A Court of Souls and Shadows

11. Raven

I felt the throbbing pain in my side the moment my eyes fluttered open. The memories of the training rings and everything that had gone wrong slammed into me, one after the other. The most peculiar memory among them the one of a shirtless Azriel carrying me into the House of Wind, panic and worry clear all over his handsome face. I must have been hallucinating. I shook my head slowly and groaned, trying to move my elbows beneath me to sit up.

"Don't try and move."

I turned my head towards the gruff voice to find Cassian slumped in a chair beside my bed. He had dark circles under his eyes and he looked like he hadn't slept in days. The guilt was immediate, and I blinked rapidly to keep my tears at bay.

"Cassian," I croaked. "I'm so sorry."

"Don't you dare apologise to me, Vipes." His face was stricken, and it looked like he was in pain. "I'm the one that should be sorry. All of this is my fault. I hurt you." His voice broke and a tear rolled down his cheek.

"It was an accident," I whispered. "Get over here."

Cassian took in a shaky breath and rose from the chair to sit beside me on the bed. I forced myself upwards, ignoring the pain, and threw my arms around his neck. I had never been an overly affectionate person, often avoiding it at all costs, but I knew that physical touch was the thing Cassian most responded to. He was like a big teddy bear, and physical touch was most definitely his love language. He sighed heavily as he returned my embrace, encircling his strong arms around my waist. I grimaced when his arms grazed over my wound but held in my groan of pain. He already felt guilty enough.

"It's okay, Cass," I whispered. "I forgive you." Cassian shook his head before dropping it into the crook of my neck.

"It's not," he said quietly. I let silence settle over us then, knowing that nothing I could say would convince him. He would need to come to terms with what happened on his own. We sat like that in each other's arms for a long time, until the bedroom door opening interrupted us. Cassian pulled away from me to look towards the door, and I found myself following his gaze. I frowned when I saw the Shadow Singer filling my doorway. His shadows immediately left his body and raced towards me, wrapping around my midsection, their caress soft. They were like their own being, completely separate from Azriel.

Azriel stalked towards my bed, his face set in a scowl. "You're awake," he said flatly. I returned his scowl. "Hello to you, too," I grumbled. Cassian stood and backed away from the bed, making his way to the door.

"Stop," I called out. "Azriel owes you an apology." Azriel's dark brows shot up as his hazel eyes bored into mine.

"This was an accident," I ground out between clenched teeth. "And the way you spoke to Cassian was downright mean. Apologise. Now."

Azriel stared at me for a moment before Cassian cleared his throat behind him. "Vipes.. Azriel apologised to me the second he got back," Cassian explained. I felt my cheeks grow hot in embarrassment. Azriel's face softened as he looked between me and Cassian. Cassian chose that moment to leave the room quietly, shutting the door behind him.

"Is that true?" I asked Azriel, my voice barely above a whisper. He nodded.

"Sorry," I said immediately, looking down at my hands. Azriel gripped my chin between his fingers, forcing me to meet his gaze.

"You have nothing to be sorry for," he said quietly. I swallowed thickly and resisted the urge to fidget under his intense gaze. He dropped his hand from my face and his gaze shifted to my midsection, where I could feel a thick layer of bandages under my shirt.

"Is it okay if I check your wound?" Azriel asked. I nodded and he reached for my shirt, tugging it up and gently removing the bandages. His shadows danced around his hands as he worked, skittering across my skin. His touch was feather-light, and I withheld a gasp as his fingers grazed my stomach. I suddenly felt too hot, everywhere. Azriel continued to remove the bandages with gentle efficiency, and I looked down as the last pieces were removed. A thick, pink scar was raised on my abdomen in a short line. I had expected it to be so much worse, but it looked as though it was almost healed.