A Court of Ink and Blood

ℭ𝔥𝔞𝔭𝔱𝔢𝔯 𝔗𝔴𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔶 𝔖𝔢𝔳𝔢𝔫

Song to listen to while you read : Nature Boy - Aurora

Nesta, Cassian, Thalia and Azriel had returned to the mountains of the Night Court after Thalia woke and while she'd tried her hardest to avoid her mate claiming she needed the rest of the night to plan out her rehabilitation plan for the healing Illyrian women, fate had other ideas. 

The winter weather was only growing worse as the season progressed and as Thalia lay in her bed a storm outside was brewing. But the harsh torture of rain cracking on her window wasn't the thing disturbing her. Tossing and turning her mind conjured nightmares of Hybern. Of being strung up by her arms while her feet barely touched the floor. Her head handing loose as bloody spit swelled in her mouth from the beatings. Of the way even now asleep in her bed her body could remember the burning sting of Hybern's whip as she remained silent, refusing to give up the war plans of the courts she'd spied on for years.

Only when her dream played over the hundredth strike served by the Attor did she finally break upright, the sheets around her sticking with sweat to her body. After so long she was almost used to the nightmares but that didn't stop a strangled scream from catching in her throat as her eyes adjusted to the dark. Several long seconds passed before Thalia ran a hand down her face with a sigh and pulled herself out of bed, making for the bathroom down the hall. 

Opening the door, her heart nearly stopped. 

"Fucking hell Azriel what are you doing?"

Too distracted by the way her heart was racing she almost didn't clock that Azriel was stood with his hand raised as if to knock of her door, his chest bear and legs covered in loose dark pants. And yet she couldn't ignore the way he looked just as disturbed as her, his chest rising with heavy breaths and his eyes worried as he looked her over. 

"Are you okay I heard-"

"I'm fine"

"You screamed"

Pushing past him, Thalia tucked in her wings as she did. And yet entering the bathroom, she left the door open, Azriel's shadowed figure appearing behind her as she splashed water on her face. 

"That tends to happen when one has nightmares"

"Do you want to talk about it?" 

"Do I look as if I want to talk about it?" She met his eyes through the mirror, her eyes daring him. 

"You look as if you want to kill me" His gaze flickered over her body but he looked away when she responded almost in a whisper. 

"Hybern"

She needn't say more.  The silence that fell between them was stiff but even as they both knew what they were thinking about, the way Azriel stood leaning in the door frame, his arms across his toned chest, Thalia couldn't help but feel a little less in a pain at the remembrance of her situation being at his fault. 

"I have nightmares about the things I've done sometimes. About you" 

His tone was lighter than before. It broke the air and made her raise her eyes, furrowing her brow as he stared at the floor. 

"Me?"

"About leaving you. It ate at me for years and I think even if I didn't know you were my mate, my shadows did or some part of me did atleast. You always found away to get me thinking about you, if even just in my dreams"

Thalia turned around in an instant, mirroring his form as she lent against the bathroom sink with her arms folded. 

"You knew? About our-" She struggled to say it "mating bond"