icarusflewsworld

[icarusflewsworld]

Rhysand & Cassian & Azriel X OC

Hello, here is the chapter 29 of a fanfiction on the world of Acotar where our three favorite Batboys are the mates of a single woman.

I hope you are well! It is a small chapter today but the next three chapters that arrive are smut chapters with each of the Illyrians.

The next chapter will be the smut with Azriel and will arrive Wednesday, January 29th.

I wish you good luck for the coming week. With all my love, ❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹

! Don't forget to read the previous chapters ! : Here

Chapter 29

When they woke up, the three Illyrians were the happiest beings on the planet.

After her umpteenth orgasm of the night, Luxiana had let herself fall onto the pillows. Her muscles were exhausted, she had no more strength and energy.

Azriel had then gotten up from the bed, walked to the bathroom to grab a towel and wet it with cool water. He had come back into the room and dabbed his soulmate's face and neck to refresh her with it before turning the towel over to pass it over the blonde's part, cleaning it properly. Then he had placed a kiss on her forehead, unable to help but look at her tenderly as his little soulmate struggled to keep her eyes open. "Sleep, princess," he had ordered her gently.

And as if she was only waiting for his permission, as if she was already completely Azriel's and already obeyed him without batting an eyelid, she had fallen asleep without arguing.

Luxiana's head had been spinning so much and she was so tired that she couldn't resist. Of course, when she had seen Azriel taking care of her like that, she had moaned as she felt her heart beating with all its might against her ribs for the Illyrian with the blue siphons. It had just been super cute. She had then fallen asleep in just a second with the last thought of telling herself that she was maybe falling in love with the three Illyrians and that it didn't say anything good.

She had fallen next to Rhysand so he had grabbed her, pressed her chest against his and wrapped his arms, no, in fact, his whole body, around his soulmate. Then, without waiting, completely exhausted also by the night, the emotions of yesterday, and while feelings of fullness, happiness and peace filled his whole being, he had fallen asleep.

Cassian had protested in a whisper -so as not to wake his soulmate- asking his lord to give him the blonde so that he too could sleep with her but Rhysand was already asleep. He had then tried to take Luxiana by the hips to pull her towards him but his brother had instinctively tightened his grip around her. He had sulked like a child, feeling disappointed at not being able to have his soulmate in his arms.

But still wanting to have contact with her, Cassian had placed his large hand flat on the blonde's back. He had put it between her two shoulder blades, to slide it to the back of her neck, which he had gripped while savoring the silky texture of his soulmate's hair taken under his palm. And easily then, he had fallen asleep on his stomach, next to his brother and his future wife, with a huge smile on his face.

Azriel had dropped into the single seater armchair in the corner of the room. It allowed him to have a very good view of his soulmate in his brothers' arms. He was dying of jealousy but at the same time, he was dying of happiness. He too would have liked to fall asleep with Luxiana in his arms and he knew that he would have to set up a way of doing things with his brothers to have equal contact with their soulmate. But at the same time, he was the happiest fae in the world. The sight of his little blonde in his brothers' arms filled him with a strange feeling of satisfaction.

The master spy hadn't slept, too busy going over the memories of that night to memorize every second and know by heart all the expressions his soul mate had made. He was just looking at her now, while her cheeks were still red, her eyes closed, white locks stuck to her cheeks and forehead because of sweat and her mouth half-open, drooling on Rhys's chest. Azriel's heart was beating strangely in his chest. He was in love and he was smiling. He had never felt so... happy.

Cassian opened his eyes for a moment, half waking up. He noticed the sun's rays coming through the bedroom window and then - wondering why he was smiling like that while feeling so happy - he remembered last night. He felt his hand on the back of his soulmate's neck and, wanting to touch a little more of her skin, he began to lower his hand to caress her back. But his blonde was cold, almost frozen. A wave of adrenaline woke him up fully suddenly. She was naked, she had sweated and she was cold, she could get sick.

Without waiting, he grabbed her by the hips to pull her towards him. Rhysand groaned, slowly waking up, and tightened his grip around his soulmate to keep her close to him. "Cass," he growled in a broken but reproachful voice.

"She's freezing," Cassian justified himself dryly. His words surprised Rhysand for a second, who released his hold long enough for Cassin to steal Luxiana from him, who didn't even wake up a bit.

The Illyrian rolled onto his side, pinning her back to his chest and wrapping his arms and wings around her, pulling the blanket at the end of the bed over them. He buried his nose in her hair, breathing deeply. He closed his eyes, savoring the vanilla scent of the woman of his life.

He pressed his palms to the blonde's bare stomach, digging and gripping in it his fingers. He held her a little tighter against him, pressing his prominent erection against his soulmate's buttocks. He couldn't help but touch her, to stick to her and be hard in her presence. Although it had been like this since the beginning, it was even worse since he had tasted her, since he knew how good it felt to be inside her. He groaned at the feeling of happiness that lightened his body while burying his face in Luxiana's hair.

Rhysand had turned to her. He had to hide his wings so that he and his brother could get into the bed. Luckily their soulmate didn't take up much space between them and Azriel had sat on a chair because with Cassian, they were already too close. He was going to have a huge custom bed made in each of their rooms as soon as they got back. That way, they could always be with their soulmate, no matter where she wanted to be.

Rhys smiled tenderly as he looked at the sleeping face of his high lady half out of Cassian's wings. He took a deep breath. He was calm and peaceful like he had never been but most of all, he was so joyful. He felt so alive.

When she stirred, moaning and burrowing deeper into Cassian's arms and wings, all three brothers threw smiles at each other as their hearts exploded.

They were all three so happy.

They had felt so jealous, so angry and incredibly sad last night and during these four days here seeing their soulmate flirt with another. Of course, it had devastated them to understand that they had almost made their wife sleep with another without wanting to and without even knowing it. And they were a little angry at themselves and at her for that. How could she have thought for a second that they could order her to sleep with someone?

But it didn't matter now. Because she hadn't. Because she hadn't wanted to sleep with Tarquin when she had wanted to sleep with them. She had slept with them. Their hearts were beating slowly but powerfully. They were at peace but so happy. They had very rarely, almost never felt like this.

Suddenly, the bedroom door flew open. Azriel stood up from his seat quickly, Rhysand sat up, Cassian opened his eyes wide, flexing his muscles, and Luxiana groaned, opening an eyelid.

Everyone relaxed when they saw that it was Amren standing in the doorway.

"Amren," Rhysand chided, glancing at Luxiana who still had dark circles under her eyes. She needed more sleep. And most of all, he didn't want this idyllic moment out of time to be interrupted.

Luxiana groaned in disappointment and anger at being woken up, but she was so warm in Cassian's arms that she could have easily fallen back asleep. She turned around to settle down better and melt into Cassian's chest, burying her face in his neck.

The commander of the armies almost died from this movement, his heart starting to beat furiously and loudly in his chest. He was tickling from everywhere. 

Amren looked jaded and nonchalant but she was happy for her friends as she noticed their smiling faces and pupils shining with joy. "Tarquin is waiting for you, it's past noon, get moving." Then she turned around and closed the door behind her.

Luxiana moaned. “Oh no,” she sighed in disappointment, her voice cracking as she wrapped her arms around Cassian’s torso. She was so comfortable, and it felt so good to have all three of them there. With her.  “Don’t go,” she begged. She was so… at peace. Like she hadn’t been in a long time. She wanted this moment to last forever. “Please.”

Cassian tightened his grip around her as her chest tightened. "Okay, it's dead, we're not moving," he chanted firmly. There was no way he was leaving her after this. He would kill anyone who wanted to break this moment with his soulmate.

Rhysand lay on his back, putting his palms over the back of his head to try to calm his pride-filled heart. She wanted to stay with them. "No fucking chance," he grinned with all his might.

Azriel sank into his chair, nodding vigorously as his heart pounded.

“Luxiana,” Amren called through the door. “If you get up, I’ll buy you an ice cream.”

The three Illyrians were offended, hiccuping. Amren was trying the soft way with them before the hard way, and to bribe their soulmate. It was surprising. Rhysand growled, "Don't try to buy her, she won't budge."

Luxiana hesitated for a second but she was too well settled in. "It won't work anyway."

Amren blew so loudly that the Illyrians could hear her from inside the room, "And a chocolate pancake."

Luxiana didn't even think twice about it. A chocolate pancake offered by Amren was not to be refused. She extracted herself from Cassian's arms to jump out of bed.

“Hey,” Cassian bellowed, as disappointed, outraged, and shocked as his brothers.

"We're talking about a chocolate pancake," Luxiana justified herself quickly, flinging open the bedroom door to run to hers, go to her bathroom and take a shower.

Amren entered the three Illyrians' room with a mischievous smile on her lips. "You can get up now so hurry up, you have to go to a meeting with Tarquin."

Cassian shouted in frustration, pointing at Amren. “I’m going to fight you, Amren.”

“Shut up, you dirty fly, I'll crush you,” the brunette replied, grimacing with disdain.

Azriel growled, glaring at her darkly. Amren glared back at him.

Rhysand huffed before breaking into a big smile as he stood up. It was going to be a nice day anyway.

***

And it had been. Evening had come and it was going to be dinner time.

Unfortunately for them, they hadn't managed to see Luxiana again all day. She was still in her bathroom when they had to leave and none of them had dared to go and beg her for a hug or a kiss even though they were dying to.

They would have at least wanted to talk to her and see what she thought about what had happened that night but they had been stuck the entire day with Tarquin dealing with trivialities and paperwork.

But none of that could taint their happiness and good moods. They had very happy smiles throughout the meeting despite the boring atmosphere.

And the meeting was now over. They rushed out of the room with excitement and haste with the only objective of going to find their soulmate. But Tarquin almost ran after them. "Rhysand, is Luxiana okay?"

The three Illyrians froze, losing their smiles as a slight irritability still managed to overwhelm them. They turned to him sharply.

Tarquin's face was twisted with sympathy and concern, which brought a bitter taste to the palates of the three night fae. "She told me she was ill last night and I didn't see her this morning," the lord of the Summer Court continued.

Azriel gritted his teeth. He wanted to make him swallow his worry to this bastard who had wanted to sleep with Luxiana. And to think that the lips of HIS soulmate had touched those of this bastard…

Rhysand tried to keep his cool, but he felt the same way Azriel did. He blamed himself for unwittingly forcing his soulmate to flirt, kiss, and almost sleep with the High Lord of Summer. But despite that, he gave his spymaster a warning look, forbidding him from going any further in his thoughts.

Cassian found his smile again as he remembered that night. His soulmate had chosen to sleep with them, with him, and not with Tarquin. He had won. "She's sick," the Illyrian assured him then. "Bad diarrhea. Very bad diarrhea. She shit all over her bed and there was so much pressure that she even managed to touch the walls."

Rhysand, Azriel, and Tarquin stared wide-eyed at him.

Cassian shrugged, saying to his brothers in thought, "What? I'm trying to disgust her with her so he might not want to steal her from us anymore."

Rhysand smiled at the idea for a second before turning back to Tarquin with a serious face. "A horror. She repainted all the walls brown. You're going to need some brave cleaning ladies and a hell of a lot of disinfectant. Because there was a lot of pressure. I think I even saw her being propelled into the air by the pressure of the jet."

Cassian held back a laugh as Tarquin—now white as a sheet despite his skin color—had his eyelids so wide his eyes could fall out. The Illyrian continued, "The worst part was the smell, I swear, I threw up. And to think she was covered in shit from head to toe. A nightmare. If I were you, I wouldn't go near her anymore, for the smell and because it could be contagious."

Azriel, although he wanted to smile, held back by taking on a jaded air. He grabbed the bridge of his nose as he turned around to get away from this lunar conversation and the nonsense of his brothers. He intended to go find his soul mate.

His two brothers followed him, laughing at Tarquin's shocked face as they left it there, in the middle of the hallway. They ran towards the great dining room, since it was time. Tarquin and his subjects followed them a few meters behind with a look of surprise still on their faces.

But when they entered the dining room, they became completely paralyzed.

Everyone was chatting -standing around the large table- with a drink in their hand but their eyes were caught directly by their soulmate.

She wore a black tulle dress with a slit on one leg and a corset decorated with silver filament and stars. She had her long white hair loose, falling in a wavy cascade down her back.

The three Illyrians only saw her from profile as she seemed to be in serious discussion with Amren in front of her but when she felt their piercing gazes on her, she turned her head towards them. Her eyelashes were made up in black but her mouth was an attractive burgundy.

Cassian had forgotten how to breathe. She was the most beautiful woman in the world and she was his soulmate. She was his. She had chosen him and not Tarquin. He smiled again with all his teeth as he looked at the faes around them who were looking at his soulmate with admiration and desire. He threw a dark look at the males but couldn't stop smiling. They all wanted her but she had chosen him.

Azriel could have been furious if he wasn't in such a good mood. Not only was she beautiful and all the men were looking at her with envy, but on top of that, she had left her hair down. Anger crept into his chest, squeezing it. He gritted his teeth. She was so beautiful when her hair was down and Azriel had clearly told her - the first time they had seen her like that - to only let her hair down for them. She had disobeyed. Azriel had to punish her for many things but for this in particular. Fortunately, he was in a good mood, he would go slowly. He took a step forward but Rhysand beat him to it, running towards Luxiana.

Rhysand's heart had exploded in his chest only to reform and explode again. His soulmate was beautiful but most importantly she wore HER colors HERE, in front of Tarquin. She told them all that she was his. His. His chest sparkled with happiness as it spread throughout her body with strange burns. He had told her that night that he didn't want to see her dress for anyone else but him anymore and today she had dressed for HIM.

He rushed towards her, almost running with a heavy step. Luxiana first opened her eyelids wide as her big, bright eyes filled with confusion. Rhysand knew he must have a cold and closed face that would explain the blonde's expression but he could only adopt this mask so as not to start jumping for joy and smiling in front of all these people.

As the lord was only two steps away from Luxiana and as he did not stop, the blonde turned her body entirely towards him, making a backward movement with her head.

Rhysand grabbed her cheeks to possessively place his mouth on the one of his soulmate. He had pressed his lips to hers with such force that she had to take a step back but Rhys took two forward.

He placed a hand on the small of her back to pull her towards him and stick her to his chest. The kiss was so intense that Luxiana's head started to spin for a second as a wave of excitement passed through her.

Rhys broke the kiss but didn't release the blonde. She looked at him with bright eyes but wide open with confusion and that face killed the lord from the inside a little more. Then she began to smile shyly while blushing and eyeing the others in the room -who had gasped in surprise at the kiss the night lord had given her- and who were still staring at her. "Don't get me wrong," Luxiana exclaimed, "I loved it, but... what was that kiss for?"

Rhysand smiled as he looked over her entire face hungrily. "Because you're mine and you're showing it."

Luxiana raised an eyebrow in surprise before lowering her head with a soft chuckle. "Yeah, I liked the idea."

She liked the idea of showing everyone that she belonged to him? Rhysand felt like he was going to die suffocated in a cloud of happiness. He growled an animal sound at her words as he kissed his soulmate's lips again while his erection was already painful in his pants. He finally released her as the other two joined them.

But as she looked away from them, Luxiana saw Tarquin eyeing her up at the front door with a mixture of surprise and disappointment. The blonde felt a twinge of sadness. She had been fooling him by flirting with him for four days and now he saw Rhys kissing her. Luxiana gritted her teeth for a moment before composing herself. She liked Tarquin but he would get over it and besides, she wasn't the type to blame herself for that sort of thing.

Cassian took her in his arms with a mixture of gentleness and abruptness to kiss her temple with the corner of his lips. "You are beautiful, my precious." she whispered to him before releasing her.

Luxiana smiled at him with all her teeth, happy that Cassian complimented her and more than affected by this nickname. But as the commander took a step away, Azriel entered her field of vision. She lost her smile by frowning. His face was twisted and his temples were beating against his cheeks. He was angry. 

"Turn around," Azriel ordered her, his face cold but authoritative.

Luxiana's face contorted further in confusion as Azriel tilted his head raising an eyebrow. "Will you make me repeat myself?"

The blonde shook her head vigorously as she turned around suddenly. There was something about this fae that made Luxiana want to obey her without question.

So Azriel grabbed his soulmate's hair in his hands and began to braid it.

The young woman's eyes widened as the Illyrian braided her hair perfectly and tightly. She could feel his anger in his sudden movements that made her head move jerkily.

Azriel grabbed the hair tie on his wrist—which he had stolen from her last night—before finishing the hairstyle with it. But instead of releasing it, he wrapped the entire braid around his fist to pull Luxiana's head back to him. He leaned down next to her ear. "I think I told you not to wear your hair down in front of anyone other than the three of us."

The blonde's eyes widened as she remembered. She had forgotten that he had told her that the night they had played cards and since yesterday he had told her that he preferred her like that, she had wanted to please him. She turned a falsely guilty pout towards the master spy but seeing his stern and authoritarian expression, she had to pinch her lips to not smile. She liked that too much. She gave him a perverse and provocative glance. "Oops, does this mean I'm going to be punished?"

Azriel raised an eyebrow, pleasantly surprised at first, before grabbing the back of Luxiana's head with his full hand to turn her savagely towards him. He possessively gripped her lower jaw with his other hand. "Yes, that's what you do to a bad girl, you punish them, but believe me you won't like my punishments."

Luxiana smiled as she leaned her head towards Azriel. "I'll have to judge it myself." She put on an innocent face. "For purely experimental and educational purposes, of course."

Violent excitement exploded in Azriel's lower abdomen, burning his muscles one by one. She wanted him to punish her. He vibrated with impatience as his erection grew harder and bigger and his breathing became labored.

Cassian laughed as he grabbed Luxiana by the hips to push her and extract her from his brother's hold - who released her with difficulty. "This is not the place for that," the commander of the armies laughed again as he sat his soul mate on a chair around the immense table and sat down next to her.

Amren sat down in front of them and Rhysand, a big smile on his lips, sat down on the other side of his high lady.

But there was no way Azriel was going to be far from his soulmate. He smirked as he noticed everyone else settling around the table for dinner. He had to show them she was his. He pulled Luxiana's chair out to grab the blonde by the hips, lifting her up, sitting on her chair and placing her sitting on his thighs. He pressed his princess's back to his chest, wrapping his arms around her pelvis.

All the others - who were trying to resume their discussions - still gave them shocked glances. It couldn't be every day that a high lord kissed a woman only to have his brothers touching her and kissing her right after. Azril's smile widened as he placed a kiss on his soulmate's cheek - who was also looking at him in astonishment over her shoulder.

Dinner appeared before them. Luxiana wanted to grab the fork to start eating but Azriel grabbed her wrist to lower her hand, take the fork and the knife. He cut the meat -wrapping his body around the blonde's- then he amused himself by feeding a blushing Luxiana.

Cassian and Rhysand sneered at each other as they held back a laughter. Luxiana, noticing this, slapped Cassian on the shoulder in reprimand.

Azriel shook his head, smiling at their nonsense. They knew what his brothers thought of what he was doing, but he couldn't help it. He wanted to take care of his wife. "How was your day?" he whispered in her ear, asking what she had done.

Luxiana, with Azriel's hot breath on her ear and his erection that she felt under her buttocks, had a burning stomach. But, with a serious air, she threw a glance at Tarquin at the end of the table before throwing one at Rhysand.

The high lord understood and imperceptibly deployed his power towards her and her brothers. "What's going on?"

"I found the book," she assured in their heads but she began to speak out loud at the same time to say: "We went to eat ice cream with Amren and go for a walk but after I wanted a pancake,..."

The three Illyrians' eyes widened as they straightened up. "Do you know where the book is?" Rhysand shouted telepathically.

Cassian didn't know what to listen as Luxiana continued to speak out loud and in their minds at the same time. "What?" he almost shouted in his brain.

Luxiana continued to speak out loud but she added in their heads, "Don't pay attention to what I say out loud, it's so as not to appear suspicious to others."

The three Illyrians surprised themselves before smiling in admiration at their soulmate. She spoke and moved with facial expressions as if she was really telling her day while she was discussing something else with them in their heads. It was strong. Very strong and even Rhys did not master this art as well.

"Tarquin told me of a library where his court had been collecting ancient documents and information for generations," she continued. "I infiltrated it this afternoon."

The three Illyrians, who were listening attentively, raised their eyebrows before remembering what she had told them a few days ago. That she was a mercenary. They would have to get used to it. But Luxiana continued. "Of course, given the pitiful level of security surrounding the place, I did not expect to find the second part of the book there. I did, however, find the memories of Tarquin's ancestors, which said very clearly where they had locked the book. In the strange little monument isolated on the small island in the center of the sea next door."

Cassian's gaze grew even more as he looked at her.

Azriel frowned. “This could be a trap.”

Rhysand nodded. "Do you think this information is reliable?" he asked Luxiana, trying not to smile as she talked about her chocolate pancake she had eaten this afternoon and found it divinely good.

Luxiana smiled wryly without answering them. As she explained to them how the chocolate had melted on her tongue and how much she loved Amren who had paid it for her, she discreetly grabbed Rhys' hand to press it on her bare thigh - uncovered by her slit dress.

Rhys tilted his head as a wicked smile played on his lips and a glint lit in his eyes.

Luxiana moved his hand up her thigh, before sliding it under her dress, and onto her other thigh. And when Rhysand's fingers came into contact with a square-shaped leather case, his expression changed completely. He frowned as he regained his seriousness and understood that his soulmate did not have a dirty idea behind her head.

Then she placed Rhys' hand fully on the case. The lord - although he could tell from the shape under his fingers that the thing was a book - felt a magical force calling to him from beneath his palm.

Luxiana stopped talking to smile mischievously at Rhys. "Yes, the information was reliable."

Rhysand's eyes widened as he lifted his back off his chair, tensing in surprise. "You already stole the second part of the book," he breathed in shock and while it could have been a question, it sounded more like a statement.

Azriel and Cassian frowned in turn as their gazes flickered between Rhysand and Luxiana in confusion. "What?" the commander of armies shouted.

“Have you already stolen the book?” Azriel asked, more than surprised.

Luxiana smirked as she turned to him. "I told you I was an excellent thief."

"The best I've ever seen," Amren added, joining the discussion through Rhys and raising his glass of wine to Luxiana. "I was with her." she elaborated under the lost gazes of the three males towards her.

Luxiana laughed, "It wasn't very complicated, the protections around the book weren't extraordinary."

Cassian's mouth hung open before closing it to smile in awe as his eyes shone with adoration and wonder, mirroring Rhysand's expression.

A flash of realization flashed through Azriel's pupils. "Wait, did you steal the first part of the book too? That's why it wasn't detected that day until you mentioned it. And that's why you weren't there during the meeting with the queens, right?"

Luxiana smiled proudly as she nodded, “As soon as Feyre told me about Hybern, I monopolized all my resources and did my research. I’m a very good spy so I found out that the queens were working for the king. And so, she wouldn’t have given you the book.” She shrugged. “So I stole it from them and they still don’t realize it.”

Cassian let out a surprised laugh but his heart was pounding. "Woah," he exclaimed, so amazed that his mouth was hanging open. His soulmate was out of this world. She had just stolen one of the most precious treasures from a high lord and queens and they still hadn't even realized it. And by heavens,..."the nerve it takes to bring that book here."

Luxiana turned a mischievous look towards him. "He's safer with me and I wrapped him in a magical cloth that hides his power, no one should detect it. And if they did, then I would just have to neutralize them all."

“Beautiful,” Cassian marveled. He was going to marry this woman.

Azriel shook his head as his chest burned with admiration, adoration, and love as he detailed his soulmate. She was so gifted and strong and they were surely light years away from the truth. Especially if Amren said so. He grabbed her legs to turn her sideways on him, facing Rhysand and back to Cassian.

He grabbed her head with one of his hands, placing his palm on the side of her skull to push her towards him and give her a kiss on the temple. Then he placed her head on his chest, wrapping his arms around her. He couldn't help himself.

Rhysand had frozen. He watched his soulmate in his brother's arms without being able to help but smile. His chest vibrated with relief and happiness. She was so perfect for them. So strong for him. He leaned towards her to place a long and sweet kiss on the blonde's lips, making her blush.

She hid her face in Azriel's chest - who laughed with joy at the feeling of her doing that.

"Now that we have the book, we shouldn't stay here," Amren suggested, taking a sip of his wine.

Rhysand cleared his throat as he nodded and grew serious again. He stood up and Cassian, Azriel—setting Luxiana back on her feet—and Amren stood up as well. “Excuse us, Tarquin,” Rhysand apologized. “We have an emergency, we need to leave.”

Tarquin blinked in surprise as he cast astonished glances at his subjects. "Now? Can't it wait until tomorrow?"

"Unfortunately, no, we must return right away. It was a pleasure. Thank you for your welcome," the night lord added before heading towards the balcony wide open on the room.

Amren teleported to Velaris without further procedure.

Azriel grabbed Luxiana's hand to lead her to the balcony but before the shadowsinger grabbed her, it was Cassian who grabbed the blonde to take her in his arms and fly away.

Azriel growled and Rhysand rolled his eyes before following them back home to Velaris.

As they flew at full speed, Cassian had wrapped his arms around the blonde's back, chest pressed against her torso. She had wrapped her legs around the Illyrian's hips but had spread her arms and tilted her head back, closing her eyes and enjoying the wind in her hair.

Azriel flew alongside them, smiling as Rhysand passed beneath her to turn belly up to the sky. "Do you like flying?" the lord asked his soulmate.

Luxiana nearly broke her neck to look at him beneath her. "I love it," their soulmate cried, laughing happily. "It makes me so happy." But her expression suddenly faded and she lost her smile as a shade of sadness weighed down her irises.

The three Illyrians noticed this change, frowned as Luxiana raised her head to press it into Cassian's neck, resting her forearms on his chest.

“Are you okay, princess?” Azriel asked worriedly.

Luxiana nodded, trying to think about something other than her broken heart. "I'm okay, I just had blood rushing to my head."

Cassian, not believing it for a single second, grimaced in worry as he glanced at his brothers. But he raised one of his hands to the back of Luxiana's skull to stroke her hair, hoping to reassure her.

And it worked. Luxiana suddenly felt so good. So calm. Nothing that had happened to her mattered anymore. "If you do this, I'll fall asleep."

Cassian smirked as he hugged her a little tighter to warm her up while continuing to massage her head. "Then sleep, my treasure," he whispered to her.

And Luxiana fell asleep.

[icarusflewsworld]

Rhysand & Cassian & Azriel X OC

Hello, here is the chapter 28 of a fanfiction on the world of Acotar where our three favorite Batboys are the mates of a single woman.

I'm really sorry for the delay. I was sick and I have to revise for exams in February and March, so there will only be one chapter (maybe two since I have no self control and I always write too much) on Sunday January 26th.

I really hope you liked these chapters! Don't hesitate to leave comments even bad ones (not mean please), it allows me to know what's wrong and to improve especially on the sex scenes because I feel like I'm really too bad at that. I had a lot a lot a lot of trouble writing this last chapter lol.

In any case thank you for your reading, your time, your votes and especially your comments. You are all so kind and I am so shocked every time but it makes me so so happy. Love you. Have a wonderful week end and good luck for all you have to go through. ❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹

! Don't forget to read the previous and following chapters ! : Here

🚫THERE IS HUGE SMUT SCENE IN THIS CHAPTER ! DO NOT READ IT IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO, IF YOU ARE UNDER THE LEGAL AGE OR IF YOU ARE JUST NOT ALLOWED TO -> PASS DIRECTLY TO THE FOLLOWING CHAPTER !🚫

Hope you will enjoy !

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Chapter 28

He grabbed her by passing his forearm under her buttocks to lift her and stick her to his chest without breaking the kiss. He then headed towards the closest room of the five, his own.

Azriel and Rhysand kept their eyes on their brother kissing their soulmate. They could feel Cassian's arousal coursing through their own veins and knew what he was thinking without him even having to say it. And damn, they wanted it too. They were dying for it too. If she didn't stop them, they were going to show her that she was theirs and they were hers.

Azriel wanted to try. He hoped with all his heart that she wanted him too. He pushed past them to open the door to the room for them, rushing into the room before them, followed by Cassian and Rhys who kicked the door shut.

Cassian, breaking their kiss with a disappointed moan from Luxiana, dropped her onto the mattress, causing her to bounce. She propped herself up on her elbows, breathing fast and cheeks flushed as she looked around the room at the three Illyrians around her. Azriel behind her, Cassian in front, and Rhysand to her right in front of the door.

She didn't know what was happening but she loved it. She didn't know what was happening but she wanted more. So much more. She wanted them to show her what it meant to be theirs. She wanted to be theirs.

Cassian looked down at her from his height as he stood straight in front of her. His gaze was dark with desire as he took his time to admire the scene before him. He had dreamed of this moment for months. Ever since he had met her and he was finally going to be able to taste her. His heart was pounding like a mad beast in his chest. And his already erect cock was pulsing non-stop in his pants.

Azriel, behind her, was trying to control his emotions, to take his time and not let impatience get the better of him as he trembled. He was in such a hurry. So much. Finally. He took off his jacket to grab it by the collar and carefully place it on the chair in the corner of the room. He was hot. So hot. He even felt like he couldn't breathe properly anymore.

When Luxiana turned her head to look at him, he grabbed the ends of his shirt sleeves to fold them and gently lift them up to his elbows as he devoured his soulmate with his eyes, planting an impatient, lustful and authoritarian gaze in hers.

Luxiana followed Azriel's movements with her pupils, swallowing hard. Since when had these simple gestures been so sexy. A movement to her right caught her attention. Rhysand.

He put one knee on the bed to lean towards Luxiana. He placed a hand on her cheek to slide it to the back of her neck and support her head towards him. “Tell us to stop, Luxiana. Because if you don’t, there’s no turning back for the four of us after this.”

Luxiana looked down for a second to think but she couldn't even do it. Everything was blurry in her head and at the same time everything was very clear. Thoughts were jostling in her brain but one thing was sure, she wanted to go further. She wanted them. It was her muscles, her guts, her heart that wanted them, that called them. Her heart accelerated.

“We will be yours and you will be ours in a completely different way,” Cassian added, his voice heavy with meaning.

“You’ll be ours entirely,” Azriel corrected, tilting his head to take in the blonde’s reactions. She was already theirs anyway. She was their soulmate. But she had to know that from now on, she couldn’t flirt with anyone but them.

Luxiana's chest began to sparkle with fireworks. She sat up on her knees and grabbed Rhysand's forearm as he held her. She looked up at him with big, bright eyes and began to blush. Was she really going to say that? She felt so intimidated all of a sudden. "I don't want you to stop."

The three males' breaths caught in their throats and their hearts felt like they were exploding in their chests as they were tickled through and through with excitement and joy.

Luxiana lowered her irises again. "Well, if you want to continue, of course," she mumbled under her breath. "I could understand if you don't want to, after all it might be weird to do this all together." She froze, widening her eyes and realizing a little more. It didn't sound weird to her. It seemed right. So perfect. Like this was how it was supposed to be. But that only made it even weirder. She raised her pupils to Rhysand. "It's even completely crazy, after all, isn't it?"

Rhysand, noticing her doubt in his eyes, shook his head. "No. No, it's not, not when it's the four of us. Not when it's the three of us with you."

Something lit up in Luxiana. She smiled. The three of them and her. It sounded good. So good. This was it. It made her heart beat strangely. She loved it. This idea of the three of them and her. "Then I don't want to stop." She turned her eyes to Azriel. "Make me yours entirely."

A discharge violently ran through Azriel from one end to the other with such abruptness that he shuddered and growled with pleasure, his member - which he had been holding back until then - swelled and pulsed in his pants all at once.

“Fuck,” Cassian swore with a small laugh. His muscles burned with the desire to throw himself at her and take her, to possess her, to make her scream his name and to give her pleasure but he wasn’t alone and most importantly, he had to take his time. This was his soulmate’s first time and he wanted to be gentle with her. And he wanted to enjoy it.

Rhysand was shaking with happiness. She accepted them. She wanted them. He wanted to grin with all his teeth and jump around but he was just paralyzed by excitement. He slid his hand from the back of the blonde's head to her chin which he grabbed to hold her head towards him then he kissed her. He first chastely placed his lips on the blonde's before running his tongue over them to ask for access. She opened her mouth without hesitation and her tongue tangled with his. He let himself fall on top of her to pin her back to the mattress while continuing to kiss her.

Then he separated from her to run his hands along the silhouette of his soul mate then slowly over her entire body. He went back up to her chest where he began to undo the lace of Luxiana's blouse which barely covered her breasts.

Slowly, he opened it to reveal Luxiana's sky blue mesh bra. Rhysand let out a hoarse groan that he didn't even think he could get out. She had even put on underwear in Tarquin's color, as if she belonged entirely to that bastard.

“I never want to see you in those colors again.” He ordered a little more curtly than he would have liked, planting a hard look in the blonde’s. But damn he hated it. This bitter taste in his mouth. This feeling in his chest that made him feel like he wasn’t worthy of his soulmate. “I never want to see you dressed for anyone but me again.”

Luxiana felt like she couldn't breathe anymore. Her nipples were so hard it almost hurt and her muscles were vibrating, tickling her whole body. She loved it. Those words, those gestures. She could feel her panties getting wet as her lower stomach itched.

She nodded vigorously, well aware that they could have asked her anything, she would have agreed. She hadn't even really heard what he had said anyway.

Cassian, taking advantage of the fact that his brother had left his soulmate's mouth, and his lips burning with desire for another kiss with the blonde, ended up putting his knees on the bed to lean towards Luxiana and kiss her in turn.

Rhysand glared at Cassian who had stolen his place but his brother couldn't see him, too busy devouring the blonde. The lord then set his eyes on Luxiana's exposed neck and something ignited in his belly. He then placed his lips on his soulmate's beating carotid to descend a trail of hot and wet kisses between her breasts and on her stomach, his fingers now busy undoing the laces of her skirt.

As the fabric of the latter opened to fall onto the mattress, Rhysand lowered his mouth a little lower on the blonde's stomach then on one of her thighs, moving his lips slowly up from her knee to her groin.

Luxiana was breathing heavily as the kisses the two brothers were giving her made her even wetter, electrifying her entire body almost painfully.

Azriel was filled with pleasure and he could feel his eyes darken a little more at the sight before him. His erection hurt in his pants but it was worth it. She was going to be theirs. Finally.

Cassian, while continuing to kiss Luxiana, biting her tongue and dancing with her, ran a hand behind her back to lift her slightly off the mattress. He hastily removed the shirt from his soulmate's arms and then skillfully unhooked her bra, which he grabbed by the middle and removed in turn.

He then let go of Luxiana's mouth to move away for a second and stare at her chest. "Fuck," he swore to place kisses on her neck while his large callused palm went up along his soulmate's stomach to press it on one of her breasts and start to knead it. He took another second to pull back, admiring the scene - not believing it - before throwing himself full mouth on the blonde's nipple, licking it, kissing it and pinching it with his teeth.

Luxiana arched her back, moaning at the explosion of sensation that was going through her, but she felt that something was missing. Azriel. She looked back at him to see him still standing next to the bed. He was examining Luxiana from beneath her brothers with a dark gaze, filled with desire. His breathing was slow and deep as if he was trying to control it when it was just asking to speed up.

When he saw Luxiana looking at him, he tilted his head with a smirk, planting his pupils in hers. He slowly brought his hands to his shirt, opening the buttons one by one before removing it very slowly - each of his movements being calculated and controlled - to throw it on the chair.

Luxiana moaned almost audibly as she detailed the Illyrian's naked, muscular torso with desire and longing. She wanted to swear because she found him so sexy but she couldn't even speak.

Rhysand grabbed the elastic of Luxiana's panties and hooked his fingers underneath to pull them down, sliding them down her legs and off her.

Luxiana looked down at Rhysand but he stepped back to admire her fully and Cassian did the same. The three Illyrians devoured her with dark gaze lingering on her breasts and the part between her legs. Their hurried breaths stopped for a long second and their hearts too. She was beautiful.

Luxiana felt herself blushing from head to toe and had to restrain herself from hiding. She wanted to hide herself but at the same time she wanted them to look at her.

“Fuck, you’re so beautiful,” Cassian groaned, gasping for air but not believing his eyes, unable to look away from his soulmate.

"Beautiful?" Rhysand repeated with a surprised and shocked tone as if his brother had just said the most insane thing in the world. "She's fucking perfect, moron."

A jolt of pleasure, joy, but embarrassment ran through Luxiana from head to toe. She turned around to lie on her stomach and hide from their burning pupils. She clapped her hands over her face, moaning. "Don't look at me like that!" But she only made things worse by revealing her sculpted buttocks and back to the three Illyrians.

Cassian swore, Ariel let out a guttural sound that sounded like a growl, and Rhysand's air caught in his chest. "I don't know what you're trying to do, sweetheart," Cassian said hoarsely, "but I like it a lot."

Luxiana then turned around suddenly, her eyes widening and realizing that they were now seeing her buttocks. She hid her breasts with her arms and part of her legs, making Cassian and Rhysand laugh tenderly.

Azriel climbed onto the bed and slid down to Luxiana. When the blonde raised her red face and bright eyes to him, the Illyrian's member pulsed in his pants. He grabbed her wrists to pull them down, uncovering her breasts and pinning them to the mattress above her head. "Don't hide, princess."

"It's your fault," the blonde pouted, trying to look angry.

Cassian leaned towards her, grabbing her face between his fingers to turn her head in his direction. "Do you know how long we've been dreaming of this moment, Luxiana?" He furtively kissed the blonde's lips before returning to her breasts. He was now gripping her hips with both hands to keep her still as he amused himself by teasing her nipples with his tongue.

Rhysand gripped the blonde's ankles to spread her legs. He leaned over her to place a kiss on his soulmate's knee, then higher on her thigh. "For far too long," he mumbled in response to his brother. He moved his kisses up slowly until he reached his soulmate's crotch. He blew on it and the hot air on Luxiana's sensitive part made her moan and wiggle in supplication under the three males.

She was shivering with excitement and she could feel herself contracting inside just from that. She wanted to move and touch them but Azriel was holding her arms too tightly.

Rhysand smirked at her reaction before placing a kiss on her lower lips. The high lord was vibrating with excitement and so were his two brothers. They had hoped and waited so long for this moment to come. Here it was at last. Rhysand was finally going to be able to taste her and he couldn't hold back any longer.

Greedily, he ran his tongue up and down Luxiana's slit, licking her wetness. He shivered at the blonde's moan and groaned at the taste. Sweet. She was sweet. Like her skin. Like her kisses. Like her personality. With his fingers, he spread her lower lips apart so he could place his lips on her clit in a soft kiss.

Luxiana was electrified once again. She arched her back. She wanted more.

Rhysand gave the blonde's flesh a hard lick and then amused himself by circling around and teasing it for a few minutes. He took his time and he looked up at his soulmate each time to delight in her expressions in response to what his brother and he were doing to her. Then he went his tongue down again all along his soulmate's part. He licked her wetness again and growled.

Cassian straightened up to give Rhysand a longing look. The bastard. He wanted to know what she was like from there too. What she tasted like. He was dying to know and almost wanted to ask his brother to describe it to him but no. He controlled himself a little. He wanted to find out for himself.

Rhys then placed his lips on her clitoris to start sucking and nibbling it then slowly, he penetrated a finger inside her, stretching it gently.

Luxiana moaned as she pressed her head against the mattress as she felt herself being tickled in every muscle. It was almost like torture. She moaned again but in a pleading manner this time. She wanted more and was frustrated that it wasn't going faster.

Azriel was still holding her wrists pinned to the bed above her head with one hand. With the other, he grabbed the blonde's chin between his fingers to lift her head towards him. He leaned forward towards her to whisper in her face. "You are such a perfect little princess." He brushed his lips against his soulmate's half-open ones before sliding them down her cheek to her ear. "Do you like what Rhysand and Cassian are doing to you?"

Luxiana nodded vigorously, letting out a high-pitched noise of agreement that made Azriel smile.

When Rhysand began to slowly move his finger back and forth inside her while he played with his tongue on her clitoris and Cassian kneaded her breasts, licked her nipples or every inch of skin on her stomach, Luxiana felt like she was going to explode. She had never felt such pleasant things all at the same time. She let out a moan too loud for her. She bit her lip to stop herself from moaning louder but Azriel, squinting at her lips, growled. Unable to resist any longer, he threw himself on her lower lip to bite it instead.

Luxiana opened her mouth, moaning in surprise and then allowing Azriel to kiss her, slipping his tongue into her mouth to start dancing with the blonde's.

Luxiana was overloaded with emotions and sensations as the three Illyrians had their hands and mouths on her. As Rhysand suddenly bent his finger inside her upwards to touch a special spot. As he inhaled her clitoris with his mouth. As Cassian licked and nibbled one of her burning nipples while kneading her other breast. And as Azriel devoured her mouth. Luxiana felt a wave of pleasure start from her lower abdomen to spread all over her in a feeling of ecstasy. She could only cum in Azriel's mouth while arching her back and spasmodically contracting all her muscles.

The spymaster broke the kiss to move away and admire with shining eyes the face of his soulmate in full orgasm. She was so beautiful. How could she be so beautiful like that?

As she finished and fell back onto the mattress, Azriel groaned in approval. "Such a good little princess."

Rhysand straightened up, pulling his long finger out from inside the blonde to put it in his mouth and lick it completely, tasting his soulmate once more as he gasped in pleasure.

Cassian couldn't bring himself to move away. He continued to lick Luxiana's pale skin. He could devour her. He lowered his mouth to her hip, biting it deeply, not enough to make her bleed but enough to leave a mark. Luxiana moaned softly, still immersed in the fog of her orgasm, but that little sound made Cassian's erection swell even more, even he didn't think that was possible. "How can your skin be so sweet?" he growled, releasing her skin from between his teeth.

Luxiana only answered with a sort of moan that made the three Illyrians laugh tenderly. Cassian finally straightened up to plant his eyes in those of his soul mate. "Should we stop there?"

Luxiana nodded her head from left to right hastily. "No," she pleaded. "I want more."

“Oh fuck,” Cassian almost screamed as he threw himself at Luxiana’s lips to kiss her.

Azriel slowly straightened up, growling. She wanted more and so did he. Damn. Nothing would stop him now. He stood up on his feet to slowly remove his pants. He was slow because he was trying to keep control over his muscles and his excitement that was just asking to give in and go fast. He also took off his underwear, revealing his long, thick member that -once freed- slammed against the Illyrian's lower abdomen. His erection was almost painful because it was so swollen. He had wanted to feel his soulmate from the inside and possess her like this for so long that he could cum now. He threw himself on the bed to grab Luxiana by the ribs and pull her towards him as if she weighed nothing.

“Hey,” Cassian protested, frustrated that his brother had interrupted his kiss.

But Azriel didn't answer as he sat on the edge of the mattress to sit his soulmate astride his thighs. He grabbed Luxiana's braid to remove her elastic, pass it to his wrist and slip his fingers into her white hair to undo her braid. "I prefer it when you have your hair down, princess."

As her loose locks fell over his soulmate's face, he grabbed them one by one to pass them behind her and press them to her skull while affectionately caressing his palms on her head. He detailed her with bright eyes while the blonde's breathing was rapid, her cheeks were red and her gaze pleading. "Are you sure you want to go further, princess?" he asked one last time in a soft voice while continuing to play with her hair.

"There's no turning back," Rhysand added, standing up to walk in front of Azriel and thus behind Luxiana. He grabbed her lower jaw with one of his hands to pull her head back, bending her neck so she could see him. "So what do you want?"

“I want you,” Luxiana moaned without even thinking twice.

Rhysand let out a guttural sound of satisfaction before leaning down to kiss Luxiana upside down.

Azriel placed a kiss on the exposed neck of his soulmate's in front of his nose before whispering near her ear: "What exactly do you want us to do to you then, princess?"

Luxiana separated from Rhysand who released her so that she could lower her head towards Azriel. She blushed as she eyed the Illyrian's bare chest. She placed her fingers on one of his pectorals then slid them along his abs to the V of his lower abdomen. A few millimeters from the spymaster's cock. She bit her lower lip. She wanted to touch him. She then lowered her fingers even lower and as her fingerprints were about to touch the tip of Azriel's cock, he grabbed her hand to move her away.

“Use your words, princess,” he smiled mischievously.

Luxiana blushed even more as she looked down and bit her lower lip. She couldn't believe what was happening. Determined, yet embarrassed, she fixed a pleading gaze on Azriel's tender one. "I want you inside me."

“Fuck, Az,” Cassian growled as he slid onto the bed beside them, “Stop playing around, take her or I’ll do it myself.”

Az let out a small laugh to try to hide how much he was shaking with impatience or how hard his heart was pounding against his chest. He released his soulmate to grab his cock in one of his hands. At the same time, Rhysand leaned forward, pinning his torso to his soulmate's back, wrapping one of his arms around Luxiana's stomach to lift her pelvis a little.

The spymaster was then able to position his cock at the entrance of his soulmate's vagina but he did not penetrate her. It was his first time, he did not want to hurt her. He wanted it to be done at his own pace. "You just have to lower your hips when you feel ready, princess."

Luxiana wasn't afraid. She felt strangely good and comfortable with the three of them and surprisingly, she wasn't even a little stressed. She was just filled with excitement and impatience. Without further ado -guided by Rhysand's hold on her stomach and Azriel's member that he kept held in place at her entrance- she let herself fall, pushing her hips onto Azriel's member.

A long high pitched moan escaped from between the blonde's lips as the tip of the Illyrian's wide member slowly penetrated the inside of Luxiana's vagina stretching her. The young woman's face contorted under the slight pain and the strange sensation.

“Easy, sweetheart, don’t hurt yourself,” Cassian implored with a worried face as he grabbed Luxiana’s hand and squeezed it.

Luxiana closed her eyes as she bent over to let her forehead fall on Azriel's shoulder, and stilled, unable to go any further. She was just paralyzed by the rush of sensation that made her feel like she was being electrified in her belly. "Please, do it."

Azriel growled, releasing his member, only the tip of which was buried in his soulmate, to run his hands over her back and caress her reassuringly. He kissed her temple tenderly. "It's going to be okay, princess." He looked up at Rhysand to nod at him.

The lord, understanding the message, grabbed Luxiana's hips and pushed towards Azriel, forcing his cock to sink a little deeper into her. The blonde contracted as she felt her hymen crack. "Shh, shh, shh, it's going to be okay," Rhysand reassured, placing a kiss on her shoulder. Luxiana felt a trickle of blood flow between her legs. Rhysand continued to press on his soulmate so that Azriel's cock could penetrate her entirely. She let out a long moan as she felt herself stretched from the inside - but she was so wet that the Illyrian's member slid into her without any problem - before moaning louder when the tip of Azriel's cock hit the bottom of her vagina.

The shadowsinger let out a long and huge groan as he felt his soulmate's walls surround him entirely, taking the shape of his member. "Fuck. You're such a good girl," he told her as he kissed her cheek before placing his palms on Luxiana's face to straighten her up and see her expression.

Her cheeks were so red and hot that she looked feverish. Her mouth was half open in search of air as her breathing was feverish. Her pupils were bright with desire. "Look at you, taking me all in like a good girl. I'm so proud of you, princess."

Something lit up in Luxiana's irises. She couldn't speak but she loved what Azriel was saying, it tickled the inside of her belly a little more intensely. She trembled as she felt herself on fire. She wanted to move.

"How does it feel to be inside her?" Cassian breathed harshly, only studying Luxiana with a dark gaze as his penis pulsed in his pants.

Azriel was having a hard time holding himself back from cumming as his cock kept sending jolts of pleasure through him and his muscles vibrated with bliss. He was finally inside her. "It's so fucking tight," he hissed through his clenched teeth. "So hot and wet but so, so tight."

"Fuck, asshole," Cassian cursed, closing his eyes and tensing himself to keep from coming in his pants at the thought of his soulmate's walls almost squeezing around his cock. He looked up at Rhysand. "Why did he get to take her first?"

Azriel growled, glaring at her, "shut up." It had to be him because he was sure he would at least be gentle with her. Cassian could have been clumsy and too abrupt because he was too rushed and impatient. And Rhysand wouldn't have wanted to be in his shoes.

Luxiana slowly getting used to the presence of Azriel's member inside her managed to let out a loud breath that calmed the three males. Rhysand leaned towards her to grab her chin and turn her head towards him and ask her, "Are you okay?"

Luxiana nodded softly, smiling with a fond look. Rhysand placed a simple kiss on her lips. "So when you feel ready, move up and down." His voice was hoarse, almost broken because of the arousal and impatience that was eating away at him. He even had trouble breathing.

Luxiana, just as impatient, bit her lower lip. Without taking her eyes off Rhysand, she leaned on her knees on the mattress to lift her hips slowly, extracting Azriel's member without making it come out completely before letting herself fall on him just as gently, sliding the Illyrian's cock inside her again.

Azriel let out a sort of low moan as he closed his eyes, enjoying the feeling of his soulmate's tight walls rubbing on his member.

Luxiana moaned as she felt herself still stretched from the inside and as fireworks exploded by the hundreds in her lower abdomen. Overwhelmed by pleasure she wanted to let herself fall on Azriel's chest but Rhysand still held her head firmly.

Azriel ran his hands down Luxiana's body, from her thighs to her hips, to her ribs and arms, enjoying his soulmate's soft skin and figure as he reveled in the moment. Reveled in the fact that he was one with his wife.

He swore out loud when Luxiana raised her hips faster to lower them onto him. He couldn't believe it was finally happening. He had taken his soulmate's first time and he hadn't given his brothers a chance. He hadn't even consulted with them, there was no way to say anything anyway. His soulmate's first time had to be his. She was his for the first time and for eternity. She was offering herself to him before the others and she would only be his first, from the beginning and forever. And he at least was sure that he would take care of her.

Luxiana moved her hips up and down faster and faster, moaning every time Azriel's cock sank all the way into her. She lowered her head at the rush of sensation, forcing the lord to let go of her face.

The fire that flowed through the young woman's veins intensified a little more and while she didn't believe it possible, her excitement climbed another notch.

Rhysand grabbed her hair and pulled it to the side and let it fall over one of her shoulders, completely exposing her back and one of her shoulder blades. He placed a kiss on the base of her neck then licked up and down the blonde's spine, devouring her sweet taste.

Cassian wanted to participate too. He wanted to touch her. While one of his hands was still holding his soulmate's, with the other, he placed his fingers on the top of her breast to go down to her nipple then to her stomach. He slipped his hand between the blonde's pelvis and Azriel's to place his middle finger on her clitoris.

Luxiana's insides reacted instantly to the pressure of Cassian's finger to contract around the spymaster's member.

"Fuck, man," the blue-sucking Illyrian swore as he almost came at the pressure. He couldn't hold it any longer. He gave a sudden thrust of his pelvis on his own, sending his cock deep into his soulmate.

Luxiana let out a small whimper as she felt herself exploding pleasantly from the inside. "Shh, shh, shh, princess," Azriel whispered in a reassuring voice, though filled with desire. He brushed the sweaty strands of hair away from her face again as he stroked her head with his palms. "It's okay." He gave a second powerful kidney thrust growling in pleasure as he felt his penis electrify his entire body. "Are you okay?"

Luxiana nodded softly, moaning. She loved this, damn it. "More," she begged.

Azriel then didn't wait any longer to give quick and powerful pelvic thrusts, rubbing his member inside his soulmate and slamming into the bottom as if his life depended on it.

“Azriel,” Luxiana moaned, closing her eyes as pleasure washed over her.

Cassian began to circle Luxiana's clitoris, playing with it with his middle finger, then pressing and rubbing it, plunging Luxiana a little more into a feeling of crazy ecstasy.

Rhysand was kissing and licking her back, sending tickles throughout the blonde's body. He slipped his hand between Azriel and Luxiana to grab one of her breasts before kneading it then caressing her nipple with his fingertips and pinching it gently between his index finger and thumb.

Azriel -using his feet to push off the ground and the mattress to bounce- wrapped his arms around her belly to hold her in place and start pounding her hard, faster and deeper.

Cassian rubbed Luxiana's clit a little harder.

The blonde couldn't hold it any longer, she came. Her heart stopped and her breath caught in her throat as the pleasure took over her completely. Her muscles spasmodically contracted and she threw her head back.

Azriel, feeling his soulmate's walls tighten around his member, sending a discharge of fire into him, made his hip thrusts even wilder and more abrupt, hitting the bottom violently. Unable to hold back any longer, he came inside her, his abs contracting and his penis pulsing inside her as he poured his seed into her.

Rhysand bit Luxiana's shoulder to keep from cumming in his pants at the beautiful sound his soulmate had made as she came.

Cassian gritted his teeth as he greedily detailed the face of his soulmate who was enjoying herself, memorizing her features. He had never felt so excited by the sight of a woman taken by another man but this time it was almost unbearable. He felt like he couldn't breathe anymore.

Luxiana's muscles suddenly relaxed and she fell forward onto Azriel's chest as Rhysand released her to stand up. The blonde's head was in a cloud of ecstasy and her heart, which had stopped, began beating far too quickly against her ribs.

The blue-sip Illyrian tightened his arms around his soulmate, caressing her back with his palms. He was out of breath, his shoulders rising and falling rapidly in time with his breathing. "You were perfect, princess." He straightened her up and then brushed the blonde's hair that fell over her face. "Are you okay?!"

Luxiana, still out of breath, nodded but managed to smile while blushing. "That was so good."

Azriel chuckled before kissing Luxiana tenderly on the lips.

But, hearing his soulmate's words, Cassian growled. "Okay, fuck, my turn now." He grabbed the blonde by the hips to pull her towards him. Luxiana moaned as she felt Azriel's member come out of her still sensitive vagina.

“Cass,” the spymaster growled with a glare as his brother had just interrupted his kiss with his soulmate.

Cassian ignored it to put the blonde - still numb from her second orgasm - lying on her back in parallel in the bed next to Azriel. Luxiana let out a small laugh despite everything as Cassian threw himself on her to carry himself entirely on her body and kiss her with his tongue.

But Rhysand grabbed Cassian by the shoulder to pull him towards him and stand him up on his two feet. "Nope," the high lord refused.

“What?” Cassian gasped, shocked.

Luxiana let out a frustrated groan as she pushed herself up onto her elbows and glared at Rhysand and Cassian. “Stop interrupting my kisses!”

The lord smiled at him tenderly. "It was your first time," he explained, "everything that's happened is already too much."

Cassian groaned in resignation. He was going to be frustrated for life but he was right.

Only, Luxiana made a pleading pout. "But I want more. I want you too."

"Okay, whatever," Rhysand growled, pushing Cassian away to drop on top of his soulmate, towering over her and pinning her to the mattress, kissing her.

“Bastard,” Cassian yelled at his brother who had just stolen his spot.

Luxiana responded to the lord's kiss but ran her hands down Rhysand's torso to unbutton his black shirt. Once done, Rhysand ended up hastily removing the shirt himself.

