A Light In The Darkness

Chapter 21

My back feels a lot better. The pains gone. The scars remain.
I've even went back to training. Azriel denied at first said I need a couple more weeks but one day I crept out of the room and found Nesta and she's been training me ever since.
Azriel didn't have much to say he expected as much.
Cassian and Nesta have pushed me a lot more said I would need it because of what was to come.
Not to mention for the same reason Amren and Feyre have been teaching me tricks and trying to figure out the depth of my power.
Today Nesta brought more girls to training they were from the Valkyrie camp.
The girls mainly stayed in groups and I felt intimidated. I wanted to introduce myself but I was scared.
"Go do it you'll be fine". A voice echoed.
"I don't know" I said to Azriel down my mind.
He gave me an encouraging nod from across the ring and I headed over to the pact of girls.
They all turned around.
"Hi I'm Sierra"
They all looked at me for a what seemed to be the longest seconds of my life before unleashing about 100 questions in less than 5 seconds. I caught a couple.
"What court is my power from ?"
Well I guess they knew then.
I felt like a celebrity.
I answered all their questions.
"Show us" said a short blond haired girl.
"Show you ?"
"The flame" she said.
They all looked at me with eager eyes. I felt bad saying no so I opened my hand and whit flame lit.
I heard gasps and fascination was written all over their faces.
I tried not to let it get to my head and I delved into conversation with them.
I turned halfway to smile at the shadow singer for making me go to them. When I saw her a brunette haired girl swooning at Azriel. Doe eyed hand on his forearm.
I turned facing the girl I had been talking too.
"Who's that" I asked sternly.
"Oh Ezra. Yes she's quite fond of the shadow singer. Never stops talking about him. I understand he maybe quite the beauty but we all have boundaries when it comes to men and Ezra she has...none."
"Right" I said while assessing the way she popped out her hip.
Azriel looked bored looking everywhere but her. This seemed to drive her insane as she began to expose her neck.
I felt like ripping her head off. The girls had all finished training and began to talk while packing their things.
I walked up to Azriel taking a deep breath.
"Hello" I said placing myself in front of her.
"Who are you" She said bluntly.
Why don't you get in the ring and i'll show you who I am.
"Sierra and you are ?" I kept my composure.
"Ezra" She replied. I know another name for her it suits her well.
I looked at her sizing her up. I remembered her now this wasn't the first time she was here. She came before I remember she was quite good at sword training. And all the times she came she fawned over the shadow singer.
"How's training ?" I asked
"Good now if you'll excuse me I was speak-"
"Really because it doesn't look like you've been doing much" I blurted out. Shit Sierra why can't you just shut the fuck up.
"What did you say your name was again"
"Sierra"
"Right well sweetie when the adults are talking-"
I heard Azriel's low growl.
"Want to Spar ?" I asked. I don't know what I was doing.
"You don't want to do that"
Oh well now I wanted to. Who the fuck does she think she is. I'm decent in sword fighting. No i'm not.
"I asked didn't I ?"
"Get in the ring" She said.
"Gladly" I smiled sarcastically.
"Jealous much" Azriel echoed.
"Shut it" I echoed back.
We both picked up a sword and hopped into the ring. The girls noticed and started to watch. Nesta and Cassian noticed as well.
We started to circle around each other. I threw the first clash and she blocked it. I threw a second and she blocked it again.
She almost disarmed me as I threw a third clash and she blocked it.
Assess I remember Azriel telling me while we trained in the woods.
So I assessed. She's not much of an attacker but she knows how to block and she kept an eye on my left foot wanting to see if I would go for a fourth. She expected me to so she positioned herself so she could block and probably disarm me again.
Instead I lifted my sword to give the illusion but when she lifted her sword to reach mine I pulled back and now my sword was at her side.
Surprised by this she changed her game-style she was attacking now. Good this was my turf now.
We kept going and going.
She raised her sword in surrender and I dropped mine first. She was a good competitor i'll give her that. She dropped hers but as I went to shake her hand.
She took it and flipped me hard on my back. The pain creeped in again.
I arched it in pain. I saw Azriel come closer no longer leaning against the pillar.
I wasn't about to let this bitch get away. As she began to walk over me as much as it hurt I twisted my legs around hers and made her trip. I grabbed my sword she was now laying on her back and I kept my sword at her neck horizontally pointed.
I put one leg over her hip to keep her there and whispered in her ear.
"2 things...One you fight like a bitch and two stay away from the shadow singer" I emphasized the last sentence.
She tried to fight under my touch but I was too dead set on keeping her there.
"You don't own him" She smirked.
I growled. I actually growled it was so foreign but it came from anger.
I felt the flame that was probably being reflected in my eyes. My hands began to heat up. I controlled myself.
She saw something that led her to say.
"I- I didn't know the shadow singer was mat- I apologize" she said it so fast.
I got up off her confused. What was she going to say. She jumped out of the ring and scurried off not paying any attention to the shadow singer and walked off towards a unwelcoming group of girls.
.................
We ate dinner and everyone took a seat on the couch. Rhysand said we would have to have a meeting tomorrow discussing the details of the war. We agreed on a time to meet and it was done.
Azriel had been awfully quiet. I mean he was always quiet but something was wrong. I asked him several times throughout the night if he was okay and he just nodded. I asked down the cord and whispered to him but he just denied. As everyone began to disperse it was just me and him in
"Azriel what's wrong" I asked finally being able to talk out loud.
"I don't think you should sleep in my room anymore" He said suddenly.
"What - why"
"It's not a good idea" He said. That was it.
"Azriel I don't understand" I went to reach for his hand as we both stood up.
"Don't" he said as he pulled away.
"I don't understand you Azriel."
"Whats not to understand." He said bluntly.
"I can't keep doing this. I'm right here. You can talk to me. What I did in the ring was for you. To show you that any other woman touching you drives me insane. You drive me insane."
"I didn't ask you to do that" He said his face bored.
It hurt. It hurt like shit to see him completely disregard me like that.
"This isn't you. Where's the Azriel that fought for me that stood by my side for 8 days when I was lying unconscious. That holds me in my sleep. What happened between training and now." I stepped closer to him.
He stepped back.
"That Azriel was a dumbass and he's gone. It was a mistake it all was."
I was pouring mg heart out to him and he was offering me nothing. I felt embarrassed.
That one hurt. I felt the cord in my head that connected me to him dim it was no longer shining.
I was done he could fuck himself for all I care.
"Right well the Sierra that missed you while she was at the Autumn Court she was a dumbass too. The one that fought for you she was an even bigger dumbass." I said harshly.
"And to be honest I would rather be back at the Autumn Court being whipped by Eris for another 3 hours actually for an eternity rather than having to face you ever again" I was crying now sobbing actually. The pain in my back grew. I was done with him for good. I was done with Azriel.
I walked away stumbling at the pain in my back and then he was by my side trying to help me up.
I put a hand to his chest.
"Don't" I said repeating his very word.
I walked away again in between the 2 halls I cursed at myself for almost walking down his and turned and made it back to my old room. I didn't even bother to change I just laid on my bed and cried.

I missed the feeling of his bed. The warmth of his arms and chest wrapped around me. I craved it even more.
I somehow knew that the shadow singer was not in his room falling asleep but rather lingering at my door I felt his presence and I finally heard his steps fade away as I closed my eyes and fell asleep.