Summer Court was hardly what I would call a vacation.

Azriel and I barely got any time alone. For some reason, the Spymaster and Assassin weren't trusted, even though we weren't technically there for the Book. Besides, plans had been stalled much later than planned as it was with all the bullshit from Haven and Ravenna and even Lucien. I wasn't about to do anything to cause us anymore problems.

High Lord Tarquin had ordered several guards to follow Azriel and I around while he attended to the others. So, Az and I became the distraction while Amren, Feyre, and Rhys went about doing the serious business of making sure that the focus was on us so they could steal the Book.

A part of me thought it was funny we were being given so much attention.

Az decided it would be fun one day on the beach to completely undress down to his boxers and grin at me until I, too, was in my bathing suit which consisted of underwear and a wrap around my chest.

He then decided that playing tag like this was ideal. And we laughed and chased each other along the beach, tackling the other with kisses and then running away again, occasionally flying out of ther others' way or disappearing into shadows to avoid capture.

We let the Summer Court guards watch us in annoyance with our matching tattoos and annoying mating bond shenaniganery. The four of them merely watched us, moving back and forth with us along the beach as we ran through the white sand.

Then Azriel caught me, hugging me from behind, arms around my stomach and he breathed in my ear, "Let's surprise them."

I smirked, knowing of his meaning, and we disappeared in a poof of shadow and reappeared a few yards down the beach. The guards jumped and moved closer to us to keep an eye on us.

The trouble makers. We did this a few more times, each time appearing progressively farther away from them so they had to chase us back and forth. They seemed to not mind it, save for how hot it was.

"It's taking a long time." I whispered to him when he caught me again and we landed in the sand side by side, breathing hard. "You think they'll be done any time soon?"

"Perhaps." Azriel said. There were clumps of went sand in his black hair and I leaned up on my elbow and brushed my fingers through his hair to get the clumps of sand out. He merely closed his eyes as I did this.

"You're going to need a bath, Az. You're disgusting."

He opened one eye, amused, then closed it again and said, "I'm not the one who tackled me into the ocean."

I scoffed and sat up more. "You just like me playing with your hair."

"So do you." He countered, eyes still closed.

I rolled over to lay on him a bit and continued to brush sand from his hair. "Hm. True. You do make some excellent braids in my hair." I said. His arm came up around me, hand rubbing my back, fingers just under the joints of my wings at my shoulder blades.

"I suppose I do. I get complimented for them quite a bit." He says, eyes still closed. I moved my hands from his hair and cupped his face in my hands.

"Hm. I'm gonna have the biggest sunburn ever." I groaned and dropped my head on his tattooed chest. I looked up at him and scowled and poked his forehead. "You're lucky you have darker skin so you don't burn as easily."

He raised an eyebrow, a smile tugging at his lips as he said coyly, "My ivory-skinned mate will have to deal with me having to apply aloe to her burns every single day, then."

My face went red and I mumbled, "S-Sure."

He grinned and sat up, pulling me with him and tilted my chin up to place a kiss on my lips. "At least your wings won't burn." He mumbled against my mouth, placing a kiss on my cheek.

"Mm, but what if they do? My dark-skinned mate will have to rub aloe there, too." I mumbled with a teasing smirk, giving him back his flirty language.

He growled something unintelligible into my mouth as he kissed me again and I smiled, arms wrapping around his neck. "Aren't you trouble?" He whispered when he pulled away, pressing his forehead to mine.

I kissed his cheek. "Isn't that what we're supposed to be doing, Az? Causing trouble to keep the guards focused on us? So the others can find the Book?" I replied coyly.

"Hm. Indeed." He replied, a slight grin crossing his lips as he kissed my cheek and peppered kisses down my neck to my shoulder. "Trouble."

I bit my lip, then picked up his face and kissed his lips once, then disappeared in shadow and appeared a bit down the beach, leaving him shocked in the sand before he got up and chased me down the beach once again, a smile lighting up his face.

*******

Within a few days, we had the Book in our possession, a very angry Tarquin that sent us blood red rubies, and a tired Amren slaving over the half we have, trying to make out what it was the Book even said.

"Remind me what it is we got that thing for?" I asked and rubbed at my temples. I sat on a couch with Azriel in the townhouse, leaning on the arm with my legs across his lap, his scarred hands resting on my shins. I did, indeed, end up with a nasty sunburn, and he made a point of rubbing me down with aloe twice a day. It more often than not ended with us in bed. But it was hardly my fault that he was horny all the time.

