Shadows Whisper | | Azriel

23

Astryn was in and out of consciousness the entire trip to the Day Court. She was incoherent for the most part whenever she woke, mumbling poorly strung together sentences about nothing. She was delirious from the pain she was in, and she wasn't healing.

Despite Azriel and Cassian's best attempts, they couldn't get the faebane collar and cuffs off of her. They were locked by some sort of magic, and as long as they stayed on, Astryn's healing would be slow and brutal, or nonexistent.

Azriel tried to keep himself calm. If a spell was responsible for keeping these damned things on Astryn, Helion would be able to resolve the issue. Azriel would promise him anything for his help.

Astryn was unconscious when they arrived at the Day Court. No one was brave enough to refuse when he demanded to see Helion. They were taken to a room to wait, Cassian perched on a window seat at the back of the room and Azriel standing in the middle of the room with Astryn in his arms.

Azriel didn't kneel often—he had knelt out of respect when Rhys officially sat on the throne for the first time, and very few times since then. It was even more rare for him to beg. But when Helion came in, Azriel lowered himself to his knees in front of Helion, Astryn still cradled carefully in his arms, and he begged.

"Please," he said in a desperate tone Helion never thought he would hear from the shadowsinger. Even Cassian was shocked to hear a tone like that. "Please help her. The collar and the cuffs are infused with faebane and locked on by a spell. She can't heal until they're off. Please help her. I'll do anything."

Helion considered the Night Court his only true ally, but more than that, he considered Rhys and his Inner Circle to be his only friends outside of his own court. It pained him to see Azriel on his knees begging like this.

"Let's get her to a room with a bed so she can rest while I figure out the spell," Helion said simply, motioning for Azriel to get up, "and I'll have my healers in with her as soon as those damned things are off."

Azriel nearly sobbed with relief but he held back on that and rose to his feet carefully. He followed Helion through the halls to a bedroom. He gently lowered her onto the bed and she groaned in protest at the loss of the feeling of him against her.

"It's okay," he muttered soothingly, his voice so soft.

Helion stared at the pair in wonder for a moment. It was so odd seeing Azriel like this. He hadn't ever heard him speak so softly or look at anyone the way he looked at this battered female. The realization struck Helion suddenly and his head snapped towards Cassian.

"She's his mate," Helion said, and it very much was not a question but Cassian nodded in confirmation anyway. "She's the one his shadows spoke of before. And she's—"

"Rhys's half sister and was married to one of Beron's sons who is now extremely dead, yes it's all very messy," Cassian filled in with an exasperated exhale. "We've had quite the week. It hasn't even been a week."

Helion was going to say something in response, but Azriel looked back at him with unmasked desperation and he decided he should probably get to work on figuring out how to get the collar and cuffs off of Astryn.

Azriel sat dutifully by Astryn's side the whole time Helion worked on trying to undo the spell that had been put in place.

Helion tore apart the spell eventually, and Astryn let out a soft gasp when the collar and cuffs opened with a click. Azriel grabbed them carefully and moved them away from her.

"Azriel?" Astryn muttered tiredly, her eye opening slightly.

"I'm right here," he assured her, gently pushing her hair away from her face. "You're safe."

"Wh...where are we?" she questioned, her breath rattling painfully.

"We're in the Day Court," he informed her, though he knew somewhere in the back of his mind that there was a chance she hadn't ever even heard of the Day Court before. "We're getting you some help."

"Did you...is Killan..." she trailed off, struggling to get out the words.

"He's dead," Azriel mumbled, "he won't ever put his hands on you again."

His mind drifted back to what he had done to Killan. He broke every one of his fingers and the bones in his hands. Near the end, he went back and cut off a few of his fingers.

She nodded and then winced, her bruised face an expression of pain.

"Relax, Astryn," the shadowsinger said, so soft and loving. "Everything is going to be okay."

She let out a sigh and let her eye drift shut again.

"I'm going to get my best healers," Helion spoke up quietly. "I'll return shortly." He started leaving but paused at the door. "I assume you don't want me to send word to Rhysand about you being here?"

"I'd prefer it if you didn't," Azriel replied with a nod, "at least not tonight."

"I won't tell him tonight," Helion promised, "but she is his sister. If he comes looking, I will not lie to him."

"I wouldn't ask you to," Azriel told him before turning his attention back to Astryn. He could feel her looking at him.

"What's a mate?" she asked him, and he tensed up slightly. "The shadows...they said you're my mate. I don't know what that means."

"You don't have to worry about that," he dismissed, trying to ignore the unexpected ache that suddenly formed in his chest. "I'll explain it when you're more healed. Just relax for now, darling."

"I missed you," she muttered, causing his heart to skip a beat.

"I missed you too," he told her, a small smile tugging at his lips. "So very much."