Chapter 37 Azahara
Azahara
The darkness had enveloped her as if it were her friend, gently reminding her that it held the power, while she had none. She was in a state of somnolence, where consciousness rested, but the senses remained partly engaged, and the boundary between dreaming and reality became blurred.
Azahara was fully aware that warmth wrapped around her in its embrace.
She could hear sounds from the external world seeping into her awareness, muffled and distorted, as if passing through a haze.
They echoed in the deepest recesses of her mind, urging her to somehow find her way to them.
A voice manifested, indistinctly murmuring to her, its words elusive.
They shifted her, and she became acutely aware of the shadows and movements dancing at the edge of her perception. They formed a surreal blend where her imagination intertwined with reality. It became apparent that people were running, and she wondered what had happened.
“I want to take you away from this place, but I can’t,” that same voice, the one from the cell, echoed in her mind. It was coming through the winnox. “You have to wake up, find the strength you have inside of you to get up.”
Tell me your name, she pleaded.
A warmth caressed her cheek. “Get up, Azahara.”
Please, don’t leave me. She felt pathetic, begging a stranger to stay with her.
“I’ll always be with you.”
I don’t believe you… you’ll leave me…
“Sunshine…”
You’ll leave me too…
They leaned over her, and a gentle warmth graced her forehead. “Even if it doesn’t seem that way, I’ll always be here.”
A chill ran down her body as the warmth disappeared, and behind the veil of her eyelids, a bright light shone and quickly disappeared.
A single tendril of pain ran down her chest as she fought within the liminal space between consciousness and unconsciousness.
“Ladybug? Ladybug! Where are you? Answer me!” That voice, it was Illyan. Her throat released a groan, and she knew that she was winning the battle to wake. “Ladybug, we have to go now. Somehow, and I’m not sure how, but there is a Yuul here in Howl.”
I’m… I think I’m still in the dungeon… She cracked her eyes open, the bars around her confirming her words.
“Shit, that’s where it was… damn it. Run, Azahara! RUN!” Illyan shouted through the winnox.
Get up. Get up. Get up. Azahara fought her own body to grip the bars and pull herself to a standing position. Her knees were wobbling, but she forced herself to hold steady. Just as she was emerging from her cage, a loud thud sounded at the doorway.
White fingers wrapped around the walls of the only exit to her prison.
As the Yuul walked into view, time seemed to slow to a crawl.
Her mind and body recoiled, unable to process that the creature was merely ten feet before her.
The fabric of her reality cracked, and she felt the darkness around her sink further into an abyss of pure nothingness.
It turned its head, the mouth of teeth drenched with blood, its fingers dripping with the same crimson liquid.
A suffocating sense of dread engulfed her, threatening to consume and destroy her.
There was no way she could outrun a Yuul, especially as her muscles turned to stone and rendered her immobile.
“Azahara!” Illyan screamed through the winnox. “Which dungeon!?”
The one the Yuul is in…
The Yuul stalked toward her, and her mind went into utter shock, retreating and seeking solace in a numbing void. Under the weight of her terror, she let out an involuntary soft whimper.
It twitched and took a long stride in her direction. It now knew she was there if it hadn’t before.
“Human—” It spoke, and she breathed heavily under the weight of her terror. “What is your name—now—”
“Azahara.”
The creature let out a thrumming, throaty growl before reaching out toward her, and she closed her eyes in preparation to be torn apart. Could he put me back together?
To her utter surprise, the Yuul threw her over its shoulder, turned, and charged out of the dark corridor with a speed she had never witnessed.
There was pure chaos everywhere; blood marred the walls and floors.
Screams of every gender were shrieking. They were moving so fast that, truthfully, no faces could be made out, just the mayhem that had been caused moments before.
All her mind could wonder was why the Yuul was carrying her and where?
“Ladybug… why are you on the Yuul’s shoulder?” Their tone filled with absolute shock, and she couldn’t blame them.
I don’t know… She was just as shocked as they were.
Suddenly and without warning, they stopped, and she was put down.
Thankfully her body moved without guidance, and she put her feet on the ground.
The creature was so close to her that she could smell the copper and flesh between its teeth.
Its white appearance was splattered with the blood of the Fae, and she lacked the feeling to care.
“Thank you.” She couldn’t believe she was thanking a Yuul.