The blonde moved away, pushing her head into the mattress as best she could to take a step back and examine Rhys' torso with her fingers. She bit her lower lip, enjoying the hard, firm texture of the lord's abs. She finally lowered her hands to the zipper of Rhys' pants, where a bulge was deforming the fabric, to undo the laces and open them impatiently. But Rhysand grabbed her wrists to stop her. "Are you really sure, sure, sure, my love?"

Luxiana let out a frustrated cry as she rolled her eyes. "Stop asking that. You can do whatever you want with me! Okay? Whatever. This is what I want."

Rhysand just wanted one last confirmation and his soulmate's words went far beyond his expectations. He groaned, vibrating with joy and excitement. He himself hastily removed his pants before slipping between his soulmate's thighs.

Azriel dropped onto his back to lie next to his soulmate, putting his face to hers to examine her as Rhysand threw himself on top of her to kiss her. He never thought he would enjoy seeing his wife being kissed or touched by another man, but damn, he was so turned on by the sight and so eager to see his soulmate cum again that he was already hard again down there.

Rhysand grabbed his member between his fingers to rub it up and down slowly while taking a step back to observe the blonde's part. He groaned at the impatience and the idea that he was finally going to enter her. He rubbed the tip of his penis on Luxiana's clitoris before lowering his tip to her entrance. He inserted himself into her slowly and deeply. Penetrating her all the way to the end. She was so wet that Rhys' member slid almost by itself inside.

Luxiana didn't believe it was possible but as if the sensations were increased tenfold after her orgasms, she felt her lower abdomen explode with pleasure. She let out a long, noisy sigh.

Rhys had all his muscles contracted and his eyes closed to the pleasure that paralyzed him. He could cum just like that so much he had waited for this moment and it was so much better than in all his dreams. She was so tight and seemed to have been made to wrap herself perfectly around his cock and take it entirely. The lord did not move, despite dying to, to wait for his soulmate to get used to his presence in her and to the different position that brought different sensations than she had had with Azriel.

Luxiana then began to move her hips on her own, her lower stomach and her inner part itching with excitement. “Rhys,” she implored.

Rhysand began to make slow and deep back and forth movements inside Luxiana, his hips rolling between the blonde's thighs who automatically wrapped her legs around the brunette's pelvis to accentuate the penetration.

Azriel -still lying next to her- was enjoying his soulmate's expressions and her moaning, pleasure-filled face. He ran his hands through the white locks on Luxiana's head to caress it, thinking about all the things he was going to do to her when his brothers would not be there to watch. "You're such a good girl, look," he breathed with admiration and pride as he placed his hand on the back of the blonde's head to lift it up so she could see Rhys' member coming out and entering her. "Look, how you take Rhysand's cock like an incredible, brave little princess."

Luxiana was even more excited by the vision Azriel was showing her. She moaned louder and louder. "Rhys, please," she begged breathlessly, wanting more.

Cassian had crossed his arms and started pacing around the room. He couldn't help but stare, but he had to concentrate with all his might not to moan into his pants. It should have been him. He couldn't take it anymore and it was pure torture.

Rhysand placed his thumb on Luxiana's clitoris to rub it up and down, matching the rhythm of his rolling hips that were accelerating. He was even faster, pushing himself into her deeply, further but delicately. His penis rubbing the upper wall of his soulmate's vagina with finesse and in a way that made the blonde roll her eyes.

She felt herself being overwhelmed by all the sensations she was experiencing as her entire body burned and trembled under some sort of strange current. As if fireworks were exploding all over her. Her muscles contracted as she opened her legs as wide as possible to accentuate Rhys' penetrations which were becoming more abrupt.

Pleasure washed over her again, she threw her head back on the mattress, moaning the lord's name as her stomach exploded and her abs were already starting to ache. Her walls tightened further, squeezing Rhysand's member a little tighter.

Feeling her coming, the fae accelerated her hip thrusts. The pleasure began to rise in him, making his penis pulse, contracting his abs and making his hip thrusts suddenly rougher, stiffer and brutal before stopping while the ecstasy invaded him in turn entirely by sending waves of explosive pleasure in him. He moaned as he poured into his soulmate while his muscles were still shaking with orgasm.

Rhysand collapsed on top of Luxiana, out of breath and strength. The blonde stared into space, absent and clouded by pleasure as her mind felt like it had left her body. She was shaking with all her might and she felt dizzy with her head in the clouds. This was the best night of her life.

Meanwhile and waiting for her to recover a little, Cassian undressed completely carelessly. His movements were clumsy and rushed as his muscles were tense and he was just focused on not cumming impatiently for what was going to happen. He was finally going to possess his soul mate. This woman so beautiful and strong and sexy and crazy.

Azriel pushed Rhysand by the shoulder so that he turned and landed on the mattress, on the other side of Luxiana and so that he wouldn't crush her.

Rhysand let himself be pushed, barely conscious. He turned his head towards his soulmate who was having difficulty breathing and her eyes were shining with tears. Noticing it, the lord was electrified through and through by a wave of adrenaline. He lost his goofy smile and suddenly got up on one of his elbows to place his palm on the blonde's cheek and turn her head towards him. "What's wrong?" he shouted in panic.

Luxiana licked her dry lips before snickering. “Nothing,” she managed to say, shaking her head gently. “On the contrary,” she managed to tear her gaze away from the void to into Rhysand’s pupils. “It was incredible.”

She never would have guessed that she would want to cry one day because of repeated orgasms but her body seemed overstimulated and even more sensitive each time.

But most of all, she wanted to cry because she had never felt as comfortable with a man as she did with the three of them. As good and as cherished as she did with the three of them. She never thought she could take this step with a man after what had happened to her mother.

Rhysand breathed a relieved smile before placing a kiss on Luxiana's nose and then deflecting his lips to her mouth to kiss her, but before he could place them on it, Cassian grabbed Luxiana by the ankles to pull her towards him at the edge of the bed.

Luxiana let out a cry of surprise as she was dragged before starting to laugh softly when she saw that it was Cassian who had pulled her.

"Cass" Rhys growled in frustration as he dropped down to where his soulmate had been a few seconds ago.

Cassian didn't pay attention to it, throwing himself full mouth on his soulmate and kiss her trying to dominate her tongue. He separated to growl at her, "Do you know how much I wanted you from the first time I saw you? How much I wanted to take you in every fucking position possible? And how much I wanted to make you cum on my cock again and again until you couldn't take it anymore?"

Luxiana's heart skipped a beat. She knew too well because she too had wanted it from the beginning. She took on a defiant and falsely innocent air to answer with an energy that she did not know where it came from. "No I don't know, show me!"

Cassian raised an eyebrow for a microsecond before something in his gaze imploded. He reacted immediately. He growled as he savagely grabbed Luxiana by the back of her neck and roughly flipped her over and placed her on her stomach, her legs hanging off the bed in a perfect right angle on the mattress. The bed base was the perfect size for Cassian, allowing his axes to be perfectly aligned with those of his soulmate.

The Illyrian took a second to observe the silhouette of his soulmate's back covered with her white hair as well as her rounded buttocks.

With one hand, he roughly grabbed one of Luxiana's buttocks, which he kneaded for a few seconds, savoring the texture. Then with his other hand, he grabbed his member to guide it towards Luxiana's entrance and, without a warning, push it deep into his soulmate's vagina in one go.

Cassian groaned as he felt her warm, wet walls finally around him and heard Luxiana let out a moan so loud it was almost a scream. The blonde felt electrocuted with ecstasy quite differently in this position as she felt stimulated by Cassian's cock deep inside her. And the abrupt way he had thrust into her.

Then without further ado, unable to resist any longer, Cassian began to thrust back and forth abruptly, wildly, powerfully but quickly inside her.

Feeling him forcefully penetrate her as the Illyrian's testicles slapped against her clit, she buried her head in the mattress to muffle her cries. She was shaking and her tears began to rise because of the influx of sensation that was still going through her. Her lower abdomen was on fire, drowned in molten lava. Her overly sensitive nipples were pointed and hard against the sheets and the friction on it killed Luxiana a little more. She clung with all her strength with her fists to the sheets to hold herself back under the powerful blows who sent her back and forth.

Cassian, not liking that she was burying her screams in the bed, held her by the hips with one hand while with the other, he grabbed her hair to wrap it around his fist up to her skull. He pulled on it and lifted her head up, causing the blonde to moan in pain at her tingling scalp. Then Cassian released her hair to grab her lower jaw and be able to grip it properly so that he could pound her deeply as he wanted.

Azriel smiled as he slid up to his soulmate, positioning himself in front of her face. His erection throbbed painfully, making him groan as he noticed Luxiana's watery eyes, her disheveled hair, and her tomato red cheeks. "So you like it rough, huh?"

Luxiana, so moaning, trembling, weakened and her body bouncing to Cassian's powerful thrusts could only nod vigorously.

"That's good to know," Rhysand chuckled softly as he watched the scene from before but only lust resonated in his purple pupils. It was so exciting that he was already so hard and horny again as he had just had the best orgasm of his life, without a hint of mirth.

Azriel wanted to continue to see the face of his soul mate but under the wave of pleasure that invaded her suddenly, forcing her to contract her muscles with such force that Cassian had to release her so that she could stick her face back in the sheets, Luxiana came while screaming the name of the Illyiren behind her.

Feeling her walls tighten around his cock and when he couldn't hold back any longer, Cassian thrust harder and harder into his soulmate and then let go, moaning as he spilled into her as his entire body shook.

Out of breath, he let himself fall on top of her but feeling the soft and sculpted body of his soulmate beneath him, he hardened again directly inside her. He growled "Tell me you don't want more and that you're tired before we take you all night on every fucking piece of furniture in this room," he whispered in her ear in a broken voice.

Luxiana shook her head and she didn't even see the other two looking at her hopefully waiting for an answer, too focused on recovering from her orgasm. Her head was spinning, she was shaking and she was already hurting everywhere. She felt like she couldn't take it anymore but at the same time, she wanted more. She didn't want it to stop. "I won't say anything then," she said, throwing a mischievous sideways glance at Cassian over her shoulder.

"Fuck," the three Illyrians swore to one man. They were going to have the best night of their lives and they were going to make their soulmate love every second of it. They were going to show her how much they loved her. How much she meant to them. How much she was theirs and they were hers.

And they did. All night until Luxiana fell asleep in the early morning after yet another orgasm.

[icarusflewsworld]

Rhysand & Cassian & Azriel X OC

Hello, here is the chapter 27 of a fanfiction on the world of Acotar where our three favorite Batboys are the mates of a single woman.

I'm really sorry for the delay. I was sick and I have to revise for exams in February and March, so there will only be one chapter (maybe two since I have no self control and I always write too much) on Sunday January 26th.

I really hope you liked these chapters! Don't hesitate to leave comments even bad ones (not mean please), it allows me to know what's wrong and to improve especially on the sex scenes because I feel like I'm really too bad at that. I had a lot a lot a lot of trouble writing this last chapter lol.

In any case thank you for your reading, your time, your votes and especially your comments. You are all so kind and I am so shocked every time but it makes me so so happy. Love you. Have a wonderful week end and good luck for all you have to go through. ❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹

! Don't forget to read the previous and following chapters ! : Here

Chapter 27

It was the next day and it was almost ten o'clock in the morning.

The three Illyrians were waiting for Luxiana to go to the Summer Court. They were standing in the hall of the Town House, stoic and tired. They had thought hard all night about their soulmate, about what she had done yesterday and what they had learned about her. They had thought without really being able to rest.

Feeling all three anxious, they had found themselves in Rhys' room to discuss it. But when they had found themselves there at three, Luxiana's absence had been felt even more and had become even more burdensome. And that while she was in the next room.

They missed her, but she wanted to leave and there was nothing they could do about it. It was clear to them anyway. It was too late for them. Their soulmate was full of secrets but this new side of her that they had been able to glimpse yesterday did not change the handsome, sunny woman she had been with them. The more they had thought about it, the more they had understood that she had never hidden what she was capable of anyway. It had always been the Illyrians who had underestimated her. But now, it was different. They would not make that mistake again and now believed her when she said she was cruel.

That said, she remained a fragile human.

It was Azriel who had reminded his brothers of this fact last night. He had been completely surprised, of course, because of what she had done and who she had become. But the Illyrian had ended up being so reassured. Finally, he had seen the vulnerability in his soulmate's pupils and he did not forget that she was his fragile little human, but she knew how to fight. So that would mean that she would be able to defend herself one day if they were not there to protect her.

But what had lightened in Azriel's chest yesterday wasn't just about that. It was the weight of guilt and regret that had left him. His soulmate wasn't as innocent as he thought and in fact, her hands might be as dirty as his. He wouldn't sully her with his cruelties but he had made a promise to himself that he would do everything he could to ensure that she wouldn't have to get her fingers dirty anymore. She was his little princess and he would take good care of her. There was no turning back for him now. He loved her.

Cassian had a bright gaze straight ahead and a dreamy look on his face. His soulmate was downright bad ass and he loved it. She was cruel. Oh so mean and strong… One of the best human mercenaries she had said? Oh he believed her. He was so proud. Out of all the fragile little humans, his was brave enough to be a mercenary. And the way she had ripped off the Attor's wings with vengeance and rage burning in her irises… She was so sexy. She was so perfect and so strong for them.

And she would be even more terrifying at their side. The first human who will bring the world to its knees and the other high lords and she is his soul mate. He loved discovering a little more of her secrets each time and was delighted to see that she seemed to have a whole bunch more.

Rhysand had a lot on his mind. He hadn't slept for several days and although the attack on his city, the betrayal of the human queens, the protection of the wall and a future counterattack against Hybern were all on his mind and disturbing him, it was mainly because of his soulmate that he couldn't sleep.

He needed to have her close to him but he felt like she was just hiding things from them. He knew she was his soulmate but could he trust her when she lied to them so openly and when she could be so… dangerous? He was sure that, like she had told him yesterday, as long as he stayed on her side, she wouldn't betray him, but he was afraid that their opinions would diverge one day.

Like yesterday. He had ordered her not to tear off the Attor's wings, but she had done it without even hesitating… And smiling. Of course, he had ordered her not to do it just because he was afraid she would feel bad afterwards, but he had felt great satisfaction in seeing the creature that had made him suffer so much, cry.

And by the cauldron, he had been reassured when his soulmate had assured him that she was cruel. And that strength he had seen in her gaze had lit something in the lord's chest. Something that now assured him 100% that his Luxiana would be his perfect high lady.

But he had gone way too far with her yesterday. He regretted his words so much. Of course, she hadn't reminded him of Amarantha. She never could. They were so different. But he had been so angry that she wouldn't obey him and that she would put her good conscience on the line for a stupid revenge, that he had wanted to make her understand that what she had done was wrong.

He had been relieved to see how strong and evil she could be. But while he hadn't imagined it and had thought it would hurt her to tear a creature's wings, now he regretted every word he said. She had looked so angry yesterday and she wanted to leave them then. He didn't want to hurt her and even less for her to distance himself from him.

Besides, the service she owed them would soon be done and they would have no more excuses to keep her around when she will ask to return to Tamlin. But at the same time, things far more important than their happiness were at stake, time was running out against Hybern. Especially now that Rhysand knew the king had the cauldron and the human queens were on his side.

And then they hoped to eventually find a solution to keep her with them.

Luxiana joined them in the hall. The three Illyrians couldn't help but stare at her greedily. They would never get used to her beauty. She wore a flared skirt, light and short, reaching mid-thigh and a breast cover that revealed far too much skin on her stomach and shoulders. But above all, the fabric was turquoise and white. The colors of Tarquin and the clothes of his court.

Rhysand gritted his teeth. "That color doesn't suit you," he said simply, not wanting to sound mean but unable to hide his hissing voice.

Luxiana froze in her stride. Her heart broke a little, but she didn't show it. She glanced at herself, grimacing. "For real? Damn! I should change, then." She had to be pretty to seduce Tarquin and she had thought she looked pretty good, but a male opinion was surely more revealing.

Cassian rolled his eyes as he placed his hand on his soulmate's back to pull her towards the exit of the mansion. "Don't listen to him, you're beautiful," the Illyrian corrected.

“He’s right,” Azriel insisted. “You are very beautiful, princess. A little too much, even.” He clasped his hand above his brother’s on his soulmate’s back to lean towards Luxiana and give her a kiss on the cheek. He hadn’t been able to resist, her soft skin had called out to him so much.

The blonde lowered her head, smiling and blushing. She was so happy to see that their behavior hadn't changed with her since yesterday. It had been worrying her all night. She hoped so much that they didn't hate her. She really liked them. "Are you sure? I dressed like this to please Tarquin."

The three Illyrians froze, tensing their muscles and gritting their teeth. Cassian slowly turned a wide gaze towards Luxiana. "I take back what I said then."

"Me too!" Azriel exclaimed, frowning and crossing his arms. Why would she want to please Tarquin?? "Finally, you should change."

Luxiana narrowed her eyes, then shook her head, giving up on trying to understand. "No time, it'll be fine." She walked ahead of them out of the building and stood outside on the steps of the entrance. She turned to the three who had followed her. "We should fly in, especially if Hybern can detect your power, Rhysand."

The lord grimaced. She didn't call him “Rhysand” anymore, or she only did it when she was angry or wanted to put distance between them. And the voice she had used was cold. He fucking hated it. He reached up to brush a strand of hair—escaped from his soulmate’s ponytail—behind her ear and ran his finger under her earlobe and over the angle of her jaw to her chin. “It’s Rhys, love, please.” He couldn’t stand the fact that she wanted to put distance between them.

“Listen,” Rhysand continues, dropping his arm back to his side. “I’m sorry for my reaction yesterday, I shouldn’t have. You have nothing to do with Amarantha, ever.”

Luxiana smiled sadly, her cheeks still heating. The high lord of the night court was apologizing to her when he had done nothing wrong. How cute was that? "You don't have to apologize,... Rhys," she sighed, emphasizing his nickname and lightening the lord at the same time. "You were right to react like that and I understood why you did it, I would have done the same. I don't blame you." She took a step forward, pressing her chest to Rhysand's as his eyes hardened. "But you were wrong to compare me to Amarantha because I'm much worse than her, believe me."

Rhysand smirked, his shoulders sagging in relief. "Good," he placed his hand on her cheek, "you'll need it." He leaned towards her slowly, squinting at her lips. He wanted to kiss her. Ever since he had tasted her sweet lips, he wanted to taste them again all the time. It was all he could think about now. If it were up to him, he would kiss her. Especially when she looked at him like that, with big, bright eyes. But it wasn't up to him, and after everything that had happened, he didn't know if he could, if she wanted to. So he shifted at the last moment to kiss her cheek. He shivered at her soft, cold and bounced skin.

Luxiana smiled at him gently, trying not to look as disappointed and hurt as she felt. He didn't want to kiss her anymore. They didn't want to kiss her anymore. They weren't attracted to her anymore. She wanted to leave. "We should go."

Azriel didn't wait to grab Luxiana's thighs, lift her up and fly away with her towards the summer court.

***

After a long flight, they arrived at their destination, landing in front of Tarquin and a welcoming committee waiting for them as Amren teleported to their side, making Luxiana flinch. Why hadn't she teleported them all with her?

“Hello Tarquin,” Rhysand greeted respectfully.

“Hello, Rhysand,” he shook his hand. “Amren,” he greeted the same way, but Amren did not take his hand, only looking at him with disdain. Tarquin laughed at this before moving on. “Cassian,” the High Lord of Summer exclaimed as he spotted the Illyrian, “you have not set foot in this courtyard since you blew up one of my buildings.”

Luxiana's eyes widened, raising an eyebrow at the Illyrian who was smiling proudly at her.

“You’re not going to blow anything up this time, are you?” the summer fairy laughed.

"I'll do my best," Cassian agreed, unable to regain his seriousness.

Then Tarquin shifted his eyes to Azriel, whom he nodded at, and finally, his attention settled on Luxiana. He frowned but smiled kindly.

Luxiana stepped forward alongside Rhys, taking small, shy steps, to face Tarquin and shake his hand. "Hello, my name is Luxiana."

The high lord shook her hand delicately but still with the same expression of pleasant confusion. "You are..."

"...human, yes," Luxiana interrupted, confirming.

Tarquin let out a soft laugh. “Delicious. I was going to say you are delicious.”

Luxiana opened her eyes wide and let out a small laugh. But she wasn't blushing. She only blushed with the three Illyrians. The others' compliments didn't have the same effect on her.

Cassian gritted his teeth, Rhysand forced himself not to move, and Azriel stretched his neck from side to side as he took a deep breath. Two minutes. They had barely been here for two minutes and Tarquin was already flirting with their soulmate. This was going to be a very long stay.

"Rhysand," Tarquin said as Luxiana let go of his hand. "It's quite rare to see you hanging out with a human."

The High Lord of the Night shrugged nonchalantly, seeming annoyed by the situation. "It's a payment from Tamlin in place of Feyre to reimburse me for my services under the mountain. I don't know yet if I keep her or not, she's not very useful."

Tarquin frowned, casting a dirty look at Rhysand before turning his gaze worriedly back to Luxiana. "Are you okay? Is he treating you well?"

Luxiana laughed softly, "your consideration is touching but I'm fine, thank you." She turned a little towards Rhysand to lean towards him with a mischievous look and she began to pinch one of his cheeks.

Rhysand's eyes widened and so did everyone around them but Luxiana continued. "The High Lord of the Night is actually a cute little soft chocolate bear." Luxiana let go of him and stood up, pursing her lips to keep from laughing at all of their expressions.

Rhysand tried to keep a neutral face but his heart was beating strangely in his chest. He glanced sideways at his soulmate, trying to appear as disdainful as he could towards her. "I could cut your hand off for that."

"Nah," Luxiana contradicted, shaking her head confidently. "You won't." She turned to Tarquin. "He's crazy in love with me, he couldn't hurt me."

Rhysand couldn’t hide his smile. She was right.

Tarquin burst out laughing. "Yes, it doesn't really surprise me, it's very understandable. One can only fall under your charm it seems."

Luxiana smiled, trying to look embarrassed. "Does that mean I have a good chance of charming you?"

Azriel cleared his throat to get Luxiana's attention and for her to turn to him and for he could warn her with his eyes not to dare continue on this path with other men than the three of them, but she didn't even calculate it.

Tarquin nodded, smiling. "Oh, you already do, you know, especially when you wear my colors. It suits you very well, by the way. You seem made for the summer court."

"We have things to do, Tarquin," Rhysand interrupted, slipping his hands into his pockets and clenching his fists imperceptibly. There was no fucking way he was going to continue watching his soulmate flirt with another.

They finally moved then. Tarquin and Rhysand talked while the lord of the summer court showed them their quarters with their rooms gathered around a large common living room for the five of them.

They spent the afternoon together, visiting the surroundings and chatting. Every time Tarquin spoke with Luxiana, it was to flirt with her and every time Luxiana opened her mouth it was to return the favor. Or worse, to compliment Tarquin.

Rhysand then interrupted them each time to divert the conversation to the professional matters that had supposedly brought them here. But Tarquin only had eyes for Luxiana. And the lord of the Night Court felt like he was being torn from the inside to call upon all his self-control and not bring his soulmate back to Velaris.

Cassian was unusually quiet as every muscle in his body tensed uncomfortably. Why was HIS soulmate flirting with another man than him? Was he not good enough for her? Was he not enough for her?

Azriel felt like he was going crazy. He followed the group, his shadows surrounding him a little more than usual as he only stared at Luxiana from as far away as possible with crossed arms. He analyzed her facial features and her words, holding them all back to make sure he punished her properly for this behavior she had with another man while she was his.

***

Four days had finally passed. Their investigations on the second part of the book had barely advanced but at the same time, only Amren and Luxiana were concentrating on the task, the three Illyrians too focused on the proximity of their soulmate with Tarquin to worry about anything else.

This was also what was happening now.

Rhysand wasn't even listening to what Cresseida, sitting next to him, was saying, far too busy observing -with his two brothers sitting across from him- the discussion his soulmate was having at the end of the table with Tarquin.

They both laughed together and Luxiana put her hand on the summer lord's shoulder to hit him gently as if she had been friends with him for years or worse, as if she was flirting with him.

A flash of jealousy ran through the Illyrians every time a little stronger as soon as they heard them talking together, laughing together or as soon as they saw them getting closer and touching each other.

That said, although he wasn't, Rhysand was entirely stoic, tense all over despite himself as he tried to act as normal as possible. He had wanted to make Luxiana jealous with Cresseida but she had given him the impression that she didn't care, only having eyes for Tarquin. What did he have that he didn't? Nothing! He could offer her so much more.

Cassian's leg bounced up and down nervously, even making the entire table shake. He still had control over his muscles but not anymore, not when it came to his soulmate. She was HIS soulmate, why was she flirting with someone else? After everything they had done together? After all the kissing? Didn't it mean anything to her? He was so angry but at the same time so sad. He wasn't good enough for her. She preferred someone else.

Azriel had the Truth Teller pommel compressed in one of his hands on his thigh. He didn’t know what was stopping him from tearing every inch of skin off the High Lord of the Summer Court. Well, he did. It was Rhysand, Cassian, and especially Amren. They’d argued with them so many times in the last few days. “If she prefers him to us, then there’s nothing we can do about it. The important thing is that she’s happy,” his two brothers would insist every time Azriel threatened to kill Tarquin. And they were fucking right, and it was killing the spymaster slowly. It was killing him inside that she preferred Tarquin to them. But maybe, he told himself, reassuring himself as best he could, she was just being friendly with him and that was just her way to be. And that maybe it didn’t mean anything.

"After our dinner," Tarquin began, whispering to Luxiana and forcing the three Illyrians to strain their ears a little more. They even tensed a little more fully at the sight of him so close, leaning towards her. But Tarquin continued, "would you like to finish the evening in my room?"

The three Illyrians were electrified violently as if their chests felt like they were being struck by lightning. They stopped breathing and were not even sure if their hearts were beating anymore. Had this bastard just invited THEIR soulmate into his room to sleep with her??

They were out of their fucking minds and couldn't even think properly. Fuck off, they simply told themselves. They were going to do something about it. Cassian was going to grab Luxiana by the scruff of her ass and take her home. Azriel was going to torture Tarquin and make him regret his words. And Rhysand was going to hold back his power and destroy everything. But Luxiana replied in a playful tone before they could move, "With pleasure."

She lowered her head to hide her blush and hadn't even taken a second to think about Tarquin's proposal. She had accepted. The Illyrians' hearts tore with such violence that it physically hurt them.

Azriel stood up suddenly and brutally, attracting everyone's gaze. He was mad with rage. He couldn't stand this. He couldn't. It hurt so much. He disappeared into his shadows to vanish and reappear in their room so as not to do anything stupid. He grabbed one of the bottles of alcohol in the mini bar in their living room and began to drink it all. He wanted to forget. He wanted to drown this feeling of pain in his chest.

Cassian got up in turn to leave the room without even glancing at Luxiana or the others who were still looking at them strangely. Once out of the dining room, and the doors closed behind him, he started running. He was running away and it was the first time in his life that he was running away but this was way too painful. He felt so pathetic. So desperate. So sad. He wanted to throw up.

Rhysand slowly looked back at Tarquin, trying to smile and not let his animosity show. "Forgive them, they had an emergency," he apologized as the words tore from his tongue. He didn't look at Luxiana. He couldn't. But he stayed throughout the meal, listening to his soulmate flirt with another, tearing his heart apart more each time and accepting the horrible pain in his chest. After all, she didn't want him. He wasn't good enough for her. He wanted to cry.

But after dinner, when he reached their quarters and saw Azriel and Cassian pacing around the living room with a bottle of alcohol in their hands, he went to the bar and poured himself a drink from that too. He was going to get drunk.

"We should go get her!" Azriel yelled with bright red eyes. He literally felt like he was dying. What kind of loyalty still bound him to his high lord that he decided to obey him and do nothing when if it were up to him, he would go get her? "She's our soulmate! Ours!"

Cassian dropped down the length of his closed bedroom door adjacent to the living room to land on the floor. "Have you seen her with him? She's so happy. Much happier than with us." He wanted to go get her too but if she wanted Tarquin, if she was happier with him, then he had nothing to say.

Rhysand brought his glass to his mouth and downed the whole thing in one go. He then quickly poured himself a second glass. "Maybe she won't do anything with him. Maybe..."

“They just entered her room,” Azriel spat, interrupting him. He wanted to hurt someone. Why didn’t he move? Why didn’t he go get her?

Cassian and Rhysand looked up at their brother in surprise.

"You had them follow with your shadows??" the army commander asked, pushing off the ground to propel himself upwards and back to his feet.

Azriel nodded once, focused on watching the images his shadows showed him.

Rhysand slammed his glass down on the bar cabinet, almost dropping it, "what do they do now?"

But suddenly, something in Azriel's eyes twisted. He threw his bottle of alcohol into one of the walls - which exploded into a thousand pieces, spilling golden liquid on the wallpaper and the floor - when he saw through the eyes of his shadows, his soulmate threw herself on Tarquin to kiss him full on the lips.

He hastily retracted his shadows. He didn't want to see this. He couldn't. He grabbed his hair in his fists and pulled them as he started to spin in circles. He felt like he was going crazy. His heart, his shadows, his body and his muscles were urging him to go find his soulmate while his reason was screaming at him to do nothing and let her be happy.

But unconsciously, he had sent the memory - transmitted by his shadows - of his soulmate throwing herself at Tarquin to kiss him, to Rhysand and Cassian.

The two Illyrians froze for a second before exploding.

Cassian's heart shattered into sharp pieces as a flash of anger shot through him. He had lost to Tarquin and in only four fucking days. He was so worthless. So worthless. He jumped to the small table in the living room, grabbing it with both hands and sending it crashing into the bay window which exploded into a thousand pieces. Cassian then began to scream at the top of his lungs to let out his pain and anger.

Rhysand was out of control. He kept replaying the memory of Luxiana kissing Tarquin over and over in his head. He couldn't even think anymore. He was overwhelmed by anger, pain, and sadness. He could barely see his power escaping from him in a black cloud of power that surrounded him and grew bigger and bigger. He was going to explode. He had to leave or he was going to destroy everything.

But suddenly, the front door to their quarter, which opened directly into the living room and was facing them, opened.

Luxiana entered the room in a rush. She closed her eyes, leaning roughly against the door and taking a deep breath.

Rhysand retracted his power with such violence at seeing her there, that its power slammed into his body forcing him to take a step back. His eyes and those of his brothers widened.

Cassian had stopped breathing, not even knowing how he had managed to calm his wild breathing and his bruised heart. "Lux?" he breathed hopefully, not quite believing his eyes.

Luxiana was out of breath and full of anger and disappointment. She felt so worthless, weak and stupid. She had failed with Tarquin. Rhysand, Cassian and Azriel were going to be so disappointed. She cursed herself so much inwardly. When Cassian called her, she opened her eyes but widened them as she looked at the table embedded in the demolished bay window. What had happened here? She looked at the three Illyrians who looked like they had had a bad time. Had they done this? It only surprised her a little. They had seemed so cold, distant and angry these last few days. Luxiana didn't really know why but she wasn't surprised that they had finally cracked.

Azriel was paralyzed and had even stopped breathing. She was here? She was here and not with Tarquin? While she was kissing him a few minutes ago. "You're not with Tarquin?" he spat dryly, his heart clenching at the memory of the kiss she had given him.

Luxiana looked up at him and her gaze grew heavy with guilt. "I'm sorry," she almost sobbed, her face contorting in regret and sadness. She almost ran towards Azriel while looking at him with teary eyes. She felt so weak. So weak. It had been a long time since she had felt like this and she hated it. She hated the idea of disappointing all three of them. "I'm sorry," she repeated.

The three Illyrians frowned. They didn't understand what was going on and why she thought she had to apologize. They looked at her with grimaces. Her bun was undone much more than usual, which implied that Tarquin had dipped his fingers into it. Her thin and small blouse in turquoise shades, made of light fabric and which didn't even cover her stomach was ridden up and stuck in her bra, which implied that Tarquin had tried to touch her there too. The lace of her long skirt, the same color as her top and slit on the side, was half undone. Tarquin had also put his hands there.

Cassian was empty and didn't know what to do or what to think.

Azriel was still furious. She had let Tarquin touch her. He had dared to touch HIS soulmate. He was about to speak and drop a scathing remark to the blonde but Rhysand interrupted him.

He took a step forward as he felt himself electrocuted by pure terror all at once. Her teary eyes, her face, her apologies… “Did Tarquin do something to you?” he screamed in a trembling voice.

Luxiana turned to him. She didn't want to cry but she wanted to so badly. Why did they have so much power over her? She took a step towards Rhysand. "No, no, it was me, I couldn't. I'm sorry," a tear ran down her cheek that she quickly wiped away angrily with the back of her hand.

This tear was the last straw for the three Illyrians who suddenly came out of their trances. Their eyes widened as they began to panic.

Rhysand grabbed his soulmate by the face to place his palms on his cheeks with a worried expression. "Why are you crying?" he grumbled despite himself as he had tried to be calm.

Cassian ran towards her to position himself next to Rhysand and see her face. He placed a large hand that he tried to be comforting on the bonde's shoulder. "What happened?"

Azriel stood beside his brothers but remained silent. He merely frowned in fear and confusion. While his soulmate had every reason to apologize for flirting with another, she shouldn't know that.

“I know you asked me to sleep with him,” the blonde explained hurriedly and panicked. “But I couldn’t, it’s my first time, I couldn’t, not with him.”

The three Illyrians looked at each other in confusion. "You… didn't sleep with him?" Azriel exclaimed in shock, repeating his soulmate's words without understanding why she had said them.

Luxiana, taking this as a reproach, pulled herself out of Rhysand's grasp by taking a step back and lowering her head. "No," she only breathed. "I know that's what you want from me but I can't. I'll find the book another way!"

'What they expect from her?' They were frowning so much that their entire faces were distorted.

"What??" Rhysand screamed, feeling like he was hallucinating.

Luxiana jumped in spite of herself. She felt so stupid and foolish and weak. This was just about sleeping with someone and besides, it was for Feyre. She had to pull herself together. This was for her best friend. She looked up at the lord with sudden determination. "No, it's fine, I'll do it. I'll sleep with Tarquin, if that's what you want!"

Without waiting, she turned around and was going to leave to join Tarquin but Azriel came back to himself enough to react and grab her by the arm.

The blonde turned to the Illyrian with worry and confusion but he didn't react more, only looking at her with wide eyes.

"What??" Cassian yelled back with the same expression. "What???" he repeated again.

Luxiana grimaced in guilt, pursing her lips. "I..."

Suddenly Amren opened the door and froze at the entrance to the living room as she glanced at the damage and then at the four in the room. Her eyebrows rose slightly in surprise. “I’ll sleep somewhere else,” she said before turning around. “Don’t kill them, Luxiana.” Then she closed the door behind her.

“I’ll make it up for you!” Luxiana said to the Illyrians as if nothing had happened. “I told him I had diarrhea and that I had to leave, but I’m going back to him and fixing my mistakes. I’m going to sleep with him. I swear!”

Rhysand shook his head roughly, completely in control of his emotions again. He held up his hand between himself and his soulmate. "Luxiana, did you just say we want you to sleep with Tarquin?"

"Well yes, why?" she replied with a frown.

“No!” Azriel screamed at the top of his lungs. He couldn’t believe his ears.

“What do you mean no?” Luxiana asked. “Isn't that why I’m here for?”

"No!" all three Illyrians shouted this time at the same time, making Luxiana even more confused.

"Why the fuck do you think you're here to sleep with Tarquin?" Rhysand lost his composure in a mixture of shock and rage.

Luxiana jerked her head back in surprise. "So he can tell me where the second part of the book is. You told me you needed a woman for this mission. It was obviously to flirt with Tarquin and sleep with him so that he would tell me all his secrets."

The lord opened his mouth wide with his brothers. "No! I meant that I needed someone like you, without powers, to steal the book and divert the traps around that would surely detect anyone with powers!" Rhysand yelled, improvising the lie and throwing himself on the blonde to cup her face. "Luxiana, I would never ask you to sleep with someone, damn it! Never!"

The blonde's eyes widened as realization dawned. This was all a huge misunderstanding. She let out a loud breath that was somewhere between a scream, a sob, and a laugh. She put her hands on her hips, leaning forward in sudden relief, forcing Rhysand to release her. "You mean I don't have to sleep with him?"

"Never!" Azriel insisted as realization suddenly hit all three of them. They were able to take a deep breath finally, as their chests lightened so violently with relief that they almost fainted.

"By heavens, I could have slept with him for nothing!" Then she straightened up, killing all three of them with her pupils. "I've been flirting with him for four days, why didn't you tell me before? On top of that, I thought you were irritable and cold because I disappointed you because I hadn't slept with Tarquin yet."

The three Illyrians lost their composure again, which they had barely regained. They had almost forced their soulmate to sleep with another without even knowing it. They could have lost her for one night because of a fucking misunderstanding.

Rhysand lost his shit. "We were distant with you because we were dying of jealousy that you were flirting with Tarquin!" he shouted, pointing at his aching heart.

Luxiana's eyes widened as she froze. "What?" They were...jealous? Her heart began to beat vigorously in her chest, making her feel fully alive. "Why?"

Azriel grabbed her throat gently, turning her toward him. “Because you’re ours, Luxiana, damn it.” He was out of breath as he was shaking. “Only ours and we’re only yours, do you understand that?”

Luxiana couldn't believe her ears. She swallowed hard, unable to take her eyes off Azriel's brown pupils, heavy with a meaning she didn't understand.

The Illyrian pulled her a little closer to him with a sharp tug. "Do you understand?" he asked, his voice imploring now and his pupils shining with supplication.

Luxiana didn't understand why. Maybe she understood but she wanted to hear him say it. She nodded slowly from left to right.

"Then we should make her understand," Cassian said, lunging at Luxina to pull her out of his brother's grasp, cupping her face and kissing his soulmate full on the lips.

[icarusflewsworld]

Rhysand & Cassian & Azriel X OC

Hello, here is the chapter 26 of a fanfiction on the world of Acotar where our three favorite Batboys are the mates of a single woman.

I'm really sorry for the delay. I was sick and I have to revise for exams in February and March, so there will only be one chapter (maybe two since I have no self control and I always write too much) on Sunday January 26th.

I really hope you liked these chapters! Don't hesitate to leave comments even bad ones (not mean please), it allows me to know what's wrong and to improve especially on the sex scenes because I feel like I'm really too bad at that. I had a lot a lot a lot of trouble writing this last chapter lol.

In any case thank you for your reading, your time, your votes and especially your comments. You are all so kind and I am so shocked every time but it makes me so so happy. Love you. Have a wonderful week end and good luck for all you have to go through. ❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹

! Don't forget to read the previous and following chapters ! : Here

Chapter 26

Quickly, they teleported to the prison, in front of the Attor's cell. They entered it and Luxiana was not even surprised to see that the room looked exactly like the one Azriel had locked her in yesterday. The bloody creature was also tied to the same kind of metal chair.

“You brought me a toy?” the creature asked in a distant voice, looking Luxiana over from head to toe with a wicked smile. “A little human for me to play with in exchange for information?”

Azriel tensed, almost jumping. “Watch your mouth.” He positioned himself next to the Attor, to look down on him, ready to react if he dared to speak ill of his soulmate again. And the only thing that had prevented him from making him swallow his tongue was precisely the presence of Luxiana.

Luxiana looked at her with a blazing look of anger that could have set the Attor's body on fire by itself. This was the creature that had beaten Feyre, that had made her best friend suffer but also Rhysand. She had inquired about what he had experienced under the mountain. She was mad with rage. He didn't deserve this. Feyre didn't deserve this. And this creature was about to receive the anger that Amarantha should have received.

She began to examine the beast in detail and grimaced as she analyzed the wounds on the Attor's pale skin.

The three Illyrians immediately noticed her expression -since their eyes were fixed only on their soulmate- and began to panic when they saw her grimace. They had gone too far and had just traumatized her. Seeing that a person you knew had hurt, tortured and injured someone and that he did it often, was a whole other kind of terror. And they had just made their soulmate understand that. They had just made their soulmate understand who they really were.

Luxiana looked at Azriel with fear, and the shadowsinger felt his heart break. He raised his hand towards her, turning completely in her direction - as if he were addressing a frightened animal - and was about to speak, but Luxiara cut him off.

"This is beginner's work, I'm not surprised he didn't say anything," she judged, shaking her head.

Azriel suddenly froze and went into a bubble of surprise, his hand falling limply to his side.

Rhysand and Cassian were shocked at first before giving each other a pleasantly surprised look while holding back laughter.

Luxiana focused on the Attor with a cute, innocent, childish smile. She knelt down in front of him to lock eyes with the creature. "Well, I'll explain how this is going to go, okay?" Her voice was soft and reassuring despite her words. "I remember very well what my best friend, Feyre, told me about what you did to her under the mountain. And I'm sure you didn't do very nice things to the high lord of the night behind me either. Which makes me, unfortunately for you, very angry with you. But, you see, I'm really trying to contain myself right now. ‘Why’ you are going to tell me?"

She moved a little closer to the Attor to give some semblance of privacy and secrecy to their conversation while she knew that the three Illyrians behind her could still hear. "Because I don't want to scare them too much."

And it was true. If they really knew what she was capable of, they would be terrified. Then she stood up and continued, looking down at him. "So they're going to ask you questions and you're going to answer them or else,... I won't hold back anymore. So, please..." Her smile turns evil, creepy, "don't be cooperative."

The Attor looked at her for a second. He hesitated. She looked cute and innocent but something in the blonde's smile and gaze told him she was completely crazy. Her pupils were now oscillating between her and the lord with his hands in his pockets behind her. Why would he bring this human here if she didn't know how to handle torture? He started laughing out loud. She didn't scare him. She was just a pitiful human and Rhysand was trying to trick him. He wouldn't reveal any information anyway because they never tortured him more than the King of Hybern would if he sold him.

Luxiana stood up. "Well, then let's begin."

Cassian leaned against one of the walls behind him, crossing his arms but with a curious smile on his face. He eyed the blonde as a strange feeling of excitement vibrated in his chest. He was so eager to know what she was going to do.

Azriel's eyes narrowed, still in the same state.

Luxiana turned to Rhysand, silently asking him to ask a question.

Which Rhysand did without arguing. He even let out a smirk as his erection was just waiting to wake up in his pants. He loved the authoritative and cold expression his soulmate had at the moment. He knew the Attor wouldn't say anything so easily and he was so eager to know what she was going to do in response. "My city was attacked, how did the king of Hybern learn of its existence?"

"I'll answer that question if you answer mine first," the Attor negotiated with a wicked smile. "Does that human know all the horrible things you've had to do to some of her people under the mountain?”

Rhysand tensed up, clenching his teeth, losing his smile and turning white all at once. He was about to speak, but Luxiana beat him to it. She jumped up, letting out a little cry of joy before turning back to Azriel and saying, all smiles. "I was really hoping he wouldn't answer." She pointed at Truth Teller on Azriel's thigh. "May I?"

Azriel tilted his head curiously but grabbed his knife and gave it to her.

Luxiana caught it. “Thank you,” she said, leaning towards him with a huge cute smile and red cheeks. Azriel felt his heart stop before it started to slam against his chest painfully. But Luxiana straightened up and her smile turned evil again.

“First lesson, Az,” she said, walking over to the beast and crouching down in front of him with a confident air. “Good torture is first and foremost an act of delicacy and precision, not of abruptness and barbarity.”

"So, you see," She placed her hand on the Attor's shoulder, still staring at Azriel. "This species, while seemingly very different, is actually very similar to humans and Illyrians. Like us, their flesh is composed of what are called neuroreceptors that allows, if the latter are stimulated, to transmit a pain signal to the central nervous system which will take it to the brain to obtain a defense reaction."

Azriel tilted his head to the side, paying attention to what she was saying in a mixture of admiration and surprise. He then glanced at Rhysand and Cassian who were looking at her with equal interest.

"But there is one small difference between us and him," Luxiana continued, her smile growing even more devious. "While our neuroreceptors are very small, microscopic, those of these creatures are surprisingly large. So large that we can grab them."

"What?" the Attor said, starting to panic, his eyes flickering between the blonde and the three fae.

With her thumb on the creature's collarbone, she moved it to the base of its neck to press and compress a specific point. "You just have to compress this place, which is the base of its central nervous system, to prevent it from feeling pain." As if to confirm her words, the Attor let out a sigh, seeming to relax for a second since he no longer felt the pain in his already bruised body.

Cassian frowned. "Isn't it the point to make it feel pain?"

Luxiana turned with a mischievous smile towards Cassian. "Of course it is, I'm coming on it."

She refocused on the Attor to position the Truth Teller blade on its thigh and precisely slice a deep slit from top to bottom.

The Attor tensed but was surprised to feel no pain.

Luxiana pushed two of her fingers inside the wound to bring out a sort of strange bloody rib that she pulled with difficulty to take out a part of it and slip Truth Teller's blade between the skin and the cable. "Here is a neuroreceptor stimulated by the blade of the knife. Without my pressure on his central nervous system, he would be screaming in pain because, unlike a simple injury that just hurts a lot at one moment, here, the pain is extreme all the time"

"But," she raised her index finger in the air as she turned to Cassian to continue her explanation, "pressing there allows the pain charge to accumulate in the nerve." She let out a small, cheerful or... mad laugh? "When I release my grip, he's going to feel triple the intensity of the pain. As its legs was being torn off again and again ang again"

The Attor swallowed hard. Luxiana smiled mischievously. "So you still don't want to answer the question?"

A silence fell over them as the Attor weighed the pros and cons, but it was too long for Luxiana. "Great," she gushed, "this will be more fun." Then she released the pressure on the Attor's throat and stood up. The creature's eyes widened before screaming in pain, throwing its head back and struggling as best it could.

Luxiana let out another laugh as she looked at him with a satisfied expression, seeming to enjoy every second of what she was seeing. "And the more he struggles, the more it stimulates his nerves and hurts him, it's great."

The three Illyrians had eyes only for Luxiana, still looking at her with astonishment but admiration.

“Stop, stop,…,” the Attor begged.

“Ah I don’t know,” Luxiana hesitated. She turned to Azriel with a childish look. “Should we stop?”

Azriel smirked as he tilted his head and then without answering, he advanced towards the Attor to remove Truth Teller from his wound. It was better that Luxiana continued to be seen as the bad guy and that the creature was afraid of her.

The Attor was panting and even moaning in relief when Azriel withdrew the dagger and his nerve returned halfway into his thigh.

“So you’re talking?” Rhysand asked, shifting his glare from Luxiana to the creature.

The Attor gritted his teeth, hesitating a little more. Luxiana tilted her head and something lit up in her eyes. "He's resisting! That's so rare!" she said happily. "Well, then too bad for you. We're not playing anymore."

She snuck behind the Attor under the scrutinizing and attentive gaze of the three brown-haired faes to lean towards the beast and whisper in its ear. "I have a riddle for you. What is the cruelest thing that can be done to a creature capable of flight?"

The Attor's expression faded to realization and then terror.

Luxiana smiled wickedly as she felt the fear escape from him. "We're tearing off his wings."

“What?” the creature panicked, shaking in his chair. “You don’t have the right! You won’t dare?! Do something!” he implored Rhysand.

The three Illyrians blanched. Rhysand deployed his power into Luxiana's head and a flash lit up his chest as he felt her let him in again. But he couldn't dwell on it as he remembered what she was threatening to do. But she couldn't do that, could she? "You can't do that," he assured her. "You don't know what it's like to have wings and fly, but to take that away from someone, no matter who they are, or what they've done, is cruel."

Luxiana sat up, smiling at Rhys. She grabbed the Attor's wing and without warning yanked.

The beast screamed at the top of its lungs as the three Illyrians widened their eyes, their blood draining from their faces.

"Shh, shh, shh," Luxiana said, trying to be reassuring and giving the creature a sort of hug from behind. "It's okay, it's still here." She grabbed the wing hanging from the beast's back, now only holding on to an inch or two of flesh. "Look, it's still a little attached. If you're careful, if you speak right away, it might heal and you might even be able to fly again one day!"

Tears of pain began to flow down the creature's cheeks. Its wings. Its wings. How dare she? It began to tremble. He had been wrong. She was so cruel. Then it spoke. "I don't know exactly how it found this city. I know that at one point it could track Rhysand's power. Maybe the queens told it? I don't know."

“Human queens?” Azriel tried to clarify as he tried to take his eyes off his soulmate.

“They’re working with Hybern?” Cassian asked in horror.

“Makes sense!” Luxiana assured, earning surprised glances. Then she turned to Rhysand with a small, innocent and proud smile. “Do you have any other questions?”

The lord asked his questions and the Attor answered them all without discussion.

"Well, let's go," Rhysand finally said after the creature confessed everything to him.

He turned back to the door, glancing at Azriel. "Drop him off at the border of Hybern territory."

Azriel nodded, Cassian straightened up from the wall and held out his hand for Luxiana to take and follow them. But the blonde grimaced, shaking her head. "Forgive me," she breathed.

Rhysand turned to look at her with a look as confused as his brothers'.

Luxiana, who had kept a serious silence during the interrogation, found her cruel smile again. "I'm not as nice as you." She placed her hands on the top of the Attor's wings to grip them while watching from above the creature panic and struggle.

“Luxiana, no,” Rhysand warned her in a commanding voice and a stern look.

The Attor began to panic as he tried to turn his head and eyes behind him towards the blonde to know what she wanted to do. He tried to struggle and move his wings but Luxiana held them in place.

The blonde only looked at the creature with that same evil look on her face because of the satisfaction and power she felt. "I can't forgive him for what he did to Feyre, and for what he did to you."

She finally looked up at the three Illyrians with serious eyes. She gritted her teeth. She hesitated. She had never hesitated before, but now she was afraid that they would be afraid of her. That they would see how cruel she was towards them.

Rhysand looked at her gravely. "It's not about forgiving, it's about sleeping better at night."

"Oh," Luxiana said, taking on an innocent air before returning to her evil smile. "In that case,..." She placed her foot on the back of the chair to gain support and pull with all her strength on the Attor's wings which were violently tearing apart in ghastly cracks and howls.

The three Illyrians' eyes widened and their breaths caught as their soulmate circled the Attor -with both wings in his hands- to throw them in front of him like common objects. Something like dread, shock and denial mixed at first inside of them.

Blood had splattered across her face and onto her black lace dress. She turned to

Rhysand and stepped forward to stop in front of him. “I would sleep much better knowing that the people I love have been avenged.” She smiled in satisfaction as she threw one last disdainful glance back at the still screaming, crying creature.

She walked out of the cell and the three Illyrians followed her automatically with a robotic gait.

Rhysand stopped in the middle of the dungeon's gloomy corridor, not believing what he had just seen. His little soulmate had just taken away the ability to fly from a creature because he had hurt his best friend when he was only an executor. "He was only obeying Amaranta's orders." His brothers froze beside him, giving him a reflexive disapproving look, but they had to admit that they didn't know what to think either.

Luxiana froze a few steps in front of him to glance back over her shoulder while smiling. "Oops, collateral damage," she shrugged. "But it sure feels good."

"Oh my god," Cassian laughed, smiling. His soulmate was full of surprise but damn, she was so sexy like that, with that cold face and that crazy look. He realized more and more the person his soulmate was and his heart beat loudly in his chest. She was a bad ass. She was perfect. Damn, he was in love.

Rhysand continued with an expression as serious as ever. "What you did there..."

"Rhys," Azriel interrupted in a hissing voice. What was he playing at? Did he want his soulmate to feel guilty when she had avenged them and when they had already done much worse, and when this creature deserved it? "We're not all clean either." He had never seen someone torture a person while smiling so much, while taking as much pleasure as his soulmate had just taken. She seemed so... evil. He smiled, her chest tickling him. She was so sexy. So perfect. So his.

Rhysand shook his head, "That's not the point, taking a creature's wings willingly is... it's pure cruelty." Flashbacks of the things he had to do under the mountain, under Amarantha's orders, came back to him. He was a bit like the Attor in the end. And his wings could have been taken away in that same way, because of Amarantha's actions. He paused, grimacing. "That's on Amarantha's level."

Luxiana was electrified through and through with anger. She turned to face Rhysand. "Amaranta?" she shouted, laughing wickedly. "You find me as cruel as Amarantha just with what I just did???" She felt burned with a mixture of hatred, disgust for herself, and sadness. So it was just because of this little cruelty that she had lost them. She had lost them.

She laughed even harder as she took a step towards Rhysand to suddenly take on a cold and evil face. “Don’t you dare compare me to her, Rhysand,” her nostril twitched in disgust at the comparison. “Because what I would have done to that fae to avenge you, would have traumatized you for centuries. Because the cruelty she was capable of and what I just showed here is only a fucking small percentage of what I am actually capable of.”

She took another step forward. "Do you have any idea what I would have done to him if you hadn't been here? He would have been begging for his wings to be yanked off, Rhysand, because I would have fucking paid him back a hundredfold for what he did to you and Feyre, whether he was just following orders or not. Because he was just not on my side." She took another step forward with a wicked smile. "And I'd sleep a little better after hearing every single one of his screams."

She smiled but her teeth were clenched. "Now Rhysand, if you're not afraid of me, then you're completely insane and completely wrong but if you are," she almost pressed herself against Rhysand as she spat out her words. "Remember that the cruelty I'm capable of doing to those who have hurt my friends will give you nightmares for the rest of your life. So stay on the right side of the line."

She turned to take a few steps before stopping. She had lost their respect and appreciation. Her eyes stung. Why did they mean so much to her? She didn’t want to stay here anymore. “Oh, and I don’t have any more time to waste here,” she didn’t turn back to them so she didn’t see their eyes widen and whiten. “Tomorrow I will go to the Summer Court to steal the second part of the book and fulfill the service Feyre owes you, whether you are there or not. I leave at ten, it’s up to you whether you want to be there or not.”

Then she left and the Illyrians couldn't even be surprised that she knew where the exit was, still too shocked by what had just happened and by the fact that their soul mate had just said that she didn't want to stay with them anymore. Cassian turned to Rhysand to glare at him with his other brother. What was he playing at?

[icarusflewsworld]

Rhysand & Cassian & Azriel X OC

Hello, here is the chapter 25 of a fanfiction on the world of Acotar where our three favorite Batboys are the mates of a single woman.

I'm really sorry for the delay. I was sick and I have to revise for exams in February and March, so there will only be one chapter (maybe two since I have no self control and I always write too much) on Sunday January 26th.

I really hope you liked these chapters! Don't hesitate to leave comments even bad ones (not mean please), it allows me to know what's wrong and to improve especially on the sex scenes because I feel like I'm really too bad at that. I had a lot a lot a lot of trouble writing this last chapter lol.

