A Court of Golden Shadow || Elain x Azriel

Chapter 9 - A Bargain

Elain stumbled through the curtains, drunk on fae wine, and unsure of where exactly she was headed when a flash of light caught her attention.

Blue sapphire siphons. Scars. Piercing hazel eyes. Shadows.

Azriel.

His name came to the forefront of her mind, and she felt instinct overtake her body. It was as if she could do nothing other than try to touch him. His instantaneous reaction to pull her close further intensified her yearning, and now she was here, drawing him into a small alcove in Helion's corridor for gods-only-knew WHAT sinister purpose, her body in complete control over her mind, the fae wine no doubt influencing her decisions as well.

Dragging him behind the silky curtains, the space was dark, the only light being the glow from the exterior torches. It was barely large enough for two fae, let alone a winged fae as tall and broad as Azriel, forcing them to stand close.

"What are you doing?" He whispered, his gleaming hazel eyes guarded with suspicion and uncertainty.

"I could ask you the same thing" she replied, nodding her head towards his enormous wings, causing the Shadowsinger to drop his gaze, a dark blush rising to color his cheekbones.

A moment of silence passed, and Elain found herself leaning forward, slightly dizzy and unfocused from the pure undiluted pleasure of having Azriel standing so close to her: his scent and warmth even more intoxicating than the alcohol she had just downed. Elain's brown eyes dragged across his short obsidian hair, down toward his strong jaw, tanned neck, broad chest... and the scarred hand that she was still holding. She absentmindedly rubbed her thumb along a thick scar, drawing herself even closer to his warmth.

Clearing his throat and swallowing, Azriel angled away from her slightly, facing toward the curtain.

"You looked nice dancing with Lucien." He remarked quietly, avoiding her gaze, a glimmer of resentment rimming his eyes.

"Oh really?" She purred, her voice taking on a playful edge.

She realized hazily that she had no desire to talk about Lucien. It was Azriel and only Azriel that she cared to think about at this moment. It was a dangerous thought, but not wholly unfamiliar to her.

"If I was so pleasant to watch, why did you need fly away, Shadow Dancer?"

"Shadow Dancer? I'm a Shadowsinger." He replied, matching her edge, a smile crinkling his eyes. He let out a dramatic sigh, a mock offended expression lilting his smile. "Gone for only one day and you've already forgotten about me."

"Firstly, I could never forget about you." Elain's voice dropped slightly, as she took a step toward him. "And secondly, I've yet to hear you sing OR see you dance, so for all I know, you're just 'Shadows' period."

She cocked her face to the side, raising a brow, and pointed a finger into his chest, coming close enough that he could see down her dress if he but glanced downward. They were chest to chest, and she could hear his heartbeat racing, his scent heady. She felt her breasts push up against him, and vaguely recognized that he was not wearing his typical leathers, but some sort of thin gauze shirt. Her nipples hardened, feeling his warm skin through the fabric. Without considering anything other than the intense need to be near him, she leaned even closer, pressing her breasts into his chest, her chin raised to his beautiful face.

"I see that Day Court Elain has a slightly different flavor," Azriel drawled, glancing down at her mouth with a slow smile.

And before she could stop herself, Elain smirked right back at him, lowering her eyes to his lips, and whispered "how would you know when you've never tasted her?"