A Court of War and Sacrifice

46. Reunion

The artwork above is not mine.

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Azriel lay awake, listening to Seren's soft breaths beside him. It felt strange to be back in his own bed after everything that had happened in the past two days. Koschei was dead. Beron was dead. Erebus, Osiris, and Seker were dead. He had been dead.

He closed his eyes as Seren's screams filtered through his mind once more. He'd been so desperate to return. He'd fought so hard, all the while being pulled further away. So many would have wanted to pass on to the afterlife. Why return to the mortal world and all of its despair?

Azriel sat up as Estelle began to cry. They had moved her cradle into their room for now. He slid out of bed and picked her up. She quieted when his shadows drifted across her cheeks. Her own shadows moved with his.

There. That was why he'd wanted to return. For his mate and child. For his family. He would always fight to return to them. No matter how many times death tried to claim him.

Estelle fussed a little more. Azriel carried her to the balcony doors. He didn't go out, thanks to the falling snow. Instead, he tilted Estelle up so that the dim moonlight bathed her little face. She stared at the moon with wide blue eyes. He thought they would look like Seren's when she grew older.

Azriel pressed a kiss to her dark hair. "I've waited for you for so long," he whispered. "For your mother too."

Lady of Ashes. The Shadow's Flame. The Illyrian Dragon, the shadows murmured. They curled around Estelle's tiny arm. The Ember. Ours.

Azriel returned to bed. He made sure Estelle's blanket was wrapped around her securely and laid her on his bare chest. Her hand curled into a small fist, clutching at the blanket.

"Are you all right?" Seren mumbled. She rolled over and rubbed her eyes wearily.

"I'm fine." Azriel smiled as Estelle's hand wrapped around one of his scarred fingers. "I just couldn't sleep."

Seren moved closer to him and he slid an arm around her shoulders. She sighed contentedly. "I saw something in Seker's mind."

"What?"

"I saw where your mother is. I'm sorry I forgot to mention it sooner. She's at your father's manor in a cell."

Azriel twisted to look at her. "Are you sure?"

Seren nodded. "She's alive."

"But my father and half brothers are dead. No one else will think to free her. Father never allowed servants down in the cells," he recalled.

"We should go find her," Seren said.

"We will tomorrow." Azriel kissed her forehead.

"You should sleep." Seren sat up. "Let me take Estelle. I don't want you to roll over on her accidentally."

Azriel smiled as she took the sleeping baby. "I think the shadows would wake me before that happened." He watched her for a moment while she rocked Estelle. Azriel gripped her hand. "Promise you'll be here when I wake up."

"I won't leave," Seren answered. Azriel watched her a while longer, then managed to fall asleep.

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Late the next morning, Azriel found Rhys and Cassian busily scrubbing their leathers. They'd barely made a dent in the stains left behind by red and black blood. His own leathers were waiting to be cleaned too.