overlooking houses and streets and lights. She drew in a huge breath as she walked closer to the railing and gripped it tightly, tilting herself so she could see more of the city.

The sun had just begun to set and there were rows of houses that were lit up. She could see a group of musicians on the street playing some kind of melody that reminded Tassia of the ones her mother used to hum while working. Children were playing with a ball and they were laughing. Tears sprung up in Tassia's eyes as she imagined her brothers there with them, happy and fulfilled.

"What is this place?" She breathed, her eyes wide open, taking in the entire sight.

"This is Velaris. Rhys' and my home. Although now I suppose it will be yours as well." Tassia didn't hear Azriel walk up next to her. "It has been hidden for thousands of years, protected from those who would look at the peace and decide to end it. Very few people that don't live here know about this place and it has been warded to prevent others from finding out."

Tassia slightly shifted her body, so she could look at both the shadowsinger and the city at the same time. "How?" She noticed his eyes were hazel, shifting between green and gray.

"Anyone who attempts to cross through the land will find themselves deciding otherwise and those on the outside looking in would see nothing but barren rock."

"I told you that you could choose whether or not to bring your brothers here. Whatever you decide, you have my word that they will be safe and taken care of." Tassia looked at the High Lord and stared at him. She felt him enter her mind. There are schools here for them, and they can talk to children their age. I cannot guarantee this if you decide to let them stay in the Court of Nightmares.

Tassia nodded slowly. Thank you, my Lord. Lord Rhysand looked at Azriel who winnowed, presumably to get her brothers.

Tassia relaxed as she felt the High Lord leave her mind. She heard a rustle of wind and spun around, expecting to see the shadowsinger with her brothers.

Instead, it was another Illyrian warrior. His black wings were stretched out and flapping gently. He had hazel eyes and dark hair, similar to the shadowsinger, but his hair was slightly longer, brushing his shoulders. There were several red stones melded to his armor, the same number as the shadowsinger's siphons.

"This-" Lord Rhysand's voice was amused. "- is Cassian. He's always one for dramatic entrances."

Tassia nodded at the person she had correctly assumed to be the general of the High Lord's armies. "I'm Tassia."

"I figured." The General's voice was deep and soothing. "Rhys kept talking about wanting to recruit whoever caused Keir so much trouble for his less, well, Lord-ly tasks. Although considering he first had to find you, I do certainly hope you're not more trouble than you're worth."

Tassia couldn't think of a dignified reply to that whilst not sounding like a brat but was thankfully saved from saying anything by the shadowsinger appearing with her brothers.

Charlus and Aleskand immediately let go of the Illyrian and ran towards Tassia who had knelt down with her arms outstretched. She hugged them and after a few moments tried to let go but the boys only clutched her tighter. She pressed their heads to her shoulders, kissing their hair softly.

She heard a choked sob and moved back from Charlus to see tears falling down his cheeks. "Hey, darling. Why are you crying?"

"We thought you left us." Aleskand's voice broke and Tassia had never hated herself more than at that moment for even considering leaving her brothers regardless of whether she thought they would be safer or not.

"I'm right here." She wiped the tears from Charlus' face and pressed all three of their foreheads together. "I'm not going to leave you. We're in this together, okay?"

Charlus sniffled and nodded, "Okay."

Aleskand looked at her, his eyes swimming with unshed tears. "Promise me you won't leave us."

Tassia nodded and kissed Aleskand's forehead, brushing the hair from his face. "I promise."

And with that, they broke apart and faced the High Lord and his friends. Tassia stood up. Charlus and Aleskand were still clutching her arms and she had her arms flat on their shoulders.

"This is Charlus." She looked at the red-haired boy before looking at the older blonde. "This is Aleskand."

The General of the High Lord's armies knelt down and smiled at the boys. "I'm Cassian but you can call me Cas." He stretched a hand towards Charlus.

Charlus looked up at Tassia who nodded before placing his hand in the General's who shook it once. "I'm Charlus but I don't really have a nickname. Tassia sometimes calls me Arly except, when she's mad, she calls me Charlus Denzel Claremont in that really scary voice of hers."

A small smile broke out on Lord Rhys' face. "I'm Rhysand but my friends call me Rhys." He winked at the boys.

Aleskand just looked at him, scowling. "Hello, Rhysand. I'm Aleskand but people I trust call me Alek." He said that in a way that made it clear that Aleskand did not trust the High Lord.

Tassia winced as she tightened her hold on Aleskand's shoulders. "Be nice." She looked at the High Lord. "I'm sorry, my Lord. He's just a child. He gets like this sometimes. Aleskand means no harm."

Rhysand looked up at her, the smile still on his face. "It's fine. Trust me, I know children." At Tassia's confused look, he clarified his statement. "I don't have kids but I sometimes stop by the schools in the area. And call me Rhys. Lord makes me feel old."

"Aren't you five hundred years old?" Charlus looked at the High Lord with wonder. "That's old."

Tassia winced again, an apology on her lips before Rhys laughed. "I might be old but I don't like feeling old."

She relaxed as Rhys continued. "That man brooding in the corner? That's Azriel but we call him Az. He pretends like he's a big strong fighter when really, he has a heart of feathers."

Aleskand looked at the warrior and grinned. A large grin, showing his teeth and the gaps where the ones that fell were yet to grow back. "I like your wings. They're so big."

The shadowsinger had a slight grin on his face, smaller than the one on his High Lord a few moments ago.

The General looked at his friend before smirking back at Aleskand. "You know there's a rumor that the size of your wings is related to the size of another body part."

"Really? What part?" Charlus looked at the tall male, his head tilting back.

"Your nose." Tassia interrupted, trying her hardest not to glare at the General. "It's related to the size of your nose."

