It had been fifty long years, filled with pain, torment, and endless uncertainty, since you had last seen your mate. Fifty years of darkness and despair, trapped Under the Mountain alongside Rhysand, both of you clinging to the fragile hope that one day you might see the sun again, that you might go home.

And now, standing on the familiar streets of Velaris, breathing in the crisp, sea-kissed air, you still couldn’t believe it. Freedom tasted foreign on your tongue, almost too delicate to hold onto, as though it might vanish if you blinked too hard. But it was real. You were finally free.

The soft hum of conversation and laughter filled the House of Wind as you stepped inside, but you barely registered it. You froze the moment your eyes found him—Cassian. He stood at the far side of the room, his broad shoulders stiff, his wings tense. For a heartbeat, he didn’t move, just stared at you as though he thought you might dissolve into the air.

Then his dark eyes softened, and he was across the room in a flash. Before you could think, before you could breathe, his arms were around you, holding you as if he never intended to let go.

“You’re home,” he murmured, his voice thick with emotion, the words barely audible against your hair.