Silva
Sidra and Matt entered the study together at the appointed time. They found Rhys and Feyre sitting behind their respective desks working and the baby asleep in the bassinet between them. Matt bowed formally to both. Sidra greeted Feyre with a broad smile and Rhys with a solemn nod of her head before she peered into the bassinet. She smiled lovingly at the three-week old baby and gently stoked one of Nyx's wings before she joined Matt on the couch. Feyre closed the ledger she had been studying and rose to sit in the chair next to them. As Feyre curled her legs under herself, she threw Rhys a look. He sighed and got up to join them. He clearly would have preferred to stay behind his desk for this conversation.
As Rhys sat down, Sidra took Matt's hand and interlaced her fingers with his. She was nervous about the conversation, and Rhys's deepening scowl at her movement didn't help, but her real problem was Mother. Sidra had felt a roiling deep within her and had experienced wide emotional swings she knew weren't entirely her own since she arrived at the Night Court, but today was different. She felt like Mother was pushing anger into her, and Sidra was disobeying Her by not accommodating it. For the first time, she realized Mother's anger was directed at Rhys.
Sidra let Matt talk while she concentrated on keeping her internal self under control. Matt was brilliant, of course. He succinctly laid out their proposal for establishing trade between Velaris and Silva. He listed the goods that were available through the trading network they had already established in Silva, and described how they might evaluate the best goods from Velaris to test in the venture. In addition to the trade of physical items, Matt explained how they might exchange a trade of skilled services and set up joint apprenticeships, starting with midwives.
Although Rhys was mostly silent, Sidra could tell his opinion was positive. Feyre, however, did most of the talking with Matt. She asked thoughtful questions, restated various elements of his proposal to ensure she understood, and made helpful suggestions. At one point a pen and paper appeared in her lap and she began taking notes.
While they talked, Sidra closed her eyes and leaned back into the couch. She gripped Matt's hand tighter, eventually placing his hand in her lap and holding it with both of hers. Normally, when she was confused about something from Mother, she would find a hot spring or, now that she was getting better at pulling lava, make a crack herself. Going to the nearest hot spring wasn't an option at the moment, and creating a crack in the floor of the study wouldn't have been appreciated either, so she was relegated to sort of yelling in her head and hoping Mother was listening. It was frustrating to not be able to hear Her response.
Stop it. Stop it. I need him to agree to this. I cannot pick a fight with him. The feeling of disobedience intensified.
Where is this anger coming from? Rhys didn't do anything to you! Silence.
If you want me to stay here with my mate, we have to make this work. More silence. More roiling of emotion. The effort to resist jumping up to strangle Rhys for no reason was exhausting.
The conversation stalled when Feyre and Matt reached an agreement on the overall plan.
"What do you plan to do?" Rhys's voice pulled her out of her one-sided argument with Mother. His tone was direct, but not aggressive.
"What do you mean?" Sidra asked. She wasn't sure if she'd missed something in the conversation.
"Do you want to stay here permanently or in Silva?" he asked gently.
"I don't know how moving to Velaris will go over with Otto," Sidra said resignedly.
"That's not what I asked. What do you want to do?" he asked again, but now with more intensity in his voice. He was losing his patience with her. Again.
"What I want isn't entirely relevant," she retorted.
"It is the only thing that is relevant," he said, mimicking her impatient tone.
"I'm confused," she responded. She was tired and confused and the back-and-forth with Rhys was likely to try the last of her willpower against Mother. Rhys sighed and looked to Feyre in a clear plea for help.
"I understand what it is like to be in survival mode," Feyre began gently, "to consider every rustle of leaves or snap of a branch to be either a life-saving meal when you're close to starvation, or death in the form of a predator. I think you've been there so long you don't realize it. You trust that Matt is on your side, but you're still considering the rest of us to mean either life or death. We are not a threat hiding in the bushes. We are on your side." Tears welled up in Sidra's eyes as Feyre finished.
"You don't seem to put much faith in how much males care for their babies," Rhys said, "and I understand your reasons for this. You do, however, seem to innately understand what a mother will do for her baby." He motioned to Feyre. "That is how I feel about Cass and Az. I love them more than I love myself. And I've demonstrated this with sacrifices I've made for them. I'd make any of those sacrifices again."
Emotion crept into his voice as he spoke. "I love them. They have been all I had for many many many years. I know how awful I would feel if my mate were to live someplace else and not with me and so I assume Az would feel the same if you left. So, because of my love for Azriel, I'm asking the same way Az would ask you: what do you want?" He was looking at her intently but waited patiently for her to reply.
"I want to stay in Velaris. With Azriel. And Matt." Tears were flowing down her cheeks now as she started to speak. "But I want to have a role - not to just manage his household and wait for him to come home. I want to have a purpose. I want Silva to continue to thrive. I want the travelers through Silva to continue to be safe. I want the guilds to continue to improve. I want the people to continue to have opportunities to improve their lives. But I don't know how to do any of those things if I am here, so I don't see how what I want is relevant," she said, crying openly.
"Well now that I know what we are negotiating for, we can make a plan for how to achieve this," Rhys said simply.
Her mouth fell open. "You would help me negotiate with Otto?"
"Of course. But I have to know the terrain I am negotiating in." Rhys sat back in his chair. He had visibly relaxed since she confirmed her desire to stay in Velaris. She took a few deep breaths to get ahold of herself while still squeezing Matt's hand.
"We can't abandon Silva. The business initiatives we have started will die without us, and we have to continue to support the trade guilds somehow and maintain enough influence so that Francis doesn't run wild. We also need some sort of early warning system for earthquakes and security on the trading routes." She said all this breathlessly. These were the concerns that had been top of her mind for over two weeks now and she still had no idea how to address any of this.
"Security on the trade route is straightforward. I have two armies," Rhys started.
"You would use your armies to protect the trade route?" Sidra interrupted. She didn't mean to be rude but she was shocked at his offer.
"Yes," Rhys said with only a hint of annoyance, and was that pride in his voice? Mother's anger pushed up against her thoughts again. Rhys continued, "the Night Court armies exist to protect Night Court interests. If we are trading with the area, we need the route to be secure. And the presence of Night Court warriors will help to remind Francis how to behave. We can talk more about what sort of support the guilds will need and we can work on that while we are establishing the details of this agreement with Silva.
"You'll have to take the lead on the earthquake warning system but we will show you some resources of both people and information that will help you to figure it out." He stopped and cocked his head at her in question. "And you already volunteered to help Adriata rebuild. I'm sure Tarquin will pay you handsomely for this service. In addition, you and Matt have proposed quite a lot of work. I assume you'll want to participate in this. We'll work out a deal with Otto. If he won't pay for your services on this front, I will."
She realized her mouth was gaping open. She closed it. She couldn't speak, so she nodded dumbly.
Cassian and Azriel were enjoying a moment alone on the balcony of the House of Wind. Azriel had returned from two days in Silva with Rhys, Matt, and Sidra, and the two brothers were relaxing together after a couple hours sparring in the training ring. Azriel had relayed the events in Silva, where Otto had been more than pleased to form an alliance with the Night Court.
They had established Matt and Sidra would spend the next month or so determining what trades and goods were most valued between the two areas, and who would volunteer for travel in support of the efforts. In a month or so, Matt and Sidra would propose a formal trade agreement between the Night Court and Silva.
During this time, Cassian would be responsible for determining how best to establish a security force along the route. Cassian was looking forward to spending time in the wilds of the continent with Sidra as she showed him the terrain and routes. He also thought this was an excellent opportunity for the new female Illyrian warriors to hold command and get away from some of the prejudices they were continuing to fight at home.
"So Matt is going to stay in Velaris?" Cassian asked.
"For now. Yes," Azriel answered without elaborating.
"Where?"
