Shadows Whisper | | Azriel

40

Azriel was nowhere to be found when Astryn returned to her room that morning, and the shadows didn't give her any hints as to where he might be. All they told her was that he was working.

She didn't push for more information. She took a bath, savoring the way the hot water felt on her sore body. She lingered for longer than necessary and was still there by the time Azriel got back.

"You can come in," she called out when she could sense him outside the door.

There was a second of hesitation before he opened the door and came in. He didn't let himself look anywhere but at her face.

"Cassian mentioned you asked to train with him," Azriel brought up, and Astryn suddenly appeared much more closed off.

"Is that...I'm sorry—is it okay?" she asked, quiet and nervous. It shattered his heart in ways he couldn't even begin to describe.

"Of course it's okay," he assured her, his tone gentle, "it's more than okay. Don't apologize for it. I'm glad you're training with him. It will be good for you."

"Should I have talked to you about it first?" she inquired, unable to meet his eyes.

"Astryn, you don't need my permission to do anything. You don't have to talk to me and get my approval for anything you want to do. Your choices are your own," he assured her, a sternness to his voice. "I won't ever expect to have a say in your choices. Do what feels right for you, and I will support you."

"Thank you," she muttered, and he smiled and gently tucked her hair behind her ears.

"Honestly, I'm glad you're training with him. I'll protect you in whatever ways I can, but knowing how to defend yourself is still important in case there's ever a situation in which I can't keep you safe," he pointed out, "it's always a good idea to know how to keep yourself safe. And I'm proud of you for taking this step."

"Do you think...the other people who worked with my mother, do you think they'll ever try to come for me?" Astryn questioned, so much fear and dread in her voice.

"I don't think they're stupid enough to try," Azriel answered, "they know they'd die if they made any attempt."

"The shadows told me you were working today. Were you trying to find those people?"

"Yes," Azriel confessed, giving a nod, "I'm going to find them and kill them."

"Do you have to?"

He hesitated. Technically, the answer was yes. He did have to. Beside how badly he wanted them dead for what they did to her, it was all done in an attempt to kill Rhys so that was a whole other reason they had to die. He couldn't let them live and give them the chance to make a new plan for trying to kill Rhys.

"Do you not want me to?" he asked after a moment of heavy silence.

"I understand if it's some you have to do," she muttered instead of giving a direct answer.

"I'll talk to Rhys about it," Azriel said after another few seconds of quiet, "these people did try to kill him so even if we let them live, we do have to know who they are in case they ever try killing him some other way."

"Wouldn't letting them live...I mean, that would show that he's a fair ruler, wouldn't it? It could make them see that he's good and kind and...that doesn't matter, does it?" she realized at the look on his face.

"They don't want him dead because they don't think he's a good ruler," he confirmed, "it's just about bloodlines. He's a half-breed. That's what they don't like. If he was purely High Fae, they would have no problem with him."

"That's terrible," she muttered, a frown on her face.

"It is," Azriel agreed, "but it's the truth."

"If you have to kill them...do it for him, not for me," she requested, and Azriel nodded.

He leaned over and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead before he left her on her own so he could go speak with Rhys.

Azriel found Rhys in his study, looking entirely exhausted.

"Did you find any leads?" Rhys asked, straightening up his posture.

"Still looking into it," Azriel answered, "but I wanted to have a discussion about what happens when I find them."

"Do you not plan to kill them?" the High Lord asked, eyebrow arched in surprised.

"I did, but Astryn doesn't want me to. My suggestion is leaving them locked in the dungeons," the shadowsinger informed him, though he knew Astryn probably wouldn't be fond of that anyway. Some vindictive, vengeful part of him was eager to leave them locked up though, to hurt them in all the ways they hurt her. She didn't have any interest in revenge or retribution.

"Okay," Rhys replied, seeming stressed. "But we make certain they never leave those dungeons once they're there."

"I have no plans of letting them stay well enough to have any chance of escaping."

Rhys let out a loud exhale through his nose. It was quiet for a moment before Rhys spoke.

"She's training with Cassian now," he mumbled, pushing his hand back through his messy hair. "It's good. I'm glad she's doing that."

"But you wish it was you she had gone to," Azriel concluded, and Rhys looked horribly guilty.

"Am I horrible for that?" he asked quietly, sounding as if he had been dwelling on this for a while now.

"No. Not as long as you don't make it an issue. If she's choosing him to trust to help her, you have to respect that even if you wish it was you," Azriel answered, caution in his tone.

"I'm not going to make the same mistake again and try to get in between anything. If she's comfortable being trained by him...I won't stand in the way."

"It's not just you, if that helps," Azriel said after a moment of hesitation, "part of me wishes she had asked me."