Chapter Text
„NO!“, Gwyn yelled and her steps thumped in the mud as she ran over to Emerie. Cold wind blew into her face, the spots where blood and mud covered her face stung in the cold.
„I’m okay!“, the illyrian woman yelled back, spun around and slashed through a soldier from the autumn court. Gwyn did not expect her to make that turn, but she did and out of pure relief she froze in the moment, totally in awe of her sister moving graciously with, fiercely and effectively, beating another solider.
„GWYN!“, she turned around at his voice and saw the sword coming closer just a second too late. With a low „thump“ the hilt of a sword hit her head and everything went dark.
She fluttered her eyes open as blinding blue light flashed through her eyelids. A deep buzzing sound filled the air. Blood was dripping down her face, warm, iron taste filling her mouth.
„Az“, she whispered, looking at the winged male that dashed in front of her. The wings fluttered in the wind as he grabber her and rushed into the sky.
„EMERIE!“, she yelled, trying to free herself from Azriel.
„We cannot leave her alone!“, Gwyn cried.
„GO DOWN“, Azriel flinched at her scream.
They hovered closely over the battlefield. She kicked her feet, clawed on Azriel’s chest.
„Let me go!“, Gwyns voice broke and Az’s shadows smothered her as they dipped back to the ground. They landed not far away and Gwyn shook him off, rushing for her sister.
Her sister was fighting three soldiers at once, a big cut gushing out blood on her arm. The moment a soldier raised his sword just behind her, his arm fell off, right before his head followed. Cassian showed up behind Emerie and the soldier. Blood on his face, his siphons gleaming.
„Gwyn focus!“, Azriel yelled behind her as blue siphons flared. She was unfocused, he was right. She was looking at every one else instead of her direct surroundings. Gwyn’s swords buzzed as she fought with a solider and sent him to the ground. A big bang was audible and a shatter of darkness sent all of them to their knees. Rhysand. Cassian, Azriel, Emerie and Gwyn used the moment to clear the field further. A sudden sharp pain knocked the air out of Gwynn. She checked her body, but she couldn’t find the source. Gonna be a problem for later. Gwyn took a few hits while keeping Emeries back clear. Her entire body was shaking. She was so tired. Cassian grabbed Gwyn, pushed her out of the way of a sword and they stumbled into the mud. Her heart kept racing and a weird cold shower rushed over her. Like she should be careful. Like something wasn’t right.
„You okay?“, asked Cass breathless, while pushing back to his feet, pulling her with him. Gwyn nodded. Emerie killed another soldier and slowly quiet fell over all of them. She shivered. Darkness shuddered a couple of meters away. A bit of fire burned in a pile of soldiers. In the corner of her eye she saw blue light gleaming, but it soon died. Cassians siphons sparkled but calmed down as well. Everyone stopped, looking around. They had won. Everything was alright. Emerie brushed mud and blood from her face and a smile showed up on her face, together with tears. Gwyn rushed over to her and hugged her.
„We did it“, she mumbled and Gwyn nodded. A deep tug in her stomach made her flinch. She probably took a hit. Gwyn almost fell over at the sting following in her chest. She got dizzy.
„Valkyries“, a deep voice said behind them. Cassian smiled at the sisters and nodded an appreciative nod. Shadows crawled over Cassian’s shoulders and Gwyn looked over to Rhysand, but he was kneeling in the mud, a hundred meters away. Feyre was on her knees as well, but everything seemed to be okay. Nesta came running towards them, smiling. The shadows curled around Gwyn’s body, tugging, nuzzling at her neck gently, pulling her carefully. Cassian took Nesta into her arms and Emerie hugged her other sister as well. Gwny’s smile died. She shadows pooled over her chest, seemed to snuggle into her, as deep as possible. As they were holding on to her. Slowly she turned around. He was right there, a few heartbeats ago. Told her to focus. But no blue siphons where behind her. No wings in sight.
„Azriel“, Gwyn whispered. She shadows suddenly started swirling, pulling and tugging on her again. But they felt powerless.
„Show me“, her voice was shaky and tears collected in her eyes. The deep, unsure feeling in her stomach tightened and the ache kept pounding in her chest. The shadows slipped to the ground, moving quickly all of the sudden. Gwyn started running as fast as she could. Her steps thundered over the mud, her breath shallow and fast, the tears burning in the corners of her eyes. A shadow found her hand, tugging on it, forcing her to run faster. She arrived at a bloodbath. At least thirty, maybe even more soldiers lay in front of her. Roughly ten hounds laid besides them. Shredded into ribbons. The corpses were placed in a circle, like they exploded to the side with the same amount of force, every single one of them. In the middle of the pit, like it crashed into the earth, was a pile of shadows. Swirling over the crater. Dark pieces of what looked like leather speckled the earth around the crater, Gwyn saw as she darted towards the shadows. Her heart stopped beating. As she stepped onto one piece of leather. Not leather. Skin. Wing. A gag rose in her as she fell to her knees, reaching for the shadows. No. No. No. No.
