Listen, if someone can just tell me why/how Azriel knows that Cassian would feel it if Nesta was dead, I'll shut up forever.
I'm definitely willing to accept that this is another literary, figurative way to just say "Oh, you'll know in your heart if she's alive or not."
But this is magic fae world with mating bonds that can be felt. With love, attraction, lust, anger, sorrow, all emotion basically being able to be felt through the mating bond between a pair.
So I ask again - how does Azriel know? He taps Cassian's chest and says, "Right here–you'd know, Cass."
Like?? Hello?? How does he have the exact coordinates to this feeling?? What is giving him GPS powers??
Could it be-perhaps-that he knows because he has felt it before?
But when could he have felt such a feeling, if he does not have a mate? How?
It's haunting me, truly. I'm sitting here trying to think how this man would know what that feels like, and I've come to two conclusions:
Maybe Mor is his mate, and he felt that same feeling of emptiness in his chest when she was left beaten/with nails in her stomach from her failed betrothal to Eris. It was a traumatic moment for her, and Azriel has always been ready to defend her honor.
But this situation still doesn't make sense. If they were mates, how is he able to move on from Mor after 500 years? Cassian notes Azriel seemed to have moved on in ACOSF. Mor seems to be perfectly fine and well, so it's not like she has been in any danger since that would imply that's the reason why Azriel knows what a mating bond going silent feels like
OR, and in my opinion, the far more likely theory:
When Elain went into the Cauldron, Azriel was shot by a faebane arrow. Or whatever poison it was that snuffs out all magic, including the bond. He was basically dead to the world. Maybe there was some kind of bond that was supposed to snap between them, and so when Elain went into the Cauldron, it assigned her to a different male, after presuming Azriel as dead.
Maybe that dormant bond still lingered, even when Elain was taken by Hybern. When they put those chains on her, that also snuffed out all magic. Maybe that's when Azriel noticed he couldn't feel Elain anymore. Maybe that's why he was so, so desperate to get her back. To get those chains off her, even though his wings were shredded. Maybe that's how he knows what that emptiness in your chest feels like when you lose your mate.
What is very interesting about the Hybern/Elain's chains situation is that she was still mated to Lucien during that. And yet, Lucien did not magically arrive at their camp (he knows where they were, he arrived like the next day smh), and declare he was going to get her back. He can winnow. He can sense the bond, that thread between him and Elain. Where was he, when he got that emptiness in his chest? When he presumably sensed his mate was gone? He did not act like Cassian when Nesta got taken for the BR. He did not go insane, demanding he needs her back. He did not even attempt to send word or check in with Feyre/Rhys. No, that was all Azriel.
And please do not reply to this with "Oh, well how do you know he didn't do any of that?" um. because if SJM did not mention it on the page, why should I consider that a possibility at this given time? She has no reason to not mention that. In fact, if she were going for Elucien, it would have been a great way to show Elain the perks of the mating bond and have her become more accepting of it, but Lucien was. not. there.
Those are the only two times we've seen Azriel lose his cool. When it's situations around Mor's honor, and now situations with Elain. Not going to even bother commenting on Gw*n, as Azriel has not shown any reaction to her despite being around her every day in ACOSF and barely acting phased and going to save Eris instead when the girls were taken to the BR. Like, completely wrong redhead, my dude.
Personally, I would like it more if Elriel weren't actually mates, and still chose each other. But this whole mating bond thing with Lucien/Elain/Azriel is so suspicious to me. I need some answers Sarah!!
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