In any case thank you for your reading, your time, your votes and especially your comments. You are all so kind and I am so shocked every time but it makes me so so happy. Love you. Have a wonderful week end and good luck for all you have to go through. ❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹

! Don't forget to read the previous and following chapters ! : Here

Chapter 25

Mor had teleported their soulmate to the Town House after Rhysand had asked her to and after Luxiana had -despite the three Illyrians- spent the night at Amren's.

Rhys' cousin threw a reassuring and encouraging smile at Luxiana as she saw the three Illyrians waiting for the blondes with a serious look in the middle of the living room before leaving.

Luxiana suddenly felt very small and intimidated in front of them and she had a hard time hiding it. She didn't know exactly why -although she had, in fact, a little idea- they had this power over her but she always had the impression that their opinion and what they thought of her mattered a lot.

She slowly sat down on the couch in front of them, feeling like a little girl who was about to be scolded. But Rhysand frowned as he watched his soulmate. He gave his brothers a worried and slightly confused look who returned it. Their soulmate had huge dark circles under her eyes, she was pale, trembling and her gaze was tired.

Rhysand stared into his soulmate's intimidated eyes. Noticing her discomfort, he sat down on the couch behind him to look less threatening. "Luxi, are you okay?"

Something sparkled in Luxiana's eyes and in her chest. He had just called her Luxi. She wanted to jump around screaming and she would have if every muscle in her body didn't hurt like hell. "I like it when you call me that," she could only answer, blushing.

“Noted,” the lord chuckled softly, finding her adorable, “but that doesn’t answer my question.”

Cassian grimaced. He had never seen his soulmate look so bad. She looked sick. A ball of anxiety squeezed her stomach. "Yeah, because you look like you just ran under a herd of horses."

Luxiana let out a tired chuckle. "Great, that's good to know."

Azriel was looking at her insistently to encourage her to continue and answer Rhysand's question but Luxiana only looked at him with an innocent smile while blinking abusively. The spymaster refrained from rolling his eyes in exasperation. "Answer the question, princess."

Luxiana opened her eyes wide for a second before slapping her palms on her face as she made her legs go in the air in front of her. She squealed in joy before placing her hands on her knees to stare at Azriel with blushes. "I like it even more when you call me that, finally."

Rhysand and Cassian smiled fondly, but Azriel didn't. He narrowed his eyes, tilting his head. "Why are you avoiding the question?"

Luxiana regained a sort of seriousness to smile slyly, her gaze suddenly filled with play. "Why not?"

Cassian huffed but still couldn't hold back his smile. "Because we care about you and we'd like to know what's wrong."

Luxiana tried not to look as impacted by his words as she felt as her heart pounded in her chest. Did that mean he liked her? "Why?" she asked with that same defiant, haughty air.

Rhysand returned his expression. "Why not?"

Luxiana bit her tongue and rolled her eyes. He had turned his game against her. She sighed. "I just had a bad night, that's all."

The three brothers glanced at each other. They too had had a bad night. And though it was partly because they had been thinking about Velaris' attack and Luxiana : what she had done, how she had fought and where she was, but they hadn't managed to sleep also because of something else. Because of their muscles which had been aching strangely for hours like they had some kind of huge pain or like... like one of them was in agony and letting them know through their bond.

Azriel crossed his arms, looking concerned. "Why? What happened?"

Luxiana crossed her arms in turn as she let herself fall onto the back of the couch. "You do ask a lot of questions today."

"And you're quite mysterious all of a sudden," Rhysand noted warily. She hid a lot of things from them far too easily. He hated it.

“I’ve always been mysterious,” Luxiana assured, raising an eyebrow.

Cassian chuckled as he sat on the arm of Rhysand's couch behind him. "Yeah, she's not wrong."

“Luxiana,” Rhysand insisted, his voice commanding this time. His brows were furrowed and his expression serious. “You owe us an explanation.”

The blonde shivered at his tone and the half truth she was about to have to confess.

"How did you do everything you did yesterday?" Azriel asked in a cold, distinctive voice. The voice he used when he was questioning someone. His eyes narrowed suspiciously as he examined his soulmate. "You used professional fighting techniques, and don't tell me your boss taught you how to defend yourself because what you did wasn't for a defensive purpose."

"You're used to fighting," Cassian added, not even believing what he was saying but thinking about it all night, it was the only conclusion he had come to. He had replayed the scene in his head a million times trying to understand and process it. "And I don't think it was working in a bar that taught you how to do that."

Luxiana pursed her lips as she searched for words. She brushed a strand of hair from her undone braid behind her ear, “... Well, actually, I do work at a bar…”

Azriel gritted his teeth. A wave of anger washed over him. She was lying to him. His soulmate had lied to him, continues to lie to him and will still lie to him. How could she lie to him without him knowing? He had already detected some of those lies, so why not all of them? "It can't be. A waitress doesn't need to know how to fight that well."

Luxiana smiled mischievously. "I never said I was a waitress, you thought that yourself. I just said I worked in a bar."

Rhysand could start to feel the irritation building in his chest. She was playing them. She was their soulmate but she was mocking them. “So you’ve been letting us believe something that’s not true this whole time,” he spat coldly as he became the High Lord of the Night. This whole time, she had been intentionally lying to them. He couldn’t trust her. His jaw was clenched. “So, I’ll only ask you this once, what are you doing in a bar if you’re not a barmaid and how and why did you learn to fight that way?”

A silence settled, weighing on their shoulders. Silence during which Luxiana detailed the three Illyrians in front of her with guilt and hesitation. Was she going to confess one of her secrets to them? She pursed her lips, making her dimples stand out, and although she had her gaze lowered because of the piercing eyes of the three fixed on her, they felt faint despite their anger. Her dimples were their end.

Luxiana thought. She weighed the pros and cons. Her reason told her not to trust them but her heart really liked them. And then, after all, he had only asked her to say what she did for work, not what she was, and so, what she was going to say was not really a secret anyway. If they dug a little, they could very well have learned it by themselves. Especially since some other high lords knew her very well. And maybe, depending on the reaction of the three Illyrians, she could really start to trust them, and so, one day maybe, she will tell them more. "I am a mercenary," she blurted out suddenly with a shrug.

Time froze for a second around the three faes, giving the impression that their entire bodies had stopped working for a moment. Then Cassian burst out laughing. But, after a few moments, he instantly calmed down when he saw the serious look on his mate’s face. "Wait, you're not serious, right?"

"I am," Luxiana insisted. "The bar I work at is just a cover. The people come to us with... mission orders in exchange for payment and we carry them out"

The three Illyrians were turning white from head to toe. Azriel, standing next to his two brothers, had to take a step back as he felt the muscles in his legs give out for a second.

“When I was telling you about leaving my parents,” Luxiana continued, her expression still serious. She was so anxious about how they would react. She didn’t want them to hate her. “I told you I went to Kayden to get a job, and it was true. But Kay didn’t hire me as a waitress, he hired me as a spy. He trained me to be a spy first. I was a cute, quiet little girl, no one really cared about me.”

The three Illyrians widened their eyes a little more as they realized that she really wasn't joking.

“But I quickly got bored,” Luxiana added, shrugging again. “So I started asking to do bigger and bigger missions. Kayden then taught me how to steal, and I don’t want to pat myself on the back, but I quickly became one of the best thieves in the country.”

Cassian's eyelids gradually widened even more. Rhysand put his hand over his mouth, not believing what he was hearing. And Azriel was holding himself back from reacting as a whirlwind of different emotions worried him.

Luxiana looked down for a second, grimacing, "But... Kayden... I wanted to please him so much, I wanted him to be proud of me so much, I wanted him to not regret hiring me, and taking care of me so much that I started taking more and more dangerous missions. Although Kay didn't want it, because he was afraid I would get hurt, he still ended up accepting and training me." Luxiana smiled at the memories. "I had to say that I know how to be convincing. And then, he knows that I am stubborn and that I would have put myself in danger by taking a risky mission anyway and that he had every interest in teaching me how to fight."

An unpleasant aftertaste of jealousy settled at the back of the three Illyrians' tongues as they heard how much their soulmate cared for her boss and how much she wanted to make him proud. Her relationship with him was therefore not just professional. Azriel's nostrils flared and his fists clenched.

Cassian barely realized. He blinked a few times to try to process it. "So your boss taught you how to fight like that?"

Luxiana nodded. “Partly. Kayden is gifted, strong, and intelligent,...”

Azriel rolled his eyes wildly.

“...but it wasn't enough. The fighting techniques he taught me weren't always adapted to my body, my weight, my strength, especially not against more muscular or larger enemies. So I went looking for books and people who could teach me how to fight like no one else according to my morphology. And I was really motivated. I wanted so much for Kayden to be proud of me. I trained day and night until I couldn't even stand up anymore. And then at 16 years old, I was able to defeat any enemy."

Then Luxiana whitened suddenly, her gaze growing heavy with something like regret as she stared into the void right in front of her. "And I should have settled for that, but even that wasn't enough," she muttered weakly under her breath.

Then she looked up as she came back to her senses. She wasn't going to go into detail about that story today. Maybe never. She wasn't sure she could ever trust them to tell them about it.

The three Illyrians were less and less believing their ears. They looked at each other in shock. They had had a hard time accepting that night that their soulmate knew how to fight and that she had lied to them for a long time, but they were far from guessing she was a mercenary.

"Why didn't you tell us right away?" Rhysand asked in a distant voice.

Luxiana shakes her head, not really knowing that herself. "For several reasons, I think. I didn't know if I could trust you and it's easier to look weak, people don't get suspicious. And..."

She hesitated as she detailed them for a second to know if she would say more or not. But she wanted so much to be able to trust them. After all, it could be a test and allow Luxiana to analyze their reactions to one day be able to entrust them with more. "...And also because I didn't become just any simple mercenary."

Azriel narrowed his eyes, holding back his quickening breath as much as he could. "What do you mean?"

Luxiana stopped herself from looking down, feeling a little ashamed. This was the first time that someone other than Kayden's opinion had mattered so much to her. It was new. She tried to put on a proud look, the same one she adopted when she was perturbed. "I became one of the few mercenaries who was able to cross the wall and the only one who didn't refuse to do so."

The three Illyrians - if they were no longer- froze as they opened their eyes wide.

"When that became known," Luxiana smiled, "Kayden was able to accept missions in exchange for exorbitant compensation. People who were willing to give anything for me to go and retrieve their loved ones kidnapped by fae, to go and steal and bring back contraband or even to..." She paused, taking a deep breath. "...murder and get revenge on some fae. I..." 

She looked up at the three of them with fear, but she wasn't afraid of them, she was afraid of their reactions. She was afraid that they wouldn't like her anymore after this. "I'm not a nice person, you know? I've murdered a lot of people, fae and humans. But never innocents!" she tried to justify herself as if it made a difference.

The three Illyrians were in even more shock. This little smiling and sunny woman was a murderer? She had killed people? They had such a hard time believing it. But it explained what she had done yesterday.

Rhysand tried to calm down and think but all he could think about was how bad he was. His soulmate had to become an assassin to please a man who had taken advantage of her when she was just a child because he hadn't been able to find her before and bring her to safety. He thought about how Luxiana must have felt the first time after taking someone's life. She must have felt so bad. A cloud of guilt flooded his chest uncomfortably and it was so strong that he knew his brothers thought and felt the same way.

“So that’s how you were able to get out of your cell yesterday?” Azriel asked, trying to distract him from his guilt-ridden chest. “How did you escape my shadows without them telling me?”

Luxiana grimaced. "Sort of. I've learned to deflect a lot of magic through my missions but…," she hesitated, "let's just say I have other special talents that helped me a lot yesterday."

"Like which ones?" Azriel asked dryly. His voice was hissing despite himself because of the anger he felt. Although he was a little pissed off by his soulmate's lies, he was essentially furious with him. He was the best spy in this damned country and he had never found his soulmate in time. None of his shadows had told him about her. None of his shadows who had always helped and supported him had told him to go save his soulmate.

Luxiana smiled weakly. "That's a secret for next time."

Cassian closed his eyes slowly and left them closed for a long second in surprise. "Because besides that one, you have other secrets??"

Luxiana snickered, openly mocking them. "There are many others, yes, and me being an assassin isn't even the worst of them."

Rhysand raised his eyebrows before blowing out all his air. He ran his hands over his face, rubbing it vigorously. His soulmate had lied to him and continued to hide things from him. It hurt his heart. He wished he knew everything about her. He wished she felt confident enough with him to tell him everything.

Cassian was out of his body. He couldn't quite comprehend what his soulmate had just confessed. "So you're a mercenary?" he managed to say.

Luxiana swallowed hard. She didn't like this feeling in her chest that made her fear the reaction of the three Illyrians. Why did she even care so much? "I am." Then, in the hope of lightening the mood, she began to look them up and down with a playful air and a smirk. "And I'm the best. Besides, I'm sure I could take all three of you in a fight…," her smile turned perverse. "And not just in a fight either."

Cassian suddenly came back to himself. He threw a surprised look at Rhysand who returned it. Then he closed his eyes slowly to return them to his soulmate with a smirk. "Is this a proposal?"

"Yes!" she answered simply with a seductive air.

Azriel had to sit next to Rhys on the couch, no longer able to stand on his legs because of the mixture of emotions that made him palpitate and anxious. He placed his fingers on his temples and began to massage them as his skull began to hurt too much.

He interrupted the burning gaze his soulmate and brother were giving each other by raising his hand to Luxiana. "Do you realize how dangerous this job is?" He could feel his stomach tighten as he stressed his brothers out with him. His soulmate could have died, or worse, been tortured, because of one of those missions. He could have never met her. And he could never have taken it. He could never have taken the knowledge that she had been tortured and that he hadn't been there to save her.

Luxiana shrugged insolently and innocently, making Azriel grit his teeth. A burst of anger burned his body as if an iceberg had hit him. "Your life is important, Luxiana, damn it. You can't put your life in danger like that, just because you wanted to please the first bastard who used you when you were just a child!"

The Illyrian with the blue siphons closed his eyes, instantly regretting his crude words and even more so when Luxiana leaned on the couch to propel herself and jump to her feet.

She quickly approached the spymaster, glaring at him, anger boiling in her chest, even clenching her heart in pain. How dare he? "That man saved my life in so many ways! Don't even talk about him like that!"

Azriel stood up abruptly in turn to grab Luxiana's chin and clamp his fingers into her cheeks. He was mad with rage. No, mad with jealousy. He hated the way HIS soulmate spoke of this man. The way HIS soulmate wanted to make another man proud and that she idealized him so much when he was evil. When he had taken advantage of a lost little girl. When he must have saved her instead. When she was his and he was dying for her to speak of him like that.

Rhysand stood up in turn to put his hand on Azriel's shoulder and communicate with him through thought. "I know what that bastard did but he still saved our soulmate and taught her how to fight."

Cassian groaned but didn't move from the couch to answer them in his head. "He made her a mercenary, or at least a spy. He intentionally put her in danger."

Rhysand huffed, glaring at Cassian who wasn't helping him. "Worse things could have happened to Luxiana if she would have been alone. Nothing happened to her and that's what matters. And maybe it's partly thanks to that man so we should be at least a little grateful. And anyway, she idealizes him."

Azriel glared at his brother with his brown pupils, almost shouting back in their heads. “He used a little girl to enrich himself instead of keeping her safe!”

Rhysand stared back at him, warning him with his high lord aura not to go any further. He was just as mad with rage at this man. By the cauldron, he was going to find him. "I agree with you but she doesn't see it that way. And she's not ready for this discussion. So let her go. Anyway, she has no contact with him now." Then out loud, so that their long silence wouldn't seem strange to their soul mate, he added: "She's not a mercenary anymore today." And he continued in their heads: "She's with us now. Don't ruin everything."

Azriel took a deep breath. She was with them today and he wouldn't let her near that bastard anymore. He stared at his soulmate and then suddenly felt calm. Luxiana's face was furrowed with anger. Azriel smiled tenderly. She was so cute like that. She was so cute with her face in his hand. She was so cute when she was almost his. She was more important than his anger or his jealousy. "Sorry, princess, I should never have said that," he breathed. Then he leaned forward to place a light kiss on her nose before releasing her.

Luxiana's anger suddenly disappeared, replaced by surprise as she opened her eyes a little wider, blushing. "Uh, I..." she stuttered, searching for words. Had he really just apologized? It was cute. "Uh, it's nothing." Luxiana walked away from him, lowering her head, still confused.

Rhysand released his brother to sigh. They needed time to think about all this and process it. Then he turned to Luxiana but he noticed her dark circles again a little more being so close to her. "So why didn't you sleep badly last night?"

Luxiana shrugged. "We've talked too much with Amren." She refrained from glancing at Azriel to see if he'd detected her half-truth.

Cassian raised his eyebrows. "Amren had talked to you all night?"

Luxiana chuckled. "Okay, I was basically just talking to myself and hoping Amren would respond."

The three Illyrians were huffing a laugh. Then Rhysand suddenly looked serious again. "We..." he hesitated. "We have to go, wait for us here." Then he turned to his brothers to give them a doubtful glance but he remembered that their soulmate had just confessed to them that she was a spy, a mercenary and an assassin. He didn't really have to be too gentle with her anymore. He smiled a little at the thought. "We have to go question the Attor, maybe he'll finally decide to talk today and tell us how creatures like him were able to find and enter Velaris."

Cassian nodded as he stood up and they started to leave together, leaving the blonde there. But Luxiana stopped Rhysand by holding him by the arm with a confused and thoughtful look. "The Attor? The creature that attacked Feyre the first time you came to the Archerons’?"

Rhysand nodded heavily.

“He resists Azriel’s tortures and has a mental shield far too powerful for Rhys to break through,” Cassian explained, his voice serious and so unusual for him that it made Luxiana shiver.

Azriel contracted completely.

The blonde tilted her head, frowning. She turned to Azriel with a pleasantly surprised smile. "You're the torturer of this court?"

The Illyrian gritted his teeth as something squeezed his stomach even more. He understood that his soulmate was not as kind and gentle as his physique suggested, but he still didn't like that she had the vision of him as a cruel being. A torturer. She may have murdered people but not innocent people and there was a big difference between killing and torturing. He didn't want her to see him like that. To know who he really was, how dirty and how much he didn't deserve her.

“We don’t have that kind of stuff here,” Rhysand corrected, sensing Azriel’s discomfort. “But it’s his job to gather information.”

"Hmm," she mused, placing her index finger on her chin. "I'll come with you, then." She crossed her arms with furrowed brows and a serious expression as she waited for the three Illyrians—who were giving each other hesitant glances—to decide to move.

“No,” Azriel refused immediately. He didn’t want his soulmate to see him like this.

Rhysand doubted almost as much as his brother. "What you're going to see there is..."

Luxiana rolled her eyes and interrupted him, "I can well imagine what it's like yes. If you don't have an official torturer, I assume Azriel hasn't received any training on how exactly to torture someone properly." Then she smiled. A cold, creepy smile. "I just want to make sure he did a good job and that you'll get the information you need."

“Have you ever even seen a person being tortured?” Azriel asked through gritted teeth.

Luxiana's smile widened as something in her pupils glowed. "Not long actually,..." She leaned towards Azriel. "...because they always end up cracking quickly when I'm the one dealing with them."

The three Illyrians raised an eyebrow in a twin expression then Cassian burst out laughing. "I want to see that."

Azriel gritted his teeth, worried, but said nothing, wanting to believe her even though a weight was pressing on his chest.

"Very well," Rhysand confirmed in the same state. "Then come on." It was their soulmate after all.

[icarusflewsworld]

Rhysand & Cassian & Azriel X OC

Hello, here is the chapter 24 of a fanfiction on the world of Acotar where our three favorite Batboys are the mates of a single woman.

I hope you will enjoy the read at least a little. The chapter wasn't even really good but it's something we have to go through to have two or three incredible chapters (with jealousy and especially real smut!!!!) next week. Friday, January 17th.

Update : 4 chapters on Saturday, January 18th. (Yes I am late again. Yes, it's because I was sick. Yes I always sick please kill me.😭😭😭 I am so sorry, I swear I am doing my best. But I think the chapters will worth it !) Love you ! ❤️‍🩹

I LOVE ALL OF YOU SO MUCH. YOU ARE SO CUTE, SWEET AND ADORABLE FOR ALL THE KIND COMMENTS YOU ALL ARE PUTTING ON THAT STORY.  I WISH YOU A BEAUTIFUL AND HAPPY WEEK END !! ❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹

! Don't forget to read the previous chapters ! : Here

Chapter 24

Azriel was lying on his side on the couch, his legs in a sitting position, his cheek resting on the armrest. His gaze was dull and straight ahead. He felt empty, lifeless. He didn't even have the desire or the courage to breathe anymore.

Cassian was doubled over on the back of the couch. His legs were dangling in the air on the other side of the backrest while his hair fell on the seat next to his brother. His blood was starting to rise to his brain and stagnate in his skull but he didn't care. He was depressed and he didn't even have the courage to sit up anymore. He was hoping to faint so the time would pass faster.

"Mor," Rhysand moaned in his cousin's head for the thirtieth time in a second and for at least the thousandth time in a minute. He lay on the floor on his stomach, his face buried in the fluffy carpet that was under the coffee table. He kept trying to make contact with his cousin but was getting more desperate each time. Mor had sealed off his mind completely, preventing Rhys from being able to speak to him but the high lord kept trying. "Mor, bring her back to me, please."

They had been to the Nightmare Court and back, but that was three days ago. Three days. And since then, they hadn't even been able to catch a glimpse of Luxiana, not even once. Mor had enjoyed what their soulmate had done to her father so much that she had taken her in her arms, told her that they were going to spend the evening together with Amren and teleported her to Velaris, leaving the three Illyrians there, in the middle of the Nightmare Court, without the woman they were in love with.

At first, they had been able to contact Mor to demand that she come back with their soulmate but Rhys' cousin had refused. She had even threatened them by saying that they had no interest in contacting Luxiana directly. She had even put forward unstoppable arguments: firstly, Luxiana would surely get angry that they were preventing her from doing what she wanted and secondly, she would find it strange that they forbade her from spending time with someone else. Or worse, she could think that they did not trust her enough to walk around Velaris without them. 

Mor knew that she had exaggerated a little on that but she really liked Luxiana a lot and, although she had not planned to keep the blonde with her for so long, she had changed her mind when she saw the pitiful state in which it put the three Illyrians. She had to admit that she liked knowing how depressed they were for a woman.

Under Mor's arguments, Rhys, Cass and Az had said or done nothing more the first day. Nor the next day when the corridors of the building began to feel empty from Luxiana's absence and their ears were ringing because of the silence. They had become so used to hearing their soulmate talk and laugh constantly with her usual joy, that not having her near them made them feel like they didn't know what to do with their lives. They simply felt empty.

Azriel had felt jealous, possessive and angry at first but he had ended up missing Luxiana. Of course, he had had the three women followed with his shadows to make sure Mor didn't cross any boundaries with his soulmate and that they didn't get too close but Amren had sensed it and had pushed him away with his power. He had no more news then and he had to restrain himself with all his might from going to get Luxiana himself. He wanted her so much but he wanted her to be happy and he knew that Cassian and Rhys were right in telling him that she had the right to have a life and to bond with other people. But she was his soulmate and he missed her.

Cassian let out yet another sound of frustration. He had been in this position for maybe 3 hours and he felt ready to pass out at any moment. He should move and get up but he didn't have the strength or the desire. Why the hell had he stopped Azriel from going to find their soulmate? He regretted it now. What else was he supposed to do besides listen to his soulmate? What else was he supposed to do besides look at her? He missed her so much.

"Moooooooooor," Rhys cried again in despair but he still didn't get an answer. He wondered if he should contact his soulmate directly but he was afraid to know if Luxiana would let him into her head again or if it had just been a lucky circumstance in the court of nightmare. He wanted to continue to believe that she trusted him enough to let him in every time. But most of all, he didn't want to seem invasive or stop her from doing things. He missed her, he just wanted to spend time with her.

And, the three Illyrians knew that their time was numbered with their little human soul mate.

Suddenly, all three of them stood up, jumping to their feet with haste. Cassian's head spun for a second, but it wasn't his previous position that made him or his brothers go white. They had just felt the city's defenses give way. "Velaris is under attack!" the commander of the armies shouted, throwing himself outside the building as adrenaline and worry pulsed unpleasantly through his veins.

"Luxiana!" Azriel gasped as he threw himself after his brother but with the aim of going to find his soulmate while a ball of anguish exploded in his stomach.

Rhysand followed his brothers but he had already deployed his power everywhere to measure the danger, the number of enemies and especially to force the shields in the minds of Mor and Amren.

"I already told you not to do that!" the brunette growled viciously in her head when she felt Rhys there.

"The city is under attack," Rhysand said in a worried thought to Mor and Amren. "Protect her!" he demanded in a trembling voice, and he didn't even need to specify who he was talking about.

Rhysand flew towards the enemies with Cassian but called out to Azriel with his thoughts who was heading in the opposite direction, towards Luxiana. "She's safe with Amren and Mor!"

Azriel froze in mid-sky, grimacing in worry and doubt. "But she's our soulmate."

"I know," the high lord growled through gritted teeth. He was shaking and was mad with rage and fear. His city was being attacked for the first time in its existence and it was because of him. But most importantly, he was endangering his soulmate. He also wanted to throw himself towards her, find her and wrap his body around her to protect her forever but he had to keep his cool and think calmly. He was the lord of this city. He had not sacrificed himself at the hands of Amarantha for nothing. And most importantly, Luxiana was much safer with Amren than with the three of them. "You will protect her better from there by preventing the enemies from reaching her."

Cassian was already fighting in the sky against monstrous flying creatures resembling the Attor. "Come back, we need warriors here!"

Rhys joins him to fight by his side while at the same time his power was focused on reestablishing the city's defenses to prevent more enemies from entering. "And Amren knows that she better not let anything happen to our soulmate!"

Azriel growled as he took one last look at the neighborhood where Amren's apartment was located and where, therefore, his soulmate was. Where his shadows had found her when he had sent them all over the city to detect her. He cursed before turning around to join his brothers and fight with them. He had to, reluctantly, retract his shadows to focus them on the enemies but it killed him inside not knowing if she was okay. He was so worried, but Rhys was right. Amren knew the stakes and she was the most powerful of them all.

And it was true, Amren and Mor knew that Luxiana was the most important thing for the three brothers, and that what would happen if Luxiana were to be injured would be catastrophic and disastrous for everyone. Their three best friends would be unhappy and above all, they would no longer have a reason to live. 

The brunette, standing in the middle of the street in chaos of her apartment from which all three of them had just left, raised her hand towards the creatures that had managed to get there, to release her power. Dozens of beasts fell to the ground, dead, all around them. Amren glanced at Mor who nodded at her with a smile, still impressed by the power of her friend. Then, in one movement, they pivoted towards Luxiana a few steps behind them to make sure she was okay.

But Luxiana was gone. She was gone. Mor's eyes widened and Amren's breath caught in her throat. They began to spin around, frantically looking at every corner of the street in hopes of finding her but she was nowhere to be found in the chaos of screaming and panicking people around them. They began to run, separating, looking everywhere but they couldn't find her.

“Rhys,” Mor finally called out telepathically, palpitating and panicking. She froze in the middle of an alleyway, still with no sign of Luxiana.

Rhys killed his enemy but froze in mid-air at the sound of his cousin's serious voice in his head. He knew that his two brothers had also heard since waves of anguish, fear and anger that did not belong to him were violently passing through him from side to side, burning him. In any case, since this bond had been born between the three of them, they could hardly hide anything from his brothers. They now almost always heard when someone communicated with him in thought, as if they were one.

"We lost her," Amren said, his voice solemn and heavy with meaning. "We don't know where she is."

"Rhys, I'm sorry, she was right behind us," Mor almost sobbed as she kept looking in all directions to find her. She was worried too. Her three best friends would be so mad at her if something happened to their soulmate and she would be mad at herself too. She really liked the young woman.

The three Illyrians didn't even hear Mor's apology as shocks, fear and anguish struck them, crushing their chests. Their hearts began to beat madly against their ribs, sending blood with such violence in their veins that they could feel them all burning. Their stomachs were compressed into a fist and they held back from shaking as they left their positions and their fights to fly at full speed towards Amren and Mor, where their soul mate had been a few moments ago.

"We trusted you, damn it!" Azriel yelled in the heads of the five. He quickly passed his two brothers, flying faster than them.

"Luxiana!" Rhysand pleaded in his head, deploying his power everywhere to find her without much hope. But to his surprise, he detected her and found her. And - shocking him even more - his soulmate, feeling Rhysand's somewhat abrupt and panicked caress on his mind and on his shield, let him in. He calmed down slightly but was still far too anxious to rejoice in the fact that she still trusted him.

Luxiana winced, a headache taking hold of her as she heard Rhysand scream her name in her head. She dropped the creature whose neck she had just broken to the ground. "Yes?" she answered innocently to Rhys before crouching down in front of a fae and her crying daughter huddled under their market stall. "Are you okay?" she asked them with an empathetic face.

The woman nodded, thanking her several times in her frightened voice. Luxiana smiled reassuringly at her and then looked at the counter above the two faes. The woman had been selling handmade cutlery before the attack. Luxiana then grabbed one of the silver butter knives that had a handle made of several intertwined slices of metal. The blade looked sharp. At least sharp enough for Luxiana. "Can I borrow this?" She had to have a weapon to fight with. The woman nodded again in panic so Luxiana didn't waste any time.

She got up to run towards a tiny alley between two shops while killing the creatures in her path.

The three Illyrians froze in mid-sky in their flights as they heard their soulmate answer them. She was answering and she wasn't calling for help. So she was fine. They were slowly calming down, and although the anxiety was gradually replaced by anger and confusion, they were still worried about not knowing where she was. "Where the hell are you?" Cassian asked first as he and his brothers scanned the streets below them.

Luxiana jumped on one of the walls to bounce on the other opposite and climb up to the roof of the store where she gained momentum to run and launch herself onto the back of a creature. The beast began to climb with all its strength into the sky as it felt Luxiana wrap her arms around its neck.

He tried to turn around in the blonde's hold to hurt her with his long claws but she stuck the butter knife in his throat, right on his artery. His blood spurted into the void below them as the enemy let out a muffled scream, his wings stopping beating.

Luxiana propelled herself away from him to drop into the air alone. As she fell, scanning the flying creatures below her to try to select one she could land on, she saw the three Illyrians a few meters below her. She grimaced, it was going to be hard to explain this. "Above," she finally answered them.

The three males frowned as they heard her. They gave each other a quick confused look before looking up. Their eyelids widened, their hearts skipped a beat and their breaths caught. They tensed up with all their muscles, ready to rush towards their wife when they saw her fall from the sky. They threw themselves towards her but flinched in surprise when Luxiana landed head-on on a creature to stab it several times in the back.

The beast collapsed into the void to die as their soulmate used it to propel herself towards another enemy. As she was free falling again, her arms glued to her body to go faster, Azriel hit her from the side to grab her and pin her to his chest.

Rhysand and Cassian couldn't even relax seeing her in Azriel's arms because they were so tense. And Azriel only got a little relief when he felt her sticking to him because he was so angry.

They flew to the ground where all three of them landed savagely. Luxiana also put her feet on the ground to get away from Azriel, looking at him in confusion. "What are you doing?"

"What are YOU doing??" Rhysand yelled at her, looking just as confused and shocked as she was.

Luxiana frowned as she narrowed her eyes. Wasn't it obvious what she was doing? "I'm playing cards," she mocked in a pretentious tone. "What do you think I am doing?? I'm killing these creatures to protect the people of this city. Isn’t that what you should be doing too? What are you waiting for?"

Azriel gritted his teeth and closed his eyes at her condescending tone but said nothing else as he glared at her with a dark look that already said a lot.

Rhysand was breathing hard and the unpleasant burning in his stomach irritated him. He knew better than anyone that his city was under attack and he would gladly protect it if his soulmate didn't do as she pleased. He couldn't resign himself to leaving her alone in danger anyway. She was so much more important than the rest. So much.

Cassian's mouth fell open, not believing what he was hearing. "Are you saying you were up there jumping from monster to monster of your own free will?" He was so worried, damn it, he never was. He wanted to tell her she was completely crazy but bit back his words. She was crazy and he should have known she'd start jumping from creature to creature to kill them. How the fuck could even a little human do that?

"You can't put yourself in danger like that, so stupidly!" Azriel yelled, his voice hissing with anger.

Luxiana rolled her eyes, clenching her jaw in turn. The blonde glanced around them and grimaced. Chaos reigned around them. Fearful screams and sounds of creatures echoed between the city walls as people ran everywhere and as buildings were destroyed. There was no time to waste. She raised her irises above their heads and smirked before looking seriously into Rhys's eyes. "You didn't sacrifice yourself for this city, for it to end up like this today."

The three Illyrians jerked their heads back at hr words. They couldn't react or think of anything as Luxiana rushed to one of the houses a few steps away from them, jump, lean on the window sill and propel herself upwards. She grabbed onto one of the creatures that was passing by and flying low in the street.

Azriel spat out a curse, Cassian gasped in surprise and Rhysand jumped. They launched themselves in pursuit of their soulmate to follow her from the ground, running, the beast not wanting to fly high. They were still going to fly to retrieve Luxiana but she acted well before.

As the creature wanted to claw her, she cut the two tendons of its wrists with a quick movement to prevent it and immobilize its hands. She then stabbed him in the heart to kill it. The creature, no longer able to fly, was going to crash to the ground while Luxiana was still hanging on to his torso with one hand. She let herself fall to land on the ground and roll on the paving stones of the street. She landed, one knee on the ground, stabilized with one hand and the other in the air behind her. She suddenly raised her head, making her hair fly with her.

The three males stopped in front of her. Looking at her with even more surprise look. She had landed skillfully, like a professional, and had cut the monster's tendons with surgical precision.

Cassian's mouth dropped open, his heart dancing in his chest. "That was fucking hot."

"What the..." Rhysand was about to ask but he was interrupted by Luxiana who stood up to place her hands on his chest and push him towards two creatures who were going to attack a fae. "We'll see about that later, we're fighting!"

She threw her knife with such force and precision that it stuck right between the two eyes of one of the enemies while Azriel melted into the shadows to appear behind the second and slit his throat. Luxiana was going to move towards her knife to retrieve it but Rhysand grabbed her by the arm to give her a disapproving look.

Cassian then grabbed the butter knife with his fingertips to remove it from the beast's skull and to bring it in front of his nose with eyes still wide but this time in admiration. He pointed it at the master spy who only gave him a disapproving look. Was it only him who was impressed that she had done all that with a butter knife?

"I can fight!" she assured Rhysand, who was still clutching her arm. "I promise. I'll tell you why, but I can fight, Rhys."

Rhysand could see the sincerity in her eyes. He was so worried, but damn, she had just thrown a butter knife and managed to plant it right in the middle of someone's head. It took a level of strength and experience to be able to do that. He didn't know how she had learned to fight like that and he was going to get it out of her but they needed everyone to fight. He finally nodded and let her go. He would be able to protect her better and stop her from doing stupid things if she was next to him.

Luxiana took a step back and was about to turn around to go fight but Azriel grabbed her possessively by the throat to pull her towards him while he only glared at Rhysand with his pupils. "No fucking chance. She's human, she's fragile!"

Luxiana smirked, trying not to appear distracted by the tickling sensations in her lower abdomen caused by Azriel's firm grip on her throat. "Am I?" she asked cryptically.

The Illyrian with the blue siphons gave her a sideways glance, unable to hide his anger or weariness. "Yes, you are fragile." He moved closer to her, almost pressing his face to hers. "And you are so precious. There is no risk in me leaving you here, it is too dangerous." He turned back to Rhys. "A simple scratch could kill her, Rhys."

Luxiana, although completely turned around by the fae's words, let out a growl of frustration as she roughly pushed Azriel's hand away from her neck. Anger was beginning to vibrate in her chest. She liked him but he was starting to piss her off by forbidding her to fight when she could surely save more people than him. Her gaze burned with anger. "Well deal with it because there's no fucking way I'm going to stay here and do nothing."

She turned to leave but Azriel grabbed her by the forearm. She didn't even have time to turn around before he deployed his power to teleport them both.

Luxiana gasped as she was surrounded by shadows for a second before landing in an entirely different place. A small, dingy, damp, and cold room with porous gray stone walls and a concrete floor of the same color but stained with blood. In the place, there was only one single iron chair with metal chains attached to it and hanging heavily from it. A wooden door with a square of bars at face height told her where she was now. It was a cell. Azriel had just teleported her into a cell.

Her eyes widened. What the hell was going on? She turned around to face Azriel to look at him in shock but he let go of her to deploy his power on her. The shadowsinger's shadows wrapped around the blonde and pulled her back to force her to sit on the chair.

Luxiana cried out in surprise as she felt herself being forced to sit up. She didn't struggle or even tense up. He wasn't a threat. This prison wasn't a threat. The shadows held her too tightly anyway. She couldn't move as they kept her pinned to the backrest. They moved to grab the metal chains and to tie them around Luxiana's torso, around her ankles to the chair legs, and around her wrists to the armrests.

The blonde's breathing was fast and hurried. She was completely turned on by this situation. This was new. She threw a look filled with confusion at the Illyrian. "Az," she breathed, swallowing hard. "What are you doing?"

Azriel felt himself faint from the inside and doubt for a few seconds seeing the fear in his soulmate's eyes. Besides, it was the first time she called him that. She might consider herself closer to him and maybe after this, she would hate him again, but he simply couldn't risk seeing her hurt. He preferred that she hate him but at least be healthy. "You're the one forcing me to do this."

As his shadows finished tying Luxiana to the chair, Azriel didn't decide to retrieve them to let them tighten around her in order to make sure she didn't move. Well, Luxiana certainly couldn't escape from the unbreakable chains that usually held the most powerful and ferocious prisoners. No, his shadows weren't there to hold her back but to protect her if anyone other than him entered this room. He turned around and was about to leave the room but he froze when he heard Luxiana laugh.

It wasn’t a bad laugh, or a mean one, or an ironic one. It was a soft, happy laugh. Azriel glanced back over his shoulder and fainted again when he saw her looking at him with a tender gaze. “Do you think this will hold me back?” she asked, pointing with her chin at his restraints. “You’re so cute.”

Azriel narrowed his eyes for a second, doubt settling into his body but reason calmed him. There was no way she could escape the hold of her shadows and if she did, she wouldn't be able to break free of these chains. And even if she did, the cell's magical barrier would prevent her from getting out. This place was an infallible prison but it was also therefore the safest place for her.

Azriel didn't answer and left the cell, closing the door behind him and activating the magic barrier. Then he teleported back to his brothers who - knowing what he had just done - gave him a jaded look. "She's safe there at least," he assured them.

Cassian huffed, nodding. "He's not wrong, he's not wrong." Then they went back to the fight, protecting the city as best they could.

But Luxiana had already escaped. She stood in the middle of the city and spun around, grimacing in sadness as she watched the city being destroyed. She couldn't let this happen. Too bad for her. Too bad for what would happen to her.

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She began to recite a formula of strange words. Words in an ancient language. Very ancient. A language long dead. A language spoken long before magic was born.

The particles of magic in the world around her began to vibrate and react. Their master was calling to them. They were all migrating towards Luxiana to enter her body and invade her in a flood of power that consumed every single muscle in her body.

When she opened her eyes again, a wave of magic escaped from her violently, sending people and objects flying around her and destroying the paving stones she was on by creating a crater. The people who were running to escape the creatures, feeling an extraordinary, dangerous, deadly and cold power emanating from Luxiana, began to run in the other direction towards the enemies who were attacking them. Because after all, the threat was much more present in the young woman whose aura she transmitted promised only violence and pain.

With one blow, the blonde released the force that now inhabited her to throw it at the creatures that were attacking the city and who then all began to explode at the same time in a firework of decomposed flesh, skin and blood that began to rain down on the city.

A rain of blood fell on Luxiana, wetting her skin and hair with a red color. With great difficulty and as her entire body began to burn, she pronounced another word in this dead language allowing her to make the power that possesses her disappear and even to extinguish it completely.

She fainted under the sudden contrast of the magic leaving her body as she took a few steps back. She pulled herself out of the crater she had just created and then she focused on her breathing to calm the pain and hold it back a little. She began to spin around, admiring the carnage of flesh and blood that now surrounded her.

But she froze, staring straight into Amren's gaze, who was standing a few meters away from her and who had witnessed the whole scene. Luxiana's expression became serious while Amren's expression was filled with fear. The brunette was breathing hard, her eyes wide and her teeth clenched.

The brunette had known from the beginning, from her meeting with Luxiana, that something was wrong with her. That the blonde was hiding something. But Amren had no idea that was it. And the more she stared at Luxiana, the more she understood everything. The dots aligned in her head and she got even more white.

The three Illyrians were in shock. Their enemies had just imploded. There were no creatures left alive. All three of them had felt the huge, creepy, evil source of power that had exploded in the middle of the city. They looked at each other and in silent agreement, headed towards the place where this terrifying power came from.

Luxiana, sensing them arriving, turned her gaze towards them who were flying through the air at full speed in her direction. She turned her pleading and frightened pupils to Amren. "Please, don't tell them. I'll explain everything to you but don't tell them." She liked them and she didn't want them to want to kill her or worse, to be afraid of her.

Amren was destabilized for a second by the sensitivity in Luxiana's gaze. How could such a powerful being seem so fragile? But she understood things a little more with each passing second.

The three Illyrians were paralyzed in mid-flight when they saw a mass of braided white hair in the middle of a nameless chaos, of bodies, blood and destroyed buildings. They could recognize this silhouette and this hair among a thousand. It was their soul mate.

Azriel almost jumped, his eyes widening as the other two gave him expressions of confusion. "You didn't lock him in a cell?" Cassian gasped in shock.

The spymaster didn't answer. Yes, he had locked her in a cell where only he, Rhysand and Cassian could enter and exit. How had she managed to escape? He couldn't believe his eyes. He rushed towards her and his two brothers followed him.

They landed abruptly in front of her. Cassian grabbed Luxiana by the shoulders to put her in front of him and looked her up and down in panic. "Are you hurt?" he asked as a ball of anxiety grew heavier in his stomach at the sight of her covered in blood.

Luxiana just shook her head. He was so cute and kind. She didn't want to lose them.

Azriel took Cassian's place, pushing him by the shoulder to grab the blonde by the arms in turn. "What happened?? How did you get here?"

Luxiana couldn’t even regain her confidence or give him a smile. She was far too worried. Amren shouldn’t say anything. She’ll tell them, of course, but not right away. Or maybe she wouldn’t tell them after all. She just shrugged. “I told you it wouldn’t hold me back.”

Azriel, Cassian, and Rhysand stared at her in surprise, their breaths caught. “You escaped from our prison?” the lord bellowed. “How?”

Luxiana could let out a slight smirk at their expression of pure astonishment but couldn't answer. She didn't want to tell them but she had to give some explanations. She threw a look filled with terror at Amren, who still hadn't moved. She almost begged the brunette not to tell anything. She really liked them and she didn't want them to start hating her.

The three males, noticing his confusion and intercepting his gaze, followed it with a frown. Why was their soulmate afraid of Amren?

Rhysand glanced at the crater beside them and then at the bits of flesh of the creatures scattered everywhere around them. Luxiana must have witnessed the brunette's unleashing of power and must have been scared but since when had Amren been this powerful? He frowned even more towards her. "Did you do this?"

Amren glanced at Luxiana who lowered her head. After a second, she raised it with a sad and guilty look. The blonde opened her mouth to speak, to confess but Amren cut her off. “Yes, it’s me.” She regained her composure by adopting her usual haughty expression.

Luxiana looked at her in surprise at first before her eyes began to shine with relief and thanks. Amren had just obtained his eternal gratitude. But Amren hadn't done it for that. Amren had understood that it was not better to have Luxiana as an enemy. And yet, the fear and sincerity that reigned in the blonde's gaze still said a lot about the kind of person the blonde was and what she felt for the three Illyrians. Amren couldn't ruin everything.

And then, despite herself, Amren had ended up appreciating Luxiana. And she now even considered her after that moment, with respect and admiration.

"Since when are you able to deploy so much of... evil magic?" Rhysand asked suspiciously, narrowing his eyes.

Amren looked at him nonchalantly. "Do I ask you questions?" Then she turned to leave.

Luxiana jumped. This was her chance to get away from the three Illyrians. She started running after the brunette with an expression filled with doubt and uncertainty. "Uh, I...I'm going with her. We're going to find Mor!"

"What?" Azriel exclaimed, trying to catch up with her. "No! You owe us an explanation!"

But Rhysand grabbed his arm to hold him back. “We have things to do,” he gestured at the city in chaos around them. “We’ll talk to her later.”

Luxiana had heard and she grimaced. She didn't want to tell them about it but she would be able to take some time to think about it because she knew she wouldn't see them before tomorrow. Because tonight, she would have to pay the price for what she had just done.

[icarusflewsworld]

Rhysand & Cassian & Azriel X OC

Hello, here is the chapter 23 of a fanfiction on the world of Acotar where our three favorite Batboys are the mates of a single woman.

TW for this chapters : Violence, blood, vomit. Be careful to what you read not to put yourself in a bad mood. Take care of yourself. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

I hope you'll enjoyed the chapters ! Don't hesitate to tell me what you think about it, please ! Also, I am apologizing again for the late. 

I have exams coming so I think I will not be able to post more than once a week but I will try my best ! The next chapter or chapters will be out on Friday, January 10 ! 

! Don't forget to read the previous chapters ! : Here

Love you all ! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Chapter 23

After what seemed like long minutes, Luxiana was finally regaining sensation and control over her senses. "That was incredible," she managed to articulate in a tired voice even inside her skull.

The smiles of the three Illyrians reappeared as they cast tender glances at her. "I want to do it again," she added suddenly with a cute pout. The dark-haired Illyrians lost their smile. Azriel grunted through clenched teeth. He thought she was perfect. Cassian looked up at the ceilling, trying to keep his excitement from exploding. But Rhysand didn't even try to stop what he felt, way too much aroused by what just happened with their mate. He got to his feet, dragging Luxiana with him.

He wanted to wear her, but he couldn't. Not here, not in front of these Fae. If they suspected that he liked Luxiana, they might come after her, and she was only a fragile human. He didn't want to take that risk. He placed her gently on her feet. "Can you walk?" he asked her worriedly.

Luxiana nodded with a gentle smile.

"Great," added Cassian with a seductive air but rapid breathing, "because we're going to have to run to a room so we can make you something a little more... better."

Azriel grabbed Luxiana by the hand to pull her towards the door, and Rhysand and Cassian followed. "We have to leave," Rhys simply justified to the Fae present and to Mor's father.

Keir, feeling unrespected, wasted no time in replying with a grimace of disgust aimed at Rhys. "I didn't expect anything else anyway, you seemed to have a pronounced taste for fucking instead of taking care of your court like the whore you are."

The four of them froze a few steps in front of Mor's father.

Azriel and Cassian were boiling with anger. How dare that filthy rat talk about their brother like that after he had sacrificed himself to save his court. Cassian took a threatening step towards Keir, ready to fight, but Rhysand raised his hand to stop him.

The high lord, though electrocuted t by a mixture of anger, guilt and bad memories tried to keep a cool head. "Let's calm down, it's nothing. It doesn't matter, we mustn't let them understand that it does," he thought to calm them.

Cassian didn't move any further, although he was dying to. Rhysand gave Keir a dark look of warning. "That's because this court isn't worth it. But don't forget who you're talking to Keir, next time you open your mouth without permission, I'll shut it."

Keir gritted his teeth but nodded in resignation before lowering his head.

Rhysand moved to get around him, but Luxiana grabbed him by the arm to stop him. Rhysand turned to face her. Her eyes were wide and her brows furrowed, but a burning rage smoked inside her pupils with such violence that the three Illyrians recoiled at the sight. "Aren't you going to do anything? Are you going to let him talk to you like that?" she asked, almost shouting into Rhys's head.

Rhysant was at first pleased for a second that she felt such anger for him before pulling himself together and replying. "It doesn't matter."

Luxiana released him, dropping her arm limply to her side and lifting her chin. "It does to me." Rhysand widened his eyes but had no time to say anything as Luxiana added, "I guess I'll have to do something myself then."

Without anyone being able to do anything about it, and with lightning speed, Luxiana grabbed Truth Teller out of his scabbard on Azriel's thigh. Then, in the blink of an eye, she stood in front of Keir to thrust her hand into his mouth, grab his tongue, pull it out and slice it at the base with a sharp, precise stab.

Mor's father - who had barely had time to take a step backwards and raise his hands to stop Luxiana - widened his eyes, screaming his head off in pain as he fell to his knees on the floor.

The three Illyrians hiccupped in surprise as they reflexively took a step forward towards Luxiana to protect her, but stopped mid-stride, opening their mouths and eyes wide. They were paralyzed with shock as their pupils focused on their mate, who held Keir's tongue at the top of her fingertips.

A general exclamation of surprise went up in the assembly of Fae, most of whom were clapping their hands over their mouths in fright.

What Luxiana thought was Mor's mother ran closer, shouting Keir's name. Luxiana raised the knife towards her, giving her a cold, creepy look that immobilized the fae from head to toe. "Come any closer and I'll cut your tongue out next."

Mor's mother cast a horrified glance at Rhysand. "Are you going to let her do this?

Rhysand didn't even calculate her, far too surprised by his soulmate's cold, psychopathic expression. He'd never seen her like this and he hadn't even considered for a second that she could do this. Their sweet Luxiana. He blinked several times to compose himself, but the blonde moved.

She tilted her head with a smile, making her look even crazier. "Who do you think gave me the order to do this? I'm only the executor of your lord's orders. So the next time, chew your words before you disrespect Rhysand." Another hiccup of surprise echoed through the room.

The three Illyrians, if that was possible, widened their eyes even more. She'd just said Rhys was controlling her. She was doing all this to save his honor. They couldn't believe it. They couldn't even think straight.

Luxiana laughed wildly. "By the way," she leaned forward towards Keir to run her index and middle fingers under his chin in an attempt to raise his head. The fae glared darkly at her first, then became white as he saw the cold pupils filled with power of the blonde. "You didn't chew your words enough before you spoke..." She brought the tip of Keir's tongue up to his nose. "You must fix that, right ?" She let go of his chin to stand up and vulgarly throw her tongue tip in front of him. "Chew!" she ordered curtly.

"What?" shouted Mor's mother as she took a step forward, but an umpteenth cold look from Luxiana dissuaded her from continuing.

Luxiana returned her eyes to Keir to look at him. "I said chew you fucking tongue and don't make me repeat myself."

A gleam of rage exploded in the fae's eyes. He deployed his power to shatter that pitiful human's neck, but he couldn't do it. His power wasn't working. His power was completely stuck, as if completely asleep. He glanced at his lord. Had he blocked his powers? Yet Rhysand didn't even look at him, just stared at the blonde strangely. Keir wanted to destroy this human. He jumped to his feet, screaming strangely, to throw himself, hand first, at her and snap her neck with his own fingers.

Rhysand, Cassian and Azriel managed to take their eyes off their mate to put them on Keir and when they saw him rise to his feet and lunge at Luxiana, they gasped. The three of them were about to intervene, but before they'd even had time to move a muscle, their Luxiana grabbed one of Keir's wrists, went underneath and went behind him. She gave a swift, sharp kick to his bent knee, forcing him to fall to the ground. Using her grip on his wrist, she pulled him backwards, catched him by the shoulder to deliver a shin kick to his arm, which snapped in two with a horrible sound. Two pieces of bone ended up going out from the skin of the fae's arm, which had taken on an odd angle.

The three Illyrians recoiled in disbelief. What she had just done was a professional fighting technique.

Keir screamed, but Luxiana wasn't done yet -without letting go of his wrist- she grabbed the piece of tongue on the floor and swung it into the mouth of the fae, who cried out in pain with his eyes closed.

Feeling his own tongue in his mouth, the fae widened his eyes and wanted to spit it out, but Luxiana pressed her palm against his jaw to close it savagely and snap his teeth. She locked his lips with her hand while keeping his jaws closed with her index finger and thumb under his chin.

When Keir tried to move and struggle, Luxiana's grip on his wrist twisted his arm a little more, awakening the pain of his broken bone. "Keep moving and I'll break the other arm."

The fae stood still, trembling with fear. Luxiana smiled creepily. "Good, now, chew!" Her voice was cold and filled with disgust and hatred.

The three Illyrians didn't recognize her. 

Azriel was so shocked that he didn't know what to do or how to react. Had she really just done that? Was she really doing this?

Rhysand’s heart was pounding hardly in his chest. The way she talks coldly. The way she seemed so powerful and confident. She was incredibly hot.

Cassian took a step to the side to get a better look at his soulmate's face -on which Keir's red cell had splattered- and his blood migrated back to his penis. She was incredibly sexy. Her gaze was cold, sure, authoritative. She looked strong and powerful. Cassian's eyes lit up and his heart began to beat with admiration in his chest. No, not admiration, love.

Keir pleaded with his eyes, shaking his head in the negative. This answer did not please Luxiana who straightened up and suddenly kicked his forearm with her foot, breaking the bone there this time. The fae screamed as loud as he could with Luxiana's hand over his mouth. "I said chew,"she repeated.

Keir began to cry, trembling all over as he began to chew his own tongue. He vomited several times into his mouth, but he couldn't let anything out because of the blonde's hand clamped to his lips. "Good boy," she smiled. "Now swallow."

Keir swallowed his tongue with difficulty, his body shaking with the contractions of his stomach. Luxiana couldn't hide her smile at the satisfaction she felt. After waiting for a few seconds for his tongue to fall down entirely into his stomach, she released him.

Keir bent over to puke out all his guts, almost choking on his own vomit.

Luxiana took a step back, detailing him from her height. Then when he finished, she grabbed his hair to lift his head toward her. "You'll never disrespect your lord again, will you?"

He nodded in confirmation, tears rolling down his cheeks. Luxiana released him abruptly before straightening up to spin around and shoot all the other faes present with her pupils. "Does anyone have anything else to say about Rhysand?"

They all shook their heads and took several steps backwards. Then, all at once, Luxiana lost her cold, dark and crazy expression. "Great then," she jumped out of joy, smiling sweetly and innocently. She ran slowly towards Azriel -still motionless- to replace Truth Teller in its scabbard. Then she turned to Rhysand to wrap her arms on one of his and pull him out.

Cassian detailed Keir's bleeding body on the floor, grinning through his teeth. He glanced back at Luixiana, who was leading Rhysand to the door. "Woah," he managed to say in their minds. Then he began to follow her cheerfully.

Azriel followed them, walking robotically, staring into space. What had just happened?

