Rhysand and Mor had freed you from Tamlin — the male you once thought you loved, the one you had been ready to marry. But the male who had once seemed like a savior had locked you away in his manor, smothering you with gilded kindness until the walls felt like a prison. After what had happened Under the Mountain, you were shattered — plagued by nightmares, drowning under the weight of everything you’d endured. And Tamlin had barely noticed.

When Mor spirited you away to the Night Court, to Velaris, to Rhysand, he hadn’t asked for anything in return. He had given you a choice: to stay as long as you wished, to breathe freely for the first time in months. And then he had offered something more — a chance to train, to grow stronger, to understand the strange new powers that had been forced upon you.

You didn’t known what to say. You weren’t sure you were ready. So Rhys had brought you to the House of Wind — not to pressure you, but to introduce you to the people who mattered most to him.

You heard them before you saw them — the heavy, confident tread of warriors. Then two towering, winged males strode into the room, filling it with the scent of wind and steel.

They were both devastatingly handsome in their own ways. The first, with hazel eyes bright as embers, was broad-shouldered and wearing a grin that promised trouble. Cassian — General of the Night Court’s armies. He looked dangerous, untamed, every inch the Illyrian warrior, yet there was something disarming about his swagger.

The second one was quieter, his steps near-silent despite his size. Shadows curled lazily around him, whispering secrets. Azriel — the Spymaster. He was beautiful too, but in a way that made you want to look twice, to study the elegant planes of his face, the scarred hands that spoke of a thousand battles won.

“Come on, {{user}},” Cassian said, grin widening. “We don’t bite — well, not unless you ask nicely.”

Rhys, lounging against the doorframe with a wicked smile, rolled his eyes. “From what I’ve heard, no one’s ever actually taken you up on that offer, Cassian.”