"I invited him to stay with us in the town house," Az replied. Rhys had gifted the town house to Az and Sidra as a mating present. Cassian studied Azriel, who always kept his emotions hidden in a way Cassian had zero talent for. "You sure about this?" he asked.
"I think it will be fine," Azriel said with a shrug. "He's growing on me. And he really is a Sidra Instruction Manual," he snickered.
"All right," Cassian replied with a sigh. "But if you change your mind, let me know and I'll drop him off a cliff for you anytime. We both know if she's going to be pissed at someone, better me than you." Cassian chuckled.
Heirs
Sidra was nervous. It was the week after Nyx turned three months old and Otto had agreed to visit Velaris to hammer out the final details of the trade agreement between Silva and the Night Court. He and his key advisors spent a few days touring Velaris and meeting many of the key leaders of the city, merchants, and artisans whose input had helped to craft the trade deal. Throughout the time Otto and his entourage stayed in the Rivers House, he was unfailingly polite to members of the court, staff, and people of Velaris.
In mid-afternoon four days after he arrived in the city, Otto and his key advisors met with the Night Court in the formal dining room of the River House. Otto was tense when he arrived and kept throwing angry looks at Matt while everyone settled around the table. Otto and Rhys sat opposite each other in the center of the table. Matt sat on Rhys's left and Sidra to Matt's left. She was surprised when Matt sat next to Rhys, but followed his lead and sat where Matt motioned. Feyre sat on Rhys's right, with Mor on her right. Otto was flanked by his two top advisors. As if to balance the table, Cassian and Azriel sat on Otto's side near the end of the table.
From her angle, Sidra could easily read the angry expression on Otto's face and annoyed expressions of his advisors. Cassian and Azriel were both wearing their best blank-but-alert expressions they'd practiced over many years as Rhys's personal guard.
After the pleasantries were exchanged, Rhys and Otto both confirmed for the group that they and their respective teams agreed with the terms previously discussed, and that the documents before them were accurate representations of the deal. Sidra thought this conversation was going to end after a short and pleasant exchange, but that hope came to an end when Otto surprised the group with a new problem that needed to be dealt with.
"While I am pleased with this deal, everything we negotiate is at risk without the foundation of the knowledge that my estate has an heir. My eldest surviving son has informed me that he will decline his inheritance." Sidra gasped. She knew Matt didn't really want to be the heir, but she hadn't known Matt had formally declared this to his father. Rhys and Matt were stoic as Otto continued, "and I am of the opinion Francis is unfit to rule my estate, so the question of inheritance needs to be settled now." Sidra did not know where this was going, but she had an ominous feeling.
"Of course, I am not a High Lord, so I may appoint whomever I choose to inherit my title and estate. The only limit I need to consider is that I must choose one whom my tenants will accept." He looked pointedly at Sidra.
"You want me to inherit over Francis?" Sidra asked incredulously. Otto shrugged as if to indicate it was one possibility of several. "Why would I agree to this now when I have spent the last decade avoiding it?"
"Because now the stakes are higher. If Francis inherits, he will probably make trouble for you and your new Night Court friends. Will they allow that?" Otto asked. "You need not inherit, Sidra. I simply want what I've always wanted from you: an heir." Sidra felt the familiar claw tap against the granite walls in her mind. She let him in immediately, and met him in the small cove in her mind. Mind-Sidra was pacing.
Without greeting or preamble mind-Rhys said, Appointing your child to become his heir will make him an ally and make it easier for you to negotiate future deals with him.
I am not going to put a child in the very same cage - before birth, no less - that I myself have been trying to avoid, she said to Rhys angrily.
If Otto is dead, the child does not need to follow his rules, especially if you are the steward, Rhys said in her head. She froze in her cove. The Rhys in her head sat down casually in her favorite spot and splashed his feet in the water, which had shed their shoes and socks. His pants legs got wet, so they suddenly were rolled up to the knees. She was irritated at him taking over her image in her mind and making himself comfortable. Rhys seemed pleased to see her surprise. No hint of expression had come across her face at the table. Finally, she spoke aloud.
"If you agree to a child of mine being your heir, this agreement must be public, and it must be made public now, so that no one can argue later that this deal wasn't legitimate. You'll need to confirm it yourself to everyone who asks," she offered.
"Agreed," Otto said immediately. She was surprised and dismayed at how quickly he'd agreed.
"There will be no conditions set upon the child's gender," she said as she studied him carefully.
"You know, as well as I do, Sidra, that I hold no prejudice and I am perfectly happy for a male or female to inherit my title," he said quickly. Again, she was dismayed at how readily he'd agreed. The Rhys in her mind splashed his feet aimlessly in the water.
"The child will inherit when they are twenty-eight. If you die before then, I become Steward," she said. The water disappeared from her mind-cove. Rhys sat still with a sheepish expression, as if he hadn't realized he was distracting her. Shoes and socks rematerialized on his feet and the legs of his pants again touched his socks, unrolled and freshly pressed.
There was a short pause before Otto replied, "Agreed, but the child must already be born before I die. Even I cannot stretch the limits so far as to entrust my estate to a child that doesn't exist."
Before she could reply aloud, Rhys spoke into her head, So it's a race between Francis getting the jump on him and you becoming pregnant. Are you okay with that? She hesitated in her head and at the conference table. There are worse deals to accept in life, Sidra.
Mostly, she finally answered his question. Can you help me with security for Otto?
Yes, Mind-Rhys said immediately. Mind-Rhys actually smiled at her in an attempt to be encouraging. She actually felt encouraged.
"Agreed," said Sidra aloud. "But it need not be the first born. If I have more than one child, it would be up to them to decide who most wishes to inherit Silva."
"That is a recipe for squabbling amongst your children and can be dangerous," Otto said darkly as he looked pointedly at Matt.
"It would be up to their mother to manage their relationships," Sidra stated firmly.
"Then I agree to this," Otto said. "Anything else?" Sidra hesitated again before speaking.
Mind-Rhys interrupted her thoughts, You have an innate sense of what motivates people, Sidra. Trust your gut. I'll back you.
She took a deep breath and said with more assurance than she felt, "There will be no conditions set upon their powers. I will not allow a child to have some ridiculous demonstration of their powers required for them to inherit."
There was a longer pause, but Otto replied, "Agreed."
She dove ahead before she lost her nerve and made her final request. "And there are no rules upon paternity. I'll not have some random criteria set upon them that can be easily manipulated by rumors and gossip." Sidra's eyes continued to stay locked on Otto, but she could tell Azriel bristled and looked angrily at Matt while she felt anger and sadness down the bond. She sensed Matt give a slight shrug and shake of his head to make it clear this was not his idea. Otto, however, smiled slowly, and looked cunningly at Rhys. The anger was now streaming down the bond with Azriel.
Rhys remained completely impassive at the table while Mind-Rhys said to her, That was brave. And smart. I'll keep Azriel from beating the shit out of Matthias long enough for you to explain that one to him.
"Agreed," Otto said.
"Then it's done," Sidra said quickly. She couldn't stand that Azriel had misinterpreted her motives. She needed to explain her logic to him as soon as possible.
"Not so fast. I have some conditions of my own," Otto said as Sidra made to stand up.
She sighed. "Alright. What are they?"
"The child must spend a portion of their time in Silva if they are to inherit it," he said with a small wave of his hand. At the end of the table Azriel hadn't moved.
"Agreed. How much?" Sidra asked, hoping to get this over with as quickly as possible.
"Fifty percent."
"Hell no. Ten percent."
"Ha. No. The point is for my heir to spend enough time in my lands to appreciate it and understand what will be needed to rule it. Ten percent is not enough. Twenty-five percent," Otto countered.
"I'll agree to that, if you allow that the time is cumulative," Sidra offered.
"What do you mean?" Otto asked.
