i n t h e s h a d o w s - a z r i e l (slow updates)

Chapter 22

Since Eileánóir had taken her decision, Azriel had been trying to change her mind. He couldn't seriously think about his mate risking her life. He saw her being drained from her powers twice and die once, he couldn't bear anything else. He was so mad at the universe. He had thought he was in love with someone for hundreds of years, suffered so much from being hurt by his own family, and when he finally found happiness when he finally found his mate, the universe was trying to take her from him every time it had the opportunity to. He knows, deep down, that if he let her do as Rhysand thinks, something will go wrong. He doesn't know if Eileánóir will die but he knows that something bad is gonna happen, something that is gonna hurt her. 

"Can you please reconsider?" Eileánóir sighed. It's been like that all day. It's great how the Cauldron gave her a mate but she didn't even have the time to spend time with him where they can just enjoy living together, it's always about war and death in this world it's getting tiring. Oh, to be in the cottage right now, enjoying each other's presence and just be happy. Right now, instead of arguing over a war, they could be baking together or she could teach him to paint, just spending time together but no, they have to worry about a big battle coming, her possible sacrifice being the solution to end everything. 

She had been thinking of doing this since she'd wiped out every enemy on that battlefield the first time. She already knew by that time that she was their only chance of winning without losing people, innocent people getting killed. She also knew that using that power was draining her of her energy and that it could get worse every time she uses it. One life to save all of them. She snorted internally. That is some Armageddon type of shit. Too bad no one knows that movie here, she could at least go with a perfect joke before probably dying. 

"Please, Eil'" Azriel's broken voice got her back to reality. She felt so bad hurting him but she couldn't be selfish. Even if seeing him like that was slowly breaking her into pieces. 

"What would you decide if it was another person having this power?" She asked, already knowing the answer. As expected, Azriel looked down knowing that sacrificing one person was worth it considering it would save everyone. But as quickly as he lowered his head, he shot it back up, with pleading eyes. "I know that it's the right thing to do but I can't lose you," he walked to her. "You can't do that to me." 

"Az'," it was Eileánóir's turn to have her voice breaking. "Can we just enjoy our time together before the next battle?" She looked up at him with a smile. A smile that's supposed to bring joy but was in fact full of sadness.  The Illyrian sighed then, with a look, they both decided to make the best out of the little time they had before what they hope will be the last battle. 

☽

"Are you coming with us?" Eileánóir asked Cassian and Feyre who were in the living room. Her mate and herself were heading outside as Eileánóir wanted to go in the city. The High Lady smiled at the mates, shaking her head. 

"We're busy," Feyre said, still looking at them. "But have fun!" She smiled then dragged Cassian out of the room, not letting him time to say anything. As much as she loved her best friend and wants to spend time with her, she preferred giving that time to Azriel so he could spend more time with his mate. He deserved to be happy, to spend as much time with her while he still could. 

Eileánóir looked at her mate and shrugged then took Azriel's hand and dragged him outside. The feeling every time they touched was even stronger now that they both acknowledged the fact they were mates. She still couldn't get used to that feeling. It was a feeling so eerie but it felt like home at the same time. There was nothing that she could compare it to. While being in her world, she'd believed in soulmates but even what she imagined a soulmate to be, what it would feel like, was nothing compared to what she was feeling every time she was around Azriel. As she looked at him, she felt the now familiar tug in her body, as if it was asking to get closer to her mate. She smiled at him as he was also looking at her, smiling, perhaps feeling the same tug as her. The war was a long time gone from her thoughts. For once, she could think about herself and her happiness which was something she hadn't done in a long time. She'd promised herself to spend all of her time for herself and Azriel, the battle could wait. 

The lights coming from the Rainbow brought her back from her thoughts. She had been so immersed in her thoughts that she hadn't realized that they'd arrived in the middle of the city already. She blinked. The Rainbow was so beautiful, even more now at night. The lights coming from the shops, the decorations, and the artists' houses were almost blinding but mixing together, they were like a sound and light show. She'd thought of painting it before, this scenery, but it was impossible to showcase this place without downgrading it. She couldn't think of any place like this in her world, at least where she lived. A whole part of a city dedicated to artists, that was only a dream in her former life. Now that she could see something like that with her own eyes, she thought of all she could do there. She could open an art gallery for small artists, exhibiting her own work too. At that moment, looking at the place in front of her, she made a promise. A promise that she would survive this war and do everything she always dreamed of in her life. 

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and I'm back with another chapter! 

hope you liked it! As always, I love reading all your feelings and reactions to my story so feel free to comment every time you feel like it :) 

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