A court of water and worlds

Chapter #24

Azriel opened his lips to inhale but the air never touched his lungs.
He kept breathing but the pressure of his lungs was not Alleviated.
He fell to the ground. the battle was over, he had lived just to feel death's hands wrapped around his throat.
All of the darkness he had attained was temporary, he used what he needed for battle.
Once he was done using the darkness he sent it back.
Darkness doesn't like it when you are greedy.
He knew it would take a toll on his body.
He knew it would come with a price.
And he was prepared, even if death was the price he would pay it.
What was his life worth anyway?
His shadows were swirling around him trying to say something but he couldn't hear.
It was as if he was under water. He couldn't speak or breathe or hear.
Suddenly he was completely surrounded in darkness.
He felt the world shift beneath his feet.
Still, he couldn't breathe but he managed to force his eyes open
his shadows had cleared and he was no longer on the battlefield.
He was in the cave. The darkness' home.
Has it brought him here to end him?
To end his life?
The pressure on his lungs was no longer unbearable.
He saw three figures moving by the water's edge.
Everything still felt hazy, like a dream.
He took a breath and immediately the oxygen started to clear the fog in his brain.
He started inhaling air greedily like he would never get the chance to do so again.
Once his breathing was steady, he felt something in his chest.
Panic, he felt panic, but he wasn't panicking, not anymore.
He felt his bones aching, he felt so tired, scared, and angry.
So angry.
But he wasn't feeling any of these things.
He saw the three silhouettes walking towards him, away from the water.
Azriel felt so weak, he tried to move to them but every part of his body felt so heavy, so weighted.
His breathing was starting to slow, and he was finally able to decipher what his shadows were saying, "Gwyn!"
They kept whispering her name saying she was hurt.
Azriel forced his aching body up, as adrenaline filled his veins.
Gwyn, he thought, where is Gwyn?
He needed to see her, to make sure she was ok.
He took weighted steps towards the three silhouettes.
Gwyn, he needed to protect Gwyn.
He heard one of the dark figures say his name but he paid them no heed as he alarmingly searched for a pair of dazzling teal eyes.
Then he saw her kneeling on the ground, gasping for breath.
He dropped to his knees and cupped her cheeks forcing her to look up at him.
Her eyelids fluttered open, and then he saw them, those eyes.
If he wasn't already on his knees, he would have fallen to them at the sight of her.
She was ok.
That was all he needed to know to let the weakness and tiredness catch up with him.
Knowing that she was ok, he let the darkness slip into his mind and take over.
—-
Gwyn felt like her body was broken.
And like she had been sleeping for five years.
She felt a cool rag on her forehead.
She peeled her Tongue from the roof of her mouth. She rolled over and ran into something hard.
Gwyn groaned and forced open her heavy eyelids.
She saw him.
She was currently half sprawled across his body.
She saw his eyes flutter open.
She blinked once, twice.
They both stared at each other confused and sleepy for a minute.
"Hey there partner," Gwyn said then internally cringed rolling on her back.
Who the fuck says "hey there partner"?
Wait, Azriel is here?
Gwyn flipped back on her stomach and flinched at the pain laced throughout her body.
"Are you determined to shake this bed as much as possible," Azriel groaned.
Gwyn ignored the comment.
"Why are you here? Wait no— what happened? Where are we?"
"Gwyn have I ever told you how much my brain hurts talking to you," Azriel said and Gwyn frowned.
"That's probably because you're not used to speaking with people who have such great intellectual abilities. Now, answer my questions."
Gwyn couldn't remember anything other than meeting Layla.
Everything after that was all blurry.
"Well for starters I think we are at Layla starlings house," he said, sitting up and looking around.
Gwyn was confused.
"You can just say you're at your mothers house Az, don't be a baby about it," Gwyn heard a light voice say from the doorway.
She turned to see Layla walking in with what looked like medical supplies and clothes.
Wait—
Layla was his mother.
Gwyn's mouth dropped open and she turned to Azriel and aggressively mouthed "that's your mom?!"
Azriel turned away from Gwyn, pink creeping into his cheeks and nodded.
O cauldron, every single thought left Gwyn's brain as she saw Layla stand next to Azriel.
He was a spitting image of her.
Gwyn had a shit eating grin on her face.
"How are you feeling?" Layla asked while pressing her lips to his forehead.
Gwyn was losing her shit.
It was taking every ounce of self control to not laugh right now.
"You don't have a fever," Layla added softly and Azriel's face was slowly turning to Scarlet red.
The fricken angel of death was blushing because his mother just kissed his forehead.
"Mom, I'm ok really," Gwyn had never heard his voice so soft, so tentative.
"How are you feeling Gwyn?" Layla asked and those five words almost broke Gwyn because the way they were said. It sounded so much like her mothers words.
"I'm alright," Gwyn said, just realizing how unsteady her voice was.
Azriel turned to face her silently asking in his eyes, "are you sure?"
Gwyn dipped her head slightly, assuring him she was fine.
"What happened?" Gwyn asked, needing answers, "where are Nesta and Emrie."
Layla's face immediately dropped.
"Emrie was hurt badly and you both were unconscious, so I sent word and Morrigan came.
She winnowed us back here and took Emrie back to Velaris."
"So she is alive," Gwyn asked, holding her breath.
"Yes she is," Layla said and Gwyn loosened a breath of relief.
Em was ok. She is with Mor.
Layla paused and when she didn't continue Gwyn was about to ask about Nesta but Azriel beat her to it.
Layla looked into her son's eyes then into Gwyn's.
"She was taken."
And just like that, three simple words triggered Gwyn's memory.
Nesta screamed her name before she was taken by those... other worldly things.
Nesta who had mended Gwyn's broken heart.
Nesta who had given Gwyn her life back.
Nesta who gave her happiness.
Nesta who loved her unconditionally who never judged her.
Nesta who promised she'd teach Gwyn how to waltz properly.
No—
Nesta who was pregnant.
Gwyn practically Leaped off of the bed.
"Gwyn," she heard Azriel call her name but she didn't care.
Nothing else mattered.
She would save Nesta.