"It will be a total of twenty-five percent of their time over twenty-eight years, and not, say twenty-five percent of each year," she explained. "A baby and small child need to spend more time with their immediate family than does an adult. If a child is considering inheriting, they will spend more time in Silva as they age. By the time they are approaching twenty-eight, they will need to take stock of how much time they have spent so far and arrange to reside there in increasing amounts each year. I, of course, will always be allowed to visit whenever I choose."
"How do I know you and the child won't just show up when they turn twenty-one and effectively rule as Steward and Heir? It would upset my people," Otto said with his eyebrows furrowed.
"You are trusting me with this because you understand that I do love the manor and its people. It will be up to me to foster that same love in a potential heir. If you're trusting me to be the potential steward of your land, you should trust me to steward it properly." Sidra noticed as she spoke that Azriel still had not moved a muscle since she'd brought up paternity.
"Agreed," Otto said.
"And I get to kill Francis at the place in manor of my choosing," Sidra stated on a whim.
Otto answered this without hesitation, "After I am dead."
"You would agree to that so easily?" Sidra asked, surprised.
"We all know you will do it anyway. I just can't allow any appearance that I condone this. And this stipulation does not leave this room." He put his index finger on the table and surveyed the room as he finished speaking. Rhys inclined his head solemnly and promised on behalf of his court such a condition would be kept.
There was silence for a moment before Otto smiled and offered, "Then we both agree?"
"Agreed," Sidra said with a smile. "Illyrians mark bargains with a tattoo. This one needs to be visible."
"You've already demonstrated you have taste in such things. I trust you. It's a bargain," he said with a genuine smile.
"It's a bargain," Sidra said formally.
A tattoo of the tip of an Illyrian wing appeared just behind Otto's ear and expanded down his neck and under his shirt.
"I'll leave you to talk," Otto said as looked at Azriel and Sidra. He stood up and said, "and have a look at my new tattoo." He bowed formally to Rhys, who also stood up and extended his hand across the table. They shook and exchanged pleasantries. After Otto and his team left the room Rhys motioned for the rest of them to leave. Azriel was sitting at the end of the table as if he was made of stone. Shadows were growing around him as he didn't take his eyes off of Sidra.
When they were alone, Azriel said in a flat, deep growl, "Why?" He hadn't moved. Sidra had never seen him so angry. She could feel anger and pain down the bond. She walked around the table and sat in the chair next to him. Even as she picked up his hand, he didn't move a muscle other than to follow her with his eyes.
"Are you planning to have a child with someone else? With Matt? We haven't even discussed it between ourselves." His voice was quiet but full of anger. She realized this could be the voice he used in his professional interrogations.
"It's no secret that I have affection for Matt. But no. I did this to ensure the safety of our child. Children. I intend to have children with you. Only you." It was the first time she'd admitted this even to herself. She felt a sudden bloom of love for him. Or did that come from somewhere else? She truly started getting nervous when this declaration failed to elicit any response from him. He was really angry.
"Then why the stipulations on paternity?" he asked in the same quiet but terrifying tone of voice.
"If any particular paternity is required, rumors could be enough to endanger the child's inheritance or even their life," she asserted. "You know better than anyone the dangers of misinformation and malicious rumors.
"Francis would plant such rumors?" he asked. Then he answered his own question. "I guess it's not out of character for him, especially when inheriting the title and manor is at stake." He began to relax a little.
"It's totally out of character for him," Sidra said darkly. Now Azriel did move. His eyebrows lifted in silent question, so she continued, "Rumor is much too subtle for him. And unreliable. Why settle for rumors when you can generate proof?" Her tone implied what she didn't want to say aloud, but Azriel was in no mood for niceties.
"He would try to rape you?" he asked. She nodded. Her certainty alarmed him. He shifted in his chair to look her directly in the eye.
"If it was a stipulation or even assumption that the child needs to be yours, then he would happily put a bounty on me so high that every piece of shit male on the continent would take a shot at me. Even the Night Court can't protect me from that. This way, his only option is to try it himself and then lay claim to the child as his. I can handle him. Of course, he'd still be happy to kill me at any opportunity, so we'll have to be on the lookout." She said this in an even tone as she held Azriel's eyes with her own.
Realization dawned on Azriel's face, followed swiftly by a bloom of shadows. "He's tried this before." It wasn't a question.
"Yes," she said with as level a voice as she could manage.
"What happened?"
"I burned him, but not so badly that he wouldn't recover. I didn't have as much control over my power to heat my hands then, and I've been practicing since. But he did come close to overwhelming me because he caught me by surprise."
"Does Matt know this?"
"Of course not. If he did, Matt would have killed Francis, and that would not help anybody."
"Why didn't you kill Francis at the time?
"Because then Otto would have been forced to banish me. And we don't want that. At least I didn't at the time."
They were quiet for a long moment. His next question surprised her.
"Do you want to have children?" It was as if her statement from earlier was just now registering with him. She nodded.
"With me?"
She nodded again. "Someday."
"More than one?" he asked timidly.
She smiled. "Someday. Yes."
Velaris
Azriel's new life fell into a pleasant pattern: he left after dinner most evenings to patrol the shadows and maintain his intelligence network. The mating frenzy, thankfully, had faded, so Azriel had returned to his logical self where Sidra was concerned. It was a good thing that the frenzy was over when Azriel finally saw the matching tattoo of intertwined tree branches on Matt's forearm, but probably not an accident that Matt had never rolled up his sleeves for over a month after they'd met.
Azriel continued his routine of sending her reassurance at dawn, and coming home by noon. He understood all too well Sidra's anxiety around Azriel's nightly disappearances because Sidra, herself, was often away for days at a time. As part of their efforts to set up the new security forces along the trade routes in Silva, Cassian, Sidra, and Matt often traveled there, either as a group or in pairs.
Although Azriel didn't like the absences and especially didn't like that she was often too far away for a real daemati conversation, he knew she could handle just about anything, and there were few places safer than traveling next to a protective and well-armed Cassian. After some initial scouting of the route, Cassian began bringing more warriors to Silva as part of the security force and Sidra began to travel abroad less often.
One day as Azriel was taking the daily tonic for males to prevent pregnancy she offered to take it instead. "I can do that if you'd like. It's only once a month for females. Daily might be hard to remember, especially if your days and nights can get muddled," she said as she finished getting dressed.
"I'd rather take it," he said carefully. She cocked her head in question at him, but didn't ask him to elaborate.
"All right," she said simply. She kissed him and went on with her day.
Rhys continued introducing Matt to key people in Velaris and across the Night Court, such as aldermen and trade guild leaders, so that Matt could continue establishing the needed trading network. Sidra sometimes joined Matt for these meetings in Velaris, but more often she would travel on these days to Adriata. Either Feyre or Mor would winnow her to the city for Sidra to begin working on repairs.
Over dinner, Sidra would often update Azriel and Matt on the progress in Adriata. Although she clearly loved Silva and the work they were doing in trade, she had found a new passion in Adriata. She met several engineers and builders who were extremely grateful for her efforts on the day of the earthquake and apparently were thrilled to explore with her the potential of her powers. They taught her basic principles of engineering and physics, and the magic spells that were common to planning, building, and repairing the city. She talked excitedly with Matt and Azriel about city planning, which she compared to the ecosystem of the forest. Everything had a place and function which worked in concert with her surroundings. She was busy and happy.
One evening after Cassian and Sidra had returned from the continent, Cassian shared his latest discovery with the Night Court at dinner.
"Sidra doesn't know how to use a sword!" he exclaimed with horror. He looked accusingly at Azriel, as if this was Azriel's fault. Sidra rolled her eyes at Cassian.
"I've never needed one. I just pick up a rock or magic one into the side of someone's head. They usually drop the sword when their skull is smashed in," she said darkly. Cassian was still seeking support from around the table that her lack of fencing skill must be immediately remedied.
