The document describes a quiet moment between Azriel and Elain after a party. Azriel gives Elain a necklace as a gift. They share an intimate moment where Azriel helps Elain put on the necklace and his touch lingers on her neck, arousing them both. Elain considers staying but decides to leave as things have gone too far.
The
river
house
had
finally
fallen
quiet
after
the
raucous
Winter
Solstice
party,
the
faelights
dimming
to
cast
little
pools
of
gold
amid
the
deep
shadow
of
the
longest
night
of
the
year.
Amren,
Mor,
and
Varian
had
finally
gone
to
bed,
but
Azriel
found
himself
lingering downstairs.
He
knew
he
should
get
some
sleep.
He'd
need
it
come
dawn,
for
the
snowball
battle
up
at
the
cabin.
Cassian
had
mentioned
no
less
than
six
times
tonight
that
he
had
a
secret
plan
regarding
his
so-called
impending
vicory.
Az
had
let
his
brother
boast.
Especially
since
Azriel
had
been
planning
his
own
victory
for
a
year
now.
Cassian
wouldn't
know
what
was
coming
for
him.
And
Az
fully
planned
on
capitalizing
on
the
fact
that
Nesta
likely
wouldn't
let
Cassian
sleep
much
tonight.
Az
snickered
to
himself,
to
the
listening
shadows
around
him.
Sleep,
they
seemed
to
whisper
in
his
ear.
Slep.
I
wish
I
could,
he
answered
silently.
But
sleep
so
rarely
found
him
these
days.
loo
many
razor-sharp
thoughts
sliced
him
any
time
he
grew
still
long
enough
for
them
to strike.
Too
many
wants
and
needs
left his skin
verheated
and
pulling
taut
across
his
bones.
So
he
slept
only
when his
body
gave
out,
and
even
then
only
for
a
few
hours,
Azriel
surveyed
the
empty
family
room,
presents
and
ribho
ons
littering
the
furniture.
Cassian
and
Nesta
hadn't
reappeared
do
own-
stairs,
though
that
came
as
no
surprise.
He
was
elated
for
his
brotha.
er,
and
yet.
.
Azriel
couldn't
stop
it.
The
envy
in
his
chest.
Of
Cassian,
and
Rhys.
He
knew
he'd
be swallowed by
it
if
he
went up to his bedroom.s
he'd
remained
down
here
by
the
dying
light
of
the
fire.
But
even the silence weighed too heavily, and though the shadows
kept
him
company,
as
they always had,
as
they always would,
he
found
himselfleaving the room. Entering the foyer.
Soft
steps
padded
from
under
the
stair
archway,
and
there
she
was.
The
faelights
gilded
Elain's
unbound
hair,
making
her
glow
like
the
sun
at
dawn.
She
halted,
her
breath
catching
in
her
throat.
".
He
watched
her
swallow.
She
clutched
a
small
gift
in
her
SO
hands.
"I
was
coming
to
leave
this
on
your
pile
of
presents.
I
forgot
to
give
it
to
you
earlier."
Lie. Well, the second part was a lie. He didn't need his shadows
to
read
her
tone,
the
slight tightening of her
face.
She'd
waited
until
everyone
was
asleep
before venturing
back
down,
where
she'd
leave
her
gift
amongst
his
other, opened presents, subtle
and
unnoticed.
Elain
closed
the
distance,
and
her
breathing
quickened
as
she
again
paused,
novw
a scant foot
away.
She extended the wrapped gift, her
hand
shaking.
"Here."
Az tried
not
to
look
at
his
scarred
fingers as
they
took
the gift. She
hadn't bought
her
mate a present. But
she'd
gotten Azriel one
last
year-a
headache powder he kept on his nightstand at the
House
of
Wind.
Not
to
use,
but just
to
look
at.
Which
he'd
done every night
he
d
slept
there.
Or
attempted
to
sleep
there.
mght
fnd
these
useful
at
the
House
these
days,
and
then
opened
the
lid.
Two
small,
bean-shaped
fabric
blobs
lay
within.
Elain
murmured,
"You
put
them
in
your
ears,
and
they
block
any
sound.
With
Nesta
and
He
chuckled,
unable
to
suppress
the
impulse.
"No
wonder
you
zriel
unwrapped
the
box,
glancing
at
the
card
that
merely
said,
You
Cassian
living
there
with
you..."
idn't
want
me
to
open
it
in
front
of
everyone."
nouth
twitched
into
a
smile.
"Nesta
wouldn't
appreciate
the
Elain
joke.
ered
her
a
smile
back.
"I
wasn't
sure
if
I
should
give
you
your
He
present."
He
leuel
up.
Because
her
mate
had
been
in
the
family
room
and
Azriel
had
ded
to
stay
by
the
door
the
whole
time
because
he
couldn't
stand
the
sicht
of
it,
the
scent
of
their
mating
bond,
and
needed
to
have
the
option
He
left
the
rest
unspoken.
Because
her
mate
was
here,
sleeping
a
of
leaving
if
it
became
too
much.
Elain's
large
brown
eyes
flickered,
well
aware
of
all
that.
Just
as
he
knew
she
was
well aware
of
why Azriel
so
rarely
came
to
family
dinners
these
days.
But
tonight,
here
in
the
dark
and
quiet,
with
no
one
to
see.. .
He
pulled
the
small
velvet
box
from
the
shadows
around
him.
Opened
it
for
her.
Elain
sucked
in
a soft breath that whispered over
his
skin.
His
shadows
skittered
back
at
the
sound.
They'd
always
been
prone
to
vanish
when
she
was
around.
The golden necklace seemed
ordinary-its
chain unremarkable,
the
amulet
tiny enough that it could be dismissed
as
an
everyday
charm.
It
was
a small,
fat
rose
fashioned
of
stained
glass, designed so that when
held
to the light, the
true
depth
of
the colors
would
become visible.
A
thing
of
secret,
lovely
beauty.
t's
beautiful,"
she
whispered, lifting
it
from
the
box.
The
golden
taelight
shone through the little glass facets, setting the charm
glowing
End of Document
157
