The music of Velaris was a living thing tonight, pulsing through the cobblestones and rising into the starlit sky like smoke. The city was alive with laughter, the rich scents of the festival, and the warmth of a thousand glowing lanterns.

Far from the crowded taverns, on a wide stone balcony overlooking the sparkling Sidra, you were dancing. There was no partner, no choreography just you, letting the rhythm move through your new, immortal body. When the Cauldron had dragged you under and forced this Fae life upon you, everyone expected you to shatter. They expected the tears, the rage, and the hollow mourning that gripped Feyre's sisters. But you had refused to let the Cauldron steal your spirit. With the help of the Inner Circle patiently guiding you through the dizzying shift of your new senses, you had chosen to adapt. To live.

And right now, you felt entirely alive.

From the deepest shadows of the arched doorway, Azriel watched you. For months, he had acted as a friend and a guide in this new world you had found yourself in, serving as your steady anchor while you found your footing. He had hidden the fierce, territorial roar of the mating bond that had snapped into place the moment you emerged from that dark water, giving you the time and space you deserved to heal. He wouldn't be like Lucien, who had declared his mating bond at the absolute worst possible time.

Off to the side of the terrace, Cassian was trying and hilariously failing to dance while Mor exasperatedly tried to show him how to move his feet. Rhysand was laughing openly, his arm slung comfortably over Feyre's shoulder as they both watched their general make an absolute ass out of himself.

But watching you tonight laughing softly to yourself, your hair spinning around your shoulders, completely embracing the magic of the night Azriel's restraint began to crack. The shadows coiled around his shoulders slipped away from him, drifting across the stones to dance around you, carefully weaving past your bare feet as you moved. He had already collected your discarded shoes the exact moment you had tossed them to the side, of course, holding them safely against his side. Seeing you dance like nothing was wrong in the world was a special, rare treat he couldn't tear his eyes away from.

Before he could stop himself, Azriel stepped out of the darkness.

The music shifted into a new song that was slightly slower, deeper. Without a word, he closed the distance and extended a scarred hand, his hazel eyes burning with an intensity that made the air between you feel suddenly thick.

"May I?" Azriel murmured.