Shadows like mine

35

Aurora was gone once again.
    She took Truth Teller.
    The one and only day that Azriel felt safe and happy enough, brave enough, he left it. And she took it with her.
    He didn't want to think about all the things she would do with it. Why she would take it.
    He tugged and tugged the bond. Never someone tugged in the other side. Never someone whispered in his mind and caressed it with a hand.
    "She took it," he said with a hoarse voice and got up slowly.
    "What?" asked Rhys confused and looked in his mind quick. His face became calm in a threatening way. "Oh."
    "Truth Teller," gritted Azriel and his turned his hands into fists.
    Cassian rubbed his face with a hand and walked around the room, not able to stand still.
    "Would she still be in the Night Court?"
    Azriel just looked at the place Truth Teller had been before Aurora took it. His mate was gone. She winnowed away. Death winnowed her away.
    A hundred times he thought about the fact that Death didn't share.
    And he made it clear now.
    Now Azriel was vulnerable. When they thought they were safe, even though every day could be their last.
    This was their last.
    "She's alive, but for how long?" Cassian kept asking questions, which no one answered.  
    "What if she's in the Middle again?" asked Rhys. "Maybe Death wants it to be like before. Before she met us, before Azriel."
    "Maybe," muttered Azriel and walked out of the room. He couldn't bear to be there. The last place he saw her. The last place he held her before he left to do his work.
    Nesta didn't move when they got back and Feyre was busy talking to Amren.
    "This girl causes more trouble than I can solve," said Amren and she showed her teeth of frustration.
    "It's not her fault," snapped Nesta and Azriel saw tears in her eyes. "She's my friend, don't talk about her like that."
    "How far can she winnow anyways?" asked Feyre. "The last time she winnowed away she was still in the Night Court."
    "Let's take that as the only option," said Rhys and massaged his temples before turning to Azriel and Cassian. "Keep it together Az. You have the best chance of finding her."
    "I don't know how," he said with a trembling voice and touched the mating bond again. Nothing.
    "You do know how." Rhys grabbed his shoulder. "You found her before."
    "She was barely alive!"
    Rhys hid his pity, his sadness.
    "Try it again. You will find her. Cassian and I will fly as well in different directions."
    Azriel just nodded. There was nothing else they could do. Azriel was their biggest chance on finding Aurora.

The night was incredibly dark, more than usual. Azriel could barely see if he had human eyes, but thanks to the magic in his veins he was able to see more.
    His shadows whispered in his ears about all the things that were around them. It wasn't that useful. He whispered back and touched the mating bond almost every second.
    He tried to find Aurora like this. Rhys told him he had to.
    It wasn't as easy he thought.
    Hours and hours passed. His crippling fear only worsened with the minute and the mask he wore was almost broken.
    The moon started to set, the stars were about to flicker off.
    His shadows found something interesting. It was to his left, more to the west. Azriel followed his senses, finding what his shadows found. Something his shadows loved.
    It were Aurora's shadows. Azriel landed, the pebbles of the black beach flew high in the air.
    The beach he had found her. Where he saw her for the first time.
    His heart was beating fast, his blood was too hot. His fear was too big to contain as he saw Truth Teller in his delicate fingers.
    "You shouldn't have come," she said.