Azriel's Heir

6: Kova

Kova felt as if she had just broken the surface of a cold lake that she'd fallen into, her breaths coming in gasps. Her vision was blurred not able to distinguish the room she was in. She felt strong arms curled around her small waist her back pressed into a solid muscular chest. Her first reaction was to panic trying to fight away from the grip but her limbs were hardly moving, even moving slightly felt like a mountain was on top of her.

"Kova" a voice called, a hand settling on her cheek. She recognised the voice but she still couldn't see the man in-front of her. "Kallias?" Her voice sounded small even to her ears. A quiet chuckle; her vision cleared. Kallias' white hair had fallen around his face as he crouched next to her bed, she now realised with a jolt of embarrassment that it was Ash who held her. His head resting against the headboard, blue black hair ruffled as if he had been running his hand through it constantly.

"He hasn't slept in the four days since he brought you here"
Kova looked at him and Kallias again smiled at her explaining what a shock it had been for him and Vivianne when the two of them had crashed onto the table in the middle of lunch. Ash wild eyes carrying her cold unconscious body. "In every meeting I've ever had with Rhys I've never seen Ash so worried as when you went cold the first night".

Kova smiled weakly at Kallias a father like figure since her childhood when Azriel has brought her here for the first seven years of her life before taking her to the Illyrian camps where she's spent 5 years. Since she had passed her blood rite she had remained in the Winter Court helping and watching, Cassian and Azriel meeting her every other day at dawn to practise. All those years and Kallias had never looked at Kova with anything less than love. He was so different from her father but loved her just the same, he had raised her telling her of her mother and what she had been like, but neither he nor Azriel gave away her mother's name.

"What happened, Ash has told us very little and we have heard nothing from the Night Court in over a month" Kallias asked quietly careful not to wake Ash. So Kova told him starting from the first meeting with Xavier, to the attack on Valaris and finally what Xavier had done at the Spring Court.

Her throat closed up causing her to choke when she reached what Xavier had said when he spoke to her alone, what he had shown her. What he had promised. She did not tell him the whole truth of what Xavier had whispered, simply that he had threatened her and offered her something that she hadn't wanted.

"Kova" Ash's voice was groggy as he sat up holding her tighter. Kallias smiled, "Best not to let him know he's not the first to see you awake", he mouthed at her seeming to disappear in a breath of crisp air.

Ash's eyes were clear now as he looked down at Kova. "You're awake" he muttered hugging her tightly.
"Oh, Batling you think you could get rid of me so easily" he laughed at her response muttering into her eat of what had occurred in the days since they'd arrived at the Winter Court.
"Why bring us here?"
Ash seemed stunned by the question, his response was rushed and panicked. His reasoning in her eyes was floored but she could see where it was coming from. "The illness has hit Winter hard, it's barely standing" Ash informed her as he slid out from behind her to evilness next to her.

"No word from the Night Court?"
"None. We were hoping your shadows could tell us something" Kallias said reentering the room, a small wink thrown at Kova. Ash's face grew hard, "If you still need rest don't attempt to, we are in no rush"
"But we are" she pointed out, Ash growled, "I care about my family and court as much as anyone but I will not risk your life for it". Kova had never heard him use that voice, the voice of a High Lord, stern and commanding. Final.

"You can't tell me what to do" she snapped at him. Grateful as she was for him saving her life she would not allow him to see her life over anyone's in the Night Court.