It had been a few weeks since the meeting and Nova's shared nightmare with Elain. None of the High Lords had yet to send any information regarding who may have been spying on Hollis, and in the meantime, Nova began taking up residence in their bed at night. Rhys started sleeping on the sofa next to them, watching his daughter's face as she slept to ensure she didn't stop breathing.
Similarly, Feyre watched her back shift with each breath, ensuring they were steady and regular. Each night since was long and restless, but Feyre couldn't control the fear that consumed her. What if these nightmares were more than a subconscious horror show?
What if they were a physical attack?
Feyre watched Nova happily eat her oatmeal as she stroked Potato with her toes under the table. It wasn't until the sun began to set that Nova showed signs of anxiety. It started with looking out the window, which turned into pacing the house, leading to her crawling into their bed and drawing the covers over her head.
"Has she had any more nightmares?" Ana asked with a frown, her brow creased with worry.
Rhysand shook his head as he guzzled his second cup of coffee for the morning. Darkness swept below his eyes, creased with shadows. "Fortunately, no."
With his lips pursed into a thin line, Cassian glanced at Azriel, who frowned at Feyre. She, too, looked rather pale from the sleepless nights. Cassian suddenly suggested, "We can take shifts to keep an eye on her while she sleeps."
"Cas-" Feyre started, but he quickly cut back in.
"You two can't be running around looking like someone socked you in the eyes."
Rhys nodded, rubbing his temples, and sighed, "He's right, Feyre. We haven't slept in days. We can't protect anyone in this state."
"Get some sleep," Cas nodded, "Ana says Peter invited Nova to help in the bakery today. If Az stays with them and I make rounds on the border, she'll be perfectly safe."
"Peter?" Nova asked as she looked up with a grin, her mouth already watering, knowing she wouldn't be far from a sticky bun.
Rhys narrowed his eyes at Nova, "You like Peter?"
"Yes," Nova answered, eating another spoonful of oats.
With an almost grumpy twist of his lips, he asked, "How much?"
Feyre lightly smacked his shoulder and smiled, "Rhys." She scolded lightly, but Nova paid no mind as she reached down and scratched the purring Potato behind the ears.
Turning her attention to Ana, Feyre asked, "How are you feeling?"
"Oh, I'm alright," she smiled softly. "Thank you for being patient with me. I hadn't meant to miss so many days."
Rhys managed a slight smirk, "You missed two. One of which because Azriel insisted. I think your standing is still fully intact." Biting the corner of his lip, he stared at her curiously. "You said Nova blinded the men?"
Nodding, Ana took a sip of her tea. "I watched their eyes darken. As if suddenly covered in ink. They panicked and slashed their swords about."
With a glance at Nova, Rhys couldn't help but ponder her abilities. "She can take away sight and sound—slow heart rates. I wonder what else she can do."
Nova, Rhys brushed gently against her mind.
Nova brought her head down to her shoulders as if something had touched her neck. She wrinkled her nose, staring at her father, but he heard nothing in return.
"Maybe with time," he chuckled before standing to his feet. "Have fun at the bakery, with…Peter."
Nova grinned up at him and accepted the kiss on her forehead before her parents retreated to their room to catch some sleep.
"Alright, I'll catch you all in a bit," Cas nodded as he left through the backdoor.
Smiling, Ana leaned across the table, "Are you ready?"
"Ready!"
"You know," Rhysand murmured against the heat of Feyre's neck, "It's been a while since we've had the house and the bed to ourselves." He smiled against her ear before taking the lobe between his teeth.
A sensual sigh escaped Feyre as her fingers coasted down his ribs. They had already shed their clothing to piles on the floor before numbly crawling into bed. Still, no matter how exhausted she was, the hard length of his cock against her inner thigh sent a flood between her legs.
With a murmur, Feyre's fingertips glided along his hip before curving down his ass. "It's true," she smiled, "I imagine it would also lead to the best sleep."