"What would happen if somehow you lost the ability to magic rocks at people?" Cassian asked loudly. He would not give this up. Azriel agreed with him but was thoroughly enjoying watching these two argue. By the expression on their faces, so was everyone else at the table except Nyx, who was asleep on Rhys's shoulder.
"I don't need magic. I can just throw stuff."
"What if they hit you with an arrow? An ash arrow?
"I call for my mate and my brother."
Cassian tried a different tactic and turned on Matt. "Why didn't you train her with a sword?"
"Because she beat the shit out of me with rocks every time I tried," Matt retorted.
"Brother, dear. If you insist, I would be more than happy to beat the shit out of you, too. You can even hold a sword while I do it, if you like," Sidra offered politely with a mischievous twinkle in her eye. This was getting fun.
"Tomorrow. Seven am in the training ring. You're on," Cassian said seriously before turning to Azriel, "You too." Then he pointed at Matt. "And you."
"Oh, I'm not missing this for the world. I'll even bring popcorn," Matt said with a smile.
Azriel didn't go out that night, so he, Sidra, and Matt ate breakfast together the following morning. Sidra finished first and went upstairs to change, leaving Matt and Azriel at the table together.
"Does the Sidra Instruction Manual have a chapter on this?" Azriel asked casually.
Matt said helpfully, "Oh yes. Let her fight Cassian first." Azriel scoffed.
"Oh, don't worry. She will still have enough energy to hurt you, but if you let her burn off some energy with Cassian first, you'll still be able to function well enough to appreciate her sympathies for your bruises later. I assume it would be less fun to spend tonight with a healer than a semi-guilty Sidra." Azriel thought about arguing the point, but decided Matt's logic was sound. He shrugged his agreement and went to change into his leathers.
They met at the top of the House of Wind. Matt was wearing his usual work clothes and had indeed brought a bowl of popcorn. He was obviously not intending to take part. He sat down in a chair, pulled up a stool, and popped his feet on it to make a show of settling in to watch the entertainment.
Azriel was warm and ready to join them in the ring but decided instead to take Matt's advice. He magicked a chair next to Matt, who wordlessly offered Azriel some popcorn. Azriel took a handful and popped some into his mouth as he propped his feet on Matt's foot stool.
Cassian and Sidra circled each other for a minute, sizing each other up. Cassian jabbed fast at Sidra's face, which she ducked. Cassian's eyebrows went up in acknowledgement that she was fast, but then he immediately jabbed again with his right and followed with a left hook. She ducked the jab and blocked the hook easily.
"Nice," Cassian said. Sidra shrugged to make a show that this was easy for her.
Cassian repeated the move in reverse: a quick jab with his left followed by a right hook. Cassian was huge and strong, but still extremely fast for his size. Azriel would have had trouble blocking both moves from Cass, but Sidra handled it easily. This time she blocked Cassian's jab, which caused him to be a bit off balance for the hook. She blocked his hook and then, in the briefest moment he had both arms outstretched, she kicked him hard in the chest. He flew through the air and smacked into the wall about three feet above the ground. Azriel heard him grunt involuntarily as air escaped his lungs.
"Sorry bro!" Sidra called. She was not at all sorry.
"Want a beer?" Azriel asked Matt, delighted with the morning's unexpected entertainment.
"Definitely. I'll take today off," Matt replied immediately. Two beers appeared in the air in front of them. They each took one and clinked a toast.
Cassian regained his breath and stepped back into the ring. They delighted in continuing their sparring. Sidra was the most evenly matched opponent for Cassian that Azriel had ever seen. They hit hard and fast, taking turns on who got the final hit for each successive round. After several rounds, both had spots of blood on their faces and bruises forming on any exposed skin.
They paused, both panting and resting by leaning over with their hands on their knees.
"Damn sis. You're good."
She beamed. She was proud to have impressed the famous General Cassian.
"That's adorable. A family of killers reunited," Matt said chuckling and took another sip of his beer. Azriel grinned and took some more popcorn.
"Let's see what you can do with a sword," Cassian said to Sidra as he picked up two swords from the rack.
"We are going to need more popcorn," said Matt. The bowl of popcorn was refilled and two beers appeared. Az held up his beer to Matt in a mock toast.
Cassian handed her a sword and stood ready. Without any indication she was ready, Sidra flipped the sword over to hold it by the blade and clubbed the surprised Cassian in the face with the hilt.
Blood was now streaming out of his nose, but that is not what upset him. "That's not how you hold a sword!" he yelled at her indignantly. She shrugged.
"You mean I wasn't supposed to bash in your brains with it? I was being gentle, you know."
Cassian used his siphon to stop the blood flowing from his nose and again readied his sword. "Again," he called. She shrugged and tossed her sword to the ground outside of the ring, which annoyed Cassian even more. She went at her full force. She ducked and twisted out of the way.
"Again," he called as he took up a starting position. He made a few quick movements in an attempt to get her off balance and then swung his sword in a move that was sure to catch any opponent hard on their shield. Since she carried no shield, his sword was headed for a hard blow to the arm. Azriel anticipated the move and held his breath.
Sidra also anticipated the move and timed an upward movement of her forearm perfectly, so that the sword slid up her arm as if it was a blocking sword. She tilted her arm at the perfect angle that Cassian's blow was blocked, but then she continued the arc with her arm and caught Cassian's sword flat between her ribs and elbow. Before he could react and pull it back, she kicked him in the stomach and he went flying into the wall. Again. She had only a thin sliver of blood forming on her arm near her wrist, although there was a pink mark from her elbow to the cut from the sword sliding up her bare skin.
Azriel blinked in surprise as Cassian caught his breath.
"Can you do that if the sword is sharp?" Cassian asked.
"Probably not with you, but with the average dipshit who thinks they are tough because they scraped together enough wages to buy a sword? Definitely. Always." There was no humor in her voice at all. Her response was not hypothetical.
Cassian shook his head in amazement. They rested for a minute, panting and sweating in the ring. They both realized at the same time that Rhys was leaning against the wall watching.
Sidra called to him with a devilish grin on her face, "Hey, pretty boy. You want to fight?" Rhys bristled at the taunt but returned the grin. It was the exact same taunt for Rhys that Cassian had used on Rhys for years. Cassian laughed out loud and Azriel chuckled. Rhys magicked off his shirt, magicked a sword into his hand, and joined them. Cassian made to step out of the ring.
"Hey, where are you going? This was just getting fun," Sidra said to him. Matt was cackling a laugh with anticipation.
Cassian picked up his sword again and stepped back into the ring as Rhys offered her one, which she declined with a shake of her head. Azriel could tell she was finally going to be overpowered, but she was making them work for it. She continued to duck and block with unusual moves that had not been taught in any formal ring. Her unexpected movements were the reason it took Cassian and Rhys a few moments to get her caught between them, but they finally did. Cassian was in front of her and readying for a winning blow across the neck and Rhys had maneuvered behind her ready with a winning blow to the spine when she again surprised them.
She extended her wings fully to momentarily block the view of her opponents from the other and then collapsed them tight behind her, which completely trapped Rhys and stepped backward to set him off balance. As he made to recover his balance, his sword pierced through her right wing close to her ribs. She again caught the sword with her elbow as she blocked Cassian's blow with her left forearm. She took one step forward, bringing the immobilized Rhys with her and kicked Cassian in the stomach, who doubled over with a grunt and yielded. She had been close enough to kick him in the face and break his neck.
In one fluid motion, she turned on her right leg and then punched Rhys in the face through her wing. Because he had no chance of seeing the fist coming, he literally had no idea what hit him, and he let go of the sword and stumbled backward. She opened her wings to let him stumble but then caught him with her left arm and pulled his head under her arm into a chokehold, all the while still holding her right elbow close to her ribs to keep the sword, which was still piercing her wing, from shifting. When Rhys realized he was not going to get out of this chokehold without magic, she yelled, "Yield!" He made the motion. She dropped him roughly and he fell out of her arm and onto his ass.