They left the room and after a few minutes of walking, Rhysand blinked to compose himself. Realizing everything, he paralyzed, coming to a standstill in one of the long corridors. "What just happened?" he shouted breathlessly, lowering his pupils to Luxiana.

Luxiana wanted to continue pulling Rhysand but he stopped moving and she could feel the other two stop just behind them, giving her the same shocked look that burned her skin. She closed her eyes fiercely as she let go of Rhysand and gritted her teeth. "I'm not going to apologize, okay?" she shouted a little angrily.

She let go of Rhys to take a few steps forward, turning towards them and positioning herself in front of them. She crossed her arms, glowering at the lord. "You're the high lord of the night court, you can't let someone disrespect you like that!"

Rhysand widened his eyes again but Luxiana continued. "You may consider yourself mature and reasonable and kind enough not to react but not me dammit. I'm the exact opposite of that and there was no way I was going to let anyone talk to you like that, Rhys, not after what you've been through under the mountain!"

The blonde, seeing Rhys's surprised expression, thought it was sadness shining in his pupils. She huffed as she calmed down, feeling suddenly guilty and showing it on her face. She made an adorable pout that made the Illyrians hallucinate. Her face was so childlike and different from the one she'd had a few seconds ago in the throne room.

"I'm sorry," she finally mumbled, lowering her eyes as she juggled from one foot to the other. "It's just that I told you I'd protect you and not let anyone talk bad about you since you saved Feyre under the mountain and now I want to protect you too because I like you and I know I couldn't keep my cool but I was so..."

Something exploded in Rhysand's chest, sending vibrations of joy throughout his being and even warming his eyes. He didn't even let her finish her sentence as he cupped his soulmate's face to raise her head to him. "What did you just say?"

Luxiana accentuated her guilty pout when she saw Rhysand's even brighter eyes. She'd hurt him and she didn't mean to. "I said I was sorry and that..."

Rhysand shook his head to interrupt. "No, you said you liked me!"

Luxiana pursed her lips, drawing out her dimples. She looked away for a second, blushing. "Yes.. Why ?" she admitted, not understanding why he was asking her that. Was he going to make fun of her?

Rhysand let out a delighted laugh in one breath before throwing himself on Luxiana to kiss her full on the lips. Luxiana, not expecting it, hiccuped in surprise as she allowed Rhysand to put his tongue into her mouth. She didn't wait to return his kiss, which tickled her to the core.

Rhysand pulled away from her to stare at her with a big smile and eyes shining with playfulness and confidence. "So you like me." Rhysand wanted to jump for joy.

Luxiana bit her tongue as she backed away from his grip and gave him a jaded look.

Azriel came back to reality, shaking his head, his eyes still wide. "Does it surprise anyone but me that she just cut out Keir's tongue and fed it to him after breaking his arm?" he shouted in total shock.

"No, it surprised me too," Cassian said seriously, crossing his arms and then glaring at Luxiana. "But damn, that was sexy."

Luxiana laughed, lowering her head to hide her cheeks. Why was she blushing so much with them?

Azriel moves around Rhys to stand in front of Luxiana. He caught her chin between his thumb and forefinger to plunge a serious, wary gaze into his soul mate's. "How did you do that? You just made a fae eat his own tongue without batting an eyelid."

Luxiana winced, blushing from head to toe. She felt so small and intimidated by Azriel. "Believe it or not," she began in a voice more high-pitched and uncertain than usual, "but, this isn't my first cut tongue and broken arm."

Azriel frowned, prompting him to elaborate. "Well, I worked in a bar. There were bound to be people with inappropriate behavior that I had to correct." She shrugged as if this were normal.

"And where did you learn to do that?" the Illyrian asked, loosening his grip on Luxiana's chin a little, relaxing when he noticed she wasn't lying.

"Keydan explained how to do it and taught me. He wanted me to be able to protect myself if need be."

Azriel understood her sincerity and released her completely, but he couldn't calm his anger. "It was still a dangerous and thoughtless thing to do, Luxiana. I don't know why Keir didn't use his powers, but if had, you could have been hurt or worse, died. Don't ever do that again!"

Luxiana pursed her lips with an apologetic look and a cute, guilty face that made Azriel swallow hard. "Are you angry?" She stepped forward to surround her arms around the master spy's torso and buried her face in his pectoral. Azriel froze for a second, feeling his heart melt entirely as she straightened her head to rest just her chin on his chest and look at him with an adorable pout. "Excuse me," she added.

Azriel's whole body tickled from the inside. He could only calm himself by taking a deep breath. Why was he even angry? He placed a hand on the blonde cheek to lean in and place a long kiss on her lips. Damn it, there was no doubt in his mind. He loved this woman with all his body and all his heart.

Footsteps behind them forced them to separate and turn to see Mor striding in their direction. Luxiana hiccupped in surprise at the sight of Rhys's cousin, then winced with concern as she realized that she had just seen her cut her father's tongue out in front of her. "Mor, I'm sorry," she apologized, taking a step toward her. "I shouldn't have..."

She couldn't finish her sentence as Rhys's cousin threw herself into her arms to hug her with all her might. "I adore you. God, that feels good!"

Luxiana was surprised at first, but then laughed with Mor and returned his hug.

Rhysand detailed his soul mate laughing with her cousin, then glanced knowingly at his two brothers. She wasn't as weak as they thought, and in fact she was incredible. She'd done all this to protect his honor. To protect him. She was made to be his high lady. She was made for him. He stared at her and it wasn't with tenderness or affection but with love. He was in love with this woman, damn it.

[icarusflewsworld]

Rhysand & Cassian & Azriel X OC

Hello, here is the chapter 22 of a fanfiction on the world of Acotar where our three favorite Batboys are the mates of a single woman.

🚫THERE IS A LITTLE SMUT SCENE IN THIS CHAPTER ! DO NOT READ IT IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO, IF YOU ARE UNDER THE LEGAL AGE OR IF YOU ARE JUST NOT ALLOWED TO -> PASS DIRECTLY TO THE FOLLOWING CHAPTER !🚫

For everyone else, do not hesitate to tell me what you think about it.

! Don't forget to read the previous and following chapters ! : Here

Enjoy the read ! ❤️❤️❤️

Chapter 22

Cassian followed to stand beside Rhysand. Azriel put his knife back in its place to join Luxiana, grabbing her by the arm and pulling her between him and Cassian, next to Rhys's throne.

Luxiana moaned at Azriel's grip, almost letting out a sob and flinching with fear as soon as he touched her.

Cassian glared at his brother, "don't hurt her!"

"Did I hurt you?" questioned Azriel hastily, suddenly worried as he loosened his grip a little on the blonde's arm.

Luxiana gritted her teeth to keep from smiling and trying to keep her head down. "Not at all, I'm just acting like you asked me to. Stop taking gloves with me," she threw a discreet glance full of provocation at Azriel. "I like it rough and painful."

The three Illyrians were paralyzed through and through, their erections awakening in their pants.

Azriel had to let go of Luxiana to clench his fists and cross his arms to restrain from throwing himself at her, kissing her or doing dirty things to her in the middle of all those people.

Cassian lowered his head to hide his smile. "Oh fuck," he only managed to reply in their heads.

Rhysand contracted his fingers on the armrests of his throne. The primal things that stirred in his chest at Luxiana's words were wild and he couldn't quell them. He closed his eyes for a second to collect himself, then looked to Mor's father for news of his court, while waving the other faes away and ordering them to return to their discussion.

Mor's father moved towards Rhysand. His eyes were downcast, but he was consumed with curiosity, and being closer to her, he glanced slightly at Luxiana to detail her head to toe with a grimace of disgust.

Azriel almost jumped as he tensed. He was about to react, but Rhys forbade him to do so. "No, it's Mor's father." So Azriel only gritted his teeth, holding back with all his might not to go and kill this fae who dared to look at his soul mate with that grimace.

Rhysand had to intervene to calm things down. He glanced at Luxiana. She'd told him not to take precaution with her, and besides, she was his soul mate, so if she accepted them, she'd have to get used to his high lord mask. "What do you think of her?" he finally asked Keir.

Mor's father grimaced a little more. "You could have found a better pet than a pitiful, miserable, disgusting human."

The three Illyrians tensed with all their muscles, their chests clenching. The three of them wanted to react, and they weren't even going to be able to calm down. "How dare he talk of her like that? I'm going to break his teeth," Cassian screamed in their heads as he took a step forward. Rhysand leapt to his feet and was about to unleash his power on Mor's father, breaking every bone in his body.

But Luxiana -although she didn't understand their reaction- rushed towards Rhysand and past Cassian to stop him from advancing any further. "Aren't you supposed to agree with him?" she questioned in their minds. Then she dropped to her knees beside Rhysand's leg to look from the ground at him.

The three males frowned. "What are you doing? Get up," Rhys exclaimed in her head, unable to hide his confusion.

"I'm acting like your pet, like you're controlling my mind, because that's what big bad High Lord Rhys would do, right?" replied Luxiana, wrapping her arms around Rhysand's calf to rest her cheek on his thigh and rub it gently.

Rhysand looked down at her, but the gleam that trailed in his eyes was a mixture of excitement and other emotions resembling disagreement. "Get up. No matter how much we have to play, I'd never ask you to kneel before me." He meant it, but even so, the bulge in his pants was growing at the sight of his soulmate in that position before him.

"You're cute," she replied, giving him a perverse look that excited Rhysand a little more. "But it's all right, I'm playing along, play along too." Luxiana turned a blank gaze towards Mor's father and grinned before barking once. "Woof."

Rhysand didn't like it, but at the same time, he liked it. It was strange, but she was right. He had to play along too. He put his hand on the top of Luxiana's head to stroke it gently. "No, I don't think I could ever find anything better," he said to Keir. Then he leaned forward to grab Luxiana's arm and lift her up. He sat down on his throne, dragging his soul mate with him to sit on his thighs.

Luxiana allowed herself to do so, pressing her cheek against Rhysand's pectoral and rubbing his face to it, but she couldn't help giving him a look of playful brilliance when she felt Rhys's erection beneath her buttocks.

The lord placed one of his hands on his soulmate's cheek before sliding it under her chin and then over her Adam's apple. The blonde's breath caught in her chest as Rhysand's fingerprints descended a little further between her breasts, following the line of her low-cut to her lower abdomen, where he lowered his fingers a little further down her leg to deflect them inwards. "She's very interesting and receptive for a human." Rhysand grasped Luxiana's inner thigh savagely, pulling the skin of her crotch a little.

The blonde let out a low moan, trying to keep all her emotions under control while her panties were already getting wet and her lower abdomen was on fire. Her chest rose and fell rapidly with the accelerated rhythm of her breathing. She buried her head in Rhysand's neck. "Is it okay for me to touch you?" she asked him in his head.

Rhysand contracted beneath her, almost making her wince. "I've already told you , I won't do it again," he replied in a hard voice, irritated despite himself. "You don't have to ask that. You never do. You'll always have that authorization."

Luxiana buried her face a little deeper in the night lord's neck to hide her smile. Her chest was bubbling with a little too much joy at this response. She then delicately placed her lips in a gentle kiss on Rhysand's carotid artery. She could feel his pulse suddenly pulsing a little harder under her mouth, so she continued. She placed another kiss lower down on the base of his throat.

Rhysand shivered wildly. He tried to keep his composure, but when his soul mate ran her tongue up and down his neck, he couldn't help but growl as he tightened his grip on Luxiana's hip and on the inside of her thigh to press her a little closer to him. He forced himself to speak. "As you can see she's very tactile and inclined to please," he added for Keir, trying to justify his reaction.

Excitement coursed through Rhysand's body, but not just through him, through his two brothers too. Azriel and Cassian were breathing just as fast as the two on the throne. They knew they weren't in the right environment, but they couldn't afford to be.

They simply couldn't take their eyes off their soulmate, who was kissing Rhysand's neck. They were both so jealous and envious but at the same time just so excited by the sight.

Rhysand asked Mor's father to relate the news from court, but he was only concentrated on Luxiana. He couldn't help but move his hand up her thigh a little closer to her panties as Luxiana continued to kiss the angle of his jaw.

Rhys, Cassian and Azriel's erections only grew in their pants, but when Rhys's fingertip made contact with his soulmate's wet panties and Luxiana moaned softly, all three Illyrians contracted at once at the wave pleasure that washed over them. They wanted more.

But Rhysand kept his hand still. He would go no further. Feeling her wet panties and not wanting his soul mate to feel bad about it, he comforted her with a thought. "It's all right, it's just your body reacting, it doesn't mean anything."

Luxiana understood his words and did her utmost not to contract at their hidden meaning. She then moved a little away from Rhys's neck to plant a serious gaze in the lord's. "But I like what you're doing, so if you want to keep going, don't stop."

Something flared in Rhysand's pupils, and he had to hold back from kissing Luxiana full on the lips as if he were starving for her. Which he was. He tried to remain calm and keep his heart from exploding, even though it was already giving that feeling. He turned his eyes back to Mor's father, who was still explaining but all his attention was focused on his hand, which was moving a little further up between his soulmate's thighs.

Luxiana laid back her face on Rhys's neck and wanted to kiss him again, but she was unable to do so while he ran his fingers along the edge of Luxiana's panties, shifting them slightly and slipping his phalanges inside. Luxiana's breathing had stopped, her heart beating wildly and irregularly in her chest. She could no longer move, vibrating with excitement.

Rhysand first traced the contours of Luxiana's crotch with his index finger then, with the tip of his fingertips, he gently rubbed the blonde's clitoris, causing her to gasp with pleasure.

She lifted her head to look Rhysand in the eye while she was electrocuted through and through. She wanted to kiss him. Could she now? She wanted so much more.

Rhysand finally looked down at her, and when he saw her shining eyes and cheeks flushed with arousal, he grunted. He passed his middle finger more firmly back and forth between Luxiana's down lips.

The blonde couldn't hold back a high-pitched moan from escaping her throat at the explosion in her belly. She pursed her lips and closed her eyes as a wave of pleasure washed over her from this simple contact.

But the sound and the sight were too much for Cassian and Azriel, who finally decided to move and took  slow, heavy steps towards her.

Hearing them move, Luxiana opened her eyes to see Azriel grab her throat with a firm hand. He positioned himself on the other side of Rhys's throne, with his back to Mor's father and the Fae assembly to hide Luxiana's face from everyone. The Illyrian placed his second hand over the blonde's mouth to push her head back and press it against his abs. "They don't have the right to see you like this," he told her in his mind. "They're not allowed to hear you moan, either. So you're not going to get a single sound out of that pretty mouth, okay, princess?"

Luxiana could hardly breathe with Azriel's large hand on her mouth close to her nostrils, and also a little because of the one on her throat that excited her far more than it should. Besides, everything about them, including Azriel's authoritative way of speaking, aroused her way too much. She nodded as best she could, looking at him from his belly. Azriel smiled. "Good girl. I'll just keep my hand over your mouth for damage control in case it occurs to you to disobey, but you're not going to disobey, are you? Good girls don't disobey and you don't want me to be angry or punish you, do you?"

Luxiana nodded her head in all directions, completely lost and unsure of what she wanted or what she should do. Azriel took a deep breath as his chest swelled with satisfaction. He let out a guttural sound.

Cassian stood on the other side of the throne, next to Rhys and next to Luxiana’s legs hanging over the armrest. He grabbed both her ankles with both hands to spread her legs slightly.

Luxiana wanted to straighten her head to stare at Cassian but Azriel tightened his fingers on her throat for a second to capture back her attention and he pressed her mouth with his other hand to keep her head back. "Keep your eyes in mine, princess. All the time, okay?"

Luxiana could breathe less and less, but nodded slowly nonetheless as she locked eyes with Azriel.

Cassian ran one of his hands up the blonde's shin and then around her thigh, making her shiver.

Rhysand - understanding in an exchange of glances with his brother what he wanted to do - pulled his fingers out from under Luxiana's panties so that, slowly, Cassian's fingers took their place. He grazed Luxiana's intimacy with his index finger, and she arched her back in spite of herself, wanting more.

She still wanted to look down at Cassian, but Azriel stopped her long before. "Don't even try," he growled in her mind. Luxiana closed her eyes to fight the urge to look at Cassian. Then she opened them again to stare at Azriel, whose breathing was just as hurried as hers, whose air was just as serious and whose eyes were just as bright.

Mor's father had stopped talking when he saw what they were doing. His eyes flitted between embarrassment and weariness. "Go on Keir," Rhysand ordered without even looking at him.

The lord detailed Luxiana from top to bottom, observing every inch of her skin, which he began to caress with his fingertips, moving from her thigh to her belly and then between her breasts. When he reached her throat, Azriel withdrew his hand to catch in his fist Luxiana's hair at the back of her head. Rhyand was then able to run his fingers over the blonde's throat and look at her neck, where her pulse was pulsing violently. Rhyand looked as if he could die of excitement and impatience.

Mor's father keep going to talk in spite of himself, but Rhysand took no notice. He plunged his head into Luxiana's neck to return the same kisses she had given him, tasting his mate's sweet skin. Then he licked her up and down and devoured her, even biting her gently or sucking her skin in some places.

Luxiana's breathing became even more labored as she leaned back a little more her head to allow Rhys access as thousands of electrifying tickles invaded her neck.

Cassian, for his part, had an amazing view of Luxiana, grabbed by one of his brothers and kissed by the other. He felt like he was going completely mad when he could cum in his pants at the sight alone. He could resist no longer. He touched his soulmate's clit, sliding his middle finger around it like a shark around its prey.

Luxiana, electrocuted through and through with pleasure, arched her back. She had to stop a moan to get out, helped by Azriel's palm on her mouth. She raised her hand to grip the master spy's wrist, needing to hold on to something.

Azriel, noticing her silence and restraint, smiled even more contentedly. "That's my good girl," he whispered in her head. "So quiet for me."

Cassian, after playing with her clitoris for a few minutes - and enjoying watching all his soulmate's muscles react accordingly - decided he wants more and goes further. He slid his middle finger up and down the blonde's slit several times.

Luxiana, impatient, tried to spread her legs but Cassian held one of her ankles and Rhysand - sensing her movement - grabbed her other leg, pressed against his torso to clamp her thigh and immobilize her too.

Luxiana was completely at their mercy. She couldn't move and God she loved it. They could do whatever they wanted to her. In fact, she wanted so much more. "Cassian, please," she begged in his head.

The three Illyrians grunted as they heard her, their erections pulsing in their pants.

Cassian waited no longer to thrust his middle finger slowly into the blonde's vagina, gently stretching it from the inside to the shape of his finger.

Luxiana closed her eyes, throwing her head back a wave of warmth and pleasure washed over her.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk," Azriel growled into Luxiana's head, tugging a little at her hair to make her open her eyelids. "Keep your eyes open and planted in mine, princess."

Cassian pulled out his finger before tucking it in deeper this time, stretching Luxiana a little more from inside as she arched her back, gritting her teeth to keep from closing her eyes and moaning. She was so wet that it slipped right in.

Cassian's heart pounded back and forth in his chest, vibrating every muscle in his body. He wanted to do her good, so much good. He began to move in and out of her, but he remained slow and gentle so as not to hurt her or her body. So as not to rip off her hymen since she was a virgin. But he was progressively faster, pushing his middle finger in as far as he could.

Luxiana wanted more and unconsciously spread her legs. Rhysand sensing this, still holding her thigh in his hand, smiled against his soulmate's neck while kissing her skin. He then slid his fingers from her thigh to the inside of her panties - passing from the top and sneaking over Cassian's hand - to place his middle finger on the blonde's clit, which he began to caress back and forth.

Luxiana - while one of her hands was still holding Azriel's wrist - grabbed Rhysand's wrist with the other as he played with her clitoris. Cassian accelerated his deep movements inside the blonde's vagina and Rhysand matched his brother's speed to caress his soulmate's clit.

The blonde, under the explosion of pleasure in her belly and as she was doing her best to keep her eyes open, let out a muffled sound resembling a moan, in spite of herself.

"Luxiana," Azriel reminded her sternly. "This is the last time I warn you. Do not let them hear your moan or I'll punish you by shutting you up myself in a way you'll immediately find less pleasant, okay?"

Luxiana couldn't answer, too beleaguered by all the strange sensations she was feeling. "Princess," Azriel growled aloud this time. "Answer! Immediately."

Luxiana finally nodded, coming back to herself a little under the Illyrians dry, deep voice. She forced herself not to take her eyes off him or moan, but she had the impression that this only accentuated her sensations, which were gathering in her lower belly with so much pleasure and frustration that she could have cried.

Cassian bent his middle finger inward, pressing against the top wall of her vagina. Luxiana's muscles contracted, making her almost jump, she let go of Azriel and Rhysand's wrists to cling to the lord's knee and shoulder.

This was too much for Luxiana. Cassian's finger caressed a precise point inside, Rhys's fingers rubbing her clit and Azriel's grip on her hair. An explosion of pleasure started from her lower abdomen and exploded throughout her body, contracting all her muscles. muscles . Her face contorted with pleasure she struggled to keep her eyes open. After what seemed like an eternity, her muscles relaxed and her back fell on the throne's armrest.

The three Illyrians were so proud of themselves that a broad smile crossed their faces.

Cassian withdrew his finger from inside Luxiana to go out of her panties and slide his fingerprints down her leg. He lifted her ankle, which he was still holding, to bring it to his mouth and place a kiss on it. "You were perfect," he whispered into the blonde's head.

Azriel gently loosened his grip on his soul mate’s hair, smoothing it down and trying to rearrange his braid, which he'd undone a little. He also removed his hand from her mouth, allowing Luxiana to take a deep breath and reveal her noisy breathing.

"You were such a good girl for me. I am so proud," Azriel added via their link as he leaned over to give her a gentle kiss on her forehead. Then he put a hand behind her back to push her gently onto Rhysand, who pulled his hand out from under the blonde's dress to catch her and press her to his chest.

The lord wrapped his arms around Luxiana, who was still absent, trembling and gasping for air. She was staring into space, still veiled by pleasure. Rhys placed his chin on the top of Luxiana's head. "It's all right, I'm here. We're here. It's all right." he reassured her, placing a kiss on her hair and stroking her back.

Azriel and Cassian resumed their place and, with Rhysand, turned their attention back to Mor's father and the other Fae, red with embarrassment and evasive glances. Keir continued, despite himself and with great difficulty, to recount what had happened here, then Mor re-entered the room. She nodded to Rhysand, telling by thoughts that she had indeed put back in place Véritas and the three Illyrians blink in confusion. They must have made a very good diversion because even they hadn't seen Mor absent herself.

Chapter 23 : Here

[icarusflewsworld]

Rhysand & Cassian & Azriel X OC

Hello, here is the chapter 21 of a fanfiction on the world of Acotar where our three favorite Batboys are the mates of a single woman.

I would like to apologize to all of you for the huge late; especially when I said I would publish on Friday. I promise to make efforts to avoid this happening again, that said, I hope it will be worth it and that you will find the chapters good! 

! Don't forget to read the previous and following chapters ! : Here

Enjoy the read ! ❤️❤️❤️

Chapter 21

When Luxiana awoke, the three Illyrians watched her with a mixture of hope and apprehension. How would their soul mate will react after she had kissed all three of them last night?

Azriel was already sure he knew her reaction. In fact, he'd spent the whole night - his eyes onto the ceiling, leaning against the headboard - imagining the different expressions that might have Luxiana and in every scenario, she'd blush. By the cauldron, he was so eager to see what she was going to do. And now she was finally opening her eyes. He was about going to know. Maybe he'd even get to do it again and kiss her again. It was the thing he wanted most in the world right now. He wanted so much to touch her, to hold her, to kiss her, to possess her.

Rhysand was still sitting in front of Luxiana in the same place he'd been last night. The same spot where she'd kissed him. He'd spent the whole night looking at her and had thought of nothing else. Of absolutely nothing else but her. She had brought him a peace of mind that was beyond belief. She silenced his intrusive thoughts and healed his bruised heart without even knowing it. But the chaos and explosions she awakened in his body were far different from the new tranquility in his head. He had detailed her all night long, memorizing every feature of her face without even tiring of it, but it had taken hours before his heart resumed a calm, regular beat after the kiss she'd given him.

Cassian had lay down beside Luxiana. He rested his head on his forearm and fell asleep right after her with a huge smile on his face. No kiss had ever made him feel the way kissing his soul mate had, and he wanted so much more. He'd slept well and when he'd opened his eyes a few hours ago, his joy and excitement were still there, and even tenfold. He'd felt like jumping up and down and screaming at the top of his lungs. He'd never woken up in such a good mood. He rested his cheek on his palm and his elbow on his mattress to watch Luxiana as she struggled to sit up. Her eyes were half-closed, and while she had hardly moved in her sleep, her hair was a mass of tangled knots going everywhere. Cassian's heart was beating wildly in his chest. He probably wasn't thinking clearly because she was his soulmate and he was happy, but he thought she was so beautiful like that.

Luxiana's mouth was dry and pasty. She could hardly keep her eyes open and was still fighting sleep. In fact, she wished she could have rested longer. She'd slept well, but she'd forced herself to get up when she saw the three bare-chested Illyrians around her, staring at her strangely with shining eyes. She had farted in her sleep or something? She wanted to look at them to see what was wrong with them, but the morning sunlight streaming through the bay window straight at her wasn't helping to keep her eyelids open. Especially as the remaining alcohol in her blood made her muscles heavy and difficult to move.

She moistened her lips several times, making strange mouth sounds. She turned her head towards the males to stare at them one by one. Seeing that all three of them were looking at her with flaming irises and goofy little smiles, she thought they were mocking her. She let out a sort of hoarse growl. "What?"

Cassian and Rhysand's smiles widened. The Illyrian with the red siphons straightened up to sit behind Luxiana, who was facing the lord. Cassian leaned slightly forward to place his mouth next to Luxiana's ear. He closed his eyes for a second, taking a deep breath of his mate's vanilla scent. "We were just thinking about what happened yesterday, sweetie," he murmured in a deep voice.

Luxiana shivered imperceptibly, her lower abdomen disturbed from the morning by Cassian's warm breath on her lobe. She swiveled her head towards him, acting as if nothing had happened and as if she wasn't completely aroused. Their faces were now face to face, their lips only inches apart. Luxiana had to restrain herself from looking at the Illyrian's mouth while HE couldn't help himself. "What happened yesterday?" she repeated, frowning for more information on what he was talking about.

The three Illyrians glanced at each other with a mixture of concern, surprise and apprehension. Didn't she remember their kisses? Rhysand leaned forward, trying not to let his doubt show, and feigning an air of playful confidence and haughtiness. He caught Luxiana's chin between his fingers to turn her head towards him. "You kissed the three of us, darling."

Luxiana didn't like his tone and expression, as if she were a trophy he already took for granted. She widened her eyes and didn't even have to pretend for her cheeks to flush. She stepped back a little to free herself from Rhys's grip. "What?" She looked completely embarrassed and for that too, she didn't need to pretend.

Rhysand's hand fell limply back on his legs, Cassian's smile faded and Azriel's disappointment compressed his chest.

Rhysand tried to keep up a good front, but his smirk was more than a little false. Their soul mate couldn't remember kissing them. They'd taken a great step forward last night, but today they were back where they started.

Cassian had lost all trace of the joy he'd felt last night and since this morning when he woke up. He would have liked to kiss her again, but now it was lost.

Azriel crossed his arms, his throat tight. He could see her blushing, but it wasn't even because she remembered kissing them. He was so disappointed. "Do you remember anything from last night?" he asked gravely.

Luxiana frowned a little more, adopting a blank stare. "Uh, I remember that you came looking for me in my room, that we came here and I... I think we had a drink or two and..." She searched for words, pursing her lips. "We played cards, didn't we?" she exclaimed as if suddenly remembering.

Cassian let himself fall on his back, arms spread wide and a sad gaze on the ceiling. He blew out all his air. He was so disappointed. "So you don't remember anything. So you really had drunk too much," he muttered through his teeth more to himself.

"No I wasn't drunk, I am used to drinking," she took offense, glaring back at him.

Rhysand kept his false smile. He inclined his head. "Yet it’s true. You don’t remember but you kissed us and you even wanted to go further, you little innocent baby girl."

Luxiana pursed her lips, lowering her head to hide her blush. "I don't remember that," she grumbled through gritted teeth with a look that fled so embarrassed she felt.

Azriel squinted his eyes. A smile emerged on his lips. "You're lying," he breathed.

His two brothers turned hopeful heads towards him, and Cassian even straightened up to lean on his forearms.

Luxiana raised shining pupils of shame at Azriel. "No," she insisted, a little vexed. How on earth did this fae know when she was lying? And how could she forget to be careful in front of him?

Azriel's smile widened as his chest filled with relief. He grabbed Luxiana's chin firmly, hooking his fingers into her cheeks to pull her towards him and bring her head closer to his. Something in the Illyrian's heart exploded when his fingerprints touched Luxiana's bouncing skin. Their faces were barely a few inches apart. Azriel's smile turned carnivorous as he noticed his soulmate looking at his lips. "It's not very nice to lie. I don't like that very much," he really hated the idea of his soul mate lying to him. "Especially not when it comes from the little princess that you are." With his other hand, he tucked a lock of hair behind Luxiana's ear, following his movement with his eyes. "From MY little princess." He returned his authoritative, almost stern gaze to his soulmate's, but a playful glow could be seen shining in his irises. "You're never going to lie to me again, are you?"

Luxiana was completely hypnotized by Azriel's eyes and completely immobilized by the strange electric atmosphere that had developed between the two of them. She loved more than anything the possessive grip he had on her chin and his authoritative words. Her breathing was choppy and labored. "No," she managed to say in a strangled voice. It was all she could say. In this position, he could have asked her what he wanted, and she would have agreed.

The other two Illyrians watched the scene with intrigue, brows furrowed, their pupils oscillating between their soulmate and their brother. Cassian finally threw Rhysand an expression somewhere between confusion and amusement, which Rhysand returned. Who would have thought their brother so dominant and authoritarian. In 500 years, they'd never seen him like this.

Something flared in Azriel's chest at his soulmate's cooperation and docility. "Good girl," he murmured, sliding his thumb over Luxiana's mouth to caress its contours.

Luxiana swallowed hard as fire burned her lower stomach and chest. Damn it, she liked being called like that and she wasn't thinking clearly as her lips tickled her far too much under the spy master's caresses.

Azriel was still clutching her chin with his thumb and forefinger, but he put his other hand on her throat to grip her and pull her possessively a little more toward him. "So do you remember last night?"

Luxiana had to restrain herself from moaning when he grabbed her and pulled her towards him. She was far too disturbed by everything she was feeling, so she just nodded. It was all she could do now anyway.

Azriel leaned towards her to brush his lips against Luxiana's. He shivered imperceptibly at the tickle. "Do you remember when we kissed?"

The blonde's breath caught in her throat and an electric current surged through her. She wanted to break the distance but he held her motionless in place. She nodded softly again. She remembered well.

Cassian straightened up fully to stand on his knees and slide next to Azriel so he could be seen by Luxiana. "Then why did you make us believe otherwise?"

The blonde managed to tear her eyes away from Azriel's to look at Cassian. She was able to regain her smirk and her confidence, feeling in control again in front of Cassian. "Because it was quite funny to see your disappointed faces."

Azriel, noticing that he was losing his soulmate's attention, exerted pressure on her chin, bringing her head towards him and forcing her to look at him. "Tsk, tsk," he emitted, clicking his tongue against his palate in a sound of disagreement.

Luxiana turned her attention back to Azriel and lost her smile and confidence again. Damn, what power did he have over her? She felt ready to obey him without a care in the world. He intimidated her a little and excited her at the same time, it was crazy.

"So you lied to us, knowing full well what you were doing," Rhysand remarked, regaining his hopeful shining eyes and smile. "You devilish little creature."

Luxiana wanted to turn her eyes towards Rhysand a smile emerged on her lips, but Azriel, to keep her attention, pushed her roughly and laid her back on the mattress to positioned himself on top of her, one leg between hers. He still had one hand on Luxiana's throat but his other forearm was resting on the bed beside her face so he wouldn't carry all his weight on her. "Do you know what we do to the little princess who lies?"

Luxiana trembled with a mixture of excitement and apprehension. She felt as if molten lava was coursing through her veins. She even had to hold back with all her might not to throw herself onAzriel and kiss him again. She had loved it so much when they kissed last night. She wanted more, and if she weren't so intrigued and intimidated by Azriel above her, she'd surely have let herself go. "We kiss her?" she asked hopefully, pleadingly.

Azriel fainted for a second. His soul-mate beneath him was red-cheeked and so cute as she practically begged Azriel to kiss her. The Illyrian's heart had missed a long beat and he'd had to let out a sort of grunt at his erection, which had pulsed in his pants in repercussion to the excitement that had imploded all at once in his belly. The master spy smiled as he restrained himself from doing what his soul mate was asking for. He let himself fall on top of her a little more, pressing his pelvis against Luxiana's to make her feel his erection. He stroked his lips again with the blonde's before shifting his mouth to her ear to whisper, "No, we're punishing her."

Something exploded in Luxiana's body and her chest jerked as she heard the fae's words and felt his erection on her thigh. A mixture of excitement, provocation and reluctance ran through her. She glanced over Azriel's shoulder at Rhysand and Cassian, who were watching her with a playful, mocking smile on their lips. She reached out a hand to Rhysand with a pleading look. "Help" she mimed with her mouth without letting any sound out so Azriel wouldn't hear. But Rhysand only widened his smile, nodding gently from left to right. And Cassian began to laugh out loud in mockery. She opened her mouth wide in offence. She wasn't going to get any help from them.

But Azriel had felt her move. He straightened up to let go of Luxiana's throat and grabbed her outstretched wrist toward Rhysand to plate it over her head. "Tsk, tsk."

Luxiana's heart was pounding in her chest and could almost moan just feeling the bulge in Azriel's pants pressed against her leg. As much as she'd like knowing the kind of punishment Azriel was talking about, she was a little apprehensive. She wasn't here for that anyway, and above all, she needed some air. She was going to have to get out of this situation on her own. She had to pull herself together. "So no kisses?" she asked, putting on the most adorable face possible, having seen the Illyrian faint earlier. "I wanted kisses."

It worked, for Azriel's heart, as well as those of the two Illyrians behind him, missed a beat before slamming violently back against their ribs. In repercussion, the master spy loosened his grip on Luxiana's arm a little, long enough for her to escape from it and slid sideways between Azriel's arm and his legs. She scrambled out of bed, laughing, and none of the three Illyrians could catch her. She turned towards them while walking backwards towards the door to make sure they don’t go after her. "And I wanted kisses, what a shame..." 

She laughed even harder when she saw their shocked faces and wide-open smiling mouths. She extricated herself from Cassian's room. "I'm going to the shower, bye," and she scurried off down the corridor to her own room and into her bathroom. She closed the door, leaned against it and let herself slide to the ground. She took a deep breath before huffing. What the hell had happened? She'd loved it, but she had to pull herself together. She wasn't here for that. And they had far too much power over her, it scared her.

***

They were flying. Rhysand tightened his grip around Luxiana, whose legs around his pelvis and arms around his neck were barely squeezed, as if she wasn't afraid of falling. She looked all around her and into the void with shining eyes and sometimes closed her eyelids to enjoy the wind in her hair, as if she wasn't at all terrified of flying. But Rhysand was afraid. He was afraid of where they were going. He was afraid of how she would see them today. She was so fragile.

When she'd emerged from the shower and joined them in the dining room, she'd been much quieter than usual. She was trying not to look perturbed, but the three Illyrians could tell something was wrong. She seemed much less cheerful than usual and also much more distant with them. So they don’t even try to resume their morning's discussion or even to flirt with her. Something was really bothering her and when they'd wanted to know what was wrong, she'd simply asked Rhys when they were going to steal the Book of Breathing.

The lord had panicked a little and to give himself time, he had said he had to go to the Court of Nightmares today to put back the Orb of Truth they had stolen for their meeting with the queens. The three of them had wanted to go with Mor only but Luxiana had insisted on going with them. Rhys had warned her, telling her that the people they were going to become with Cassian and Azriel weren't really them. That it was all an act, but they were so terrified she'd be afraid of them.

They flew side by side with his brothers, and although they could have returned to the court of the nightmares teleporting there, Rhys had wanted so much to take Luxiana in his arms that he'd offered to fly. And Luxiana didn't even try to understand or ask Mor to teleport her there with her, as she threw herself into the lord's arms, screaming with joy, happy that she was going to fly.

The three of them landed in the entrance to the court of nightmares. The three Illyrians exchanged worried expressions. Azriel breathed a sigh as he glanced at the immense doorway to the nightmare court and then looked uncertainly at his soul mate. "Are you sure? We can drop you back at Velaris, it's not too late."

Luxiana rolled her eyes. Who did he think she was? "I'm sure."

Rhysand gritted his teeth. "Look, the person we're going to have to be, especially with you knowing you're human and in front of them, is... it's not really us. Please don't forget it."

Luxiana smiled confidently. "I will not, Rhys. I assure you I won't forget it." She drew her face closer to his, standing on tiptoes. "Don't worry, you'll still be the faes I kissed last night."

Rhysand raised an eyebrow and was finally able to smile, calming slightly for a second. He leaned over to give Luxiana a kiss, unable to resist the attraction of his mate's lips, but she dodged him at the last moment, smiling even more seductively and provocatively.

Rhysand opened his mouth wide in pleasant surprise as Luxiana reached out to grab Cassian's arm and hold onto him, pulling him towards the entrance to the court. Cassian laughed as he saw Rhys's disappointed face but he followed the blond.

Azriel was following them too, but he wasn't in the mood for laughter. He detailed Luxiana up and down from behind. She looked beautiful in that revealing, almost transparent black dress. Too beautiful. And this dress revealed a little too much. It was just a black lace backless fabric, with only two wide bands covering her chest and joining in the middle at her lower stomach. Both her legs were visible at the front. He closed his eyes as he passed a hand over his face. Hell, he'd fought Cassian and Rhysand to get her changed, but again they were two against him, telling him they didn't like it either, but they couldn't bring back a fully covered human. The others would suspect something was weird. Hell, he was going to kill the first person who laid eyes on her.

Mor was waiting for them at the entrance to the reception hall. She was a little stressed at the idea of seeing her parents again. When Luxiana noticed it, she let go of Cassian to give her a hug. Mor returned it with a tender smile. Fortunately, she wasn't going to stay a long time in the same room as her parents, she'd be able to leave early to go and put the Orb of Truth back in place. Rhys had wanted Azriel to do it as he had stolen it, but his master spy had refused. If Luxiana came with them, then he would stay with her permanently.

Azriel grabbed Luxiana's hand to squeeze it tightly. "Whatever happens, you stay close to me."

"Or one of us," Cassian added with a jaded look to his brother.

Luxiana smiled shyly as she nodded. Rhysand stood in front of her with a serious look on his face. "Don't forget, you have to look sad like we are ..."

"... make you suffer the worst atrocities." continued Luxiana. "I remember that too. Don't worry, I understand that you don't want anyone to know that you're little cute teddy bears. "

Cassian raised an eyebrow and wanted to say something, but Mor's laughter interrupted him.

Rhysand smiled and could do nothing else, for like Azriel, he was not in the mood. They were far too worried.

They regained their seriousness and decided to move. Their hearts pounded, apprehension and fear almost paralyzing them. Then they entered the room where countless high faes awaited them. All heads turned in their direction, and a stony silence fell over the place that had been alive with talk just a few seconds before. Faces grew pale and preoccupied. They all lowered their eyes, but Luxiana could see the sidelong glances of terror and horror they were giving them. Especially at Rhys. She turned her gaze to him and couldn't stop the corner of her lips from lifting for a microsecond.

Rhysand looked cold, no, icy. He was terrifying, and the power he exuded suddenly was oppressive. He looked at everyone with an evil expression, as if he was looking for his next victim. And that had a way of turning Luxiana strangely from the inside.

She glanced at the others to see Azriel almost invisible, melting into his shadows around him and dark-faced. It was the first time she'd seen his shadows around him in this way. He hurriedly eyed everyone warily, as if expecting one of them to jump out at them.

Cassian was chin high, back straight and chest puffed out. He looked confident, but there was no smile on his face, only strength, severity and anger.

Mor, for her part, had never seemed so haughty.

Luxiana kept her head down as if she wasn't happy to be there. Her arms were clutched to her chest, clutching her forearms as if she were uncomfortable in her dress. She had to play the game the way they'd asked her to.

A throne reigned in the middle of the room where they were all heading. Suddenly, one of the fae with short, curly blond hair and a glass of wine in his hands, surrounded by several other fae, let out an almost inaudible hiss as he stared Luxiana up and down. "Holy cow," he breathed to his friends. "She's the finest human I've ever seen. Maybe the lord can give her to us when he is done with her."

Luxiana had to restrain herself from smirking at his words. Oh, she'd be happy to give this fae a visit later and teach him manners and respect for women.

Rhysand, having heard it too, gritted his teeth. He wasn't supposed to show anything, but he longed to rip the tongue out of that bastard who spoke of his soulmate like that. He didn't want to scare Luxiana and that was the only thing keeping him from acting, but damn he would have liked to do it.

Cassian tensed, making his gait robotic and immediately looking less confident. How dare that bastard think he was worthy of laying eyes on their soul mate. He was going to wait until Luxiana left with Rhysand and Azriel so he could take the bones of that fae out from his body.

But Azriel didn't wait a second. A flash of anger electrocuted him through and through with violence. How dare he talk about his soul mate like that? How dare he look at his wife like that? He didn't wait to react and didn't even question himself, all reason and logic having left his body. He took Truth Teller out and threw himself at the fae, stabbing him in the eyes.

Everyone froze as the fae screamed, falling to the ground with bloody eyes. Azriel stood over him, breathing rapidly. He was killing everyone else with his pupils. "This human is ours ! Don't touch her, don't talk to her and don't look at her! If you do, this is what awaits you." His voice was cold, hissing and sharp.

Rhysand and Cassian held back to widening their eyes in surprise and did their utmost to maintain consistency in front of everyone. Azriel, realizing what he had just done and that Luxiana had just caught a glimpse of the cruel person he was, frozen in his movement.

The three of them, as one, slowly turned their gaze towards Luxiana. Their throats contracted and their stomachs turned as they saw her with wide eyes, a hand clamped over her mouth and a look of horror on her face.

The three of them began to panic, their chests vibrating with fear as they tried not to look like anything on the outside. "Luxiana!!!" shouted Rhysand in his head using his telepathy, hoping to reach his soulmate's mind. He deployed his power to stroke Luxiana's mental shield with a little more force than necessary. He so hoped she could feel him and let him in. But Luxiana was human, and there was no way she could have mastered her mental shield to that extent, and sense that Rhysand wanted to get in touch with her. "Luxiana," he begged mentally, knowing full well that she would never be able to hear him.

Yet Luxiana dropped her mental shield as she sensed Rhysand's power. In fact, she only retracted her shield a little, to protect her memories and her mind from Rhysand's power, but still allowing him to communicate with her.

But the lord couldn't see that. As far as Rhysand could feel, her shield had just given way, and it didn't matter anyway, since she was finally allowing him to enter her head. To him, it was only unconscious. Luxiana didn't realize what she was doing, but she must have sensed Rhysand's power in her head, and she now felt confident enough with him to unconsciously lower her shield. A current of joy pulsed in his chest before he remembered why he wanted to communicate with her. He extended his power to Azriel and Cassian, and in fact had no trouble even doing so to communicate with them, helped by their soulmate bond. "Luxiana," he murmured softly in his head.

The blonde jumped as if she didn't expect it. She was such a good actress. She looked up at Rhysand, her eyes still horrified.

"It's just me talking to you in your head with my power, don't be afraid. It's just me. You let me in unconsciously."

Luxiana frowned before returning her gaze to the fae kneeling in front of Azriel, still screaming in pain.

"Please, don't' be afraid," Rhysand continues. "Don't forget who we really are. "

"Azriel shouldn't have done that," Cassian growled in their heads, glaring darkly at his brother with his pupils. "He should have at least waited until you were gone."

Luxiana twitched as she heard Cassian's voice and almost mimed yet another jump. Luckily, she still had her hand in front of her mouth to hide her nascent smile.

Azriel grunted. "I'm not even going to apologize, he shouldn't have looked at her like that," he replied coldly via their link. "She's ours for fuck's sake and I warned you that if she went out in that outfit and someone looked at her a little too much, I'd scratch his eyes out."

Luxiana widened her eyes a little more, staring at Azriel at his words. Had he just said she was theirs? Surely he thought she belonged to them while waiting for her to fulfill the service Feyre owed them, but these words were doing a lot of damage to his stomach and chest.

Rhysand placed his hands in his pockets to clench his fists imperceptibly he forced himself not to let anything of his fear and anger show or to look too much at his soulmate. All the same, he glared at Azriel. "You just stabbed a fae' eyes out in front of Luxiana, you moron." Then he glanced sideways at his soulmate to address her. "Luxiana, listen, don't forget who we are, we ...."

"Calm down, everything's fine," she interrupted, speaking in their heads with a calm voice.

The three of them froze a little more. She was answering them. It was the first time they'd heard their soul mate’s voice in their heads, and she was telling them everything was fine.

"It's just acting, you told me to pretend, that's what I'm doing." She feigned a gasping breath as she regained her chest in her arms while lowering her head, but the confident, calm glance she cast at Rhsyand before, reassured him entirely.

Cassian couldn't hide his wry smile and hopeful eyes as he stared at their soulmate. "Didn't what just happened scare you?"

Luxiana chuckled in their minds, "no, that was incredibly sexy."

The three Illyrians glanced at each other in surprise before sighing imperceptibly in relief. Azriel grunted, vibrating with excitement.

Rhysand scowled at the screaming, bleeding fae on the ground. He waved his hand in a jaded manner in his direction to order the other faes to make the fae leave the room, which his friends did without question, gripping him by his arms and dragging him outside. Then Rhysand goes back in movement again to avoid arousing suspicion. He dropped onto his throne.

Chapters 22 and 23 : Here

[icarusflewsworld]

Rhysand & Cassian & Azriel X OC

Hello, here is the chapter 20 of a fanfiction on the world of Acotar where our three favorite Batboys are the mates of a single woman.

! Next chapter on Sunday, January 5 !

I hope you enjoyed the read and the kisses !! Don't hesitate to leave me comments on what you think of the story. I will love to talk about it with you.

I also hope you had a very good Christmas and that you got lots of beautiful gifts. I know that we are all disappointed not to have had Rhysand, Cassian or Azriel under the tree but I still hope that you enjoyed your gifts.

I wish you a very very very happy New Year's Eve on December 31st as well as an excellent year 2025 full of happiness, joy, love and peace. Take care of yourself! With all my love ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

! Don't forget to read the other chapters ! : Here

Enjoy the read ! ❤️❤️❤️

Chapter 20

Luxiana was beginning to lose patience. Mor, Rhysand, Cassian and Azriel had been keeping her occupied as best as they could for a good eight days now. They took her shopping, to restaurants and bars. Thanks to the blonde, Luixiana now knew every corner of Velaris. Of course, she loved the many outings she went on with Mor and Amren-forced by Rhys's cousin-but that wasn't why she was there. No matter how many times she asked the three Illyrians - who followed her everywhere, even when she was with Mor - when they were going to steal the Book of Breathing, they always came up with some excuse. 

Rhysand kept telling Luxiana that this kind of visit between high lords had to be prepared well in advance and that they couldn't just go to the summer court unannounced. But Luxiana was wary. The three Illyrians told her they had to organize this meeting, but all they did was follow her. And she couldn't understand why. Were they afraid she wanted to betray or attack them? In that case, Mor and Amren's surveillance alone should be enough. Luxiana was confused and impatient, but every time she wanted to raise the subject with one of them, they gave her lame excuses, changed the subject or even ignored her. 

Luxiana wasn't really complaining. She enjoyed the company of the three males. In fact, the more the days went by, the more she enjoyed them. They spent all their moments with her and she got to know them a little more every minute. She really enjoyed spending time with them, but then again, that's not why she was there. 

She sighed all her air, disturbed by her thoughts, then she put on her black silk nightgown with thin straps that reached halfway up her thigh. She untied her long white hair, which fell in a waterfall down her back. She looked at herself in the huge mirror in her bathroom. She couldn't keep the red from rising to her cheeks or her smile from growing when she saw the night dress. She couldn't help but wonder if Rhysand had given her only sexy underwear and clothes like that on purpose. But she wasn't complaining, she loved feeling beautiful and in these pieces of tissue, she felt hot. But, above all, it was in the pupils of the three Illyrians that she felt attractive. 

The way they looked at her and acted with her, unnerved her a little more at every moment. They were so sweet and thoughtful. She thought back to when, one evening, while they were out, Rhysand had slipped his jacket over her shoulders. She wasn't even really cold, but he'd preferred her to be warm. Then she remembered all the other times he'd acted so thoughtfully and gently towards her. She also thought of how Cassian always detailed her up and down with eyes blazing with desire and the way he always complimented her or flirted with her. She remembered Azriel's possessiveness that exploded when she talked to other people or when he touched her all the time with force and vigor, as if Luxiana were his. She loved this. She adored every one of those three's behaviors.

But she was lost. Once again, their reactions were strange and incomprehensible. They gave her the impression they were flirting with her, but it didn't seem to bother them that their brothers were courting her too. On the contrary, something in their eyes lit up when they saw one of their own getting close to her. But they were Illyrians, it wasn't in their nature. 

She lowered her eyes and gritted her teeth. They were Illyrians. She had to close her eyelids under her violently churning stomach. They were Illyrians. She put her hand to her shoulder to massage it. It hurt. She reopened her eyes and rested them on her silver bracelet composed of blue gems and magic stones. She smiled sadly. She already missed Kayden so much. 

She shook her head. She couldn't let herself go like that. Not now. Besides, Rhysand, Cassian and Azriel weren't at all like all the other Illyrians she'd met. In fact, they seemed so kind, thoughtful and adorable that it seemed a little too suspicious. She thought they were playing her, but she could never detect any trace of lies or pretense in them. But why were they so possessive and protective of her? She couldn't understand it. 

They seemed to get irritated every time she talked to someone else, especially a man. They didn't like it when she went out in revealing clothes, but her closet was full of them. They always made sure they could chat with her at all times. And their cute ways to act??? Cassian brought her flowers every morning, Rhysand was incredibly gallant and Azriel blew on her meals and drinks when they were hot so she wouldn't burn herself. They did all sorts of sweet things that drove her crazy. 

She just didn't understand. She'd thought they simply behaved like that with everyone, but that argument had been quickly refuted when she'd watched them talking with Mor and Amren. They didn't act at all the same way with them as they did with Luxiana, even though these two faes were supposed to be the two most important women in their lives. She really couldn't understand it. Were they really flirting with her? If so, did they really accept that their brothers were also flirting with her? Did they even agree to "share"? It was all so strange.

She looked up at the ceiling and let out a little cry of frustration as she realized she was still thinking about them. They were all she thought about all the time. All the time, really. Even when she was thinking about something else, her head always found a way to bring her thoughts back to the three Illyrians. 

She left the bathroom, trying to concentrate and stop thinking about the handsome males. She'd spent the day with Mor, and of course with them, shopping. Although she'd tried not to look bored, she wasn't made for this kind of day. She was made for action. In fact, she was still full of energy. She began to pace around her bedroom, trying to find something to do. Maybe she should do a little sport to burn off some energy. She wouldn't be able to sleep otherwise. Convinced, she was about to throw herself on the floor and start doing push-ups, but someone knocked on her door. She straightened up and looked curiously at the entrance to the room. It was already late, around ten o'clock p.m. Who could it be and why?

She moved quickly to her door but opened it with apprehension. She raised an eyebrow in surprise when she saw Rhysand, Azriel and Cassian standing in front of her entrance. The Illyrian with the red syphons was holding out four glasses of wine in one hand and just as many bottles in the other. They were dressed simply. Rhysand wore a black shirt with a kind of jogging of the same color. Cassian wore a dark gray jacket laced up at the front, revealing the muscular skin of his torso in a fine line, and he wore a wide pants in dark brown leather. Azriel, meanwhile, wore a long-sleeved black t-shirt and gray lounge pants. Luxiana thought to herself that this was the first time she hadn't seen them formally dressed or in combat gear, but then gasped and realized that they were really hot. She cleared her throat, shaking her head to regain her composure. "Yes?"

The three Illyrians had come to a complete standstill at the door. It wasn't the first time they'd seen her in a nightie, and although they'd thought black really suited her, they'd given it no more thought. They'd even forgotten the purpose of their existence, to breathe and their hearts to beat, when they'd seen her with her hair down. Because this, on the other hand, was the first time. She'd always had her hair tied back in front of them, and the three brunettes had never thought of it as something important, but it was. They could hear and feel their hearts beating like raging beasts in their rib cages. She was divinely beautiful with that mass of white silk surrounding her and falling around her face. It suited her so well that it would completely unnerve them.

Luxiana tilted her head, smiling with a questioning, worried expression. "Are you all right?" she asked in a gentle voice as she noticed their paralysis. 

Cassian didn't even know why they'd come. He made his arms fall limply back along his body, not even sure how he managed not to let go of the wine bottles and glasses wedged between his fingers. "Your ha..." He was stuttering again. Why on earth did she have that effect on him? "Your hair... It's the first time we've seen you with your hair down."

Luxiana frowned in incomprehension. Was it her hair that had put them in such a state?" Really?" she asked uncertainly, not understanding why it mattered to them and why they were reacting like this. She released the door handle to give her back to them and shake her hair in front of their noses, then turned back in their direction with a broad smile, rubbing her skull on both sides to tousle her locks. "So do you like me like this?"

Rhysand had to take a step back. His chest was on fire and he couldn't breathe. She was so sexy he could die. He was still thanking the gods -as he had done every second since he'd met her- for making his mate so beautiful. "It suits you incredibly well," he managed to articulate. "You look gorgeous, as always." 

Luxiana's smile widened in spite of herself as she mustered all her strength to fight the blushes that wanted to take up residence on her cheeks. She'd done nothing but blush since she'd been here, and she hated the effect they had on her. "It's adorable," she raved helplessly. "I should let them down more often then," she added in a seductive tone, raising an eyebrow. 

"No!" replied Azriel immediately with urgency. He cleared his throat and blinked several times, only to catch himself under Luxiana's questioning gaze. By heavens. He hadn't been able to hold back the flood of jealousy that had flowed through him at the idea of other men seeing his soul mate with her hair like that. She was far too sexy that way and he was sure everyone else would have bad thoughts when they saw her like that. And it was completely out of the question for anyone but them, to imagine things with his wife. "Or just for us," he added earnestly. 

He didn't even notice Luxiana's surprised expression or her disconcerted chuckle as his pupils were still fixed on her white locks. Unable to restrain himself, he raised his hand towards them and Luxiana let him do so with curiosity as he caught the whole of her mane in his hand to wrap it around his fist. He grunted in satisfaction as he pulled his soulmate's head back a little. "Perfect size", he muttered, more to himself. 

