AZRIEL

It had been one month without her.

The Spymaster of the Night Court is outside of his home, taking his anger and frustration out on a punching bag that Cassian had gifted him a week ago.

It was a great substitute for the trees, seeing as he couldn't knock it down easily as he did with the trees. After hearing that the Daughter of Dawn was not coming back to the Night Court, he destroyed eight of them that day, to the point where his scarred hands were bleeding.

Azriel didn't know how he could handle it, this searing pain in his chest that begged him to reunite with his mate. His mind was in shambles, unable to comprehend why Auriella would leave them so suddenly.

He remembered the bright smile on her face, the happiness that radiated through the bond, and how content she seemed being with him. Her last kiss with him had been filled with something that was familiar to him; something that he longed for.

Azriel looks to the side, seeing Perseus laying on the grass, basking in the sun. The wolf was never called back to be with Auriella, leaving him with the Spymaster. Azriel didn't mind it, instead, he was grateful to have the four-legged companion by his side.

Perseus had helped him through this month, comforting him when he needed it the most. The mating bond was deteriorating him, even though Auriella hadn't accepted it.

He craved to know where she was, who she was with, if something happened to her, if her father was keeping her in the Dawn Court, or if she made the choice herself. His mind couldn't help but think of the worst, but through the bond, he could still feel her.

Auriella. He called out her name.

Azriel would do it twice a day; once in the morning and once at night. He hoped that she would respond to him, that she would say she would be heading back to him soon, but that never happened.

There was only silence.

The most that she let him know was that she was alive.

It was a daily struggle to restrain himself from heading to the Dawn Court to see her, but he let his duties as Spymaster and his family occupy his mind.

But that wasn't enough.

"Fuck!" Azriel yelled, hitting the punching bag as hard as he could, but failing to break it.

He yielded away from it, his breathing heavy and eyes starting to water. He put his head in his hands, refusing to show any emotion, even though there was no one around him but Perseus. The wolf's head lifted from the grass, watching the Spymaster's struggle.

I sense your desperation, brother. Rhys's voice echoes through his mind.

Azriel doesn't deny it. He had found his mate, been separated by her for three years, had her in his grasp for a few months, and she was taken away from him yet again.

It would make any male desperate to have his mate. The Spymaster was no exclusion.

Has there been any word from her? Azriel asked.

No, Az. But I'm sure there will be answers soon. You must be patient for a while longer. Rhys tells him.

Again, anger boils through him. He was tired of being patient, of trying to withhold everything inside. The tether was becoming loose by the second when he didn't have any word on the wellbeing of his mate.

You must contact Thesan directly. I have to know if she is okay. Azriel insists.

Immediately, Rhysand winnows in front of him, "If I do that, Azriel, Thesan might suspect that there was something going on between you and his daughter. Remember that he sent her here to train, not to grow a relationship with you." He tells him.

Azriel groans, wiping the sweat away from his face, "She has not answered me, Rhys. I have tried to contact her through the bond, but she doesn't speak to me. I can't feel her alive, but nothing other than that." He explains.

Rhys's eyes brighten, "I understand, Az. But I do not want to risk Auriella's safety. She already has enough things piled on top of her. She is the Child of Night. Now, she has to prepare herself with what you have trained her. I know that you want her here, that you want her to be with you, but even though she has the abilities of the Night Court, she is still the Daughter of the Dawn Court." He says.

The Spymaster nods, "So what am I supposed to do? Am I supposed to sit around and wait for this pain to subside? Am I supposed to go insane? Before you were mated with Feyre, you could sense her pain and agony, but I cannot sense anything. She is not letting me get through her shields. It's like she is deliberately ignoring me." He says.

Rhys takes a deep breath, looking out to the forest, "I will contact her personal guard, Roth Wadsworth. He might give us some insight into what is happening over on their side. If he gives me any type of answer, I promise to share it with you." He tells him.

Azriel nods, heading over to sit next to Perseus. He gently pets the wolf's head, feeling his freshly washed fur. He stares at Rhysand, his head tilted, but calm.

"What I still don't understand is why Auriella left her companion here? I believed them to be inseparable, but it seems that I was wrong." Rhys says.

Azriel shrugs, "She told me that she wanted them to have space from one another. She was becoming too attached and she wanted to see if she could handle some time without him. It seems that she can, seeing that she hasn't called for him." He says.

Rhys scoffs, "Nyx yearns to see him, but I don't want to take the wolf away from your company." He tells him.

The Spymaster shakes his head, "Go ahead. You may take him for the day. I have things I need to do around here anyway. Perseus is very gentle when it comes to the High Prince. They adore each other." He says, getting up from the ground.

"After you are done here, come to the estate. Feyre and I want to head out for the evening and we have no one to watch Nyx. Nuala and Cerridwen said they needed to be absent for the day and Nesta headed to the Day Court for a few days. You are really the only person left whom I can trust my son with." Rhys says.

Azriel raises his eyebrows, "What about Cassian and Emerie?" He asks.

Rhysand snorts, "Emerie, probably. But never in my life, will Cassian babysit my son alone. He would probably throw him off a building to teach him how to fly. Then, he would have to leap after Nyx when he can't yet." He says.

Azriel lets out a laugh and nods, "I honestly can see that." He agrees.

