A Court Of Moondust And Shadows (Azrielxoc)

Apart from you

  Azriel had always been different, felt different. This court, this people were supposed to be his family and yet they never treated him the way they treated each other, his darkness scared them. As if as long as he was the polite and reasonable male and the perfect spy master nothing else mattered. Nobody gave two shits who he was beyond that.

  He would have thought he felt a pull towards Rayna when she was still disguised as a human because of the mating bond, but the truth was that he felt nothing bond related. No magical tug in his chest, no instant connection. His initial thought was that he had opened up to her so easily because of the bond or because he didn't view her as a threat, but that hadn't been the real reason.

  He remembered Cassian and Rhys describing him as 'the quite one' or 'leave him be he never really talks much'. He heard it so much that he ended up believing it himself, until Rayna proved him wrong. She proved him that he had just needed someone to listen. His tell me a secret girl. It was so easy to share with her because she didn't seem to give a shit that he was a shadowsinger and a spy master. She cared about him, Az, the boy inside him who hated sunrises and caramel. She didn't demand anything of him. Without realizing she had brought back a part of him he thought was long gone.

 'Never. Never make yourself smaller for me or other people.'

 Did she realize how much impact those words had on him? He had been doing that his whole life because he knew people would run away from him if he didn't. He knew he wasn't perfect, a broken soul. He was greedy, possessive and his mind was a dark place. But for her he would try, for her he would move the stars. For his...mate.

 Oh, the Mother. He had a MATE. Five hundred years of living in survival mode, waiting for the other half of his soul, only for his salvation to come in the form of a female who seemed to have more secrets than him. It was everything, she was everything. He had seen the looks the other fae shared at witnessing Rayna's power. He didn't give a shit though.

 Azriel knew how wrong it was of him to think thins way but he found himself not giving a damn about how much destruction her power could do. With little shame he realized that if she were to decide burning the world down was what she wanted to do he would be right be her side. He didn't fear her the same way she hadn't feared him. Azriel didn't see the power first, but the girl. 

His petunia velvet flower who was right there next to him...As if in a dream he reached out his arm only to grab empty sheets. His eyes snapped open as memories started coming back to him.

  'Oh! Thank the Mother you are awake!' Mor exclaimed, trying to hug him but he pushed her hands away.

  His eyes were desperately searching the room and he was breathing heavily.

  'WHERE IS SHE!?!' He screamed so loud it made Mor flinch and most likely woke up the whole house.

  She called out for help, to Rhysand, to anyone. Azriel was acting like a mad man as he threw the blankets off himself and stood up so suddenly that he almost ripped of the bandages on his chest. He kept repeating the same question over and over again.

  Mor was sobbing when Rhys arrived. The devastation and terror on Azriel's face seemed to pain her as she tried to push his weak body back onto the bed. The High Lord was frozen in the doorway, he had never seen so much fear on his brother's face ever. So he did the only think he could think of to make it go away, he entered Azriel's mind and forced him into a deep sleep.

°•▪︎♤▪︎•°

    When Rayna opened her eyes she wasn't in the cold room anymore, crawling on the floor. She was in a warm bed, in a room she did not recognize. The only familiar thing was the scent.

 'And here I thought you had died on me.' 

 She let out a breath of relief as soon as her eyes landed on Eris. The male was sat in the chair next to her, holding a cup of what it looked to be tea.

  'I'm afraid you won't be able to get rid of me that easy.' She smiled a bit before trying to push herself into a sitting position.

  Rayna groaned in pain, every bone and muscle in her body hurt. She felt so weak and she hated it.

   'Here, drink, you need to stay hydrated.' Eris held the cup to her mouth and she took a few sips.

 Now that her vision was clearer, memories started coming back to her. Eris observed her with a concerned gaze as she processed the events of the night before. The smile was gone, replaced by real panic.

  'Oh Mother, I have to go to my people...Killian, h-he'll...I need to go help my people...I-I need to keep them safe...' Her words mixed together as she threw herself off the bed, groaning in pain.

  Rayna used the nearest wall for support to help her stand. Her breaths were uneven as she headed out the door of the room, trying to find the exit of the house.

  'I can't let you do that, not in your state.' Eris said, positioning himself in front of her, blocking her path.

 I can't LET you... A pained looked crossed Rayna's face as she ignored the ache in her body and tried to push forward.

   'Eris, don't you dare.' She struggled as his arms stopped her from going further. 'Please, just let me go...I need to go.'

  She could feel him shake his head. She could feel tears ready to spill. He was gonna lock her in a cage. He was gonna lock her in...

  'I need to keep them safe...I need to...'

 'I need to keep you safe.' His voice sounded almost pained as he held her trashing body caged in his arms.

  Rayna gathered whatever strength she had left and hit him right between his legs with her knee, making him ease his hold on her for a second. A second was all she needed. Even though her strength was fading more and more she hurried towards where she now could see a door and a vast forest through a window.

  Just as she was about to throw it open and leave, a feeling of dizziness hit her like a wave. Rayna felt as if she had just been drugged, when she looked back at Eris his face was blurry.

   'T'the tea.' She realized in horror.

  Eris caught her before she could hit the ground, lifting her weak body in his arms. She tried to hit his chest, pushing him away but she was too tired and sleepy all of the sudden. Rayna could feel herself slipping away.

 'Please, don't make me your villain too.'

 Eris begged her as he brushed the fresh tears off her face. He placed her back onto his bed, her face now calm and eyes closed.

Author's note: Don't worry, Rayna and Azriel will be reunited next chapter and it's gonna be juicy and dramatic