“Team assignments,” Rhysand said smoothly, though his gaze lingered a moment longer than necessary.
He began listing them off.
Cassian… was not listening.
Chairs scraped. Conversations broke out.
Cassian grabbed an apple from the table, took a loud crunch, and casually sidled up next to Rhysand.
“Hey,” he said under his breath.
Rhys didn’t look at him. “If this is about swapping teams so you can cause chaos elsewhere—”
Rhys glanced at him. “I’m listening.”
Cassian gestured subtly with his apple. “Don’t put me on a team with them.”
Rhys blinked once. “Them?”
Cassian tilted his head toward the room.
Across it Azriel stood at the far end of the table with Mor and Lucien, calmly reviewing the map.
On the opposite side, Gwyn was mid-conversation with Nesta and Emerie, gesturing lightly as she spoke.
Except Azriel’s shadows were not paying attention to Mor.
Like very nosy, slightly sinister cats.
Rhys’s brows rose a fraction.
Cassian took another bite of his apple. “You see it, right?”
“I see Az’s shadows,” Rhys said carefully.
Cassian made a vague, wavy gesture with both hands. “No, no—look at the vibe.”
“The vibe,” Cassian repeated. “They’re doing that thing.”
Rhys turned his head slightly. “What thing.”
Cassian lowered his voice. “You remember those stories we used to hear as kids?”
Rhys considered. “That narrows it down remarkably little.”
Cassian leaned in. “The creepy couple.”
“All quiet. All in sync. Probably torture people for fun.”
Then Rhys said, thinking, “Gormath and Morwen?”
Cassian pointed at him. “Yes. Them.”
Rhys looked back across the room.
At the very noticeable lack of interaction between them
and the equally noticeable awareness.
Cassian, still chewing, made a slow, exaggerated ooohhh motion with his hands.
But his eyes flicked once more to Azriel’s shadows currently stretching just slightly farther than necessary.
Who, mid-sentence, paused.
Not at anyone in front of her.
Cassian swallowed his apple. “See?”
Rhys exhaled slowly. “That is… unfortunate.”
“Unfortunate?” Cassian echoed. “That’s how horror stories start.”
“At least they’d be efficient,” Rhys said.
Rhys tapped his chin, thoughtful now. “You’re suggesting I separate them.”
Rhys’s mouth twitched. “I’m actually considering the opposite.”
Cassian choked slightly. “Don’t you dare.”
Rhys glanced at him, entirely too calm. “For strategic purposes, of course.”
“Of course. Nothing says strategy like unleashing the world’s quietest nightmare duo.”
Across the room Azriel’s gaze lifted.
Then, just briefly shifted.
“…he heard that, didn’t he?”
Rhys smiled faintly. “Oh, absolutely.”
Cassian sighed. “Brilliant. I’m going to die on this mission.”
“Possibly,” Rhys said lightly.
Cassian looked back at Gwyn and Azriel.
“…I stand by what I said,” he muttered.
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