"The Book is to help us nullify the Cauldron." Rhys said. "It was made from some of the ore that the Cauldron itself was forged with. We want to use it against the Cauldron, since it is in the hands of Hybern."

I nodded slowly, still feeling slightly awkward around him. I had first told him I wanted to be vocal about my heritage, and get a contract. Then, I yelled at him and Feyre for nothing and changed my mind seemingly overnight about whether or not I want to kill Lord and Lady Meridian or not.

I was a bit of a contradictory mess at the moment.

I also felt like I needed to talk to Lucien and explain to him what was going on. After all, we did make a pact, and there was still the matter that Ravenna herself believed I was Beron's and that Beron was her mate.

Suddenly, Azriel spoke up and I snapped back to reality. "But no one born of the earth can read it. Other than Amren, and she can barely make it out as it is."

"We also don't have the other half yet." Cassian said. "That's why this meeting with the mortal queens is so important. Feyre's sisters agreed to help us organize the meeting."

"But wait..." Feyre said suddenly and we all looked to her. "I wasn't technically born of earth. I died and only came back before the High Lords all used a kernel of their power to bring me back. Would I be able to read it, then?"

"Quite literally born from power." Mor mused. "Perhaps. Amren, what do you think?"

"I think it's possible. If the girl is willing to learn." Amren replied.

I began to block out most of the conversation that followed, guilt creeping up on me. I barely noticed the others leaving and Feyre and Rhys going to leave when I stood up and said,

"Rhys? Feyre? Could I talk to you? In private?"

They stopped and glanced at one another, then looked back to me. Feyre responded by merely walking over to me and hugging me.

I froze for a second, then hugged her back, feeling my eyes begin to mist with tears.

The others seemed to get the message and the four of them returned to the Court of Dreams, Azriel hesitating a moment before following them.

As soon as they were gone, I broke down crying and hugged Feyre even tighter.

Another pair of arms wrapped around us and I realized it was Rhys.

After a few minutes, I pulled away from them and wiped at my eyes. "S-Sorry." I mumbled.

"No, it's fine." Feyre said. "So are we."

"No, I'm the only one who should be apologizing. To both of you. I reacted purely out of emotion, and I shouldn't have snapped at you. Either of you. I was still processing what Ravenna and Lucien came to me with, and then Haven's information caught me way off guard. And if I'm being completely honest, I didn't expect you to so quickly admit to it, Rhys. I didn't expect you to be so calm about it."

He nodded, his expression softening. "I know. We look very little alike. You favor your mother considerably. You do, however, have some interesting abilities. You're Illyrian. Your ears are slightly pointed, more pointed than an Illyrian, but not quite Fae. Two Syphons to channel a power you shouldn't have, according to the idiots in this world. You'd probably be more powerful if you weren't shut away as you were. I've known all along. I just wanted you to come to me when you were ready."

I nodded and wiped a bit more at my eyes. "I know. And I said I wanted to give them a public execution and tell everyone I was your heir and all that. But I realized recently that I don't want either of that. Not telling the world about being you heir yet anyways. I killed people that didn't deserve it to avenge someone that wasn't even dead. It's been tearing me up inside. I... I don't want to kill anymore. But I do want Lord and Lady Meridian to be punished."

They waited for me to continue, listening intently.

"Maybe they could have their wings clamped and be thrown in the dungeons. Ravenna already threatened me with their deaths. I just don't want them to die. I want them to feel what I felt. I also don't want to kill them, but I want to look them in the eye when they alone realize they made a mistake and angered not only Ravenna, but their High Lord to boot." I glanced at Feyre and whispered, "And High Lady."

Feyre smiled softly. "Well, not quite yet. That's still quite a way off. A week or two at most."

"Yes. But the plan you and my father shared with me still sticks with me. And I guarantee when the others find out they'll shit bricks."

Rhys smiled at me, violet eyes warm. "That I have no doubt about. Adrianna, I want you to know that whatever it is that you chose to do in regards to your heritage or your parents, I back you and I support you. Whatever you need to do. I also want you to understand that you can be honest with me, and I will try my best to be there for you in everything."

He lifted a hand to my cheek as he said these words and kissed my forehead once. A caring action from a father who cared about me.

He moved away and said with a slight grin, "Now. Why don't you and Azriel make an appearance at that house, in fact, bring Cassian to the camp. I am sure it is in need of dire reform, and who better to lead that than you?"

My own grin stretched across my face and I said, "I suppose they do need a lesson in change."