Touched by the Flame || Azriel Shadowsinger

Chapter 24

Asleep or awake was the question. She was somewhere in between. Balancing precariously on some diving line between those two states of consciousness. She was somewhere hazy and floaty, encased in soothing darkness.

A chill raked its claws down Soraya's spine, and she felt her distant body shudder. Cold licked at her fingertips, slinking its way up her legs. It nipped at her face, making her frown.

Where did all the warm go?

She found herself blinking abrupt light from her eyes, wondering when they opened. Her mind was slowly crawling back to her. Awake now. Definitely awake.

"Raya," the voice came from across the room, sounding like it wasn't the first time it'd called her name. "Get up."

Soraya squinted away from the orange sunlight spearing through the window. Azriel was standing in the doorway, dressed in his thick leathers. She scowled, making one side of his lips tick upward.

"You wanted to train," he explained, "we start today."

Her bones seemed to double in weight, sinking her further into the mattress. She couldn't even be mad at him, because it was entirely her idea to learn to fight. But she could be mad at herself. And she was. Endlessly. Soraya groaned tiredly and rubbed her hands over her face.

"Do you feel better today?" Azriel added, making her look toward him once more. 

"Yes," she mumbled, her tongue still heavy from sleep. He blinked once, the hint of worry disappearing just as quickly as it'd arrived.

"Good," he said. "Then get up." At that, he turned and vanished down the hall.

It took at least five minutes of mental coaxing and another call from Azriel for Soraya to drag herself out of bed. She didn't bother arranging the sheets back into a neat configuration. She merely shuffled across the room and dug through her wardrobe for something to wear. Something breathable that she would be able to move and sweat in. 

Very little of what Azriel bought her fit into those categories. Not that it was his fault, of course. It was she who'd given him absolutely no indication of what sort of clothing she wanted.

She found a tight chest covering that looked like it would hold everything in and slipped that on. Soraya followed it up with a sweatshirt that was a little too big in the best way possible. She stepped into a pair of smooth black pants that hugged her legs and made her glad she'd picked a sweater that reached mid-thigh. Soraya lazily cleaned herself up, scrubbing her teeth and brushing her fingers through her hair. 

Eventually, she made her way out into the living area where Azriel was patiently waiting. His eyes raked over her, assessing her attire and making her squirm. When he had nothing to protest a few seconds later, he wordlessly slid a plate of toast her way. Soraya murmured a "thank you" and started eating, despite not feeling hungry in the slightest.

"Do you think Cassian will mind me being there?" She quietly asked around a bite of perfectly golden toast topped with her favorite jam.

Azriel looked over at her. She'd been to training before. It seemed he understood that she meant her being there to learn this time. 

"No," he answered simply. Like the thought of his brother being upset hadn't even crossed his mind. "I think Cassian will delight in having someone new to pester."

Soraya couldn't help but smile a little at that. She polished off the toast and made to push away her plate. Azriel nailed her with a hard look that had her rolling her eyes. She quickly finished the side of assorted fruit before stepping around him and dropping her plate into the sink's basin.