A Court of Fire and Shadows.

chapter fourteen.

Elena and Noah had been in the sparring ring for over an hour, covered in dirt, blood,and saliva. But they did not slow, did not stop as they met each other blow for blow, legs straining, muscles aching. Neither of them had touched their magic, choosing to use good old fashioned fists and steel instead, working off all the frustration either of them had gained the past few weeks. 

It was like a ritual for them, to do this every few days, or whenever everything got too much. Whenever her title was too much weight, when everything threatened to pull her under, he'd help her pull herself out. Over and over again, until they were bloody and broken, but the grins on their faces were brighter than the sun.

The same grins that were on their faces now, as Azriel and Cassian paused their sparring to watch them as they sped up, each blow blurring into the next as they slashed and blocked and lunged, never taking their eyes off each other's blades. Completely matched, and gods was it beautiful to watch.

That is until Elena used one of the moves Belle had taught her, one Noah wouldn't know, ending with him on his back with his sword in Elena's hand, hers pointed directly above his heart. "Got you," she says with a grin, letting her guard down just before he swipes her legs out from under her, causing her to fall in a heap with a string of curses, Noah immediately upon her, holding her down. "Tsk tsk Lena. Letting your guard down so easy," He pouts down at her, tilting his head to the side. "What would Fenrys say?" He says, grinning slightly, still holding onto her. 

He realized her trap a moment too late, as she bared her teeth at him, using his weight to pull him forward and over her head, causing him to land with an oomph flat on his back. Elena letting out a cry of triumph as she rolled and pressed her knee to his chest. "Tsk tsk, Sun," she says mockingly, her smile brighter than it had been in a while. She'd needed this victory so desperately after the past few days, and Noah had realized that, letting her get past his defenses even as he scowled and pushed her knee away, taking the hand she offered. "That won't happen again," he says, scowl still on his face.

"If you insist," she says, rolling her shoulders and walking over to where there was a jug of water, pouring a glass and drinking a bit, before passing it to Noah. "Do you think they're scared of us yet?" Noah asks, nodding his head to where Azriel and Cassian had continued their sparring. "They haven't seen us play together yet, Noah. And they can hear every word we're saying. But- I can say for a fact that Cassian isn't General of the Night Court's armies just because he's pretty. And Azriel-" she pauses and looks at him for a second, watching the way he moved, "he didn't get where he is now for being pretty either." She looks back to Noah, who was watching them. "Good thing we didn't get where we are now for being pretty either. Although it's definitely a plus," he says with a grin, slinging his arm around Elena's shoulders and walking back towards the town house.

"See you ladies back inside!" Elena calls to the two males still going at it, her gaze lingering on Azriel before slipping back inside. His gaze stuck to her back as she walked away with Noah's arm around her shoulders, his jaw clenched. Staying like that for a few seconds, before Cassian whistled to get his attention, a knowing grin on his face. "Kill a couple of things together and you're already pussy-whipped," he drawls, swinging his sword in swooping circles. Azriel's only answer was a punch to the stomach as he walked past, wiping sweat from his brow with the other hand.

***

Azriel's day was already shitty enough. Now add some random Fae who looked like he wouldn't want Azriel within two feet of Elena - he'd called her Lena -, that just made it a whole lot worse. No, he wasn't jealous. Wasn't jealous of the fact he was getting all her smiles, all her laughs. And he certainly wasn't pussy-whipped, despite the amounts of times he's imagined her tattooing his name into the stuffy air of his bedroom. Just because he's thought of it a few times, doesn't mean Cassian's right.