Azriel x OC

Chapter 25: Controlling the Shadows

Azriel

It had been a few weeks since we had rescued Levain from the lake. She still woke up in the middle of the night and winnowed through her shadows to the other side of the room. Calming her down had become easier. She had also slowly started to talk to others a little more calmly as well. But she still sometimes had that vacant look in her eyes. Like she was reliving her horrors over and over again.

I had woken early this morning and took some pastries from the kitchen at the estate. We had been sleeping here due to safety concerns. Rhys had the barriers around Velaris sealed again but we couldn't be too sure.

"Morning." I said quietly as Levain shifted in the bed. Fluttering her eyelids open. The small smile that spread across her face was always welcomed, even if it seemed half forced. It was still a 50% chance that she would wake with a murderous rage, so fake smiles were still a good sign.

"Morning." She groaned back. Voice husky from sleep. She sat up in the bed and leant forward to kiss me. After that first night we hadn't been close in the physical sense since. She had explained to me her reasoning for being physical that first night, just needing to know i was real. Her revelation broke me and I haven't pushed her since. Even closing distances between us I can see her shadows retreat behind her and her muscles tense up. 

"Here breakfast." I handed her the tray of foods and Levain instantly began eating. She had put back on the weight she had lost from her imprisonment. I thanked the mother that her nightmares caused her to want to murder me and not throw up everything she had eaten that day.

"I want you to teach me how to control my shadows." I blinked my eyes in shock. Levain hadn't done much but sit in her room or maybe wonder the gardens these last few weeks.

"Are you sure? I don't want you to push yourself if you aren't ready." I said without thinking letting one of my hands rest on the bed next to her. She cast her gaze down at it and then turned back to my eyes deciding it wasn't a threat. 

"I don't want to keep waking up after a nightmare and be half way across the room. I also don't want to accidently strangle someone either." I try to hold back the chuckle that threatens to roll through me as she mentions the event from her first week back. When Cassian had moved across the breakfast table for bacon a little to fast and her shadows had thrown him across the room by his neck. It was insanely impressive. 

"Of course. I'll train you this morning after you get ready. Sound good?" I rose from the bed as she threw her legs to the side. I tried not to let my gaze stay on her scars for too long. Ones that would now be permanent as she wasn't allowed to heal. I still noted her face fall every time she looked down at her legs. 

"I'll see you down there in a minute." I nodded and moved from the room to allow her to change.

Walking outside to the training ring I had a million things going through my mind. Mostly just trying to control the rage that rose in me every time i saw her scars or that vacant look in her eyes. But I couldn't help the feeling of relief that she was finally doing something other than being a shell of herself. The Levain that had been here before the lake was almost fearless, between taking on four full grown males in her apartment and taking on me I didn't think there was anything she couldn't do. So coming back from this trauma should be easy, right?

"Ok. I'm ready." I hear her sweet voice drift to me from across the front lawn. Levain is simply wearing leggings and a deep green sweater to hide her from the chill in the air this morning. I have never had to teach someone how to use shadows before. Looking at Levain's as they whirled around her brought me back to that first night when she used them to bring me a pleasure I had never felt before. I shook the thought from my head not wanting to get hard when she would easily be able to see the bulge in my leathers.