To the Shadowsinger | Azriel

Chapter 55: Light

 Azriel woke up at the first beam of sunlight that shot through the bedroom window. He sat straight up, feeling fully rested and ready to get on with his day. He had felt so useless as he slept and let Wylla do all the work but hopefully his little apprentice would wake up with good news.

He expected her to still be asleep, but he looked over and saw she was already awake. She was sitting up with a blank look on her face that worried Azriel. It wasn't a sleepy expression, she looked hopeless.

He took a deep breath and reminded himself that if Wylla couldn't help, he would figure out another way. He considered getting Feyre to go into the mirror and look for his mate and if that didn't work, he would go in himself. He really hoped it didn't come down to him looking into the mirror though; he didn't doubt his physical capabilities but he doubted he would be able to look into the mirror and not end up going insane. He would be no help to Rai if he ended up going mad and killing himself, but for her he would risk it.

"I'm assuming Caius is Rai's husband," Wylla mumbled.

His eyes shot to her. She was pale as a ghost. Sometimes he forgot how young she was, she should be in school instead of worrying about a dickhead king. He gave her a nod, which made her drag her hand down her face.

He didn't move as she climbed off the bed and began to pace the room. If someone told him she was possessed by a 1000 year old general, he would believe them. She looked so serious, she gripped her chin with one hand and squinted her eyes at the floor as she concentrated.

"I couldn't find Rai's dreams," she started. She spoke as if she was giving him a report. "Caius found me. He knows we're here because he remembered your scent. He knows Harani is helping us. He made a deal with me that he'll have Harani and I lead to the mirror, neither of us will be harmed, and you will meet him in the queen's chambers when the dinner bells ring. If I didn't make the deal he promised to slit Rai's throat and behead Harani."

Azriel was somehow able to keep his composure. It was a pure animalistic rage that turned his veins cold. He bit his tongue, hoping the pain would distract him so he could think clearly. This rage would get him in trouble if he didn't suppress it, he would end up making a mistake. For some damn reason though, his anger burned brighter as the seconds ticked by and he thought about it.

I'll fucking snap his neck. Rip him into two, he didn't want to wait until dinner. He stood up and put on his leathers and strapped on Truthteller. His movements were rushed and aggressive, making Wylla tense as she watched him.

"You're not going to wait?" She asked.

He didn't say a word, he slipped on his boots and laced them up, thinking of all the ways he could kill Caius. That sounded like a good idea to Azriel, he would get the bastard out of his way first and then he could work on getting Rai's mind out of the mirror. Fantastic.

"He said at the dinner bells," Wylla snapped at him. She followed him as he stormed out of the bedroom door. He didn't give a damn about dinner bells, Caius needed to learn how to keep Rai's name out of his damned mouth.

That thought evaporated from his mind as he stepped into the living room of Harani's place. Something was off. Magic and tension hummed in the air from the presence of a creature. As soon as he felt it, he knew exactly what it was and tensed.

"Wylla," he whispered and held up a hand to tell her not to come any closer. "Winnow out of here right now. Get to a safe place."

"What is it?" She paled.

The air hummed, the silence was almost suffocating. He shot his head around, giving her a look that made her finally listen to his instructions. In a flash, she was gone.