Azriel | Lux Ex Tenebris ✓

Chapter 35: Koschei

✧Misma POV✧

Considering how the whole making-up had gone, I definitely considered making my mate jealous more often from then on. What could I say, I was still breath- and speechless in the next morning when we emerged from our room. I internally hoped we hadn't been too loud although I would not mind if Elain had heard us. I did not want to hate her — I was just....territorial. Azriel was mine and only mine. 

Our fingers entangled, my mate and I appeared in the dining room for breakfast for shortly after the sun had started to rise. The mood was light and peaceful. Until it was no longer. 

The happy feelings immediately vanished when my eyes landed on Elain. She was seated on a chair, shoulders shaking, her face buried in her hands, the others crowded around her and hovering over her. She practically radiated agony and angst. 

A sharp pain shot through my chest, icy cold panic running down my spine.

Elain was a picture of misery.

"What is going on?" Azriel quickly asked while we hastily made our way over to crowded people.

"Elain had a vision. Something really bad," Nesta explained and placed her hand on Elain's shoulder. A vision?

"A vision?" I asked, quite dumbfounded, and the others nodded at me like it was the most natural thing. "She is a Seer," Azriel explained, having noticed my irritation. I slowly dipped my chin, still slightly confused. A Seer. Why hadn't they told me?

"Oh," I breathed. The shadowsinger walked closer to the Archeron sister, examining her with wary eyes. "What did you see, Elain? Can you tell me?"

"Koschei," she whispered, her voice shaky, trembling. All of the others wore terrified and anxious expression, their gazes jumping from Elain to me and back to Elain.

I had heard of him, I knew his name. He was one of the old gods. A death god.

"The old god?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. It was Helion who bowed his head at me. 

Why the hell did she have a vision of him?  I had heard them talking about that old god from time to time over the past weeks, but I thought he was bound to a river on the continent.

"What exactly did you see?" I asked, so calm and careful that even I was surprised about myself. I had gotten the jealousy partly under control, but in her quite miserable state I could not let my territorial side show. It really wasn't the place for it. 

Elain slowly lifted her gaze and looked at me.

"I saw you too," she whispered. My eyes got wide, my heart beat increasing. Unease settled into my gut while refusal about what I had heard filled my brain. That couldn't be true.

"What?" I gasped, then also walking closer to Elain. "What did you see? Why me? What did I do?" I nervously asked, crouching down in front of her and looking at her with big eyes.

"I don't know. I only saw him. He was standing on a cliff, he was free and then there were you–"

I huffed, still looking at her with big eyes. By then my heart was thrumming against my chest, my stomach dipping.

"And I did what? Was I with him? Or did you see me somewhere else?...Please tell me what you saw," I nearly shouted, fear and angst rushing through my body. My hands got sweaty and Cassian put a hand on my shoulder, squeezing it tightly. Azriel did too, on the other side.

"She saw you talking with him! And you were wearing a mask." Now my eyes where nearly falling out and I startled, nearly fainting. Why would I talk to him? And how would I even be able to talk to him? And why would I wear a mask? What mask even?