Reborn

Stories

(Love this collage I found on Pinterest of Az!!)

I play with Az's hands, whilst sitting on the floor of the balcony with him, brushing over the cuts and scrapes he received as a child. I look up at him in question, not remembering his story before arriving in Windhaven.

"My step mother and half-brothers locked me in a dark, damp cell where I could only get out one hour a day." His deep voice whispers, as though ashamed. "I could only visit my mother one hour a week, and was never trained to fly. My brothers decided it would be 'fun' to see what would happen when mixing oil and fire with an Illyrian and lit my hands on fire." He looks down at my hands in his own.

I close my eyes, knowing I should think of something to say. "I woke up, choking on soil. I don't know how I woke up, or why, but I did. I felt like I couldn't breathe. I was underground, where no living thing should be. I started banging my fists and trying to get out. I remember hearing muffled shouts and suddenly I was pulled out from the earth. It was bright and I had to close my eyes. I was so tired. The next thing I knew I was in a cage and there were males there. They didn't have wings, but back then I didn't either, or not knowingly." I stop taking a deep breath, avoiding Azriel's gaze not wanting to see what he was thinking. "They hurt me." I choke out, not sure how else to put it.

Az's grip becomes more firm on my hands and the shadows silence stops, as though they know the voices make me feel a little more secure.

"Every now and again they would move me, but I was too weak to try anything, they made sure I didn't have enough food and water, or if I did it was drugged. I remember being moved Under The Mountain, but I was placed so deep I couldn't hear any life. I would get visited by some Fae every now and again but it was never a ... pleasant experience." I shiver unconsciously and Az wraps a wing around my shoulders as I wrap myself in my own wings, leaving enough room to continue holding his large, warm hand.

"I remember it had been quiet for a while, I picked the lock on the cell and got out. It must have been once Amarantha had died, maybe even after the battle with Hybern – my time keeping isn't exactly the best." I try to make light of the situation a little. "Then I was walking. I don't know for how long or where to, I just kept going, not wanting them to catch up to me.

"The next thing I remember is waking up in Tamlin's house and seeing Sandy. I have no idea what happened between."

He leans over to me, not saying anything, and kisses my forehead, moving my body so as to hold me in his arms whilst we continue to look up at the night sky.

"I don't deserve any of this." I whisper. "I didn't remember any of you for so long, how could you all forgive me for that?"

He looks down at me as I tilt my head to look up, "There is nothing to forgive." I could tell he was serious from the stony and unmoving look in his eyes.

I look back at the sky, knowing I was not going to be able to change his mind.

"I don't deserve you." He whispers sweetly in my ear. I simply squeeze his hand and to prove my point look back up to his eyes, "No." I say. "You deserve much more."

Rhys' POV

I look out of my window, stargazing and thinking. Soft arms wrap around my middle and I smirk, moving my hands over hers.

"What are you thinking so hard about?" Feyre asks.

She moves around to my front, leaning up and placing her soft lips on my own. I smirk down at her, moving my hands lower around her waist.

"Do you think they will work out?" I ask her, genuinely worried.

"Are you afraid he'll break her heart or that she'll break his?" She asks sarcastically.

"Well, I can't have my sister and my Shadowsinger at odds. It wouldn't look good." I joke.

"They'll be fine. Something tells me they'll be more than fine. They just need to figure out that they deserve it, like I had to realise I deserved better."

"And you got the best." I smile at her teasingly as I move my hands even lower.

"Hmmm. Debatable." She responds as she softly brushes her fingertips on my wings, making me shiver and hoist her up so she wraps her legs around my waist.

"I'll change your mind" I say and move us back inside.

Nyx's POV (again)

I woke up with a cricked neck, moving my hand up to rub it I accidentally wack something hard. I hear a 'Oof' and open my eyes only to see that I just hit Az in the chin.

"Sorry! I am so sorry" I exclaim, probably a bit too loud, but oh well. I jump up and off of him, continuing to apologise at the same time in order to prevent any more pain.

He just chuckles, and I stop to look at him weirdly, when he suddenly grabs my hip and bring me back down onto him. "It's fine." He says roughly, having just woken up.

"It is not fine" I huff, "I just hit you."

"Did you mean to?" He asks, a smile on his face making me glare at him playfully.

"Well... no" I admit begrudgingly.

"Then it's fine." He chuckles, not letting me go.

I sigh and collapse back on his comfortable chest after having failed at moving back away from him.

We continue to lie there for a bit before his stomach gurgles making me laugh. I look up at him and see that his cheeks are tinted red, making me laugh a bit longer.

This time, when I go to stand he lets me. I grab his hand and pull him up too – not that I could do that without him moving himself, I'm not THAT strong. I run my fingers through my tangled hair once he's standing, trying not to look like a complete mess and pull him back inside, making my way to the door. I feel so much lighter now, as though I just needed someone to know part of my story. I know that this is probably only a temporary fix, but it's a start. And there's a start for anything and everything just as much as there is an end.

I look back up at him behind me. "Breakfast time." I playfully sing, still slightly laughing at him, and I continue to smile at him as we make our way to the kitchen.