Chapter 12

I woke up with a deep ache in the pit of my stomach and the first thing I noticed was the thick fog outside the window.

I blinked for a few moments, feeling a strange tingling on the side of my face, until I remembered the scar that now adorned my face. I tried to lift my hand to touch it but it was immediately bought to my attention that I couldn't move it.

Memories of the last day flooded in and I sighed.

Lucifer, Alcina, The Ideosy, Cassian, Rhysand......and Azriel.

He slept peacefully by my side, his luxurious lashes resting upon his cheekbones. His chest rose and fell in rhythm with our fingers entwined and my hand against his heart.

I propped myself up on my elbows, knowing that I might never get to see him so peaceful again.

His thick, dark hair spilled over the pillow like secrets. I gently kissed his hand that was holding mine, so as not to wake him.

Surprisingly, his shadows were nowhere to be seen. They no longer shielded him from anything or anyone. It was just the two of us, completely bare and vulnerable, and in that moment I wished the time would stop and I could just stay there by his side, for as long as he would have me.

It didn't last long however, for the spymaster was not useless without his shadows.

"Stop thinking about leaving, will you?" His raspy voice bought a smile to my face.

"I'm not." He pressed his mouth to mine in a lazy kiss and my brain turned into a mush at the tip of his tongue.

"You are." He pulled away.

I sighed, tracing one of the scars on his hand. "You stole the devil's bride, Azriel. They will make sure you pay."

He pressed his body against mine and I inhaled his addictive scent. "There is no price I wouldn't pay for you." He kissed the top of my head.

"There is no way out of this." I said with my face in the crook of his neck.

"Then I go down with you." He shrugged.

"What?" I pulled back, horrified. "No. You have a family. People who love you more than life itself. I'm selfish, but not selfish enough to take you from them. If you don't want to live for yourself, you have to live for them. Live for me. Take care of Alcina after I'm gone."

"She destroyed half of the townhouse and cussed out all of us while poisoned, I think she will be fine without me." He supplied.

"I know. I-" I struggled to find the right words to explain to him that I always knew I was going to bound up in hell. I never hoped for anything, much less someone like him.

I never thought someone would look at me like I was the very centre of their world. I never had time for it. I never thought someone other than my family could care about me.

I knew, of course, that I would leave a void in Alcina's life. But I also knew that she would find people who loved her, perhaps, even more than I did. It was hard not to love her.

The only thing I had ever been sure of was that if I was going to hell, I will drag The Ideosy down with me.

"You don't understand. " I gave up at last. "I don't even know why you came this time."

He frowned. "You can't be that dense, can you? Of course, I came. I still haven't tasted a single dish that you love to boast about."

My jaw dropped. I stared at him and when he didn't stop frowning on his own, I smacked that frown off his face.

"Scoundrel." I mumbled as he laughed, a deep, beautiful voice that sent shivers down my spine.

After his laughter died down, he pressed his forehead against mine. "I came for the girl who isn't afraid of the dark, the girl who isn't troubled by my shadows, the one who knows how to chase them away but also knows that they are not a curse, the one who is too good at cooking but is too tired to actually cook, who thinks I cook as well as a witch, the one who is brave enough to look her demons in the eye and not waver, the one who sat with me under the night sky and said my scars are as beautiful as stars, who talks so fondly about constellations I could listen to her voice for the rest of my life, the one who had lost and lost and lost and still remained kind, the one who talks to me over beautiful gems and dark shadows and listens to me doing unspeakable thing and still doesn't think of me as a monster, the one who needs a little getting used to, to civilizations. "

I chuckled through my tears at his last words. I never knew it ran this deep into him. I never thought it would matter, but it did and I didn't care if it would all vanish. I cared about the man in front of me and that, in that moment, he loved me and I loved him, more than I could ever put into words.

He kissed the scar on my cheek."I came for my wishing star."

I kissed him. Not because I had a reason, but because I could've have done anything else. He was holding a breath and I needed it.

He held me like I was a spoil from one of his many battles and he was afraid of the demons still snapping at his heels. Like, he had been at war for centuries and now, finally, returned home.

I pulled back and he laughed a little. "You scare me sometimes. "

"If you don't terrify people a little, what even is the point?" I smiled at him.

"Careful with that. I have a fragile heart." He joked and I snorted.

"Says the man who stabbed the devil."

"Says the man who is petrified of losing you." With one last peck on my cheek, he started putting his clothes back on.

I eyed the dark dress on the floor. My skin crawled upon the idea of having to put it on.

Azriel looked from me to the dress and offered, "I can ask Mor to give you clothes."

I nodded hastily."Thank you. I need to see if Alcina is any better."

"Wait here." He finished dressing himself and left. I heard him knock on the door of another room and a few murmurs travelled all the way up to the room I was in.

Seconds passed and I listened to the silence that told me Rhysand and Cassian were still in Velaris.

Someone knocked one the door and I quickly wrapped the sheets around myself before getting out of the bed.

I stuck my hand out from behind the door but Morrigan invited herself in.

"I hope it fits you." She whispered, holding out a beautiful red dress. "I couldn't find anything else."

I smiled at her. "It's beautiful. Thank you. I didn't want to-" I again threw a disgusted look at the black dress.

"I understand. " She returned my smile.

I went inside the bathroom and started putting the clothes on. "Is Alcina any better now?" I voiced.

"She woke up a few hours ago but she still can't stand up." Morrigan answered.

"Woke up?" I frowned.

"Yes. She was asking about you."

I finished dressing up and returned, "I have to see her."

I picked up the cursed dress and tossed it outside the window, not wanting to see it ever again.

When I closed the window and turned around, Morrigan was tracing the black choker with her index finger.

She picked it up." It's beautiful. " Her eyes scanned me from head to toe before stopping at my neck. My hand automatically moved towards the small red marks.

Mercifully, she didn't say anything about them and only helped me in putting on the choker.

"Did you sleep at all last night?" I asked, noticing the fatigue in her eyes.

"For a while. It's okay, I've been through worse nights." She reassured me.

"I'm sorry you had to be alone." I bit my lower lip. I should have been right there, by my sister's side.

"No. I-" she hesitated. "I think I needed this."

"A sleepless night?"

She smiled again, shaking her head. " Some time alone, maybe a sleepless night too, but most importantly, Alcina." She took a deep breath. "I think I needed her."

I put my hand on her and squeezed lightly. "Maybe she needed you too."

Her smile became brighter at my words, "I don't know how one is supposed to do this but I'm just going to say it- You are her only family and I think-" she paused, "I think it's important that I ask you this first."

I raised my eyebrows, already knowing what was coming.

Morrigan continued, "I have never, ever in my entire existence been so happy and so at peace until I met Alcina. She is the -"

I was ready to rip out the throat of whoever had knocked until Cassian said from the other side, "Mor?"

Morrigan cleared her throat, "Why do you want to die so early in the morning?"

"It's her." Cassian's muffled voice reached our ears.

"We're coming." I shouted as Morrigan rolled her eyes.

I said in a hushed whisper, "I know we don't have time right now, but I want you to know that she may not be good at saying it but I have never seen Alcina so, so absolutely in love with anyone. You make her the happiest she has ever been in years, so by all means, do steal her from me. She's annoying. "

Morrigan snorted at my last words and, with a peck on my cheek, she dragged me outside before Cassian shouted the entire house down.