burning shadows | Azriel (ACOTAR prequel)

FIFTEEN: Craving

A week ago I almost boiled a man alive for insulting my mate.

One full week of that tension between Azriel and me growing, and I found myself getting more restless every single day, especially considering Azriel himself wasn't really helping. He must have been doing it on purpose, like how he apparently couldn't train with his shirt on anymore, despite how cold it was these past few days, or how every word he ever spoke to me sounded so intimate, so taunting. I guess I wasn't much better when it comes to that, but if he can tease me, I can do the same.

The one thing that kept us apart and saved me from burning up too much every time he looked at me, were his constant missions, all because of the urgency Rhys had when it came to Amarantha.

Rhys suggested I go to the Spring Court to investigate, but I didn't want to use my time like that, instead just looking forward to seeing my brother again. Azriel told me about Lucien's visit to the Dawn Court and their healers, and I was eager to see Lucien's progress with his injury. The same injury I was excited to make Amarantha pay greatly for, only when I manage to make a plan good enough.

Mor was the only free one so she winnowed me to the Spring Court, after we took extra precautions to avoid something like our last visit from repeating, and I had limited time with my brother that I tried to ignore and appreciate the opportunity to see him at all.

"Be honest, how bad is it?"

Lucien stood before me in one of the guest rooms of Tamlin's manor, his tan face pulled into a frown as he waited for my reaction at his new eye. I was still in shock from seeing him without that bandage from the last time, not being able to look away from that big scar on the left side of his face, still a bit swollen despite how much time has passed.

But his eye – the beautiful russet eye I was so used to, now replaced with a metal one, slowly moving as he focused on my face, exactly like a real eye would. Thesan's alchemist, Nuan, has done an amazing job with it, and despite not knowing her personally, I would forever be grateful for the help she has given my brother.

"Fascinating," I muttered, observing his eye, snorting when Lucien rolled that very eye at me.

"What?" I protested. "You look good with the scar, makes you look dangerous."

Lucien tried to laugh it off but I could see how much it really bothered him, as expected, considering the pain and shame he went through after Amarantha did that to him. With every passing second that I looked at my brother, my need for revenge grew, wanting nothing more than to return that pain to Amarantha, but make it double.

This time our meeting was more relaxed, with Tamlin being away in the village and the two of us just sitting in the manor and talking about everything and anything. It felt nice to be normal for an hour or two with my brother, as if we were normal siblings and not two Autumn kids escaping their home, their wicked family and all the trouble that came with that.

I was lazily spread out on the couch, focusing on the glass ceiling that revealed the warm, spring sky, when Lucien stood up and began rummaging through the desk, grabbing a box from under it and placing it on top of the desk. I narrowed my eyes at him as he looked through it and picked up a mask, investigating it in his hands with a sigh.

"What's that?" I asked.

Lucien looked away, before sighing again, as if he was preparing himself for something. "Asteria, you can be with me now. Tamlin agrees as well, he's giving you a place in his Court, and we have the perfect chance to announce that."

I sat up immediately, his words taking me by surprise. "What? What does that have to do with –"

"You want to be safe with me, right? You don't need to hide in other courts anymore, we can be each other's family again."