Song of Shadows

Chapter One

Azriel

The wind blows locks of long, chestnut brown hair into my face. It blows the scent of flowers and growing things towards me. The female I cradle in my arms feels light, too light, and hollow. Her brown eyes are blank and sorrowful, reminding me of my youth.

We land outside of the townhouse, and s tendril of my shadow opens the door for us. I carry Elain into the foyer and set her gently down. She looks up at me, but the empty look in her eyes punches me in the gut. Rhysand and Nesta enter a moment later as Feyre comes in from the other room.

Elain sinks into a chair in the foyer, staring straight ahead at the wall. One of my shadows whispers the Autumn Court male approaches. That and a pang of sadness for this heartbroken female encourages me to approach her. "We have a lovely garden here," I find myself saying. Her brown eyes find my face. "Would you like me to show it to you?"

I extend my arm out to her. She glances from my face and to my arm. Her brown eyes light up ever so slightly as she nods. I give her a soft smile, and she takes my arm. I lead her out the back door and into the summer sunlight.

As we walk, Elain's fingers gently stroke the Siphon in my gauntlet. "It's so beautiful," she murmurs. Her voice is husky and quiet from disuse. She offers me a tentative smile, but it doesn't reach her eyes.

Lucien has arrived. I hear his voice among those drifting out the open back door. He growls before my High Lady's voice soothes his anger. Quiet wrath leaks into my veins. Let him come and try to claim her against her will. I would rip him limb from limb.

The path directs us towards the fountain bubbling and splashing merrily in the center of the garden. I direct her towards the beds of flowers tangled with a wide variety of different colors and shapes.

"I know next to nothing about the flowers here, but you are welcome to come here anytime you like," I babble out.

She releases my arm and strokes a bright red rose with her long, delicate fingers. I hear her swallow. "These are lovely," she whispers. "Very lovely..."

I watch as she fingers several flowers in the bed before sadness overtakes her expression and her hand drops to her side. Her fingers fiddle with the dark band of iron around her third finger. "I don't know if I have it in me to tend these flowers. They are so lovely while I am so dark and broken."

I huff out a silent sigh. I have no words to reassure her, nothing wise or kind to say to make those feelings vanish as we wander back to the fountain. She sinks onto the wide lip, her eyes staring at her folded hands.

I take a seat beside Elain and offer her the only thing I can. I retract the armor around my hands, and I take one of hers into my own. She looks up at me in surprise as she feels the roughness of the scars marking my bare skin.

"You are not alone, Elain. I know what it is to feel broken and trapped in the darkness." Her eyes widen as the shadows dance around us, but I do not sense fear. Some of the tendrils approach her, sniffing at her as a dog would. "You are not alone," I repeat.

"What happened to your hands?" she asks in a choked whisper.

"My half-brothers thought it would be amusing to test the speed and capabilities of Illyrian healing with fire," I answer, keeping my voice neutral. Flashes of their leering faces, the sharp smell of oil, and the burning come unbidden to my mind. I push the memories down into the dark corners of my mind where they are consumed by shadows.

Silver lines Elain's eyes. She hurriedly wipes the tears away and looks down at our clasped hands. "You were trapped in the darkness, but you escaped."