Crown of Starlight

Chapter 14

Small slaps on my cheek woke me. I peered up at Ivan frowning down at me
"Hi" I groaned from the ache in my bones when I sat up.

"Oh thank the gods" A pacing Andrias dramatically declared.

I looked to the side where Azra lay still.
"He's still alive." Ivan said rather disappointedly. A tiny part of me was relieved. I hated that tiny part of me that still cared for his well-being.

"What happened?" Ivan asked hauling me to my feet.

"He's my heartbond" I admitted. Who cares if they know. Everyone would probably find out sooner or later and something about these two made me trust them.

For a moment they were both silent "holy shit." Andrias said the look of shock growing on his face when he realised the magnitude of what I just confessed. "Holy shit." He repeated.

"We heard you the first time" Ivan said to Andrias.

"Believe me, I wish it wasn't true." I said looking over to where Azra lay motionless.

Ivan and Andrias fell silent again. I looked back to them. "It doesn't change anything. I still hate his guts. And I meant what I said , if he tried to hurt you both, I would kill him. You can kill him to if you wanted too."

"This stays between us" Ivan said. "If the people where to find out, they'd think our royals where under the dark realms control."

"That's not true." I jumped in. That would never be true. I'd died before I let the fate of my people fall into the hands of the scheming dark fae.

"I know. But people will still talk, still suspect." He added. I nodded in agreement and turned back to Azra. I let out a long breath and walked to Azra. Staring down at his stupid handsome face, I nudged him with my foot. "Wake up."
Azra stirred, his eyes slowly opening registering where he was. I crossed my arms and looked down at him.

"Oh great you're alive." I smiled down at him. "If you're done napping, can we get back to the lesson now? I don't have all day." I turned to head back to our spot.

I heard shuffling behind me. "You could of killed me"

I whirled "yes, but I didn't."

"You could of killed me" he repeated this time a little more angry and stalking towards me. His magic filled the room dark and threatening. Ivan and Andrias unsheathed their blades but before they could approach shadows lashed out seizing their swords and holding them in place.

"No!" I whirled back to Azra and called to my magic. But too late. Shadows fast, too fast formed around my arms and outstretched them besides me. I struggled to no avail and watched as another shadow slid up my legs and around my waist. A deadly force gently wrapping itself around me. Azra stepped towards me.

"Let them go!" I demanded.

"You could of killed me." He said again.

"Get over it." I spat.

Azra stared me down.

"Do you know what that means? If I die so do you. If I die, I take a piece of your soul with me. If I die the rest of your living soul will slowly die until nothing good is left in you. Is that what you want?" Azra stopped before me.

"We'll while all of that does sound particularly awful, I don't really care about what would happen to me if you were to die." I replied.

"We'll I do." His words squeezed something inside of me and I could of sworn those shadows loosened their grip just a little.

I scoffed. "Am I supposed to believe you? After everything you've done, am I supposed to just believed that you have my best interests at heart?"

Azra fell silent. "My family are gone Azra. I will never forgive you....let.them.go."

His shadows recoiled into the dark areas of the room. A clang of metal rang out as Ivan and Andrias fell the the ground behind me.

"What I just did with my magic was control." He changed the subject.

"You call that control?" I rubbed at the invisible spot on my wrist where the shadows had pinned me moments ago.

"Yes. Because if I was you, I would of lost control of my emotions and you'd be dead along with those guards of yours" Azra fixed the collar of his shirt.

"This was lesson one. Process your emotions Aurora, instead of bottling them all up. Accept your past...and your future. Work on that...then we'll continue with the lessons." He said.

"What?...that's it? But we've barely been here an hour..."

"That's enough for today." He declared.

I sighed. The thought of running out of time and the crumbling border heavy on my mind.

"Fine." We never spoke again as we returned to the border and led him through but the words of Azra played on my mind during the trip home. When we returned to the palace, I dismissed Ivan and Andrias and headed for the one place I was avoiding. To the tombs where my deceased family now rested for eternity.