Reborn

Wings

I didn't stop wandering, not having any idea where I was or where I was going.

After a while I felt Azriel behind me, probably having been told by Rhys to not let me out of his sight. I sigh.

"How?" he asks, so quietly that I have to wait to register that he said anything at all.

"I don't know. They came back when I woke up." Knowing that he was referring to my wings. Wings. They were hacked off. I remember now. The screams and shouts. His blonde hair. My mother.

A hand on my shoulder startles me and brings me back to where I am. The camp. The mountains. I am free. He didn't need to say sorry, but I know he wanted to, or at least felt it.

I felt so in tune with him, so comfortable, so much so that I even enjoyed the silence. I reached up and placed my hand over his, still remaining on my shoulder, as though he couldn't let go. "They hurt me." I whispered, the words tearing from my mouth, not sure which 'they' I was even referring to.

"I know." He replied, squeezing my shoulder slightly. I turned and looked up at him, noticing that he was staring at me already. "I know." He repeated, the pain in his eyes obvious to me, feeling like a punch in the stomach. Not even realising I was doing anything my hand moves to cup his face, his slight stubble brushing my palm, despite it being practically a full arms-length up, obviously I did not inherit the height gene. He looks at me in shock and moves his own hand to cradle mine against his face, closing his eyes and breathing in, turning his nose towards the palm of my hand.

We stand there like that for Cauldron knows how long before the shadows start to speak again, having quieted the moment I touched his face. We pull apart, my hand going back to my side as his face once again becomes an unreadable mask.

"Where did you learn to fight like that?" I hear Cassian ask me as he approaches us.

I shrug in response, not really knowing the answer myself. 

"Well you sure put on a show." 

Azriel glares at him, obviously trying to tell him to shut up and leave us alone. I am not in the mood for a conversation. Especially one about my defence techniques. But of course, Cassian remains completely oblivious to what the Shadow singer is trying to tell him.

"Oh, come on! You have to tell me so that I can learn some of them too. And for the females of course!" he adds on, "some of them actually want to learn now!"

Just as I am about to answer Mor comes and wraps her arm over my shoulders, I flinch but it seems to go unnoticed by her and Cassian, Azriel's eyes darkening fractionally.

"Oh, let her keep her secrets, Cassian. That way she can kick your ass whenever it's needed." Mor says, saving me from having to make any comment in return, instead I just smirk slightly.

I begin to move away from Mor and decide to go and find Rhys, considering I wasn't going to get any alone time here, apparently. As I walk down the hill, back to the camp I can hear Mor and Cassian arguing playfully in the distance, a small smile growing on my face. Normal. This is what normal is. I slow my pace slightly, making it obvious that Az could walk next to me, not trail behind me, despite him easily being able to catch up if he wanted to.

He picks up his pace slightly until our arms brush against one another where he slows to my own pace. He places his hand towards my lower back, not touching, just hovering in case it is needed, and guides me towards the part of the camp that Rhys and Feyre have gone to. As we pass a few of the males leer at me, causing Azriel tense up and growl. And I mean literally growl at them, like a dog. I look up at him slightly startled and place a hand on his arm. His gaze moves back to me and he calms immediately, no longer as tense as we continue to move through the camp towards my brother.

As Rhys comes into view, I can see that he too is tense, looking at the males around the camp. At first, I think that it is because he wishes to keep them away from Feyre but then I realise that she is not with him. My brows draw together in slight confusion until I see him begin to walk over to me.

I should kill them; he says to me.

What for?

Their thoughts.

I look to him and raise an eyebrow, if we killed everyone for their thoughts there would be no one left to think. I think back to him.

He smirks in response, looking to Az he nods his thanks and then looks back to me. He lightly holds my arm and begins leading me somewhere before he stops and looks over at Az, still with his hand hovering over my lower back. His eyebrows furrow in confusion and I look between them, not sure what is going on.

Az looks down at me, concern etched into his features. "I'm okay. Don't you have some spying or something to do anyway?" I ask with a smirk, trying to lighten the mood.

He nods, giving me a half smile, "or something." He says and looks to Rhys, nods, then vanishes.

I blink, still staring at the empty space where he was mere seconds ago as Rhys begins to take me over to a cottage at one end of the camp.