Chuckling, Rhys captured her lips in a tender kiss, which she returned, albeit tired but enthusiastic. Reaching his hand down, he took his erection in his fist and gently glided his head through her arousal. Feyre shuddered as she spread her legs and let her heels rest on the dips of his hips.
They locked eyes, and all the breath was stolen from the room as he stroked a stray piece of hair away from her brow. Rhys whispered, "I give you all my love and more, Feyre, darling." He pressed forward and slowly slid in, bottoming out with a soft gasp.
Digging her nails into his back, Feyre watched his wings spread, inviting her touch. Reaching up, she carefully traced the delicate membrane and quickly found the hidden sensitive spot that made Rhys buckle his shoulders.
"Feyre…" He breathed.
"I love you," She returned. "With every breath."
Gliding in and out of her, Rhys used a slow but harsh pace, filling her deeply with each inward thrust. Feyre looked down and watched where their bodies connected, where he disappeared into her and released a moan. She laid her head back against the pillows, and Rhys pressed hot lips against her throat.
"Rhys!" Feyre tilted her head back, jaw-dropping as he hit the spot inside of her that forced her toes to curl. Shoved off the precipice she'd been standing on, she pulsed around him in deep, throbbing waves.
Rhys shuddered as his face crumpled- her release triggering his own. He came with her. Every pull of her cunt on his cock sent his eyes back into his head as he groaned, "Do you see what you do to me?" He panted, pressing his lips against her collarbone.
Slowly pulling himself out, he brought Feyre to his chest and pulled the comforter over them. She sighed, her nose nestled in the crook of his neck, as her body relaxed into his familiar scent.
As predicted, it was the best sleep they'd had in days.
The bakery was booming with business as patrons came in and out from the cold, taking various sweet-smelling pastries and loaves of freshly baked bread with them. Nova scanned the place as she entered the bakery with Ana and Azriel. She'd been here plenty of times while living in Velaris, but she'd never been granted permission to venture beyond the counter.
Now, however, Peter beamed a great smile that touched his eyes as he pushed through the wooden swinging doors that led to the ovens and workstation.
"Hi, Nova…" He greeted as the back of his neck flushed.
"Peter." Nova grinned and immediately skipped forward, landing a foot before him. She raised her brows with excitement. "I can bake bread?"
With a nod, Peter glanced over her shoulder at the two she'd brought. Ana stood with a pleasant smile while Az stared at him skeptically. A bit shaken, he turned his attention back to Nova's expectant face. "Yeah, we make a lot of different types of bread. I'll show you."
Offering his hand, Nova looked down at it and shook her head, pulling her hands to her chest.
Peter chuckled and smiled crookedly as he lowered his hand. "Do you like cinnamon?"
Nodding emphatically, he led her around the display counter. Overflowing with goods, a few scones threatened to fall from their designated basket.
"Saturdays are our busiest time," Peter said. They entered the workroom, a massive wooden table in the center covered in flour from the morning rush. "It usually picks up in the evening, but that's when people order the most chocolate croissants."
Nova gazed around the room intently, observing the three massive brick ovens on the far back wall. She furrowed her brows and wiped a bit of sweat that dewed on her brow.
"Yeah," Peter smiled apologetically, "It gets a bit hot back here. Mother says we need to drink plenty of water while working. You can leave any time you'd like, though."
Nova shook her head and looked at him, "I stay."
He patted the flour-coated table with a light laugh, "Let's get to work then."
Ana sat with Az at a little circular table in the corner. She bit her lip to hide her smile as he tried to tuck his wings in enough to fit. "Was it by Rhysand's order to scare the baker's son, or was that of your own doing?"
"I was not trying to scare him," Azriel replied, though his lip curled into a half-smirk.
Ana shook her head and laughed, "Oh, pish-posh. You knew exactly what you were doing. You can be very intimidating to those who don't know you, which I'm sure you know."