Luxiana frowned sharply and threw a confused glance at Cassian and Rhysand without understanding what was going on, but the other two Illyrians were far too focused on staring at Azriel's gesture and nodding in agreement to notice. The spymaster slid his soulmate's locks into his fist along their entire length. He couldn't contain his shiver at the silky touch of her hair before releasing it completely. Luxiana rolled her eyes before giving up with a sigh. She was taking too much thoughts for them. Maybe they were just weird. "And so why are you here?"

Cassian smiled wryly as he raised the wine bottles. "We're going to continue the evening in my room, would you like to join us?" His irises shone with seduction.

Luxiana raised an eyebrow in pleasant astonishment. She glanced back at her room. She should stay. She shouldn't get attached to the three of them. She wasn't here for that. But she could enjoy herself a little while she was here, especially as she always had a great time with them. She turned a determined gaze back to Cassian to return his seductive expression. "With pleasure." She left her room and closed the door behind her without even thinking of changing or putting on something to cover herself. She felt beautiful, and she loved feeling the burning gazes of the three Illyrians on her, staring at her from behind and up and down as she advanced without waiting for them. 

Eventually, they entered the room. Rhysand had filled and served them four glasses with wine. Cassian had grabbed one and handed it to Luxiana, but Azriel grabbed it before she could take it. He glanced reprovingly at Cassian, "she shouldn't drink that, it's strong alcohol, especially for humans."

Luxiana rolled her eyes, a little wearily, then quickly retrieved the glass, with such speed that it surprised Azriel, who hadn't even been able to react. "Need I remind you that I work in a bar?" she told him. "I'm used to strong alcohol, believe me."

Rhysand laughed softly as he detailed her tenderly. She was so naive." Surely not the one of the faes."

Luxiana glanced at him sideways, grimacing. She wrinkled her nose and leaned forward towards Rhysand. She glanced left and right as if she were about to tell him a secret and was afraid someone would overhear. "Don't tell the high lord here, but his booze is smuggled over the wall," she scoffed. 

Rhysand opened his mouth wide in surprise as Cassian exploded with laughter. "See, she's used to it," he added, holding out his own glass toward her to toast his mate. He raised the glass to his mouth. 

Luxiana also took a sip of the golden beverage before groaning as she closed her eyes. "This is so good."

Cassian choked on the wine in his mouth as he started coughing under the salacious images of his soul mate that came into his mind at her words and tone. Hell, he'd had an erection whenever he laid eyes on her and that from the start, but now he'd almost cum in his pants just hearing her moan. He had to do something about this. 

Luxiana hiccupped in surprise as she opened her eyes wide, then jumped up and down on the spot, "you know what we should do?"

Azriel smiled tenderly as he detailed her, he never tired of her reactions. He took a sip of his liquor before speaking. "What's that?" 

The exclamation of hope and joy faded from their soulmate's face to disappeared. "Oh, but I don't think you'll agree."

Rhysand also swallowed a drop from his glass, detailing Luxiana with squinted eyes. "Tell us."

The blonde's smile emerged again, but differently this time. It was mischievous. Her pupils sparkled with mischief and the seductive look she suddenly had on her face disconcerts the three males for a second. She detailed them up and down with desire, biting her lower lip. "We should play strip poker!"

Rhysand blinked slowly in surprise at his soulmate's proposal, but couldn't prevent a broad smile from forming on his face. Cassian laughed out loud, but his whole body was already on fire with excitement at the idea of it, "I'm in, I'm in". Azriel closed his eyes, blowing out his breath to hold the bridge of his nose wearily, "You know you've only got one layer of clothing on you, right?  And that you're therefore likely to find yourself naked in front of us very quickly."

Luxiana's expression became provocative and the glint of playfulness in her irises awakened Azriel's erection. "Oh I'm well aware of that but...," she licked her lips to detail the three of them again avidly, "it's not me who's going to lose."

Rhysand's eyes filled with a playful gleam, "Well, let's go then." but every muscle in his body was vibrating with anticipation and excitement. Was he going to see his soul mate naked for the first time tonight? Now that she knew the risks and agreed, he was going to do everything he could to win. 

They finally settled on Cassian's huge bed. Luxiana was kneeling in the middle of the mattress, facing her was Rhysand with his legs crossed, to his left was Cassian in the same position and Azriel was on the other side of the high lord, leaning against the headboard with his forearm resting on one of his raised knees. Cards had appeared between them thanks to the magic of the house and they had now begun a game. 

Although the four of them continued to drink their alcoholic beverages and even refill their glasses regularly, they were all playing very well. Rhysand and Azriel were cautious, not wanting to lose or miss the opportunity to make their soul mate lose. They ended up fold, but Cassian wasn't so cautious. He was confident because, either way, he would be victorious. If he won, he could see his soul mate naked, but if he lost, he could show himself naked to her. Unfortunately, his game wasn't as good as Luxiana's. He lost. 

The blonde began jumping up and down all over the bed, shouting, "I won, I won." She threw herself in front of Cassian to land close to his shins. She leaned toward him, bringing her proud face close to Cassian's half-disappointed, half-jubilant one. She ran her tongue over her lips and her smile widened when she noticed the Illyrian leering longingly at them. "You need to take something off now," she demanded mischievously. 

Rhysand smiled wryly as he detailed her with shining eyes. "You know, you don't need a game. If you want to see us naked, all you have to do is ask."

Luxiana gave him a playful, confident look. "I want to see you naked," she assured with a determined air. "But it's a lot more fun to get that by making you lose at a game."

Rhysand raised an eyebrow. He was always pleasantly surprised by her repartee and the way she flirted back with them. Azriel laughed, shaking his head. She was so cute yet so provocative. He loved it. He loved knowing she liked them. 

Cassian caught Luxiana's chin between his fingers to turn her head towards him. His irises were bright with confidence, he was hardly intimidated or bothered by taking off a piece of clothing. In fact, when he'd come out of his room and proposed this little evening to his two brothers, he'd only been in his boxers. It was Rhysand and Azriel who had forced him to put something on so as not to disturb the woman. And now it was she who wanted to undress him. He was boiling with joy. "What do you want me to take off? If it helps you choose, I don't have anything under my pants." He did have underwear, but if after saying that, his soul mate still asked him to take off his pants, he'd take it all off. 

Luxiana swallowed hard at the palpable tension between them. She forced herself to smile while maintaining her air of confidence to divert attention from her blushes. "No..." she murmured slowly, inclining her head, "not right away at least." Her haughty, confident expression must have been convincing because she saw Cassian raise an eyebrow in surprise and amusement. "Take the top off first."

Cassian wasted no time. He released Luxiana and, without breaking eye contact with her, reached for the end of the lace holding her vest to untie and open it. His movements were slow and calculated. He removed his vest and let it fall to his side.

Luxiana pulled away to rest on her knees and fully admire Cassian's muscular torso, pecs, shoulders and arms. Her mouth opened wide, very wide, gradually. This fae was really well built, sculpted like nothing she'd ever seen. He was so sexy. She couldn't even see his tattoos, he had so much muscle to look at. She was almost drooling. "Uh... I..." She was at a loss for words. "So sexy," she breathed simply, unable to think or speak properly. 

The three Illyrians burst out laughing at her reaction. She was looking at Cassian as if he were the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen, and he found this childish attitude so adorable. But Cassian, though he didn't look like it, was burning. Every inch of skin, where his soul mate's pupils rested, was aflame. He felt so proud to have provoked this reaction in her. 

"Wait but waiiiiitt ?????" cried Luxiana suddenly, shaking her head and barely able to breathe. "You're so muscular, how is that possible?" She couldn't believe her eyes. Did he spend his days lifting weights? She moved closer to him to come to his side and stick her arm to the Illyrian's. "Look at the size of your arm and the difference with mine! It's twice... no, at least three times the thickness of mine." She moved back in front of him to detail him with wide eyes while he laughed his head off, then squinted at his abs. She hiccupped again in surprise as she held out her index finger. "Can I... can I touch?"

Cassian calmed his laughter a little to straighten up and look at her with intense eyes. "Oh as much as you want, honey."

Luxiana opened her mouth in a wide smile, pleased by the agreement he had given her. She pursed her lips in concentration. She felt one of Cassian's abs with her fingerprint for a tiny second before retracting her arm, hiccupping in surprise. That was super hard. "Holy cow!"

Rhysand dropped onto the headboard, unable to stand up straight as he laughed so hard. His soul mate was too cute. 

Azriel detailed her with amusement and tenderness. "Have you ever seen at least one naked man?" He'd asked lightly, but he couldn't stop his smile from fading gently at the weight settling in his stomach. He so wished she'd tell him she hadn't. He knew it wasn't possible, not when she was such a beautiful, outgoing young woman but ... he'd so much like her to tell him that she'd never done anything with anyone. That she hadn't belonged to any other man before them.

Luxiana gave him a quick glance before blushing all over her face. "Whaaaaaat?" She giggled, lowering her head. "Pfff, of course I do," she stammered. Then she closed her eyes fiercely. The alcohol was going to her head and she couldn't figure out what she was doing. 

All three Illyrians froze at once, straightening up from laughter to seriousness. "You're lying," Azriel remarked. And you didn't have to speak the language of the invisible to see that. 

"But no, not at all, I..." tried to defend herself Luxiana but she felt so embarrassed and ashamed that she couldn't even think or breathe properly. She clamped her hands over her hot, red face and moaned a plaintive cry.

The three Illyrians were just completely paralyzed. They couldn't believe it. They couldn't believe their eyes and ears. She was lying, it couldn't be any other way. Cassian exploded. He shouted, "You're virgi..."

"Don't say it!" cried Luxiana, interrupting him and putting her hands on the sheets to hold on to them. She felt as if she were dying of shame. She let out a cry of frustration, then killed the three breathless wide-eyed Illyrians with her pupils. "I've never slept with anyone, but that doesn't mean I can't kick your ass, so shut up!" She realized she'd just confessed. She whimpered another sob as she pressed her palms to her face again to hide. She let herself fall on her side on the mattress to get into a lateral safety position. 

Rhysand was frozen from head to toe. He was completely shocked by this news. If there was one thing he thought Luxiana had done, it was sleep with men. Especially with the seductive attitude she always had. But now that he'd learned this, he was just completely paralyzed. A ball of anxiety settled in his stomach. He didn't know what to do. He was starting to panic. She was a virgin and so pure and they only wanted to do dirty things to her. She couldn't give them her first time. They didn't deserve it. Yet something primal awoke in him, something typically Illyrian that made him vibrate with possessiveness from head to toe. He raised his head to the ceiling, trying to reason and calm himself.

Azriel was gasping for air. His eyes burned with joy and his whole body seemed to palpitate. He waved his hands in front of him in all directions, staring into space. He opened his mouth several times, not knowing whether to speak, scream, jump for joy or just breathe. He was so happy. His soul mate had never belonged to anyone else, and she would forever belong only to them. To him. What had he done in his life to make this happen? He even wanted to cry, so happy was he. 

Cassian's mouth was wide open. He rose slowly, robotically, to land feverishly on his two feet, keeping his eyes and mouth wide open. He walked to his bedroom door, stepped outside and closed it behind him. He took a few steps forward before taking a deep breath, tensing all his muscles and clenching his fists. Then he began throwing his limbs furiously in all directions as he screamed silently, opening his mouth and letting only a muffled sound come out. "YES! FUCK YES! YEEEESSS !" Then, once relieved of his joy and although his heart was still beating madly in his chest, he returned to the bedroom to resume his seat as if nothing had happened.

Rhysand shook his head to compose himself. He glanced at Azriel, who had an absent but dreamy look on his face as he was watching Luxiana -still curled up in a ball- with glowing eyes. He then turned his eyes to Cassian to see him with rapid breathing and a broad smile on his lips. He couldn't count on them. He huffed, then grabbed Luxiana by the shoulders to straighten her up. She relented but didn't remove her hands from her face, so Rhysand grabbed her wrists and pulled her arms down. 

Her face revealed itself. She had pursed lips and a cute, pleading pout. "Don't make fun of me," she whispered imploringly.

Rhysand widened his eyes for a second. "We don't make fun of you, ever. Quite the contrary! We're so..." He huffed, pausing. He just couldn't tell her how happy he was. She wouldn't understand. He let go of her arms to cup his soul mate's face. "We're very admiring. Really." He tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear, but couldn't help brushing her hair all the way down, so soft it was. He followed her movement with his pupils. "Never be ashamed of it. Don't ever be. Okay?"

Without leaving his pleading face she nodded, but she still felt embarrassed in a way she'd never felt before. She let out a cry of frustration before moving away to lean over the side of the bed to catch something on the ground.

Only, by leaning this way, she gave the three Illyrians a good view of her legs, her shape and her buttocks, which the dress hid just enough. Cassian threw himself back with all his might, almost knocking himself out on the headboard of his bed to avoid rushing into her or cumming in his pants. No, no, they couldn't act that way with her now. Not when it was her first time that was at stake. Azriel closed one of his fists and slammed it into his forehead several times while closing his eyes and trying to think of something else. Rhysand grabbed the pillow from behind him, placing it behind Luxiana's buttocks to cover her, but he couldn't help smiling in exasperation.

Luxiana grabbed the bottle of wine on the floor beside the bed, stood up and rushed the drink to her mouth. She took several large gulps, before Azriel, realizing this, jumped up to snatch the alcohol from her hands. "Certainly not, no," he growled, pulling the bottle away from her and placing it beside her on the bedside table. 

Luxiana let out a plaintive cry before killing Cassian with her eyes. "This is all your fault, if you hadn't been so sexy, none of this would have happened."

Cassian smiled with all his teeth, his chest vibrating with pride. "So you find me attractive?"

Luxiana rolled her eyes blasély, "you know you are." Then she turned to Azriel to glare at him, "you're next on the list." There was no way she was going to be the only one embarrassed. She was going to get them all naked tonight. 

Luxiana repositioned herself in her initial place and resumed dealing the cards with a stern, determined air. And so they began to play again. There were several stalemates, the three Illyrians fighting like hell to win, but Luxiana was far too cautious, especially as she seemed to know the three males' game and what they were going to do before they did. Then, just as she'd planned, she beat Azriel. "YES!" she exclaimed, drawing her fist towards her. She pointed at Azriel with her index finger. "Now it's your turn! Take off the top." She laughed sadistically as she clapped her hands together. 

Azriel smiled softly, shaking his head. His shadows weren't helping him even a little to cheat against his soul mate, the bitches. Without a word, he stood up from the headboard to remove his T-shirt and reveal his tattooed torso. 

Luxiana gazed at him hungrily for a moment. Her mouth gradually opened. Then she let herself fall onto her side, without taking her eyes off Azriel's abs. "Woaah," she moaned in complete wonder. "It's so beautiful."

The three Illyrians laughed softly as they detailed her tenderly. Then she jumped to her knees one of a sudden, startling them. She slid down her shins to Azriel to raise her hand and run her fingers over one of the curves of one of his tattoos on his pectoral. He was as sexy as Cassian, and although she pretended to be obsessed with the black ink on his skin, she was only doing it so she could touch him. "I really like the direction this evening is taking," she said, unable to hold back her seductive smile. 

Azriel watched her do it with a tilted head and a smirk, but he was just too focused not to shiver violently under her touch.

Cassian laughed even harder as he felt the excitement rise in both his brother and himself. "Oh us too, believe me."

"Is it going to be my turn now?" asked Rhysand seriously, although glimmers of playfulness and hope resounded in his pupils. He was a little disappointed that she hadn't tried to undress him first. He knew the card game could be random, but his mate gave the impression of knowing exactly what she was doing. As if all her actions were always calculated.

Luxiana turned a confident gaze towards the lord, but inside she was filled with reluctance. She hadn't forgotten what Rhysand had suffered in Amarantha's hands and she certainly didn't want to bring back any bad memories or force him to get naked in front of her without him wanting to. "Why? Are you that eager to show me your abs?" Her question sounded unimportant, but it was. She was asking for Rhysand's agreement, and his answer would then determine her behavior. 

Rhysand smiled, unsuspecting. "Yes," he added seriously. 

Luxiana breathed imperceptibly, reassured then playful. She ran her tongue between her teeth and lips trying not to sound as euphoric as she was from the alcohol and the three handsome Illyrians before her. "So it's your turn."

Then, as they continued to empty their wine glasses, they played several long draws before Luxiana managed to win against Rhysand. She jumped up and down on the bed in delight, the alcohol really beginning to go to her head a little, so much that she had to sit down again because it made her dizzy. The four of them had already drunk three bottles and she'd swallowed the same amount as the three males, maybe even a little more. She threw herself in front of Rhysand, almost falling on him. She looked at him with shining eyes but said nothing, forcing him into nothing, waiting patiently for him to take the plunge on his own. That way, he could always turn back and do nothing if he wanted to. 

But Rhysand didn't want that. He wanted his soul mate to see him, he wanted his soul mate to touch him. He took off his shirt slowly, opening its buttons one by one as he stared at Luxiana, who followed his gesture with her eyes. He took off his top and smiled when he saw Luxiana's eyes sparkle. She was about to open her mouth wide but pursed her lips to keep her lower jaw from dropping. "By all gods" she breathed again, detailing Rhysand as if he were a work of art. It took her breath away. "It's incredible." But she wasn't touching him. She wasn't touching him even though she'd touched both of Rhys's brothers, and it was driving him crazy. So he grabbed Luxiana's wrist to press the blonde's palm against his abs. 

Luxiana hiccupped in surprise as she clamped her other hand over her mouth. She gave Rhys a questioning look. "I want you to touch me," he whispered earnestly. 

She widened her eyes for a second before returning her gaze to his abs and slowly lowering her hand in a caress to the V of the lord's lower abdomen. Then, understanding his words and seeing a bulge in his pants, she flushed violently. She shook her head while gently and repeatedly hitting Rhys's shoulder, who burst out laughing.

"Now it's our turn to make you take off a piece of clothing," says Rhysand, regaining a serious but seductive air. 

Luxiana gave him a laughing look, unable to hide her playful smile, before jumping out of the bed. "Um, no, I don't want to play anymore." 

"Out of the question, it doesn't work like that," screamed Cassian, offended. 

Azriel smiled tenderly. "He's right. Come back here!"

"Nooo," she moaned imploringly, throwing large dilated pupils at them. "I want to do something else."

Rhysand breathed in resignation. She could get what she wanted from him with his face. "What's that?" 

Luxiana spun around to find something to do before stopping, realizing that her head was also turning from the inside. This alcohol was really strong, and although she was used to it, she'd been drinking a lot. "Oh I know!" she exclaimed suddenly, setting her eyes on Cassian. "I want to style your hair and make you lots of braids." 

Rhysand and Azriel exploded with laughter and Cassian's eyes widened. "You want what?" Had he misheard? 

Luxiana ran to him to throw herself in front of him and make big, imploring eyes. "Please," she insisted with the cutest face in the world. 

Cassian couldn't even hesitate. He huffed as he grabbed the little rubber bands of different colors he'd just conjured up in front of him. He held them out to Luxiana. "Put on lots of pink rubber bands."

Luxiana jumped up, screaming with joy. She positioned herself behind Cassian, grabbing him by the shoulders and pulling him towards her. She settled his head on her thighs and began braiding his hair. 

Azriel and Rhysand were laughing their heads off and couldn't even breathe. Luxiana glared at them. "Don't laugh too hard, it'll be your turn next."

The two Illyrians instantly fell silent as they stood up straight.

Cassian didn't feel even a little ashamed by the act. He felt far too soothed by his soulmate's touch in his hair, so much so that he couldn't even hear his brothers' mocking laughter. Hell, his heart even felt like it was stopping, so relaxed was he. 

Luxiana, despite her fingers digging into Cassian's mane, was chatting happily with Rhysand and Azriel about anything and everything, continuing to drink alcohol in the meantime. 

After perhaps an hour of chatting and laughing, Luxiana finished her work. She moved away from Cassian, who was struggling to fight off the sleep that had overtaken him under her soulmate's caresses in his hair. But when he straightened up to reveal lots of shaggy little braids - with pink rubber bands and little pink butterfly clips hanging in them - to his brothers, their laughter woke him up suddenly. Cassian laughed in turn, imagining his face and seeing his soulmate laughing with them.

"It suits you, you're so cute like that," the blonde teased softly, pinching his cheeks.

Cassian looked at her with shining eyes without even feeling humiliated. And Luxiana was a little disappointed to notice that he wasn't blushing even a little. She wanted revenge and to embarrass them. 

Cassian pointed to Rhysand and Azriel with a mischievous grin. "They're laughing a little too hard, don't you think?"

Luxiana returned his mischievous expression. "Oh totally." She turned back to the two Illyrians with a psychopathic look.

Rhysand's and Azriel's smiles halted again as they glanced at Luxiana, a little terrified. 

The blonde rested her index finger on her chin to consider what she was going to do to them before hiccupping, "Found it!" She looked up at the ceiling to speak to the house. "Can I have some markers, please?" Without question, the house offered her a string of felt-tip pens in several flashy colors. She thanked the house vigorously before turning to Rhys and pointing. "I want to draw in your tattoos."

"You want to do what?" laughed Rhysand in surprise. But Luxiana had already broken the distance between them. She placed her cold hands on Rhysand's pectorals to push him down onto his back. "May I?" she asked permission to settle astride him, pointing to his lower abdomen.

Rhysand contracted for a second. This was a permission Amarantha had never asked of him, but he refrained from telling Luxiana. He knew she would be saddened and that it would spoil her evening and the one of his brothers. In any case, he didn't want to think about this horror right now. He just wanted so much for his soul mate to touch him, and it annoyed him that she asked his permission when she didn't ask his brothers'. "Always," he answered her seriously without any playful or joking air. 

Luxiana blinked once, surprised by his tone, then smiled gently at him, feeling herself blush. She climbed astride him and began coloring the inside of the tattoos on Rhys's pecs, arms and shoulders.

The lord of the night watched his soulmate's look of concentration with tenderness. But he had to fight with all his might against the tickle of Luxiana's touch and his growing erection in his pants. If his mate had landed a few centimeters lower, she'd clearly have been able to feel it between her thighs.

The blonde didn't stop talking, though, concentrating on her task and chatting with the three Illyrians. Then, once she was satisfied and her work done, she stood up to let Rhys straighten up and show his brothers the various shades of pink, yellow and green that surrounded his tattoos. 

Rhysand wanted to look weary under his brothers' mockery, but he couldn't hide his joy. 

Luxiana turned to Azriel, who didn't feel threatened for a second. He only huffed as he stopped laughing and opened his arms wide. "Do what you want with me."

The blonde let out a squeal of delight. She grabbed a candy-pink felt-tip pen and glided over to Azriel, drawing cat whiskers on his face and coloring in his nose. The other two Illyrians couldn't help but laugh as Luxiana pulled away from the now cat-like spymaster. Azriel looked up at the ceiling. "Never in my five hundred years of existence have I been so humiliated," he laughed softly, staring at his soulmate with sparkling eyes.

Luxiana laughed too, but rolled her eyes. Why had she wanted to humiliate them again? She didn't know, and now she felt bad. She huffed as she handed the marker to Azriel, who caught it without understanding, tilting his head. "Your turn. Do something to me." 

She closed her eyes and stretched out her smiling face towards Azriel. She waited while the three Illyrians stared at her, not knowing what to do. All they could think of was how cute she looked, with her beautiful smiling pink lips, her alcohol-reddened cheeks and her dimples. 

Azriel couldn't breathe or think properly with his soulmate's sweet, ready face stretched out in front of him. He wanted to kiss her. So he squinted at her mouth for a moment, but when Luxiana moistened her lips without opening her eyes, something inside him gave way. He couldn't resist any longer and took the plunge. He placed his lips softly on those of his soul mate. 

Feeling someone's mouth on hers, Luxiana hiccupped in surprise, opening her eyes wide and jerking back. Realizing that Azriel had kissed her, she clamped her hand over her mouth. But her heart was pounding in her chest as the echo of the Illyrian's mouth still tickled hers. 

Cassian and Rhysand glanced at each other uneasily before cursing Azriel. "Az, damn it," Rhysand growled with a slightly quicker breath. Then they set their eyes on their Luxiana. How was she going to react? They didn't want to scare them.

"Forgive me," Azriel breathed without taking his eyes off the blond to observe her reaction. "I've wanted to kiss you for so long and I couldn't help it, you were so cute."

Luxiana felt warm from head to toe. No kiss had ever had this effect on her. "No," she let out in a high-pitched voice and with an almost inaudible sigh, letting her hand fall back. She squinted at Azriel's mouth. "Don't be." She moved closer to him again, sticking her knees to the Illyrian's crossed legs. "Can you do it again?" Her cheeks were flushed and felt like exploding, but she wanted more.

The chests of the three Illyrians filled with hope, and Azriel's with joy. He couldn't hold back his wide, seductive, teasing smile. "Would you like me to do it again?"

Luxiana nodded briskly, with the cutest face possible. She couldn't breathe. "Do it again, please," she implored. She absolutely had to know if his kiss was still having that effect on her. 

It was the last straw that made Azriel snap. With one hand, he grabbed her throat possessively and pulled her towards him, while the other rested on his mate’s cheek. He crushed his mouth to hers, closing his eyes. Fireworks exploded in their bellies and their lips tickled so hard it was almost unbearable. 

Azriel stuck out his tongue to caress the blonde's lips and request access to her mouth. Luxiana opened her mouth to let him in. They kissed deeply, Azriel's tongue trying to control Luxiana's as she gave in completely. The kiss was so powerful that it made both of them dizzy. Luxiana had to cling to the Illyrian's forearms to keep from fainting as a moan of pleasure escaped her. Her nipples jutted out from under her nightie in excitement, and the silk fabric began to itch her.

Eventually, they parted gasping for air, their chests trembling. They gazed into each other's eyes, completely shocked and blown away by the intensity of their kiss. Neither of them had ever felt anything like it. Azriel wanted more. He wanted so much more, but he gently released Luxiana to see what she would do. But he prayed she'd come back for more, because damn it, he could spend his life kissing her.

Luxiana came back to her after a few seconds' absence, trying to calm herself down. She clamped both hands over her mouth, hiccupping. Then she threw herself backwards, stomach down on the bed, to make her legs go quickly and slam her feet on the mattress. She buried her flushed face in the sheets while shouting a muffled sound of joy. Then she started laughing, so happy was she. She didn't even understand why she felt so happy. It was the best kiss she'd ever had and she couldn't even think about what she was doing. She just needed to let out the happiness she was feeling. "I kissed him, I kissed him," she cried, still not quite able to realize what had just happened. 

Azriel smiled with all his teeth. He felt buoyant. She'd wanted to kiss him, and she'd liked it. 

But Cassian and Rhysand had watched the scene with bated breath, completely frozen. They couldn't move, paralyzed by a mixture of joy and jealousy. Azriel had succeeded. One of them had gotten close enough to their mate to be able to kiss her. But there were three of them. Would she be afraid to kiss them after that? Did she only want Azriel now? They were scared to death. 

Fuck it, it was now or never. Rhysand tried to regain his haughty, confident posture, but he was having great difficulty. "You can kiss me too if you like," he let out, his chest full of hope. 

Luxiana jerked upright with shock and seriousness as she detailed Rhysand. She frowned, then glanced at Azriel to see what he was going to do. They had just kissed, after all, and that was not nothing, but the Illyrian only looked at her with a smirk and a tilted head, curious to know what she was going to do. That said, he didn't seem to mind her kissing his brother, and Luxiana wanted to. She didn't think any further, as she couldn't think much about what she was doing anyway because of the alcohol coursing through her veins. She then moved quickly towards Rhysand to position herself in front of him with big eyes shining with impatience. "Can I really?"

Rhysand's heart missed a beat. He nodded solemnly. Luxiana opened her eyes wide before throwing herself at Rhys to give him a chaste kiss on the lips before hiccupping away in surprise. She shivered. Rhys smiled at her cuteness but she rushed to his mouth to give him the same kiss again, a little longer this time. Then she pulled away again, still hiccupping in surprise. She placed her hand over her mouth this time, unable to believe she was kissing the high lord of the night court after kissing his brother. 

Rhysand laughed before shaking his head tenderly. His mate was so cute. He caught her delicately, placing both hands on either side of her face to pull her mouth over his and kiss her. Their tongues tangled together by themselves and began to dance, gently caressing each other. 

Rhysand's entire body was tingling. His chest was vibrating and his heart had stopped completely. He was finally kissing his soul mate. After all this time. And it was even better than in his dreams. 

Luxiana's body was vibrating and her lower abdomen was on fire from the kissing. She was shaking so hard her muscles ached. She felt like she was in a cottony cloud of ecstasy and sensation. She wanted so much more.

They parted away, lacking air, forcing Luxiana to groan in disappointment as she opened her eyes. Rhysand couldn't help smiling at the sound, but he was just too breathless to speak or start again. That kiss had been so intense that it had just taken his breath away.

Cassian couldn't take it anymore. His two brothers had tasted it before him and these visions were slowly killing him. He'd come close to cumming several times in his pants, "So now it's my turn," he declared in a deep voice filled with excitement. 

Luxiana barely had time to turn towards him and calm down before he threw himself at her, placing one hand on the back of her head and another on her back to pull her towards him and press his lips to hers. He forced his tongue into Luxiana's mouth, and she let him in to return the feverish kiss where their tongues fought. She placed her hands on Cassian's torso to take advantage and caress his pectoral muscles. Both began to shudder at the same time under the explosion in their bellies and the tickle in their mouths. Luxiana moaned as she felt her panties getting wet. 

Cassian, at this sound, couldn't hold back. He pushed her down and laid her back on the mattress, towering over her with his body as he continued to kiss her. He passed a leg between Luxiana's thighs to rest his knee on her part.

Luxiana moaned into Cassian's mouth again, feeling herself vibrate all over as he pressed her clit with his leg. She wanted more. 

Unfortunately, Azriel grabbed Cassian by the shoulder to break their kiss, pulling him back and away from Luxiana. "No," he growled through clenched teeth, killing his brother with his eyes. 

"What do you mean 'no'?" offended Cassian in disbelief. Anger bubbled up in his veins, replacing his euphoria and excitement far too savagely. 

"She's been drinking, she's drunk," Rhysand explained. There was no way he was going to take advantage of her condition to go any further. Even if he wanted to. On the other hand, if tomorrow she wanted it again... then he wouldn't hold back. 

"I'm not drunk!" exclaimed Luxiana just as shocked and offended as Cassian that they'd interrupted her. She raised herself on her forearms to glare at Azriel and Rhysand, but they only gave her a weary look. 

Cassian grunted in frustration, eyes firmly ferocious. They were right. He huffed in resignation as he rested his back on the headboard of his bed. He hadn't intended to go any further anyway, but he realized they'd already overstepped the boundaries. 

Luxiana dropped onto the mattress, also screaming in frustration, her teeth clenched. She was completely turned on now. How was she supposed to keep ... and she fell asleep suddenly. Maybe she was a little drunk after all. 

[icarusflewsworld]

Rhysand & Cassian & Azriel X OC

Hello, here is the chapter 19 of a fanfiction on the world of Acotar where our three favorite Batboys are the mates of a single woman.

I hope you enjoyed reading and had a good time!!!

Since it's Christmas next week, the next chapter or maybe the next chapters will be posted in a week. On Friday, December 27th.

So I wish you an excellent day and a good weekend. But above all I wish you a very very very merry Christmas with lots and beautiful presents under the your Christmas tree. I hope you are happy. With all my love, ❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹

! Don't forget to read the other chapters ! : Here

Enjoy the read ! ❤️❤️❤️

Chapter 19 

Azriel's leg bounced nervously up and down and his fists were clenched on his thighs. Despite the fact that he was sitting on the living-room sofa, his back was straight, contracted all over. He stared at his lord in awe, "You're not seriously considering this, Rhys?" He'd thought he was hallucinating when his brother had offered to take Luxiana to the Weaver to retrieve her mother's ring. He'd thought he was hallucinating when his brother had proposed taking his little, smiling, sunny, weak and fragile mate to steal from a creature as powerful, crazy, cruel and dangerous as the Weaver. "It's far too dangerous! She's only human!"

Rhysand sighed again. He had crossed his arms. He was trying to stand up straight and look confident as his two brothers stared at him in horror. "Precisely, as she has no magic, the Weaver won't feel her. She'll just have to be as quiet as possible." He'd given it a lot of thought last night. His mother had left his engagement ring with the Weaver for several reasons: so that he wouldn't misuse it, and to make sure that the woman he wanted to marry was strong enough. His mother had explained to him that becoming the wife of a high lord was dangerous, and that the person he wished to marry would have to be at least cunning and courageous enough to steal his ring from the Weaver. Even so, he couldn't quell the huge ball of anguish clenching his stomach violently. He knew Azriel was right. It was so dangerous and he was so afraid for his mate. 

"And if she detects her, what are we going to do, eh, Rhys?" spat Azriel, rising from the sofa abruptly. He could feel that his eyes were wide open and he could well imagine them injecting with blood. He wanted to make his brother eat the floor. How could he contemplate putting their soul mate in such danger over a stupid ring? He held back from staring at his lord with a grimace of disgust. He didn't deserve Luxiana. 

Cassian was on the other sofa. He had his neck bent back and a thinking gaze on the ceiling. He was thinking. His two brothers were right. He didn't like knowing his mate was in danger, but he knew Rhysand's mother would have wanted Luxiana to be able to get through this. Especially when she was linked to the three of them. He wanted so much to respect the woman who had saved him from cold and starvation, but at the same time, he was terrified that his cute little human would end up hurt. Or worse. But he also knew she was resourceful and could survive. In any case, he wouldn't let anything happen to her, even if he had to die under the power of the weaver, he'd get his future wife to safety first. "Then we'll go get her and protect her," he asserted to Az, straightening his head to stare at the Illyrian with the blue siphons.

Azriel turned towards Cassian to widen his eyes. "Because you're okay with this???" he shouted through clenched teeth. He felt like he'd been plunged into water so cold he couldn't breathe. He was tetanized by the hatred he felt for his brothers.  

"Cass is right, there's no reason for her to get hurt, we'll prevent that from happening," Rhysand added in a calm voice he didn't even know how he managed to have, while inside he was as anxious and trembling as Azriel. 

"What if we don't make it in time??" The spy master gesticulated in all directions. "Need I to remind you who the Weaver is? She's considered a goddess because she's so powerful! Far more powerful than the three of us put together, Rhys. She's protected by laws and a high lord isn't allowed near her. Whatever happens, it will only get us into trouble. And I don't want any of that trouble to be my soul mate being injured!"

Rhysand let all his air go as he dropped onto one of the sofas. He knew he'd break every law to keep his soulmate from getting hurt, and that he'd take the consequences without flinching. But he also knew that Azriel was not wrong and that many things could go wrong. He rested his elbows on his knees and buried his face in his hands. He stayed like that for a moment, hating himself with every fiber of his being. He hated himself. He'd never get over it if Luxiana was hurt because of him. The Weaver was so powerful that anything could happen to Luxiana before he could reach her and teleport her away. But at the same time, all Luxiana had to do was to go in, steal the ring and come out all silent. The Weaver was blind, she wouldn't even know she was there.

He dropped his forearms to his thighs to stare at Azriel with a worried but sad look on his face. "I believe in fate and I'm convinced that my mother knew what she was doing. I'm convinced that she subconsciously knew that the three of us would share the same soul mate and that's why she adopted you. I'm convinced she suspected that our soul mate would be able to get that ring back. She wouldn't have left it there otherwise."

"Rhys, do you hear yourself?" shouted Azriel, flabbergasted. "Your mother wasn't a prophet! You want to risk our soulmate’s life for a stupid ring!"

Rhysand gritted his teeth and lowered his eyes.

Cassian leapt to his feet, anger pulsing through his veins all at once. "Be careful how you talk. She saved us. We owe her respect. And anyway, I told you, I wouldn't let our mate die."

Azriel glared at him. How dare he think he didn't respect Rhys's mother when he considered her his own. But he could believe whatever he wanted. The important thing now was his Luxiana. "What if she's hurt? Can you imagine her in pain? Can you bear the thought of her suffering, even for a second? I can't. I can't! It would destroy me to know she's in pain, even if it's just a scratch! And you too, for God's sake. Even ignoring the fact that she's our soul mate, we're Illyrians, it's in our fucking genes. It would kill us to see her hurt!" He grunted, trying to calm himself but failing. He turned to his lord to speak more calmly. "Rhys, you know I loved your mother, but there's no way she could have known our soul mate was human and fragile. She certainly wouldn't have left that ring there otherwise."

A heavy silence settled over them, pressing down on their chests. Azriel couldn't breathe, but he didn't even realize it, too absorbed in killing his two brothers with his eyes. Cassian looked doubtfully between Rhysand and Azriel. They were both right, and he was lost. He didn't know what to do or think. Rhysand was staring into space. He felt so bad. So guilty for having suggested this. He'd never get over it if Luxiana was hurt because of him. 

"Maybe we're getting in over our heads," Cassian finally says, forcing his two brothers to turn questioning irises on him. "Let's just tell her the idea and the risks and leave it at that. It's her choice, after all."

Azriel rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Haven't you figured out who she is yet? I mean, she's bound to want to. She doesn't seem to give a damn about putting her life in danger. It's up to us to stop her, but you don't seem to have figured that out yet."

Rhysand cleared his throat so as not to look as bad as he felt. "Maybe, but anyway, if we don't keep her busy, she's going to want us to go and get the book of breathing so she can get back to Feyre as soon as possible. At least this way, we keep her with us a little longer."

Azriel closed his eyes fiercely, his nostrils swelling. He couldn't believe his ears. None of them deserved Luxiana. And worst of all, he didn't stand a chance against them. They were two against him. 

"Let's go wake her up and talk to her about it," Cassian breathed as he rose to his feet. "We'll see what happens and what she says."

Rhysand nodded, stood up and set off. Azriel reluctantly followed his two brothers. They walked in a heavy silence. Azriel gritted his teeth so hard his skull ached. His gait was stiff. Rhysand walked swiftly with an air of determination, but it was mainly to get there as quickly as possible before ducking out. He felt like throwing up. Cassian could feel a mixture of similar emotions running through his veins. He felt everything his brothers felt. He was lost. He moved forward with folded arms.

They arrived in front of Luxiana's room. Rhysand's almost trembling hand rose to knock on the door, and they waited there, restraining themselves from running away. The door opened slowly, revealing their soul mate. And when they discovered her - in a white silk nightie reaching halfway up her thighs, with what seemed to be the remains of a bun around her tangled hair that went in all directions, with a face marked by the folds of the sheets as she looked at them with half-closed eyes - nothing else mattered. Nothing else mattered to the three Illyrians but her. 

"Hum?" she groaned, squinting a little more. She glanced at the morning sunlight seeping through her bay window before shifting her pupils to the three Illyrians. What time was it? What were they doing there? God, they were so sexy. She wasn't used to this kind of vision as soon as she woke up, but she liked the idea. She rubbed both eyelids with her fists. She rested her irises on the three Illyrians in front of her, whom she suddenly found abnormally white. "Is everything all right? What's going on?" She cleared her throat, but her voice was still raspy.

Cassian couldn't help but laugh tenderly, almost mockingly, as he detailed her. Her pupils sparkled so brightly he could feel them. He stared down at her hungrily. She was so sexy like that. The desire awakening inside him heated him up completely. God, he wanted to kiss every inch of her legs.

Fireworks exploded in Azriel's chest, spreading through his whole body to tickle him. His arm muscles burned, he wanted to hug her. His fingers stung, he wanted to touch her. He moistened his dry lips, he wanted to kiss her. How could anyone be so cute? His soul mate was the sweetest woman who'd ever walked this earth. There was no way he was going to let Rhysand put her in danger.

Rhysand's heart missed a long beat. A very long one. So long that he felt like falling, forcing him to take a step back to catch himself. He wanted to see this every morning. He just wanted to spend his life with this woman. His whole life. But she was only human. It would be so short. He had to preserve her to keep her alive as long as possible. Anyway, he couldn't even imagine hurting her. "Nothing," he finally breathed, smiling.

Cassian and Azriel turned a shocked, questioning gaze towards him. Rhysand took another step backwards, paying no attention to his brothers. "Nothing at all," he added in the same way. He took a deep breath, relieved. It was safer this way. "Sorry to have bothered you." Unable to restrain himself, he raised his hand to gently caress the angle of his soulmate's jaw with his fingertips. It had only lasted a second before his arm fell back, but he'd been electrocuted through and through. He took another step backwards.

"But Rhys...," Cassian began in their heads with total incomprehension and glancing at Azriel who was in the same state.

"Az was right, I'm an asshole," he replied telepathically. "How could I even think for a second about putting our soul mate in danger. Look at her. It's out of the question. I don't want to risk it," he turned to start walking away from the room. He cursed himself. How could he have considered taking such a risk?

Azriel took a deep breath as he closed his eyes. His brother had come to his senses. He wasn't so bad after all. He returned his gaze to Luxiana, who detailed them with a curious, tilted head. He smiled tenderly. She was so adorable. "Go back to bed." He reached for the handle to close the door, but Luxiana shook her head at the sight of him. 

She slipped through the room's narrowing opening to chase Rhys, grabbing him by the sleeve of his black jacket. The lord stopped abruptly to turn back to her with wide-open eyelids. "Why are you here?" the blonde insisted.

Rhysand took a breath to speak, but Luxiana interrupted him by crossing her arms with a stern look. "And don't tell me it's nothing. There's got to be a reason." She suspected he hadn't just come to wake her up, he would have told her otherwise. No, something had happened and she was determined to find out what.

Cassian leaned against the wall beside him, quietly watching the scene unfold before him. He smiled, knowing that Luxiana was about to martyr his two brothers.

Rhysand looked at her tenderly, he couldn't help it. She was so stubborn and reckless. He couldn't lie to her and anyway, he had no other explanation coming to him. "We...," he searched for his words as he lowered his eyes, feeling ashamed. "I wanted to take you somewhere but it's too dangerous after all. I've changed my mind." 

Luxiana frowned so hard that it distorted her whole face. She squinted. "Go where?" Then she smirked, "if it's dangerous, I'm in!"

Azriel looked up at the ceiling before casting a reproving look at his soulmate. "Of course," he growled. "That's why we're not going. You're too reckless."

"It doesn't matter anymore, anyway," Rhysand added, shaking his hand toward his brother. "We're not going, that's decided." 

Luxiana made a disappointed, whimsical pout. "If you don't want to go because I'd be in danger, don't you think that's for me to decide?" 

"That's exactly what I said," Cassian smiled proudly.

"Owwwn," moaned the blonde, turning to Cassian with a tender look on her face. "I knew it, you're the cutest of the three."

Cassian smiled with all his teeth as he puffed out his chest, but Azriel and Rhysand glowered at him. 

Luxiana turned back to Rhysand with determination and a little anger. At least, that's what she was trying to let on, because she wasn't really angry. She thought all three of them were cute. "Besides, I don't see why you're worried about me. It can't be that dangerous."

"It is," Azriel articulated, crossing his arms.

"That's for me to decide," she glanced sideways at the master spy before refocusing on the lord. "Where did you want to take me?" 

Rhysand, unsure of what to do, glanced at Cassian, who nodded in encouragement, then set his pupils on Azriel, who shook his head from left to right to dissuade him. The lord huffed. “We wanted to take you to see a creature called the Weaver. She's a fae who.... "

"Oh Stryga!?" she exclaimed, interrupting him with a big smile. "Yes, I know," she nodded, waving her hand in the air to urge Rhysand to abbreviate his explanation and resume.

The three Illyrians frowned, casting confused glances at each other. "What do you mean you know?" asked Azriel, staring at her from the side. Cassian straightened up to walk over to Rhysand and get a good look at his soulmate's face.

Luxiana looked up, opening her mouth several times in search of her words. She held back a grimace. She had spoken too fast again, without even thinking about what she was saying. She needed to collect herself now. "I read a lot of books," she shrugged, throwing the shadowsinger a smile, it wasn't a lie after all. "Stryga is the super-powered fae from another dimension exiled to the forest hundreds of years ago, blah, blah, blah, I know my stuff. So what did you want me to do? You wanted me to kill her?"

The three Illyrians raised their eyebrows in surprise, blinking several times at this unexpected statement. But although they found it strange, they didn't suspect it was a lie. In any case, there was no way she could have known the Weaver otherwise. 

Cassian blew out a laugh at the last words of his soul mate, who had the most serious face possible. "No, no, I doubt it's even possible to kill her, and even less by you."

"Oh well, I'm pretty sure I can," she asserted in all seriousness, nodding several times.

Azriel caught the bridge of his nose and sighed. Damn it, if she really knew who the Weaver was, how could she think she could kill her? She was so naive.

Rhysand looked at her tenderly. He smiled, shaking his head. "No, we wanted you to go steal something from her."

Luxiana darkened her brows, "Steal what? Why me?" Then she widened her eyes after a moment's thought. "This is some kind of test before summer court to make sure I'll be able to steal the book, right???"

Rhysand let out a little laugh with Cassian. He nodded, trying to hide the mocking glint in his pupils. "That's right, but...," resumed the lord before being interrupted by Luxiana.

"Hihi," she said, shaking both her clenched fists in front of her. She turned in one swift motion, gliding gracefully across the floor as she started to make a dash for her room. "I'm going to get ready."

Azriel had the reflex to catch her by the forearm before she entered her room. His soul mate turned to him to find out what he wanted. "We said no, we're not going. It's much too dangerous for you."

Luxiana turned to glare at the master spy. She crossed her arms. "But if I'm the one who'll be in danger, then that's my decision."

"No, precisely, it's not your decision, since you're not capable of making a reasonable one," Azriel spat dryly. Then he closed his eyes for a second, cursing himself for his tone and words, but Luxiana wasn't even a little intimidated or hurt. 

She shrugged with a doubtful grimace. "She's old and blind, certainly no threat to me." 

Azriel thought she was so cute, he could have smiled if he hadn't been so worried.

Luxiana anchored pupils glowing with supplication in those of the three Illyrians in turn. "Listen, I just want to prove to you that I can do it. Because I can. Trust me."

Rhysand's heart slammed against his ribs. He couldn't resist his mate’s adorable face. And he didn't want to hurt her when he trusted her. He took a deep breath. "Are you sure about this?" he asked her, because he wasn't sure at all.

"Yes," she assured serenely. "It's my decision, not yours."

"No," Azriel screamed in horror, turning to his brother. "The Weaver could disintegrate her just thinking about it." 

Cassian huffed, rolling his eyes. He was worried too, but his brother was abusing them. They were going to protect her and their mate was smart. She wasn't a child. "Stryga won't do it, she has a habit of slowly killing people who infiltrate her home." 

"Is that supposed to reassure me?" gasped Azriel with wide eyes. He was almost trembling with fear. He felt like he was going mad. Was he the only reasonable one here?

"She won't be hurt. We'll intervene first," Cassian assured, taking a threatening step towards Azriel, who was beginning to irritate him.

Rhysand breathed imperceptibly before stepping between his two brothers and breaking the distance between himself and his soul mate. He placed his hands on Luxiana's cheeks to cling to her face. He slowly drew his head closer to hers, while she merely looked at him with affectionate eyes and a reassuring smile. He swallowed hard. How could anyone look at someone who approached them like that? She was so sweet. 

Luxiana's heart pounded violently in her chest. The high lord approaching her was having quite an effect on her, and when he'd placed his hands on her cheeks, her whole body had begun to tickle. She did everything she could to keep smiling and not look as upset as she was.

Rhysand stopped only inches from his soulmate's lips, zoning in on them for a moment before plunging an intense gaze into the blonde's. "Are you sure you want to do this?" He lowered his eyes for a second. "To tell you the truth, it's an important object for me that you'll have to get back, but if you don't want it, we won't go. You're much more important. If you're feeling even the slightest bit of stress, or any other disturbing emotion, we'll stay here. You don't have to prove anything to us anyway."

"Rhys, I'm not afraid," she assured comfortingly. 

But Rhysand's heart had trembled. She'd called him by his nickname. Could he really risk putting her in such danger? What if something unexpected happened? What if something went wrong? It wasn't worth the risk.

Luxiana, almost able to read Rhysand's hesitation in his eyes, let out a small cry of frustration. "There's no point thinking about it any more. Now that I know all this, I'll go to the Weaver with or without you, even if it's years away. So either you stay here, or you come with me."

Rhysand laughed softly as he glanced at Cassian, who nodded to confirm that he suspected Luxiana would. Rhysand lowered his eyes to detail the blonde in his hands for another second. He was worried, but he suspected she'd try. She might even hurt herself trying. Or worse, she might succeed and they wouldn't even be there to defend her. He took a deep breath, then nodded in silent thanks. "She won't be able to see or smell you," he explained, suddenly regaining his seriousness.

"Fuck, Rhys," Azriel tried to interrupt, realizing that his brother was giving in. He put his hand on his lord's shoulder to get his attention, but Rhysand took no notice.

"If you're as quiet as possible, you can go in, steal the object and come out without her even knowing. She won't be able to hurt you."

"Rhys, I said no," Azriel shouted authoritatively, pushing Rhysand, who had to release Luxiana.

Cassian growled as he lashed out at his brother with his pupils. "It's her decision, Az, respect it. And if it's not then go, we'll go without you."

Azriel gave him a look so black that his irises were that color too. The three of them were against him. There was nothing he could do, and it was driving him mad. But there was no way they could go without him. He had to be able to protect his soul mate. He gritted his teeth but said nothing.

Cassian, having realized that his brother was giving up in spite of himself, turned to Luxiana with a confident, serious expression. "We'll be there in case of trouble. She won't hurt you, I'll make sure of that."

"If there's the slightest problem, we'll intervene," continued Rhysand with a reassuring face, but a ball of anguish emerged in his stomach. 

Luxiana simply nodded with a broad smile. Then she happily ran to her room to get ready. 

A few minutes later, while Azriel was still trying to convince his brothers not to go, and while they weren't even listening to him, Luxiana resurfaced. The three males turned to her and gasped. She was wearing black leather pants, equally dark thigh-high boots, a white shirt under a corset of the same color, and she'd pulled her hair back into a ponytail. "It's great," she raved happily. "All I have to do is ask at the house and she gives me the outfit I want, I love it!"

Cassian rolled his eyes to close them. He raised his head as he turned away from the blonde and ran his hands vigorously over his face. She looked so sexy in that outfit. He wanted to make love to her in this outfit, damn it. He was dying to jump on her, and he didn't know what kind of self-control would stop him, but he was admiring himself.

Rhysand smiled pretentiously as he detailed her with eager pupils. She immediately looked a lot less cute like this. He loved it, but he couldn't help smiling at the irony of the situation. She was so sexy when she was just cute. 

Azriel paced all around them. He was so anxious that he only noticed his sister's outfit for a second before he started walking nervously again. Damn, he'd have to make her a suit of armor. She wouldn't be protected enough with this leather.

Then Rhysand finally held out his hand. "Ready?"

She caught him with a confident smile and a strange gleam of coldness in her pupils. "Ready." 

Without further ado, the lord teleported them a few steps away from the Weaver's house. 

Luxiana spun around, letting go of Rhys, to take in the tall trees and dense vegetation that now surrounded her. She glanced coldly at Stryga's house. The corner of her mouth lifted in a kind of spasm that the Illyrians couldn't see. Then she turned her determined gaze back to the three males in front of her, who were staring at the building with apprehension and even fear for Azriel. "What shall I steal?" 

Rhysand turned his violet irises on her and was surprised for a second. She looked serious, her eyebrows slightly furrowed and her eyes cold with determination. The lord lifted his chin, smiling in a corner to give himself a haughty, confident air he didn't have at all. He didn't want to worry her, it was stress that made you make mistakes. "You will know when you see it," he replied simply.

Luxiana frowned, pulling her head back in surprise. "Probably not, no."

Azriel gritted his teeth and took a sharp breath. He glanced sideways at his brother. "Rhys, at least tell her what the object is that she has to steal, so that she spends as little time as possible in this damned shack." 

Rhysand didn't even turn to him to answer and remained with his eyes planted in the blonde's. "I'm sure she'll find what she has to steal. You'll feel it."

Luxiana scrutinized him for a second with squinted eyes. Then, as she detailed him, she realized that he seemed really sure that she was going to guess what to steal. And she believed him. Anyway, it wasn't as if she was risking anything. So she nodded once and only once. "All right, I'll trust you."

Cassian took a step closer to his soul mate. He caught her chin between his thumb and forefinger to turn the blonde's head towards him and plant an authoritative gaze in hers. He was trying to calm the stress and anguish rising inside him and wanting to make him tremble. "You enter, opening the door as quietly as possible. Walk carefully, taking slow steps. Be careful not to breathe too heavily either, and above all, watch where you step. You absolutely mustn't make any noise! Don't rush," he advised with concern.

"Okay," Luxiana breathed, laughing softly with an expectant face. "You're too cute, but I swear everything's going to be fine. It'll be over in a jiffy." Then she turned to walk in the direction of the house. "I'll be right back." 

But fear suddenly exploded in Rhysand, who moved on his own to hold her by the arm. She turned to him. "Are you sure? We can still go away?" he said hastily, dying of worry.

Luxiana huffed and rolled her eyes, a little wearily. If only they knew. But they couldn't suspect anything. So she smiled to comfort him. "It's my decision. I am."

Rhysand let go of her, but before she could get going again, Azriel caught her by the arm and pulled her sharply towards him. "What ag...?" Luxiana couldn't finish her sentence as Azriel turned her around to tighten the strings of her corset and wedge them inside so they wouldn't disturb her or get caught somewhere. 

Azriel was scared to death. A mixture of adrenalin and terror coursed through his body, making his muscles feel like they were being torn apart. "You watch yourself and your surroundings," he warned with a cold voice. He turned her around again to face her, crouching for a second to pull a little more at the top of the blonde's boots and make sure they were secure and held in place. 

Luxiana watched him with wide-open eyes, completely paralyzed. Her heart was dancing in her chest. No one had ever been so kind to her. 

Azriel stood up, "If you're scared or feel something's wrong, you turn back immediately." He grabbed the wide sleeves of his soul mate’s white shirt to fold them a little dryly up to her elbows. "If something happens that we haven't felt or heard, you run. If she attacks you and we're not there, you call us, screaming at the top of your voice to warn us." Then he grabbed the back of the blonde's hand to raise it and present his palm to the sky. He grabbed Truth teller to pull it from its scabbard, twisting it between his fingers to grasp the blade and be able to slide the dagger's handle over his mate’s palm. "If she comes after you and we're not there, you shove this dagger down her throat. It won't kill her, but it'll give you some time, okay?" 

