Bloom and Destruction (ACOTAR - Elain + Azriel)

Chapter 25

Azriel

I pace back and forth before the front door. Elain opens the door, the early morning sun lighting up the foyer as she steps in covered in dirt. She looks at me confusedly. "I'm waiting for Rhys," I stop walking.

She nods, grabbing my hand and squeezing as she walks past me. I let her fingers fall as she heads for the stairs. I watch her walk so gracefully. A clearing of someone's throat makes me turn. I look back to see Rhysand standing in the doorway. I motion for him to come in. He closes the front door.

    "The gardens look lovely," he says as he approaches me. I just nod. "Are we going to talk here?" He quirks an eyebrow.

     "No," I sigh and start walking toward the office down the hall.

He follows behind me, silently. I push open the door and allow him to step in first. He takes a seat in one of the leather chairs. I close the door and stalk to my chair behind the desk. I watch as my brother pours a glass of amber liquor for himself and one for me.

"Is she going to swear you in at the wedding ceremony?" He gets right to the point.

I nod, "yes, after we exchange our oaths."

Rhys chuckles, "vows, Azriel. They're called vows." I shrug. "I need everything ran by me. Every change, every little thing that happens here. I want your shadows out day and night and I want to know what's happening."

It's my turn to laugh. "Excuse me?" He looks at me with a blank expression. "You're serious right now?" He nods. "Absolutely not."

"And why not?"

"Because this is not your court, Rhysand," I spit out. "What goes on here is Elain's business. My shadows are her soldiers now. I am her soldier now. Not yours."

"You are my shadow singer," he snaps. "You are here now and I need to know what's going on."

I rise from my seat, slamming my hands on the desk. "You do not. It is a courtesy for Elain to allow you to know what's going on here." I raise my voice.

He downs his drink before standing as well. "You would not be here, were it not for her. You are not the High Lord. You were not chosen by the caldron. I will stand by my remark from last year, you don't deserve to be here mate. You guilt tripped her into breaking the bond with Lucien and reforming it with you. You knew she was capable of it." My shadows creep against the walls, throwing things off of shelves toward him. "Throw your fits, you're only proving my point."

I lunge over the desk and grab his shoulders. He punches the side of my face before we tumble to the ground. My shadows grab his hands and pin him beneath me.

Then I feel it.

He grabs ahold of my mind and tosses me off of him. I lay limp on the floor, struggling to breathe as I look up at him. "Do not make me the bad guy again, Azriel," he sighs heavily.

My eyes trail behind him, looking to see Elain standing in the doorway. Still covered in dirt from her gardening, she stands with her hands covering her mouth. "Let him go," her hands fall to her sides. "I said let him go!" She screams at Rhysand.

Rhys turns to look at Elain, immediately dropping my mind from his grasp. Feyre appears next to Elain before Elain runs to me and drops down next to me. I grab her and pull her to my chest, silencing everything in my head.

"You are not the High Lord here. Any information the High Lady chooses to share with you will be for the good of Prythian. But you have," I suck in a breath. "You have no claim over these lands. My shadows no longer work for you, I no longer work for you. We work for Elain and the Spring Court."

Feyre stares at me, lying on the floor. Then to Rhys. "What did you do?" She whispers as she walks closer to us. "Rhys, what did you do?" She repeats, kneeling next to Elain and I.

Rhys' eyes lock with mine before he winnows away. Feyre places her hand on her sisters back and I lean my head against the floor and close my eyes. "Azriel," I hear Elain's voice crack.

I pull my hand up and stroke her head. "I'm all right, my love," I breathe out.

"What happened?" Feyre whispers.

Elain sits up, lifting her head from my chest. I open my eyes and look at them. "He said he wants me to report every detail about what goes on in the Spring Court. He wants my shadows to spy day and night and report everything to him," I cough. "When I told him no, he said I didn't deserve to be Elain's mate again and I lost it. I tackled him and he grabbed my mind. He's never done that to me," I whisper the last part.

"Again?" I watch a tear slide down Elain's face. "What do you mean again?"

"Last solstice, when he stood at the top of the stairs, he told me I didn't deserve you- to be your mate. To be loved by you," I avoid her gaze. "And I live with it everyday," I let my own tears overflow. "I live with the fact that my own brother says I don't deserve the one I love." I wipe my cheeks and turn back to look at Feyre. "And maybe I don't, but-"

Elain cuts me off by wrapping her arms around my neck, lifting me off the floor slightly. I sit up fully, wrapping my arms around her waist in return. Feyre stares at me sadly. "I'm so sorry," she whispers.

    I shake my head, burying my face into Elain's neck. I feel the wind as Feyre winnows away. I breathe Elain's scent in for what felt like an eternity. I just sat while she held me, let my silent tears soak her skin. The only movement between us was Elain pulling her hand up to cradle my head against her. She held me so tightly, silently telling me she wasn't going anywhere until I was ready. I could've stayed there for hours, could've sat in her arms for the rest of my life.