He steadied a gaze on her. "Do I intimidate you?"
"Well," she shrugged, "Everyone intimidates me at first. But now?" She shook her head.
Azriel quirked another smirk as he arched a brow at her, "I don't intimidate you now?"
"With fear? Certainly not."
"With what then?"
Ana's features fell a little as her pulse quickened. How exactly was she to tell him that every time he walked through the door, her heart nearly lept from her chest? "Your position, naturally."
A slow grin spread across his features. "My…position?"
"Yes," she nodded, "Cassian is intimidating as a general. You're as intimidating as Spymaster. Rhysand is intimidating as a High Lord. All rightful, but true."
Azriel was silent for a long moment before he leaned across the table, setting his clasped hands before him. "If I said you intimidate me?"
Letting out a laugh, Ana shook her head. "I'd say you must have fallen in one of your flights and should have Madja examine your head."
"You intimidate me, Ana."
Ana was silent before forcing a smile, "I wield nothing."
"A clever mind and a swift tongue can be sharper than any weapon," Azriel murmured, his gaze level on hers. Imprisoning her where she sat, her traitorous heart skipped a beat.
It took Ana a moment to regulate herself and push her heart back down her throat. "That is…very kind of you to say." Her voice was low, soft.
Slowly, Azriel shifted his gaze from the hem of her dress to her modest neckline and then up to her face. Azriel clenched his jaw as Ana parted her lips, silently staring.
Each waited for the other to yield.
Neither did.
It wasn't until Nova's sudden burst of giggling that they sat back in their seats, directing their attention to the swinging door.
"Nova, wait, we have to bake it first!" Peter exclaimed, trying to refrain from laughing as Nova attempted to take another bite of the dough they'd rolled on the counter.
Smacking her lips, she looked up at him.
Peter pulled her back from the table, grinning as he shook his head. "You're a mess. I turned my back for two seconds…" It was true; he'd only gathered another container of yeast from the closet in the same room, no less, and her raven hair was now dusted white, as were her long eyelashes and most of her face.
"Snow!" Nova grinned.
"It's not snow, remember? It's flour."
"I know," Nova giggled again, "I joked."
Peter paused and stared at her for a long moment before he burst into laughter. "That's…" He shook his head. "That's the best joke I've ever heard."
After using a wet cloth to help clean Nova as much as he could, Peter set to a new task where she rolled out two dough logs. "See?" He asked as he took the two sections and criss-crossed them over each other. "It's braided. We'll sprinkle it with cinnamon sugar before it goes into the oven, but first, we need to put butter on it."
"I like butter." Nova smiled and reached for the ceramic butterbell. It was like the one they had in their kitchen, and she knew it well. "Toast?"
Peter grinned, "You can use butter for much more than toast." Reaching across the table, he picked up a bristled brush and offered it to Nova. "Here, you can paint the butter on the dough."
"Paint?" Nova asked and crinkled her nose. "Can't eat paint."
Laughing, he shook his head before dipping the brush into the butter and applying it generously to the braided dough. "Like that. It's painting without paint."
Nova bit her lip and took the brush. Curling her lip, she concentrated on putting the butter on the dough. She paused when Peter asked and watched him flip it in the pan before coating the other side. "Hm," Nova smiled proudly, "Art."
"I agree." Peter nodded with a grin. "Now put this on." He offered her a jar of combined cinnamon sugar, then watched with wide eyes as she dumped the entire mixture into the pan. He rubbed the back of his neck as she looked up at him with raised brows.
"Oops…" She frowned, and her shoulders deflated. "Sorry, Peter."
Peter smiled and shrugged, "Easy fix." He carefully took the bread from the pan with gentle fingers. "There, now dump that part back into the jar."
As instructed, Nova grinned and set the pan for Peter to place the dough into. "Now we just make a few more and bake them."
It didn't take long before six braided doughs were ready for the oven. Peter placed them gingerly on the mouth of the oven. "Don't get too close." He warned before pushing the tray further with a wooden tool.
