The Whispers of Shadows - Azriel

27

Tears mixed with the blood on the cement floor. Aurora reached an arm up, a sob escaping her throat. Rhysand took her arm and tugged her up into his chest.

"I'm so sorry it took us this long, but we had to wait until Tamlin and Lucien were gone and Azriel to know exactly where you were," he whispered, his hand on the back of her head, cradling her to his chest. Aurora nodded slightly, accepting his apology as she cried against him.

"Thank you," she croaked. Her hands clung to the leathers on his arms as he began to lift her. Every joint popped and the wounds felt as if talons were ripping through her skin. A weak cry left her and Rhysand settled her back to the floor.

"Fuck, I'm going to need you to be dressed. Azriel said they're in the forest on their way back. I'll be right back, I promise," Rhysand spoke in a hurried tone, tugging the blanket he had draped over her to cover her more as she sat against the wall. Aurora nodded weakly, and he rushed up the stairs. He had left the door open so the light flooded the room. Aurora closed her eyes, not wanting to see the blood and vomit stained floor.

It wasn't more than a minute when Rhysand was running back down the stairs, a gown in his hand. "The prick still has some of Feyre's clothes," he growled, kneeling in front of Aurora. She opened her eyes again to see a pinky frilly dress held out in front of her. Rhysand gathered the skirt together and held it over Aurora's head. It took everything in her to lift her arms enough to slide them into the short sleeves and push off the wall enough for the gown to fall over her.

"Come on," Rhysand spoke, his hand sliding beneath her arm. Aurora gritted her teeth, shrieking when he stood her up. She collapsed into his side.

"Faebane, he stabbed my thigh and shoulder with arrows coated in it, and has been putting it in the bits of food I can get. He also used his claws on my back, and I think it's all infected," she gasped out. Aurora needed to tell him of her injuries if they planned to get her a healer back in the Night Court.

"Okay, we can handle this. I'll carry you, but Aurora, if they come back and I need to fight, you do everything you can to run until Cass or Az can get to you," Rhysand ordered. Sweat rolled down her skin as she nodded, groaning when he tugged her into his arms. Rhysand grabbed the blanket and threw it over her. She shook violently, trembling as sweat coated her skin.

Rhysand climbed the stairs and brought Aurora into the estate. Her eyes burned in the light, and it made her wonder how long she had truly been in the cellar. When they got outside, Rhysand took off for the forest. Tamlin had extended the wards, they'd need to be deep in the forest for winnowing to work. Aurora looked up to the trees, spotting Cassian perched on a brand, his wings tucked in as he watched them. He looked at her with sorrow, but then his face shifted into cold death, and he shot off the branch and disappeared in the trees.

"Shit," Rhysand snapped suddenly, and Aurora began to look up at him but a brute force hit them. Aurora was no longer in Rhysand's arms, and a scream erupted out of her when her back slammed into a tree. Her throat felt bloody. Short and broken breaths left her as she looked towards where Rhysand had been, a sword now pulled and he was looking around rapidly. What had hit them?

"Rhys?" Aurora thought she had said, but in her pained state, she only mouthed it. He was backing towards her, sword pointed at wherever he looked. He was trying to reach her before whatever had hit them came back.

"Can you run?" He asked quietly, looking over his shoulder at her. Aurora felt her teeth grind as she tried to stand. One arm held her torso off the ground, and one leg bent so that her bare foot dug into the leaves and dirt. She had one leg and one arm that were completely useless, not to mention her back. It'd be a fucking miracle if she could run. Twigs snapped to the left of them, and they both looked towards it. Lucien was walking toward them. Rhysand pointed his sword, but Tamlin was now walking out from the right.