shadows don't lie

Chapter Eleven

“Do not drop me.”

Azriel chuckled lightly at her misery, and she growled back at him half-heartedly.

They were high above Valaris, and she clung to him tightly, half out of fear, and half for his body heat.

She had agreed to go to the library this morning, but she hadn’t thought about how they would get there. She assumed they would winnow, but Azriel had explained that the library was warded against winnowing, and that not even Rhysand or Feyre could do it.

It had briefly made her feel safer, and she had reluctantly let Azriel pick her up, but she was regretting it now.

The air this high up was chill and she had only dressed in a thin sweater and leggings.

She glanced down at the ground far below as something caught her eye, and her stomach churned at the distance. Azriel noticed her discomfort.

“Try not to look down.” He shifted his arm a bit to better hold her, and her skin warmed where his hand now laid against her thigh.

She leaned her head against his shoulder and looked up ignoring the heat of his hands, and she watched the way his wings moved against the wind, all the muscles contracting and pulling with each flap.

Impulsively she reached a hand over his shoulder and brushed her fingertips against the warm muscle.

Azriel shuddered and she quickly pulled her hand back to look at him, worried that she hurt him somehow, but instead she found his face flushed slightly.

“Illyrian wings are extremely sensitive.” He mumbled, embarrasment thick in his voice, and she tilted her head slightly.

“Sensitive?”

His face only grew more red and she realized what he meant.

“Oh.”

She wrapped her arms around his neck once more and hid her now red face against his chest. “Sorry.” She muttered, and his chest rumbled as he spoke quietly.

“Illyrians are taught to protect their wings; especially the females. It’s usually taboo to touch them outside of the.. Bedroom.”

She blushed harder as the image of Azriel over her with his wings spread out unwittingly sprung into her mind.

“I didn’t know,” She said quickly, and he shrugged. “It’s okay, just keep that in mind around any of their kind.”

His wording caught her attention and she questioned, “Their kind?” She looked up at him to find him frowning.

“My kind. I have trouble with the wording sometimes.” She stored away that information as they neared what she supposed was the House of Wind.

There was a large group of people atop the large red stone building, all in different stages of training, and she felt a small pang of nostalgia at the familiar techniques. She recognized Nesta and Cassian helping out one small group of white clad females with their form, but everyone else was foreign to her.

Azriel landed next to the training ring in the center of the roof, and Cassian split away from the group to come greet them.

“Looking a little red there, Az.” The male spoke, a mischieveous grin growing on his face as Azriel rolled his eyes. Inei watched the two without interruption until Cassian turned towards her.

“Did you come to train with us? We could always use more soldires.” Inei looked away from him for a moment to study the female when she remembered why their techniques look so familiar.