A Court of Song and Shadow

Chapter 57

"You have to close your eyes first," Azriel says after we travel through his shadows. I make a face at him but he uses both of his hands to cover my eyes.

"This is ridiculous." I mumble as a broad smile appears on my face.

"This is your fault for giving me this idea." He whispers in my ear and his shadows twirl around as I feel his breath on the side of my face. He keeps his hands around my eyes as he guides me where to walk. We finally stop and Azriel takes his hands away from my face and I slowly open my eyes.

To see a horribly run down townhouse.

"This is mine?" I ask.

"Yes, I was thinking we could--"

"I love it!" I practically shout as I throw my arms around him--not letting him finish talking. He laughs as he puts his arms around me too, I pull back as I take the key and place it in the lock and I turn.

I open the creaky door to find it even more run down on the inside, broken wood floors and cobwebs lining the walls. There was at least some new furniture that Azriel must have put in--but I could picture it. I could picture turning this house into a home that could be lived in and enjoyed and cherished.

"You told me once when we were children that you always wanted a smaller house like that of your mothers in the camps. I know this is not the nicest one, but I figured we could make it our own and work on it--together."

"Az, I--" I cut myself off as I admire the house, not being able to form any words, "I do not even know how to thank you."

He looks at me with such happiness in his eyes that I knew exactly how to thank him.

I make my way over to him and lean up to slowly kiss him, "Thank you." I mumble into his lips. His only response is to deeply kiss me back and placing his hand around the back of my neck but he does not go any further than that. I realize he was waiting for me to give him permission--I slowly pull back from him as I begin lowering the straps of my dress--it slowly falls off of me and lands on the floor.  I watch as Azriel's eyes go from looking at the dress on the ground to slowly looking up the length of my body--my fully revealed body.

"What a shame about the dress." He says roughly and I give him a feline smile.

"What a shame."

Azriel does not waste any time as he brings me closer to him once again and our lips meet. Flames explode through my entire body at his light touch on my bare body, I move my hands to his shirt and begin to unbutton it--he helps as he continues to kiss me. Once most of the buttons are undone, I rip the shirt from his body--eager to feel his skin against mine. I go to push him against the wall--

And watch in terror as he falls right through it.

I let out a surprised laugh at the hole in the wall and the sight of him on the floor staring up at me in shock. The wall must have been deteriorating already, but the force I used to push Azriel definitely made him go right through the wall.

"We would have had to tear that wall down anyway." He says as I let out another laugh. I carefully walk through the hole in the wall to get to Azriel, and since he was already on the ground I sit down in his lap and lean down to kiss him once more--running my hands through his hair. He picks me up using one arm and walks me over to place me on my back on the bed.

"How convenient there is a brand new bed in this very old house, Azriel." I whisper against his lips and I feel him smile as he continues to kiss me. I practically claw at his back--more--I needed more of him, I needed all of him.

Because he was a song I have been waiting decades to sing.

Azriel pulls back just a little bit as he observes my face, and a muscle in his jaw flicks as his eyes begin lowering as he takes in my body once again. He begins to lower head again--but not towards my face. I let out a small whimper as his lips meet the inside of my thigh and I close my eyes as I let my head fall back on the bed. I could not--I could not wait.