“He gave me the Fae for your safe return.” Her heart leaped to her throat.
Footsteps approached them, and the Yuul quickly turned to engage. When Azahara saw who it was, she surprisingly grabbed one of the four arms of the creature and pulled it back. “Wait! Please, they are with me.”
The Yuul whipped its head around. The towering monster of the night that could not be killed stared down at her. She had no idea where she found the courage to defy its unyielding might.
“Leave me—to my feast—” It finally spoke.
Illyan was at her side then, their arms wrapping around her so tightly that she cried out in pain and relief.
“I can feel them. They are surrounded by Magic.” They raised an arm, and she buried her head in their chest. They were going to wether to them, and she hated it, but it would be the quickest and easiest way out of there.
“Hold on, Ladybug.”
She took a deep breath just as Illyan ripped open a portal, which undulated and shook like a water vortex.
They leaped through, and her body felt like it was being quickly taken apart and put back together.
It wasn’t necessarily painful for her, not after what she had just been through, but it was uncomfortable.
Thankfully, the wether portals were quick, and they were out of it within seconds.
In contrast to the cold stone floor, the soft moss at her feet told her that they were no longer in Howl. Darkness surrounded them, but the smell of wet grass and mud calmed her, assuring her that she hadn’t been put back into a cage.
“Azahara…” She felt heat burn her eyes as tears immediately began to form. That voice was a pinnacle of safety she hadn’t felt in days. Just as she turned toward the voice, Kaed and Zhal were mere steps from her.
A cry broke from her lips as Kaed’s arms wrapped around her, a force that was only doubled by Zhal taking them both into hers.
Her body shook ferociously as they slowly got to their knees, keeping her embraced.
She felt Illyan join their embrace, arms coming around her waist and resting against her back.
Everything in that moment felt stronger.
The smells of the forest, the pain in her shoulders, the ache in her bones, the heat in her lungs—her senses were overloaded, but she didn’t care.
Zhal tightened the grip on her shoulder, and Kaed’s arms trembled around her waist. It was a cocoon of safety, a net that would not yield.
Her forehead rested against Kaed’s shoulder as she took a deep breath. Something told her that the events of Howl and the Yuul encounter would begin to shape her fate, and it truly terrified her.
They stayed like that for what felt like hours until the soft hoots of the owls ceased and the calls of the deer began to awaken.
“I see you found a way to use what I’ve given you.
” No… go away. “Dikos Mou, open your eyes.” No.
No. “Look at me.” No. You aren’t here. “Oh, on the contrary, my love, I am always here. You used my power, and it called to me. You called to me.” No.
No! “Once I have proven my innocence, I will come for you, little mouse. I promise not to make you wait long.”
“No!” Her body was upright when her eyes opened. Sweat dripped from her forehead. The covers over her were thin but felt like a thousand layers of wool. The harsh breathing she exuded was loud in her ears.
The sound of rushing feet caught her attention. She hadn’t realized how dark the room had become, causing her body to tense. The wood paneling on the walls had been replaced with steel bars, and the doorknob had transformed into a lock with no keyhole.
“Help me…” she screamed, her eyes widening as she sensed the ceiling slowly descending upon her. Her sweat turned as cold as ice, and the blankets felt like chains, binding her to the bed.
With her head between her legs, she cried for the light. Her breathing became erratic while her bones rattled with the intensity of her shaking.
“Hey… hey…” Strong hands lifted her gaze. “Shh, it’s okay.” Bright green eyes stared at her, and worry lined his forehead. “I’m here. I’m so sorry I left you.” His thumb brushed against her cheek and through her damp hair.
She could feel her heart pounding against her chest. “I’m—I’m sorry.” She closed her eyes and shook her head, trying to dispel the feeling of utter helplessness.
“Don’t be, please. It’s okay.” He brought her closer, placing her on his lap. “I’m here.”
“Where are we?” Her head rested against his chest, listening to his racing heart.
“We are in someone’s home. It’s where Zhal and I stayed just before coming to find you.” His fingers brushed through her hair, working gently at the tangles as he massaged her scalp. “You slept through the day. It’s evening now.” Somehow, that didn’t surprise her. “Are you hungry?”
There was no hesitation. “Yes.”
“Good, come and eat, then.”