The Shadow's Star

Chapter 16

I opened my eyes barely enough to make out my surroundings. I was in a room lying on some sort of hard surface with a female dressed in grey frowning down at me, her eyes filled with concern. I heard conversation around me but I couldn't make sense of the words or who was speaking them.

"She's losing too much blood"

"Don't touch her!"

"She will die if I don't"

"Is she your—"

"You need to be checked over"

"I'm fine"

"No..you're not"

"Is she going to be okay?"

"Let me do my job"

"Aurora"

I think Azra was there, I'm sure I heard him say my name. The excruciating pain radiating from my wings and chest indicated that I was still alive. Or maybe I was dead and this was some kind of hell. The intensity of the pain became too much to bear, my vision grew dark and my mind fell asleep.

When I opened my eyes a second time I was in a bedroom room, underneath a thick warm duvet. The warm light from the fireplace flickered, lighting up the dark hues of the walls and furniture around me. I turned my head on the silky pillow to see Azra sleeping in a chair beside the bed. The deep lines around his eyes made him look like he was dreaming of something unpleasant. His left elbow rested on the arm of the chair, holding his head and a few buttons at the top of his black shirt were undone. I wondered how long he had been sat there, why he was sat there. I remember falling from the sky unable to get my wings to function, of the pain I had felt when the arrows shot through my skin. The feeling of freedom slipping away as I plummeted towards death. I didn't know how I had survived the fall. I hesitated before moving out of fear of feeling that pain once more but when I sat up I felt nothing. I moved the duvet to one side to inspect my wounds but apart from a thin silver scar below my collar bone where I was struck by an arrow, there was none. My wounds were completely heeled. My wings felt a little tender but I could still move them which was a good sign. I used my magic to conceal them back into my back keeping them out of harm's way. Azra stirred in the chair beside me, his sleepy eyes flickered open and his spine straightened when he saw that I was awake and sitting up.

"How long was I out?" I slid out of the bed surprised that my legs could withstand my weight.

"You should rest" he leaned forward resting his elbows on his knees and ran his hands over his face. He looked like he was the one who needed rest.

"I'm fine" I shrugged. I didn't feel like I had been shot with three arrows at all.

"You were shot with three arrows, you're not fine." He exhaled deeply. Hearing his deep sleepy voice seemingly full of concern twisted something inside my chest. I opened my mouth to remind him that it was his guards who fired the arrows but when the door creaked open I snapped my mouth shut.

"Oh, you're awake" spike smiled as he slid into the room quietly as though I was still asleep and he was trying not to wake me.

"Are you okay?" He asked Azra.

"I'm fine." He replied a second two quickly. I looked between them confused. Why would he not be okay?

"I'm sorry, am I missing something? I believe I was the one-shot with three arrows not him" I gestured towards Azra who still sat in the chair.

"If it wasn't for him" Spike nodded to Azra "we would be scraping you off the floor outside" I frowned at his words. Azra saved me from the fall? How? I don't care. He is the reason I am here. He is the reason I was injured in the first place.