Unknown Heir (ACOTAR)

FOUR

The five of them stared at me in shock. I caught Azriel's eyes. His eyes went wide and then he vanished. I snarled slightly at where he had been standing. I turned my eyes back to the High Lord. "What have you been doing in Velaris?"

"Seeking refuge. Although you were not very welcoming," I said coldly. I stood tall. Taller than the High Lady but not as tall as any of the Illyrians. I felt the Illyrian warrior next to the High Lord sizing me up, looking me over and assessing me.

"Let me into your mind. Then I'll believe you," the High Lord said.

"I will never let you into my mind," I said through gritted teeth. "You obviously don't know your raeniga well. No one enters the mind of a raeniga except for one person."

"And who would this person be?" the Illyrian warrior asked. I looked him in the eyes.

"Their mate-" I started, then turned back to the High Lord, "-has free access to entering the mind of a raeniga, whether they are daemati or not." The four in front of me remained silent.

"Who is your mate?" the girl behind the High Lady asked. She glared at me.

"I do not have one," I said, hoping they bought it.

"Lies!" the Illyrian warrior said. Well then. I glanced at him. "I can sense the lie on you," he said glaring at me. The High Lord had been staring at me for a while now, unnerving me.

-----

I looked at my mate. He was so focused on her. I silently asked permission into his mind. As I entered one word was floating all over the place. No, not a word. A name. Azriel. He's her mate? I asked him down the bond.

Yes. I can smell it on her. Not long though. As if she just found out a few moments ago.

Az is gone.

It snapped in place for him I think. She thought revealing herself would make him despise her more so she could deny the bond. Break it. Live without a mate.

Does she not love him?

I think she is lost. I slipped out of his mind again. She and Cassian were snarling at each other. "If a raeniga has a mate, but the other has not realised it yet or it hasn't snapped into place yet for them, does it still work?" Nalé went unnervingly still at the comment. "If they do not accept each other yet, does it still work?" Rhys continued to ask. She stared at him. After a while, he nodded slightly. She snarled loudly in return.

"A mate is a mate," she said through gritted teeth. Her eyes seemed to flare.

"We are done here," Rhys said and winnowed out. The rest of us followed, leaving Nalé to her thoughts. Cassian jumped on Rhys the minute we formed again.

"What just happened?" he blurted.

"We know who her mate it," Rhys said calmly. Cass seemed to almost explode.

"She has a mate?" I nodded at his question. "Who?" I looked from him to Rhys.

"Az," he said calmly. Mor glared at her cousin.

"You can't be serious!" she raged. "How is that even possible?"

"It doesn't matter. All we know is that the mating bond snapped into place for her not too long ago. I feel like she sensed the tug earlier on, which would explain her avoidance to look at Az. He is her mate. Meaning he can get into her mind without a problem. He's the only one who can see what she wants. If she is planning to follow in her father's footsteps," Rhys explains.

"Now only to find him," I mumbled. He nodded.

-----

I stood there, frozen in place. He knew. He knew about the shadowsinger. I pushed all my memories down, deep down, within me. All the trauma. All the details of my past. Until my mind was a blank slate. They would come. They would come with him and tell him to walk through my mind. But they did not know that it would hurt. They did not know and most likely did not care.

I stumbled around the cell. Frantic. I had to leave. But I couldn't with the wards in place. I built up barrier after barrier in my mind, knowing it would not make a difference for him. He could push past them all with as little as a touch. His touch. They would collapse at his touch. I snarled lowly. He could not be my mate. I won't accept it. I don't have a mate. Father said I never would. I was too disgusting beneath it all to have a mate.

I slumped in the corner of the cell and let the silent tears roll down my cheeks.

-----

We walked to Azriel's room and found that it was slightly ajar. I peeked in and saw Az sitting on his bed, his shadows dancing dramatically behind him. I knocked and walked in, leaving the others outside. Az turned to me and his eyes locked with mine. I saw panic in them. Panic, and a lack of understanding. And fear. Fear for us. Fear for her. And fear for him.

I walked over to him and sat next to him. His breathing was uneven. "We know- about her," I said gently. I had never seen Az so out of control. He shuddered.

"I'm sorry,' he said and I gave him a confused look.

"Sorry about what?" I asked.

"Her being my mate. I didn't realise. I should've. She avoided ever looking at me, she knew. She felt it and didn't want it," he said. His voice cracked from time to time and I felt bad for him.

"You don't have to be sorry about something that is out of your control," I said. He stayed quiet. "We need you though." He looked at me confused. "Her mind is a blocked off area for all daemati. But the mate of a raeniga has free access into their mind."

"She hates me though. I can't go back to her," he said defeated.

"I don't think she hates you. Rhys and I think she is lost. She doesn't know. You said her father beat her. She probably doesn't know much about love. And do you remember me? I hated Rhys with every part of my being for a good while," I said. I felt a claw down the bond and smiled. I turned back to Az. "Do you think you can try to get into her mind? Just to know if she's a threat. If she's not, you can decide what to do with her," I offered. He looked shocked. I smiled and grabbed his hand. He nodded slowly and we winnowed.

We were in front of her cell and saw her huddled in a corner. When she looked at me she glared and stood. Her eyes were lined with red as if she had been crying. But she looked at Azriel.

-----

The High Lady and Azriel watched me. I was hoping he wouldn't have a clue how to get into my mind. But quickly I started feeling a slight throb in my head. I clamped my teeth together and ignored it. I felt him then, at the edges of my mind. He vanished and reappeared again somewhere else. Always the same distance from my mind. I tried to push him out but to no success. He took a step closer and I gritted my teeth at the throb that went through my mind. Nalé? He questioned from the outskirts of my mind. I took a steadying breath.

What? I said sharply.

Are you going to hurt us? Are you going to follow in your father's footsteps?

Never. I snapped, pain laced my words.

Are you hurt? His concern ringed through my mind. I didn't answer his question. He took another step and I winced. I balled my fists. What's going on? He asked. He went to take another step.

Don't! Please. I begged him then. He stopped and stayed where he was. It- hurts. You have free access to my mind but it is painful. For me. Please don't come any closer. I have never had anyone in my mind. I will pass out if you come too close. I exclaimed through the pain. My head had started spinning but I had glued my focus to him. I felt him pull images from my mind. I felt him sift through the information that I had left in my mind. My memories threatened to surface but I couldn't push him out, no matter how hard I tried. He stayed. Sifting through information after information. My breathing grew heavy. He looked at me and before I knew it my memories surged into my mind and I fell to the ground, my consciousness leaving me.