Chapter Text
Azriel
Azriel walked into the bar with high hopes. He had just come back to Velaris from reporting to Rhys about a successful mission at the Summer Court. He was hoping to see his boyfriend Aiden today to catch up on what had happened while he was away.
The bartender, Lee, walked up to where Azriel was sitting and asked, "The usual?"
Azriel nodded and went back to thinking about Aiden. He couldn't wait to see him. After what felt like forever but couldn't have been more than a few minutes a figure walked into the bar.
Azriel knew this was Aiden having recognized his long blond hair and greenish blue eyes. Aiden's skin was a pale white color and when Azriel touched him Aiden's skin stood out like a light in the darkness.
Azriel was about to go and greet Aiden when he noticed something and frowned. Aiden wasn't alone, he was with another guy. In fact Azriel recognized the guy he was with, it was Emmett, Aiden's ex. So what was he doing with Aide? Azriel's brow furrowed because Aiden hadn't even looked over at him, though Emmett did, his deep blue eyes, those of the males usually born in the Summer Court had, widened in shock and then suddenly turned sinister.
Before Azriel had time to go over what that look might mean for him, Emmet turned to Aiden capturing the male's lips with his own. For a second Aiden seemed surprised at the sudden gesture and still not seeing Azriel after a moment kissed Emmet back.
At that moment Azriel saw red. His fury overtook him so completely that the glass in his hand shattered bringing a few eyes in his direction including those of Aiden. Aiden's eyes widened in fear and shock at seeing Azriel and how furious he was.
Aiden broke out of Emmett's embrace and started to walk over to Azriel, but Azriel just ignored him and stormed out of the bar and out into the streets before launching into the sky, leaving Aiden and Emmett, and the rest of his problems back on the ground.
Azriel felt numb after flying for an hour. The rain had started shortly after he took to the skies and it had been freezing. The rain had continued all throughout his flight making him numb and wet. He shivered as he unlocked his apartment door, going inside to the warmth of his home a mere block from the bar he had just stormed out of.
Azriel walked over to his room and went inside the bathroom that was within, still shivering as he turned on the shower. He was about to grab clean leathers to change into after his shower when a knock on the door came to his attention.
Azriel went to answer the door still dripping wet sincerely hoping that whoever it was wasn't one of his family, he didn't know what he would have done if it was.
As Azriel opened the door the male's scent hit him and he stopped dead with the door half open still dripping. It was Aiden. The little shit thought it would be ok if he suddenly appeared at Azriel's apartment just out of the blue.
"Azriel-" Aiden started but Azriel cut him off with a snarl.
"Why the fuck are you here?" He asked Aiden with fury written all over his face.
Aiden had the good sense to look scared and back up a step but he yielded no more after that.
"I'm sorry Azriel," He blurted his face looking guilty and ashamed. "I didn't mean for you to see-" Aiden cut himself off this time, seeming to realize what he was saying.
Aiden shook his head and cleared his throat, once, twice, then looked up at Azriel, who knew his face was still on the scary side.
Aiden opened his mouth but Azriel didn't want to hear what he had to say, instead of letting Aiden convince him to forgive him, Azriel said with a snarl, "If you wanted to get back together with your ex you should have told me and we should have broken up like a proper broken couple." And with that Azriel slammed the door in Aiden's shocked and hurt face.
He had no right to ditch me like that. Azriel thought. Like what the fuck, if he didn't want to be with me why not just say so.
Azriel had never felt this way before. He thought Aiden and him had something but apparently not.
Azriel stomped over to the scalding hot shower and not bothering to turn it down got in relishing the burning sensation across his back and wings.
Eris
Eris was walking through the halls of the Forest House when he felt deep sorrow through the bond that he kept a secret. The one that connected him to the Night Court's spymaster, Azriel. Eris flinched, having only felt this sorrow once before in his life.
As Eris continued walking towards his rooms he wondered what on earth could have happened to Azriel for his mate to feel that amount of sorrow.
As Eris got ready for bed he couldn't help wondering how he was going to tell Azriel about the bond. Would Azriel reject the bond? Would, if they found out, Azriel's "family" hate Az for being mated to an Autumn Court male? He surely hoped not. Eris wondered about all this and more as he got into bed and snuffed out all the candles with his power. Eventually after a few hours of tossing and turning Eris was finally able to get some sleep no matter how fitful.
Eris woke up to the sound of a knock on his door. For a moment he thought it was his friend Roan coming to wake him up because he'd overslept but looking to the window, Eris realized that it was dark meaning that he was not late. He got out of bed slowly as another knock sounded grabbing the knife under his pillow as he went.
Eris, still in his night clothes, froze as he opened the door. There standing just outside the door was his father and ten of his personal guards all fully clothed. Eris resisted the urge to flinch at the smile on Beron's face, an expression of pure evil, like he knew something that Eris didn't but that the information would cost him.
Eris, who was trying to play it cool as if he weren't internally freaking out about what Beron had figured out said, "To what do I owe the pleasure of this early visit?"
Instead of answering, Beron called to his guard, "Seize him!"
Eris didn't even try to evade the guards as they came for him. Didn’t even raise the knife in his hand. He was frozen and too focused on thinking through all of what he had said to his father over the past couple of days. Eris also was trying not to let his panic and fear show.
When Beron called for the guards to knock Eris out he had one second to think over his fate before something collided with the back of his head and pain was the only thing he could think and feel before everything went dark.