Luxiana shifted her pupils between Azriel and the weapon he had just given her, her mouth half-open in astonishment. Then her cheeks flushed in realization. She blinked in search of her words, but found none. She simply nodded, closing her fingers around the handle.

Azriel grabbed her by the shoulders to shake her once and back to accentuate his words. "You really must be as quiet as possible." Luxiana wanted to speak but Azriel cut her off. "Promise me! Promise me you won't do anything inconsiderate or stupid?"

Luxiana finally pulled herself together and managed an affectionate smile. "I promise."

Azriel slowly released her against his will. He had to fight every muscle in his body not to grab her and drag her away.

The blonde stared at the three of them hesitantly and a little wearily, to make sure none of them were going to interrupt her again. But they didn't seem to have anything left to say, and only looked at her with concern. She nodded, tucked the dagger away in her boot and turned, so that at last she could leap happily towards the Weaver's house.

Azriel could feel himself trembling as his soul mate walked to her death. "I swear, if anything happens to her, even a scratch, I'll kill you," he threatened in a nasty voice.

Rhysand's heart missed beat after beat. "If anything happens to her, we'll let you.”

"Damn the ass she's got," Cassian admired with a big grin and twinkling eyes while avidly detailing his soul mate as she walked. He hadn't heard a word his two brothers had just tell. That said, he snapped out of his trance and lost his smile as he felt Azriel's murderous and Rhysand's jaded gaze. "What? We've never seen her in pants before, I profit."

They gave back their attention to Luxiana. From where they stood, between the thick forest trees and a little diagonally from the house, they could see the front door from the side. Their mate stopped in front of it. 

"Come on, open it, all. slow.ly," Azriel mumbled, articulating each syllable to encourage the blonde, as if she could hear him. 

But... Luxiana raised her foot, gaining momentum with her leg to crush her heel on the wood and smash the door, which opened with a wrenching sound, slamming even louder against the wall that held it. 

The three Illyrians gasped, their eyes widening as the sound continued to spread through the trees. "Fuck!" shouted Cassian. Their hearts missed a beat. They started to run towards her, but halfway there, the blonde turned back to them, grinning with all her teeth. "There's no one there," she assured them with a shrug. 

The three Illyrians froze in their tracks a few steps from the house. They couldn't see inside, but if the Weaver had been there, she would already have pounced on their soulmate. They couldn't believe it. The three males glanced at each other in confusion. 

"She's not here?" exclaimed Cassian in an almost high-pitched voice, bewilderment distorting his features entirely. 

Rhysand shook his head, frowning, but his irises were still fixed on the blonde, and his muscles tense, ready to react if Stryga threw himself at Luxiana by surprise. "It's not possible, she can't leave her house." He couldn't believe it.

Azriel's breathing was rapid and noisy. He couldn't breathe. "No, something's wrong. We're leaving!" He took a step forward.

Luxiana prevented him from advancing any further by raising her palm towards him, and against all odds, he stopped. "No, it's all right. And Rhysand can’t come closer. I'll be right back." She infiltrated the house. 

Azriel hiccupped almost silently as he saw her enter. He was about to chase after her, but Cassian held him back by the arm. "Wait, let's give her some time. If the Weaver isn't there, she's safe." 

"He's right," Rhysand added uncertainly. He shoved his trembling hands into his pockets without taking his eyes off the house. "If she were here, she wouldn't have allowed Luxiana into her house. I don't know how it's possible, but she's certainly not present." 

But the weaver was there. She was there. She was standing in her living room, a few steps away from her door. Facing Luxiana. She was far too far from the light of the entrance to be visible to the Illyrians. 

She was there. The goddess of death was there, facing Luxiana, but she wasn't moving. In fact, from the outside, you'd have thought she was completely paralyzed, but... her muscles were trembling, her precarious, almost non-existent breathing was shaking her chest spasmodically, and her eyes were widening a little more every second with fright. 

Luxiana moved slowly towards her, entering the chalet a little further, making her disappear from the Illyrians' view. But even if they saw her from behind, the three males wouldn't suspect a thing. They couldn't imagine that, from the front, Luxiana's face was cold, haughty, and cruel. They wouldn't even be able to imagine that their soul mate was heading straight to one of the most powerful faes, totally terrorizing her. 

The weaver was blind, but when she heard her door being kicked in, she got up from her chair and ran to tear the thief's bones out. Only, she was paralyzed in her step. She had completely frozen in fear. She'd smelled her. She'd smelled that scent she knew so well. The scent she couldn't forget. The scent of cruelty, suffering and death wrapped in a touch of vanilla. 

The fae said nothing. She didn't move. She knew it would only make it worse. She was terrified. Why was she there this time? Was she going to kill her?  Or was she going to do one of those much worse things she knew so well how to do?

Luxaina walked quietly through the house, circling Stryga with a wry smile as she detailed her up and down like an animal around its prey. Then, remembering that the three Illyrians were waiting for her outside and that she had no time to play, she refocused on observing all the objects around her. She even began to touch and move them with her fingertips, hoping to irritate Stryga a little. 

She glanced at her sideways, but her smirk faded. The weaver didn't move. Luxiana was disappointed and made a pout that matched her feelings. She would have liked at least a little challenge, a little action. But apparently, Stryga had learned from her mistakes from last time. Anyway, with the three Illyrians just a few steps away, there wasn't much she could do.

She regained her seriousness and hurried to analyze all the objects. She had to get out of here as quickly as possible before they showed up and wondered why the god of death was terrorized in the middle of her living room. She couldn't see herself explaining. 

After a quick but meticulous search, she grabbed the object that attracted her most, then headed for the exit to join the Illyrians, but as she passed by the Weaver, she stopped. 

The blonde suddenly stood in front of her and smiled mockingly at Stryga who -sensing the presence of cruelty incarnate before her - flinched. Luxiana moved a little closer to the livid face and lifeless eyes of the Weaver - who was forcing herself not to back down but was still trembling a little more - to stare at her with a hungry smile, tilting her head left and right. 

Luxiana held back a laugh. In the end, she preferred it when Stryga greeted her like this. With fear. She deviated her face to reach the Weaver's ear and be able to whisper to her as quietly as possible so that the three Illyrians outside wouldn't hear. "Good girl."

She ignored the brunette's umpteenth startle to turn cheerfully and hop out of the house. She closed the rickety door behind her, smiling a little wider as she heard her host's body fall to its knees in relief at her departure. 

Then, she made her way towards the three Illyrians, who took a step forward when they saw her exit. Cassian leaned forward to put his hands on his knees and try not to fall. Azriel trembled, but took a deep breath. Rhysand's heart stilled and his breathing calmed.

"I don't know why, but no one was there," she assured them again, shrugging her shoulders as she came up in front of them. She threw a look at Azriel. She wasn’t lying, after all, no one else was there. 

"I don't want to know," said Cassian, moving his eyes frantically in all directions, expecting to see the Weaver emerge from the vegetation to attack them. 

Azriel whirled around his mate, looking her up and down to make sure she wasn't hurt. "It's fishy, let's get out of here," he ordered Rhysand.

The lord's eyebrows were furrowed and he looked at Luxiana and the house with confusion. It wasn't normal, but the main thing was that Luxiana wasn't hurt. They had to leave before the Weaver became aware of their presence. Without further ado, he teleported them all into the living room of the Town house. 

"Told you it'd be easy," Luxiana smiled happily, putting her fists on her hips. Then she hiccupped as she remembered she still had Azriel's dagger. She leaned forward to grab it and hold it out to him. "Thank you so much, I didn't need it."

Rhysand was completely paralyzed by shock and although he was staring at Luxiana, he couldn't even really see her, too busy thinking about what had just happened. 

Cassian ran his hands through his hair, sighing for a very long few seconds. "What the hell was that?" he articulated disbelievingly.

Azriel reacted at last, savagely grabbing his dagger from his soulmate's hands. "Damn it, she didn't do anything we told her to do," he shouted, killing the blonde with his eyes. His face was red under the anger provoked by the memory of the fear he'd felt. "You're completely insane!"

Luxiana winced with agreement as she nodded vigorously. "Because you doubted it until now?"

Azriel shrieked as he swung his dagger into the sofa. He turned to clamp his hands violently over his face as his shoulders rose and fell rapidly with his breathing. He couldn't believe it. How could his soul mate be so reckless and unconscious? She was the most fragile person he'd ever met, yet the one who took the most risks. He was scared to death. He wanted to cry. How was he going to protect her?

"He's right about that one," Cassian exclaimed sternly, crossing his arms to glare at Luxiana. They couldn't hide her temples throbbing with anger. "What possessed you to break down the door?"

"If the weaver had been there...," Rhysand rumbled in his cold high lord voice, unable to stop his shiver of anguish at the prospect of what would have happened. "She would have killed you on the spot. It was unconscious, irreflexive and incredibly stupid."

Azriel turned abruptly toward his soulmate, but when he noticed Luxiana's smirk, her laughing air and her innocently tilted head, his anger redoubled as it exploded in his chest.  "This isn't a game, Luxiana! We're talking about your life! We told you to be fucking quiet!"

Luxiana rolled her eyes, sighing exaggeratedly. "At least twenty times, yes." 

The three males could hardly breathe because of the anger oppressing them. Rhysand was doing all he could to keep his cool and his mind of steel, but he sensed that Luxiana was going to wear him down. Cassian had to fight with himself not to go and shake his soul mate to set her straight. Azriel broke the distance between him and the blonde, almost sticking to her with a menacing air. "Don't roll your eyes when we're talking about your life and safety! It's important, dammit!" he spat dryly, his voice vibrating with hatred. But Luxiana didn't flinch, just looked down at him with a curious smile and expression. Azriel breathed to speak more calmly. There was no point in shouting at her anyway, but he felt so bad. "You promised me to be careful, aren't promises worth anything to you?" 

Luxiana chuckled a cute laugh as she flashed her dimples, "well, technically, I promised not to do anything inconsiderate or stupid, but believe it or not, my door-busting was quite considerate and thoughtful." She crossed her hands behind her back and smiled innocently.

The three Illyrians were speechless. Fear and anguish made them want to vomit, shake and fall. Their soul mate was completely mad and suicidal.

Azriel took a step backwards, shaking his head, unsure of what to do. Then he turned back to his two brothers, pointing at her. "I'm going to lock her in a windowless room and tie her to her bed so she doesn't escape and put herself in danger."

Rhysand forced himself to take deep breaths as he closed his eyes to regain his composure." The important thing is that nothing serious happened and she's fine." He nodded. That was what mattered.

Cassian ran his hands through his hair and over his face, cursing. He glanced back at his mate.  "At least tell me it wasn’t all for nothing and that you found the object we wanted."

"Yes, I found it!" she exclaimed happily, jumping up and down as if poised on springs.

The eyes of the three Illyrians, especially Rhysand, began to sparkle.

Then Luxiana put her hand between her breasts, where she had hidden the object, under her corset. She pulled it out to show them with a big smile. "Tada!" 

But the three Illyrians lost their expressions and Rhysand's gaze went fade. She had stolen a necklace. A steel chain with a wire holding some kind of small, sparkling violet stone dangling from it. It wasn't her mother's ring. Rhysand touched the stone with his fingertips, not quite believing it. 

Cassian closed his eyes and huffed, completely disgusted.

Azriel gritted his teeth as he turned his head. "All of that for this, I don't believe it."

Luxiana frowned, playing innocent. "What?" She slowly lowered the necklace with a startled look, "this isn't the object you wanted, is it?"

Rhysand looked at her for a moment before giving her a gentle smile to reassure her. She looked so worried and sorry. "Don't worry, it's nothing." 

Luxiana opened her mouth as she furrowed her brows, adopting a guilty face. "I'm sorry, I had no idea what to look for."

"Of course not, it's not your fault," Cassian tried gently to reassure her.

"It's mine," Rhysand resumed, lowering his eyes. "I should have told you what we were talking about, but... I'd thought..." He had thought that, since she was his soul mate, she would have known it was the ring she was supposed to steal. Anyway, it wasn't as if he needed any more proof that this woman was really meant for him, but he would have liked it. His mother would have wanted her to. "Anyway, it was stupid. Let's forget it."

Luxiana studied them for a moment with half-closed eyelids. They had given her no clues, no answers. 

Rhysand, disappointed, was about to turn and leave, but Luxiana retrieved the very first object she'd stolen from her corset and held it out under the noses of the three Illyrians. "I suppose this isn't it either, then?"

All three looked up at her before widening their eyes. 

Cassian let out an exclamation of surprise. "So you found it?" 

Luxiana was still staring at them with squinted eyes, searching for information in their expressions. "Looks like it."

Rhysand began to bubble with joy and hope and a host of other emotions that could be seen sparkling in his irises.

Azriel looked at her in amazement before smirking. "So you were playing us with that necklace?"

Luxiana returned his smile. "Looks like it," she repeated, shrugging her shoulders with an air that was half provocative and half innocent.

Azriel's smile widened and his eyes sparkled. Oh, she was his soul mate, for sure. 

Rhysand raised his hands to grab the ring, but Luxiana moved her arm away, placing it behind her, as far away from the lord as possible. 

Rhysand threw her a quizzical expression as he dropped his arms.

Luxiana shook her head sharply. "I'm not giving you this object until you explain how I knew this was what I had to steal." No matter how much Luxiana racked her brain, she couldn't understand why she'd been drawn to that ring and why as soon as she'd seen it she'd known it was the one to retrieve.

"We could take it from you by force," Cassian smirked with a twinkle of amusement in his pupils.

"No you couldn't," Luxiana replied haughtily, wrinkling her nose. "So?" she insisted for answers. 

Rhysand smiled confidently without difficulty. He was just so certain now. She had passed her mother's test. It didn't matter if the Weaver hadn't been there, maybe it had even been fate, that Stryga hadn't been there to stop Luxiana getting the ring back. She was his soul mate. She was his wife. "You just knew, that's all." 

Luxiana glowered at him. "That doesn't answer my question."

"It'll answer it one day, believe me," laughs Cassian with irises shining with mischief.

Luxiana squinted her eyes to stare at them one by one, trying to understand what they were referring to, then huffed in defeat. Well, for now. Because she was determined to get the answer to her question. "May I at least know why this object is so important to you?"

Rhysand's smile turned wistful and his gaze sad. "That was my mother's engagement ring."

"What?!" gasped Luxiana, dropping her arm limply against her and frowning. "But what was she doing at the Weaver's??" 

Rhysand burst out laughing tenderly. "My mother dropped it off by herself to... keep me out of mischief." He searched for words, he had to be vague. "She was afraid I'd rush off and marry someone who... who wouldn't live up to her expectations."

Luxiana first widened her eyes in realization before hiccupping in surprise and then alarm. "And you used me to get it back?!" She clapped Rhysand on the shoulder, making all three of them laugh.

"Yes," he admitted deadpan. "I was convinced you were the right person for the job, and I was right." He leaned forward to catch the ring in Luxiana's hand, but she took a few steps away with an offended expression. 

"Then no, certainly not," she refused, shaking her head curtly from left to right and glowering at Rhysand. "There's no way I'm going to be one of the reasons you marry a woman your mother didn't think was up to the job. I'm not going to let you disappoint your mother, I'm telling you. This ring, I'll keep it and you'll have to introduce me to anyone you want to marry, and I'll..." she searched for words, thinking. 

The Illyrians glanced at each other with laughter. Cassian held back as best he could to keep from laughing even harder at the irony of the situation. Azriel shook his head, looking tenderly at his soul mate. Rhysand raised a provocative eyebrow to encourage Luxiana to continue.

"You know what? I'd put them through tests!" she exclaimed suddenly as she got the idea. "They'd have to be up to it to marry you, believe me, I'd be a lot worse than your mother or the Weaver." She crossed her arms to glare at Rhysand. "Ah, that'll teach you not to use me again to cheat your mother's goals. I wouldn't let you do that, no."

Cassian burst out laughing, unable to hold it in any longer. He laughed so hard that he leaned forward. 

Azriel detailed her in the same way before turning to Rhysand. "Oh I'm sure your mother would have loved her." 

Rhysand nodded without taking his eyes off his soulmate. He leaned forward with a smirk but a seductive gleam in his pupils. "You can keep it, Luxiana, this ring is for you anyway." 

Luxiana's heart leapt into her throat. She swallowed hard, forcing herself not to back down. She bit her tongue to keep her cheeks from heating up, but it didn't work. Her whole face was probably completely red. "You bastard," she muttered through her teeth, making all three of them burst out laughing.

[icarusflewsworld]

Rhysand & Cassian & Azriel X OC

Hello, here is the chapter 18 of a fanfiction on the world of Acotar where our three favorite Batboys are the mates of a single woman.

I hope you enjoyed this reading too and that you discovered the little clues I left all along concerning Luxiana's true painful past.

Thank you for your readings and thank you for all your kind and funny comments, you are really too adorable. It makes my heart BOUM BOUM. I looooooove you! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

I also hope you have a great day and I wish you good luck for all the things you will have to go through. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

The next chapter will be Friday, December 20! They are going to take Luxiana to see the Weaver but Luxiana is going to destroy everything.

! Don't forget to read the previous chapters ! : Here

Enjoy the read ! ❤️❤️❤️

Chapter 18

Luxiana's eyes widened. "Oh well you know, my childhood has nothing to do with yours." A ball of anxiety compressed her stomach. She didn't want to tell them about it. She still felt so bad, so guilty. What would they think of her? She had to lie but her anxiety grew heavier as she remembered Azriel's presence at her side. Everything would be fine if she didn't lie. She just had to omit certain details.

"Were you happy?" Rhysand asked anxiously. He gave his brothers a doubtful look, who returned it, feeling the same way. He shoved his hands in his pockets to hide his clenched fists. He was so afraid she would tell him she wasn’t.

“I was probably the happiest little girl ever.” Luxiana exclaimed with a big smile. “Really!” she breathed, trying to focus only on the happy days, and not on the heartbreaking pit of sadness, death, and guilt that haunted her every second. “My parents were so in love. I swear. They loved each other with all their hearts. They always laughed together and never fought. They looked at each other with shining eyes and were always hugging each other.”

Rhysand, Cassian, and Azriel were able to take a deep breath as they looked at her with dreamy eyes, shining with hope and relief.

“My mother was the sweetest, most loving woman I’ve ever met. She was always taking care of my father and me,” she laughed softly as she remembered. “She was the one who fixed the furniture in the house, who did odd jobs, who went to chop firewood or who went hunting. She would insist on my father for her doing things that men usually had to do and she always won against him. She was really strong. So my days were spent either with my mother teaching me how to hunt, making me carry big logs and teaching me how to survive in the forest, or with my father cleaning, cooking, or any number of other things. And I loved every moment I had with them.”

Azriel's eyes were shining. She looked so happy as she talked about all this. "Was your father a good person?"

“He was the best. He treated me like a princess, really. He indulged my every whim. Sometimes I wanted to eat in the middle of the night so he would cook me a huge meal. When I was afraid of the dark or that there was a creature under my bed, he would sit against my closet with a knife in his hand and he would stay up all night so I could sleep peacefully. Every night, before I fell asleep, he would read me stories about the wonders of the world. He even built a small fireplace to put in my room and he would get up every two hours to feed it with wood. And he would always iron my sheets before I crawled into bed or he would wrap me under a mound of blankets,” Luxiana’s heart broke as it rose up into her throat but she didn’t let it show. She even put her trembling hands under her thighs to hide them.

The three Illyrians looked at her with big smiles as a weight they hadn't even realized they had lightened their hearts as it evaporated. She had had a happy childhood. "Were you still living with them before you came here?" Cassian asked.

"No... uh" Luxiana lowered her head for a moment, searching for words. "We lived in a remote corner of the forest, far from any form of life or civilization and my parents were so afraid that I would be hurt or meet a bad person who wanted to hurt me that they always prevented me from going with them to town or even seeing other people."

Cassian straightened. Rhysand frowned. Azriel lost his smile as he tensed. They didn’t like this. It wasn’t good to keep a child away from everything. It was like keeping her in prison.

“For years, I had never seen anyone but my parents. But my father often told me about the wonders of the outside world and that… that awakened in me a crazy desire to leave and go discover the world. And that's what I did.”

“You left?” Azriel asked for clarification, his breath hitching.

Luxiana nodded slowly with an expressionless face. “I was nine years old.”

“Nine years old??” they all exclaimed with wide eyes.

“Yeah, I was already completely crazy back then, I think. Only I would want to leave such a harmonious and happy home. I left a little note for my parents saying, ‘Hey, I’m leaving, kisses,’” she laughed falsely, hoping it would ease her heart. “I had never set foot in a city or met people before that.”

Rhysand saw the sadness she was trying to hide in her blank expression and it made him sad in turn. "Do you regret it?"

She nodded. "Yes, I miss them. But I'm sure that one day I'll see them again." She shook her head to regain that expression of confidence that protected her when she wasn't okay. "And the worst part of all this is that I stopped at the first town I visited to stay because I met Feyre there. She seemed so in need of help that I taught her everything I knew about the forest, about how to hunt or skin an animal. Everything my mother had taught me, I passed on to her. Then I understood that to survive and especially to travel, you needed money, so I tried to find a job while waiting to have the means to leave and while waiting to finish learning everything I had to teach to Feyre. But I was just a little girl in an adult world."

“You must have been terrified,” Mor observed in horror.

"Not really," Luxiana laughed. She gritted her teeth imperceptibly. She hadn't been afraid, because she had nothing left to lose. "I just went into the first bar I found and demanded the boss to take me on as an employee for any job he had to offer me. And that's where I met Keydan."

“Your boss,” Azriel said with a frown, hoping she would confirm it again.

"He became a little more than that over time. He took care of me, protected me and raised me. He taught me a lot of things that my parents could never have taught me and thanks to him, I felt at home again somewhere. Then another one came to join our gang, Josher, he's my best friend. And when I was old enough, Keydan pushed me to go see the world but I never wanted to. Well, until three years ago when I finally decided to go."

“All alone?” Mor asked in a mixture of surprise and admiration. “That must have been horrible. Terrible things could have happened to you.”

The three Illyrians glanced at the cousin. She was right and they didn't like it.

Luxiana laughed, shaking her head negatively. "I'm pretty resourceful and then I left my parents' house for that reason. I left them for that so, it had to be worth it. And then, I'm not really afraid of much, you know."

Azriel raised an eyebrow as he nodded with a bored look. "We noticed that."

"I've been all over the world, met loads of amazing people, but there was always something missing. I was always missing Feyre, Keydan, and Josher. So after seeing everything, I came back, but..."

She looked down and lost her smile. “It was too late, Feyre had been taken by Tamlin. And the rest, you know.”

The three Illyrians had healed hearts. They felt like they were floating because they were so relieved. Their soul mate had a happy life. Of course, she missed her parents but no one had ever hurt her. They sighed. Their soul mate was happy, alive and sunny, it was certain that she had never known misfortune but hearing it from her mouth reassured them so much.

That said, realizing this, a hint of anxiety rose in Rhysand. She had never known danger and he had just brought her closer to where the danger was stronger than anywhere else. He had just brought her closer to him.

Azriel slid his hand -which had been on Luxiana's neck the whole time- to pass it over the back of her skull, taking his fingers into her braid. He smiled as he saw her shiver under his touch. Then he stared at her with a determined look. The only dark spot in her story was her parents. She missed them so Azriel promised himself to find them and bring them back to her so that she would be reassured and happy.

Cassian couldn't help but take a deep breath. His soulmate had never known pain, suffering, or loneliness and he was going to do everything he could to keep it that way. He was going to protect her until his last breath.

“By the way,” Mor began, suddenly curious. “How old are you?”

"I'm twenty-three," Luxiana answered simply, still fighting against herself to not let her bad memories resurface in her mind.

“You’re twenty-three?” Mor exclaimed in shock, slamming her palms down on the table. She looked at Rhysand, “ she’s a baby !!”

“Don’t say it like that,” Rhys scolded, giving her a disapproving look. Cassian laughed, but Azriel let out a sound that looked like a growl.

Luxiana smiled but frowned for a second as she looked at them all one by one without really understanding. "Why? How old are you?"

"I'm 536 years old," Rhysand said.

Luxiana turned to face him with wide eyes. She knew they were old but not that old.

“I have 537, young lady,” Cassian added next.

“What?” she gasped in shock, turning to Cassian.

“538,” Azriel muttered under his breath.

“WHAT???” Luxiana yelled, her gaze swinging wildly between the three of them. “Guys you’re super old !!”

“We’re not old!” Cassian said, his voice almost shrill. “That’s still very young for fae.”

Luxiana burst out laughing, pointing at them. "No, no, you're grandpas."

Mor was literally dying of laughter despite the dissuasive look Rhys was giving her. Then the lord gave Luxiana a weary face. "Please don't think we're grandpas," Rhys almost begged. He certainly didn't want to lose his soulmate because she thought they were too old.

Luxiana calmed down slowly, gradually stopping laughing. "Don't worry, I'm joking. You don't have any wrinkles or white hair yet, anyway." Then she narrowed her eyes at Cassian in front of her, pretending to notice something. "Well... if that's a wrinkle I see at the corner of your eyes there."

Cassian stood up from his chair, offended to the core of his ego. "What? Not at all!"

Luxiana burst out laughing. And the others followed her.

Cassian strode toward his soulmate. He rounded the table, unable to hold back his broad smile. "I'll show you if I'm an old man." He walked behind Rhysand to approach Luxiana, who was still laughing heartily.

When she saw him coming, and although she was still laughing, she began to wave her hands in all directions to shout softly, "no, no, wait!" But Cassian did not stop. He arrived at her side and wanted to lean towards her but Luxiana fled to the only place where she could. Where Cassian could not intercept her. On Azriel's legs. She leaned on his thighs with both forearms to throw herself head first between his torso and the table. Her chest landed on the legs of the master spy who froze.

Azriel's eyes were wide. He threw his hands up in the air, unsure of what to do. His heart began to pound in all directions in his chest.

Cassian and Rhysand looked at each other in surprise and then back at their soulmate. They both froze for a second when they saw Luxiana's position forcing her to put her ass on full display, almost revealed by her dress. Rhysand's eyes widened before starting to laugh again , placing his hand on his face.

Cassian couldn't laugh because of all the dirty images that were flashing through his mind at the sight of his soulmate's position. She seemed to have a perfect shape. Cassian was already imagining the day he could grab her hips to pleasure her.

Luxiana began to crawl away, trying to escape. She managed to touch the ground with her hands to hold on and move forward, rubbing her stomach even more on Azriel's thighs.

The spymaster was dying. At least, that was the impression he gave, as he had become so white. He looked up at the ceiling, taking a deep breath to try and calm the erection that was swelling in his pants.

Cassian pulled himself together, shaking his head. There was no way he wasn't going to take advantage of his soulmate like Azriel was doing now. He wanted her on his lap too. He grabbed her ankle before she could completely escape. Luxiana screamed in surprise when Cassian tried to pull her back. But Azriel slapped his brother's hand violently, forcing him to let go.

The shadowsinger was certainly not going to let him steal her. His soulmate had chosen to throw herself at him for protection and he intended to defend her. "Hands off," he growled.

Cassian moved his hand away in mock surprise. He knew his brother would react like that because he would have reacted the same way.

Luxiana snapped her upside down head at Azriel after his words. "That was downright sexy," she breathed with eyes shining with admiration as she looked at the fae beneath her pelvis.

Azriel closed his eyes, exhaling wearily, but his heart was pounding in his chest like crazy. She had found what he had done sexy. He wanted to smile. He threw a sideways glance at his brother. "Go away!" Then he grabbed Luxiana by the hips to lift her up and sit her back down on her chair before she felt his erection against her stomach.

Cassian went back to sit down but he stared at his soulmate with narrowed eyes, falsely vexed. He pointed his index and middle fingers at his eyes then at Luxiana's. "We'll resume this discussion." He tried to look threatening but he smiled which, inevitably, caused everyone to laugh.

After all those hours of talking and telling their stories, dinner time had finally arrived. And the three Illyrians couldn't help but look affectionately at their soulmate who had jumped in surprise when she saw the food appear in front of them. And when Rhysand had explained to her that the house was magical and that she only had to think of a dish for it to appear in front of her, Luxiana had gotten up to throw herself, arms and legs spread, on one of the walls of the room to give the house a hug.

"You're a good house. You're my favorite house. I love you so much, you know." She whispered to the house, caressing its cheek on the wall.

The three Illyrians felt like they were hallucinating but Mor's ungainly laughter brought them back to reality. Azriel jumped out of his chair to run towards Luxiana as she slowly slid off the wall to land on the ground. He grabbed her by the stomach, wrapping one of his arms around her to pull her away before she crashed but when he pulled her away from the wall, the house began to shake.

A silence fell as everyone stared at the ceiling in a mixture of shock and fear. "I think the house likes her too," Cassian laughed.

��Put it back on the wall,” Mor insisted, afraid the ceiling would fall on his head.

Azriel growled but didn't give in to Mor's request. He hadn't even heard it anyway, his ears were tickling from Luxiana's laughter. He put his soulmate back on the chair next to his.

Then they were able to eat happily, talking about everything and nothing in a good mood. The three Illyrians felt good. They had taken another step forward in their relationship with their soul mate. She now knew everything about them and they knew everything about her. Well, at least, that was what they thought.

“Would you like to visit the city?” Rhysand asked after the meal.

Luxiana turned a wide-open gaze towards him, so bright that it almost dazzled Rhysand.

Azriel smiled seeing her over react as always. "We could go buy some ice cream, do you like ice cream?" he asked, grabbing a strand of her hair that was hanging over her face. He stroked it with his fingertips for a second, savoring the silky texture, then he put it behind her ear.

Luxiana then turned abruptly towards Azriel with even brighter eyes - like two little suns - then she began to nod vigorously.

Cassian burst out laughing. "She likes ice cream apparently."

Rhysand stood up, his eyes sparkling and his chest vibrating with emotion and eager. He held out his hand to her. "Let's go then."

Luxiana grabbed it without arguing to jump to her feet and follow Rhysand with Cassian and Azriel joining them.

“Have fun!” Mor called affectionately before they left the room.

Luxiana turned back to her and Amren with a surprised face. "You're not coming?" She wanted to stop but Rhysand tangled his fingers with hers to continue pulling her.

Mor laughed as he glanced at Amren who was raising his glass of wine. “Oh no, we’d be too many. Next time, though, with pleasure!”

Rhysand led her out onto a large balcony. The cool air swept through Luxiana's hair, making her fur tingle and sending a waft of her vanilla scent into the nostrils of the three Illyrians who could have melted. As they neared the edge, Luxiana's eyes widened and she gasped in surprise when she noticed Velaris lying below. She wrenched herself, reluctantly, from Rhysand's grasp, and ran toward the barrier.

Azriel, who was still studying her with bright eyes, suddenly panicked when he saw her rushing towards the edge of the balcony. He raised his hands towards her, chasing her to try to catch up with her, but he froze when he saw her leaning on the barricade without going over it. He suddenly stopped, blowing out a breath. He put his hand on his heart, trying to calm his frantic beating under Cassian's laugh but understanding gaze from Rhysand. Since they had seen her run away from his room to climb a mountain without protection, they had understood that their soul mate was completely crazy and that they had to expect anything from her. Especially the stupidest things that would put her life in danger, like jumping over the balcony barrier.

“This city is beautiful!” she exclaimed, leaping up and down, her pupils reflecting the city lights.

Rhysand let out a small laugh. The dreamy look his soulmate currently had filled his heart with contentment. It had been worth it to do everything to protect this place if Luxiana loved it. He grabbed her chin with his fingers to make her look up to the sky.

The starry sky above them was wonderful, almost unreal. It took Luxiana’s breath away. She began to spin around to observe every corner, but when her eyes fell on a high mountain where on top were three stars that shone brighter than the others, she froze, frowning.

Azriel, Cassian, and Rhysand, who were eyeing her up, noticed her discomfort. "Is something wrong?" Azriel asked, casting a concerned look at Rhysand.

"No, no," their soulmate breathed, though a little lost. "It's just this mountain... and this sky... I feel like I've seen them before in a dream."

The three Ilyrians looked at each other with understanding and complicity. She had seen that in one of her dreams because she was linked to them and one of them must have unconsciously sent her that image one day through their link.

“Whatever,” Luxiana said, shaking her head. “Shall we go?”

Rhysand nodded and then smiled cockily with a mischievous glint in his eyes. “We have to fly. Which one of us three do you want to ride?”

A kind of anxiety arose in the pit of the stomachs of the three males, which they hid very well. All three of them wanted to be chosen.

Luxiana raised an eyebrow, surprised at first by the lord's turn of phrase. Then she smirked as she stared at Rhysand and the other two with a seductive expression. Of course, she began to blush but the low light reassured her that the three males couldn't see it. "Oh," she breathed, pouting in exaggerated disappointment. "You mean I can't ride all three of you? You're destroying my dreams."

Azriel looked at her tiredly, shaking his head from left to right, but he couldn't help but smile. His fingers burned, he wanted to touch her. Rhysand returned her seductive expression to his soulmate, but each of his muscles vibrated with excitement and desire. Cassian burst out laughing, leaning his head back , but his heart was pounding in his chest and his lower stomach was pulsing. "I'm sure we can find a solution , if you want."

Luxiana snorted, rolling her eyes. "No but seriously, I can't choose between the three of you!"

They were so reassured by her words that they almost had a hard time hiding it as they calmed down immediately, but Luxiana continued with a mischievous look. "Finally," she said, pointing at Cassian. "It's too dangerous to ride with him. He's too old, he could get a cramp in his wings and kill us both."

Cassian lost all trace of humor on his face to open his mouth wide, offended. Rhysand and Azriel burst out laughing. "I'm not even the oldest of the three!" Cassian defended himself before recovering and closing the distance between Luxiana and him in the blink of an eye. "Oh you'll see if I'm an old man."

"No, no, I was joking, wait," Luxiana laughed uncontrollably. She placed her palms flat on Cassian's chest to keep him at a distance, but he still got close enough to grab her hips firmly, pin her to his chest, and flew away.

Luxiana screamed in surprise, clinging to Cassian's shoulders and wrapping her legs around his pelvis as he flew into the air at full speed. The other two watched in hilarity as Cassian flew around the city with astonishing speed while their soulmate clung to him, screaming the whole time.

The commander of the armies, after a few seconds, and not wanting to scare his soul mate too much, decided to land in a street of the city. Azriel and Rhysand joined them immediately after.

Cassian had released his soulmate but she was still clinging to him like a mussel to its rock. She had her head in his neck and was breathing fast. Very fast, even giving the impression of having a physically tight throat. Cassian could hear, from where he was, his soulmate's heart beating madly in his chest. And he smiled with all his teeth as he realized that he could only hear one beat for both of them. Their hearts were beating in unison but surely not for the same reason.

"Cass, you're annoying," Rhysand stopped laughing as he saw Luxiana's distress and glared at his brother. He grabbed Luxiana by the hips to pull her away from Cassian and set her feet on the ground.

Cassian leaned towards her with a smirk. “So I’m still a grandpa now?”

Luxiana was all disheveled , her gaze wide open on the floor. She was still gasping for air but she shook her head vigorously from side to side, making Cassian laugh.

Azriel smirked. She was so cute. He ran his palm over the top of his soulmate’s head, smoothing her wild locks back onto her head. “Are you okay?”

Luxiana blinked back to her senses and began to smile with all her teeth as she jumped out off joy. Then against all odds, she began to nod vigorously this time. "That was incredible!" she yelled as she moved closer to Cassian. "Again! And faster this time!"

The three males flinched in surprise, but the Illyrian with the red siphons' eyes began to sparkle. He was going to grab her and lift her up, but Azriel pulled Luxiana by the arm, a little jealous that she was asking Cassian for another ride. He led her toward the city. "Later."

"Oh no," Luxiana said suddenly sad but when she turned to follow Azriel, in spite of herself, and saw the streets of Velaris bustling, crowded with people and where the shops were still open despite the late hour, her expression changed. She gasped in surprise, widening her shining eyes. She jumped for joy, moving her eyes in all directions to look at everything. She started to run towards the nearest shop to see what it was selling, but Azriel's hand held her back, preventing her from going more than two arm's lengths away. Luxiana didn't even try to find out what was stopping her or to make the Illyrian let go, when she saw another shop open at the opposite. She then changed direction to go there but was just as held back.

"Let her go," Cassian laughed as he followed them and tried to calm his anger and disappointment at the fact that Azriel had stopped him from flying with his soulmate again.

“No,” Azriel growled, intertwining his fingers with the blonde’s, “there are too many people, we’re going to lose her.”

"Wait, Luxiana, if you keep shooting, you'll tear my spymaster's arm off," Rhysand remarked with a tender smile as he joined his brothers and put his hands in his pockets. "We'll show you everything around anyway, don't worry."

And they visited everything. Absolutely everything. Luxiana took them to every shop in spite of themselves and she spoke with everyone she met, complimenting them, saying hello or even - for the shopkeepers - congratulating their work or asking them questions.

Azriel had to interrupt some of her discussions - all of them, in fact - when people in front of his soulmate smiled at her a little too much, looked at her a little too closely, or when she took on her attentive expression when she listened to their explanations. He had to pulled her away each time and she was so excited that Luxiana had never said anything about it.

On the other hand, she had never stopped talking to the three Illyrians behind her about what she saw. Cassian took great pleasure in showing her other things and even ran around with her while being just as excited. Except that it wasn't for the same reasons. Rhysand answered her questions by smiling so much that his cheeks were starting to cramp. He wasn't used to it anymore. And Azriel didn't even look where he was going, his bright eyes permanently fixed on Luxiana who was dragging him everywhere.

They eventually stopped at an ice cream stand as Luxiana and Cassian squealed in joy like children as they jumped.

Azriel let go of his soulmate's hand to place his palms on her shoulders and make her stop moving. "What's your favorite perfume?"

"Vanilla! Of course!" she replied, pulling away to turn around and stick her head against the window in front of the ice creams. Cassian joined her to do the same. Rhysand laughed, placing his hand on his forehead. "And you?" she asked, turning back to Azriel. "No wait! Let me guess. Hmmm... raspberry!" she exclaimed. "Am I right?"

Azriel smiled, "I guess we'll find out soon enough. One raspberry and one vanilla," he demanded of the seller. He may be deathly allergic to raspberry that he'd be enjoying this ice cream anyway, and maybe he'll like it after all.

“Guess for me too,” Cassian asked, jumping to Luxiana’s side.

Luxiana turned fully towards him to cross her arms and look at him with narrowed eyes. "You're caramel flavored, that's for sure."

Cassian raised an eyebrow in surprise. “How do you know?”

Luxiana grimaced exaggeratedly in surprise, not suspecting for a second that she was going to be right. She laughed before turning to Rhysand. Then she got serious again. "Oh no," she leaned back to bring her face closer to Cassian's behind her and whispered, "don't tell me he's a chocolate mint." Cassian pursed his lips to keep from laughing under Rhysand's dark gaze.

“He is a chocolate mint,” Cassian agreed in the same tone. Then he and Luxiana began to eye Rhysand with judgmental expressions, both nodding their heads from side to side. “He’s so weird.”

Luxiana nodded. She glanced at Cassian who glanced back and unable to hold back any longer, seeing each other trying not to laugh, they exploded. They stared at each other, leaning forwards while laughing.

Cassian calmed down slowly while detailing his soulmate. His heart slammed fiercely against his chest, even asking to go out. He felt, for once in his life, considered, really noticed. By Luxiana, what's more ? He loved the complicity he had with her. He loved that she didn't take herself too seriously. He loved that she was so alive and that she enjoyed every moment. And despite himself, he loved it when she teased him. This woman was his soulmate but what he felt for her at this precise moment had nothing to do with that. The butterflies that tickled his entire body were only there because he had made her laugh, because this woman in front of him was beautiful and because he had felt so good all day in her presence. Of course, Luxiana was important from the beginning. As soon as he knew she was his soulmate but from now on she was important for something else. He could never do without her now.

Cassian and Azriel finally got the four ice creams and Rhysand paid. Seeing him, Luxiana threw herself at him to wrap her arms around his for a second before gathering her courage. She delicately grabbed Rhysand's chin with her thumb and index finger to hold his head in place. Rhysand froze, wondering what she was doing as she stood on tiptoe to give him a kiss on the cheek, almost at the corners of his lips. "Thank you," she whispered to him as she moved away to wrap her arm around Rhysand's.

The Illyrian's eyelids widened as he felt his soulmate's lips land on his cheek while electrocuting his entire face. He began to smile with all his teeth as he looked down at Luxiana who was staring at him with pupils shining with a sort of admiration. "It's just an ice cream," he breathed, laughing, "I'm rich, I remind you."

Luxiana looked away with a smile. “Thanks for the ice cream too, but I wasn’t thanking you for that originally.”

Rhysand frowned as he tilted his head, silently urging her to elaborate as he turned fully towards her.

Luxiana let go to stand in front of him, giving a serious and intense gaze in the lord's. "Thank you for this city. Thank you for protecting it. It may not mean much to you, but I spent one of the best evenings of my life, here, with you. Truly."

Rhysand's face relaxed in realization. His heart skipped a beat. His soulmate had had one of the best nights of her life thanks to him. It made him so happy. He was so happy. He brought his hand up to Luxiana's cheek and held on tight. "You have no idea how much what you just said means to me. You really have no idea how good it feels to hear you say that, especially coming from you." Surprisingly, he was able to take a deep breath, feeling lighter than ever. Everything he had been through felt more worth it with every second he passed with Luxiana. His heart pounded against his burning ribs and electricity felt like it was coursing through his body nonstop as he took in the pretty blonde in front of him. Rhysand felt so lucky. What then awoke in his breast was something even stronger than affection.

Luxiana felt her cheeks heated so much that it burned her. She smiled in the hope that she had managed to calm Rhysand's bad thoughts a little. She pointed with her head at the ice creams in the hands of the two Illyrians at their sides. "Let's eat before it melts." She let go of Rhysand to grab her ice cream from Azriel's hands.

Rhysand clapped Cassian on the shoulder as he grabbed his ice cream.

Luxiana began to lick her ice cream happily as she started running around again and then she arrived at the edge of a river. She rushed towards it, clinging to the iron barriers that separated her from the water, very quickly joined by the three Illyrians. She turned towards them. Cassian was in front of her, Rhysand on her right and Azriel on her left. "This city is magnificent!" she exclaimed again, amazed. She leaned on the barrier with her free hand to lift herself up and put her buttocks on the metal, wanting to sit down to enjoy her ice cream in peace. But inevitably, she lost her balance and capsized backwards. She was going to catch herself by doing a clever movement but Azriel reacted before her.

Before he could even widen his eyes and drop his ice cream, his body - which had been tense since he had seen his soulmate get a little too close to the barrier and the river - reacted almost automatically to catch her with one hand by her arm and stabilize her. Azriel's heart exploded in his chest in fear before calming down when he saw that she was okay. "Be careful," he ordered her, giving her a stern look, but his expression melted into tenderness when he laid his eyes on Luxiana's face.

When she almost fell, she tried to catch herself but her ice cream hit her face. So she had vanilla all over her nose. She closed her eyes, cursing herself for being so stupid and trying to hide her blush of shame. "Sorry," she laughed, lowering her head to hide herself.

Cassian and Rhysand openly mocked her, laughing heartily, but Azriel could only laugh softly, he was far too absorbed in the cuteness of his soulmate. His heart was beating so hard in his chest that it warmed his entire body in a way he wasn't used to. He was so eager to spend more time with her. So eager to be able to hold her in his arms. So eager to possess her. He had never wanted anyone as much as he wanted her. Never. And it wasn't just because she was his soulmate, but because what she awakened in him made him feel alive, and vibrant. She brought such light to him. His smile slowly faded to seriousness. He brought his hand to Luxiana's face to gently rub the cream on her nose with his thumb. "It's nothing," he answered her. "I'll always be there to catch you, anyway." 

Luxiana had to swallow hard at his words, feeling tickled all over. She blinked several times quickly before smiling and shaking her head. Then she went back to talking about everything and nothing with the three Illyrians. And this, until they put her back in her room.

And when Cassian, Rhysand, and Azriel laid their heads on their pillows, they were smiling with all their teeth, their hearts still beating wildly in their chests. They weren't going to be able to sleep. They were way too excited, happy, and turned upside down by all the things they felt for Luxiana. They loved it. Everything she made them feel. But despite that, they still wanted more.

Luxiana flopped down on her bed, her eyes blank and her tired face staring at the ceiling. Everything she had said about herself today had brought back her memories, her guilt, her pain. She was so tired. So tired. She brought her hand to her shoulder, trying to massage her back. Ever since she had remembered, it had hurt. So much. Her entire back was burning and the mattress she was lying on only made it worse. So she leaned on it a little more, hurting herself even more to punish her for what she had done. She felt so guilty.

But despite that, tonight, with these three Illyrians, she had spent an excellent evening. And she had forgotten all the wrong things about her. She had been able to breathe a little thanks to them. And it was bad. So bad, especially since they only saw her as a service to be performed. But she intended to take advantage of the good they were doing to her.

[icarusflewsworld]

Rhysand & Cassian & Azriel X OC

Hello, here is the chapter 17 of a fanfiction on the world of Acotar where our three favorite Batboys are the mates of a single woman.

Finally, I'm posting two chapters today because what I originally wrote was too long, (11000 words which is an average of 40 minutes of reading) so I divided it into two. So there is a chapter after this one!

! Don't forget to read the previous chapters ! : Here

Enjoy reading!! ❤️

Chapter 17

They had ended up sitting around the large table in the dining room. Cassian had sat facing Luxiana, Azriel was to her left and Rhysand to her right, at the head of the table. Mor was next to Cassian and Amren was facing Rhysand.

The two blondes had been talking together for several minutes now. They hadn't stopped for a second, chatting about everything happily. So much that the three Illyrians hadn't been able to interrupt them for a single moment.

Mor loved Luxiana. She was full of life and so cute that she understood why her three best friends were obsessed with her from the beginning. Even if she hadn't been their soulmate, she would have understood that the three Illyrians liked her.

Amren had been staring at Luxiana nonstop since the beginning. Between sips, she swirled her wine glass in her hand. Outwardly, Amren looked calm and relaxed but her muscles were tense. She felt threatened. And although the blonde knew she was being spied on, she had only thrown Amren a small haughty smile, not even a little intimidated by the brunette's intense gaze. Amren couldn't help it. Something about this woman intrigued her to the highest degree. She had the impression that Luxiana could kill them all but at the same time, she gave that impression to be so fragile that she could just fall and break her neck. The brunette didn't know on which foot to dance on. It was strange.

Luxiana was in turmoil. She loved meeting new people especially when those people were women as powerful as Mor and Amren. She was a big fan. She gave Rhysand, Cassian and Azriel a tender look. They weren't like all the other Illyrians. They had surrounded themselves with warrior women and they seemed to regard them with respect. Of course, they seemed to regard Luxiana as weak and fragile but she could see that it wasn't mean.

Cassian had eyes only for Luxiana. He had rested his elbows on the table and cupped his face to look tenderly at his soulmate. She talked a lot, making a lot of expressions, making big gestures and laughing and Cassian liked every single thing she did. He just couldn't stop looking at her. He felt so good. Luxiana had just asked Mor how she had become a true warrior and she was listening to Rhys' cousin tell her story with a tilted head and an attentive face that reacted to each of Morrigan's words. Her expression was so cute that Cassian melted in his chair. He memorized his soulmate's face so much in his mind that unconsciously, he sent this memory to his brothers via their bonds.

Azriel listened intently to the exchange between Rhys' cousin and his soulmate but he only looked at Mor with suspicious narrowed eyes. She must not flirt with his mate. Was she even attracted to women? Damn, wouldn't he have noticed in those five hundred years if she didn't like men? Suddenly, he saw the image Cassian sent him. His breath caught in his throat. He turned his head towards his soulmate to see her make the same expression again. His heart skipped a beat. "I swear to you, there is no fucking way she would make that face anywhere but here and with anyone but us, is that clear?" he spat through their link.

Rhysand had a smile from ear to ear. He was leaning back on his chair and looking at the table in front of him with a swollen heart and bright eyes. He felt like he was fulfilled. He took a deep breath. His family. They were all there. And now that Luxiana was with them, he finally felt like he was missing nothing. Seeing in his mind what Cassian was showing him, he stared at Luxiana with a tender look. He looked her up and down without being able to stop, happily observing every perfect millimeter of his soulmate's skin. Then, at Azriel's possessive words, he held back a laugh by pursing his lips. He noticed out of the corner of his eye Cassian nodding discreetly to answer his brother but he said nothing. He would never have been able to prevent his soulmate from making any expression just out of jealousy. But, he was glad to know that Azriel wouldn't let his soulmate be so cute in front of someone else. It even suited him a little.

Mor explained what had happened to her. That her parents had wanted to force her to marry the son of the High Lord of the Autumn Court but that she had managed to have it annulled. She had not given Luxiana more details on how she had stopped it but the look she had given Cassian and the disapproving one he had returned by nodding his head from left to right to dissuade her from saying something, had explained it to Luxiana for them.

Luxiana's face had gradually faded, making her lose all trace of joy, forcing the three Illyrians -who noticed it with concern and disappointment- to understand what was happening by concentrating on what was said. Then Mor recounted that her parents had left her at the border of the Autumn Court with a note nailed to his stomach. Luxiana put her hand over her mouth to try to hide her fright while empathy and pure sadness sparkled in her eyes.

Cassian clenched his fists at the memories that stirred a mixture of anger, injustice, and guilt within him, "And when that bastard Eris found her, he didn't help her. He left her there, for dead in the middle of nowhere." Mor looked down and Rhysand and Azriel had their jaw muscles throbbing in their cheeks, signs of their clenched teeth.

But Luxiana's face changed completely. The horror and sadness left her to give way to confusion. She frowned as she blinked several times. "Eris did..." Everyone turned their gaze to her, she then stopped herself as she realized her familiarity. She shook her head to correct herself. "Um, the son of the Lord of the Autumn Court did that?"

Rhysand narrowed his eyes as he glanced at Azriel and Cassian. She had spoken of Eris as if she knew him. But there was no way that was the case. So why was she surprised by his cruelty? “Does that surprise you?”

Luxiana refrained from grimacing or reacting. "A little, because unlike you, I had never heard a bad rumor about him. On the contrary, in fact, he has a rather good reputation," she explained, sinking into a lie. Well, now she knew that Azriel could detect when people weren't telling the truth, so she convinced herself that she wasn't lying but more that she was only telling part of what she knew. "So, I thought that given how adorable you three are, he must be even more so."

The three Illyrians relaxed, confusion slipping from their expressions. Rhys smirked, “So you think we’re adorable?”

Luxiana gave him a half-open, tired look. Of all she had said, he had only remembered that. She rolled her eyes, smiling in spite of herself, proud to see that none of them had been able to detect that she was not telling everything. Then she turned back to Mor to resume the discussion, "How did you manage to get out of it after being left there?"

Mor smiled sadly as she turned a nostalgic look towards the Illyrian with the blue siphons who didn't even see her, too absorbed in observing Luxiana. The white-haired blonde intercepted the expression of Rhys' cousin, so she began to go back and forth between Azriel and Mor with her pupils. She understood that something had happened between the two of them too. "Azriel found me," Morrigan explained, "and since then, I've been living alongside Rhys."

Luxiana raised her eyebrows. She knew the Illyrian was a good spy and was therefore able to find anyone anywhere, but she also knew that the defenses of the Court of Autumn were nearly impenetrable. Suddenly, she realized. She had to suppress a smile of relief or even react at all. Eris must have weakened her court's protection spells to allow Azriel to find Morrigan. She knew he wasn't evil. Not her Eris. "I'm so sorry," Luxiana finally breathed.

Everyone stared at her intensely. Morrigan frowned. "Why would you be?" she asked, confused.

Luxiana leaned against her backrest. She pulled her knees up to press them against her chest and she put her feet on her seat, wrapping her arms around her calves. "What happened to you is awful. You seem like a good person Mor, you didn't deserve to go through this. But I'm sorry for something else. I'm sorry in advance for what I'm going to do to your parents to get you a revenge. Because believe me I'm going to find them and I'm going to break their bones."

Mor smiled softly as she lowered her head, blushing. It had been a long time since she had blushed, actually. She looked back at Luxiana tenderly, silently thanking her for her kind words.

The three Illyrians detailed their soulmate, smiling for Cassian, nodding from left to right with a disapproving look for Azriel and rolling their eyes for Rhysand. They thought she was cute to hear that she believed she was capable of avenging Mor but they were a little worried. Luxiana seemed really saddened for Rhys' cousin, as if what she had told was the most horrible and cruel thing Luxiana had ever heard. It worried them a little because they had just plunged her into a world where she would be surrounded by suffering permanently from now on, but at the same time, it relieved them. Their soulmate must have never lived or heard terrible stories. She must have been happy all her life and no one had ever hurt her. The hearts of the three Illyrians slowly lightened.

Then Luxiana cleared her throat as her electric blue irises flickered between the three males. "What about you?" She asked, suddenly curious. "How did you meet? Although all three of you are very hot, you're not biological brothers, right?"

Cassian burst out laughing because of the explosion of happiness that was bubbling in his chest. He wanted to jump around screaming because he was so happy to know that she found all three of them sexy.

Azriel smirked, a little proud. Their soulmate was intelligent and perceptive.

Rhysand looked at her tenderly, but a glint of haughty ego floated in his pupils. "It's a long story."

Luxiana dropped her feet to the ground to raise an eyebrow at Rhys and lean towards him. “Well, do we have something to do? I don’t think. So I’m listening.”

Azriel lost his smile to grimace for a second. "It's not a very pretty story to hear." He had seen how his soulmate had reacted to what had happened to Mor, how he had seen her heart break on her face or how empathetic she seemed. She seemed to take on the misfortunes of others when they weren't hers. And he didn't want his soulmate to feel sad, not for them. He wanted to make her happy.

Luxiana turned to Azriel, pouting imploringly like a child. She pushed her lower lip out a little more, looking at him intensely with ultra-dilated and bright pupils while blinking exaggeratedly.

Azriel's heart felt like it was melting in his chest at the sight of this cuteness. "I'm saying this for you." He sighed in resignation but swallowed hard despite himself. How did she manage to be even more adorable each time?

“But I want to know everything about you! Absolutely everything! From the day you were born until now,” she insisted, her eyebrows furrowed in determination. “I want to know who you really are.”

Cassian, Rhysand, and Azriel couldn't resist anymore. They wanted her to really know who they were, based on what they had experienced and not what she had heard about them because of the bad rumors. Azriel nodded, "fine but I would have warned you."

Amren frowned indignantly as she let out a strange sound. She slammed her fist on the table, “Are you really going to tell her everything? We don’t know if we can trust her.”

"Amren," Rhys growled with a stern look at her, forbidding her to continue.

