Daisy Blooms - Azriel

Chapter 26

Azriel P.O.V.

"Four fucking days," Cassian hisses from where we monitored the castle."We've been sitting on our asses for four fucking days."

I sharpened Truth-Teller. The black blade absorbed the dim sunlight trickling through the forest canopy above. "It seems you've forgotten how much of spying is waiting for the right moment. People don't engage in their evil deeds when it's convenient to you."

Cassian rolled his eyes. "I stopped spying because it bored me to death. I don't know how you put up with this all the time."

"It suits me." I didn't halt my sharpening, though shadows gathered around my feet.

Cassian blew out a breath. "I know I'm being impatient. I know that. But you really think we shouldn't go up to that damned castle and peek inside?"

"I told you: their castle is too heavily warded, and full of magical traps that would trip up even Helion. Beyond that, Briallyn has the Crown. I have no interest in explaining to Rhys and Feyre why you died on my watch. And even less interest in explaining it to Nesta."

Cassian stared toward the castle. "You think she's alive?"

"You'd know if she'd died," I said, pausing my work and looking up at Cassian. I tapped my brother's chest with a scarred hand. "Right here-you'd know, Cass."

"Like how you'd know if Daisy's okay." He replies.

"There are plenty of other unspeakable things that could be happening to her," Cassian said, voice thickening. "To Daisy, Emerie, and Gwyn."

The shadows deepened around me, my Siphons gleaming like cobalt fire. "You-we-trained them well, Cassian. Trust in that. It's all we can do."

Cassian's throat tightened, but a motion drew my gaze away. Cassian shot to his feet. "Someone's leaving the castle." The two of us wordlessly launched into the skies, entering the cloud cover within moments. In the chill, thin air, I glimpsed only what the gaps in the clouds offered.

But it was enough.

A small caravan had left the eastern city gates, departing down thebare road that led through the hills.

"I don't see a prison wagon," Cassian said over the wind.

My gaze remained on the earth below. "They don't need one" I said with quiet venom. (Sometimes when I rewrite the lines to be in Azriel's POV, they don't really seem to make sense, like this one.)

Riding atop a white horse at the front of the party, side by side with a hunched, small figure, was Eris.

"Stupid asshole," Cassian snarled. "She snared him with the Crown."

"No," I said quietly. "Look at his left. He's still got the dagger at his side. If he was in her thrall, he'd have already handed it over."

"So possessing another Made object does protect him against the Crown." Which meant . . . "Traitor." Cassian spat. "I don't know why I'm surprised." His hands curled into fists. "Let's get him, drag his ass home, and tear him apart."

My voice cut through the howling wind. "We follow them. Capture Eris now and we might not get anything out of him. At least not quickly. We trail them and learn just how far this betrayal goes. See who they're meeting with. It has to be important, for them to leave the safety of the castle."

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Me, Nesta, Emerie, and Gwyn hadn't even reached the bridge when a new group of males closed in, armed with bows and arrows.