A Court of Flame and Shadow (Azriel x eris)

Chapter 35: Azriel

Azriel was in pain. Real pain. His night had started with staring at his injured mate for hours on end. When he finally decided to try and get some sleep, he placed a kiss of Eris's forehead and flopped down on the plush couch. But every time he remembered where he was, he looked back over to the bed, and the person on it.

He woke in the morning with a sore back from sleeping on such a tense position, and an already pounding headache. Usually, in a day like this, he would sit and have a cup of tea with Elain while she distracted him from his woes with tall of plants and various flora. But Elain wasn't there.

Varian had said that he would go back and get them as soon as Azriel wanted, and, right then,  before the sun had risen in the dawn court, he wanted, nay, needed them.

He could have woken Rhys and Feyre, but the idea of talking to Rhys at that very moment was as appealing as squeezing lemon into one's eye, so he ran to the room he knew Varian would be in.

He pounded on the door, not really caring what the Prince of Adriata was doing, whether he was sleeping or wide awake. The latter, it seemed was the case, as he opened the door after the first couple of knocks.

"Please, can you get my friends now?" Azriel begged.

Varian raised his eyebrows. "Sure. You want to come?"

The offer was certainly tempting, and while Azriel didn't particularly want to leave Eris, leaving for a bit could do him good, so he nodded.

~

The sky was even darker in the Autumn Court, Azriel observed as they winnowed onto a balcony near the ballroom. They stayed silent as they navigates the empty halls too the ballroom. His family must have slept in there.

They were gathered around a table of refreshments and such when the pushed open the heavy doors, only turning when Varian called out.

Amren sprinted over too embrace her mate, silver eyes glistening with what may have been tears. As weird as the sight was, Azriel spent no time focusing on it.

Elain walked over slowly, perhaps tentatively.

"Are you okay?" She spoke to gently, no hint of fury or betrayel in her voice, a welcome change of pace from the glare Mor was levelling him with.

For the first time in his long life, Azriel didn't even consider lying. "No." He broke down in to tears in record time, and without any hesitation, Elain pulled him close.

"It's okay,  Azriel." She whispered into his ear. He shook his head.

"No, it's not!"

Elain's face immediately changed to horror. "Eris didn't... did he?"

Azriel quickly shook his head again. "Thesan doesn't know when- if he will wake up." He sobbed.

"Hope not." Mor muttered, likely hoping he would hear, and pick a fight with her, but he was so tired, too tired, to even think about it.

Elain clearly wasn't.

"Would you have a little empathy?" She snapped, spinning on her heel. "You know he would have forgiven you if the roles were reversed. And really, he had nothing to apologise for! You told us all what happened. In fact, you should be thanking him. Eris wouldn't have helped you stop your marriage if it weren't for him!" Elain shouted. Actually shouted.

"If anything, I thing you should be the one apologising."

Mor met Azriels eye, before glancing at Emerie, who gave her a sharp look.

"I am sorry, Azriel, for being so cruel. You didnt deserve that, and Elain is right, you did nothing wrong." She looked down at her feet. "And I'm sorry for lying to everyone."

Azriel looked down at Elain, who cocked her head.

"I accept your apology, Mor." She nodded gratefully, and sat back down beside Emerie, who gave her a reassuring smile.

"We came to take you all to the Dawn Court, but I suppose someone had to stay here to look after the court until a more permanent solution presents itself." Varian stated, glancing around the room.

"I'll stay!" Mor said immediately. "It can be my way of apologising to Eris."

"Are you sure?" Azriel gave her a reproachful stare. It wasn't that he didn't trust Mor, not at all, but with her earlier anger, surely one could see his concerns.

Mor, of course, noticed. "Please, Azriel. Emerie can stay with me, and you could find check on us whenever!"

"And someone than knew here should bury Meredith."

A miserable silence does over the room as they remembered the poor young girl.

Elain broke it a moment later with a heavy swallow and a wipe of tears. "How is Luce doing?"

Of course, her husband! It was meant to be their first night together as a married couple, and Azriel knew for a fact that Elain had waited until marriage, and now... now her new husband was in another court.

"He's okay, I think. I haven't really spoken to anyone..." He trailed of at the dissapointed expression on Elain's face.

"He misses you, very much, and he doesn't know we came, so your can surprise him!" Varian jumped in, coming to Azriels rescue. He made a mental note to thank him later.

"Speaking of, we should probably head back."

Varian took Gwyn on one hand, Elain in the other, and Amren wrapped around his waist. That left Azriel to take Cassian and Nesta, who already looked nauseous at the mere thought of shadow walking.

Cassian pulled him into a tight hug before they left, a whisper in the ear reminding him that he would always be there to talk to, to yell at, to fight with, or to just sit with.