Touched by the Flame || Azriel Shadowsinger

Chapter 25

A week into training and already Soraya was ready to throw in the towel. Her muscles ached, her bones sore. She was exhausted beyond belief, and still, she pried herself out of the comfort of bed each morning. Rising with the sun to begin another day of training.

She hadn't learned a thing about fighting yet, though she told herself to be patient. To keep going through the motions until eventually she would be taught something of use. So far it was only stretches and running. Lots and lots of running. For endurance, Azriel had said. 

Her palms had healed over, meaning she would be able to do more without having to worry about reopening the wounds. The thought made her both excited and nervous.

Soraya's shoes scuffed the floor as she rose from the ground after having finished stretching. She complied wordlessly when Azriel told her to start walking laps. To her surprise, he followed alongside her today. Keeping pace with every stride.

It was awkward at first, the silence stretching on between them. Soraya kept her gaze trained on her feet.

"You favor your left leg when you work yourself too hard," Azriel said suddenly, his voice quiet in order to keep the words between them. "And you rub your hip when something makes you anxious."

She frowned to herself, tuning into the pinch in her hip that left her with a familiar uneven gait.

"It's a self-soothing gesture," he continued. Soraya felt his eyes fall to her face. "What pain are you soothing?"

The shadowsinger was too observant. Too clever for his own good. She bit her lip, debating her answer.

"It hurts sometimes," Soraya eventually replied, sparing a glance at the Valkyries across the room to ensure they didn't hear. "Since the fire."

Azriel's brows cinched, gaze studying the limp in her step. "Why didn't you tell me?"

She shrugged, pulling her hand away before she could absentmindedly rub at her hip. "It didn't seem important enough to bother you with."

"You're in pain, Raya," he reasoned. "What could be more pressing than that?"

Plenty, she didn't say.

Instead, she sucked in a deep breath. "You don't have to stay. I'll be alright with Cassian."

Azriel had somewhere else to be. Other business to attend to. Even if he hadn't already told her about his other duties, she would have known it by his attire alone. Illyrian armor rather than his normal training clothes.

"Don't change the subject," Azriel grumbled, feet slowing to a halt.

"I don't want to waste any more of your time." 

She made to breeze past him. A scarred hand shot out, latching onto her arm and dragging her to a stop. Soraya sighed, reluctantly meeting the spymaster's gaze. His expression was one of stone.

"All of my time is yours. Every second of every minute of every day. Take it all. Cauldron knows I have more of it than I know what to do with."

Her heart stopped. It sputtered and kicked back up again. Soraya blinked at him. Then blinked once more. All she could do was look at him. Drink in the words tenfold as they echoed in her head. She swallowed and nodded.

Azriel's beautiful face softened and he huffed, releasing his hold on her arm. His wings shifted as he stood straighter, golden eyes flicking between hers.

"Go easy today if it gets any worse," he nodded toward her hip.

"Okay," Soraya said breathlessly.

She very nearly leaned into him when he reached out to toy idly with the end of the braid draped over her shoulder. He looked to be debating something in the silence that followed.