i n t h e s h a d o w s - a z r i e l (slow updates)

Chapter 6

They'd left the Day Court at 8 A.M. The little tour with Helion will be for another time. However, Eileánóir promised him she'll come to talk about books someday. 

When they arrived at the Night Court, they found Elain cooking and Nesta reading a book. Amren was nowhere to be seen. Eileánóir was setting the table when someone entered the house. The red hair and sharp face made her drop the plate she was holding. Flashes of the month in the Autumn Court were blurring her view. She took a knife in her hand when he stepped inside.  In a blink of an eye, everybody was in the room, Cassian protecting the mortal girls. Azriel, however, put himself between the Inner Circle and the ginger boy. "Calm down, he's with us." He tried not to look at Mor who he was sure will hate him for the rest of her life for bringing him here. Rhysand was shocked to see his spymaster protecting the Heir of the Autumn Court after what they did to Eileánóir. 

Eris was standing in front of the Inner Circle who obviously wanted to see him dead. His eyes immediately went to Mor who looked at him with rage and pain. This is not going to end well, he thought. Then he looked at the girl his father tortured for a month in his Court. He hadn't known until he saw The list. It had been organized like a calendar and there was a name for each day, sometimes more. He hadn't understood at first but then he'd heard the guards coming from the cell. It had been their names that day on the list. They were laughing and talking about what they'd just did to her. He had run to the cell and what he'd seen just disgusted him. The girl was lying on the floor, naked, in a bath of what looked like her own blood. She was unconscious so he decided to enter the cell and put some clothes on her. He quickly sent a message to Azriel with little hope of an answer but he couldn't free the girl himself. It could have screwed his plan to take the throne. So he had waited for Azriel's answer. They had been careful around each other but Azriel had saved the girl and Eris had helped him. He finally looked at the High Lord of the Night Court. "I'm here in peace Rhysand. Please just listen to me," he told Rhys as they all lowered their weapons. He looked at Azriel who nodded and sat on the couch, showing the others that there was no danger. Eris did the same then Elain and Nesta as well. Feyre and Cassian stayed beside Eileánóir who was still trembling. Of course, seeing him would wake up the memories. He looked at the mortal girl, "I killed them, all of them."

Everybody frowned except Eileánóir and Azriel. They all looked at him. "Who?" He was going to answer until he heard her broken voice. "How? How did you know who to kill?" The Inner Circle was blinking at both of them. They had a small idea of what they were talking about but they said nothing. "There was a list," He sighed. "They were paying a lot to be on that calendar, I killed the eleven bastards." He saw everyone eyes wide-eyed. That was a lot. 

"Twelve," she told him. He frowned. He was sure there were eleven names on that list but she couldn't be wrong, not on that. So he looked at her. "I need to know the last one." 

She closed her eyes then sighed and took the sketchbook that was on the table in front of her. Feyre looked at her with sadness in her eyes. "I can do it if you want I can-" she began but Eileánóir cut her off. "I don't want you in my head, I'll do it." She took a pencil then try to focus on the last face she'd seen in that cell before Azriel'd saved her. She was shaking as she began to draw. They were all looking at her but she didn't care, she didn't see them. She was lost in the images that she had tried to erase from her memory but it was still fresh. Tears were running down her cheeks when she finished her drawing. She handed it to Eris before wiping off her tears. She didn't see Azriel until he took her in his arms, brushing her back. They heard Eris swearing before he went outside and just vanished. 

They were all staring at the place where he had been seconds ago except for Azriel who was trying to calm Eileánóir. He looked at Feyre who nodded then he winnowed to the cottage with the red-headed girl. He laid down in the sunflower field with her in his arms. They stayed like that until it was dusk. He looked down at Eileánóir who had fallen asleep a while ago. They had to go to the cottage because it was getting cold but he couldn't bring himself to wake her up so he wrapped her in his wings so she wouldn't be cold.