A Court of Shadows and Stars; Azriel

VIII

I ran through the camp until I reached the healer's tent. I paused a moment before shoving through the flaps.

I fell to my knees beside his cot and a small sob escaped my throat when I saw Cassian's state. He was gravely injured, mud caked his pained face. I felt a pressure on my shoulder and I looked up at Azriel and Mor's solemn faces.

The healer held her glowing hands over Cassian's unconscious body. I heard his wet, labored breathing and took in the slice curving up from his stomach to the bottom of his sternum.

Az helped me shakily to my feet and we all stood there in silence until Feyre stormed in. She took in Cassian's state before whispering a small 'How'.

"Where were you," Mor said to Feyre. Like myself and Azriel, she was soaked, bloody, and coated in mud.

"How," she asked again.

"He wouldn't wait for us," Mor said flatly. "He kept charging, trying to re-form the line. By the time I got there he was down."

Azriel's face was stone-cold, his hazel eyes set unwaveringly on Cassian's open wound.

I took one last look at Cassian's form before looking at Feyre and repeating Mor's question.

"Where did you go?"

Rhys' hand brushed her arm. "I- What I think Lorelai and Mor are saying is... try to leave a note next time."

I scoffed and rolled my eyes. The panic was clear in Rhys's eyes- in all of our eyes. She vanished as our enemies surrounded us. Instead of being with one of my best friends when he could've been killed, I was looking for my High Lady. Cassian could've died because I wasn't there to help him.

"I'm sorry," was all she said as she looked at Rhys and then to us.

Mor wouldn't look at her.

Rhys and Feyre made deep eye-contact like they were communicating through their bond. I watched intently and held my breath as Cassian's eyelids began to shift and flutter.

Cassian let out a groan of pain and I squeezed his hand.

"That's what you get," I frowned at him. "For stepping in front of a sword. If you ever pull that shit again and die, I will kill you." I hissed and flicked his forehead.

Cass just blinked and a ghost of a smile appeared on his face,

"You're bedside manner is abysmal as always, Lore."

Everyone chuckled before he asked in a hoarse voice,

"How bad"

"How bad is your injury," Rhys said mildly, "or how badly did we get our asses kicked?"

Cass blinked off the sedative some more and Rhys continued,

"To answer the second question," Rhys went on, "We managed. Keir took heavy hits, but... we won. Barely. To answer the first..." Rhys bared his teeth. "Don't ever do that again."

The glaze wore off Cassian's eyes and he tried to sit up, but failed.

"Your guts were hanging out, you stupid prick," Mor snapped. "Azriel held them in for you."

Indeed, Az's hands were caked in dried blood- Cassian's blood. I made eye-contact with the Shadowsinger and his glare softened slightly, before he looked back at Cassian with a cold, angry look.

"I'm a soldier," Cass said flatly. "It's in the job description."

"You were ordered to wait for Lorelai- for anyone," Rhys growled. "You ignored it."