Azriel's Heir

8: Kova

"Will you help us?" She spoke into the shadows, it blinked slowly staring her down. "Why Little Shadow should I fight for you?",
Kova looked at it not flinching at its tone, "You once promised me you would help me. I've come to collect it". She watched it stand it's eyes gleaming at her. "For me to help you I must known when to come. For me hear your call, you will have to become what you truly are little Shadow. I will always stand beside you if you prove to me that you can accept your inheritance". It turned away sliding through the door back into the darkness.

Kova shivered her hands gliding to her shoulders before walking back out of the darkness.

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Kova stepped out of the shadows behind Thayer who was speaking to Ash. "Really Batling" she sighed as Ash's blade impaled the tree, three inches from her head.

Ash may look soft like his mother but he had both his parents ferocity and lethal skill. "Kova!" Both boys cried, "Where have you been?" Ash asked, Kova exchanged a quick look with Thayer. Thayers' chocolate brown eyes stilled understanding spreading through them. He lightly kissed her brow before flapping his elegant bronze wings taking off into the air, calling back that he was going to scout out the perimeter.

"What kind of help?" Ash asked his eyes snapping from Thayer back to Kova's face his face twisted in a strange expression that she couldn't read.

"Help" She replied simply, Ash groaned when she turned away not explaining anything else to him. The two of them moved under the canopy of trees the light spattered the ground through the gaps in the leaves.

A small while had passed, the only sound was the soft pad of their boot on the forest floor as they trekked north. "What is Thayer to you?" Ash broke the silence. Kova jolted at his voice, because she hadn't expected him to break the silence but more so the question that he posed. "Thayer?" She half asked.

Ash rolled his eyes sarcastically and nodded his foot snapping a branches beneath them. Kova looked into his face, the liked sprinkled across it. "He's my friend whose been with me for as long as I care to remember", Ash's red did not met her's they were fixed on the path ahead. "You're friend?" He related his eyes brows raised.

"Should he be anything else?" She replied confused by how Ash was acting. She had never seen him like this, if his wings had been visible they would have been fluttering restlessly but his face was calm and collected. "No. I guess not"

They were silent for another minute, "He cares for you very much",
"And I for him" She replied quickly, "We've been in more than one tight situation. You form a bond in those kind of circumstances. One you hope never fades".

They had stopped walking looking at each other quietly. Kova looked up at Ash's face, the light was scattered across it, his emerald eyes seemed to glow in the green light of their surroundings. As she looked at him she felt something in her chest, a tightening. She had always seen that Ash was handsome but with the light glittering on his face in place of shadows he looked breathtaking. Kova suddenly became aware that he had lifted his hand to push a strand of hair that had come loose from her braid out of her face.

"Do you believe everyone has a mate" his voice was soft mirroring his mothers, "Having grown up around Azriel I know everyone has a mate"
"I feel a but coming"
"I do not think that if I had a mate he would except me" Her voice become softer than she had ever allowed it to go. "You once asked me what I was afraid of" Ash's eyes flowed as he waited, "Since you told me yours I feel it is only fair you should know mine"
"What is it you fear?"
"Not being enough. Not being good enough to be loved" Ash took an intake of breath.

"Why?" It was a simple question but it brought up a tide of emotions, ones that Kova had pushed down for so long. "My mother left me with my father at the age of 2. Then my father sent me away to learn how to become a warrior, a general, a shadowsinger. He always says he loves me but I have not been able to have the relationship with him that your have with Rhys"

Ash's eyes held understanding, "You've been raised in the shadows. I understand why, but Azriel has his reasons. I know for instance that he does not feel worthy enough of having your mother or you. He still thinks of the past worried his past will harm you. Everything he had done has been to protect you"

Kova felt as though the ground had become the liquid, her legs felt like they were going to give way. "How...?"
"Azreil came back from a mission about a year ago he called out for you. He yelled and cried and murmured. No one knew what any of it meant...till you appeared." His eyes met hers, "Mor tried to follow him for months after he recovered but we never knew who he has trying to protect. He yelled two names"

Kova blanched she had never heard her mothers name, no one had ever told her it had always been 'your mother'
"Her name was Ilya. He whispered her name as if he was talking to her, he kept mentioning your name"
Kova's world had tipped with a name she could find out why her mother had left her.

"Why did you ask me about mates, surely you have met yours" Kova felt her surprise mirrored in Ash's expression. "I have not met my mate" It was a simple reply one that sounded more of a statement than anything else.

Kova realised while she was afraid of not being good enough, Ash faced the fear of comparison in anything he did and his love with his mate would be the biggest comparison for the world to debated. His parents had loved each other so much they had both cheated death for one another, they and reformed the courts with their love. Kova thought back to the spring court when Ash had looked so broken, she supposed love was what Ash feared the most.

"Am I interrupting something important?" Thayer had landed quickly assessing them both. Kova's and Ash's hands were clasped together looking at each other intensely. She smiled at him while they both muttered that it was nothing.

Thayer had a strange look in his eyes and when she walked towards him she slung and arm round her shoulder like he's done a million time before but this time felt different. Ash's questions had strokes something in her. What was Thayer to her?

The three of them continued along the track, the two boys joking and smiling at each other. Kova allowed herself to feel the joy of the moment, Ash and Thayer seemed like long lost brothers. Like two fires meeting and joining together to form a blaze. Thayer had confided in her that he saw Ash as a friend. He had never had any friend that wasn't her. It was a thrilling experience for him and from what Kova expected Ash was also pleased to have a friend for the first time. A real friend. He had voiced his feelings before they left the winter court saying life had been lonely with his only friends being the inner circle.

The sun was setting when Kova felt the shift in the forest they were coming to the edge of the trees. They had entered night court territory.

"Welcome home" Thayer spoke as they gazed up at the mountain where the Court if Nightmares was based.

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A/N really enjoyed writing this scene between Kova and Ash! What did you guys think of it and their relationship? What is Thayer to Kova?

Thankyou for reading this book, comment your thoughts.

Tess