A Court of Light and Darkness

Twenty: Azriel

Azriel had woken up in the House of Wind, safely tucked into his bed with a bandage wrapped around his torso.

It hadn't healed. The wound had made him pass out, even. He didn't even know how he got it. There was no sharp object that could have impaled him while he was flung back.

Unless the shadow creature could have done it. Slicing into him so he couldn't follow it after Freesia, like he had planned. Like he should have done.

That was the first thing Azriel did something about once he woke. He sent Cassian to look for her, his wound still being open and extremely painful.

He was tired, not being able to talk for long periods of time. Pain coerced up his body, wrapping around his spine. He wanted to stay awake, needed to, but the pain was impossible to think around. So he chose to take the medicine Rhys shoved down his throat.

But every time he closed his eyes, he only saw her. Freesia.

Was she okay? Where had she ran to? Did the creature get to her? Will Cassian find her? He knew she was alive, because of the mating bond, but that didn't mean she wasn't hurt or worse.. the creature could have taken her.

He was lost in thought, barley functional, as a low knock came at his door. They didn't wait for a response before opening the door and walking in.

Cassian stood at the end of Azriel's bed, an unreadable expression on his face as he stared down at him.

"Well?" Azriel coughed out, his throat tight. He tried not to think about what his brother was about to say. Tried not to think of the worst scenario. But failed. "You didn't find her." Not a question. No, he already know.

"No, I found her." Cassian said, causing Azriel's eyes to widen as he struggled to sit up.

"Where is she?" The pain in his torso became secondary as he leaned over to look into the hallway, scanning for his mate.

"Changing and bathing in her room. I sent her there, well, dragged her there as she screamed and kicked to see you." He said, a slight grin on his face. "I needed to speak to you in private."

"What is it? Is she alright?" If she was hurt.. he didn't know what he'd do. He'd kill anyone that hurt her. Anything.

"She's fine." Cassian stated. "I just- wanted to tell you before hand so you have time to process before she tells you herself."

"Well, spit it out." Azriel's hands started to shake with anticipation and nerves.

"She created the shadow creature. It was her magic. Unintentionally, of coarse, but none the less, it was her doing." Cassian's voice was a hard, asserting, tone. A generals voice.

"I see." Azriel whispered, taken aback at what he was hearing. "And you're sure?"

"She told me herself. I'm sure she'll tell you how she knows, though." Cassian turned for the door, looking back before opening it. "She didn't say this to me, but she's planning to leave. I could tell. She will try to leave because of what she did." Pity laced his eyes and lines in his face. "It's up to you to decide if you will fight her or not."

He left after that, shutting the door behind him. Azriel stared at the ceiling, thinking through the conversation he was about to have with his mate.

First of all, he had to convince her that what had happened wasn't her fault and that she had no control over her magic. And then he had to convince her not to run off in a means to protect him and the rest of the inner circle.

Azriel sighed, his headache worsening by the minute. His torso still pulsed with pain but his thoughts were working around the ache, dulling the pain for now.

He heard the door click just as he started to get impatient. His eyes darted to the opening door as a figure stepped through.

She came forward, yanking the breath from Azriel's lungs. He could have wept with relief that she was okay and in front of him.

She came to the side of his bed, sitting on the edge and facing him. Her hand found his forehead as she checked his temperature, leaving it there instead of pulling back. Azriel welcomed the coldness pressing onto his heated skin.

A tear slipped from her eye as she scanned his face, her eyes trailing down to his torso. Azriel reached up, cupping her cheek as he caught the falling tear.

"I- I'm so sorry." She whispered. Her eyes were closed as she leaned her cheek into his palm, taking her hand from his forehead.

"It's not your fault, Freesia." Azriel said, swiping his thumb under her eye to catch the stream of tears now flowing onto her cheek.

"But it is... it's my fault-"

"No. It's not." Azriel cut her off, taking her face with both his hands and bringing her closer to him. "It is not your fault. You didn't know. You didn't have control over any of it."

Surprise flickered over Freesia's face as she stared into Azriel's eyes. "Cassian." She muttered, annoyance provident in her tone.

Azriel grinned, shrugging his shoulders. "He knew what you'd do. He knew you'd try to leave. But I won't let you. You can't run away now." Azriel whispered, bringing his lips mere centimeters away from hers. "I love you."

Freesia exhaled deeply, leaning in to bring theirs mouths a hares breath from each other. "I love you. But I cannot hurt you any longer. I could have killed you." She whispered, squeezing her eyes shut and then opening them once more.

"Why aren't you healing?" She said, leaning back to put distance between them and looking down at his wrapped stomach. Azriel thought to continue the conversation about her leaving, or not leaving, but instead decided to have that conversation later, when he wasn't in so much pain and could convince her of staying in more effective ways.

"I'm not sure. It made me pass out back at the cabin and it's extremely painful most of the time." Azriel said, taking his hands from Freesia's cheeks as she inspected the wound.

She started to unwrap the bandaging. Azriel thought to tell her to leave it but stayed quiet, noting the certainty in her actions.

Once the wound was exposed, seeping with puss and lathered with medicine creams, she laid her hands around the injury, framing the tear with her fingers.

Before Azriel could ask what she was doing, Freesia's hands started to glow. A bright yellow light sprang from her skin as her palms heated.

A cold, tingling feeling rose to his wound, climbing up his back and wrapping around his spine. Azriel closed his eyes against the burning light protruding from his mates hands.

A few moments later, the tingling faded and Freesia removed her hands from Azriel's stomach. Azriel opened his eyes to find Freesia staring down at his stomach, disbelief and confusion on her face.

He looked down, still expecting to find the gash that was once on his torso. But all he found was smooth skin stretched over his muscled stomach.

The injury was gone. Healed like it wasn't there less then a minute ago.

And Freesia had done it.