i n t h e s h a d o w s - a z r i e l (slow updates)

Chapter 7

When Cassian woke up, he found Eileánóir sleeping beside him. He smiled then got up. He was going to leave the room when he heard the mortal girl calling for him. He turned to her and smiled. "Yes?"

"I want you to train me," she told her as he frowned. "I want to be able to defend myself." He smiled and looked at the clock. "Be ready in 10 minutes, Feyre has some training clothes that you could take." He left the room without another word and went to the kitchen where Rhys was making coffee.

"You won't believe who asked me to train her," he said, taking a cup. 

"Nesta finally said yes?"

"Don't say impossible things, please. It's Eileánóir,  she wants to be able to defend herself." He drank his coffee. "Anyway, if you need me, I'll be at the House of the Wind with her, there's more space to train there." His High Lord nodded and took the breakfast he prepared for Feyre to their room. Cassian smiled and returned to his room to find Eileánóir in Illyrian leathers. "Good, we'll need to fly to another house now," he told her with a smile. 

"If you drop me, I swear I'll haunt you until the end of time," she said, leaving the room to go outside. The hot of summer hit her and with the leathers she had on her, she was already sweating. 

"Don't worry, I won't drop the only person who makes my brother smile," he told her, taking her in his arms to fly. 

***

She knew now why he was Rhysand's general commander. For the past hours, she has more seen the ground than him. She'd told him not to be gentle because "she was a girl" so he wasn't but every time he beat her, she stood up and asked for more, again and again. She wasn't going to be the weak one that needed to be protected, she wanted to fight, to be strong. 

She hasn't noticed that Azriel was there, looking at them as she was getting beaten again. She tried to anticipate his moves but it was too hard, she'd never done that. On the continent, she hadn't had to fight like this, but now that she was in Prythian surrounded by faes a lot more stronger than her, she needed this. She collided with the ground once again and that's when she saw Azriel. He was as always, surrounded by his shadows, his burning gold eyes fixing them. She didn't know for how long he had been there, he was too quiet to notice. If he didn't want you to notice him, you won't even see him. She just smiled at him and got up again, not ready to forfeit with Azriel looking at her. So she stood in front of Cassian, ready to take the next blow but she didn't. A flash like a white shadow passed before he eyes and she heard someone whisper "left" so she listened and she moved to her left, avoiding the blow that came to her right. She took her chance and kicked Cassian who had been surprised to hit nothing. He fell on the ground, on his ass, wide-eyed. 

"What was that?" He blinked at her but it was Azriel who answered. 

"That, my friend, were you being kicked by a human girl." He laughed at his friend and help him to get up. Cassian, too shocked by what had just happened, just sat on the chair that was outside the ring. "That wasn't a human move. You anticipated my blow." He looked at the red-headed human who just blinked. "I just did what you told me to do."

"I didn't tell you anything." He frowned. 

"What do you mean? I heard someone telling me "left"? It had to be one of you," she told them. "Well it wasn't," the commander answered then looked at his friend who shook his head. It wasn't him neither. But then, what was it? She wasn't crazy, she had clearly heard the word "left" before Cassian tried to kick her. She looked at Azriel who was looking around her. 

"I think I've seen something. A shadow, like mine, but in white," he said while looking at her with curious eyes. "Interesting for a person who is not supposed to have any fae power." His eyes narrowed. Eileánóir just looked at them. 

"Well, whatever that was, I didn't control it. I thought it was one of your shadows and that you just wanted to see Cassian on the ground," she said, smiling. He smiled at her then looked at Cassian. "But it wasn't me even if I have to admit that it"s pleasant to see Cassian being beaten by you." He turned to her. "Do you think you could try again? To see if it happens again." 

"Sure!" She got into the ring with Cassian. Again, she saw white shadows then heard voices, telling her where to move and where to hit. In seconds, Cass' was on the ground again but some of the shadows remained for a few seconds before they disappeared. She turned to Azriel who was staring at her. 

"Interesting, very interesting," he said, still looking at her. "We should tell Rhysand, maybe he knows something about that." 

That's how she found herself in Azriel's arms, flying. She wasn't tensed like when she flew with Cassian. Flying with Azriel was more peaceful and calm. With him, she could look at the city below without being scared of being dropped. It would have been cold high in the sky with the breeze but Azriel's shadows were somehow warming her. Or maybe it was a shield, she didn't know enough about their magic to tell but she didn't care. She wouldn't get cold. 

It could have been a nice day but they knew that it wouldn't be one when they saw a flash of red hair. Eris was back and that means he had news on the guards' case. She shivered when the memories came back to her mind. Surely, she won't forget so quickly but it was always horrible to think that a week ago, she had been in that cell in the Autumn Court. 

"I hope you're coming with good news," Cassian said, landing beside Rhysand and Eris who were outside. 

"I killed the last one," Eris told them while looking at Eileánóir who just smiled a little to him. The heir of the Autumn Court sighed. "It was one of my brothers...". She felt Azriel tensed behind her. 

They all entered the house and sat on the couches. Rhys and Eris were talking about plans to make him High Lord but Eileánóir wasn't paying attention. She was looking at Mor which was looking at Azriel. Despite her short time here with him, if she had guns in her eyes, Mor would have been dead. How could she ignore him for five centuries? It was obvious now that he glanced at her sometimes but she didn't seem to care.