A Court of Shadow and Song

Chapter 13

13

Azriel POV

Azriel watched the little valkyrie sleeping soundly in his arms. He was not convinced that this was reality. A part of him believed this must be a dream. The female in his arms was too good to be true. His heart stuttered at the sigh that came from her lips as she pressed closer to him in her sleep.

She had trusted him. Trusted him so thoroughly with her body and soul. He would never be worthy enough, but he would try every day to be. Azriel drifted to sleep, realizing he was holding his future in his arms.

~*~

Azriel's shadows woke him up. He checked Gwyn beside him who was still soundlessly asleep in his arms. Something was wrong. His shadows were alert. They were not alone, he realized, a moment before a thud sounded on the other side of Azriel's door. He pulled Gwyn closer to his body, retrieving the truth teller from his side table as the door clicked open.

"Az - oh." Mor stopped short at the site of Gwyn's naked body in Azriel's arms. "OH." Her eyes widened as she looked at Azriel and threw a hand over her face. "My bad!" She stuttered. Azriel knew a part of him should feel self conscious at the fact that the female he had carried a torch for for years was now seeing him in bed with another. But he didn't have any embarrassment. Only minor annoyance that his friend had ruined this moment with Gwyn.

Gwyn stirred in Azriel's arms. Mumbling something before shifting on his chest. Azriel gestured for Mor to get out. She rolled her eyes and mouthed, hurry up, before pointing to the hall.

When the door was firmly closed behind Mor, Azriel shifted out from under Gwyn, kissing her temple and pulling on a pair of cotton shorts before stepping quietly into the hall.

"Please don't say anything." Azriel sighed, shutting the door. "I haven't spoken with Gwyn about how public she wants this to be and I don't know how she is going to react knowing someone walked in like that." Azriel dragged his hand through his already disheveled hair. He knew this would make Gwyn uncomfortable and hated that he would have to tell her someone walked in when she was asleep and undressed. That someone else saw her in a vulnerable position like that.

"Az," something in Mor's voice stopped Azriel in his tracks, "I wish, more than anything, that I could tease you about this and get all the delicious details of how the hell this happened. But..."

"What happened, Mor?" Azriel was already plotting a death, though whose death he was not sure.

"We need you and Gwyn to return to Rhys and Feyre's house immediately. They took him, Az..." Azriel's blood chilled as Mor sucked in a shaky breath, still not believing it herself.

"They took Nyx."

~*~

Azriel saw red when he returned to his room. His head was spinning. His nephew was in the hands of the enemy. He was a defenseless child and had been taken right out from under them.

""Gwyn?" Azriel shook her arm gently, his own voice shaking now. Gwyn's eyes snapped open, confusion settled over her features before the memories of last night came rushing back to stain her cheeks red.

"What's wrong?" She sat up, holding the thin sheet around her body and rubbing sleep from her eyes. Azriel wished he could cherish this moment more. But he had a mission.

"We have to go." He stood, handing her the fighting leathers he had retrieved from her room. "We need to get back to Velaris now."

"What's going on?" The worry in Gwyn's voice was palpable, even as she slipped her shirt over her head.