Corrupted by Darkness - ACOTAR x Fourth Wing x OC

- Chapter 8 -

Azriels POV

Shadows swirl around me while I stare at the ceiling in my room, lost in my thoughts.

"Why did you fuck her when you hated her all those years?" Cassians words echo though my head... like they did for the past weeks ever since he threw them at my head.

I couldn't answer him that day even though I knew the answer then just as clearly as I know it now. If I'd be honest with myself I had known it since the first time I looked in her eyes. Ever since that day, I felt the need to protect her and keep her save. The older she got, the more a different feeling sneaked its way into my mind... or my heart. I tried my best to stay way from her, closing myself off whenever she wanted to get to know me more, finding excuses to leave the room when she got there... it worked out for me until that night I found her crying, sitting alone on her birthday in a dark hallway.

If my heart wasn't arching so much to be close to her and be her shoulder to cry on, I would have ripped that asshole in pieces. Having me so close to me on that night... I thought I was stronger, yet I should have known that my self control wouldn't be as strong as I thought it would be when it came to Nea.

So here I am now, dealing with the aftermath of that night.

I knew it was wrong to leave her broken on the floor that night, my heart was breaking into pieces while I said those words, seeing the tears in her eyes, tears that I caused. I still think that it was necessary to break things up with her... to let her be free and not chained to me, while she is in there and I'm who knows where Rhys sends me. And now that her life is chained to Xadens - I don't need my shadows to see the way he looks at her... to know that he was there for her when I left her crying. I hid myself within my shadows that night, watching over her, in case something would happen. Then I saw him. Heard how she whispered my name, full of hope that it would be me... and I saw the hurt in his eyes, when he saw the disappointment on her face when she realized it was him and not me.

Closing my eyes again I try to recall the way her eyes lit up whenever she talks about the things that excite her, tying to remember her smell, her touch ...

Neas POV

'NOCTIS! NOCTIS HELPE ME!' I scream up at the dragon above me. Another blast of fire wraps around my body and I scream at the feeling of my skin burning. My fists hammer against the imaginary wall that keeps me shielded off whatever controls my body and whatever Sanguis is controlling right now.

'Someone please... Help me.' I cry out.

'XADEN? Xaden can you hear me?' I shout at the opening I in my mind I left for him. But no answer ... it feels like I don't even reach him, just like I can't reach Noctis.

More fire.

Physically my body doesn't burn, but when I look at my hands all I see is burned flesh. Tears run down my face and I keep on screaming.

Sanguis laughs. "Don't worry little girl, two more times and all that's left of you is a sad little pile of ashes... and your body is mine."

"No...! No - please I'll do anything- please." I beg.

"But there is nothing you could offer me." She smiles evilly and then says something to Noctis again, fueling his anger even more. His eyes glow as he opens his mouth again.

Sanguis laughs, while I cry out in pain, as I feel my skin falling off of me.

'Please.. please not like this... not now... not him...' I cry and fall down on my knees.

My vision gets darker and darker and I fall to my left, hugging my knees. I'm going to die... and no one will notice.

Theres a small tugging in my chest... and within the darkness a small golden thread appears.

I wrap my hands around it, as if this small thread is my lifeline- "Help me. Please." I whisper to who or whatever is on the other side of the line.

Above me Noctis opens his mouth again.

'Well that's ...' I close my eyes and wait for the fire to hit me.

Azriels POV

My eyes shoot open and I sit straight in my bed.

Was I dreaming? I ask myself and run my hand though my hair.

Small droplets of sweat run down my neck.

Something feels off.

With a sigh I roll out of bed and make my way to the kitchen.

The whole time I can't get that feeling off my chest, that something is wrong... as if someone's in danger.

"Couldn't sleep?" Cassian asks and I almost drop the glass in my hand.

"Wowwww did I just surprise the one and only shadow singer?" He jokes and playfully hits my shoulder, yet his demeanor quickly changes when he sees the look in my eyes.

"Az, what's wrong?" His voice has a serious tone in it.

"I ... I don't know." I let my head hang and my eyes search for anything and everything while I scan the ground. "It feels like she is in danger..." I whisper the last part.

"Nea?" Cassian asks and leans on the counter next to me.

"Yes... Cassian she..." I begin but my voice breaks. There's a tug.... A tug where all those months was nothing... a tug and the feeling of fearing for ones life.

The glass falls to the floor and Cassian is left alone in the kitchen.

"I know Arziel... I know..." he whispers and pushes himself off the counter.

"RHYSAND" He screams into the night and quickly makes his way to his house.

A/N: Hello :) sorry for the lack of updates... I had to finish my assignment first :D But i wanted to thank you all for your feedback, the comments and the votes! It makes my day whenever I see them <3 So again thank you so much for reading this story and supporting me <3