Azriel had frozen when he saw the sword pierce her wing. She walked silently up to Matt, who put the popcorn bowl in Azrael's lap and floated his beer to Sidra. She took the beer and turned around to show him the sword awkwardly piercing her wing. He gently pulled the sword out and handed it to Azriel. Once the sword was free, she gingerly stretched out her wing to nearly fully open to show him the wound. He maneuvered so that he could put one hand on either side of her wing and gently pulled the delicate membrane with his fingers to close the gap. He moved his fingers lightly as if playing a tiny piano.
When he had the membrane laying flat and the edges of the wound perfectly aligned against each other, he said, "Ready."
She grunted loudly as the wound healed over, leaving the blood around it but only a thin scar where the sword had pierced the membrane.
Rhys was still sitting on the ground, but now his wings were out as if to remind her that he too had wings and understood how much he had hurt her.
"I'm sorry," he said genuinely. "I did not expect you to do that."
She took a big swallow of Matt's beer, nodded her head in acknowledgement and said, "When I do that, the male behind me usually does not have a sword. I forgot who I was fighting with." She smiled, accepting his apology.
"It took me a second to realize that I had wounded you. You didn't make any sound as if it hurt," he said apologetically.
"It hurts more to heal than making the actual wound. It takes a fair amount of energy too." She looked down at Matt with an expression that Azriel wished she'd give him. "Thank you. Again," she said to Matt. He inclined his head in acknowledgment and took back his empty beer glass with a frown.
Sidra said to the group, "I need a bath. Then lunch. Want to go out?"
Az thought at first she was inviting everyone to his spot - their spot - but then without a pause she said, "I saw a place down on the river advertising tacos. They smelled great."
"What's a taco?" Matt asked
"It's the food equivalent of watching her drop Rhys on his ass," Az said.
"I'm in," Matt said. Rhys and Cassian joined them for a lively meal on the river.
Illyria
Azriel and Rhys entered Rhys's study together to find Feyre and Sidra were already sitting on opposite ends of the couch with their feet tucked up under each other's rear end. When she saw Azriel, Sidra stretched her wings out broadly behind her. Azriel smiled to himself at her greeting.
"Oh, and you'll come when he calls?" Sidra teased. It was nearly midnight and Azriel had been out when Rhys called him back to the River House for an urgent meeting.
"I like him more than you," Azriel taunted.
"That tracks. I feel the same way," she said. Azriel shook his head, laughing at the obvious joke he'd walked into. As he came around to the front of the sofa Azriel saw the four-month-old Nyx in her arms, with his tiny wings sprawled over most of her chest. He wiggling restlessly and appeared to be suckling.
Rhys asked with surprise, "What are you doing?"
Feyre answered, "He has an ear infection and congestion. The movement of his jaw helps. But he keeps spitting out the pacifiers and when he does this type of suckling on me, my milk lets down and makes a mess."
"So, I am now the world's largest binky," Sidra said. "It's not the first time, or the first baby."
"He also has a low fever so he seems to sleep better when she warms him," Feyre added. Rhys was about to ask something else when Matt and Cassian strode in. Matt had probably been in bed and hastily thrown on some clothes, but Cassian was in his leathers and smelled like he'd just come from Illyria. His hair was wild and he wore a grim expression that made Azriel suspect Cassian's news was the reason for the urgent meeting.
Matt plopped down in a chair across from the females and said without preamble, "I get ear infections too." Apparently, he was aware this wasn't the first time she'd served this function for a baby. During the height of their mating frenzy, Matt's comment would have sparked a burst of jealousy, but tonight Azriel laughed.
"You're not this cute," she teased. The retort pleased Azriel more than it probably should have.
"All right. Enough," Rhys said to call the meeting to order. "Cassian, give your report to the group."
Cassian did not take a chair, but instead stood at attention in front of Rhys, which was a sign of the seriousness of the news he was about to share.
"Patrols have spotted a small group of ships off the coast of Illyria," Cassian began. A map appeared on the table between them and Cassian pointed to the location. It was far in the north of Prythia on the west shore. "It is a remote place, and we only caught it because of the diligence of the patrol teams. I'll have to commend them later."
Nyx made a loud smacking sound and cry of complaint as Sidra shifted so she could see the map better. She readjusted and let Nyx settle back to his binky. Cassian continued relaying what he knew of the ships.
"They appear to be Hybern ships, but this isn't a true invasion force. There appear to only be five. Unless they have some other weapon we don't know about, they can't expect to get very far inland. Based on recent intelligence from Az and current updates from our troops there, we believe the plan is to land in a remote area and camp over the winter."
"Why?" Feyre asked.
"Our best guess is they have underestimated how well we patrol the area and were hoping to stay unnoticed over the winter," Cassian answered. "Given the storms that usually start to blow in around this time of year, it's not a bad plan. If they'd managed to land and hide the ships, it's not unreasonable to expect they could go unnoticed for some period of time. Certainly long enough to start planting traps and deploying spies."
"If word of the unrest after the war had reached them, they may be hoping to sow more of the same," Azriel suggested. "It could potentially make us more vulnerable to a full invasion in the spring."
Sidra was studying the map intently. Rhys watched her for a moment and then asked, "What do you think?" She was surprised that he asked her opinion so candidly, but didn't hesitate to answer him.
"There are a lot of faults lines in that area," she said with a gleam in her eye. Rhys cocked his head in interest so she continued. "Only five ships? They are still at sea?"
Cassian nodded, "They are probably planning to take the beach at dawn." Sidra nodded thoughtfully and glanced at Matt, who nodded in agreement with whatever she was thinking.
"You think you can help?" Cassian asked. He knew she could, but he phrased it the way Az would have used to prod Cassian into a fight. They were so alike in temperament. She responded with a very Cassian-like tone that Azriel loved from his brother and loved even more from his mate.
"Sure," Sidra answered. Her eyes were gleaming now with the rush of a possible battle. "Would you like them dead and disappeared, terrified and defeated, or caught for questioning?"
"Can we have a mix of all three?" Azriel asked.
"Sure. Just tell me which ones you want to keep."
"We get to choose which ones we keep for questioning?" Azriel asked.
"Anything for you, mate," she smiled.
Cassian rubbed his hands together with pleasure. "Wonderful. What do you need us to do, sis?" he asked.
She shrugged casually and looked back at Matt. "Bring popcorn?" Cassian laughed with glee.
Rhys was relieved that Sidra had been so willing to join them in a true battle. She was finally feeling as if she were part of the Night Court. Rhys was nervous, however, at how casually she'd approached preparations. The battle-hardened among them knew that anything could happen when facing an enemy, so they took no chances. Cassian and Azriel spent the night preparing Illyrians for battle while Sidra slept with the baby for a few hours at the River House.
About two hours before dawn, Rhys knocked on the door of the bedroom she was using. Upon her grunt of acknowledgement, he entered to find her on her side in the middle of the bed with her wings sprawled behind her. Nyx was snuggled into her bare chest with his wings haphazardly splayed over her and behind him. He was still congested and snoring, but finally sleeping soundly.
Rhys walked closer to the bed and saw that Sidra's hand was laying gently across the baby's neck, presumably to warm him and help his ears to drain. Her shoulder was very warm when he touched it. Her breath caught and it took her a second for her to realize where she was, but then she settled and hummed a sleepy hello.
"Thank you for all you've done with Nyx," Rhys said thickly.
"Mmmm. Don't mention it. I like males when they are this age. It's when they're your age that they are the real pain in the wings." Rhys chuckled. Even half-asleep she was snarky. Rhys took Nyx and settled him with Feyre while Sidra dressed.
When he met Sidra at the back of the house, Rhys was wearing his leathers and full battle armor but was surprised to find her barefoot and wearing her very short pants and the cloth tied around her neck to cover her breasts. The vambraces with all eight siphons were the only hint of any preparation for a battle.
