The Prophecy - ACOTAR

Chapter 30

* Trigger Warning - the ending will reference thoughts of suicide. There is no mention of specific thoughts or actions, but it may be a bit triggering. If you have ever struggled with those thoughts yourself or are currently, know that 24/7 there will always be someone you can talk with on the national suicide lifeline at 988. They have people you can talk with on the phone, or you can utilize their chat option at https://988lifeline.org/chat/ *

Astrid stretched awake, pausing mid-stretch as she realized she was no longer freezing, and her wrists were free of the heavy iron shackles. She finished her stretch, slowly cracking her eyes open at the feeling of the blankets that were covering her body. A small frown tugged at the corners of her lips as she realized she was still naked, except for some bandages that wrapped around her upper body, the dull ache on her back informing her that nothing was a dream.

The last thing she remembered was locking eyes with the male from her dream. It took a few seconds, but she suspected it was the same male named Azriel from Rhys's memories, she wasn't one hundred percent sure on that though. But there weren't any fae she knew of that were cloaked in shadows, she had never heard of any, but it could be a normal occurrence in the Night Court. It was a power that fit with the image of this court.

The walls in her new room were still a pale color, but they weren't the bone white color of the stone at Hybern's castle. A few feet in front of the bed was a small fire place that had a fire crackling in it, a source of heat. Tears gathered around her lower eyelids, she had been cold for so long, to know that someone cared enough to make sure she was kept warm started the process of stitching her heart back together. Her heart that had been shattered the moment he walked into her cell.

Next to the small fireplace was an armchair, that was currently occupied by the longer haired male she had seen, a male she also recognized from Rhys's memories, Cassian. As she shifted in the bed, she felt a hard object under her pillow. She slowly slid her hand under, her fingers brushing the rough hilt of her favorite dagger. As she pulled it out, she was reminded that she was still naked as the blankets shifted slightly over her body.

Astrid's heart began to pound, she didn't know this male, she barely knew his name. And he was in here while she lay in bed unconscious and naked. Fear and anger, that's what she was feeling, that's what was controlling her movements. She studied him quickly, his eyes were closed with a book laying in his lap, a sword was leaning next to the chair, and he had a few daggers strapped along his thighs and chest.

She still felt weak, but she had the element of surprise since he decided it was a smart decision to fall asleep in her presence. It wasn't entirely stupid since she was unconscious, but it was far from smart. She unsheathed her dagger and leapt from her bed, moving to straddle his lap with her dagger pressed against his throat and one of his daggers angled towards his heart. His eyes shot open, and a startled scream erupted from his mouth.

+

Azriel was currently sitting in the main room of the House of Wind with Rhys, Wren, Amren, Mor, and Feyre. Cassian had taken over watching Astrid, insisting he needed the lack of distractions to read a book he found about military strategies. They had been discussing going to talk with the Bone Carver about how the King of Hybern could bring back Jurian. It wouldn't tell them why he was bringing back the warrior, there was possibly only one person in Prythian that could truly answer that question, and she was still asleep.

Azriel had already offered himself to go, more than willing to do whatever Rhys needed. Rhys still hadn't talked with him about how he felt about the theory regarding Azriel and Astrid, so he was also hoping to use this as a way of gaining points in his favor. Rhys, Cass, and him may consider each other brothers, but Astrid was his sister by blood, and Rhys was completely in protective older brother mode for the time being.