A Court of Fire and Shadows.

chapter seven.

Elena woke with a groan, her hunger cutting into her stomach like a blade. Reaching a hand up to wipe the sleep from her eyes, moving to get to her feet, arching her back in a stretch. She trudges over to the door, not bothering to put anything else on besides the pyjamas she had on now, just a silk vest with matching shorts, but reaches into her bag to pull out a golden ring on a chain, reaching back and clasping it around her neck.

She hums under her breath as she walks, back down the corridor, finding her way to the kitchen, tearing off a piece of bread from a loaf. 

"What are you doing up?" a voice asks from behind her, and she turns with a raised eyebrow. He'd managed to sneak up on her, but she simply blamed it on the time.

"I could ask you the same thing, Shadowsinger," she says, trying not to stare at the man in front of her, which was proven rather difficult as he had no shirt on. Miles and miles of tanned skin, flecked with scars and packed with muscle. He was leaner than Cassian, taller too. Her eyes caught on those glorious wings rising behind him, as breathless as she was when she'd first gotten a good look. He catches her gazing at them, and returns a raised eyebrow, moving to sit down on the counter. 

"Wait—what is it you can actually do? Rhysand said you were a Shadowsinger, and that they were rare, but that's about it. I've never heard of it before," she says, moving to sit on the counter across from him, tearing a piece of her bread and passing it to him, which he takes with a small chuckle.

He finishes the piece in one bite, before he holds out a hand, almost tentatively, as if she was going to run away. Her eyes sweeping over the scars covering his fingers, his palm, not an inch of smooth skin. But she didn't run away, just gave him a small smile, "Are you going to demonstrate, or are we just going to sit here all night?" She asks, a small laugh falling from her lips. 

Azriel rolls his eyes, his body deflating as if relieved before she focused on his hand, and the shadows that seemed to be grouping in the palm that faced the ceiling. Watching as they began to dance around his hand, before going into the air, and back into the shadow of the doorway he'd seemed to pull it from. 

It was beautiful, she realized. Those shadows were beautiful, as was the man in front of her. As much as she'd like to forget about the way he'd looked at her when she hadn't flinched away from his hands. Those were beautiful too. "Do they talk to you?" she asks softly as they appear again, curling around his ears. "Sometimes," he answered, not offering up any more information. Noted.

"Your turn, Princess," he says, leaning back against the cupboard behind behind him, and her lips tilt up at the edges. "They don't talk to me like I assume yours do," she stated after a few seconds, before shaking her head slightly, as if banishing a thought from her mind.

And now she held up her hand, her slim fingers littered with small scars here and there, rough with callouses from various weapons. A split second later, there was fire at her fingertips. Moving it along her hand, like a snake weaving between her fingers, up her arm and across her shoulders. His eyes watching it as it moved from her body to his, as he slowly lifted a hand and the small flame danced along his palm, between his fingers like it had done to her. It didn't burn him, but merely left a warm trail over his skin. "Beautiful," he breathes, as he lifts his hand to be level with his face. Before it slowly slid off his skin, and back to Elena, who was glad it was dark enough he couldn't see the way her cheeks flushed. 

Azriel's voice was quiet as he asked, "I know you've only been here a few hours but— do you miss it? Your home I mean. Cauldron knows I'd miss Prythian. And you came here all alone-" he starts, but Elena just chuckles gently and for a second, Azriel thinks that may be the loveliest noise he'd ever heard. 

"Yes, I miss it. Enough to ache, actually, despite it only being a few hours. I didn't think I would. And surprisingly enough, I don't feel that alone, not right now at least," she says, realizing he could definitely see her blush now. Hopping off 'her' counter, and moving to lie on her back on the floor. "Oh come on," she says as she saw him just looking down at her with a puzzled expression. "By the Wyrd- just lie down," she says with a huff, and he finally obliges, after she gives him a swift kick to the shin laying next to her, their shoulders touching, staring at the blank ceiling.

"Tell me about it," he says, his voice soft and she nearly didn't catch what he was saying. "Tell me about your parents, your court. Tell me about your kingdom, Princess Galathynius," he says, and she turns her head to the side, her eyes meeting his. "As you wish, Spymaster," she says, equally as mockingly.

And she did. She told him about her mother and father, about her family. About Oakwald Forest, where she'd learnt to shield herself from falls by tumbling out of tree after tree. About Ilium, about Perranth, Orynth, about the Stag of the North. The beautiful kingsflame, and her voice shone with pride as she told the story about why it had bloomed, about her mother being queen. All the while making shapes in the air with her fire, showing him the castle, the Florine River, all of it.

By the time her eyelids began to droop, her voice was hoarse from talking, and the sun had just begun peeking out over the horizon. Feeling a pair of arms lift her up from the floor, holding her to his chest. She couldn't remember the last time she'd been held, and this was rather nice, as she moved her face to rest just above his heart, hearing how it was beating steadily, calmly. Smiling gently against the warm skin, before slipping off again. She was asleep by the time he had put her into her bed, and leaned forward to kiss her forehead gently. 

Just once, he'd told himself. That was it, all he'd allow himself to do. Pausing by the doorway to get a last look at her, how peaceful she looked. How lovely with her hair spread out around her head like a halo. Shaking off the shadows that whispered as he walked out and slowly shut the door, leaving the sleeping princess inside.

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word count - 1211

hey guys, new chapter already ahah, hope you're enjoying the story so far. the updates won't really be very regular, as i kind of just write whenever i can, but ill try to get a schedule down.