"You want to terrorize these people, yes?" she asked. He nodded. "What is more terrifying? To be beaten by a warrior in full battle dress, or by someone who didn't even appear to be paying attention? To be swatted as if you're an ant who wandered into a picnic?"
He thought for a moment and decided she had a point, so he magicked into his casual black pants and a sweater. He kept his boots, however.
"Better?" he asked.
"Meh. I guess it's too cold for you to show up in your sleeping clothes."
"I sleep naked."
"So do I. But people keep complaining when I walk around naked." He laughed. This conversation was entirely too personal and he shouldn't be enjoying it, so he changed the subject.
"Ready?" he asked. She held out her hand in answer. He took her hand and immediately winnowed them to the hot spring near the cabin.
As soon as they landed, she dropped his hand and her bag and, with a mighty few beats of her wings, flew into the center of the small lake and dove in. She broke the surface and sighed with pleasure at being in the pool, then went under again.
She stayed in the lake until she'd pulled enough heat to turn half the lake to ice. When she decided she had enough, she rose out of the water with powerful wingbeats and flew to him. He magicked her dry so that her clothes were no longer transparent and stood before him in her shorts and makeshift bra, siphons glowing brightly.
"Let's go," she said. Although nothing about her appearance, aside from the siphons, indicated she was ready for battle, her tone and demeanor told him she was itching to do some damage.
Rhys and Sidra appeared on the cliff overlooking the small bay to find a small Illyrian battle force preparing for the enemy landing. Cassian was in full form, barking orders and organizing the troops. There was the familiar sense of anticipation among them. The troops were far enough back from the cliff edge that the approaching ships wouldn't be able to see the Illyrian force until the invaders were on the beach. Rhys could see the hint of the cloaking magic spells above them in case any of the invading patrols could fly.
Sidra frowned. "No popcorn?" It was a casual statement, but Rhys knew her well enough by now to realize that she was asking a shrewd tactical question. The gathered warriors did not give the impression they were here for entertainment and a picnic.
"How much do you want to piss off your brother?" Rhys asked with a coy grin.
"Oh, that would be a bonus. The bastard actually broke one of my ribs in the training ring last week. Asshole."
Rhys laughed. "Stay here," he said and winnowed away before she could continue complaining about Cassian's recent abuses in the ring.
He appeared at Cassian's side, who gave him an incredulous once-over with his eyes.
"What the fuck are you wearing?" Cassian was in full battle armor and did not appreciate Rhys's casual after-dinner attire.
Rhys explained in his High-Lord-voice what he expected of his general on this occasion. In private Cassian would have at least rolled his eyes, if not argued outright, but in front of the officers, he agreed. Cassian barked some new orders as he took off his own armor.
By the time the first troops were disembarking from the main ships into smaller vessels, the gathered Illyrians did indeed appear as if they had gathered for a family picnic rather than a fighting force. Feyre had winnowed in many wives from the closest town and some chairs. Feyre herself was wearing her paint-splattered pants and a sweater. Rhys magicked her favorite recliner from the nursery for her and she sat comfortably with the baby in her arms. The whole group gave the appearance as if they were gathered for a theatrical show. It was a grave insult to the invading force. Rhys smiled wryly.
As dawn broke, the cloaking spells were removed. The invading enemy saw them immediately, but were too far out of range for arrows or spells. Sidra stood next to Feyre, gently stroking Nyx's hair while she stared intently at the shore. She ignored the troops completely.
As the first boat reached the shore, Sidra turned to Azriel, who was in full battle armor, and said in a sweet, if not loving tone, "I'll need a shield."
He nodded silently. When Sidra opened her mind at Rhys's request, he saw her show her mate where she wanted to go. Azriel took her hand and winnowed them both to the base of the cliff.
They were in a cove that was well-suited to the landing of five ships. Each could anchor with enough room to launch smaller boats that would take the troops to shore. The beach was made of grey and black sand, which became larger rocks closer to the cliff. The shoreline was flat for several hundred yards, but a few large rocks made good shields for troops fighting from either direction. About two-thirds of the cove was encircled by steep cliffs, but the far side of the cove rose in a gentle slope that would be easy for troops to scale quickly and overtake the plateau.
Sidra and Azriel appeared at the base of the cliff, just out of the range of arrows for the troops that were splashing onto shore. Sidra walked casually toward them, with Azriel at her side. A few invaders launched arrows to test the range. Azriel encircled the two of them with a glowing blue shield.
Sidra found a spot she liked and lay face-down on the short beach grass. She spread her wings fully, as if trying to catch the early rays of sun and crossed her arms under her head. To the Illyrians and invaders alike, she appeared to be taking a nap. Rhys heard grumbling among the soldiers, but also heard a low rumble from Sidra's mind. He could also feel a huge pulse of joy radiating from her.
An arrow hit Azriel's shield with a flash. Azriel and Sidra didn't move, but a low vibration began radiating in the cove. Only Rhys's court knew where the rumbling was coming from. The sense of joy from her grew.
A loud crack echoed through the cove. Illyrians and invaders alike ducked in fear. Rhys could see through his eyes a small crack about the width of his forearm appear a few feet in front of Sidra and then stretch toward the beach. From her mind he could tell it was impossibly deep. He could not determine the bottom of it.
When the crack reached the water, steam exploded from it. A few troops close by screamed in pain from the burns or in surprise. Steam traveled up the crack toward Sidra, who finally stood up and faced the oncoming troops. Instead of shying away from the steam, she held her right hand out to it as if she was testing the air for rain.
Abruptly, she threw a punch into the air with her left hand. The cliff face on the far-right side exploded, covering the troops below it with rubble. A few died immediately as rocks hit them and a few more drowned in the wave that reverberated violently from the cliff and tumbled troops who had been standing in a few feet of water, but suddenly found themselves tossed helplessly in a breaking wave that traveled across the shoreline.
Rhys could see the orange glow of magma rise in the crack. Sidra stepped into it and began motioning with her arms. The magma obeyed. She made a sweeping motion with her right hand toward the left side of the cove, and magma rose from the length of the crack to follow her direction. It hit troops and boats as it cascaded through the air toward the grass. Orange streams of lava caused clothes to catch fire and metal armor to melt. As the lava quickly cooled into dark rocks, it was still traveling fast enough to kill anyone who was pelted in the head. A few limbs were ripped off as projectiles whipped through them. Some fae died quickly, but even more began screaming in pain as they were hit with a rock, either solid or molten, in a place that wasn't immediately fatal. Some turned to dive into the water when their clothes caught fire or simply to duck for safety.
She made another punch with her left hand and a lob of magma rose from the crack and landed in the shallow water in the center of the cove with another explosion of steam.
A few brave soldiers recognized the real threat and began lobbing arrows directly at Sidra. Azriel's shield began taking more hits. Cassian shifted nervously beside Rhys. Rhys knew his brother would rather be standing next to Azriel and Sidra where he could add his own shield.
"Let's trust her," Rhys said to him. "She wanted to do this." Cassian nodded and signed, but continued to shift nervously.
By now Sidra was beginning to glow. She removed her vambraces with the siphons and tossed them aside. When she was hot enough that her clothes caught fire, she spread her glowing orange wings. More troops turned and simply ran away. A few tried to climb back into the boats but others started swimming for the larger ships in panic.
Tell me which ones you want to keep, Sidra said in her head to Azriel and Rhys. Rhys began exploring the minds of the troops to determine which ones were still attempting to give orders and which were simply enlisted soldiers. Azriel's shadows spread across the shoreline, which added to the terror among the remaining invaders.
Go, Sidra said in her head to Azriel. Rhys saw him look to her in concern, but he only hesitated for a moment before he appeared at Rhys's side.
