Dance of Shadows / Azriel x Oc

Chapter Seventeen

Im sorry in advance.

...

"Where are we going?" I ask softly. My voice trembled a bit, despite my efforts to keep it level. I knew he didn't like when I showed any weakness. But now I was starting to question if it even mattered. Because after what I had just done, he was probably going to kill me anyways.

But his face didn't show any murderous intent. No, when the male looked at me, there was a look in his eyes I had never seen before. Pain. He looked in pain, and his eyes were even beginning to tear up. Was it because of what I had just done? Was he mourning the loss of his army? I didn't have the courage to ask.

"Just follow me, Asteria." He said as he began walking towards the large ancient looking and mountainous rock. I swallowed, forcing my legs to move.

 He never addressed me by my name. 

We walked and walked, not exchanging a single word. But I could hear his soft sniffles, would sometimes catch him wiping a tear off his face. My heart was pounding in my chest, so intensely that I thought it might explode.

"Follow me." He repeated, though he didn't face me as he said the words. He began climbing a steep slope, and I immediately followed him. The climb was difficult, and I struggled to keep up with him, but I refused to complain or fall behind. 

After what could have been hours, he finally stopped at a sheer stone wall. He placed his hand on it, and the wall vanished, revealing a large gate made of- bones.

"Take my hand, child." He said, his voice soft for the first time that I'd ever heard. He held out his hand to me, and I thought it must be a trick. He had never done anything remotely kind to me. Never told me he loved me, or hugged me, or kissed me on the cheek. Or held my hand. But now, he was telling me to take his hand. And I hated myself for it, but I wanted to do it so badly. I wanted to pretend he loved me. So I took his hand and let him lead me into the strange building.

We walked and walked and walked, and I grew more frightened with each step. There was no sound aside from our footsteps on the stone, and yet I could feel them. I could feel creatures, terrible ones that I'd only ever heard stories of, lurking about. 

I tried to ask again what this place was, but my throat was completely dry. He kept crying silently, even more than before. I felt my hand, the one that he wasn't clenching, begin to tremble.

We finally stopped at a dark, empty cell. The barred metal door was wide open. "What is this?" I finally managed to ask. The male simply stared at me, shaking his head. 

Before I could say or do anything, his arms were wrapped around me, and he was squeezing me against his chest. I was so confused, so shocked that I could do nothing but stand there as he hugged me. I couldn't even bring myself to hug him back.

"I'm sorry." He whispered. I felt a prick on my neck, and hot pain spread through my veins. I yelped, tumbling back.

"W-what are you doing?" I panted. My vision was growing dark, and the room was violently spinning. "It's alright." He soothed, his voice kind.

I tried and failed to scream as my vision became completely black, the last image I saw my father's glistening violet eyes staring at me.

...

I bolted up, sitting upright so fast I almost fell right back down. The image of my father's eyes as he locked me in the Prison was burning in my mind, the very image I had been trying to forget for six years.