A court of water and worlds

Chapter #25

"Gwyn!" Azriel called out jumping from the bed wincing at the pain in his side.
"Az, you're hurt," his mother said.
"I'll be fine," he looked into his mothers warm eyes, "I promise."
She nodded knowing that he'd been in far more dangerous situations.
"I love you," she said and no matter how many times she said it, it still meant the world to him because she truly did love him. All of him, but that's what mothers do.
He kissed her cheek and mirrored her words back.
He ran out of the room to find Gwyn.
He caught her about to walk out the door.
"Gwyn, wait" he said but still, she didn't turn around.
He told his shadows to block her but they didn't listen.
He grabbed her arm and forced her to turn around.
"Let. Me. Go." She said and Azriel had never seen Gwyn so angry before.
For some reason, it reminded him of Cassian.
"Gwyn, we are going to get her back but you need to calm down, stupid decisions are made in fits of rage," he said reluctantly letting go of her arm.
"Says you," Gwyn said and she let out a hysterical giggle that sounded all wrong.
"I can practically see the rage in your eyes," Gwyn said, moving to open the door.
Azriel was angry, of course he was angry.
Nesta had been kidnapped!
He blinked as if calming the fury in his eyes but from the knowing look on Gwyn's face, it didn't seem to work.
"Of course I'm angry, Gwyn, but I'm trying to be rational."
"Masking your feelings isn't rational," she bit back and Azriel was taken back by her words.
"I can't winnow us from here there is a Barrier spell we will have to hike back down the mountain," he said and he let her open the door.
"Well then we should get going," Gwyn said, stepping outside and Azriel followed.
She stopped abruptly and turned around.
Reading what she was thinking Azriel walked over to her and picked her up and they took off.
"She pregnant," Gwyn said and Azriel whipped his head towards her.
"How did you know?" He asked confused.
"Wait," Gwyn said "how do you know?"
"I asked you first," Azriel said.
"I heard them talking in the kitchen." Gwyn said sighing.
"My shadow's sensed it a couple of weeks ago," he said.
"Your shadows can sense that—
She cut herself off.
"Not the point. It's just Cas, he must be wrecked and Nesta she's—
Gwyn didn't finish and they flew in silence for a few minutes until Gwyn spoke.
"What happened?" Gwyn asked while fidgeting with her necklace.
Azriel searched the skys, "with the war, what happened?" She pressed.
"We won the battle at windhaven," was all he said, watching her play with the rose charm.
"How? we had half the army they did, how did we win?" When Azriel didn't answer she said "it was the shadow piège."
He nodded not wanting to elaborate.
"What was it, what does it do?" She gasped as they started their descent.
When he wouldn't say anything she flicked his nose.
He turned to her annoyed, "I don't want to tell you," he said and that was the truth.
He had never told anyone what the shadow piège does, only where it is located.
Because to explain what it does would be explaining what he was capable of.
Only Luna Rhysands little sister knew his Full potential.
She was the one who helped him find truth teller.
They had gone exploring one day and that's when they found the cave.
They found a truth teller embedded in the rock.
He gently set Gwyn down but did not release her.
"Ready?" He asked and when Gwyn nodded he winnowed them away.
——-
They did not go back to camp windhaven.
Azriel knew The General would not be there.
They found Cassian at the mountain palace.
He was speaking to Rhys, Emrie, and Mor.
Emrie was crying.
Gwyn immediately ran out of Azriel's grasp to Emrie.
Azriel was surprised Emrie didn't fall over at the force of that hug.
Azriel walked over to the group.
Cassian turned to him and Azriel could see every emotion on his face clear as day.
His eyes were shadowed by fury and anger.
His under eyes were purple and bruised with worry.
His jaw was clenched along with his fists.
And one broken word fell from his lips, "how?"
Emrie was still being held by Gwyn, but he could tell Gwyn was listening intently.
Azriel looked directly into Cassian's blazing eyes.
Cassian was impulsive, Azriel had to be careful otherwise Cassian would run off unprepared to try and save Nesta.
He turned to Emrie, "what happened?"
"In the cave, we were just going to get the shadow piège," she paused and Rhys used that opportunity to speak.
"Az you used the shadow piège?! What were you thinking, you could have died!"
"I knew exactly what I was doing," Azriel said, keeping his face unreadable, as emrie continued.
"Gwyn was the only one able to get to it, so me, Nesta and Layla all waited by the waters edge, but then these things came out of nowhere. They were so black almost purple and they didn't have a face or ears, just a body and nails. It's nails were long and sharp and dripping with—
Emrie started coughing so Mor finished for her.
"Venom, the nails had been filled with venom. That was how Emrie had been injured."
"So these things took Nesta?" Azriel asked
"Yes," Emrie said looking down, "it took her and disappeared in darkness, almost as if it winnowed away."
"Cassian," Gwyn said "Nesta told us you have fought many unique monsters. Is there any you recall that acted like this one?"
Cassian sighed rubbing his hands over his face
"I have never heard of that creature before, which could mean... it is not from this world," Cassian said to Gwyn.
"What do you mean?" Gwyn asked with worry in her eyes.
"There are many strange creatures in the prythian. Some far older than the fae and some who get access to our word and decide to come here. I think someone either made these creatures or they are much older than we think.
"We don't know who controls these things, or what they want. We don't know what their motivation was for taking her. And If they were created, they could be controlled by someone or something," Cassian said and Emrie added.
"I don't think it wanted to kill us. It could have if it wanted to but it didn't. It took Nesta so there has to be someone behind this."
Cassian nodded and his shiphons flared.
"So really, All we know is weird demon things took my mate," Cassian said, stressing the last word.
"I think we can find her though," Gwyn said to Cassian.
"Our bracelets," Gwyn said, holding up her wrist showing her blue bracelet.
"It worked for us in the blood rite, it's how we found each other, it can take us to her."