A Court of Shadows and Stars (Azriel Fanfiction)

Thirty Two- The past is back to haunt

Thirty Two- The past is back to haunt.

"And what exactly are you trying to accomplish by staring at the body like that?" The spymaster inquired from the couch he was currently sitting on. He had his infamous blade, Truth-Teller out, the sharp blade reflecting the sun's rays as he toyed with it over his outstretched palm.

I turned back to the now cool corpse of the female and ran a gloved finger over the inside of her wrist. I didn't need to answer his annoying questions, Rhysand trusted me enough to let me take the corpse home and examined it and now here I was doing exactly that. I could feel the darkness pulsating in her, magic that seem to have induced itself into her veins and now resided there. Almost as if it was using her body as a vessel. Usually after uncle was done with his work, he had the men burn the bodies. Maybe it was because of this energy, something that he was willing to inject to his victims but not release it out to the world. It could be fragments of his own magic even, and if it were- how on earth did it get here?

Questions buzzed in my head as I felt about her hips and ribs looking for more traces of the magic. It was strongest around her heart and I could almost feel it swirling underneath my touch.

The chair creaked from behind me and his scent grew stronger as he made his way towards me. I didn't dare turn as I felt the warmth from his body radiate to mine.

"Why aren't you answering my question?"

"Stop acting like a prissy two year old, I'm busy,"

He scoffed as he came to stand beside me. His face was impassive as he took in the sight of the dead female that lay on the wooden table.

"More deaths like this are bound to happen," he said after a while.

I stopped probing around her chest, "How do you say so?"

He was quiet as he directed his attention to his blade that sat on the table. "I just know," was all that he said.

"What are you going to do about it?" I asked as I used my dagger to make a small incision around her heart. The skin was hard, the rigor mortis already settled in. With a few sharp jabs I managed to press into the first layer of skin.

Azriel watched me as I worked. His eyes never straying from the small surgery I was performing on the girl. I needed to know if the energy existed in a physical form.

"I've set up extra security around the Night Court. Rhysand and Feyre are alerting the residents about a potential killer and Mor and Cassian went to look for her family to deliver the news," the spymaster said.

"Good. We need everyone to stay safe, the killer could strike at anytime and we still don't know his potential targets."

"It's best if we all keep our eyes and ears open,"

I nodded in agreement.

I angled the dagger in a way it slightly punctured her heart. Here the energy was a swirling whirlpool, strong and unyielding. It was evident that something existed in her and both the spymaster and I took a step back as dark mist pooled out from the puncture hole. We stared as it curled around and almost hissed at us like a serpent ready to strike. I stared at it transfixed. It was nothing like I had ever imagined. It was dangerous, volatile and demonically powerful.

I could feel something shift in my bones and my mind flitted to a small lesson from uncle.

Like calls to like.

I pushed down the urge to reach out to the black mist and just as it came it disappeared in a flash. I blinked, expecting to see it reappear but nothing happened. Turning to the spymaster I caught his expression of surprise as he stared at the spot where the dark mist was mere seconds ago.

"It's an ancient energy," he muttered almost to himself, "I've seen it before but never expected to encounter it,"

I swallowed the nervousness in my bones, "Do you have any idea where it's from?"

The spymaster was as white as a sheet, "Hybern,"

I kept the shock from my face, "And what does that mean? What's in it for us?"

He turned to me, "Nothing good that's for sure. We need to tell Rhysand,"

"But he's not here,"

Azriel turned to the body, "We need to dispose this right away, send it to her family to give her the usual burial rights," he motioned me to follow him out of the chamber we were in. Removing my gloves I followed him out and he bolted the door after us almost as if he could keep the lingering energy away from us through a locked door.

"I need to go out and tell Rhysand," he said as he began walking towards God knows where. I was almost running to keep up with him. He stopped abruptly and turned to me, "We can't alert the public now though,"

My eyebrows furrowed, "And why not?"

"It's too soon, we're yet to figure out the targets these Demons go after,"

I raised my hands, "How exactly are we going to do that?"

The spymaster led me to the library where both Amren and Elain sat. On seeing the spymaster the second oldest Acheron sister sat up straight, her gaze focusing on him and him only.

From the corner of my eye I could see Azriel turn a weary eye towards me.

"What is it Azriel?" Amren asked.

"Demonic entities, they're back here in Prythian,"

Amren was as white as a sheet, "You're not serious,"

The spymaster shook his head, "They've taken a different form. They're smaller but more volatile, we still don't know if this is the full might they possess,"

"Do you think the princes are after this?"

The spymaster shook his head, "I don't know but what I do know is that we should be prepared. The Vlag have returned,"