Below them Sidra dropped to her knees in the expanding crack of magma. Cassian inhaled sharply, thinking she was hurt. She put her hands on either side of the crack and the earth began to vibrate again. From their vantage, Rhys could see the entire shoreline begin to vibrate violently. Smaller rocks bounced a few feet into the air while the larger monoliths appeared to begin melting on the sides. It became difficult to tell the difference between the rocky inland beach and the sand, as all of it vibrated quickly.
Soon the entire cove was a sludge of thick sand, seawater, and rocks. Fae sank up to their knees into the vibrating sludge below them and became stuck. Bubbles of magma and steam appeared randomly throughout the cove, marked by more screams and clothes bursting into flame.
Rhys and Azriel marked about eight fae on the shore who they wanted kept alive. The areas around those fae vibrated as violently as the rest, but no steam or magma appeared near them.
How many terrified fae would you like to send back home? Sidra asked them politely. She was panting but speaking in their heads calmly, as if she were asking them if they'd like something to drink. She was in complete control.
Rhys answered, No one returns home unharmed. Let some die on the route. No more than one ship full of survivors.
I'll take care of the ships and knock the full crew off of the one we'll send back, but it is better to let Cassian's troops ensure they all return with a wound.
He'll love that. Say when.
Sidra made another sweeping motion with her hands, which coaxed more lava out of the crack and directly toward two ships, which were engulfed in flames and screams of more soldiers catching fire. A third ship was already listing from damage it took when the cliff face exploded near it. The fourth ship had unfurled its sails and was heading back out to sea but the fifth was too far inland to retreat. Sidra leapt into the air, glowing wings beating beautifully against the grey sky and trailing steam behind her.
She made straight for the ship farthest out to sea. It was clear they didn't stand a chance. She grazed the sails with her wings, which immediately all caught fire, and soared in a circle around the ship.
Arrows and spells erupted from the deck in a steady stream, but they all either bounced off of her or melted on impact. It was hard to tell which. She spiraled in tighter and then dove for the deck. She made a low pass with her wings out, catching fire to ropes and sails and fae as she grazed them. She landed forcefully on the deck and simply stood there for a minute. The deck itself caught fire under her feet. One brave soldier who was close by sent a spell at her. She stumbled and fell, but the deck under her caught fire here again. She watched the soldier curiously as she fell beneath the deck.
Cassian and Azriel inhaled sharply as she disappeared from their view. Rhys shared with Cassian the view from Sidra's eyes. She was in the hold, which was full of clothing and people and ropes - all flammable. She gathered her bearings for a moment and watched impassively as several fae scrambled up the ladder onto the flaming deck.
She walked slowly and deliberately through the hold, catching everything on fire as she walked. When she reached the end, she kicked a hole into the side of the hold. Beams cracked and caught fire under her still glowing legs. She pulled and punched until the hole was big enough for her to crawl out and jumped into the water a few feet below.
They saw her hit the water with an explosion of steam and then lost sight of her. A moment later she appeared out of the steam and was flying toward the fifth ship. She was pink, but no longer glowing as she rammed into the railing of the ship. It listed and tilted completely on its side, taking on water and surely drowning everyone below decks before it righted itself.
Tell Cassian the rest are all his, she said. Cassian barked an order and the Illyrians immediately took flight into the remaining troops on shore and to the ships. Azriel and Rhys winnowed out to capture the few they wanted to question and handed them over to guards on the shore. The captured soldiers actually looked relieved to be standing on solid ground.
Cassian's troops followed his directions effectively down to every detail. They herded dying and severely wounded troops onto the fifth ship and killed the rest. Then they picked over the dead for weapons and any trinkets that might indicate their identity and piled the retrieved items to be sifted through later.
Home
Sidra enjoyed her first winter solstice in Velaris more than any other winter solstice of her life. The Illyrian backcountry was brutally cold and miserable this time of year, but she hadn't found winters in Silva much more pleasant. Of course, winters at Silva Manor were generally cheerful and cozy, but the deciduous forest around Silva was depressingly bare and colorless in winter. The storms that barreled down the surrounding mountains made flight inadvisable or downright dangerous for days at a time, and often confined her to the overheated cage of the manor. Because the manor was often host to special guests and travelers during bad weather, the house full of noisy people made it feel oppressively small.
Silva Manor did not celebrate the winter solstice to the extent it was observed in the Night Court, and this was her first holiday with a true extended family. She immensely enjoyed the act of buying gifts for her new family with the generous income she had earned from both the Summer Court and Silva. Solstice itself was possibly the happiest day she'd ever spent, watching her new family tease each other and laugh over their gift exchanges, birthday cake for Feyre, and ample wine. Several differing versions of the famous snowball fight tradition made her laugh until her stomach hurt and she especially enjoyed Cassian and Rhys's play-by-play of the great downfall of Azriel this year. Cassian had been triumphant and gloated mercilessly.
The only dark spot in life at the Night Court was the continued reports of unrest around Hybern and on the continent. They were alarmed that not a single identifying item recovered from the invading force had linked the army to Hybern - or anyone else. The prisoners Azriel interrogated - at length - failed to disclose any information regarding who hired them. It appeared even those involved in the invasion didn't know where ultimately the money had come from. Rhys and Mor were working other sources for information but so far had not turned up anything. As a precaution, Cassian doubled the security forces on the new continental trade routes and implemented extra patrols all over the Night court, especially in Illyria. The mountains were especially difficult to patrol at this time of year, so Cassian himself took turns sleeping for cold days on end in the brutal weather.
With Rhys traveling abroad more often, Feyre took up extra duties in Velaris and the Hewn City. Sidra knew that leaving Nyx with nannies made everyone even more nervous, especially with the heightened security protocols, so she made a point to keep the baby whenever she could. Sidra often either spent the night at the River House or took Nyx with her around Velaris.
On the increasingly rare mornings that all three of them were at home, Azriel, Matt, and Sidra had taken to having breakfast in the small nook overlooking the garden. They would either make breakfast themselves or pick from fruit, pastries and quiche left for them by the servants.
One morning shortly after Solstice, Matt and Sidra sat down in their usual places across from each other at the small table for four to begin a late breakfast. Matt put a freshly toasted bagel on his plate, which he would slather with cream cheese while Sidra was cutting a large piece of quiche for herself. This one looked to be her favorite one, made with goat cheese, red pepper, and spinach. Azriel dropped a small vial onto the table in front of Matt as he walked past the table on his way to the kitchen.
Matt and Sidra stared at it until Azriel returned a minute later with some freshly squeezed orange juice. He sat down without comment and began cutting himself a smaller piece of quiche.
Matt looked to Sidra, who's eyebrows were raised. She couldn't seem to figure out where to put her wings, but otherwise didn't move. She and Azriel had discussed this, of course, but she wasn't yet aware he had decided if he was comfortable with it. She hadn't told Matt that she and Azriel had discussed inviting him into their bed because she didn't want to get his hopes up.
After Azriel had put some quiche and fruit on his plate, he started speaking. "These are the rules. She always gets to extend the invitation, of course." Matt nodded stupidly.
"You will take the tonic every day. If you forget, you will tell us both, and you will not touch her for two days." Matt nodded again. Azriel ate a bite of quiche.
He swallowed and continued, "There will be no secrets about this. If we are talking about what you did one afternoon, don't skip over the minor detail that you two fucked. It'll be up to me to respond in a way that doesn't make you hesitate to be honest, but you have to want to be honest." He drank some juice.
"And I always get a veto. No questions." Now he looked Matt and Sidra each in the eye. "I don't intend to be petty about it, or use it in any sort of game, but if, for whatever reason it doesn't feel right at that time for my relationship with my mate, I get to say no and don't have to explain myself. To either of you." His gaze rested on Sidra, waiting for her to agree to the last rule.
With her heart in her mouth, she looked steadily at her mate and said, "Of course."