Amren protested curtly, "Don't forget that her best friend is our enemy's wife. And if only that were all." The brunette began to look Luxiana up and down with an even more suspicious look. "She's..."

“I won’t say anything,” Luxiana interrupted before Amren could say too much. Then she turned her attention back to Rhys. “I won’t say anything, I promise. I just want to know everything about you so I can trust you. But I won’t say anything, not even to Feyre.” Suddenly, she had an idea. Her face was sincere and determined as she abruptly extended her pinky finger toward Rhysand. “Pinkie promise. You can’t break a pinkie promise.”

Cassian laughed softly with Mor and Azriel. Rhysand smiled tenderly. Then, although he did not believe the solemnity of this promise, he tangled Luxiana's little finger with his own, unable to refuse contact with her.

"What does tell us you won't break that promise?" Amren asked warily again with a hissing voice.

"I won't!" Luxiana was offended by the brunette's insistence. She was going to get angry but she didn't want to lose her cool. She huffed as she turned to the high lord. "You know what, you just have to create a magic pact between us! Something that would stipulate that if I tell anyone about what you're going to tell me, I'll die on the spot. I think you high lords can do that, right?"

Rhysand laughed, a soft, melodious sound. “I can, but I won’t. I trust you.”

Luxiana jumped up in her chair in surprise and joy, grabbing Azriel's arm and shoulder with both hands to hold on to something. But vibrating with an excitement she couldn't contain, she began to shake the Illyrian in all directions. She turned to Cassian with wide eyes and a broad smile without stopping to move Azriel. "The Lord of the Night Court trusts me," then she cried out a high-pitched sound.

Cassian, Rhysand and Mor burst out laughing at Luxiana's reaction and Azriel's, who let himself be shaken with a jaded look and eyes fixed on the ceiling. Then they ended up telling her everything. Really everything.

Rhysand first started by explaining who his parents were. Who his mother was and how his father had saved her wings. Luxiana's gaze began to sparkle with a thousand flaming lights and a tear, which she had not even felt, ran down her cheek. Rhysand stopped talking when he noticed it. He frowned in worry as he straightened up in his chair. "What's wrong?" He rushed his hand to his soulmate's face to wipe the tear from the back of his knuckles.

Azriel gritted his teeth. She was crying? He didn't like it. He didn't like it at all. "I told you so," he growled, "we should stop there."

“No, no, it’s nothing,” she smacked Azriel’s shoulder once, giving him a dark, disapproving look. Then she focused back on Rhysand, “I just think it’s really cute. Please, continue.”

Azriel glanced at Cassian who sighed and shook his head. Their soulmate seemed to feel everything multiplied. They had never seen anyone look so impacted by the story of someone they barely knew.

Rhysand continued. He explained about the relationship between his mother and father. That they didn't really love each other but that they were soulmates and that his mother had always been grateful to his father for saving her wings.

Luxiana nodded, she could understand her mother but she frowned nonetheless. "Is it possible? To have a soulmate and not love him? I mean, from what I know, it's the cauldron that binds two people together because they're made for each other, right? They're just made to match their soulmate."

Rhysand smiled tenderly, thinking she was right. He was even sure of it. Because Luxiana was perfect. She was made for him and he for her. "It's not that simple, many other factors come into play. And my father was not a good person, he was really cruel."

Luxiana could feel the apprehension and fear creeping up on her, freezing her cells. "Was he with you too?"

Rhysand gritted his teeth for a second as he looked down at the bad memories and Cassian and Azriel gave him an understanding look. Mor answered for his cousin with a voice full of resentment, "He was especially with him."

She closed her eyes in desolation, pursing her lips. No parent should be mean to their children. She imagined how he must have felt. How much he must have blamed himself for everything. How bad he must have felt in his own skin, weak and stupid for never having received his father's pride. He must have never felt good enough for anything because his father had never been able to give him affection. Luxiana's heart cracked.

But Rhysand continued his story. He explained that he and his mother had to go to an Illyrian camp -so he could train- where he had met Cassian.

Then the army commander took over to tell his own story. He explained what he knew about his parents, that he slept outside and had to fight for everything.

Luxiana grimaced in sadness, her chin twisting. He had been only a child and he had had to fend for himself. All alone. She imagined the evenings when in the cold, curled up on himself, he cried over the absence of his parents' love. His heart tore a little more in his chest, even hurting a little. Cassian spoke of all this with a smile on his lips and a proud face, but she could see that it was false and that deep down, he was still hurt. "You must have felt so alone," Luxiana remarked almost inaudibly, seeking comfort in Cassian's tender eyes.

The Illyrian, seeing her distress, tried to comfort her. He then told her about the time he had met Rhys and how he had beaten him out but that despite that, Rhys and his mother had invited her to sleep at his place.

Luxiana gave the high lord an affectionate and admiring glance. So he was that kind?

Then they continued explaining that they had then met Azriel and that, although at first they hated each other, as they were not loved by anyone, they started making an alliance and even ended up liking each other.

Luxiana turned to Azriel, waiting for him to talk about his childhood, but he didn't. "What about you? What happened before you met them?"

Mor looked back and forth between the spymaster and Luxiana, huffing as he struggled for words. "Azriel doesn't like to talk about it much."

Luxiana glanced at the blonde, realizing that Azriel must not have had a happy childhood either. She swallowed loudly in apprehension as she turned fully to him, "You really don't want to talk about it?"

“No,” Azriel said, looking down at his soulmate with shining eyes. She looked so worried and anxious. He didn’t want to tell her, but he knew it would have been worse for her not to know. She would imagine even worse things. “But I’ll tell you. I’ll always tell you what you want to know anyway.”

Luxiana was biting the inside of her lower lip to keep from blushing.

Azriel looked at her for a second with a proud smile, noticing her confusion before beginning to tell her that he was the son of an Illyrian lord and a commoner. He explained to her that he lived with his in-laws and that his mother-in-law kept him locked up in a dark cell where he was only allowed to go out for an hour a day. He had neither the right to fly nor the right to live.

Luxiana clenched her teeth so hard that her cheeks hurt. She, who had some hope that the spymaster's childhood would be less terrible, now had a completely upset stomach. They forbade him from flying. How horrible to have wings and not be able to use them. She imagined him curled up in a dark corner of his cell. Her heart felt like it was being crushed in a fist. She opened her eyes again, holding back her tears but placed her pupils on Azriel's hand on his thigh. She grabbed his fingers delicately to bring his arm closer to her and look at his scars more specifically. She began to caress the burn marks on his skin with the tips of her fingerprints. "Is that where you got that?"

Azriel watched her do it with a tilted head, observing her reactions with curiosity, learning what kind of person she was. He nodded slowly, explaining to her about his half brothers who had set his hands on fire.

Luxiana wanted to throw up. How could anyone be so cruel? Well, how could anyone be so cruel to an innocent child? She knew why people were cruel… Because she was going to be cruel herself -as she had been many times before- to avenge the three Illyrians and Morrigan.

Then Azriel ended up adding that at eleven years old, he was released into the Illyrian camp of Cassain and Rhysand where his mother had also adopted him.

Then the high lord explained about his sister and mother and Tamlin's betrayal. Then he went on to talk about the war and his father who had recruited him, Azriel and Cassian but who had separated them. Rhysand vaguely recounted the atrocities they had seen and experienced during that time. Then he tensed up, the atmosphere getting a little heavier. He explained that he had been captured by Amarantha's soldiers towards the end of the war and that they had beaten and tortured him.

Luxiana's breathing was precarious. She pursed her lips as she swallowed with difficulty, her heart felt like it was tearing into a thousand pieces. She knew so much what it felt like that it hurt her to hear that someone else had experienced this. Her eyes burned but she did everything not to cry knowing that Azriel would want to stop them from continuing.

As Luxiana was facing Rhysand, her back to Azriel, the latter, sensing her discomfort, narrowed his eyes as he leaned towards her to see her face. But when Luxiana caught sight of him out of the corner of her eye, she hid herself by turning her head a little more. The master spy understood. "You want to cry," he remarked with a slightly tired look.

Luxiana shook her head sharply, "no..." she said in a much higher pitched voice than usual.

Azriel gave him a disapproving look, and Cassian scoffed, chuckling. But Rhysand reached up to grab his soulmate's face and turn it toward him. "They didn't break me," he added firmly to reassure her. "They didn't know that since I was Illyrian, all they had to do to destroy me was to cut my wings."

Luxiana's face contorted further, her chin quivering, her lips pursed and her dimples protruding. She rolled her eyes to stop herself from crying. Their stories brought back so many bad memories for Luxiana, she couldn't help but feel as bad as she had felt. His wings. Her wings. "How did you get out of there?" she asked, hoping to think of something else and change the subject. Rhysand released her.

Azriel sensing his soulmate's distress sighed but said nothing. His heart ached for her. Or maybe it was the weak bond that already united him to her and that allowed him to feel what she felt. In a comforting gesture, he placed his palm on Luxiana's back then gently moved it up in a caress to her neck, which he gently gripped to massage it.

Luxiana gave him a look filled with surprise and then gratitude, silently thanking him while smiling at him. Then Rhysand continued. He explained to her about Jurian, and about Amarantha's sister. He told her about the fight that the general of the human armies had led against the fae. Then how the redhead had made Jurian suffer for that.

Luxiana clenched her fists on her thighs, grabbing the lace of her dress with her fingers. She knew Jurian well and remembering what Amarantha had done to him filled her with anger.

Rhysand added that his father had found him but as punishment for allowing himself to be captured, he had ordered that the ash stakes be left in his wings.

Luxiana slid down on her chair, leaning back a little more. She was seething with anger, so much that she was dying of heat. How could a father do that to his child? Luxiana knew how much it hurt to injure the Illyrians' wings, they were so sensitive. She cursed Rhysand's father with all her might. She was mad with rage.

The High Lord of the Night Court continued on Amarantha. He spoke of the assassination attempts he had planned against her because he found it unfair that she was not punished. And he came to the moment when he had been imprisoned under the mountain. The room became silent, the atmosphere heavy, hunching everyone's shoulders and making them lower their heads. Luxiana could see the guilt on the faces of Rhysand's friends. They would have liked to help him, to accompany him. But Rhysand had sacrificed himself for them.

She looked at the brown-haired fae with purple eyes who had remained evasive. "What happened to you under the mountain?" She suspected what Amarantha had done to him but she wanted so badly for him to tell her something else.

Rhysand smiled sadly. “Things I’d rather forget. Things I wouldn’t tell anyone about, least of all to you.” They looked at each other in silence for a second.

Cassian took a deep breath, apprehension gnawing at him. “Now you know our story. You know everything. So what do you think of us?”

Luxiana's breathing was rapid. No matter how hard she tried to hide it, she wasn't feeling well. Her heart was pounding wildly in her chest and only the adrenaline coursing through her veins kept her from crying. They had all been through horrors here. Yet, they all seemed so kind. She felt so sad for them. She placed her hand on Rhys' forearm on the table, squeezing it gently in a comforting gesture. Then she crossed her arms. "Okay so I have three questions," seeing that everyone was listening attentively, she continued. "Number one," she turned to Rhysand, "is your father dead? And you better tell me he 's dead because if you don't , I'm going to kill him and that could cause a lot of trouble for a lot of people."

Everyone laughed -except Amren- not suspecting for a second that she could compete against the power of the former high lord. When she could. She could reduce all the high lords to nothing all in one same time. Rhysand raised an eyebrow, pleasantly surprised by his soulmate's words. "He is," he confirmed with a nod.

“Finally some good news,” she breathed, somewhat reassured. “Then, second question,” she turned to Cassian. “Did you beat the shit out of all the Illyrians who doubted you?”

Cassian smiled proudly, lifting his chin, "of course I do."

"Great! Another few people off the list," she exclaimed, making the others laugh. Then she turned to Azirel. "Last question, did you make your mother-in-law and brothers-in-law pay for what they did to you?"

Azriel nodded slowly from left to right. “I don’t want anything to do with them anymore.”

Luxiana gritted her teeth, she didn't like that answer. She was going to burn everything. "Well, that makes," she started counting on her fingers, "Mor's parents, Azriel's brothers and mother-in-law, a few Illyrians just for fun and to go shit on Rhysand's father's grave. Phew, I'm going to have work."

They all laughed heartily -even Amren who smiled softly- and despite everything, their laughter soothed Luxiana.

"She's crazy, I love her!" Mor yelled, banging on the table.

They all calmed down gradually. "Your turn," Cassian finally said, crossing his arms and leaning back against his chair. Luxiana tilted her head questioningly. "It's your turn to tell us about your childhood. You know everything about us, now we want to know everything about you."

[icarusflewsworld]

Rhysand & Cassian & Azriel X OC

Hello, here is the chapter 16 of a fanfiction on the world of Acotar where our three favorite Batboys are the mates of a single woman.

I wanted to apologize, I'm posting late and the chapters aren't even very good. Plus, I won't post the next chapter until Wednesday the 18th. I have a lot of things to do and I need to get a little ahead on writing this story. Then after, I'll bring the posts closer together and post the chapters every two/three days.

Sorry, I hope you still liked the reading a little bit, though. I wish you have a very good and happy day. With all my love, ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

! Don't forget to read the previous chapters ! : Here

Enjoy the read !

Chapter 16

The four of them appeared in a huge room with a high ceiling. The Town house.

Luxiana frowned, still stuck on Rhysand's words. She barely had time to recall what Feyre had learned during their meeting with the queens - and therefore what she had told her afterwards about this city called Velaris that Rhysand had hidden and protected from everyone - before she was already somewhere else. She opened her eyes wide and hiccupped silently in surprise as she took in her surroundings. She released Rhysand's hand in spite of him, and began to spin around. 

She was in what appeared to be an entrance hall. The place was bathed in light and had the look of a dream. There were decorations on the walls that seemed to cost a small fortune, and the several rooms adjacent to this hallway appeared to be a huge living room and dining room with an enormous table. She looked down and lifted her feet one by one as she saw that she was walking on a soft red carpet. The whole place was luxurious and exuded wealth. 

Cassian couldn't hide his big, mocking smile. She didn't seem used to so much opulence, and he adored her even more for it, but seeing her so amazed filled him with hilarity and affection. And then his heart swelled with joy. Since he'd met her, he'd imagined countless times what would happen and how she'd react if they succeeded in bringing her here. Now she was here at last, and he couldn't have wished for better. She was even more beautiful than he could have predicted. The light from the building made her skin, hair and eyes glow. Then Cassian noticed something, vibrating even more. Here, his soul mate looked like a star. 

Azriel detailed her with a gaze he knew to be shining. He could literally feel his eyes sparkling. And if he hadn't been completely absorbed in memorizing his soul mate's every expression, to make sure he could continue to see her even with his eyes closed, he probably could have tried to hide it. He could almost feel his muscles trembling with excitement. They'd taken another step forward in their relationship today. She was now truly at home with them, and she was no longer upset. Azriel couldn't wait to see where this was going. 

Rhysand looked at her with a slight stress that compressed his stomach. He was afraid his soul mate wouldn't like his home. Well, it didn't really matter, because he'd modify the whole building to suit Luxiana's preferences, but he'd like her to feel comfortable already, to feel at home already. Because this was her home. Forever. It didn't even matter if she didn't accept him as her soul mate, she'd still be welcome with him. Because even if she never loved him back, she was still that sunny, smiling, funny young woman whose company Rhysand already enjoyed so much. "We're at the Town house, this is my place," he said, shoving his hand back into his pocket so as not to show her that he was playing with his fingers nervously. 

Then he glanced at Cassian and Azriel. He blew out a smile, reminding himself that they shared the same soulmate now and that if he wanted to live here with Luxiana, he'd necessarily have to include his two brothers in the equation. Rhysand realized a little more. He was going to have to share everything with his brothers if she accepted all three of them. Really everything, including his girl, his houses, his wealth, his rank. But he didn't really mind. Cassian and Azriel were his brothers and he already shared a lot with them. Besides, if it meant he got Luxiana in return, then it would be worth it. "Well, to the three of us," he added. "Do you like it?"  

She raised her eyes to the three Illyrians who were staring at her avidly, but she paid them no further attention. She'd already noticed that they often stared at her strangely, but she just thought they were strange. "Daaaaaaaaaammmmmnn yeah," she exclaimed, laughing. She placed her hands on her hips, looking at Rhysand with eyes wide with pleasant surprise. Even the other courts didn't have buildings this beautiful. This was indeed the prettiest place she'd ever seen, and yet she remembered loving the winter court. 

Cassian burst out laughing so hard he leaned back, holding his stomach. He laughed for so long and so uncontrollably, he couldn't even breathe. His soul mate didn't disappoint. In all the scenarios he'd imagined, he'd never once thought she wouldn't swear when she saw the place. He was so proud to see that he already knew her well. "Of course the first word she could say in our home was a bad word."

Azriel smiled tenderly, still detailing Luxiana in the same way. "That's not very distinguished of such a pretty young lady," he teased gently. 

She gave them a dark look between her wrinkled eyelids. "Don't judge me, I was caught off guard." Then she bit her lower lip, her eyes shining with mischief on the lord of the night. She leaned toward him a little, detailing him up and down, "sssoooooo, are you that rich?" She pointed out the hall and the works of art with a vague movement of her finger.

Rhysand's heart pounded so hard at the sight of his soulmate's pretty face leaning towards him that he almost jumped. He smiled wryly, bringing his face close to Luxiana's, almost pressing his nose to hers. And he had to force himself not to break the distance a little more, especially as she didn't back down. "Much richer, in fact," he declared proudly. 

Luxiana tried not to weaken and had to fight herself not to take a deep breath as she closed her eyes. She didn't want to seem drawn in or turned inside out by Rhysand's scent, but it had tickled her lungs. So she hiccupped theatrically in surprise as she jerked upright. She cleared her throat, glancing away. She tucked a lock of hair, that had escaped her braid, behind her ear. "And...um...are you...," she joked, giving herself a shy look and pretending to stammer. "Uh...single, by any chance?" 

Cassian calmed down, stopping laughing all of a sudden, returning to a serious face. He blinked several times. Had he heard what he'd just heard? He opened his mouth wide. He could see from the mischievous flash in his mate's pupils that she was teasing them, but the fact that she'd asked Rhys that question had done something to him. He was both jealous and pleased. It was so strange that he froze, not knowing how to react. She was a little interested in them. Well, in his brother. And maybe she was only joking, but he'd vowed to become even richer than Rhys if it attracted his soulmate.

Azriel raised an eyebrow and smiled. He knew she wasn't the kind of girl to be baited by money, especially not by looking so kind and sweet. But he certainly hadn't expected to hear such a direct and bold question from such a cute young woman. 

Rhysand's eyes widened for a second, bewildered, before he burst out laughing, so hard he had to take a step backwards. But he wasn't laughing because he found his soulmate's joke funny, he was laughing because he was bubbling with joy. 

Luxiana pursed her lips to keep from smiling. She definitely thought she was very funny and was really proud that she had managed to make the lord laugh. Remembering what Feyre had told her about Velaris, she recalled what she'd understood about Rhysand and what he'd had to sacrifice to protect that city. So she just wanted to give him a good time and appease him.

Rhysand calmed down slowly, gradually stopping laughing, but he couldn't help showing all his teeth. He was just vibrating with happiness at the idea of her asking him that. And at the idea that, maybe, she was interested in him. His heart was beating so fast in his chest that he was sure she could hear him. He raised his hand slowly, running his index finger under Luxiana's jaw, caressing the skin from her throat to her chin as he lifted her head a little toward him. He plunged a serious gaze into his soulmate's. "I haven't got anyone. I've been waiting for you." 

Luxiana's heart missed a beat at the lord's words and she couldn't stop her cheeks from flushing. She shook her head, biting the front of her tongue, cursing herself as she looked up at the ceiling. She couldn't believe he'd managed to turn his stupidity against her, and she hated herself for blushing at such words. But she wouldn't admit defeat so easily. She crossed her hands behind her back, giving herself an innocent look. "Great then, so I can try to seduce you ?" 

Rhysand wanted to scream and jump around like a teenager. He was so happy to hear these words from his soul mate. He knew it might just be a joke, but that was enough for him. "Oh you weren't trying until now? Because it was already working just fine." 

Luxiana blew out a laugh, rolling her eyes. "I guess it must be my natural charm, I'm not very surprised," she quipped haughtily, trying not to look as taken aback as she was. His body tickled her. "But anyway, will you show me around?"

Rhysand took a deep breath, his chest heaving with a strange feeling of affection and peace. He loved the look of confidence and seduction his soulmate had adopted, and he loved knowing it was meant for him. Luxiana was no longer angry with him, and it had been as simple to change her behavior as taking her to see her best friend. The lord extended his elbow, his arm bent, inviting his soulmate to embrace it, "with pleasure, demoiselle."

Luxiana leapt on the spot once and for all, letting out a squeal of delight, before grabbing Rhysand's arm and wrapping herself around it. Then she enthusiastically followed the handsome purple-eyed Illyrian as he began guiding her towards what appeared to be a living room. 

Azriel watched them walk away with a look he wanted to be jaded, but he couldn't stop smiling.

"Hey!?" screamed Cassian as he followed them, running. "We're here too I remind you, and we're rich too ! Luxiana !"

Rhysand restrained himself from bursting out laughing at Cassian's jealousy. He leaned toward his soulmate's ear, "I'm richer," he breathed.

The blonde let out a small laugh before turning back to Cassian while continuing to follow Rhysand, "You'll be option three, then. If option one," she pointed at Rhysand with her index finger, "or option two," she pointed at Azriel, "don't want me."

Azriel and Rhysand burst out laughing at the blonde's words, while Cassian held back his mirth. He opened his mouth wide, hiccupping with fright. "What? I'm option three?" he exclaimed, falsely offended. He could tell his soul mate was joking. At least, he hoped she was.  "And may I ask what they have that I don't?"

Luxiana laughed so hard that she had to let herself fall a little more on Rhysand's arm and hold on to him a little tighter so as not to fall. She didn't answer; she wouldn't know what to say anyway. They really had nothing less or nothing more than the other two. Luxiana found all three of them just as sexy, tall, strong, muscular, handsome, charismatic, kind, rich, sensual... She shook her head and laughed even harder, thinking that she'd had a good time and was going to enjoy the weeks ahead in such charming company. 

Rhysand laughed, but not because he was amused by the situation, unlike Azriel, but because Luxiana's closeness filled him with happiness and hope. He wasn't used to feeling this good. So vibrant. Things could move forward between his mate and them now that she no longer held a grudge. 

Cassian followed them -ignoring his brother who was trying to show his mate the mansion by showing her the rooms- continuing to ask Luxiana the same question over and over, insisting on an answer. "No, but what do they have that I don't?" And, although Luxiana was trying to ignore him, the Illyrian could see that she was pursing her lips to keep from laughing. It encouraged Cassian to keep going.

Azriel followed them silently, delighting in all Luxiana's expressions, those "Woah" every time she entered a new room, even when it was just the bathroom. She seemed genuinely amazed by the smallest thing, and that made Azriel's heart melt a little more. She was so enthusiastic. She'd ask questions about building construction, about things that didn't even matter, but Azriel loved hearing them and Rhysand loved answering them. His mate was so alive, so sunny. She awakened every part of his body.  

Rhysand introduced Luxiana to her bedroom, and he laughed as she shyly stepped into it, detailing it. "Oh," she said, her mouth wide open as she admired the beauty of the room, her eyes shining. "It's gorgeous, I love it."

Rhysand smiled affectionately. He loved that she loved his home. "Good, make yourself at home. And if during the night you need anything, anything at all, my room is the door just to the right of yours. Cassian's is to the left and Azriel's is opposite, so don't hesitate."

Luxiana's body burned. It was adorable. She stopped circling to turn around and rest her eyes on the three Illyrians. "That's really too sweet, thank you." She didn't even flinch when she noticed that Cassian was only inches away from her, arms crossed, his gaze insistent because he'd just asked her again why he was the third option. She knew he was there even if she hadn't heard him, she'd felt him. Azriel was leaning against the doorframe, watching her with a smirk. Rhysand had his hands in his pocket and was detailing her with a tilted head. "So you three really live that close together? Isn't it complicated living as roommates with his two brothers?" 

"Cassian and I didn't live here before. We only moved here a few days ago," Azriel explained without even realizing what he was saying. God, he'd dreamed so long of having his soul mate here with him, in this house, and now it was finally happening. He almost couldn't believe it.

"For what reason?" asked Luxiana, curious. 

"For you," Rhysand simply blurted out as he detailed her reaction, eager to see how she would react. 

Luxiana squinted for a second. Did she really know who she was to feel the need to place her between the three of them under close surveillance? Anyway, it wasn't as if they could stop her doing anything. She raised an eyebrow, trying to look pleasantly surprised, but she wanted to know more. "Well, I'm flattered that the three most powerful warriors in this court feel the need to keep such a close eye on me. But I promise I'll keep my head down and stay calm, at least until I've discharged Feyre from the service she owes you. After that, though... you probably won't be too much of threes."

Rhysand winced, lowering his eyes. He didn't know what to say. He didn't like his smate thinking that they were so untrusting, that they needed to keep an eye on her when they didn't. But neither could he see himself giving her the real reason why they'd taken over the rooms around hers and why they were still glued to her. 

Azriel's smile faded. He didn't like the idea that his soul mate thought they couldn't handle her. Of course, he was convinced of the opposite. They were the three most powerful and probably the most intelligent and influential Illyrians in the country, and they certainly wouldn't let themselves be outmaneuvered by a human. Even if this human was their beautiful mate. But it had to be said that some doubt lingered in the master spy's chest. She seemed so casual and reckless. He was worried. 

Cassian laughed out loud. "Oh because you think you can put up with all three of us?" He asked this question as if it was nothing, but a double meaning resonated within Cassian. He was a little dreading the answer to his question. He didn't really know what to expect, but he hoped he'd be reassured. He hoped she could really deal with all three of them in a possible future relationship.

Luxiana glanced up at him with assurance. Then, very slowly, the corner of her lips lifted, "Oh, because you think the three of you will be able to stand ME? No," she nodded haughtily, "I'm going to wear you out."

The three of them froze for a second in surprise, then burst out laughing in spite of themselves. 

Cassian was relieved, breathing a little easier. An huge weight, though back again, had left his shoulders for just a second. How could she reassure them without even knowing it?

Azriel had never laughed so much in one day as he did today. "I'm afraid it could be true," he admitted, talking about his doubts and uncertainties. 

Rhysand slowly calmed down. Everything seemed so simple yet so complicated with his soul mate. It was a strange sensation to hold her close and talk to her. She was so interesting. He dreamed of being able to discover her freely. He held out his hand to her. "Come, I'd like you to meet two people. They've just arrived."

Luxiana inclined her head as she caught his hand and followed him, curious as to where he was going to take her and who he was going to introduce her to. "Who?"

"The last two members of my inner circle, my closest friends...," Rhysand glanced intensely and brightly at Luxiana beside him. "My family."

They walked to the dining room, where Mor and Amren were waiting with impatience for the blonde and boredom for the brunette. They turned as one towards the three Illyrians and Luxiana as they entered the room. 

Mor had a broad smile on her lips, wanting to appear as sympathetic as possible to meet the soulmate of the three men in her life. She felt a little anxious. What would she do if this woman didn't like her? When she laid eyes on Luxiana, her breath caught in her throat. She tried not to let anything show, but like the first time she'd seen her, she'd been completely taken in by this woman's beauty. If she wasn't tied to Rhysand, Cassian and Azriel, she would have taken a chance on her.

Amren was bored in advance by this encounter. Sitting cross-legged in her chair, she breathed heavily as she checked her manicure, but when she laid eyes on Luxiana, everything changed. She contracted. Her face closed a little more than usual. She rose slowly from her chair, not wanting to make any sudden moves, feeling ... in danger? She detailed the young woman attentively. Her eyebrows furrowed as she continued to stare at her, forcing her lower jaw not to lift from the top of her face.

Luxiana hiccupped as she caught sight of Mor. Her eyes widened as she stopped in her tracks, bringing Rhysand to a halt, unable to pull her by their entwined hands. He turned back to her with a puzzled look. But Luxiana only had eyes for Mor. She vaguely remembered seeing her at the Archerons, but she'd never been able to talk to him. She regretted it. Luxiana couldn't keep her eyes from shining with admiration. She'd also heard stories about Morrigan and what a powerful warrior she was. This fae was one of the few female warriors, in fact. She had earned the respect of the worst fae and even the worst Illyrians in this country. Luxiana was overwhelmed with admiration. She hoped with all her heart that one day she would become one of her friends.

Azriel and Cassian stopped at their soul mate’s side, turning their gaze towards her. An awkward silence settled over the room as the three Illyrians scrutinized Luxiana inquisitively. Why was she suddenly silent? It wasn't like her. Noticing this, and not wanting to appear intimidating, Mor hastened to break it. She rushed to Rhysand's side, facing Luxiana, holding out her hand in front of her. "Hello, my name is Morrigan, but you can call me Mor!" she exclaimed cheerfully, trying to sound as nice as possible.

Luxiana opened her mouth wide this time.

Azriel frowned. His soul mate seemed uncomfortable, or at least taken aback, and he didn't like it. He pivoted fully towards her to place his hand on her cheek. He shivered as his fingers made contact with Luxiana's cold, bouncy skin. He turned her head in his direction except that Luxiana continued to stare at Mor. "Are you all right?" asked Azriel, genuinely concerned.

Luxiana blinked several times as she looked up at Azriel, finally noticing him. She shook her head, returning her eyes to Morrigan. She opened her mouth several times, searching for words, but nothing came out. She didn't know what to say. She wanted to express her admiration for her, but she wanted to play it cool and not besiege her with every one of her thoughts she has. Under everyone's insistent stares, she moved automatically to grab the blonde's hand and shake it vigorously, unable to hide her excitement. "Uh... I'm sorry! My name's Mor! Uh, no, no, that's me! I mean, that's you! I'm Luxiana. Oh, sorry, isn't it hot in here? Phew, I'm so hot." The stream of words flowed out of her without her being able to stop it. She was talking nonsense. "Sorry I'm freaking out a little. You know you're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. Really you're beautiful," she spoke without any filter, her thoughts coming out raw, as they appeared in her head. "Oh my god, maybe I'm gay. I think I'm gay," she turned to Cassian as she continued to shake Morrigan's hand. "Am I gay?"

Everyone's eyes and mouths dropped open in surprise. 

Rhysand was no longer of this world. Was his soul mate flirting with a woman? His cousin no less? Didn't he have a chance with her... again!?

"No!!!" cried Cassian, a strange sort of jealousy spreading through him, burning his skin. He was shocked; if he thought he had no competition with one person, it was Mor. But now that this was the case... Something else awoke in the Illyrian’s mind. Such things as naughty images of Mor and his soulmate together.

Azriel's eyes darted frantically back and forth between Mor and Luxiana. "Is this some kind of fucking joke?" Anger froze his vessels so hard it burned.  His chest compressed. He swore silently as he looked up at the ceiling. Was this fate's way of playing with him? By making his soul mate fall for the woman he'd loved for 500 years and could never have?

Mor burst out laughing, finding her cute. Her pride was reassured to see that Luxiana liked her. How ironic that she was the soulmate of her three best friends. "It's adorable, especially when I think the same of you. I think you're even more beautiful than I am. Just my type," she winked at her, almost making Luxiana stumble. 

Rhysand forced himself to laugh, but the syllables of the sounds he made were so far apart that everyone could see it was fake and that he wasn't enjoying the situation at all. Was his soul mate really flirting with his cousin??????? Did his cousin was flirting back? He turned back to Mor after she'd spoken. " No," he said weakly, to forbid her to approach her.

Luxiana paid no attention to Rhysand. She took a deep, exaggerated noisy breath, still shaking Mor's hand. Then she swiveled towards Rhysand with a wide, dazzling smile. "She thinks I'm beautiful!!!" she almost shouted, jumping for joy.

"No," Rhysand repeated, apparently the only thing he could say as he was so taken aback by this unexpected situation. 

"Certainly not, in fact!" gasped Azriel. He grabbed Luxiana by the hips to make her let go Mor’s hand and swing her over his shoulder. He almost ran out of the room with Luxiana bouncing on top of him. They were both followed by Rhysand and Cassian, still in a state of shock.

They arrived in the hall where they had first set foot. Rhysand closed the door behind them with an absent look, while Mor was still laughing her head off. Azriel abruptly placed Luxiana on the floor. 

With Mor no longer in her field of vision, the blonde pulled herself together. "Woah," she yelled, wiping her forehead with the back of her hand. "That was completely crazy what just happened. It was fucking Morrigan."

"And what just happened?" shouted Azriel, both hands raised, breathless with shock and anger. 

Luxiana detailed Azriel with incomprehension. Then she understood him. "Oh," she realized. He was jealous. She grimaced. “Oh no, is that your girlfriend? I didn't mean to sound inappropriate, I just..."

Azriel blew out a breath, catching the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger. Then he turned his jaded gaze back to Luxiana as she continued to speak. "No," he interrupted her curtly.

Luxiana frowned, then, trying to understand, she turned to Cassian. "Is this your girlfriend?"

Cassian blew out a laugh, shaking his head negatively. 

She then turned to Rhysand, no longer understanding anything.  She went to ask him the same question, but he beat her to it. "No, she's my cousin."

"Oh," she then added, lowering her eyes. No matter how hard her brain worked, she couldn't understand what had just happened. "What's wrong then?"

"You're not gay!" screamed Azriel again, aghast, eyes wide with the obvious. 

Luxiana raised an eyebrow before scowling and crossing her arms." And how do you know?"

Azriel huffed and let out a growl. He closed his eyes tightly. "Because, I just know it!" This woman was his soul mate. He'd already died of jealousy at having to distrust all males, half the population, now he was learning that he also had to fear a woman stealing her from him. He was going to collapse. 

"After…one doesn't preclude the other," Cassian observed with a light shrug and a salacious grin on his face.

Luxiana pointed at Cassian and nodded vigorously, as if he were absolutely right. Rhysand and Azriel gave their brother a look so black, the night would look as bright as the sun beside it.

Cassian raised his hands in the air. "What?" he defended himself. "Oh come on, I couldn't be the only one who was turned on by the situation."

"Yes!" cried Azriel. "Yes," breathed Rhysand wearily at the same time.

Cassian rolled his eyes. "You joyless bunch."

Azriel blew out all his air again. "Don't flirt with Mor, okay?" he ordered sternly.

"I wasn't flir..." then she paused. She hadn't meant to flirt with Mor. She'd just completely panicked and said anything. The woman was just incredible and Luxiana had been under pressure. And she could have said that to Azriel, but who the hell did he think he was to forbid her to flirt with someone? He'd already done it with Lucien. So once was okay, but twice? Was he going to do this every time she met someone? Luxiana took offense, "And why not?"

"Because," Azriel growled with an insistent dark look. "Just don't anymore."

Luxiana, wanting a clue to explain their behavior, glanced at Rhysand. But he was staring at her with furrowed brows, seemingly of the same opinion as Azriel. She then looked to Cassian, who only shrugged his shoulders in acceptance. 

After all, the Illyrian with the red siphons was also a little jealous. He wouldn't have said no to sharing his bed with the two blondes, but no matter how much he pretended otherwise, the idea of Luxiana touching anyone other than the three of them would drive him mad with rage. 

Luxiana huffed through clenched teeth. "You're weird, but okay." Then she smiled viciously. "Well, for now. Can we go back now?"

Azriel gave her a jaded look before stepping aside to let her pass, still not believing his ears.

Rhysand cast a sidelong glance at his soul mate. Maybe she'd been right earlier, maybe she'd managed to wear them out.

Cassian opened the living room door and let Luxiana enter inside with an elegant gesture. The blond rushed back into the room, but she could feel Rhysand and Azriel's suspicious eyes burning into her back. They were surely making sure she didn't get too close to Mor.

Luxiana stopped in front of Rhys's cousin, who was still laughing. "Sorry about that," she apologized with a smile. "It's nice to meet you, Mor, you can call me Lux. I hope we become friends."

"Just as happy, Lux," she replied, glancing mockingly at the three Illyrians behind Luxiana who were killing her with their pupils.  "I'm sure you'll brighten up our lives."

They laughed together and then Luxiana finally noticed the little brunette woman behind the tall blonde.The little fae had her arms crossed and was staring at Luxiana with squinted eyes. She was scrutinizing her as if she were from another planet, which almost made Luxiana uncomfortable. But the white hair girl had also heard of her. Amren. She was powerful, she knew. But she stepped cheerfully towards the brunette, holding out her hand as if she knew nothing. "Hello, I'm happy to meet you! You're just as beautiful as Morrigan. Rhysand seems to have a knack for surrounding himself well."

When Luxiana had approached Amren, the three Illyrians had put on a serious face. They tensed up, muscles contract, ready to intervene. None of them really knew how Amren would react. Rhysand, Cassian and Azriel had warned her. They'd even threatened her. If she dared even think of harming their soulmate, they would act. But they knew Amren wasn't intimidated by threats, and if she really wanted to hurt Luxiana, just because she was human, she would. The breaths of the three Illyrians had stopped and even their hearts seemed to have stopped beating.

There was silence as Luxiana continued to hold out her hand to the brunette. 

"Amren," Rhysand warned her curtly, silently ordering her to be very careful what she did and above all not to upset her soul mate. She might be disappointed or sad if Amren was mean to her, and he didn't want to see those expressions on Luxiana's cute face. 

But the brunette didn't even hear him, still too focused on Luxiana. Her eyebrows furrowed a little more every second. The three Illyrians had described her as weak, fragile and human, but Amren couldn't see it. Something was wrong. She didn't know what it was, she couldn't guess, see or feel it, but she was convinced that something was wrong. And the flashes of confidence, threat and madness she saw shining in the depths of the young woman's pupils didn't fool her. They couldn't be a sign of naivety. This young woman knew very well who Amren was and what she was capable of, but despite this, her gaze exuded no fear, no hesitation, only pure danger. A danger that made Amren shudder. A danger she'd never seen anywhere else. Ever. "What are you...?"

"...doing?" Luxiana replied so quickly afterwards that it made everyone think Amren hadn't finished her sentence, even though his question was well and truly over. “I’m introducing myself.” She gave her a fake innocent smile that only the little fae could see.

Amren's eyelids twitched. This creature knew in advance what question she was going to ask her and had already anticipated what she was going to do. So much that she had already prepared her answer and the timing of it. It was as if she'd already anticipated her reactions and this discussion. But above all, as if she didn't want the three Illyrians behind her to suspect anything. And the smile she gave her… It was a threat. 

Amren could have killed Luxiana, but something told her she couldn't even hurt her. Amen could have mentioned something to Rhysand but she said nothing because all the threat she glimpsed in the blonde's gaze was clearly not directed at them. In fact, it was wrapped in a layer of tenderness and kindness. The corner of Amren lips twitching upwards for a split second before disappearing. This creature was intriguing. She couldn't wait to find out what she was capable of.

The other four present behind them widened their eyes. "Did Amren just smile at Luxiana ??????" shouted Cassian into Rhysand and Azriel's heads.

"We probably just all hallucinated," Rhysand replied, not believing his eyes either.

But Amren reached out to Luxiana and grabbed her hand, shaking it just once. 

The lower jaws of Mor and the three Illyrians dropped, almost falling to the floor. "I've got to sit down," Cassian muttered, dropping into a chair.

[icarusflewsworld]

Rhysand & Cassian & Azriel X OC

Hello, here is the chapter 15 of a fanfiction on the world of Acotar where our three favorite Batboys are the mates of a single woman.

I wanted to apologize, I'm posting late and the chapters aren't even very good. Plus, I won't post the next chapter until Wednesday the 18th. I have a lot of things to do and I need to get a little ahead on writing this story. Then after, I'll bring the posts closer together and post the chapters every two/three days.

Sorry, I hope you still liked the reading a little bit, though. I wish you have a very good and happy day. With all my love, ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

! Don't forget to read the previous chapters ! : Here

Enjoy the read !

Chapter 15

The Three Illyrians waited for their soulmate in the hall of the moonstone palace in deathly silence. Cassian was leaning against the wall facing the staircase. His arms were crossed and his gaze downcast. He was apprehensive. Rhysand had his hands in his pockets, but despite his relaxed expression, he was tense. He was nervous. Azriel was pacing around them, clenching his jaws. He was anxious. Neither of them wanted to see Tamlin again. Not after what he'd done to Rhysand, to his family, to their family. 

Azriel grunted as he made his U-turn and headed back along the hall in the opposite direction, his feet clicking heavily on the floor. He glared at Rhys as he passed him, shouting into his head: "How could you suggest to lead her to Feyre?  How could you let her go near Tamlin again after what he did to you?"  

Cassian didn't move, but he huffed. He decided to answer for Rhysand, "Luxiana needs to see Feyre. It's her best friend and she seems to mean a lot to her. If we want our soul mate to like us, we need to do at least that for her."

Rhysand looked up at the ceiling. "Believe me, I don't like it any more than you do, Az, but... If our soul mate likes Feyre that much, I guess we'll have to get used to seeing Tamlin more often. And that, in spite of ourselves."

Azriel turned curtly to his lord, freezing from head to toe. "Wait, are you kidding me right now? If they want to see, Feyre will come here."

The violet-eyed fae shook his head, “Tamlin won't let her come here on her own and there's no way he's setting foot in my court."

Azriel let out a sort of guttural sound, then started pacing again, thinking of a solution to keep his soul mate from going to Tamlin's too often. "There's no way she'll go there too much, at least not alone. It's too dangerous."

"Tamlin won't hurt her," Rhysand admitted, the words burning his tongue. "I've seen the way he looks at Feyre, he loves her and as long as he loves her, he won't hurt his best friend. Besides, I hate to admit it, but he seems to like Luxiana too. He stood between us and her to protect her when she threw the bouquet in my face."

Azriel puffed exaggeratedly, a ball of anxiety squeezing his stomach a little more with each of his brother's conciliatory words. "It's still too dangerous. I don't want her to go there without us."

Cassian rolled his eyes. "Do you think it's dangerous for her safety or is that your jealousy talking, knowing she's too close to Lucien?"

Azriel turned wickedly towards Cassian, stopping in the middle of the hall. His head hurt from his brothers' voices inside his skull. "Don't act like you're not dead jealous too."

"I am, but the problem isn't Luxiana seeing her best friend, it's Lucien," Cassian replied, finally raising a dark eyebrow at Azriel. "Oh this one, I'm going to..." He stopped abruptly as he heard someone coming down the stairs. 

All three raised bewildered pupils to the top of the steps. Their breaths got caught in their throats, they froze and even their heartbeats stopped as they watched their mate hurry down, staggering on her stilettos, wobbling from left to right to keep her balance.

Her hair was pulled back over one shoulder and she was casually braiding them with both hands. She was wearing a long black dress made entirely of transparent lace, opaque only around her breasts and lower abdomen. The long sleeves were wide, the top was reminiscent of a corset and the entire fabric was covered with a multitude of shiny dots that made them think of a starry sky. The petticoat was split at the side and should have revealed one of her legs, but she had clutched the bottom of her dress in her teeth, holding the front of it high so as not to step on it and trip. Except that, as a result, her panties, the same color as her dress, and the bottom of her belly were exposed for all to see.  

The three Illyrians were completely frozen, immobilized even in their thoughts, and the only thing they could do was stop themselves from opening their mouths and eyes wide. But it wasn't ice running through their veins, it was molten lava from the heart of an exploding star. Suddenly, they were hot. Very hot. 

They could see their soulmate's firm, pale legs and the sculpted skin of her lower abdomen as they hungrily detailed everything, memorizing every inch. And by the cauldron, they'd never cursed a piece of fabric as much as they were now cursing this dress. They wanted to see more.

Cassian realized that maybe she didn't know they could catch a glimpse of her panties. She seemed so awkward sometimes. Maybe she was prudish. He didn't want to embarrass her. In a daze, he straightened up from the wall he'd been leaning against, pointing his hesitant index finger at his soulmate and at her visible underwear. "Uh we... we can see your..." He shook his head. Was he stuttering? Him? And since when? He cleared his throat, picking himself up and adopting a forced smirk. "Not that I mind, but your panties are showing. Very sexy, by the way."

Luxiana, still descending the stairs and still focused on trying to finish her braid, gritted her teeth to keep her petticoats in her mouth and from falling off. She rolled her eyes, smiling from the corner of her lips at Cassian's words. "Oh it's okay," she mumbled as best she could with her jaws closed, "it's probably not the first time you've seen a woman in underwear, get over it."

Cassian smiled, for real this time, raising an eyebrow in pleasant surprise. So she wasn't very prudish, it seemed, and that was only to his delight. He then unapologetically returned his eyes to his soulmate's thighs, imagining all the lewd things he'd like to do to her in this outfit. He smiled a little wider, baring all his teeth, as he noticed that Luxiana wasn't even a little intimidated by the intense pupils he and his two brothers had set on her. That said, perhaps she hadn't even noticed them; she seemed far too absorbed in standing and doing her hair.

Halfway up the stairs, she capsized a little too much, almost falling but barely catching herself without even breaking an ankle. "Phew," she breathed in relief. Then she went back down and braided her hair as if nothing had happened.

Azriel, almost seeing her fall, was electrocuted from head to toe with such violence that he gasped. His heart had slammed into his chest to wake him up. She was so fragile, she could kill herself stumbling down the stairs. He panicked, feeling the adrenaline pulsing through his body. He began to run towards her, hands in front, ready to catch her if she fell. 

Luxiana, noticing the Illyrian with the blue siphons striding towards her, stopped in her descent, even though she had almost reached the bottom. She frowned, recoiling slightly, uncertain as she saw him still approaching with a worried expression on his face. As a defensive reflex, she let go her braid to bring her hands in front of her, preparing to react if necessary. She opened her mouth to speak, letting her petticoats fall back on her legs, allowing the other two Illyrians to snap out of their trance. But she had no time to say anything when Azriel pounced on her. And curious to see what he was going to do, she didn't stop him.

Without waiting for permission, Azriel grabbed Luxiana by the hips and lifted her up. He could carry her at arm's length, but he wanted so much to feel her close to him, to feel her glued to him, that he pulled her back onto his chest. He passed one of his forearms under her buttocks to hold her in place. He tensed even more as Luxiana wrapped her legs around his pelvis and her arms around his neck, while the blonde's beautiful face was only inches from his. She looked up at him with a questioning face and her head tilted slightly. He wanted to smile to reassure her, but he'd been so worried. Why had she put her life at risk so stupidly again? He descended the few remaining steps with her in his arms. "Are you drunk? Or do you just not know how to walk in stilettos? You could have fallen and broken something," he scolded her harshly. 

She squinted for a second at Azriel's words, then realizing, she lowered her head, blushing. Was he really worried about her? It sounded so much like it, but she knew it was only because they needed her to steal the second part of the book. "I told you," she tried to justify herself. "I don't have much balance. Especially on stairs. But I wasn't going to fall, I was still careful not to tumble down the steps in front of you. That would have been too embarrassing." She laughed as she rolled her eyes, trying to divert attention from her colorful cheeks.

When Azriel stopped in front of Rhysand and Cassian at the base of the stairwell, Luxiana, thinking the Illyrian was going to put her down, uncrossed her legs to put her feet on the ground. But Azriel wouldn't let her go. He wanted to keep her close to him, and he had even planned it. He would have told her that he would keep her in his arms to make sure she didn't fall and to protect her until she completed the service she owed them. That way, he could keep her in his arms forever. But as she rested her feet on the ground, he thought she wanted to get away from him. So, reluctantly, torn by disappointment and the shattering of his dreams, he let her go.

"Thanks for carrying me to keep me from falling," she said to Azriel, smiling at him with an endearing face. She stepped back to swivel toward Rhysand and Cassian with dimples that destroyed them. She grabbed the sides of her dress to lift them and spun around elegantly. "So how do I look? I wore black to match you!"

The lord of the night court swallowed hard. His soul had even given him the impression of having left his body since he had laid eyes on her. She was wearing his colors. And damn it, he could never have predicted that black would suit her so well. Besides, it was one of the dresses his mother had created. The only one he'd put in the wardrobe, but yet she'd chosen this one out of all the others. He smiled, his eyes shining with a mixture of hope and warmth. This dress and this color suited her divinely. She looked so beautiful. He could never have believed that with her pale skin, she was made for the night, yet it only brought out her light and even accentuated it. She was made to wear this. In this outfit, she exuded the aura of a high lady. Her high lady. His heart pounded vehemently against his ribcage, demanding to get out and embrace Luxiana. He moistened his lips so he could speak. "You look... beautiful. It suits you divinely."

Luxiana, not expecting such a compliment from a face torn between sincerity and hope, began to blush in spite of herself. She smiled, giving herself a false air of confidence. "I knew it." With a haughty gesture of her hand, she flicked her hair down her back but the elastic-free braid was in the process of unravelling. When she felt her hair loosen, she regained her seriousness. She hiccupped as she caught back up her braid to tie it, but realized, as she glanced at her wrists, that she had no hair tie. She bit her lower lip, cursing herself inside. 

When he zoned in on his soulmate's mouth, Cassian's knees weakened for a second, causing him to stumble vaguely to the side. 

But Luxiana took no notice, pressing her palm to her forehead. She'd hurried off and got ready as quickly as possible, so as not to keep the high lord, who was kind enough to take her to see Feyre, waiting too long. And with all this, she'd forgotten all about her hair band. Her hair, if left untied, would end up so tangled by the end of the day that she'd hardly be able to untangle it. That's why she always wore her hair tied. Besides, in the event of an attack, they wouldn't bother her for fighting. 

She looked left and right for something to hold her locks in place, but found nothing. Well, she did find something. A rubber band. In Cassian's hair. She smiled at him with all her teeth, probably a little creepily as Cassian, seeing her looking at him like that, recoiled and frowned. Luxiana broke the distance between them and stood on tiptoe, smiling innocently. She raised her hand to Cassian's face, which surprised him a little more, wondering what she was going to do. But instead of touching him, and in one swift movement, she grabbed the elastic band that tied the top of his hair into a bun, pulling it out and stealing it. Cassian's locks fell back onto his cheeks, and she let out a cute little laugh at the realization. She took the opportunity to tousle his hair a little more, rubbing the top of his head energetically for a second. It was crazy how much she wanted to tease this mass of muscle. "You look good like that too."

Cassian watched helplessly, then when he heard her mocking, he smiled and glanced at his brothers. She'd just stolen his rubber band and messed up his hair as if he wasn't one of the most powerful Illyrians in the country. As if Cassian wasn't dangerous. She was so naive, it was almost hard for Cassian to believe. But she was so cute she could honestly steal anything from him, he'd let her. 

She tied the elastic band at the end of her braid then turned to Rhysand with a sparkling look of excitement and a big smile. "I'm ready! We're good to go!" 

Rhysand smiled as he held out his hand. Luxiana looked at him quizzically. "You don't need to touch me to teleport me, it seems."

Cassian laughed and Rhysand's smile deepened. "No it's true," he breathed before leaning toward her. "But I want to."

Luxiana squinted and contracted her face, giving herself a skeptical expression, but it was only to try to stop her cheeks from reddening. She didn't usually flush that much. Hardly ever, in fact, and yet she did receive compliments. But with these three Illyrians, her body heated up every time. Especially that she'd never heard that the Lord of the Night was the type to flirt with anyone, but he'd given her the impression of doing just that with her since she'd met him. And that flattered her ego in spite of herself. She blew out a breath and rolled her eyes, then gently grabbed Rhysand's hand.  

The clear-eyed Illyrian's fingers tickled him as his soulmate's fingers brushed against his own. He held back a shiver as he tried not to appear disconcerted by the contact. He entangled his fingers with Luxiana's, who let him, smiling. Then, without waiting, they teleported to the spring court. To a few meters in front of Tamlin's immense castle. 

Luxiana wanted to let go of Rhysand and start running towards the mansion, down the alley to the door and back to Feyre as quickly as possible, but the lord stopped her by pulling her towards him. Her soul mate turned in his direction with a questioning look.   

Azriel grunted as he watched the green landscape before him. He wasn't happy to be here. "You can go no further, Tamlin has surrounded his home with a shield of magic and several defensive spells to keep intruders out."

Cassian sneezed, then forcing himself to ignore his eyes which began to sting from the pollen, he laughed softly. "He must not have liked it the last time we were here. He's completely locked himself in his abode, the coward."

Luxiana slowly extricated herself from Rhysand's grip to cross her arms and glare at Cassian with her pupils. "You interrupted his wedding to steal his fiancée, of course he didn't appreciate it. And it's only natural that he'd want to protect himself so it wouldn't happen again." She let out a sound of irritation and frustration as she turned and headed for the mansion. She already knew very well how to get around Tamlin's defenses and penetrate them, this wasn't her first time. 

But Azriel caught her by the arm and turned her towards him. "Wait, Tamlin sensed us. He knows we're here, he'll coming."

No sooner had he finished his sentence than Tamlin, Lucien and Feyre appeared before them. "Luxiana!" cried Feyre with a face relaxed with relief.

"Feyre," she called as she turned to face her. Azriel reluctantly released her as she ran towards her best friend. The Illyrian with the blue siphons could now look at Lucien with squinted eyes and clenched teeth. If the redhead tried anything, he'd cut off his hands.

The two best friends bumped into each other and hugged. "Are you all right?" they asked at the same time, and when they heard this, they laughed. Luxiana took a deep breath, relieved. But a big doubt still compressed her chest.  "Were you able to finish the ceremony? Did you get married?"

Feyre nodded with a smile, her head in Luxiana's neck. Her best friend cared so much about her and others that the first thing she asked her, when she'd been kidnapped, was whether she'd gotten married anyway. "Yes, we finished it because I knew it was what you would have wanted but I wasn't really happy and, it wasn't the same without you."

Luxiana breathed a sigh of relief, her shoulders sagging at the weight leaving her. Then she shrieked, jumping for joy as she grabbed Feyre by the shoulders. "AAAAAAAAHHH. So you're married! You're married."

Feyre rolled her eyes, then grinned broadly as she grabbed Luxiana's forearms and leapt up with her. She was screaming too. "I'm married, I'm married." 

Tamlin, who had been staring warily at the Illyrians until now, pressed his palm to his forehead, weary of the two women as they exploded into laughter.  

Feyre gently calmed down to let go of her best friend, moving away from her so she could detail her and make sure she wasn't hurt. But Lucien took advantage of this moment to walk past Feyre. "Are you all right?" he asked with a worried face. He stretched out his hands towards Luxiana to take her in his arms and give her a hug.

Azriel reacted immediately and clenched his teeth, a bubble of anger bursting in his chest. He was about to draw out his knife, but Rhysand grabbed his wrist without even looking at him, preventing him from moving. Cassian was also holding back with all his being from lunging at Lucien, but Luxiana reacted. 

