Let's see what Azriel was doing in Hybern at the end of Mist and Fury:
Growling at Jurian for calling Mor a liar
“Liar,” Jurian crooned. “You were always such a liar, Morrigan.” Azriel growled, the sound unlike any I’d heard from him before.
Getting ready to fight their way out
My blood ran cold. Cassian and Azriel crouched into fighting stances, but Rhys cocked his head.
Faster than any of us could see, Jurian fired a hidden ash bolt through Azriel’s chest. Mor screamed.
We knew the king wasn’t bluffing. It’d take one move on their part for Azriel to die.
Hanging between them, Azriel tried and failed to lift his head.
Preparing to fight while also trying not to die
Even Azriel was subtly moving a bloody, scarred hand closer to his blades. His blood pooled at the edge of my boots.
Raging at the thought of Jurian killing Mor
Jurian’s sword was already out—and he was looking at Mor as if he was going to kill her first. Azriel’s blood-drained face twisted with rage as he noticed that stare.
**Elain and Nesta are brought out**
"...My powers ensconced their court from prying eyes, just to show them the benefits.” A smirk at Azriel, who could hardly lift his head to snarl back.
Still dying, but make it to stop Mor from attacking
Mor, on her knees beside Cassian, hurtled for the king with a cry of pure wrath. He sent a punch of power to her. She dodged, a knife angled in her hand, and— Azriel cried out in pain. She froze. Stopped a foot from the throne. Her knife clattered to the floor.
Snarling at the King as he approaches Mor
Azriel’s head lifted from where he was sprawled in his own blood, eyes full of rage and pain as he snarled at the king, “Don’t you touch her.”
Mor looked at Azriel—and there was real fear there. Fear—and something else. She didn’t stop moving until she again kneeled beside him and pressed a hand to his wound. Azriel hissed—but covered her bloody fingers with his own.
Dying again, to stop Rhys this time
I twisted—only to have the king’s guards grab me from behind. Rhys was instantly there, but Azriel shouted, back arching as the king’s poison worked its way in.
**Elain is dragged and thrown into the Cauldron**
**Elain comes out of the Cauldron**
**Nesta goes into the Cauldron**
**Lucien whispers that Elain is his mate**
**Feyre breaks the wards, the Feysand bond "breaks"**
So I looked—just once—at Rhysand, and Cassian, and Mor, and Azriel. They were already looking at me. Faces bloody and cold and enraged. But beneath them … I knew it was love beneath them.
Y'know what I got from rereading this... Obviously that Azriel was super concerned about Elain, who was allegedly supposed to be his mate if he wasn't dying when she was turned. I reallllllyy get that vibe from the way he was almost entirely focused on Mor.
The E/riel breadcrumbs really have been their the whole time guys... We're were just too blind to see it 😔
