Shadow Queen - Azriel x oc

↳ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ 10 - ᵃⁿᵒᵗʰᵉʳ ˢᵗᵃʳ ʲᵒⁱⁿˢ ᴾʳʸᵗʰⁱᵃⁿ

゜✧*̣̩☽⋆SHADOW QUEEN ✧*̣̩☽⋆゜

𝒜𝓃𝑜𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓇 𝓈𝓉𝒶𝓇 𝒿𝑜𝒾𝓃𝓈 𝒫𝓇𝓎𝓉𝒽𝒾𝒶𝓃

She repeated the exercise time and time again with Rhysand. Fortunately, no scratches were involved, just a few headaches. Both had them. Mental stress was a thing.

Sombra made sure the exercise was motivating enough for the now young faeling. She taught him what a mind looks like, what he could do inside one, and how to never get trapped inside.

She never allowed him full rein of her mind—obviously. She wouldn't put down some fences—not yet, at least. He was too young to see the atrocities accumulated in four thousand years.

"I can't believe an immortal is afraid of heights!"

Sombra scowled and looked at her friend, who was flying a few metres away. She looked so graceful while suspended in the air with her wings spread. Wings just like hers. But Laenna's looked strong and were smooth. Sombra's needed a little... work.

"All my life, I've been closer to the ground," her wings shook uneasily behind her.

"Just jump and spread your wings. Instinct will take over."

"What instinct?"

"The one you've avoided for six years?" She hadn't flown or tried to do so in that long.

"I was busy," Sombra excused herself.

"Stop saying excuses. Just do it, Sombra, or I'll push you over myself." Laenna was getting impatient. She had insisted on doing this earlier, but Rhysand needs to learn this. Rhysand has to be able to do this by himself, and more were the excuses Sombra had told her to avoid this. Unfortunately for her, the fact that Rhysand was learning how to use his wings himself added to her pressure to learn how to do so herself. Then you can watch over him from the skies, too, Rae. Laenna knew she would get the Protector with that sentence.

No, before you get the wrong idea, she had never used the bond between her son and friend to her benefit. However, she was selfish in the sense that she wanted to be able to fly with her friend. She wanted to show Sombra more about her culture; she wanted her to see the world just like she did.

Sombra mumbled a few sentences under her breath and stepped onto the balcony.

She exhaled and took deep breaths. She'd done worse than this. But the drop was pretty high. She could always shadow-jump if things went the wrong way.

"Don't make me start counting." Sombra snorted.

Sombra took a final breath and went to jump when she felt scorching heat on her hands. The sudden sensation made her yelp and stagger back. She also lost her balance and fell backwards. This sequence of actions caught the flying Illyrian's attention.

"You are more dramatic than Rhysand! Stop acting! Just jump."

However, when she saw her friend start to hyperventilate. She flew down.

"I swear it on Rhysand's life, Laenna. I'm not joking." At that moment, Laenna knew Sombra was being serious.

Sombra cast her gaze downward, fixating on her hands. They looked unremarkable, but they were a source of discomfort to her. An overwhelming sense of desperation consumed her, causing her heart to race uncontrollably. Despite being in the open air, she felt as though the walls were closing in around her, making her feel claustrophobic. Her chest tightened, and her eyes began to water from the sharp, searing pain that surged through her body.