A Court of Shadows and Love [Continued]

Chapter 27

Once again, I was told I could not fight, even though I tried to convince them. I wasn't even allowed to go with Feyre, Elain, Nesta and Amren to stop the Cauldron.

I sat brooding in my tent, but I did get up to see my family off. they were all stood together, everyone was in their Illyrian armour, I stood next to Rhys and Mor in the circle, looking around at my family.

"Do you want the inspirational talk or the bleak one?" Rhys asked, looking each of us in the eye.

"We want the real one," Amren said.

Rhys pushed his shoulders back, elegantly folding his wings behind him.

"I believe everything happens for a reason. Whether it is decided by the Mother, or the Cauldron, or some sort of tapestry of Fate, I don't know. I don't really care. But I am grateful for it, whatever it is. Grateful that it brought you all into my life. If it hadn't ... I might have become as awful as that prick we're going to face today. If I had not met an Illyrian warrior-in-training," he said looking at Cassian, "I would not have known the true depths of strength, of resilience, of honour and loyalty." Cassian's eyes gleamed bright.

Rhys said to Azriel, "If I had not met a shadowsinger, I would not have known that it is the family you make, not the one you are born into, that matters. I would not have known what it is to truly hope, even when the world tells you to despair." Azriel bowed his head in thanks.

Mor was already crying when Rhys spoke to her. "If I had not met my cousin, I would never have learned that light can be found in even the darkest of hells. That kindness can thrive even amongst cruelty." She wiped away her tears as she nodded.

Amren was stood waiting expectantly, looking the most human I had ever seen her.

Rhys bowed his head to her. "If I had not met a tiny monster who hoards jewels more fiercely than a firedrake ..." A quiet laugh from all of us at that. Rhys smiled softly. "My own power would have consumed me long ago."

Rhys squeezed my hand as he looked to Feyre "And if I had not met my mate ..." His words failed him as silver lined his eyes.

They joined foreheads, closing their eyes.

He wiped away the tears sliding down Feyre's face. "I believe that everything happened, exactly the way it had to ... so I could find you." He kissed her tears away.

And then he said to Elain and Nesta, "We have not known each other for long. But I have to believe that you were brought here, into our family, for a reason, too. And maybe today we'll find out why." He smiled at them both, and to my surprise they both gave him tight lipped smiles in return.

I thought he had forgotten about me but then he turned to face me fully, hooking a finger under my chin so our eyes met.

"Had I not met my niece I wouldn't have learnt that not only did my sister live but that getting to know you has made my life brighter," he said before lightly kissing the top of my head.

I threw my arms around him and held him close, he did the same before the horns sounded, I let him go and they all walked towards the battlefield while I ran back to the tent, I couldn't watch them all go and fight, maybe die.

I wasn't sure how long I had been sat in my tent, pacing from pure anxiety but then I felt something, low in my gut.

I ran towards the battlefield, something was wrong, very wrong.

As I watched an Illyrian shot from the sky, towards the ground, Cassian, I realised.

A second later a blinding flash of light crossed the battlefield and slammed into the Illyrian legions. When the light cleared only ash fell from the sky. I screamed and felt magic bubbling through my body.

'Your power is locked deep within yourself, trust your ability and it will be released, when you do, you better make sure the whole world feels your explosion.'

That was now, and if I was going to explode.

I stretched my wings out wide, then ran off the cliff. I knew this was not flying, in the slightest, but I needed to get to the middle of Hybern's army before the power ripped out of me.

'Rhys, shield the arms, all of them, now!'

I yelled in the abyss of my mind, directing it towards him, just like he taught me.

'What are you doing?' he called back, I knew he was looking at me.

'What the suriel told me, just trust me please,' I told him.

I felt the shield form not only around the army at my back but also around me as arrows show for my body.

I landed in the middle of the army and let the power loose.

-Azriel's POV-

The pure fear I saw when Ivy flew over the army was overwhelming, but Rhys shielded her, but he also put a barrier between us and her, I couldn't get to her.

"Rhys, let me get to her!" I yelled, my voice carrying over the now silent army, they were all watching to see what would happen.

"Trust her," he yelled back.

She began emitting a soft white glow as she neared the centre of Hybern's army, then the light exploded from her in waves of white and gold.

We all had to shield our eyes the light was so bright.

When it dimmed all we could do was gape, Ivy was hovering above the ground, a soft golden glow around her body, the army that once stood there was now simply gone, like it had never existed.

Mine, mine, mine.

The word clanged through me, mate, my mate. This beautiful glowing woman was may mate.

Her wings spread wide and as her glow dimmed, I realised they were no longer black with gold veining, they were pure gold and they shone in the sunlight.

Rhys let the barrier drop and I ran for her, Mor and Rhys doing the same, but I was faster.

"Ivy," I yelled as I got near.

She blinked at me, as if trying to work out where she was.

"Ivy," I tried again.

"Azriel?" She asked, bringing a hand to her head.

"It's ok, you're ok, we're all here," I told her and she blinked a couple more times, the glow fully fading.

"Did I do it?" she asked.

"Yes, you did it," I whispered, moving so I could take her hands.

"I feel," she started but then she collapsed, I caught her and carefully lifted her into my arms, avoiding her wings.

"Thesean, we ned him." I said and Rhys dipped his chin, flying for the High Lords while I flew for the camp, setting her in her tent just before Thesean walked in.

"What the?" she started before shaking his head and kneeling down, setting his glowing hands on her body.

I had to reign in my snarl, the sight if another male touching her.

Rhys put a hand on my shoulder.

"She's my mate," I whispered, and his eyes went wide.

"She just needs to sleep," Thesean told us, and Rhys dipped his chin in thanks.

"Stay with her Az, I'll see the others," he told me, squeezing my shoulder once before walking out to make sure everyone else in our court were ok, Feyre, Amren, Elain and Nesta were all within Hybern's army when Ivy exploded.

All I could do now was sit and wait.