She leaned back, bending her back at an almost impossible angle. "Hopla, otter dodge," she enunciated as if it were a super defense technique. Then, in this position, she spun around, shifting a few steps to the side to avoid Lucien, who had frozen with his hands in the air when he saw her do it. She straightened up to look at him, grimacing with guilt, "sorry, nothing personal, I'll explain later." Then she walked away, taking four large steps, as Azriel and Cassian had instructed.

Rhysand, Cassian and Azriel's eyes went wide before their hearts swelled. Azriel's pupils were shining brightly. He was so relieved he could have flown without using his wings. Cassian couldn't even feel his snot flowing. In fact, he wasn't sure whether the tears beading from his eyes were due to his allergies or to the joy he felt at seeing his soulmate avoid another man's touch. Rhysand, though trying not to show anything, sighed in spite of himself, reassured. They had every chance. She hadn't yet chosen Lucien.

"So to answer your question," Luxiana resumed. "No, they haven't hurt me and I'm actually doing very well. They're super nice, in fact.”

"Nice? I can't believe it," Lucien replied, detailing Luxiana warily from head to toe and finally dropping his arms limply down his body. 

"We didn't talk to you, shut up," Cassian sighed wearily. He didn't even consider Lucien an enemy anymore, not after Luxiana had shunned his hug. 

Luxiana cast a jaded, half-closed glance at Cassian before turning back to Feyre to smile reassuringly. She was only there for her anyway. "I assure you, they're adorable."

"Yes well, they may be very nice, but you know how to push people's buttons," grinned her best friend uneasily.

Tamlin nodded, completely in agreement, then looked up at Rhysand. "By the way, you lasted twenty-four hours before you got fed up with her and brought her back to us, I'm pretty impressed."

Azriel gritted his teeth. "Be careful how you talk about her."

"We're not here to put her back in your hands," Rhysand clarified sharply, "We're going back with her. She just wanted to come and reassure Feyre, but we'll be keeping her with us for several weeks."

"Several weeks?" exclaimed Lucien and Feyre, their eyes wide with surprise and concern.

"Oh by heavens, thank you," Tamlin breathed in relief as he raised his pupils to the sky. Feyre turned to glare at him. He cleared his throat. "Uh, I meant... Oh no... It's really too bad," he corrected himself without even really trying.

Luxiana blew out a laugh as she raised an eyebrow, "since when are you funny?"

"Since you've been out of my house, it's changed a fae. Life is good, now I see it." He replied seriously. 

"Okay that's enough," interrupted Feyre, raising his hands between them. "You have to stay there for several weeks? Why?"

Luxiana took a deep breath and winced. She didn't like lying to her best friend but she glanced at Rhysand who confirmed with a nod not to say anything. "It's a long story and I can't really tell you the reason today but I assure you that once it's done, I'll tell you about it. I just asked them to drop me off here to let you know and to tell you not to worry until I get back." 

"You're going to spend several weeks with the cruelest lord in the land, of course I'm going to worry!" cried Feyre, scared to death. 

"If it makes you feel any better," Rhysand looked down at his nails, giving himself a bored look, "it's not in my interest to hurt her." 

“It will soon be, don't worry about that," Tamlin breathed more to himself. "I'm surprised you haven't cracked yet, by the way."

Rhysand glared at him. His teeth were clenched so tightly that his jaws ached. How dare he talk about his soul mate like that!? If he hadn't been Luxiana's best friend's new husband, he'd have disintegrated him.

"And what tell me you're not manipulating her mind and deceiving us into thinking she's fine?" remarked Lucien, detailing everyone with squinted eyes.

"Why would we do that?" grinned Rhysand evilly. "It's not like you can stop us from doing anything to her." 

"Why are you here, then?" spat Lucien suspiciously. "You expect me to believe that you just decided to do a good deed by bringing her here so she could just hug her best friend."

"Yes, they did. I told you they were adorable," smiled Luxiana, jumping up and down with joy.

A silence fell between them, with everyone eyeing each other warily. Feyre huffed, turning to Luxiana. "Are you sure you're alright, and will be?"

Luxiana's eyes softened, "Yes, and you know I wouldn't let myself be manipulated or tortured so easily. You know me."

"Yes, that's exactly what worries me. I know you. And you're always getting into trouble," exclaimed Feyre as if it were obvious.

Luxiana burst out laughing. "It'll be fine, I promise. So don't worry too much." 

Feyre nodded in a breath before hugging her best friend one last time. "Take care of yourself," they breathed to each other at the same time. 

Cassian wanted to sigh in a bored tone but it was snot he expelled from his nose, not air. "Well, now that you're both reassured, can we go?"

Luxiana looked back at the three Illyrians, then nodded with a smile and a sympathetic face, silently thanking them for bringing her here. Then she moved closer to them and held out her hand to Rhysand. "We can go now."

Rhysand's heart pulsed violently in his chest at the sight of her intentionally giving him her hand. "Well, you’ll no longer risk your life to send a message to Feyre? And do you still want to kill me?"

Luxiana grimaced with guilt. "Uh no, not anymore, none of that."

"Awesome," Rhys breathed in relief, genuinely reassured to know that she was no longer angry with him. "In that case, we're not going back to the Moonstone Palace." He grabbed Luxiana's hand, entwining her fingers with his again, shivering almost imperceptibly. 

Luxiana frowned, tilting her head. "Where are we going then?"

Rhysand smiled. "To Velaris, the city of starlight."

[icarusflewsworld]

Rhysand & Cassian & Azriel X OC

Hello, here is the chapter 14 of a fanfiction on the world of Acotar where our three favorite Batboys are the mates of a single woman.

Thank you for readings, I love you guys ❤️❤️

Feel free to tell me what you think about the direction the story is taking! Thanks for reading, voting and for your comments. You brighten my day.

! Don't forget to read the previous chapters ! : Here

Enjoy the read !

Chapter 14

Azriel half-opened his heavy eyelids with difficulty. He noticed the room in which he had locked Luxiana yesterday without really seeing her. He repositioned himself a little more comfortably on the wall where he was leaning, his buttocks a little numb from the cold, hard floor he was sitting on. Then, suddenly, he realized. Luxiana! He scrambled to his feet, breathless and heart pounding in his chest. He searched the room frantically for his soul mate.

Then he froze, seeing Luxiana on the bed, in the same place they'd left her yesterday. He could release the air he'd been holding in his lungs, relieved, his shoulders sagging. She was on her back, her face half-covered by her hair, and the drool dripping from the corner of her mouth made Azriel smile gently. Even like this, she was cute. Her arms and legs were at dubious angles, and one of her hands was flat against Cassian's face, which was sleeping as soundly and similarly as Luxiana beside him. 

He grimaced. That bastard. He was so close to Luxiana. Luckily, he hadn't taken advantage of the night to take her in his arms and hug her. Well, maybe that was why she had a hand on his face, because she'd pushed him away. 

Then he looked down and noticed Rhys, on the floor beside Luxiana, lying full length on the ground, completely asleep.

He frowned as he ran his hands through his hair, watching the room a little more for a threat. The sun was fully up, and the warm yellowish rays streaming through the bay window confirmed to him that it was already late. His eyes widened. Had he slept all this time? Had they slept that long? 

He couldn't believe it. He had slept. He usually had great difficulty sleeping. The voices of his shadows, although he was used to them, and whatever else was still bothering him, usually prevented him from doing so, but here, he'd just felt so good. He'd been so reassured to know Luxiana was by their side, and the fact that his shadows had fallen silent, he'd dozed off deeply. 

He glanced at Rhysand. He was sleeping well too. It was crazy. In the last few weeks, thanks to their new bond, he'd felt all the times Rhys hadn't been able to sleep because of his worry about Luxiana, but he'd also felt the nightmares he'd had that distressed him greatly. But now Rhys was sleeping peacefully. Was he as reassured as he was to know Luxiana was by their side?

Azriel winced. They'd been foolhardy to sleep at all. Anything could have happened. Luxiana could have run away again, foolishly endangering her life as she had done so well last night. 

He took a deep breath, then let it out as he dropped onto the wall behind him and slid down to sit up again, but the clanking of his weapons and armor made more noise than expected. Rhysand and Cassian awoke suddenly, straightening up at once, tense and on guard. They looked left and right, ready to fight, but frowned as they remembered where they were. 

"Everything's fine," Azriel said to his two brothers through their telepathic link, not wanting to wake Luxiana, who was still snoring softly. "We just fell asleep."

"Asleep?" repeated Cassian aloud, still confused as he stared at the sunbeams streaming through the bay window.

"Shut up, you'll wake her up," Azriel ordered him, then glanced at Luxiana. Her hand, which had been resting on Cassian's face, had fallen on the mattress when he had straightened up, but she hadn't even felt it. She still hadn't moved. He smiled, at first relieved, but then a worry gripped his gut. She was such a heavy sleeper, it could be so dangerous for her. 

Rhysand cast a puzzled glance at Azriel, who nodded in agreement. “We slept really well," affirmed the shadows singer. "It's past noon."

Rhysand's eyes widened, and he glanced at Luxiana. He'd been so reassured to know she was close to him that he'd fallen asleep. But he hadn't had a single nightmare. He hadn't had one in a long time. He ran his hands over his face to wake himself up, and as he moved he realized he was in his combat gear. So were Cassian and Azriel. They'd slept in those uncomfortable clothes, even with their shoes on. It was crazy. 

After what had happened yesterday, Azriel had rested on the wall on the left side of the room so as to have his eye on Luxiana, the bay window and the front door. Rhysand had then lain on the floor on that side too, jealous of the closeness she had with Cassian in the same bed. And he hadn't even had time to think about what had happened before he'd fallen asleep. Cassian hadn't lasted long either. He'd watched Luxiana sleep, finding her so pretty, before he himself dozed off without even realizing it.

Rhysand turned his head to Luxiana and smiled as he saw her asleep, hair matted, facial muscles relaxed, sprawled like a starfish on the bed and half on top of Cassian. She looked so cute. 

Cassian, still seated, shrugged his shoulders and grinned in acceptance. He'd slept really well and was ready to do it all over again. Especially as the bubble of vanilla perfume surrounding him and emanating from his soul mate calmed him so powerfully that his heart felt as if it had stopped beating. He lay back down and turned towards Luxiana, tucking his wings behind him. He detailed the landscape of tangled hair and drool that offered to him with a smile. He remembered when he'd opened his eyes that night and seen her curled up in a ball under the blanket Azriel had laid over her. She looked cold and he'd wanted to warm her, so he'd reached up to wrap his wings around her body but, without even waking up, she'd pushed him away with a firm hand on his face. And her palm hadn't left Cassian's face all night. 

The army commander's smile widened. She was his soul mate. He could see his brothers in his field of vision, and he noticed that they were staring at her too. In any case, the feeling of peace, tenderness and comfort he felt in his chest wasn't just Cassian's. It was their soul mate. It was their soul mate. "How are we going to do this?" he asked through their bond.

"How are we going to do what?" replied Rhysand, deflecting her eyes towards him just as Azriel did. 

"When she will love us. Will we have to make a schedule so that each of us can take turns spending the night with her? It’s horrible to think that" A ball of stress and apprehension crushed Cassian's stomach, and the same feelings arose in Azriel and Rhysand. "Will she even want this? One of us is already a lot for one woman, so three for the same one, will she want this? Will she put up with all three of us? Will she even be able to unite with three people? Does the ceremony foresee such a possibility? Will she have to marry just one of us? What about sleeping with her? We've never shared the same woman in bed, so how do we ...?"

"That's enough," interrupted Rhys, "calm down. We'll sort it all out in due time. She doesn't like us yet anyway. Let's take it one day at a time and try to get her to like us first, then we'll see. Besides, given her character, I'm sure she'll sort things out on her own." Rhysand said this, but doubt was also eating him up inside. He'd been asking himself all these questions every second since he'd met Luxiana.

Cassian nodded, relaxing as he took a deep breath. Rhysand was right. Their soul mate was no slouch, and she'd probably manage all three of them just fine. She already did. He returned his gaze to Luxiana and smiled. It would worth it to give everything and fight for her, he was convinced. She was his mate, after all. He reached up to brush the hair from her cheeks, stroking the skin of her face with his fingertips. "My bed would be big enough to receive all four of us. Maybe I'd always known we'd share the same soul mate."

Rhysand smiled wryly as he sat cross-legged. "I swear, if we come to sleep in the same bed for her, if either of you get too close to me or to touch me, especially if you're naked, I'll disintegrate you."

Cassian and Azriel burst out laughing, trying to be as quiet as possible despite everything.

Wanting to get closer to her again, Cassian slid in her direction, but the bed was far too small and limited his movements. He wanted to try again to take her in his arms. He grabbed Luxiana by the hips to turn her towards him and bring her close enough to fall asleep again for hours, but his soulmate grunted. 

Azriel rolled his eyes, cursing his brother by their bond. "Cassian, I'm going to break your fingers, let her sleep."

Luxiana, without even opening an eye, pressed both palms and both feet flat against Cassian's abdomen to push him away. And she remained in that position, bent in two and still completely asleep. Cassian couldn't help himself and burst out laughing loudly. 

"Cass," Rhysand scolded to make him stop laughing and not wake up Luxiana, but it was too late.

The blonde sat up suddenly, letting out a cry of frustration. She grabbed the pillow behind her to press it against Cassian's face with both hands, surely hoping to smother the brunet with it. But Cassian laughed even harder. The Illyrian gently pushed back the cushion and Luxiana, not wanting to murder him just yet, decided to pull it away. She struck Cassian's thigh once with it, then returned it to its place behind his back. She ran her hands over her face to wake herself up, then crossed her arms, detailing the three Illyrians and their positions. "This isn't the best way to wake me up, you know," she growled in a broken voice.

Rhysand smiled wryly as he slowly rose to his feet. He looked down at Luxiana from his heigh for a moment as she stared at him intently. He leaned towards her, "what's the best way to wake you up then?"

Luxiana swallowed hard, lost for a second in Rhysand's beautiful violet-blue eyes before squinting, remembering that she was angry with them. But why was she already? "Not to," she replied coldly as she lay back down, curling up into a ball with her back to Rhysand. 

Cassian laughed softly.  "Are you always in such a bad mood in the morning?"

Luxiana muttered through her teeth. "Only when you're the one who wakes me up." 

The three Illyrians grimaced as they glanced at each other. Either she was always in a very bad mood in the morning, or she was still angry with them. Rhysand huffed, resting her buttocks beside her soul mate on the bed.

Luxiana, feeling the mattress in her back sink, closed her eyes a little tighter as she moved back, sliding further until she couldn't, coming into contact with Cassian. She preferred him for the moment. 

Azriel jumped to his feet and approached the bed, ready to move away Cassian and Rhysand, who were oppressing his mate. Azriel understood that she couldn't be enjoying this too much. He understood that when you're a young woman, you can't necessarily be very reassured by the presence of two unknown men so close to you in a bed. But Rhysand spoke. "We'd like to apologize.”

Azriel stopped a few steps away from Rhysand with some surprise. He'd never seen him apologize for anything before. To apologize was to admit his wrongdoing, and Rhys was the high lord; he couldn't afford to do that, it would have denied his authority. And when Cassian had spoken of making amends to their soul mate, Azriel hadn't thought those words would be uttered by Rhysand. But they had been. He smiled. Rhysand had put aside his pride and his role for their soulmate. He was a good man. He was reassured to know that Luxiana would be treated well with her two brothers too. He was happy to know that relations with his brothers would take a whole new turn thanks to Luxiana.

The blonde, completely taken aback by Rhysand's words, jumps to sit straight, startling the three Illyrians. She leaned back against the headboard and crossed her hands over her thighs. She looked at Rhysand with an attentive and serious face. "Why?" she asked slowly, in a drawling voice as she squinted her eyes. 

Rhysand glanced at Cassian and Azriel, and the three of them smiled softly, realizing that their future words could determine the rest of their relationship with their soulmate and her behavior towards them. "For interrupting Feyre's wedding and behaving like cads," continued Rhysand, gazing into his soulmate's electrifying blue eyes. 

Luxiana frowned for a second. Was he sincere? Was the high lord of the night court apologizing to her? For real? "Really?"

"Oh we can promise you we really blame ourselves, yes," Cassian smiled as he straightened up and leaned on the bed in the same way as Luxiana.

Luxiana glanced at him sideways, wary. "Why did you do it then?"

Rhysand took a deep breath, he didn't want to lie to her too much so he inspired from the truth. "Yesterday we learned something very... disturbing and..."

"What have you learned?" she asked, inclining her head and detailing the fae lord with piercing eyes. 

Azriel and Rhysand glanced at each other. Cassian laughed softly. "Someday you'll find out, believe me."

She crossed her arms, puckering up her face and settling a little more herself in the mattress, making the Illyrian smile triple. "And then what?" she sought to know more.

"And so," Rhysand continued, trying to regain a modicum of seriousness.  "As a result, all the decisions that were made yesterday were hasty and made in anger. Like the one where we decided to go and get Feyre to return the favor she'd promised."

"Which is?" she interrupted him again.

Azriel crossed his arms, glancing half-closed at Luxiana. "He could come to it if he wasn't interrupted every two seconds."

Luxiana gave him a dark look, which Azriel returned.

Rhysand placed his hand on the young woman's cheek, then forced her to turn her head towards him and take her eyes off Azriel. He wanted her to see how sincere he was. "We decided this on the spur of the moment, thinking it would be a good idea, and went straight for Feyre. We really didn't think we'd be interrupting her wedding."

Luxiana loved the contact of these three Illyrians far too much. It turned her inside out so much that she couldn't even think straight. When she spoke, her voice was weak, uncertain and a little too high-pitched. "Despite how much you hate Tamlin, you still wouldn't have interrupted his wedding?"

Cassian blew out a laugh. "We would have interrupted him in other circumstances but not here, not knowing he was marrying your best friend and certainly not knowing what she means to you." 

Luxiana's eyes widened as she stared at Cassian before her cheeks flushed violently. "Liar," she said, lowering her head. 

Azriel felt his heart pounding against his ribcage. She was so cute.

"We don't lie, I assure you," Rhysand said, shifting his hand from Luxiana's cheek to her chin to catch her jaw. He raised his soulmate's flushed head to him. 

She looked at Rhysand with doubt. She wanted to believe in his sincerity, but the massacre they'd made at the wedding wasn't erased. "Why do you need Feyre, or me, or anyone?"

Rhysand straightened his back, letting go of Luxiana and putting on a serious face. "Time is running out to neutralize the cauldron and prevent Hybern from destroying the wall. We must save the humans and to do that we must find the second part of the book of breathing. We already know it's in the summer court, but despite our many searches, we haven't been able to find out exactly where it is in the summer court. So we have to go there, locate it and steal it. And that's where we need someone. We're going to need all the help we can get to find that part of the book. And it's because of all this that we were in such a hurry. We hastily decided yesterday to stop searching and get on with it. It was a bad coincidence with Feyre's wedding."

Luxiana frowned. Part of her wanted to believe him, and to believe the glint of supplication that shone in his eyes. He seemed to really want her to forgive them. But another part of Luxiana, her logical, thoughtful part, which was putting all the events together and analyzing them, was screaming at her that something was wrong. That there was something the Lord wasn't telling her. 

Even so, she had to admit that his story made sense and could be true. After all, it could really be. She wanted to believe them. She liked them. Besides, it would make sense, that's why they needed a woman, to seduce the lord of the summer court and make him tell her where he'd locked the book. She could do that. "I can do that," she affirmed, nodding seriously. Everything that had happened at the wedding had been terrible and she was still a little upset, but Rhysand was right, time was running out. Now she understood why he'd done it in such a hurry, so she blamed them a lot less. But the doubt lingered in the blonde's mind with a bitter taste in the back of her mouth. What if they were lying? But why would they lie to her? She had nothing to offer them that they could possibly want. And in any case, she'd know in due course whether what they were saying was true or not. "But why didn't you talk to Feyre about it in that case?"

Rhys smiled wryly, she was clever but he'd planned everything. "Because this mission must remain secret, we can't compromise it... there were a lot of people at the wedding and a lot of people we don't trust. That's why we didn't say anything. But when we will be in possession of the second part of the book, we'll talk to her about it."

"And why didn't you let me say goodbye?" She insisted. She intended to get to the bottom of the whole affair. 

Azriel huffed, pinching the bridge of his nose. Why the hell was she so relentless? "As Rhys said, we were on edge. We acted without thinking and seeing all those people, it surprised us. We just wanted to get away as quickly as possible."

Luxiana took a deep breath, then lowered her eyes. She finally had answers to her questions, or at least she could settle for that for now. But it didn't help her solve her problem. She needed to contact Feyre or see her to reassure her. She knew her best friend was worried sick about her. She thought Rhysand was cruel and was probably torturing her. She just wanted to reassure her. Living in anguish would hurt Feyre and she didn't want that.

Rhysand noticed the gleam of concern and disappointment in Luxiana’s eyes. "Is it that important for you to see Feyre?" 

Luxiana simply nodded, her mind elsewhere, already imagining hundreds of plans per second to contact Feyre.

"Then we'll take you to see her. Whenever you want."

Luxiana raised a wide-eyed look of surprise at Rhysand before both her pupils began to glow brightly. "For real?"

"For real?" repeated Azriel just as surprised as Luxiana. He had clenched his teeth and his voice was wheezy. Luxiana was also his soul mate and he had something to say about it too, but Rhysand didn't seem to care. He didn't want his soul mate to get too close to Lucien again. He was going to have to have a talk with Rhysand. He had to learn to share all things concerning his soul mate, including decisions.

The lord glanced at Azriel before returning his gaze to his mate and nodding, more than happy to see that dazzling smile on her face again. 

Luxiana let out an exclamation of delight as she passed Rhysand and leapt to her feet. She didn't really believe in Rhysand's kindness, but wanted to find out if he had something on his mind or if he just wanted to please her. And either way, she intended to benefit from this moment to see Feyre. "Now then! Let's go now! I'm going in the shower!"

Cassian, who had crossed his hands behind his skull, watched the scene with tenderness. He would love to see this kind of scene every morning. Seeing his mate bickering and talking with his brothers. His heart was doing strange things in his chest, but it didn't seem wrong. 

Just as she was about to pass Azriel, he caught her by the arm, immobilizing her with a single blow. She gave him a confused look, but Azriel pointed at her. "We'll go on one condition."

Luxiana inclined her head to let Azriel know she was listening, and to encourage him to continue. 

"You don't touch Lucien, if he touches you you push him away and you don't get closer than three steps to him." he said in a growling voice.

"Four," Cassian accented, nodding in agreement with Azriel. 

"Four steps," Azriel then modified. "Is that clear?"

Rhysand huffed, casting dark, reproving glances at his two brothers. They mustn't let her think she was their soul mate, she'd get scared and intimidated, but Azriel's jealousy was stronger than that. Rhysand hoped Luxiana had no idea.  

The blonde frowned so much her forehead hurt. "What's your problem with Lucien? He's really..."

Cassian jerked to his feet with a growl, "If you're going to speak out about oh how wonderful you think Lucien is, I'm out of here, it'll be without me." He started for the door, but Azriel stopped him by raising a hand.

He caught Luxiana's chin in his grip, turning her head toward him. "It's none of your business what's wrong between us and Lucien. We're allowing you to see Feyre, but we've set a condition in exchange, so we expect you to respect it. Is that clear?" Azriel gritted his teeth. He didn't like talking to his soulmate like that, but he was so jealous, so angry, that he couldn't contain his dry tone too much.

Rhysand squinted at Azriel. He was seeing a whole new side to his brother thanks to Luxiana, and he'd had no idea he was so dominant and authoritarian in his relationships before now. He knew that the three of them were having a hard time dealing with all the amplified emotions they were feeling, but Rhysand, though deadly jealous, would never have forbidden his soulmate to approach anyone. But he said nothing; he knew it was better for everyone if she stayed away from Lucien. And despite that, a bad part of him was reassured to see that Azriel was like that. A bad part of him was reassured that he'd have that role in the relationship and that he'd make sure their soul mate didn't get too close to any other man. But he'd keep an eye on him. He wouldn't let him stop their soul mate from living.

Luxiana smiled as she tilted her head, glaring at the Illyrian who held her attentively. She was determined to find out what was wrong between them and Lucien. She didn't like taking orders, but part of her appreciated Azriel's authoritarian behavior. This time, she intended to stay away from Lucien until she'd got to the bottom of the whole thing and got to know the three Illyrians a little better. After all, as much as she liked the redhead, she didn't really care whether she got close to him or not. He was only her friend. And the important thing was Feyre. She shrugged. "If you like."

Azriel released her slowly, and Luxiana wasted no time going to the bathroom. He watched her walk away with a mixture of emotion in his chest. She'd shrugged her shoulders as if she didn't care about Lucien, and his whole body lightened at the realization, but it wasn't the answer Azriel would have wanted. He would have liked her to tell him that Lucien was nobody to her. But at least she wouldn't go near him. Azriel was so afraid that Luxiana would realize that Lucien was better than him, better than them. 

"Luxiana," Rhysand called to her as Luxiana went to close the bathroom door. She turned to him with a questioning look. "We'll wait for you in the hall" 

Cassian and Azriel glanced at him half-surprised, half-furious, but Rhysand paid them no mind. He had no reason to keep an eye on her now that she'd not run off to see Feyre like they were going to see her now. And he was giving her some space. He didn't want her to be sick of them already. "There are clothes in the closet," he added feverish to see her in his colors, "please, help yourself."

Luxiana nodded and closed the bathroom door. The three Illyrians reluctantly left the room. The three of them were really going to have to have a talk, especially as they didn't want to behave in the same way with their soul sister.

[icarusflewsworld]

Rhysand & Cassian & Azriel X OC

Hello, here is the chapter 13 of a fanfiction on the world of Acotar where our three favorite Batboys are the mates of a single woman.

Thank you for readings, I love you guys ❤️❤️

Feel free to tell me what you think about the direction the story is taking! Thanks for reading, voting and for your comments. You brighten my day.

! Don't forget to read the previous chapters ! : Here

Happy reading!

Chapter 13

The three Illyrians walked with stress and apprehension towards Luxiana's room. They passed through the corridors of the Moonstone palace, and although they hadn't seen them for a long time, they didn't take the time to detail them or remember them. They were far too busy trying to anticipate the discussion they were going to have with their soul sister, imagining everything that might happen, everything they should say. 

Rhysand was scared to death. He was a Fae high lord, he hadn't had an easy life, but he'd never been more stressed than since he'd met his soul mate. He didn't think he could ever be more anxious than he was now. He hoped with all his heart that they would succeed in calming her down and making her forgive them. He just wanted to finally get to know her. He just wanted to be able to spend time with her. He knew he should have given her some time. He should have had this talk with her tomorrow or when she wanted to have it, when she was more relaxed, but he was just in such a hurry to know that she didn't hate him anymore. He didn't want her to go to sleep pissed off at him. Not on her first night with him, and never after. 

Azriel walked with a tense, robotic gait, almost limping. He dreaded this future encounter with every fiber of his being. His muscles were painfully contracted, his throat tight and his stomach oppressed. No matter how many deep breaths he took, nothing calmed him. His brain even began to hurt from the shadows around him, whispering things in his ear without interruption. "Where is she?", "our soul mate", "where?", "we must have her near". He should be used to them by now, but lately they'd been so insistent. Ever since he'd met Luxiana, the voices had been silent only when he was close to her. When she wasn't within sight, his shadows claimed her, constantly, preventing him from even getting to sleep. Usually, they knew everything about everyone, but not about Luxiana. Her shadows either refused to tell him anything about his soul mate, or they really didn't know anything about her. His shadows couldn't even smell her, know where she was or what she was doing, who she was with. No matter how hard he tried, how much he wanted to, how much he concentrated his power, he could never get any information. He just couldn't. And that wasn't possible. This had never happened to Azriel. He could have gone completely mad, but when Luxiana was around, everything fell silent. When she was around, he was so at peace.

Cassian walked with his hands in his pockets, almost whistling with excitement. Of course he wanted Luxiana to forgive them. He wanted her to regain her characteristic cheerfulness and good humor, which she seemed to have all the time except since she'd been here. But at the same time... He loved it so much when she was upset, he loved it when she hated them. It awakened something in him, something tender that made his heart melt because she was so cute, but it also awakened something primal, something he didn't want to hold back. So, although he could feel his brothers' anguish, he was quite relaxed, because in any case, his soul mate was there. She was safe with them. She was close to them and she was their soul mate. He wanted to jump out of joy. It didn't matter what happened during this discussion, whether she forgave them or hit them, because either way, Cassian would love it and enjoy the moment.

They arrived at the large bedroom door and stopped in front of it, doubtful. Rhysand glanced at his brothers and, under Cassian's encouraging nod, took a deep breath and knocked. A few seconds passed as they waited for their soul sister to open the door with a growing ball of anxiety, but no one came.  

Cassian, Rhysand and Azriel glanced at each other in confusion and concern, frowning. Cassian knocked on the door, a little louder than Rhysand this time, but still no answer. "Perhaps she's fallen asleep?" he observed, detailing the entrance to the room as if an answer were written there. 

Azriel blew out a laugh. "Considering how upset she was, it seems surreal to me that she dozed off after that."

Rhysand looked down, realizing with some disappointment. "Maybe she just doesn't want to open the door and see us." 

Cassian didn't like the mixture of feelings simmering in his chest, echoing the disappointment he and his brothers felt. Were they really going to leave without getting what they'd gone for? No. "Never mind, she'll only be more upset," he said before opening the bedroom door uninvited.

Azriel winced as he tried to stop him, but Cassian dodged him to enter the room.

"Cassian, no," Rhysand chided him curtly, but his brother had already entered. 

Rhysand and Azriel swore. Luxiana was going to hate them even more now. They followed him almost at a run, adrenalin pulsing through their vessels. They intended to grab Cassian by the scruff of the neck and pull him out against his will. They stopped beside him, ready to extricate him, but they were tense, their shoulders slightly raised, expecting to receive tons of insults or things thrown in their faces by their soulmate. But they froze in the middle of the room, receiving nothing. Only silence greeted them. 

They looked around apprehensively, almost expecting to see Luxiana tetanized by shock somewhere, but they didn't see her. They gradually widened their eyelids before moving their eyes frantically, starting to turn on themselves. "What the hell?" cried Cassian, running into the room to lift the sheets and look under the bed. 

"Luxiana," Rhysand called as he ran to the bathroom, but the door was open and she wasn't inside either. Rhysand began to panic. What if one of his enemies had found a way to penetrate his defenses and had attacked Luxiana? His heart began to leap wildly in his chest and he began to tremble. 

Azriel reflexively cast his shadows as far around him as possible, scanning every inch of the house as if they could detect his soul mate, when in fact they couldn’t. He looked behind every piece of furniture to make sure she wasn't hiding there either. The air refused to enter his lungs. Where was she? Was she hurt?

Cassian caught his hair in both fists as he spun around, detailing every corner of the room, even the ceiling. He could feel himself dying. He'd have been happy in every case except the one where his soulmate disappeared. Damn it, had they got the wrong room? No, impossible, it was the one he'd put her in earlier. The one between his and Rhys's and the one facing Az's. 

Rhysand and Azriel ran to the door to search for her elsewhere in the house, thinking that they might not have felt her leave. Thinking that perhaps she'd managed to outwit the protection and surveillance spells they'd placed around. But as they passed Cassian's side, the Illyrian with the red siphons stopped spinning to freeze and hiccupped in surprise. The other two Illyrians turned to face him. 

Cassian was breathless. He stared at the bedroom's large bay window with eyes wide with awe. It was fully open and the cool wind was blowing inside, waltzing the dark blue lace curtains towards them. He took a step towards the small balcony before running towards it, imagining the worst. 

Rhysand and Azriel understood too. Their hearts rose in their throats and their breaths were cut off. What if she'd fallen? They ran, wavering, towards Cassian. They arrived in front of the silver barricade where they placed their hands, clutching at it to keep from faltering. They leaned forward, almost capsizing in the void, to look down in growing fear that their soulmate had crashed to the ground, but all they could see was the abyssal drop several kilometers long, whose darkness of night prevented them from seeing very far. 

Rhysand was scared to death.  He'd been wrong earlier. He'd never been as stressed and scared as he was now. He was completely tetanized and couldn't even breathe. He had no composure. He was panicking. He couldn't think. He didn't know what to do. 

Azriel gripped the railing so tightly that it deformed into the shape of his fingers. He frantically moved his gaze around in search of his soul mate. What the hell was going on? Why did nothing ever go as planned with this woman? He was so scared his eyes were burning. If something had happened to her, what would he do? 

Cassian leaned on the fence to climb over and jump. He let himself fall into the void, hoping with all his might not to see Luxiana's corpse at the foot of the mountain. He was trembling and almost didn't want to flap his wings to stop his fall. 

Rhysand and Azriel joined their brother, flapping their wings to take flight and then sticking them to their backs to dive steeply to the ground. But Cassian noticed something on the mountainside. He opened his wings suddenly, stopping in mid-fall, looking with squinted eyes to better analyze the green and white dot moving on the rock a few meters from them. He opened his mouth wide, unable to believe what he was seeing and feeling downright hallucinatory. "Is this some kind of fucking joke?" he shouted.

Rhysand and Azriel stopped in the air beside him, staring at his expression for a second without understanding, before turning to look at what he was seeing. They turned white, feeling as if they too were having a nightmare, completely shocked.

Over there, in the distance, someone was climbing the mountain. Or rather, de-climbing. Someone was descending the mountain, clinging to the fragile, crumbly stones protruding from the wall. A person with a green dress and a bun of white hair. Luxiana. 

"What's she doing there?" shouted Rhysand so loudly that the sound echoed through the valley. 

A drop of sweat trickled down Luxiana's forehead. Despite the fairly cool temperature, she was dead hot from the effort. She hadn't anticipated that the holds would be so few and so fragile, yet they were. She was having a bit of trouble, but nothing she couldn't overcome. Anyway, she'd already climbed something even worse. Her hands ached from clinging so tightly to tiny bits of mountain, and her muscles trembled. 

Suddenly, she came to a halt, flattening herself against the mountain. Had she just heard the voice of the lord of the night court, or had she been dreaming? She looked left and right in panic. She'd been waiting for dinner to pass and for them to dismiss her for the night in her room so she could have all that time to get down the mountain and send a message to Feyre. There was no way the lord would know she was running away, right? Had he installed defenses and spells to guard her that she hadn't found and circumvented? 

Azriel twirled, a flash of anger and madness electrocuted him from top to bottom. Did she really want to die or what? She could fall! He was mad with rage. "She's taking the piss out of me?!" He rushed towards her, flying at breakneck speed, flapping his wings with all his might.

Cassian and Rhysand followed. 

Hearing all the noises behind, Luxiana turned her head to see three angry Illyrians rushing towards her. She hiccupped in surprise, jumping so sharply that her fingers slipped from her grip on the rock. She turned her head, eyes wide, her heart missing a beat. She tried to grab hold of the mountain, slamming her hands against the wall, but she couldn't grasp anything. She fell off the cliff. She screamed at the top of her lungs, realizing that her body was in freefall and that she was about to crash to the ground. She flailed her arms and legs in all directions to find a hold and catch herself. Would the Illyrians save her? She wasn't going to die like that, was she? But she stopped screaming, closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She hadn't felt this way in a long time. This peace. This freedom.

Azriel, Cassian and Rhysand's hearts stopped in fear as they saw their mate fall, paralyzing them for a microsecond before starting up again wildly, urging them to catch her before she crashed to the ground. They rushed towards her, trembling, eyes burning, stomachs turning. 

Azriel was the fastest and the first to reach her. With one arm, he grabbed Luxiana by the pelvis, but with the other hand, he grabbed the back of her skull to hold her steady and prevent her from breaking her neck at the sudden stop of the fall. He pinned her to his chest as Luxiana groaned in relief. She wrapped her legs around Azriel's hips and her arms around his neck, clinging to him a little tighter, holding him. Azriel straightened up, pivoting upwards, skimming the ground only a few meters away. He flapped his wings hastily to return to the room they'd just left, unable even to rejoice at the proximity of his soul mate, still reeling from what had just happened, as if his body were anesthetized. 

Luxiana was even more dishevelled, but her heart calmed. She'd almost died, no big deal, especially since it hadn't happened so many times to her already. So everything was fine. 

Azriel landed on the balcony and grabbed Luxiana's hips. He pushed her back almost brutally, as if Luxiana's body was burning him, forcing her to land on her feet. He grabbed her shoulders. "What the hell were you doing there???" he shouted in her face, shaking her lightly back and forth.

Luxiana breathed loudly and exaggeratedly as she began to smile. She put her hands on her hips, still breathless from what had just happened. 

But Cassian and Rhysand joined them, landing heavily beside them. Cassian ran towards Luxiana, nudging Azriel with his shoulder to make him let go of his soul mate and take his place face to face with her. He began to observe the blonde frantically, looking for wounds, his eyes burning. She was human, she could die if a scratch got infected. He grabbed the blonde's arms and lifted them to peer underneath. He turned her to look at her back, then turned her back to face him again to look at her legs, barely noticing that she'd ripped off the bottom of her dress to shorten her petticoats so as not to be disturbed on the way down.

Luxiana let him do so, frowning and casting a confused glance at Rhysand and Azriel, but they were only detailing her up and down in the same way as Cassian. Were they really afraid of her being hurt? She thought the three of them were really cute, weird but cute.

Azriel, noticing no trace of blood, took a few steps away, spinning in circles, no longer holding his ground. He ran his hands through his hair, clutching it in his fists, almost tearing it off. He couldn't believe what had just happened. They couldn't believe it. 

Rhysand had to crouch down. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't stand it. He couldn't stand it. They could have lost her today. They could have lost her so stupidly. They could have lost her when she was only two steps away from them, just because she wanted to... run away? He jumped to his feet, rage replacing fear. "What the fuck was that?" he swore, forgetting all convenance.

Luxiana laughed out loud, causing the three Illyrians to freeze and widen their eyes. She huffed theatrically. "That was a close one. I almost died. Nice save, thanks!"

None of the three Illyrians could believe it. She was taking it so lightly when she'd almost died that it seemed surreal. 

Rhysand was completely paralyzed, staring at her with wide eyes, still trying to recover from his emotions and what had just happened. He was still shaking and she was laughing and acting as if nothing had happened. 

Cassian was equally flabbergasted. He'd been so scared he felt like throwing up. But he detailed her again to make sure she really wasn't hurt. He huffed as he took a few steps back. Hearing her laugh reassured him, despite everything. She wasn't dead, but she could have been. What the hell was she doing there? He began to realize, anger pulsing through his body. He breathed rapidly and noisily.

Azriel imploded. His muscles felt like they were painfully compressing his bones, and his heart ached. It hurt so much. He'd been so scared. He exploded. He turned to Luxiana, breaking the distance between them in the blink of an eye. 

He grabbed her throat, simply resting his fingers loosely on her skin. He pushed her to tackle her gently to the wall of the building, right next to the bay window. "Are you completely insane? You could have died! What the hell were you doing on that fucking mountain, Luxiana?" he shouted, searching for an answer in his soulmate's eyes, or at least a little lucidity. 

She hadn't even blinked when he'd thrown himself at her, and she'd smiled when he'd tackled her to the wall. She just stared at him with big eyes full of interest. As if she couldn't wait to find out what he was going to do next. As if she was gauging his reaction. But the truth was that the proud, confident look she'd taken on was to hide the fact that she was aroused by Azriel's movement and proximity. 

Cassian rushed at Azriel, putting his hand on his brother's shoulder. He was about to pull him back and punch him in the face for daring to grab his soulmate by the throat and tackle her to the wall, but he stopped when he saw Luxiana's expression. She was smiling and didn't even seem a little perturbed; on the contrary, she seemed intrigued. She detailed them both with shining eyes and a tilted head. There was no fear in her gaze. No doubt. Yet she should. Not that Cassian wanted to intimidate or scare her, but she was surrounded by three powerful, angry Illyrians. She didn't know them and they had a reputation as cruel faes. She should be frightened. Anyone would be scared. But not her. As if she had nothing to fear from them. As if she had complete control over the situation.

Rhysand placed his hands on his face, a little more violently than necessary, before rubbing it vigorously. His soul mate was going to kill him. He was going to have a heart attack because of her, he was sure of it. He'd never experienced so many different emotions so intensely as he had in the last twenty-four hours. He was exhausted. He ran his hands through his hair, then intertwined his fingers together to hold the back of his neck. He looked up at Luxiana. His heart was finally calming, but he gritted his teeth. She was completely unconscious. Completely mad. His arms fell limply back. "Answer the question, Luxiana," he articulated coldly, regaining his high lord mask.

Luxiana set her blue eyes on Rhysand then realized, losing her smile. She wrinkled her nose and winced. She couldn't believe it. They'd found her. They'd managed to know she was out of her room, how had they done that? She rolled her eyes, blowing again. She relaxed, dropping a little more onto the wall behind her as she rested a confident gaze on Azriel. She shrugged with a smirk, "I was exercising."

Azriel let go of her abruptly. He turned and took a few steps away, his fists clenched. This woman was going to push him to his limit. He glared at her, breathing fiercely. 

Cassian walked away, laughing falsely. She was mocking them. She didn't care that she'd almost died. He wasn't well. How could he protect his soul mate if she was so intent on dying?

Rhysand calmed down. There was no expression on his face, only a wintry chill. But inside, he was boiling with rage. The lava flowing through his veins could have dried up entire oceans. He moved closer to Luxiana, still leaning against the wall, detailing the three of them with the same intrigued air. Once in front of her, he placed his index finger under her chin, lifting her head, forcing her to look only at him. He leaned forward, "Don't forget that at any moment, we can bring you back and take Feyre at your place, so I strongly advise you not to cause us too much trouble, stay put and answer our fucking questions." He hated the way he'd talked to her, but if it was the only thing that would get him answers and that would help to protect his soul mate then he'd keep going.

Luxiana gritted her teeth. She remembered what had happened and how angry she was with them. She bit her tongue to keep from slapping Rhysand across the face, but she pushed away his index finger under her jaw with violence, sending the brunet's arm flying further away. She straightened up to the wall, moving a little closer to Rhysand, their faces almost brushing against each other as she glared at him.

Rhysand held back a shiver at the electricity between them and the ghostly touch of his soul mate’s skin so close to his own. He didn't show how disturbed he was, but his breathing had stopped and he swallowed hard. 

She shifted to the side, extricating herself from between him and the wall to move away. She positioned herself under the bedroom window frame, crossing her arms and killing them with her eyes. 

Luxiana had to move away. She'd like to think it was because she was angry with them, but it was because it was too much. She'd been far too disturbed by the proximity of Azriel, then Rhysand after him and Cassian's eyes watching her intently before all that. Her heart had begun to beat strangely and irregularly. Her body had burst into flames, tickling her all over. She knew she had an attraction to villains and found the three Illyrians sexy, but she'd always had control over how she felt, except now. "Alright, you got me, congratulations to you," she laughed curtly as she turned and stormed into the room. She couldn't forget that she'd been pissed off at them for destroying Feyre's wedding.

Cassian huffed, rolling his eyes, but finally let out a smirk. She was completely crazy. He followed her to grab her by the elbow and swivel her towards him. He opened his mouth to speak, but when he saw her face wrinkled with anger, he stopped. He huffed, unable to do anything but study Luxiana's blue pupils. She was stubborn. Being upset would only upset his soul mate even more. The discussion would go round in circles. He raised his hand to the blonde's face, resting his palm gently on her cheek.

Luxiana couldn't help closing her eyes for a second, much more comforted than she should have been by Cassian's big, warm, calloused hand on her skin. She was so exhausted after what had just happened today, but she forced herself to open her eyes again, trying not to let anything show. But Cassian and his tender smile had surely seen something. 

The Illyrian's smile widened as he watched her shudder violently as he slid his fingers down her arm, caressing her skin with his fingertips to her wrist, her palm and then her fingers. He then placed this hand on Luxiana's other cheek, framing her face with his palms. 

Luxiana couldn't help but take a deep, invigorating breath, completely relaxed by Cassian's warming touch. 

Cassian detailed her with interest. She was so beautiful. The silver light from the palace made her pale skin glow and suited her so well. He didn't quite realize it yet. She was his soul mate and his brothers. And they'd almost lost her already. He'd just been so scared. He'd never been able to take it. "You really scared us," his voice was so soft it felt like satin was coming out of his mouth. 

Luxiana, although she didn't think it was possible and was beginning to wonder if the Illyrians didn't have some superpower to relax her, calmed down another level. Her shoulders slumped. The sincerity she saw in Cassian's eyes made her heart dance. She knew it wasn't because they cared about her that they'd been frightened, and that it must have had something to do with the service she had to perform for them, but Luxiana's body couldn't help reacting. Her chest and stomach tickled. Perhaps she had gastroenteritis?

Cassian pulled her gently towards him with his grip on her cheeks, unable to do otherwise, wanting to feel her even closer to him.

She slid towards him without resistance, brushing her chest with the Illyrian's. All she could do was stare into Cassian's pupils with wide eyes, as if she was hypnotized. 

Cassian smiled a little wider at this realization and his whole body vibrated with joy. "Why were you on the mountainside?" His eyebrows had furrowed a little under the worry he remembered feeling when he saw her hanging miles above the ground. 

Luxiana opened her mouth several times, searching for words. She wanted to recapture the anger she had previously felt for them. She wanted to remember what they'd done today at her best friend's wedding, but she was completely drained of all negative feelings and anesthetized by Cassian's touch. All she could see were his brown, almost black eyes. They were beautiful. So deep. They made her think of pure strength, an earthquake of power, but at the same time, a shield of protection and a hug of tenderness. She was completely amazed. Cassian could ask her anything in this position, and she'd give him all the answers he wanted. "I just wanted to find a way to contact Feyre and be able to tell her that everything was okay, that you weren't torturing me like she probably thinks you are doing." Her voice was just a breath, she barely realized what she was saying. "I thought you wouldn't have realized anything. I would have been back by dawn."

Azriel gritted his teeth. He crossed his arms, taking a few steps forward so as to place himself in Cassian's vision, several meters behind Luxiana, just where he could make sure his brother saw him glowering at him.  "You bastard," he spat at him via their barely accustomed telepathic link. And the fact that Cassian gave him a laughing look, pursing his lips so as not to laugh at him, irritated him thirty times over. He couldn't believe it. It was that roughneck Cassian, the roughest of them all, who'd managed to calm their soulmate down and get the answers they wanted. Since when was his brother capable of being so gentle with anyone anyway? And the way she looked at him? With her big eyes, so attentive and cute. He was dead jealous. 

Rhysand felt like Azriel. He was touched for a second to see his soul mate so cute and cooperative, but her words finally got through to his brain. He understood what she had just said. He exploded, his heart sending his blood pulsing noisily in his ears. His eyes widened, he still couldn't believe it. He shouted, "You climbed down a mountainside and risked your life to send a message to Feyre ????? Just to send a message???"

Luxiana flinched a little at Rhysand's scream, blinking several times, slowly coming back to herself.

Cassian growled, glowering at his brother who had just broken the bubble of intimacy he'd established with his soulmate. 

But Rhysand took no notice. He was out of himself. "And you wouldn't have come back at dawn because you'd have fallen! You'd be dead!" his voice broke at his last words. She'd be dead... He couldn't believe his ears at what she'd just said. Was she so reckless? So crazy? Was this the punishment the gods had given her for doing so many bad things? By tying him to a suicidal woman he'd have to watch break his heart? "Are you completely insane?" he shouted, unable to breathe.

Luxiana didn't like the way he talked to him. This lord thought he was allowed to do anything. How dare he call her crazy when all she wanted to do was reassure her best friend? Something she'd asked him to do and he'd refused. Something she wouldn't have had to do if he hadn't been such an asshole. An anger -which not even Cassian's warm, powerful, reassuring hands could assuage- stirred in her chest. She grabbed Cassian's wrists to make him lower his arms and release his hold on her. Luxiana shifted a few steps to the side to get a better look at Rhysand and better kill him with her eyes. "I would never have fallen! I fell because of you, because you surprised me. I was doing just fine before you came along."

"You bastard," Cassian growled at Rhysand via their link. He was angry again, but this time it was because his brother had just broken his moment with his mate. And he was quick to show it by turning back to Rhysand and glaring at him, hoping his clenched jaws gave his high lord a clue as to how he was feeling. 

Azriel, relieved to see the contact between Cassian and Luxiana broken, was able to relax, but his respite was short-lived as he realized and understood his soulmate's words. She was accusing them when if they hadn't been there, she'd be dead? He spoke curtly, hoping to make her understand, anger commanding him, "You were doing just fine? You were barely clinging to a crumbly rock several kilometers off the ground. You'd have been dead if we hadn't got there in time!"

Luxiana crossed her arms, gritting her teeth and frowning. She cast a dark, sideways glance at Azriel. "You don't know that. And anyway, if I had fallen it would still have been your fault!" She turned her angry black eyes on Rhysand, "I wouldn't have had to go down that mountain if you'd at least let me say goodbye to Feyre! Besides, how did you know I was no longer in my room? Are you tracking me? Are you spying on me? What kind of spell have you cast on me?"

Guilt gradually replaced Rhysand's anger. He closed his eyes under his breath. She'd been a little right. She'd put herself in danger because of him, so she could reassure Feyre, because he'd almost kidnapped her. She could have died because of him. He reopened his eyes but almost gasped when he saw Luxiana standing in front of him, looking down at him with clenched fists, arms stretched out towards the ground and a face... so cute. 

"Answer my questions!" she commanded with authority, as if she wasn't a fragile little thing next to a big, powerful fae lord. As if she was the one with the power here.

Rhysand smiled softly, but couldn't help it. He could feel her eyes shining with tenderness. He'd have liked to hide it, but she was so cute, he couldn't. He'd so much liked it to be simpler. He so wished everything were simpler. "Why do things seem so complicated with you, Luxiana?" He couldn't help saying her first name. 

Luxiana crossed her arms, trying as best she could to camouflage the shiver she'd felt when he'd said her name. She squinted, "That wasn't an answer to one of my questions, it seems."

Rhysand couldn't help laughing softly under his breath. He wanted to touch her. He just wanted to touch her skin. Even with his fingertips. Even a graze he would have accepted. "No indeed, it wasn't." 

Luxiana almost took that as an answer. Had they really put a spell on her to track her without her realizing it? Were they that powerful? She didn't believe it for a second, but doubt made her purse her lips. "You have no right to track me."

Azriel growled. "We've had every right to since you decided to escape to risk your life needlessly!"

She turned to face Azriel, "So what, I'm your prisoner now? Take me to a cell, then, so I know what to expect."

Azriel broke the distance between the two of them quickly, "if that's what it takes to keep you in place." He grabbed her arm and pulled her toward the bedroom exit. He wasn't exactly going to lock her in a dungeon, but he wanted her to believe it. He wanted her to panic a little so she wouldn't escape again and put her life in danger. 

But inevitably, Luxiana being Luxiana, she laughed. "As if that's going to stop me escaping." She let herself be dragged along, even following him cheerfully. She knew that, in fact, it was generally easier to escape from a cell than from a room so close to these three. 

Azriel froze, glaring red with anger. He opened his mouth to speak, but Rhysand stepped between them, pulling Azriel away from Luxiana and forcing him to let go. "That's enough," he said.

Cassian -who had leaned against a wall and was watching the scene with great pleasure, seeing his brothers being martyred by the little piece of woman who served as their soulmate- winced in disappointment. "Oh no," he protested, "this was just getting interesting."

Rhysand paid no attention to his brother. "I think we're all a little tired and irritable. Discussion won't lead to anything if we're in this state."

Luxiana, despite a slight contraction of her jaws, huffed and then nodded. 

Azriel took a deep breath to relax. Rhysand was right, but he would take up this discussion with his mate tomorrow. It was out of the question for him that she put herself in danger again. Never again. He had to make her understand and, above all, obey. Feeling a breeze of fresh outside air caress his skin, even cooling him through his leather armor, he turned back to the bay window to close it. He didn't want Luxiana to get sick. 

"Go to sleep," Rhysand gently ordered Luxiana, pointing to the large bed with his hand. Then he crossed his arms and waited.

Luxiana stared at them one by one with a confused look. "Okay? So... get out."

"No fucking way," Azriel replied, pulling out one of the room's one-seater armchairs, one of those set around a small tea table, before sitting down in it, staring at his soulmate.

"What do you mean ‘no’??" Luxiana said offendedly, opening her eyes wide. 

Cassian straightened up from the wall he was leaning against, laughing softly. He approached Luxiana. "There's no way we're leaving you alone for a second now. Not after the scare you just gave us."

Luxiana opened her mouth wide at this, then huffed as she looked up at the ceiling. In any case, that wasn't going to stop her from finding a way to send Feyre a message. Besides, it might help her find out what spell they'd cast to track her. She let out a sort of growl of frustration as she turned back to the bed and threw herself into it. She landed flat on her stomach on the gray silk sheets, bouncing on the soft mattress. "I'll take the left side of the bed, you three must share the right."

Thanks to their soulmate's position on the bed, revealing the back of her pale legs, whose dress fabric didn't even cover her to mid-thigh, the three Illyrians finally noticed that she'd shortened her petticoats for the descent. A host of obscene thoughts passed through their minds before Cassian and Rhysand finally assimilated their soul mate's last words. She'd told them to share the right side. So she'd allowed them to sleep with her. Except that the three of them wouldn't fit in that little bed. Whoever got in first would then get to sleep alongside their soulmate. Cassian and Rhysand rushed to the side of the bed, elbowing each other and even knocking each other down. 

After a fierce struggle, it was Cassian who landed on the bed violently, provoking a grunt of displeasure from Luxiana at his side. The Illyrian with the red siphons smiled with pride as he saw Rhysand on the ground at his feet, where Cassian had left him, killing him with his eyes. 

Azriel walked around the bed, judging them, detailing them with contempt and shaking his head from left to right. He opened the closet door, grabbed the first long, covering nightgown with collar and sleeves to the wrists he could find. He didn't want his soulmate to be cold. He also grabbed a wool blanket. He walked over to Luxiana and handed her the garment. "At least get changed before..." He stopped speaking, frowning, leaning forward toward his soulmate. Did she have her eyes closed? He directed his fingers towards her face, pushing back the strands of hair that hung over her cheeks, eyelids and nose. He tucked them behind her ear without Luxiana stopping him, confirming that her eyes were closed. He listened attentively. Her heart was calm, her breathing regular. She was already asleep. He felt he was hallucinating. He understood that she must be really exhausted to fall asleep so quickly, but still... To fall asleep next to three Illyrians with a barbaric and cruel reputation without any difficulty... He ran a hand over his face. His soul mate really had no concept of danger. Any other ill-intentioned man could have taken advantage of this moment to do her bad things. Damn it, he'd have to explain to her how the world worked.