The beginning of Gwyn and Azriel

I Could Never Give You Peace

  Azriel was dumbstruck while staring at the Priestess. 

  The sun was shining directly into her teal eyes and she was leaning her head against the warmth. Gwyn had drifted closer to him as they walked through the forest of spring. He almost held his breath, scared that even one noise may scare her away.

  But his shadows began to lick around her skin as she glowed.

  The look on her face almost sent him to his knees.

  And he instantly damned his entire existence because he could never be the person to give her such peace.

  Not with his scarred hands...

  Not with his horrendous past and existence...

  Azriel tried to pull himself together as they neared Tamlin, but he found his lips continuously parting, attempting to reveal to her about what a wonder she was to him.

 But they had arrived in front of the beast and Azriel pushed away his thoughts.

 "Welcome, Shadowsinger.... and daughter of Calanmai," Tamlin's beast grumbled.

 "Please follow me," the beast turned and began his ascent to the estate.

  The two of them followed him in silence.

 "A few weeks ago, I had decided on ensnaring a Suriel found in the dark forest. I needed an answer to a very important question you see," Tamlin paused, taking a breath.

"As I had it captured, it became wild and violent. I had seen many Suriel's along the years...but this one was different. It was angry at being entrapped...and shed a curse onto me in spite," Tamlin turned to us.

 "This Suriel was devoured by shadows, just like yours, Shadowsinger."

 "How does this affect us, and our courts?" Azriel asked.

  Tamlin turned, unable to meet their eyes, and began to walk again. 

 "It seemed that this curse did not only turn onto me...but onto other High Lords. This curse, is poisoning the courts of the High Lords that have been touched. People are going mad...the crops are destroying...the water supply lessening."

"The effects are not extreme yet, but I fear it may spread. I am now cursed into my form as a beast and have lost control of my entire Court."

  Tamlin churned his head towards Azriel.

 "I need a Shadowsinger to hunt the shadowed Suriel. I need to find a way to break this curse before it has begun." 

 "Why did you ask for me to come?" Gwyn finally spoke to him for the first time.

  Tamlin gave her his full attention. "I do not trust a son of Night in my Court without a daughter of Spring by his side."

 "Why should we help you?" Azriel snarled. 

 "You know the answer to that already. We would not want another fifty year curse..." Tamlin almost shook at the mention of that curse. As if he had not fully healed from the last one...

  Azriel withheld his objections as he allowed the beast guide them into his home. As they entered the exceptional estate, Azriel had to cough away the dust that stormed the halls.

  The once beautiful and elegantly detailed house was now a mess of white drapes and dust. Tamlin's head seemed to bow, as if the sight of his home, now embarrassed him. 

  He almost felt for the Male. Almost.

 "And as for ensnaring it again in general, the methods I used or the one's that Feyre once used.." his voice caught at the mention of her.