AZRIEL

It had been two months without her.

It seemed that as the days passed, the pain would never subside.

Azriel was in deep agony, not knowing what to do with himself. He wanted to focus on his duties as Spymaster, but with Auriella's absence, it was like she had taken over his entire mind. He was unable to do anything.

Even in his dreams, the mating bond would not leave him alone.

Auriella's face would show up, bright and beautiful. Her laughter would echo as their shadows danced together. Her green eyes would sparkle in the sun that shined down upon them. Her hands would trace the tattoos on his bare chest, sending small chills down his spine. And her lips would attach to his with ease, kissing him slowly and passionately.

Then he would wake up, his eyes meeting the wooden ceiling.

Perseus would sometimes be awake, staring at Azriel with concerned eyes. The wolf had become his companion in such a short amount of time, comforting him when he needed it the most. The Spymaster tried not to become too attached to him, but it was starting to become impossible as the weeks went on.

Auriella hadn't called for him at all. It was almost as if she had forgotten about him.

Rhys did send out a letter to her personal guard, Roth Wadsworth, asking him about the wellbeing of the Daughter of Dawn. He was discrete about it, not wanting to draw too much suspicion as to why they were asking about Auriella.

Eventually, Wadsworth did get back to him.

Azriel could still remember every word that was written in that letter:

High Lord of Night,

The Daughter of Dawn is back home, safe and well, along with the Son of Dawn. She had to return permanently because of personal matters that do not pertain to you. I understand that it may seem suspicious to you all, but soon, your questions will be answered.

Until then, concern yourself with your court.

- Wadsworth

Azriel had never wanted to choke the life out of a male so fast in his life.

The only that kept him tethered in place was Feyre, who was right next to him as Rhys read the letter out loud. She rubbed his back, soothing him as his mind whirled with malicious thoughts as to what he would do to Auriella's personal guard if he ever saw him again.

The only useful information that came out of the letter was that Damian was back in the Dawn Court as well. Rhys contacted Helion, who showed up in the Night Court the day after.

Rhys asked him if the Son of Dawn had left the same day as Auriella had. The High Lord of Day confirmed that he did, telling them that it was abrupt and unusual, seeing as Damian was content and thriving in the Day Court, along with his wife, Lara.

It was clear that their sudden absences were more than personal.

Still, Azriel wasn't able to do anything. Rhys had asked him to wait it out, having faith that they would soon receive answers from Thesan, seeing as his children had the abilities of the Children of Day and Night. Every court will be asking questions about them, knowing that their abilities would save Prythian and its people.

But for an entire month, there was nothing.

The Spymaster continued to call out to his mate every morning and night, hoping that she would answer in one of those days.

She hadn't.

And every time, it broke something inside of him.

***

Azriel didn't know how he ended up here, in front of his mother's new cottage.

His mind was so overwhelmed with Auriella that he needed to be up in the skies, flying to familiar grounds; grounds he hadn't stepped on in centuries. Rain was pouring from the gray clouds, taking him out of the sunshine in Velaris.

It made him remember the day after his half-brothers scarred his hands, his mind flashing back to when his mother tried her best to heal his wounds. Even as he landed on the grass, Azriel's heart tightened, knowing that a few miles away was his father's estate.

The Spymaster wondered if he was still living there, along with his stepmother and half-brothers. He wondered what would happen if he showed up to their doorstep unannounced, wanting to know how their expressions would look like.

He wondered what it would be like to tear their throats out, to hear their screams of pain...

It was tempting.

But no, Azriel walked the other way, heading to the only person who ever cared for him before he ever went to Windhaven. He wondered if she still did, seeing as he was gone for centuries without ever visiting her.

He brought his mother her new cottage decades after Rhys became High Lord of the Night Court and appointed him as Spymaster. He made sure to save enough money to take his mother out of her crowded cottage, seeing as she barely had any space to move.

Azriel scanned for the perfect one, wanting to make sure that she would be comfortable and secure. He wanted her to be away from the people that harmed them, to not have a constant reminder of the torture that his father's side inflicted upon them.

And when he found the one, he immediately bought it. But he never presented it to his mother, letting his emotions get the best of him.

Instead, Cassian had presented it to her. His brother mentioned that she was ecstatic. He had said that she cried into his shoulder, holding him tightly, and saying nothing but "thank you" into his ear.

Azriel was happy to give something back to her, seeing how much she did for him.

The outside of the cottage was decorated with different kinds of flowers, but the lilies and daisies were the most common. They bloomed even as the rain poured down on them. Again, Auriella flashed in his mind, remembering that she would sometimes put a flower behind her ear.

The memory made a small smile tug on his lips.

As Azriel made his way up the wooden oak steps, growing closer to the door, his mind advised him to leave, filling his mind with lies that he used to listen to. He didn't want to pay attention to it, but after everything that has happened in his life, he didn't want to burden his mother with his problems.

He raised his fist to knock... but he couldn't.

Azriel was shaking with anger and rage, feeling nothing but hopelessness.

He wanted to see his mother again, to remember her voice, how she looked like, and what her life was now that centuries had passed. Tears welled in his eyes as he stared at the door, fist already making contact with the wood.

Mother. His shadows whispered.

And as if she had heard him, the door opened.

Azriel was frozen in place, his heart stopping at the sight of the woman he loved most in the world. She was still beautiful as he remembered. Her long black hair shined in the lantern light and her hazel eyes gleamed with tears as she stared up at him. She still wore her usual clothing; a plain brown dress with a white apron around her waist.

His mother stepped closer to him, "Azriel?" She breathed.

The Spymaster sobbed, falling to his knees before the woman who birthed him. He clutched her skirt, his tears staining the fabric, but he couldn't bring himself to care. He only cared that it was her, that she was alive and well, and that she remembered who he was, even after all the time that passed.

His mother fell with him, taking his face in her hands. She grinned, "Oh, my boy, it is you." She says, wiping away his tears.

"You remember me?" Azriel asked, bringing his hands over her own.

"You are my son, Azriel. Even if we never met again in this life, I would remember you in the next. There hasn't been a day where I haven't thought about you." She says.

The Spymaster took a deep breath, "There is so much I need to tell you." He says to her. She nods, smiling, and presses a kiss to his forehead.

"I know you do, my love. I want to know everything." She cries.

And for the first time in a while, Azriel let himself become that vulnerable child again, seeking comfort in his mother's arms.