Shadows like mine

34

Cassian kept complaining, over and over again, about the smell in the training circle.
The scent that Azriel and Aurora bonded was lingering all over the place and people had been asking questions. Cassian and Nesta knew better, but Azriel just rolled his eyes.
"Like the House didn't reek of you two," he snapped back and it made Nesta laugh, Cassian boil of anger.
Azriel checked on his spies, finally did the paperwork he needed to do so badly. He was so many reports behind that he got lost in the words, the writing and the ordening.
He was hoping Aurora was having a good day. She knew he had to work, even though they both wanted to spent as much time as possible with one another.
Someone knocked on the door and Azriel was disappointed when not Aurora walked in, but Nesta.
"Azriel," she said with a wink. She was in a terribly good mood today—Azriel was more than sure that also they fucked the whole night.
Rhys, Feyre, Amren and Mor must hate the smell in the House.
"Nesta," he greeted her and bowed over his papers again. She never walked into his office—he was pretty sure she had never been in it.
"I haven't seen Aurora yet," she said and looked around in his office, taking books off of the shelf to look at them.
"They're not dirty," he mentioned and with a loud thud Nesta put them back. "And she's probably sleeping in."
"It's two in the afternoon, Azriel," she said and turned around to face him. "Does she always sleep that long?"
"Maybe I made her too tired." He smirked in himself and Nesta snorted.
    "Don't be so cocky. Well, I wanted to read with her, tell her that if you see her sooner than I do." And with those words, Nesta left.
Azriel kept working, working, working. He also kept thinking if he should go see Aurora. It would be impossible for her to sleep that long. He shook it off and finally, when dusk fell upon them, he stood up and stretched.
    Sitting all day was something he felt like he had to get used to, after being so active lately. But as he walked towards the dining room, the pain of sitting on his chair left him.
    Azriel stopped in his tracks as he looked at the commotion in the room. Cassian was leaning with his hands on the table. Feyre was biting her nail and Rhys was more in the shadows than usual. Nesta and Amren stood together, looking cool and reserved.
    "What's going on?" he asked and immediately started reaching out, touching his mating bond. He didn't feel a change during the day.
    "Azriel," started Feyre and she held up her hands, as if she was trying to get close to a wild horse.
His eyes flashed at everyone in the room. And slowly panic started to flow through his veins. The calmness he always used as a mask, started to break with small cracks.
"Azriel, listen to us," tried Feyre.
He didn't listen.
His breath quickened as he felt again, tugged again.
There was no response from the other side of the bond. The light it shone, dimmed. It wasn't sniffed out, but it wasn't bright either.
"Aurora..." he started, but couldn't finish his sentence. In the corner of his eye, he saw that Cassian looked at him with a broken sadness.
"She's gone," said Nesta loud and looked at the floor. She crossed her arms in front of her chest.
Azriel was more silent than ever.
He couldn't think, move or breathe as he listened to Nesta. "I looked for her again. No sign of her."
Just now he realised that his body was shaking, his shadows hiding him from the sight.
"She winnowed away, Azriel."
The words broke the chains that kept him in control. He ran to his room, busted open the doors and broke the wood.
Like a tornado he looked around the room, tried to reach out to her and tried not to freak. The mask of calmness was breaking more with every minute.
"How did she winnow away?" he asked, his voice deep like a beast. His shadows showed himself just long enough for his brothers to see him. "You can't winnow out of the House."
"I followed her scent," answered Cassian and he shook his head. "Azriel, she jumped off the balcony. Halfway down she must've winnowed away, because there was no..."
He didn't finish his sentence.
Azriel's blood was boiling, his heart beating too fast.
"Why would she go?" He screamed at them, and pushed over his furniture in anger. Breathing loud he tried to keep himself together as much as possible.
"No one saw her." Rhys looked with agony at Azriel. "It could've been Death, easily. It's obvious."
"Because no one was near," said Azriel slow, "no one could stop him."
Azriel sank to the floor and breathed in deep, and out. His eyes looked around the room once more, and discovered that the one things he left here was gone.
Aurora took Truth Teller.