I shut my eyes close, trying to sleep again, praying that I stay out of his notice. Azriel's arm left my waist as he groaned getting up. Then I heard a chuckle, "You are not a good actor," He said.
I was mortified. How could he have known that I was awake and pretending to be asleep? My heart raced as I opened my eyes and saw Azriel sitting up beside me, his eyes gleaming with amusement.
"Shut up!" I jolted up, sitting, my hair a mess. I felt myself blushing furiously, caught in the act of trying to avoid his attention. I scrambled to sit up, feeling awkward and embarrassed.
But Azriel just grinned and shook his head. "It's alright," he said, his tone gentle.
"Well- Well it's your fault! You were so close to me! Weren't you supposed to keep an eye out?"
"About that...I got distracted."
"What?"
"I got distracted by your snores." He grinned and I wanted to smack his grin off his face.
I gasped, "Stop lying. I don't snore! You snore, you big dickhead!"
Azriel's grin only widened at my outburst. "Oh really? I snore?" he said, his voice laced with amusement.
I nodded, my arms crossed over her chest. "Yes, you do. And it's not a pretty sound."
Azriel chuckled. "Well, I guess we're both snorers then. But you know what they say, Selene. Snoring is a sign of deep sleep. So we must be getting some good rest." He leaned over and ruffled my hair. My eyes widened and I felt my cheeks heating up even more.
"D-Don't do that!" I shouted. "So annoying, dickhea-"
"An-ah. Stop with profanities." He said casually, getting up from bed.
I couldn't believe how calm he was. Didn't he feel the same awkwardness and embarrassment as me? I sat there, trying to catch my breath and calm my heart down. Azriel walked towards the window and looked outside. His silhouette against the white snow made him look like a god of winter.
"I need to go and check on something outside. Stay here, okay?" He turned around to look at me.
I nodded quickly, trying to avoid eye contact. "O-Okay."
His lips curved up slightly as he walked out of the hut.
I curled up under the blanket, feeling the cold air creeping in through the cracks of the hut. I closed my eyes and tried to focus on the sound of my own breathing, hoping to drift off to sleep again. But my mind kept wandering back to Azriel's smile, his deep voice, and his warm touch.
"Ugh! He is so annoying." I whispered to myself.
Suddenly, Azriel appeared in front of me. "We can go. I don't think Abaddon is around the hut anymore. I checked."
"How did you check?"
"Tried to sense his aura. Wasn't there."
"You can sense auras?"
"Yes. I'll teach you how to too."
My eyes beamed with excitement. "That'd be cool." I whispered.
He nodded, "Well, come closer, I have to change the hut back to how it was."
"O-Okay." I went to him and closed my eyes.
I stood in front of Azriel, my eyes tightly shut, waiting for him to change the hut back to its original state. I could feel his presence close to me, his warmth radiating onto my skin. Despite being closed, my eyelids felt heavy, as if they were begging to be opened to catch a glimpse of him.
"We're here."
As I opened my eyes, I gasped in shock. The hut was in complete disarray, as if a storm had passed through it. The furniture was overturned, the walls were cracked, and there was debris scattered all over the floor. I looked around, my eyes widening with disbelief.
"Well, I should've figured he would do this." My guardian said.
"You'll fix it with magic, right?" I asked, turning to him with hope in my eyes.
But he shook his head, and my hope turned to despair. "No," he said, his voice heavy. "Magic won't fix this. He destroyed the heart of the hut. It's dying."
I stared at him, confused. "What do you mean? The hut has a heart?"
He nodded, and I could see little tears welling up in his eyes. "Yes," he said, his voice barely a whisper. "This hut had a heart. It was the core of its being, the source of its warmth and life. And now it's gone."
My eyes widened in shock as I took in my guardian's expression. His eyes were glistening with unshed tears, and I could see the pain etched deep into his face. Was he about to cry?
Without thinking, I stepped closer to him, my heart aching with empathy. I wanted to comfort him, to ease his pain. But as I neared, he must have noticed my expression, because he blinked, and when he opened his eyes again, the tears were gone.
I hesitated, unsure of what to say. But then he spoke as if reading my mind, his voice low and heavy. "Yes, it's real. It's my friend's heart. And it's dying."
I felt a surge of emotion welling up within me. This was not just a house, or even a friend's house. It was a living, breathing entity, infused with magic and love. And now it was fading away, like a flame flickering out in the wind.
"There must be a way we can save it!" I exclaimed loudly, my voice ringing with determination. "Where is it? What can we do?" I didn't know why but him being sad made my heart hurt.
"You want to help?" He looked at me.
"Y-Yes! Of course. If I can help."
"I want your magic." He stated, staring into my eyes as if unsure that I would give it to him.
I had magic? I nodded, "O-okay. How can I give it to you?"
"We have less time. But there is a way. We have to get the crystal from that cave."
"How much time...does the heart- your friend has?" I asked, my mind in a rush.
"He will have more...if you hold his heart." He looked at me hopefully.
I swallowed hard, understanding. If I held the heart, then it would stay alive for longer. But what would happen to me? Would I be able to handle the magic that flowed through it?