𝒲𝒶𝓇 𝑜𝒻 𝐻𝑒𝒶𝓇𝓉𝓈 || Azriel (ACOTAR)

𝘈 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳

Cassian

"Aim higher, Aurora. You want to break their bones, not yours."

Aurora has fire. You see it in her eyes and the way she throws punch after punch even though her body is threatening to give up after hours of endless training per her request.

But it's not the same fire she had before Under the Mountain. This one is angrier and more ruthless.

This one is full of vengeance.

"Slow down, Aura. You're gonna give out." I warned but she refused to listen. "It's gonna take time for your body to get used to the pace. Build up to it."

"Shut up Cassian, before I break your nose." She spat and punched the sparring pads even harder.

"You're gonna break a finger before you even make a dent in the pads."

"Then I'll keep going until I break all ten and the pads."

"Aura..." I sighed, trying to lower the pads but held them up when she almost punched my face. "Okay, that's enough of this."

I swiftly dodged the next punch and swept my leg on the back of her knees inevitably knocking her down. Before she could stand, I pinned her arms and my knees held down her wings where I knew wouldn't hurt her.

"Let me go, Cassian!" She screamed, but I gripped her wrists tighter.

"Are you going to act like a child or do we have to run this again?" I asked. Aurora managed to buck up her hips to create enough distance to pull up her leg and kick me back. "Nice move, Princess."

"Fuck you."

"You're a mated female, Aura. What would Azzie say? I mean... I'm down for whatever-" I was cut off by a swift punch to the jaw and grinned. "Nice to see your fire's back, little one."

"What the hell are you two doing?" Azriel called out, but I didn't tear my gaze from Aurora and neither did she.

"She's letting out her anger and I'm a sparring glove." I said before Aurora punched me again. "That all you got, Aura? You're growing weak."

"No, I'm not!" She yelled and kicked my side but I barely winced. "Fight me, dammit! Fight me!"

"Brother, I don't think this is-"

"You and Rhys coddle her too much since she's been back. She's forgotten who she is."

"She's my mate and I swore to protect her way before that." Azriel defended and I rolled my eyes, reaching out to touch Aurora's wings but she hit my chest before I took another step.

"Protecting doesn't mean coddling, brother." I retorted and smirked when Aurora stopped to catch her breath. "You've grown weak, little one. You're not even using the only advantage you have over me... you're not even using your powers."

"Cassian-"

"You seem to have forgotten who you are." I continued and took a step forward. "Let me remind you."

Amarantha truly broke her.

Day by day we all were forced to sit and watch the sweetheart of our Inner Circle become a ghost. Aurora no longer goes to Rita's with Mor or joins picks fights with Rhys to annoy him. Instead, she spends the majority of the day baking or hiding in her room.