Azriel | Lux Ex Tenebris ✓

Chapter 59: High Lord Eris Vanserra

✧Misma POV✧

Closure.

All I wanted was closure and sometimes to find that and to overcome your fears you had to go back to the lion's cage. Or in my case the...Forest House.

Of course I hadn't thought about the incident from the Autumn Court that much in the past weeks. Not even half of the memories had come back and I could stand being in a room with males again. But nevertheless, angst and anguish still simmered in my gut every time I only as much as thought about Fillias Vanserra.

Some might believe me silly. Some might find it utterly disturbing and twisted that I would go back there where all those things had been done to me. But it was what I needed. I needed the closure and I needed to cut a line under it. It hadn't affected my life that much in the past few weeks or days, but what had happened that night in the Autumn Court was still always there—the back of my mind, it never really left me.

The new High Lord had invited us. All of us. Feyre told me that it would be fine if I stayed back in Velaris, but that was not what I wanted. I wanted to come along and face these fears. I wanted to face the demon that nearly robbed me of my will to live. I wanted to face him and show him that I survived and that I am happy and strong. That he could not destroy me.

And I also wanted to come along for another person.

"No, I want to come along. I have this feeling that it is the right thing to do. And I also want to do this for Leta."

"Who is Leta?" Nesta quickly asked, turning towards me. Also Cassian and Azriel lifted their brows, examining me.

"The Lady of the Autumn Court. It is her name. In my really short time there I was told that this was her name," I explained. Cassian wore an undefinable impression his face, examining my face with something like pain shimmering his eyes.

In the next moment Rhysand announced that we should leave and extending his hand to all of us. Azriel snuck his arms around me, pulling me towards his chest and nearly making us melt into one person. "If he does anything. If he only as much as looks at you, I will rip his heart out with my bare hands and stuff it down his throat so he chokes on it, I hope you know that." Azriel whispered into my ear, his arm around my waist. I dipped my chin, when gooseflesh erupted on my skin. I knew he was not joking—knew this was a promise. 

Before we left Rhys had informed us that everything we had found out would stay under absolute secrecy, which was anyways obvious. He said that he and Feyre were thinking about sharing some things with the other High Lords, but not yet.

Dark mist wrapped around us like a thin coat of black satin, veiling us in silent and endless darkness. I became weightless, closing my eyes and inhaling my mate's scent. It grounded me and assured me that I wasn't alone. I clung to this knowledge and comfort I found in my mate until my feet were softly placed on the ground, the grass and pebbles crunching under my shoes.

Reluctantly I forced my eyes open, the sunlight stinging in them. My pupils trailed over the building in front of me, a soft palm touching my lower back.

Azriel said nothing—let me arrive and take my time to adjust to the court. A shiver danced down my spine when I glimpsed around. Endless Autumn. Endless Autumn which from now on had a new ruler. A new High Lord.

Eris Vanserra.

Looking around, I examined every detail of the place I once had nearly called home.

There was the tree with the poisonous leaves. And there was the door through which I had slipped when I had escaped. The door which we were nearing now with slow but steady steps.