A Court Of Moondust And Shadows (Azrielxoc)

Hidden truths

  Rayna was just beginning to regain consciousness when she was thrown on the rough and cold floor of a large room her blurry eyes couldn't recognize. She felt people move around her, but couldn't tell who they were just yet, she didn't care much either. All she could think about was Killian.

  A monster... But only I know the kind of monster you truly are. A scared little girl who caused the death of the only person who loved her.

  She could footsteps and familiar voices but they seemed so far away, she couldn't reach them, she couldn't tell who they belonged to. She only saw, felt and heard Killian's words, the venom and hatred in his eyes.

 'Rayna!'

 Her eyes snapped open. The scream, his tortured voice were like a bucket of cold water being splashed onto her. Her body shook as she finally fully took in her surroundings. Her eyes found Azriel first, he had been the one to scream for her. Hazel gaze usually made of stone was now full of fear and hopelessness, but not for himself, not because of the weapon cutting through his chest making him unable to move, but for her and her only. Next to him was his inner circle, the agony and terror on Feyre's face as clear as day.

  As she slowly scanned the room, unfamiliar fae everywhere she realized that all eyes where on her. She refrained herself from shaking once more. This was a scene straight from her darkest nightmares, that she had told only...only Killian about. Well, shit. There were not enough swear words in the world for this kind of situation.

  She searched the room again in desperation for any possible escape as a fae wearing a crown, she could have only guessed to be the King of Hybern, walked towards her with sure steps. The guards behind her pushed her forward, under his curious gaze.

   'I was going to do to you what I am planning to do to the other two.' He circled her like a wolf would a sheep. 'But you know what my healers told me?' He didn't wait for an answer as he spread his arms wide as if he was giving people the best of news and raised his voice with his next words. 'But you can't make what is already made.' He turned to his men. 'This one is like a big useless surprise. Do you think she'll be from autumn or maybe winter court?'

  Rayna didn't have to turn around to know there was pure shock on the inner circles' faces. This was it, it was all going to be over for her, back in chains.

 ...a monster without a leash...

  Maybe she deserved this. Maybe she had been born wrong. No father or mother to ever claim her either...maybe they were all right.

   'Let's take the glamours off and see.' The King of Hybern smiled in a way that made her skin crawl.

   Rayna risked a glance at Azriel who was already starring at her in shock and something close to relief. Sorry, she muttered under her breath. A single tear fell down her face before the pain begun and she was forced into a life she had tried to forget long ago.

 The first flashback came quickly, she was being pushed from her mother's arms into an unknown male's with desperation and fear. She couldn't have been older than a few months. Her beautiful mother didn't let her tears fall, even though her voice shook and heart ached.

   'This wasn't supposed to happen...I-I took the anti conceptional herbs and everything. She is not normal Mr. Castellan and my husband can't know about my affair.'  Her mother trembled before this male.

   He frowned looking down at the child. He could make it work, a future formidable weapon...and if not the baby would at least prove to be a powerful bargaining chip. He pushed a bag of coins into the female's hands.

   'Does the father know? Will you tell him or see him again?' Mr. Castellan asked, he needed to know if there would be complications

 Rayna screamed as she fought against it, against the King's power itself, but she was too weak in the human form. Her skin became darker and she could feel her limbs extend.

     'As handsome as one could be, oh, how he swept me off my feet. He does not know though. And for seeing him again...it had been a few nights thing. Someone of his level wouldn't...'

 Rayna fell on the ground. She pulled at her hair, trying to make the memories go away.

   She was five, sitting on the cold ground, chains around her ankles and wrists.

   'You need to learn to keep the away. You are already enough trouble as a fae, nobody needs to know you are a half blood too.'

  She begged and begged for Mr. Castellan not to do it.

  'Pain only makes you stronger, now, count.'

 Nothing could have prepared her for the first strike of the whip, right in the center of her bare back. She couldn't help but scream. The force of the hit sent her forward, but the chains pulled her back in place.

  'O-one.' She whispered through sobs.

  Rayna tried to open her eyes, but closed them immediately when instead of fiery red hair clouding her vision were loose curls as dark as night.

  Memories kept coming to her and she didn't know how to make them stop. She couldn't...she wasn't strong enough. S-she, she....

  

    Azriel could only stare as darkness surrounded the once human girl. The curly long red hair turned into raven waves.  Her once round ears were now pointy, high fae, he realized. He was breathing heavily and not just because of his wound. Shadows like his and yet not like his at all covered her small now bare body, shielding and protecting her from the wondering eyes. If he had shadows, whatever she had was pure darkness. He couldn't look away.

  Oh, Cauldron...on her back two large onyx wings grew, like his and Cassian's. Not high fae at all, but a half blood, a rare thing. The magic around her disappeared, the glamour finally undone. The King of Hybern didn't move, still in shock. It was not what he expected, what any of them expected. She was faith and death all at once and nobody in that room had felt or seen anything like the power she possessed before.

  Azriel would have stopped to think more on what she was and could do, but then it happened. She opened her eyes and his entire world stopped.

  All rational thoughts left him as only one word,only one instinct, tied to only one soul echoed  through him as if he was finally waking up from a 500 years of sleep.

 Mate.