A Court of Horizon and Shadows

49.

AZRIEL

    Azriel and Cassian took their places beside their High Lord and High Lady, who stayed silent for a moment.

    The Captain of the Peregryns took advantage of the silence, "I don't have much time here, High Lord. If we are to explain ourselves, then we must do it now. I do not feel comfortable leaving my High Lord unattended." Zephyr says.

    Rhys motions his hand, "Then explain." He tells him.

    Azriel moves his eyes to his mate, who seems to be deep in thought. He could see her face fueled with anger. Through the bond, the rage that radiated down was immense.

    Something was wrong.

    Before Zephyr opens his mouth to speak, Auriella interrupts him. "After I was called back to the Dawn Court, my father told me and my brother some important..." she falters, "information that was vital to why Damian and I possess the abilities that we do now. Before he and I left the Dawn Court, we assumed that our father was keeping something from us, and as you can see, we were right."

    "Leaving the Day and Night Court wasn't an easy decision to make. We were both in the midst of training our abilities to wield them better, but after our father revealed the secret he had been keeping, we decided to take matters into our own hands. And I think you both know well of what I mean." She explained.

    Azriel was confused by her words. He looked over to Rhys and Feyre, who nodded.

    Rhys takes a deep breath, "You mean with how you and Damian have been protecting, not just the Night Court border, but every other border in Prythian over these past three months? How you have a squad of Peregryns following you day and night to help you eliminate these creatures? Yes, we know all about that." He reveals.

    Azriel feels his blood boil underneath his skin. He knew about none of this. The last time he had received a report was... three months ago.

    His heart sinks. Rhysand and Feyre had been keeping this from him.

    Auriella gives him a single nod, "Exactly." She says.

    Feyre looks at her, "Why? Why would you risk yourself to protect the courts? You know that we have soldiers of our own that could take out those creatures just as well as you can." She tells her.

    The Daughter of Dawn shakes her head, "I do this because I do not want you to waste your soldiers. Soon, you will need them. The Being is slowly coming out of hiding and she is creating these creatures in hoards. If your soldiers try to fight them off, you will lose many of them because of the dark magic that corrupts them. But for Damian and I, we are not affected by it." She says.

    Rhys sits up in his dais, "What do you mean you are not affected? That dark magic is what almost poisoned my Spymaster to death." He says.

    At that, Azriel can see his mate flinch for the briefest moment before it's gone. He remembered when she wasn't at his bedside that night, explaining that she wasn't able to bear to see him in a state of near-death.

    He understood.

    She had already seen enough death in her time Under the Mountain.

    Auriella nods, "I know. But you forget that Ismene was possessed with the same dark magic." She raises her right arm, where the faint line of a cut lays, "If it was supposed to affect me, it didn't. Damian and I fight off the creatures with ease, meaning that we have an advantage. But it isn't a lot." She tells them.

    Zephyr speaks, "There is a connection between Damian, Auriella, and The Being. But I believe that it is deeper than we imagined. After the Daughter and Son of Dawn explained their experiences in the courts, it is clear that more answers lie here than in the Day." He says.