A Court of Illyrian Hearts

Chapter Twenty-Six

Azriel POV

It had been ten minutes since we found out that my brother's mate had slipped out last night and gone to Windhaven alone. Cassian had been raging for the past five. The other five were spent in shocked silence.

'Cassian please,' Madja pleads with the warrior. He was currently pacing the living room, bandages starting to show red splotches in some places from his elevated stress levels. 'If you don't calm down you're going to permanently damage something.'

He pays her no heed as he rubs his temples, hair a mess, skin pale and sweaty. The siphons on his hands flicker with the threat of the power raging through his veins.

Someone lays a delicate hand on his arm. Elain. Beautiful Elain. Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful my shadows whisper. I try to ignore them but...

Kind, sweet, hurting Elain.

'Cassian, I promised her I would make sure you recuperated fully before I let you rage. Please, just sit down and take a deep breath.' Elain says, and to everyone's surprise, Cassian sits on one of the three-seaters. I hadn't known about Baelyn and Elain's friendship until last night when I overheard their reunion, and part of me was happy that Elain had found someone who would be there for her – as I knew Cassian's mate would; – someone other than her sisters and all the drama concerning that specific area.

'Thank you,' Madja says, sounding half relieved, half pissed off that her patient was being a stubborn bastard. She works at redressing his wounds.

I still remember the feeling that overtook my body when I saw Cassian fall from the dark sky and onto the bloody battlefield. Pain, dread, and something so feral that would have unleashed itself on the world if he had died that day. My brother through a bond tighter than I've ever had with anyone else.

'Cass,' I say and sit opposite him, though keeping my distance. 'Remember, she did lead an entire legion – with zero experience – into battle and succeeded. There isn't a threat anymore, at least, not a big one. She'll be fine. She spent her entire life there and made it out once; she will do it again.'

Cassian sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose. 'I know, I know, Az. But I don't want her near any of those bastards in that camp. Some of them might be heroes but that doesn't mean they're above acting like villains.'

'All done.' Madja interrupts. 'Elain, if you're in charge of him while I'm busy elsewhere then I need you to follow these instructions.'

Elain nods, and makes to follow Madja into the large kitchen, but she stops at the door. Turns back. Our eyes meet and a blush creeps onto her cheeks, so rosy and delightful. Something flickers in her eyes, something I'd never seen there before, but she's gone before I can decipher it.

Later. I'll think about it later.

'She was supposed to leave tomorrow.' Cassian says softly.

My heart breaks for my friend. 'You didn't think you would be fully healed by tomorrow did you?' I say incredulously.

Cassian doesn't reply.

'Listen Cass,' I say to my distressed brother. 'You know she is capable of handling herself, if you're going to sit here and worry the entire time she is away then you're going to slow down the healing process. That means you'll be apart for longer.'

Cassian sighs and turns to me. Shock runs through me at the sight of the silver tears glistening in his eyes, just waiting to escape. 'Azriel, I finally found someone who understands me the way I want to be understood. We both understand each other and I just-' he breaks off to clear his throat. 'I love her more than I have loved anything in my long, miserable life; and the thought of being away from her for one moment...' he puts a scar flecked hand over his heart. 'I can't bare it.'