"So will you come tonight? I know Axel would love to see you again too." Rhys says.

The Spymaster nods, "Yes, I'll be there."

***

As dusk was approaching, Azriel arrived at Rhysand and Feyre's estate.

The High Lord and High Lady of the Night Court were already waiting in the grand foyer, watching their son play with Perseus. The High Prince would giggle as the wolf nudged his stomach with his nose, making the boy hug the wolf.

Feyre turned to Azriel, dressed in a stunning black dress, embroidered with silver stones that made her shine like the stars in the night. Diamonds covered her neck and wrists, the sun from the outside reflecting upon them. Her bright smile made her all the more beautiful.

She walked towards the Spymaster, pulling him into an embrace. "Are you alright, Az? You know that you can tell me anything." She tells him.

When they pull away, he shakes his head, "I will be alright, my High Lady. I've heard that you and my brother have some wonderful plans ahead for tonight." He says, wanting to avoid any conversation that would refer to Auriella.

Feyre nods, "Well, only Rhys knows. He has refused to tell me anything, which is typical of him. Are you sure you are comfortable taking care of Nyx on your own?" She asks.

Azriel smiles at her, "I'll be fine. It's only a few hours." He says.

Rhysand scoffs, "With this little demon, a few hours feels like a lifetime." He mutters, making his mate slap him on his arm.

"We'll be back soon, Az," Feyre tells him, but Rhys gives him a mischievous wink.

Once Rhysand and Feyre have left, Azriel takes the High Prince in his arms, bouncing him in the air, making the little Illyrian laugh.

"I haven't seen you in a while, little one. Hope you didn't forget about me." He says and the boy grabs his face, pushing his cheeks together.

Azriel chuckles, "You and I might have an eventful day today." He says.

The Spymaster carries the High Prince down to the gardens with Perseus following directly behind them. On the way there, Nyx coos, drooling saliva from his mouth. Azriel wipes it away with his shirt.

Once they get to the gardens, Azriel sets the High Prince down on his feet. The boy immediately runs away, looking to Perseus who runs beside him. His laugh echoes in the air, making something shift inside of Azriel.

The Spymaster was always hesitant about having children in his future, knowing that his life was a complicated one and there are plenty of people who would love to see his head on a stake. He was the person who would prey on others, beating them until they gave him answers. He would give anything to make sure his court was safe, even if it meant sacrificing himself.

He couldn't imagine having a son or daughter of his own, mostly because he never really had time, putting his duties as Spymaster as his main priority.

But now that he had met his mate...

His heart leaped at the thought.

But the Spymaster smiled at the imagination nonetheless.

As the night overtook the sky, Azriel took Nyx down to the kitchen. Usually, it would be Nuala and Cerridwen cooking up some brand new concoction that would taste amazing, but tonight, it was empty.

Azriel wondered where the twins went off to, knowing that they would rarely trudge away from their duties, but he didn't pay it any mind.

The Spymaster carried the High Prince on his side, looking through the cooler and taking out one of the many containers of applesauce. Nyx ate three or four of them a day.

Azriel wondered if he would be giving him a fifth one, but when the boy saw the container in his hand, he whined for it. It was too late to put it back. If he did, Azriel didn't want to know the screams that this small body could let out.

He sat Nyx down on the counter, opening the applesauce, and feeding it to him. The High Prince would savor it for seconds before pleading for more. Azriel chuckled, knowing that this little boy would be just like his father, which wasn't a good nor a bad thing.

Perseus sat on the floor, looking up at the pair. He licked the High Prince's bare feet as if he was saying that he was right there beside them. Nyx giggled at the wolf, petting his nose before going back to his food.

As two hours of playing and running had passed, Azriel could see Nyx rubbing his eyes, yawning. He looked at the clock to see that it was almost midnight. He knew that this meant that his High Lord and High Lady might be... busy with one another.

He wasn't mad about it. Instead, he found himself to be rather happy.

Azriel went down to the kitchen once more, preparing the bottle that Feyre had left for them in the cooler. He heated it up and went right to Nyx's room, which was more for an adult than anything.

His room had a theme of stars and moonlight. It shined in the night as if the actual sky was in his room. The constellations sparkled in the ceiling, bright and beautiful. It was something that belonged in dreams.

Azriel rocked the boy in his arms as he fed his bottle to him, admiring his violet-blue eyes that looked like stars. He could see Nyx's eyes fluttering down, making little noises as he fell asleep in the Spymaster's arms.

"Dream of the stars, little one," Azriel whispered to the High Prince.

Azriel sat in the rocking chair at the corner of the room, with the boy still in his arms. Perseus rested beside them, laying his head on the carpet. It was clear that a bond had grown between them, seeing as how Perseus didn't mind being away from Auriella.

Mate. Mate. Mate. His shadows whispered, swirling around him.

Auriella. Azriel sent down the bond.

Again, he waited a few minutes for a response from his mate, but he didn't receive anything from her side. He waited for a feeling or a single word that could break his anxiousness apart and bring him relief, but it seemed that she wanted nothing to do with him.

Azriel closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Come back soon, sunlight.

But even as exhaustion racked his body, he swore he could have felt a light caress down his cheek.

And this time, when the tears welled in his eyes, Azriel let them fall.