A Court Of Life And Death

Chapter 16

Azriel's POV

There was darkness all around him. He couldn't see.

But there she was. Florence. She looked different. Half of her hair was no longer the starlight color, but rather an endless pool of black. Her eyes were no longer the warming brown they once were, but rather each eye was black and white.

Still, she took away all his words. He was unable to say anything; unable to form a thought. She lit the darkness with light and held onto Azriel's hands.

She reminded him of something. A moon. Florence stood there, radiating light in the darkness and giving him a source of light.

"Florence-" He couldn't help but grin widely at the sight of her. He was going to tell her he loved her right, there and then, but the Goddess cut him off.

"I know, Shadowsinger." A saddened grin on her face. "And I think some part of me has always known we would've ended something like this,"

Azriel drew his brows together. "What do you mean?" He asked, leaning down towards her. His heart began to race and he could begin to feel the bad feeling growing in his gut. Something was wrong. "What's happening?"

Florence took a step closer to him, taking his hand into hers. "Promise me you won't look for me. Promise me you'll move on and live."

Azriel closed his eyes, wanting to remember every inch of her touch. Every inch that left him aching for more. "Please, don't leave me."

"I don't want to," Florence frowned, but continued on. "But I owe my life to many things and I must serve it."

"You cannot make me promise that. Because I will find a way to bring us together, and if there isn't a way, I'll make one." Azirel swore to her. As long as they met again, he would be okay. He would survive the heartbreak without her. And he would live without her.

"I wish there was a way," Florence let out a breath of despair.

The Shadowsinger opened his eyes to find her gone from his sight. Her missing presence put a heavy weight on him. And no longer surrounded by darkness, he found himself in his room, gasping for air. Beside him, Madja's furrowed her brows in confusion.

He was in his room, lying on his bed. Azriel could feel a warm cloth on his forehead. He began to search the room for Florence.

His face was full of panic as he frantically looked around for Florence. She wasn't there. The room was full of faces, but empty of her's.

On the other side of him sat Cassian and Mor. Rhys and Feyre sat on the couch not too far away and Amren stood beside Cassian and Mor. Even General Zaliki stood in the room near the door.

"Florence," He breathed. "Is she gone?"

"I'm sorry, Az," Cassian mumbled as he pulled him into a hug. "She's gone for good this time."

Was it all a dream? Would she really leave Azriel? He didn't even get to tell her that he loved her.

"What happened?" The Shadowsinger asked.

"You died. Your pulse was gone and without hesitating, Florence sent me off and saved you." Cassian said. "And we found you unconscious with your pulse beating again."

She saved him. Florence saved Azriel without hesitation. A part of him hated that she chose to save him and another part was grateful.

"And Florence?" He needed to know more. What happened afterwards?