A Court of Nightmares and Rejects

Chapter twenty four

Nesta and I returned in the evening, spending all day ambling about, sharing pieces of memory and trauma- like puzzle pieces, and we were trying to understand the full picture. I'd never been entirely close with the oldest Archeron; she was cold, but not in an Amren-way. A cold person; by features and the layering surface of her personality.

I saw myself in Nesta, but I didn't turn away from the icy, yet gentle gaze that had held mine as the terrible truth came rushing out like a torrent from my lips. Not a tingle tear was shed from either of us, not a single flinch or break down or tremble. Just unforgiving truth.

Sometimes the truth isn't so bad.

Nesta and I began to trust more, build onto a friendship that was possibly not even there before today. She was almost like the brother I never had; the whole Inner Circle was.

"Tamlin's a bitch. You know the story of how he harmed Feyre; our whole court." Nesta rambled as we made our way back onto the street of the estate, "No matter how much I want to pin his balls to a ceiling right now-" I choked, eyes widening. Nesta just rolled her eyes at my reaction of her words and continued, "-I am rather confused; I recall the High Lord meeting we had, just when Feyre rejoined the Night Court, Tamlin said something a bit like 'I am in no habit of fucking leftovers'."

My body froze, to colder then ice, then I replied, gritting my teeth, "How would Tamlin have known I was leftovers? Also, who cares what that son of a bitch thinks, when I think of Spring Court now, all I see is a scarlet red flower, each petal coming off and turning into blood." Nesta raised a brow at me, "Cryptic. I was informed you were wearing Azriel's shirt?"

My heart sank, "Right. Tamlin is just a dickbag, who cares?"

"Well said, Ciana." Nesta mused, the estate popped up in front of us, the small staircase just barely grazing my boot, "Well said."

The moment I smelt the blood, I knew whose it was. But- more then one scent. "Fuck, they really got into it in the training ring didn't they?" Nesta groaned, and kicked off her shoes harshly in the doorway, I didn't bother, we both sprinted, Archeron stumbling on the 'stupid dress'.

Cassian was on top of Azriel, holding Az's fist in his hand, Cass was grinning, blood falling from his face onto Azriel's teeth, who growled at his brother. "Have you two seriously been out here since this morning?" Nesta started, but I politely cut her off, polite to her, but I probably wouldn't sound so kindly to these two males. "Cassian! Azriel! Get your asses off of the floor before you have to be embarrassed enough that we do it for you!" Alright, definitely not as kindly.

The pair's head snapped towards me, Cassian's expression didn't fade, but Azriel stopped the frown as he assessed me from head to toe. I folded my arms, and said, "We don't have all day; you two spent most of that beating each other into a pulp." The words alone made my heart clench, bruises and cuts marred almost all of the skin on my mate.

That made me want to cry, today.

As though sensing my change in emotion, Cassian hauled himself up, Azriel rolled stealthily, before standing beside me with a wince. "Are you alright?" He asked, his voice a blessing, hazel eyes dancing across my face. "I'm sorry, if it was me." He added, them, a tad louder, "Though, someone was a bit of an asshole."

Cassian smirked, sauntering to Nesta, an amused glint in the female's eye, "I was horribly hilarious when I saw Rhysie and Feyre after they... made up. I wasn't just going to make it easy." Az leered at him, before holding my hand gently and tugging me with him back to the doors of the house. I wrapped his arm around my shoulders, trying to help make his limp better, as he had done for me this morning. Though, for a different reason. My cheeks burned.

Are you mad at me, Boo? Azriel whispered into my mind. No. To be truly honest with you, Az, I don't think I'll ever have the strength to be mad at you. That was directed at Cassian, for hurting your handsome face. I replied, saying the last sentence with the humour I could muster. I huffed laugh warmed my hair, and we slowly made our way up the stairs, Azriel hissing with each step.

"I am not mad at you, but I'm rather upset you hurt yourself." I explained, trying to carry as much weight as I could. "When Feyre and Rhysand mated, Cassian tried to taunt him about having his own turn with Feyre. Cassian seemed rather happy with making me pissed off, and so here we are."

I giggled, the sound so unlike me. "You'd expect Nesta to have changed that part from him."
"You may know Nesta more today, but you weren't the chaperone of the two, when they went from 'enemies to lovers'. The two most disgusting two I know, when around each other."

"Poor Azzy." I said, sticking out my bottom lip as we reached the last step, and made it to the landing. I gently urged Azriel to his room, ignoring everything in it entirely as I sat him down on the lip of the bath.

"Are there any serious injuries?" I asked, once again giving him a full-over.
"No matter how enthusiastic my brother is when it comes to fighting, he wouldn't hurt family." Azriel explained. Relief settled in my veins as I nodded to myself, "I want you to bathe, just in case of dirt getting in the scrapes and things, I am going to Madja-"

Azriel pulled me against him, seeming completely unaware that his blood now got onto the clothing I wore. His arms banded around my chest. "I missed you." He whispered, I stared in front of us, a mirror large enough to be a small table was hung on it, Azriel's head buried in the crook of my neck, his tanned skin flushed with little welts and blue patches. "As much as I have missed you, and as obliged as I am to stay where I am, I am not going to be the reason you get your injuries infected."

I shimmied out of my mates grip, and disappeared from his rooms entirely.

Some part of me warmed and connected together.

Maybe the future was worth it.

Azriel hissed as I wrapped a bandage around his lower thigh, I gave him a pointed stare, "If you just ignored Cassian like any rational person would do, maybe this wouldn't of happened." My mate rolled his eyes, "And yet, I warned you of how males are after mating." I snorted, but Az added, "He crossed the line, and he knew it."

I tied the bandage off, and admired the work I'd just finished off, but Azriel still grimaced. blotches under his eyes, but not from sparring. "You need to sleep, Azzy." I said, standing abruptly. My mate didn't reply as I nudged him off of the tub and walked him back into the main room, letting him drop delicately onto the mattress. "It's too hot." Az protested when I tried to move the covers for him.

I sat daintily next to him, he rolled over and propped his head in my lap. "I was worried about you today." I whispered, stroking the wet curls on his head, his hazel eyes stared into my face. "I thought you were severely in danger, o- or worse, and..." I chuckled hoarsely, "I guess I understand what it is like to go a bit crazy after a mate." Az's lips tugged up into a sleepy grin, but his eyes slowly began to close.

Cia, can I ask you something? Azriel asked me silently, my shadows answered in return. Of course, anything.

Will you sing for me? Out loud?

"Anything, anything for you, Az." I said quietly, before clearing my throat.

I didn't sing about the darkness that haunted my soul, or the calm before the storm, or being thrown to the ground over, and over again. I didn't sing about a girl crying up a sea, or a male with scars secretly nto from battle, but from himself.

I sang about Azriel, about me. About how light and happy my mate had brought me, how many smiles I could have without forcing them. How he was with me from the start and over time it was even better then I could of ever imagined. How he was my saviour; my salvation. My hero. My mate. Mine. How I could know the dark teh crept over me could be washed away with just the thought of his name.

"I love you." Azriel whispered dreamily, before he sank into wherever place he went when sleep claimed him.

"I love you too, Azriel. I love you more then the stars that light up my sky. I- I would go through it. Through it all, if it meant I could meet you all over again." I replied, even though he hadn't heard me, his shadows wrapped around me.

Life was worth living, it seemed.