Chapter 22

"I was only saying that I wanted to show you something. "

"I don't want to see it." I huffed and collapsed on the bed.

"Why not?" Azriel prodded.

"Because I don't want to!" I exclaimed.

He frowned and kneeled down on the side of the bed. "Are you sick?"

"No." Because I wasn't. "I just want everyone and everything to shut up." I did.

He tilted his head to a side and thought for a moment, "What if I tell you that I can take you somewhere that's really quiet "

I sighed and buried my face in the pillow, "I don't want to get up."

"You don't have to. I will carry you." He offered.

"Is it far away?" I glanced at him.

"No, it isn't." He smiled and squished my cheeks. "We'll come back before you know it."

"You have to ask Alcina." I reminded him.

"I will take my wife wherever I want to." He rolled his eyes but after a moment of me staring at him, said. "I already asked her."

I snorted at how he still had to ask her permission if I was going outside the house, even after our marriage. Turns out, Alcina was a lovely wife but not such a lovely sister-in-law when my pregnancy could go wrong at any moment.

As I lay there, watching the sunlight bounce off the sharp planes of his face and our shadows curl softly around each other, I thought back to the day when we had gotten married, alongside Morriagn and Alcina.

As soon as Alcina had declared that I could walk, we had started the preparation of the wedding. Azriel did not want to welcome our child while their parents were still unmarried and understandably so. I had obviously been overjoyed but did nothing much except watch Morrigan pick out a dress for me while Cassian commented on how the colour didn't go with my eyes.

Eventually, they had all agreed on a dress and I could never forget how the silver of my dress was in contrast with Azriel's black and he said that I did, indeed, look like a wishing star.

Morrigan in a beautiful scarlet and Alcina in the delicate shade of the same colour could not stop smiling at each other as they were both declared wives. Even Amren had laughed when Cassian wiped his tears and complained about being the only single one left. Right before getting ridiculously drunk.

"Fine." I answered. "I'll go with you. Only because you say it's quiet. "

He grinned from ear to ear as he picked me up and I nestled my head in the crook of his neck before winnowing out of Velaris. We stopped somewhere in the middle but I didn't bother checking where.

When we finally reached where Azriel wanted to bring me, I craned my neck. It took a minute for my eyes to adjust to the light but when I saw what was in front of me, I gasped loudly.

So loudly that I scared a peacock. The white peacock had found a corner in the porch to relax on as it had before, when my father was alive.

"I would rebuilt our home if I outlived all this." I had said to him.

And that was exactly what he had done. He had rebuilt our home for me.

Granted, it wasn't exactly the same, but it was there. Wood, brick, steel - all of it, on the same soil where my parents had built it.

The ash of the rest of the houses had been swept away and there were flowers growing in there places. Little gifts were left for all who had lost their lives.

A rabbit rushed out of a bush and scuttled away from Azriel's shadows. He gently let me down as I stared in disbelief.

"You-" I sucked in a breath. "- You did this."

"I thought you would like coming back here. If it's too early, we can go back." He looked at me with uncertainty.

"No! No that's- that's not what I meant." I shook my head, unable to get my eyes off the beautifully carved door.

I slowly stepped up the stairs, afraid that if I touched it too hard it might turn to dust. I breathed in the air - no smoke, no burning flesh. I felt the tears at the back of my eyes and didn't bother stopping them.

That perhaps made Azriel worried, "Let's go back. We shouldn't have come here at all. It's my mistake-"

I silenced him by throwing my arms around his neck and pulling him into a kiss.

"It's...the ...best thing....ever." I mumbled against his lips.

"I know I keep saying that but you truly do spoil me." At last, I cupped his face.

He wiped my tears away with his thumb, "Anything for the most important person in the world. Do you want to go inside?"

"Yes!" I whipped my head around.

Leaving the door open behind myself, I scanned the inside of the house. Almost everything was wooden and beautiful patterns were carved into the windows and doors all over the place. An unlit fireplace was on my left with two sofas pressed close together and, by my counting abilities, thousands of cushions.

The kitchen was the best part but before I could began to explore any of it, we were interrupted by a small voice.

"Are you the shadow witch?" Neither me nor Azriel, surprisingly, had noticed the padding of small feet up the stairs and in the house.

Three children, all dark haired and light-eyes, were peering inside from the door.

"Yes." I answered, one of my hands resting on my swollen belly. "Are you from the cottages?"

One of them, I assume the oldest, nodded. "My mother wanted to inform you that we have a celebration tonight, in honor of you getting rid of the Ideosy. We would be very happy if you would join us." He stumbled over some of the words in his childish blabber but spoke with confidence.

The others two children, a boy and a girl, looked over his shoulder and at Azriel.

They looked at his shadows curling around with large, bright eyes before the girl said. "Are you a warrior? You have a sword."

Azriel, hesitating, said, "Yes."

"Have you ever hurt anyone with that sword?" She again questioned and I smiled.

"I- Yes. Sometimes. Not too often." Azriel frowned.

I tried to hide my face as I laughed at his answer.

The girl, however, nodded solemnly and said, "I wanted a sword. When I told mother she said I will hurt myself. Have you hurt yourself with your sword?"

"Only when I first started using it. Not for a long time now." He answered.

"I don't mind it if I get hurt a few times." She suddenly perked up. "Can I learn how to use a sword?"

"Of course. "Azriel replied. "Anyone can."

One of the boys asked me, "Do you know how to use a sword?"

I nodded, "Perhaps not as good as him but I'm good with daggers."

"She saved my life with this very one." Azriel tapped Truthteller by his side and I rolled my eyes.

"It was a wild swing."

"That saved my life."

I decided I wanted to explore the house and not bicker with him, so I said, "Why don't you show them your shadows?"

"Yes!" They all shouted in unison. "Are they like a witch's?"

Azriel opened his mouth to make an excuse perhaps but the little girl tugged at his sleeve and his eyes softened. "I want to see them." She grinned up at him.

He sighed finally, "Let's go outside. We have more space there."

I waved at then as they made their way outside and left me to explore my new kitchen.

The sun was setting by the time Azriel came back. I had been sitting on the windowsill and watching him play with the children. He didn't let any of them near his sword but his shadows were enough to entertain them. Most of the time he would fall back and let the kids chase them around as their laughter and shrieks of joy filled the air. When they grew tired of running around he sat with them in the grass and told them about Prythian and some memories from his childhood. One of the kids bought an orange and he peeled it and gave them the slices. When the sun was low on the horizon, the little girl asked him about his siphons and he cradled her as she traced the stones with her tiny fingers.

Eventually, a fire started over the hill and they ran towards the celebration that was slowly coming to life.

Azriel silently slipped inside and shut the door behind himself. He wrapped an arm protectively around my belly and rested his chin on my shoulder.

"Had fun?" I asked.

He hummed and said, "Children talk a lot."

"Well, you better get used to that." I smiled and he left a peck on my neck.

He smiled, "I think I just did."

I sucked in a breath and turned around before pressing my lips against his. Slowly, he left gentle kisses all over my face.

"Should we go home now?" He mumbled, his lips lightly brushing against my cheek.

"Alcina would chop off your limbs if we stay out any longer." I reminded him and he sighed.

Rolling his eyes, he picked me up, "If I had known she would be so strict, I would have just left her in that cave."

I laughed in his arms as we returned home.