Azriel's Tale

Azriel's Tale - Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7:

Regret. That is what Azriel was feeling currently. He may have doubts about his other feelings about himself, but right now, in this moment, he felt regret. Cassian was only trying to help, Azriel knew this, but he couldn't help but think to himself that he didn't need it. He didn't need his help, but he went about telling Cassian this the wrong way. He needed to apologise. And he would. Tomorrow.

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Cassian was still in bed, but Azriel couldn't wait a moment longer. His guilt eating away at him. Azriel shook the Illyrian gently but that didn't stop the army commander's reaction. Cassian was instantly awake, limbs flailing in a motion of defence. 

"Cassian!" Azriel raised his arms, hopefully trying to calm the Illyrian. "It's me. It's Azriel." The army commander halted.

"Az. Cauldron, why the hell are you waking me?!" Cassian glanced at the time. "Shit. It's only 7 am."

"You're the one who is always telling Feyre that 7 am isn't early. Honestly, I thought you'd be awake already." Azriel said, arms lowering, chuckling to himself softly. Cassian grunted in response and confirmation. Then, as if the Illyrian remembered the outburst from Azriel the night before, his smile began to slowly fade. Azriel's seriousness returned soon after.

"Can we talk?" Azriel asked, mirroring his brother's words from the previous evening. Cassian straightened in his bed, sitting up, his duvet covered to his waist with his wings tucked in. His body still on alert since Azriel's disruption, like a true warrior. Always ready to defend, attack, and fight.

"Sure." Cassian agreed. Azriel gingerly sat on the end of Cassian's large bed, to accommodate for his wings. Both Illyrian's had the same size wings, though the females said Azriel's were the biggest, he sensed this was realisation was used for their own entertainment rather than actual truth. They were more than happy to measure, but Azriel simply laughed the suggestion away.

"I'm sorry about what I said last night. This is something I have been meaning to address to you, to all of you in fact," he stressed. "I just went about it the wrong way. You know my mood hasn't been it's strongest lately, not that that is an excuse for my behaviour." He quickly added. 

"You were right though," Cassian replied. Azriel raised his groomed brows in question. "To some degree. We do often presume that of you. If you don't want our help, that's fine. We shouldn't push you to do something you would be uncomfortable with. I don't ever want you to feel pressured." Cassian looked right at his brother as if he was staring right into his soul. He felt the sincerity of his words instantly. The army commander would never lie to someone for amusement, even against his enemies, let alone his brother. He'd never had a real blood family, save for his mother, but with every day that passed, Azriel felt as though he couldn't remember her face more and more. And if there were ever a memory he would want to preserve in those days of darkness, it was her. Her light, her beauty. She was his only escape. But she was gone, and right now, in front of him, sat his brother. His true brother. 

"I'm glad we talked," Azriel said honestly. Cassian agreed and dragged his brother to an embrace, no matter how much the shadowsinger pretended to resist it. The two then immediately forgot about the outburst, only with the commander telling him that he was expected in the ring in 20 minutes. Damn, it was good whilst it lasted. 

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"Where is my necklace?" Amren asked in lieu of a hello the following evening. Everyone looked around at eachother, each one in the same state of confusion. She heavily sighed.

"My necklace. With all the gems. Purple." She stated with a sharp bluntness. 

"How are we supposed to know?" Cassian stated. "You rarely let us go to your place." Oh Cassian. With all the eyes in the room now on the commander, he quickly gathered that he should have held his tongue. He corrected his statement.

"I don't know. Do you?" He asked no one in particular, eager to take the Second's focus off of him and towards some other unknowing victim in the room. They all theorised different locations the necklace could be, all being quickly dismissed by Amren saying how "foolish" their ideas were. Azriel could sense that this necklace had something of importance to Amren. Yes, Amren had misplaced jewellery before, albeit, rarely but it had happened. When she had she did ask, but never like this. Never this obsessed or attached. This was definitely different somehow. Amren left soon after, wanting not to waste any more time. Azriel winnowed to Amren's apartment and found her flat in a clutter. It was a wonder she ever found a way to navigate herself around this. And there, in the corner was the short, black-haired female. 

"Would you like me to help you look for it?" He asked. Her head didn't even turn.

"No." A quipped reply returned.

"I could help-"

"No thank you. You can leave." She echoed.

"But-" Then he was gone. Amren had somehow transported Azriel back to the house with the others. Winnowed him? Alone? The second obviously wanted to be alone. She was always finding ways to push him back for finding out more about her. More ways of surprising him.

Another one! I hope you liked this chapter, a little different to my usual style. Please do let me know what you thought. I'd like to continue doing these frequent updates, but I can't without your support. I still need a sense of direction of where to go with this story. Thanks -Jessica.