"I think we need more flour," Peter said, nodding to the nearly empty bag in the corner of the room. "Would you like to help me? They're pretty heavy."
"Yeah!" Nova grinned, forcing herself to take her eyes off the fire that made the dough rise.
Laughing, Peter led her to the side door. "The stock room is just out back. We keep it locked up tight. Last year, we had a few visiting mice. That wasn't fun."
"I like mice."
"Of course you do." Peter grinned as he stepped outside into the frigid air.
Azriel sat back in his chair, resting his chin in his palm, and watched Ana in comfortable silence. He watched her quill scrawl across the page of a weathered journal. She held it in such a way that he couldn't see what she had written, but curiosity was beginning to get the better of him.
"What are you writing?" He asked, not taking his eyes off her.
Ana smiled, "Oh, just some notes for Nova. I like documenting new phrases she uses. It's a good thing she's often so loud."
Azriel laughed. He actually laughed. "That she is. Much like her parents, if I'm honest. It's no surprise she's their child."
"Hm," Ana smiled, "It's been my honor to be her governess. I don't know what I'll do when I'm no longer of use."
Azriel's smile fell. "You'll always be of use, Ana. In the circle, you're…" He swallowed the lump in his throat. He couldn't technically say she was part of the Inner Circle. Technically, neither Rhys nor Feyre had claimed that, and she hadn't taken an oath of service. She was part of their family, yes, like Elain or Nesta.
Frowning, Ana reached across the table and took his scarred hand in hers. Her thumb stroked over the knuckles as she murmured, "A new occupation is nowhere in the near future. Tell me more about meeting Rhysand and Cassian. I was rather enjoying that story the other night."
A soft smile curved Azriel's lips once more, but it didn't quite touch his somber eyes.
Despite her lean muscle mass, Nova struggled to drag one of the bags of flour in behind Peter, who also strained to lift and set the massive bag down for short breaks.
"Maybe we should work together on each bag…" Peter suggested.
Nova snapped back, "No, I do it!" She pushed and pulled with all her might, moving the bag an inch at a time. After a few more minutes, Peter had his bag settled inside, resting against the wall in the corner.
"Nova, you know it's okay to ask for help…" Peter leaned down to grab the other end of the bag, but Nova snapped her teeth with a snarl, and he quickly pulled away. "Okay…sorry…" He pursed his lips, watching her as she slowly progressed. It took time, but eventually, the bag fell against the other, and she sat on the floor, trying to catch her breath.
Grinning with pride she shimmied her shoulders. She may not have pulled her tree, but she'd been able to move the bag, which was good enough for now.
"You're so silly," Peter chuckled before he walked to the oven and checked the bread. "They're done!" He announced triumphantly and pulled them away from the flames before letting Nova see. The entire shop smelled like melted butter and cinnamon, and she hummed with approval.
"Don't touch." She reminded herself, though the temptation to drizzle it in honey and shove the whole braid in her mouth was inviting.
"So," Peter leaned against the workspace and quickly wiped the sweat from his palms, "Starfall is coming up…" He trailed off, swallowing.
Nova looked up and smiled. She'd heard Starfall before. Her Rhys talked to her about it one night when she couldn't fall asleep, and though she didn't understand everything he meant, she knew what a celebration was and what stars were.
A celebration of stars sounded wonderful to Nova.
"I just, I was…I was just wondering if you might want to go…to Starfall?" He glanced up from his shoes. "With me?"
Nova grinned and nodded as she stood to her feet. "Kyra and Finch? Cyrus…Sara?" She asked. "Hollis?"
Peter's face fell a little, but he quickly covered his disappointment with a smile. "I don't think Hollis will be there, but…yeah, the others will be there too, I imagine."
Grinning, Nova said, "I love stars."
Peter smiled and nodded, watching her as he bit his lip, "Yeah…" He swallowed. "Me too…"