A court of water and worlds

Chapter #30

Gwyn didn't know where she was.
All she could see was a dense forest surrounding a lake.
She turned to Azriel who was whispering to his shadows.
"I will not panic," she kept telling herself.
"Everything is going to be fine. You are going to be fine."
Gwyn promised that she would get Nesta back and she was not about to break that promise.
"I sent my shadows to look around," he sighed and rubbed his temples, "all we can really do now is wait."
Gwyn nodded.
"Shouldn't—- um shouldn't we hide somewhere safe so now one can see us," Gwyn said trying to calm her shaking voice.
Azriel's nodded and pulled her into his arms and flew them up into a tree.
He set her down on a sturdy branch that could hold both of them.
Gwyn sat down on the branch playing with her fingers nervously.
Gwyn always did that when she was scared.
And it wasn't just limited to her fingers. When she was younger and nervous about something she would always grab Catrin's fingers and start playing with them.
"It's going to be alright Gwyn. We are going to get them back," Azriel said sitting down next to her.
She looked into his eyes but they were filled with uncertainty.
Gwyn nodded, continuing to play with her fingers.
And when that wasn't enough she started fidgeting with her necklace.
She was dragging the charm back and forth along the chain.
She turned to Azriel who was staring at the necklace.
She coughed nervously, stuffing the Necklace back under her clothing.
"I like your jewelry," Azriel said, referring to her necklace and rings.
Gwyn smiled slightly.
The shadowsinger had never complimented her so blatantly.
"Thanks, I like your earrings," Gwyn said, looking at the small silver hoops hanging from Azriel's ears.
Gwyn hadn't seen many men wear earrings before.
She always liked his earrings, Gwyn thought they made his eyes pop.
She watched blush creep into Azriel's cheeks.
She laughed.
"What, can't you take a compliment, shadowsinger?" She teased.
"Thank you for the compliment Gwyneth," he said smiling, but the blush on his cheeks remained.
Suddenly Azriel's shadows surrounded him.
They cleared and sat on his shoulders as he looked at Gwyn.
"We need to go, they have Nesta on the east side of the lake," he paused, looking down, almost broken.
"What's wrong?" Gwyn asked, panic tightening her chest.
"Koschei already has her," Azriel said standing up and Gwyn followed.
"What are we going to do? Koschei is a freaking death God!" Gwyn said, closing her eyes.
She would not cry. she would not break.
"I don't know," Azriel said, putting his face in his hands.
Gwyn looked at him.
"You seriously have no clue what to do?!" She asked more angry than panicked right now.
"You are over five hundred years old, use some of your old person wisdom!" She said, grabbing the front of his shirt.
"Gwyn just because I'm over five hundred years old doesn't mean I know everything," he said, grabbing her wrists.
"You said it, not me," Gwyn said, calming down.
"Ok," Gwyn said, taking a breath, "ok."
"Do you think my powers would work on Koschei?" She asked hopefully.
"Gwyn," he looked at her seriously, "I am not letting you seduce a death god."
"That's not what I asked," she said, anger rising, "I asked if you think it would work?"
"Gwyn he is a god I don't think any of our powers would work against him."
Gwyn huffed in annoyance.
"Well then you come up with a plan!" She said, crossing her arms.
He looked down at his feet.
Gwyn watched his brow furrow.
"Ok," he said, "we obviously can't use brute force or magic, that is likely to get us killed," he paused, taking a breath.
"Did you read anything about Koschei in the library that would be helpful?" He asked, eyes wide with hope.
Gwyn thought for a minute.
She was searching through her memory, she remembered reading a book that mentions him.
"Deals," Gwyn said "he likes to make deals."
Azriel nodded and Gwyn frowned saying, "we have nothing to offer him."
"Shit," Azriel said, pulling Gwyn to him.
"We need to go, if Cassian is there before us, he is bound to do something reckless."
"Do you really think Cassian is stupid enough to take on Koschei," Gwyn asked circling her arms around Azriel's middle.
"No," Azriel said, "he would likely sell his soul to Koschei if it meant Nesta's safety."
"O, shit," Gwyn said and Azriel nodded winnowing them to the east side of the lake.
While they were winnowing Gwyn didn't let herself think about Nesta or Cassian or their baby.
She didn't let herself think about how the baby might never meet their father or how there is a chance it will never be born at all.
She didn't let herself think about how losing Nesta would be like losing a sister all over again or how losing Cassian would be losing her friend who taught her how to fight and to not let fear control her.
Gwyn needed to stitch herself back together.
She wanted to break down and cry and sleep.
Mother, she really wanted to sleep.
"Just a little while longer," she kept telling herself.
The only thing holding her together was Azriel's arms wrapped tightly around her.