Azriel was nervous, but only because he remembered the fear-scent from when they first mated and couldn't stand the possibility that she might at the last moment have some fear with Matt. When he confessed this to her, she acknowledged her own uncertainty and suggested Azriel would stay with them, at least for the first time with Matthias. Azriel was relieved, and the easiness of the conversation reassured him this new phase of their relationship with Matt would work. She had snuggled her nose into his neck as they'd talked about it.
"What do you want to do?" she asked him, with her lips brushing his neck.
"Whatever you want," he answered. He meant it.
They agreed on the following evening. The three of them ate dinner together at the townhouse rather than the River House with the rest of the court. When they were finished with their plates and the conversation had slowed, Sidra reached out to take Matthias's hand. She held Matt's gaze as she interlaced her fingers with his and then pulled it to her lips. Matt pulled their hands to his lips and kissed the back of hers, never breaking eye contact.
Sidra had taken to opening her mind to Azriel when they made love, and did so again as she reached for Matt's hand. Sidra looked at Azriel for reassurance he was still comfortable with this. He inclined his head slightly, so she turned back to Matthias and leaned closer to him. He leaned into her and they kissed softly across the corner of the table. The kiss quickly became more urgent. Matt stood up and pulled her to him. She wrapped one hand around the back of his neck and kissed him hard while she held out her other hand to Azriel. He stood up and interlaced his fingers with hers as she pulled Azriel's hand to her hips. Still kissing Matthias urgently, she planted a request in Azriel's head.
Azriel held the back of Matthias's arm and winnowed the three of them up to the bedroom. Matthias and Sidra broke the kiss to regain their balance. Instead of kissing him back, Sidra started taking off his shirt as she shirked off her slippers. Matt shirked of his shoes and untied her shirt behind her neck. It fell open to the waist where it was still tied behind her back under her wings. He put his hands on her ribs and moved them up to her breasts. He pinched one nipple while he sucked the other. They both moaned with pleasure.
There was no hint of fear-scent from Sidra, so Azriel took off his own clothes and sat on the couch, stroking himself slowly and watching. Sidra took off Matt's pants, and then backed him into the wall and began stroking him hard and fast. Her shirt was still flopping in the way, so Azriel magically untied it and tossed it in the floor.
"Oh gods, Sid. Slow down," Matt said between heavy breaths.
"No. I'm going to make sure we get to take our time together. We'll do this first," she said in between kisses. He argued with her a bit and Azriel enjoyed his torment. He knew exactly how Matt was feeling and that he certainly did not want an audience.
Azriel waited a few minutes before admitting to Matt, "She did the same to me our first time." That seemed to resolve the conflict in Matt because he whimpered and gave in. He quit trying to slow her hand and put both of his hands on her hips. It only took a few more strokes before he came in her hand, his own hands gripping her hips tightly as he spasmed. They kept kissing deeply as he groaned and she finished him.
She picked up his shirt and wiped her hands and then him, gently. He did a sort of laugh-moan with his head on her shoulder and lightly interlaced his hands together under her wings.
"Don't worry, darling. I'm not done with you" she said. "Take a minute. I need to pay some attention to my mate."
"Thank him for me," Matt said into her neck and chuckled. She put her hands on either side of his face and kissed him punctually on the mouth as a confirmation before she turned to Azriel, looking at him under hooded eyes. She pulled his hand roughly away from himself and straddled him on the couch. He adjusted so that she could ride him properly, and she easily slid him into her. They both sighed with pleasure.
She kissed him and murmured as she moved on him, "He thanks you." Azriel growled lightly as he pinched her nipples. They moved together with familiarity, enjoying each other. Azriel motioned with his hand for Matt to come closer, planting an image in Matt's head. Matt put his hand firmly on her butt and squeezed her cheek, gently pushing her in rhythm as she rode Azriel. Then he leaned under one of her wings and, starting at the base, licked the seam of her back and wing all the way to the top. By the time he'd reached her shoulder blades, she convulsed, yelling loudly as she collapsed around Azriel. She held her wings straight back and they shivered with pleasure. After a few seconds she stopped and groaned again.
"By the Mother, that was incredible," she gasped. "Give me a second." Azriel waited a few minutes for her to regain her breath and said mischievously to Matt, "I'm going to do you a favor." He began moving more urgently inside Sidra. She giggled low as she understood his motivation. He concentrated so that he wouldn't take too long. It wasn't difficult. He convulsed and came in her. She moaned, hugged him with her whole body and kissing him deeply.
When he had caught his breath, he wrapped his arms around her, shifted, stood up, and carried her to the bed. She held onto him with her arms, legs and wings, and buried her head in his neck. He carried her to the edge of the bed and laid her on it, with her rear near the edge. She adjusted her wings and rested her feet near the edge of the bed with Azriel standing between her knees.
"It's finally my turn to be the instruction manual," he said to Matt. Matt cocked his head, surprised and pleased. Azriel planted another image in Matt's head as he kissed Sidra in the center of her chest. He lightly brushed his fingers over her nipples and down her stomach, then down her thighs and over her knees as he left her. She followed him with her eyes and held out a hand over her head, motioning to him. He walked around to the other side of the bed, lay down on his side and took her hand in his and kissed it.
While he did this, Matt ran his hands along the same path Azriel had just done but in reverse. When he got to her nipples he pinched. She yelped with pleasure. She met Matt's eyes as he came close to her. She followed the path of his eyes as he looked down to touch his tip just inside her. He looked into her eyes in an anguished question. In answer she wrapped her feet behind his butt and pulled him closer. He thrust into her deeply and they both groaned loudly in pleasure. He grabbed her hips and pulled her closer to him, watching her face. She couldn't hold his gaze. She closed her eyes and arched her back and yelled louder as he began moving inside her.
She had intended to make love, but that would have to wait. This was a hard, rough release of years of tension. She moved with him, calling to him for more. She grabbed onto him anywhere she could, her hand digging into him while she continued to hold Azriel's with the other, squeezing it hard. She was going to come easily. Azriel's efforts had made her especially sensitive and the years of angst were finally being released. She yelled loudly when she was near so that Matt could time his release with her. He did. They roared and spasmed together.
Only after they finished convulsing did Matt lay down on her, his face buried in her neck. "I love you, Sid."
"I love you, too, Matt," she said easily. That was an unexpected sting. She hadn't ever said that to Azriel.
After another few breaths she asked, "Would you like to stay here tonight?" Matt raised his head and looked at her, then at Azriel. Azriel shrugged his approval. "Be warned there are a lot of wings in this bed," she said. "Like a lot a lot. And I can tell you from experience, if I elbow him in the wings he won't murder me, but you just fucked his mate, so I can't speak for you."
"What happens if I elbow you in the wings?"
"I'll just kick you in the balls. It'll be automatic. I probably won't even wake up." Matt laughed and rested his head back on her chest, his thumb making light movements on her hip.
Azriel kissed the top of her head and went to the bathroom for two warm washcloths. He came back to the bed and tapped Matt on the hip to indicate he should get off of Azriel's mate. Matt stood up. Azriel tossed him one of the washcloths and then proceeded to clean up Sidra. He held her gaze as he did it and watched her eyes droop with pleasure and sleep. He bent down to kiss her just below the navel, then walked back to the bathroom and tossed the dirty cloth in there.
Sidra crawled to the center of the bed and pulled back the covers. Instead of stretching her wings behind her as she usually did, she tucked them close by her shoulders. Azriel crawled into bed facing her and they melted into their favorite entangled way to sleep.
Matt watched, smiling at how comfortable they were in each other as he walked around the bed and snuggled up to her back. He rested his head on his arm and nuzzled his face in the soft crook between the tops of her wings. He made to drape his other hand on her hips, but met Azriel's hand there so he moved it farther up her ribs. Azriel winked out the fae lights and they slept.