Aleskand lifted his hand to measure his nose, spreading his pointer finger and thumb. "My wings will be small when they grow in, then."

At the confused looks from the three Illyrians, Tassia explained what he meant whilst trying not to think of the scars on her back where her wings used to be. "Their father is Illyrian. Their wings will grow slower."

She then looked at Aleskand and answered him. "You still have a lot more to grow. And your wings won't be the exact same size as your nose." She tilted her head to Azriel. "Look at him. Is his nose the same size as his wings? No. The bigger your nose is, the bigger your wings are but they won't be the same size."

"But Cas has a small nose but his wings are big." Charlus pointed towards the General.

Tassia tensed at the hole she had dug herself into. "That's because sometimes the rule is true, other times it isn't."

She led the boys to the balcony in an attempt to change the topic. "Look outside. The city is very pretty."

Tassia's brothers ran to the balcony and she relaxed, grateful that they were focused on another topic.

"That was a very smooth way to change the topic."

Tassia looked at the General and hissed. "They're boys. That is way too young to talk about those things with them." She almost shuddered thinking of when they would be old enough to talk about those things and what she would have to explain to them.

The General's expression softened minutely. "I'm sorry."

Tassia nodded, looking at her brothers who were pointing at various buildings and whispering to each other excitedly. She smiled as Charlus appeared and grabbed her arm, dragging her to Aleskand.

"That building looks so cool!" Aleskand exclaimed, pointing to a dark building that Tassia could barely see in the dark.

"The sky's so pretty!" Tassia couldn't remember the last time she saw Charlus smile like that. "I'm never moving from this balcony. This is my home now."

"That's all well and fine," Rhysand drawled from behind them, "but dinner will be ready as soon as you wash up. Cassian will take you to your rooms."

"Dinner!" Charlus grabbed Aleskand's hand and they ran following the General into the house.

Tassia looked at the High Lord, her eyes wide. "Are we eating with you?"

"Yes. Usually, it's just my Inner Circle and me, but I want to let them get to know you."

"Why?"

"You might need to work with them in the future and I trust you." Lord Rhysand said that so casually that Tassia tensed.

"You don't know me."

"Yes, but I've followed your thefts before I even met you. Your brothers seem to trust you and considering that the main reason you were caught was that they needed money, you don't seem like a bad person. Not to forget, I've been in your head and have seen all your memories. Granted that it was all of them except the few you kept hidden." Tassia tensed at that. She didn't know that High Lord Rhysand knew she was hiding some memories but he didn't seem too troubled about that. "So yes. I trust you. Or rather, I trust that you'll do whatever you can to protect your brothers, and as of now all you have to do is what I require of you."

Tassia nodded trying not to gawk at the gullible High Lord before following after her brothers.

He had to have been gullible if he trusted her before he knew her.

They were already jumping on the bed by the time she had arrived in the room.

The General turned to her, "This is your room. The one across from you is Charlus' and the one to your right is Aleskand's."

"We each get separate rooms?" Tassia's eyes were wide. Her room occupied a bigger space than anything they had ever lived in all together and to have her brothers have separate rooms too was beyond generous.

"Of course. Do you have any preferences for attire for either you or the boys?"

Tassia shook her head. "No. Thank you, General."

He smiled at her before walking out of her room. "Call me Cas."

By the time they had walked into the dining room, dinner was ready on the table. It was a simple meal of roasted chicken and beans but it was more food than they ate in a week.

"Is this all for just one meal?" Tassia tried not to wince at Charlus' question. She had tried her hardest to ensure that they had food to eat but despite her best efforts in hunting, they often had to go hungry.

"Yes. And you can eat as much as you want." A woman with long blonde hair piled on top of her head strolled into the room.

"This is Morrigan. She's my Third-in-Command and cousin." Rhys.

Tassia offered Morrigan a tight smile and she gave a wide grin in return. "Call me Mor. Come sit with me while they drink." Tassia assumed Mor was talking about Rhysand, Cassian, and the spymaster. "Unless you'd rather drink. Although I'm sure Amren would-"

"I'm here. The party can start." A short, delicate woman spun in the room gracefully. Tassia stiffened, all of her instincts telling her to run. Her chin-length black hair was curled at the edges and her silver eyes studied Tassia for a moment. "I'm Amren. Rhys' Second-in-Command."

"I'm Tas-"

"Tassia, yes, we all know." Amren stalked towards her, her bracelets jingling.

"I'm Charlus and this is Aleskand. You're very pretty." Charlus looked up at Amren, his eyes wide.

Amren paused and turned towards the boy. "Oh, really? Do you like jewelry, my boy?"

Charlus nodded. "It's very shiny."

Amren laughed and smiled at him. "I think you and I will get along great."

Cassian and the spymaster flew up to the balcony and walked into the dining room. "Why aren't you guys eating yet?"

"Because we have manners, Cass." Mor retorted and the two of them engaged in a lively discussion.

Everyone sat at the table and Tassia took the only seat left, opposite the spymaster after helping Charlus climb onto his seat next to Amren. Throughout the meal, the shadowsinger's eyes kept darting back and forth between his food and Tassia. At the end of the meal, Aleskand yawned loudly, stretching his arms over his head.

"I think I better take them to bed." Tassia eyed Charlus whose eyes were drooping and his head was leaning against his arm. "It's been a long day."

"Of course." Rhysand smiled and stood up as the dishes disappeared. "I trust you know your way to your rooms."

Tassia nodded and lifted Charlus and settled him into her arms, his face nuzzling into her shoulder as his arms wrapped around her neck. She stretched her free hand to take Aleskand's.

"Thank you for the meal."