Shadows like mine

30

Azriel couldn't believe two weeks had passed when he landed in the House of the Wind, with Aurora in his arms.
Her body was shaking, but not because of the cold air.
Azriel knew he would be an overprotective ass right now, even after two weeks. He knew, because everyone single one of them was keeping a very long distance from them. Especially Cassian and Rhysand. Standing at the other side of the dining room they greeted them.
He felt that Aurora was clutching their mating bond as she walked up to them. He didn't know if she did that to let him know to back off, or because she needed to hold on to something. It might be both.
"Welcome back, Aurora," said Feyre and she placed her hand on her shoulder. "It's been a while."
Aurora turned as red as a beet.
Azriel grinned and Cassian rolled his eyes.
I bet you guys acted like rabbits, Rhys said in Azriel's mind.
He chuckled. We were worse, brother.
Rhys could barely hold his laugh.
It was hard for Azriel not to think loudly about all his hours with Aurora. Even now when he was looking at her from a distance, the terrible need to take her to his office was almost unbearable.
But he kept himself together. He saw Aurora's discomfort, her nerves. Her whole long life she had thought there was no solution.
Amren gave her hope.
They all had given her hope.
Maybe it would pay off.
They all sat down around the table as Amren marched into the room with the thickest book Azriel had ever seen.
"I almost forgot how lovely it is to have a purpose," she joked with a sharp edge in her voice. Rhys just rolled his eyes.
"Amren," greeted Aurora her. Even though his mate never touched Amren before, it was possible. After all, Rhys asked Amren to come back to them when they were walking away from life.
Amren threw the book on the table. Glass and clutter shook. "I was afraid I wouldn't find anything useful," she started and opened up the dusty and yellow pages. "But in this Old Language I might have found something that we can use."
Aurora wasn't able to sit still and was constantly moving around on her chair, as a restles child. Azriel let his shadows curl up around her waist as he stood behind her.
"Almost there..."
"Can't you just say it?" asked Nesta, almost as impatient as everyone else in the room.
"Nesta Archeron, I have read this book three times. And no, I don't remember two specific sentences," Amren hissed.
Aurora started biting a nail. Quickly Azriel took her hand. Through the bond he could feel everything that was going through her. It almost felt like the first time he had seen her, when his shadows warned him.
He had thought that they warned him for her. But in fact they warned him for Death, looking over her shoulder.
"Here it is," said Amren and she pointed at a smudged sentence. "It was hard to read."
Rhys took place next to her and read the sentence a couple of times. The stars in his eyes seemed to die as his face turned pale.
So did Aurora's.
"What is it?" she asked with a shaky whisper tone.
"This is very hypothetical," mentioned Rhys, ignoring Aurora. It made Azriel growl.
Everyone ignored it.
"It's the only thing we've got," said Amren, clearly angry that she hadn't been able to find more than this.
"It won't work."
"What is it?" Aurora's voice was louder, angrier. Now she had everyone's attention. Rhys swallowed heavily before answering.
"We will probably find something else," he started and looked at Azriel instead of Aurora. He knew very well that Azriel would start a fight because of his ancient instincts.
"And?"
Rhys took a deep breath.
"The person here writes that he only saw one solution," he started. Azriel could barely breathe as he waited. "He had to be killed with something that was more powerful than Death."
The silence that fell was heavier than the air in Oorid.
"No," said Azriel. "We're not doing that."
Aurora was as silent as a statue. He squeezed her shoulders, hoping to get her out of this silent state.
"Azriel..."
"It's not an option!" he screamed now. "Find something else."
Amren shook her head and he could swear that he saw tears in her silver eyes. "There is nothing else."