The shadows sunk into the floor, some pooled around Gwyn, revealing what they had hidden from her sight.
„Azriel“, Gwyn whispered, shaking, reaching for him. Azriel was covered in mud, blood and grime, his eyes closed, face relaxed and calm.
„Az!“, Gwyn said louder, touching his face. His skin was cold. His body was half sunken into the ground. Like he crashed into the ground. Blood dripped out of a wound under his ear, his leathers where wet, deep dark stains everywhere. A small puddle of blood had collected on in the mud around him.
„No, no, no, no“, she whimpered, touching his chest, his neck, feeling for a pulse. It was weak. His chest rising every so slowly.
„Az please, wake up“, she mumbled, her voice trembling and she wiped away mud and grime from his body, his face, his arms and she stopped. Her blood froze and anxiously she brushed a more mud away, unveiling his wings – what was left of them. Gwyn gagged again. His wings were shredded, entire pieces torn out of them. Skin, straight ripped off.
„Az, wake up“, she repeated, shaking him, trying to move him.
„Azriel please. Everything is gonna be okay. But wake up, wake up please“, her tears dripped onto the unconscious. A bit of blood dripped too, as her head was still bleeding. Suddenly all the pain from the fight flared up. Everything hurt. She was so tired. But she needed to help Azriel.
„We can fix these“, she mumbled, reaching for his wings. They didn’t even twitch, when she gently touched them.
„Wake up, wake up, please“, the tears streamed down her face. Azriel didn’t move. Gwyn started screaming. Azriel’s name, Cassian’s and Rhysand’s to make them come over.
„RHYSAND!“, her voice became louder as panic rushed through her. He could do something for him, right? Rhys could do something. He always knew what do do.
She grabbed his hands, looking for his siphons but they were dead. No light was left in them. Gwyn sobbed, looking for more injuries while calling his name. Over and over again. Touching his face, his chest. Looking for a sign of life. Shaking hands opened his leathers and unveiled bruise after bruise. Cuts and scratches. She even saw a bite wound. Her fingers went over his partially bare chest, feeling his heart beating. As long as she still could.
„RHYS“, she turned frantic, hysteric. Azriel wouldn’t wake up. Her mind got darker and darker. Dizziness scratched at the corners of her consciousness
„RHYSAND“, she cried, looking around, her sight blurred by tears as she saw people moving closer.
A shudder was audible as darkness wrapped around her and Rhys fell to his knees right next to her.
„What happened?“, the high lord asked, immediately reaching for Azriel. Gwyn hyperventilated, sobbing, coughing and shaking.
„GWYN WHAT HAPPENED?“, he yelled while his own shadows moved over Azriel.
„I don’t know“, she cried. „I DON’T KNOW“, her chest hurt, everything hurt. „Az“, she whispered.
„WHAT HAPPENED“, another deep voice thundered behind them as Cassian arrived at the crater. More steps were audible but Gwyn kept looking at Azriel. Rhysand and Cassian started talking, a female voice joined as well. Gwyn’s ears were ringing and everything went numb. She felt arms on her shoulders, but she fought them, clawed at them. They dropped her. Another pair of arms came around her middle, trying to pull her away but she dug her hands into Azriel’s leathers. The sobs shook her entire body.
„Don’t go“, her voice was raw from screaming and crying. „Don’t leave me, please“. Gwyn collapsed. She dropped into the mud next to Azriel. Her body giving up under her. Her head pressing against Azriel’s arm, her hand still holding his. The sobs died. The exhaustion overwhelmed her. Deep sorrow and fear buried her, dragging her deeper into the darkness. Her heart hurt and this deep feeling in her stomach started glimmering. Suddenly shadows rose from the ground. She didn’t hear anything what the people around her were saying, ignored the arms reaching for her, but she felt the shadows. They swirled around her, hugging her, curling around her. They nuzzled close her chest, her neck, gently whispering to her. A deep, guttural feeling spread in her stomach. A feeling of comfort, of safety. The shadows gently brushed over her cheek, caressing her skin. Like they wanted to tell her that everything would be okay. Rhysand said something to her, touched her cheek as well. The shadows brushed over his hands and held onto him as well. Darkness wrapped around her. Rhysands arm around her middle. Azriel stayed next to her. The shadows as well. They hugged her, shielded her, took care of her. And they kept on whispering. And before Rhysand’s darkness swallowed her whole, shutting off all the light around her and pulling her into oblivion, she finally understood the word they kept on whispering. Mate.