A Court of Iron and Shadows

Iron Shackles

With one knee on the ground, he looks at me with grim understanding. "Get it off." I cry sullenly. Worry flashes in his eyes briefly, but is quickly replaced with a reassuring spark in his eyes.

He reaches forward, grabbing the edges of the mask and pulls gently, testing it out. The metal digs into my skin, but I refuse to flinch. I take deep breathes and look into Azriel's eyes when he stops tugging, clearly understanding that it hurt. He looks unsure, before I give him a small nod. He tugs at the mask again, grunting. I close my eyes, deep breath in, deep breath out.

The chains that bind my wrists together clack as I hold them out, a silent question to break them first. He complies, breaking the chains with a low noise creeping up his throat. The chains break with a snap, and I look up at the group of people watching us. The male and female from before watch us, along with the female in dark red, and a male who also had wings. They watch as Azriel snaps the chains, and I snarl at them, the noise anything but human. Azriel looks over his shoulder, and gives them a disapproving glare before they turn away.

He turns back to face me, offering me a soft smile before he grabs the chains at my ankles, quickly snapping them with brute strength. He inspects the gauntlets on my hands, frowning when he realizes they require a key.

"Open." I say. Azriel looks back up at me, questions in his eyes. I dismiss them and nod my head to the dagger strung along his belt. He grabs it warily, before I grab it between the two gauntlets that covered my hands. The blood that coated me wasn't fresh enough to use, some of it already drying off. 

The wounds that still leaked blood were hard to reach, or were placed protectively around vital organs.

I take the dagger and cut into my ankle unflinchingly before Azriel can stop me. I take the gauntlet, and smother it in blood before meeting his startled glance. I begin to draw on the floor, concentrating. When I'm finished I read the mark I had drawn. Open. The wyrdmark flashed a glowing green, attempting to open before reaching the conclusion that it can't. "Open." I say. Understanding flashes in his eyes, and he tenderly grabs my ankle with warm hands, hands littered with callouses. I sigh softly enough that no one could hear, missing the callouses that had once peppered my own skin.

Azriel gently dips his fingers into the wound, collecting blood onto his fingers. The conversations and bickering around us die down until everyone is silent, watching as he draws marks onto the gauntlets.

He studies the markings I had drawn on the ground, copying it onto one of the gauntlets that adorned my hands. He stops drawing, and the mark glows green before clicking, the metal falling to the ground with a crash. 

I open and close my hand, looking to where Azriel had started drawing on my other hand. The second one falls to the floor. I look up to Azriel, grateful. I poke at the shift that I was clothed in, frowning at the blood that covered it, even if no one could see the displeasure lingering on my face. 

When I look back up, I see the red headed one crinkling his nose and eyes in distaste, and the blonde with green eyes, sneering. I growl at them before looking back to Azriel. And finally, finally I feel some ounce of hope. 

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Azriel's POV

I watch as the girl draws into the ground with her own blood, curiosity overcoming my senses. The ground flashes green, glowing where she had drawn the mark. She gives a pointed glance to the gauntlets covering her hands, nodding her head at them, her eyes straying back to the drawing on the ground. "Open." she says, voice hoarse. 

I copy the intricate markings, no detail forgotten or overlooked. I finish and the illustration glows soft green for a moment, before the gauntlet falls from her hand. I look at the metal for a moment before moving onto the next one, pausing to watch as she flexes her unscarred fingers. 

I repeat the process, drawing the markings until the second gauntlet falls off. She pokes at the shift she wore, no longer white, but a crimson, stained with blood. When she looks back up, she scans the room, growling when her eyes land on Tamlin and Beron, both stuck up and sneering at her and the state she was in. 

As if it were her fault. I look back into her eyes, the iron mask. I brush my hand softly against it, watching as she flinches slightly--ever so slightly, only I would be able to tell, everyone else either too far away, or unseen by me covering her body with my own. 

She looks directly into my eyes with her piercing gaze. Her eyes were beautiful--the most brilliant turquoise with a ring of gold, molten like flame. I bring my hand back down, and watch as her eyes stray down to my hands--the scars that lingered there. 

Her eyes don't hold pity or sadness. Instead they offer understanding. Grim understanding--and determination to finish whoever did them to me. Although for a moment I can see a whisper of sadness. Not for me, but something else. A reminder of something. I dismiss it for the moment, and bring my hands up to the mask covering her face once again. 

She doesn't flinch this time and instead watches me. I gingerly dip my fingers into her wound again. Tenderly, I begin to draw onto the mask. The blood starts to dry, and by the time I've finished, her eyes are closed, waiting. I lift my hand, waiting for the soft green glow that usually followed. 

Nothing happened, and I look to the human girl questioningly. She just looked at my hands, eyes open once again, watching as they drifted away, and then back to my face before she let out a heart wrenching sob. 

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Word count: 1834

See guys, I told you I would get another chapter up today! Hope you liked this, I'll start writing another chapter right now, and try to get it ready and posted. I don't think I'll be able to write too much tomorrow, I'm spending the day with my dad, hiking and going to the animal shelter to volunteer.

I'm surprised I finished the last chapter and wrote this one, I was out all day and was super busy! Lucky you guys. Anyways, I'll start writing the next chapter. Now. Ok. Bye!!

Love,

Hannah Elizabeth Rose