A Court of Shadows and Chaos (Azriel fanfic)

Chapter 16

Azriel's pov

I stood frozen, my eyes wide with disbelief and my heart pounding in my chest. The one person who held the key to my soul had disappeared through a swirling portal, leaving only the lingering echoes of our connection. She had felt it. I knew she had.

For a moment, I stood motionless, as if the world had come to a screeching halt. The air seemed thicker, charged with an electric tension. My breaths came in shallow gasps as I struggled to comprehend the abrupt absence of the one I cherished above all else. My eyes scanned the spot where the portal had swallowed my mate, hoping against hope that she would reappear, unharmed and smiling. But the space mocked me, refusing to yield any answers. Panic and desperation clawed at my chest, threatening to consume him whole. Not again. Never again.

"What happened? Where did she go?" Feyre cried.

Nesta blinked, "We'll figure it out." She then looked towards Rhys, "Can you get us back to Velaris?"

Rhys's eyes snapped to mine, he saw the pain and sorrow in my eyes. He saw all that and more on my face, and I saw nothing but agony and heard nothing above the screeching of my shadows. Rhys rallied his strength and, grunting in pain, winnowed us to Velaris.

Wind night and stars wheeled by as he winnowed us through the world. I stepped through the portal with the others, the weight of worry settling in my chest like a stone. As we arrived at the River House, the familiar surroundings did little to ease the tension. Cassian, Mor and Elain were quick to approach us, their expressions a mix of curiosity and worry. Elain's gentle nature immediately took over as she reached out to comfort Feyre and Nesta.

"What the hell happened?" Cassian's voice cut through the air, his siphons glowing a bright crimson.

"Lanthys got out. He broke the barrier and took us hostage." Feyre began.

Cassian's brows furrowed, and a low growl rumbled in his chest. "WHAT?"

Mor questioned, "Why didn't you contact us?"

Rhys answered, "He used faebane, none of us could use our powers."

Confusion etched Cassian's face, "Wait. Wait. Start from the beginning. What happened?"

It was Nesta who broke the silence, her tone as blunt as ever and recited all that happened. Lanthys's demands, the Valg, and my Morana. Amren added, picking at her nails. "Lyla is not just some little mortal girl. She's Morana Alarie."

The shock on Cassian and Mor's faces was palpable, their eyes widening in disbelief. Elain gasped, horror dampening her eyes. "Again. WHAT?" Cassian's voice was low, disbelieving. "You are telling me that the world's deadliest assassin was at our doorstep, mere miles away from Velaris. The same assassin who laid waste to armies and burnt cities to the ground on a whim." He blew out a breath, "To have Morana Alarie involved, the Morana Alarie. The girl is a walking nightmare."

I felt a surge of anger at their judgment, but I kept it hidden beneath a stoic exterior. No one knew the truth about Morana, about our connection. And they wouldn't. Not until I told her. Not until she thought I was deserving of this bond, of her. Though I doubt I ever will be.

Feyre stepped forward, her eyes determined. "She saved us from Lanthys. We owe her, and we need to find her. She lied to us, and she is in the wrong for that. But I want to give her a chance to speak for herself."

Amren nodded, confirming what we all knew, of the secret she had kept hidden from the world, from her family. "Yes, and we need to find her. Lanthys knew her. He was...wary of her." She went on, "Morana knew about the Valg, about...Wyrdmarks."