shadows don't lie

Chapter Five

Azriel had left the dining room after Inei went to the library, and he thought that everything was fine. She had sat with him in a content silence, seeming to be more than happy to just watch the clouds passing by after they had made their bargain.

They had sat there until dinner time, when she had finally stood up and bade him farewell, saying that she would eat in the library.

Everything had been so relaxed that it had physically startled him to hear the crash in the room next to his.

When he had entered Inei’s quarters and found her whispering fiercely to herself, knees hugged to her chest, and he couldn’t stop himself as he got closer to her and reached out to grab her arm.

Her fear was a sharp sting in the air that seemed to hone every sense to a fine point, shadows spilling around her in dark clouds that obscured the floor around her.

When he had been inches away from touching her shoulder, she snapped up so fast even Azriel couldn't see, and grabbed his wrist in a painful hold, nails digging into his flesh.

She looked at him with pure darkness in her eyes, baring her teeth threateningly at him.

“This isn’t real.” She had growled to him, and he only put his other hand atop hers carefully.

She shrunk back at the touch and shut her eyes as if not being able to bear whatever she was seeing.

She then began reaching a shivering hand forwards to feel for him, like she wasn't even sure if someone was in front of her.

As Inei's frail hand laid flat against his chest, Azriel whispered, “Open your eyes.”

She had hesitated, but started to open them slowly to reveal her natural green irises, and Azriel almost sighed in relief.

----

Azriel now laid in his bed staring up at the ceiling, sleep evading once again.

He remained in the now cool air with his shirt off, not able to bear the touch of something on his too-warm chest after the earlier events.

Inei had looked okay enough for him to leave her alone in her room, though Azriel could tell that any progress they had made over the past few days had been more than erased.

She refused to even look his way when she came back to her senses, let alone touching him or speaking.

Last he had seen of her, she sat on her bed looking outside, her eyes dull and her face sunken, and not totally present.

He understood in his own way though, the same way he knew the others in the inner circle would. They had all endured something and they all had good and bad days, but the real effort was making the good ones outnumber the bad.

Azriel opened his mind searching for any respite, and despite the time, within a few seconds Rhysand reached out.

“You’re up late.” He quietly intoned, and Rhys stifled a mental yawn. “Feyre had a nightmare, so I’ve been.. Comforting her.”

“Ah, sorry to inturrupt.” Pure male glee seeped through to Azriel's mind as Rhysand assured, “No need to apologize, we've already finished and Feyre is cleaning up. What has you up so late?”

Azriel rolled his eyes at his brother's words, but informed him of what had happened, being sure to him that even he didn’t know what had triggered it.

“It seems that the dress may have caused her to remember something from her past.. Maybe it was too soon to try inviting her out.”

Azriel looked up at the ceiling once again, but mused, “I’m not sure if the invitation was all that bad of an idea.. I can tell that she gets too in her head sometimes. It would be good for her to do something other than read for a change.” Azriel felt Rhysands agreement through the tether.