shadows don't lie

Chapter Thirty-One

His eyes opened, and he was unaware of why he had awoken. Azriel’s arm right arm throbbed once, then twice in pain, and he sat up, frowning down at his scarred hand.

It was unusual for him to have pain like this, but he just ignored it as he stood up from his bed, walking over to the bathroom where he splashed some cold water on his face.

He had reluctantly gone to bed only when Rhys had threatened to knock him out if he didn’t. It had taken only a few minutes for him to fall asleep, with many silent assurances between himself and his pillows about how he wasn’t stopping in his search, only resting enough so he wouldn’t be a liability.

Azriel looked up at himself in the mirror, his Illyrian tattoos in harsh contrast against his shoulders, and his eyes fell on the blue teardrop that now hung around his neck befor bringing them back up to his face, and he took in how much he looked like shit.

His eyes had dark bags underneath them, his hair messy like he had run his hands through it multiple times. Which he had.

Turning away from the sad sight, his right arm spasmed and he threw his wings out to catch himself before he fell, muttering a low curse out loud as he brought his hand up to look at it.

No sign of injury, so why was he in pain? He felt something small inside of him at first, like a gentle nudge, and he inhaled sharply as the bond seemed to go taut.

He reached for it, tugging slightly as he did.

Nothing.

He could feel no emotion or sign of life whatsoever from it.

Azriel's throat closed up, and his heart thundered as he pulled harder on the bond. Still nothing.

His hand came up to grip the necklace, his pain now forgotten, and he stepped out of the bathroom when the barest flicker of annoyance reached him.

He held on to the small feeling, forcing himself to breathe. She was still alive. He would know if she died.

Sitting down at the very edge of his bed, one of the shadows detached itself from the darkness, floating over before whispering, “She remains in the Night Court.”

His mind raced as he tried to figure out where. They had looked everywhere already, multiple times.

Reaching for the bond once more, he sent a simple thought to her. Where are you? 

----

Inei sat up quickly as she became aware of the person standing directly outside of her tent.

She thought she had imagined it at first, a small exhale, a slight shift in the air a few minutes ago, but it had taken no time to realize that someone was actually there once she heard her shadow whispering that someone lurked.

A dozen different things flashed through her mind before she decided to go with the most impressionable one. She would make an example of this one.

Slipping out of her blankets with her shadows silencing any sound, she slipped out of the tent in nothing more than her leathers, and no shoes.

It was pure darkness, but she felt like she could still see just fine.

Her shadows fed her the scenery just as easily as the sun revealed it.

There was a male with wings that had frozen behind her tent, and she wrapped herself in shadows, becoming invisible even as she stretched them into talons around her hands.

Within seconds, she was behind him, a single claw pressing against the pulsing vein in his neck.

A singular drop of blood rolled down.