A court of shadow and spying (Azriel X OC)

the rescue

Shadows broke into the room and I knew Azriel was here.
Not a second too late, I thought. Ashbury had just dozed off next to me and was now unconscious asleep.
I lay next to him on the bed, trying to get my breathing under control. My hands pressed down on the wound on my stomach, but they were already red. I heaved a sigh of relief as Azriel's shadows nestled against me, giving me the security, I needed. Not a second later, Azriel and Cassian were standing in the room. Azriel was at my side before Cassian could even look around the room.
We didn't say anything, just stared at each other before I lifted my hand and he placed his in mine, covered in blood. His scars, his rough, scarred hands were all I needed to know it was really him.
I exhaled shakily before nodding at him. Cassian was on the other side, his hand in my other.
'Now then', Cas muttered, and then they hoisted me up. Immediately I felt dizzy and would have fallen over again had Azriel not been there to intercept me. I hissed, my wounds burned horribly and I could barely stay on my feet. The knife was still stuck in my thigh.
I was about to address it, but Azriel had understood enough of our connection to understand. I had lowered my shields for him when I knew he was here.
'Ready',he asked me, and his hand tightened around the knife on my thigh. I just nodded and put my head against his muscular chest. He pulled it out quickly, so I hardly expected it, but still it hurt. A whimper escaped my throat and I inhaled again.
'It's okay, we're here now', said Azriel.

I'm here, I'm staying here, I'm with you. he said through the connection, more intimate, more familiar.
I clung to his shirt and nodded again. That was all I was capable of.

'We need to clean this place up and look around', Cassian said. I gave an approving hum. I hadn't gone through so much just to leave everything like this now.
'His study-' I faltered briefly
'it's in the back of the hall, I saw it when I was walking by, I think that's where he keeps most of his information.'
Cassian nodded and went on his way. I hadn't let go of Azriel, nor had I weakened my grip on him. I needed him close to me now, as comfort, as someone who would look out for me.
'Come, let's go', he whispered softly in my ear.
'We need to check on your wounds.'
There it was again, that urgency, for now that my rescue was here, I no longer feared. I knew I was safe, especially with Azriel, I knew they wouldn't leave me here.
'Okay', I breathed. And yet somehow, I found it a shame that I wasn't the one to bring the information to my High Lord.

You paved the way for us to do so. It is not Cassian or me who is credited with the victory, but you. And we know you worked hard to get this information.

The spark of concern in Azriel's gaze told me more than I needed to know. He would lose patience at any moment if we didn't get me to the healer immediately. And yet a red color bloomed on my cheeks. Actually, he should not have noticed that. But it didn't matter now anyway.

'Leave the room here like this, otherwise he won't believe it was a good night. And tell your spies to leave him naked somewhere, I think it makes more sense than if he wakes up with clothes on', I murmured to Azriel, but I knew how reluctant this thing made him. I knew he had this fire burning inside him that would destroy anyone who even looked at me wrong. He was in control, for me, but it would not stay that way much longer either. For his hands were seeking blood and his shadows would be only too happy to assist him.
We appeared in the townhouse, me in Azriel's hands, which were already also sullied by my blood. I noticed how I hardly noticed anything anymore, I was rather hanging at Azriel's side like a dead sack than a living woman. I didn't notice my High Lord coming towards us or the others catching wind that we were coming back. I didn't see the shock on their faces, the fear that briefly mingled with Nesta's features, or the stone-hard mood that settled on the inner circle as Azriel deposited me on a bed and demanded to see the healer.
I only noticed how the darkness welcomed me more and more and after a while I accepted it with open arms.
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