"Do you think you can stop me shadow singer?" Xander asked in an eerie voice as his eyes glowed. Xander's body thrummed with power every single one present there felt it. "Az, don't" Rhys warned as he eyed Xander.
Azriel took a step forward and his...
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Azriel woke up to the blinding pain on his back. He groaned as he woke up on the floor of his bedroom. His eyes blinked at the darkness surrounding him. Xander. Xander. Azriel whirled his head to look at a twitching Xander laying in the bed. Darkness was pouring out of his body like water trickling out of a stream hole. Azriel unleashed his shadows. He tried to contain the darkness. He couldn't contain it. His shadows were writhing as Xander unleashed another wave of darkness. The tidal wave of darkness hit him like a brick in his face and flinged him back against the far wall. "NO" Xander screamed. Azriel knew that scream very well.
The same scream he let out when Elain was pushed into the cauldron. He tugged on the mating bond. Trying to wake him up. He couldn't. The door to his bedroom slammed open. Rhys and Cassian were there. Still in their sleeping attire. Cassian's siphons flared as he contained the darkness within the room. Azriel did the same. Rhys unleashed his own darkness against Xander. It looked like a battle. Same darkness but different masters. Xander's back arched as he let another ear splitting scream. Azriel felt it. The power Xander was unleashing. Xander tugged on the darkness Rhys released and absorbed it into his own body. Everything went still. Right before Xander released everything. "Xander. It's just a dream, Xander," Rhys shouted over the roaring of darkness.
Azriel tugged on the mating bond. Come on, minxie. Open your eyes. It's just a nightmare. Just a nightmare. Open your eyes. Please open your eyes. Azriel pleaded. Tears streamed down Xander's face like he could hear Azriel but couldn't do anything. Please. Please. Please. Please. Azriel has never begged someone in his entire life. But he would do anything for his mate. Anything. "Rhys," his voice broke. He looked at Rhysand. "Please," he pleaded. Rhysand looked at him. And then back to the bed were Xander laid continued to twitch. When Rhys released another wave of magic on Xander. Azriel roared in agony. He jumped forward to attack Rhys. He didn't know why. Rhys was just trying to help Xander. But Xander was hurting. Cassian tackled him to the ground. "Do it, Rhys," Cassian shouted over the roaring of darkness. Rhys looked at Azriel and back to Xander. "I am sorry," he whispered. Rhys's mental talons shredded as he dug into Xander's mental walls. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up. Xander woke up with a loud cry. Azriel threw Cassian off of him and he was at Xander's side in an instant. "It's just a nightmare," he repeated those words as he rubbed Xander's back. Xander's sob quietened down after what seemed like hours. When he finally looked up Azriel's tears were dried. "I am sorry," he whispered. His throat dry and voice hoarse. "You have nothing to be sorry about, my love," Azriel smoothed his hair and kissed his forehead. Xander snuggled deep into Azriel's chest and hid his face. Rhys and Cassian were gone. It was just them. Only them. "Do you want to talk about it?" Azriel asked him. Xander was silent for a long minute. His body was still trembling. "I was back. Inside the cauldron. It was.... it felt extremely real. The pain, the agony, the rage, everything. I felt everything. And then Elain, she screamed. I lost it," Xander's hand tightened around Azriel's chest. "I knew Azriel. I knew what was going outside. I heard you screaming for me to wake up. I heard you beg for me, but I couldn't. I couldn't. It was like my body was paralysed. I couldn't move. I couldn't do anything." His voice sounded so vulnerable. So soft. Azriel nearly lost his composure. His mate was suffering and he couldn't do anything to help him. Azriel stood up with Xander hanging onto his neck like a kola bear. Any other time this would have looked funny but not now. Cold air hit Xander's face as Azriel sat on the balcony balcony chair with Xander in his lap. "Drink some water love," Xander gladly accepted the cold water and drank the whole bottle. His breathing became easier as the cold water soothed his hoarse throat. "It will get better. With time it will get better," Azriel's smoothed the wild curls out of his face. Xander knew Azriel had nightmares too. But he didn't know what were those about. "What is yours, Az?" "For a long time it was me being back in the dark cell. I sometimes think that, this life, it was all I made up in my mind. My ten year old self, made this life so that he wouldn't feel so alone all the time. At times I would wait, wait for him to wake up and wail. Wail for the life he would never have, the family he would never have, the mate, the love he would never have." A single tear rolled down his stubble cheek and fell onto his naked chest. Xander's hands wiped his tears as Azriel looked at him. "And now, it was you. You not coming out of the cauldron and your scream. Every time I close my eyes the image of your blood soaked torso haunts my dreams and your ear splitting scream echoes in my ears. I don't know if I ever be able to get over that. I am afraid that it was all an illusion. That it will all go away some day. That I will lose you. I will not have your love." Both of their heart was beating like crazy. Xander settled comfortably on Azriel's lap. His hands cupped Azriel's cheeks and he leaned down and moved his lips against Azriel's. He rested his forehead against Azriel's. "Does that feel real?" Azriel nodded his head. "I am not going anywhere Azriel. Not any time soon. I will always love you. I am born for you shadow singer. I will always be with you, I will love with all I got. And we will have long life Azriel. Even this war can't rip up apart," "Mother, what did I ever do to deserve you?" "Don't. Don't go there Azriel. I already told you, you deserve it all and more. I would give it all to you Azriel. It started the moment I met you and will not end for a long time," Xander's fingers stroked Azriel's cheeks. "I love you shadow singer." "I love you, minxie."
Xander rested his head on Azriel's neck and settled in Azriel lap as sleep stroked his eyelids. Azriel played mindlessly with his mate's hair. His brain running a mile filled with the thoughts of everything. He watched as Xander's eyelids fluttered close and he fell into sleep.
Azriel prayed that he would get a dreamless sleep tonight. He prayed to the mother to spare Xander of this fate. He could take anything that's thrown in his direction. But he couldn't let Xander suffer. Soon exhaustion took over his body and Azriel fell asleep along with Xander.
What they both didn't know at that moment was that their life would never be peaceful. It was fated right at the moment Xander was born under the stars. And that fate was sealed at the exact moment he was thrown into the cauldron. The king of Hybren had some plans, but the mother willed some other plans. The king tried to break the family. But he underestimated them. Archeron's are not the sort of family that will break under pressure. What doesn't break them will only make them stronger. And when they emerge the universes will rattle and stars and shadows will cower.
A/N: Hi guys. Sorry for the late updates. Classes were crazy. Between attending lectures and assignments and five hours shift at the hospital, I have been running non-stop for the past few weeks. I couldn't find a moment to breath. I hope it gets easier in the future. And so the short chapter. Bye see you soon.
