Shadows like mine

3

Cassian kept mumbling to Azriel when Rhys used his magic to bring them back to the city. Because Aurora didn't want to be touched —for some reason none of them understood —, this was the only option.
    Feyre stayed close to Aurora's side. Well, as close as possible. Aurora kept moving away from Feyre, like she couldn't stand the closeness of her body.
    Looking at the frown on Rhys' face, she blocked her thoughts. He didn't know what was going on in her mind anymore.
    As soon as they got into the house, Aurora breathed out loudly, as if she kept her breath all the time.
    "Welcome," said Rhys and he waved around with his hand. "This will be your home. We're in the center of Velaris. You can go anywhere you want."
    "But not unescorted," added Cassian and Azriel silently agreed with him.
    "In the center?" Her voice was nearly a whisper and her shadows grew closer to her body, like she wanted to hide. Like she accepted them to get close now.
    "That's right."
    Aurora looked up when there was some stumbling from the garden.
    How could they forget?
    Elain.
    "I thought I heard voices..." Her own was cut off when she walked in and saw Aurora. Dead in her tracks she stopped and with a glassy look she watched Aurora up and down.
   Azriel didn't need his shadows to tell him that Elain already wasn't very fond of their surprising visitor.
    Probably the rags, Aurora was nearly naked in their living room. It was known that Elain was very prude.
    "I'm sorry," Elain started. "Who is this?" And with a snap, her whole posture changed. A second ago it looked like she wanted Aurora out, but now it was as if she was a concerned hostess.
    "Aurora," introduced Feyre her sister. "She will be staying with us."
    Elain folded her arms. "May I ask why?"
    "We will explain later."
    Carefully Azriel tried to slither towards Aurora with his shadows. What if one of his touched hers? Would he get in contact with her? Feel something?
    The curiosity grew with the minute. He wanted to know more about those shadows around her—how, why, everything.
    But the second he was close enough, Aurora pulled them back and Feyre told her that she would show her to her room.
    With enough distance, Aurora followed Azriel's High Lady.
    "This is very strange," started Cassian the second they were around the corner. "Take her in? Why the hell would you do that?!"
    Pacing around, Cassian pointed at Rhys. "This is a bad idea. This is the twentieth one bad idea in the last two weeks and this is biggest one."
    Rhys didn't seem to care much about Cassians frustrations. "Why make such a fuss about it, Cass?"
    "Because we don't know who she is. Or what she is. Or where she comes from. Maybe she'll kill us all."
    Azriel and Rhys both raised their eyebrows.
    "Okay, maybe a little intense," admitted Cassian. "But why do you think we need to do this? I don't want problems."
    "Cassian," started Rhys. "Maybe she'll cause problems if we don't help her."
    "What did you see?" then asked Azriel. Both of them looked at him. "When you looked in her mind. What did you see?"
    Rhys seemed to remember that he did that and Cassian stopped pacing around the room.
    "It was very brief," he said with a frown. "Something pushed me out. It wasn't her."
    Azriel frowned as well. "What was it?" But Rhys already shook his head.
    "I don't know."
    All three of them were silent for a moment. Something pushed him out? As far as Azriel knew, no one was a better at mind reading than Rhys. He was careful and quick. He could slip inside without you knowing.
    "But what did you see?"
    They forgot that Elain was still there. Rhys cleared his throat.
    "Elain, would you like to go check on the ladies?"
    Lingering, Elain went upstairs after looking at Azriel for a moment. As soon as they were sure she wasn't near anymore, Rhys told them:
    "It was dark," he started. "And she was very afraid. I don't know what of. I don't really know what I was looking at. But the feeling..."
    Rhys shuddered.
    "What?" asked Cass.
    "It was like... like something was watching me. Something so dangerous, that I wanted to hide. It was very angry, possessive."
    He shook his head. "Then it pushed me out. She shielded her mind after. I don't know what it was, but seeing her so afraid... I knew we had to help her."
    "And you want to know what it is," said Azriel.
    As did he. The curiosity was still there. His shadows were almost aching to know more about her own. The questions burned on his tongue.
    "Yes," said Rhys. "Because it felt like it wanted me dead. And I've never seen something like that before."
    "So we basically took in some kind of demon?" asked Cassian. Azriel shook his head and wanted to ask the Gods why Cassian wasn't more compassionate.
    Of course he was, and he didn't blame his brother for having his doubts about this impulsive action of theirs. But right now, Azriel wanted to snarl at Cassian.
    Didn't they see what it meant to Azriel? Who cared that there was something else going on?
    She had shadows like his. This was a person that actually looked like him. He could understand why she had those shadows. Maybe they were a different kind.
    Many things in his head started to get shape, but Rhys started talking again—pulling him out of his thoughts.
    "She is not a demon," he said. "She reminded me... of Feyre. When she didn't have control and was scared. Aurora is like her. And I can't leave her like that. We need to help her like we helped Feyre."
    "That was different!"
    "Was it?" asked Azriel and he was surprised how angry he sounded. Even Rhys looked surprised at his tone. "We didn't know Feyre as well. And we helped her anyways. We knew that she could be dangerous as well, and we didn't care. Because she needed help. Aurora is like her."
    "In a completely different situation." Cassian shook his head. "We know nothing about this girl."
    "That won't be a problem," said Azriel. "Because we will get to know her. And we will help her heal. We did the same for many others."
    Now Cassian could do nothing but agree. Azriel looked at the stairs.
    Cassian was right in some ways. They didn't know her. This was a very strange situation. What happened to Rhys, was something they had never heard of before.
    Maybe it was reckless. Stupid, even. But he had seen the fear on her face. How she lied in those black pebbles.
    Her shadows.
    Could he have left her like that? Despite everything?
    Azriel knew the answer very quickly.
    No. He would've taken her anyways. She looked like him. He couldn't leave someone like him.