The Whispers of Shadows - Azriel

33

Absolute darkness. Everywhere Aurora looked, darkness surrounded her. She screamed and it echoed around her like the whispers of the shadows she grew to know. A hand grazed her shoulder and she swung out, making contact with something hard.

"Nice try." Terror wretched in her stomach. Tamlin's voice whispered around her. A clawed hand gripped her wrist and the claws dug into her. Aurora ripped out another scream but then the claws found her throat.

"Don't scream, you like this." It was a different voice, one of the soldiers from years past. Gurgling filled the voice that she tried so hard to let out. Horrid pain rippled through her as the claws turned to teeth.

"You fucking deserve it." Aldric. It was Aldric's voice now. Her half-brother that tortured her in her youngest years. A blade grazed her bare stomach.

"You were sold to me, you will give me children. Shut the fuck up." Her past husband, Cormac's voice filled her head as something painful ripped through her core. Aurora tried to scream again, every nightmare of her past was haunting her.

Her arms flailed and suddenly it felt as if she was being lifted from water. Her screams were clear now and she blinked rapidly as her breath entered her chest again. Flames surrounded her in the bedroom, her bed entirely swallowed by fire.

"No, no, no," Aurora panted, scrambling from her bed and willing the fire to diminish. It did slowly, and what was left was her sheets nothing but ash, and the bed collapsed. Sweat drenched her nightgown as she fell against the wall clutching her chest.

"Aurora?" Someone shouted as fists pounded on the door. It was Nesta who burst in, a dagger in hand, looking awfully strange with the white nightgown that covered her body. Cassian came in behind her, his sword raised.

"I'm fine, it was a nightmare," Aurora breathed out, pushing herself from the floor. The two lowered their weapons and glanced around the room.

"Did you do that?" Cassian asked, walking toward the bed. Aurora nodded, her hands frantically trying to smooth her hair, her nightgown, anything to place herself back in reality. His fingers ran along the blackened ash along her bed.

"You can sleep in one of the other guest rooms until we fix this one," Nesta crooned, her hand moving to Aurora's head to tug her to her chest. Aurora felt like a scared child as she wrapped her arms around the taller female's waist.

"Okay, thank you," Aurora murmured. Nesta pressed a kiss to her hair before releasing her. Aurora stepped back and cleared her throat. "I'm sorry if I woke you."

Cassian shook his head as he began walking towards the door, his hand gripping Nesta's waist. "Our room is above yours. We heard you screaming and came down as fast as we could," he explained. Aurora nodded and watched as the couple left her room, weapons in hand. What a terrifying pair, even in their pajamas.

She heard voices in the corridor and guessed that someone else had heard the commotion. Aurora sighed and went to her wardrobe to find a change of clothes. Rhysand and Mor walked in next.

"Heard you had a nightmare," Mor cooed as she held her arms out. Aurora rolled her eyes as she let herself be taken into her arms. She was not a child.

"I can get this fixed by tomorrow night. Feel free to sleep in another room until then," Rhys spoke. Aurora nodded as she pulled herself away from Mor.

"I think I'm going to go down to the training ring, I can't sleep again after that," she murmured, tugging a pair of leggings and one of Nesta's old sleeveless training tops. Mor gave her a pitying look and Aurora did her best not to cringe.

"I understand. Let me know if you need anything," Mor spoke before leaving the room. Rhysand stayed in his spot, and Aurora felt strange in the room with a High Lord that was shirtless and in sleeping pants.