A Court of Shadows and Thunder // AzrielxOC SlowBurn Romance, ACOTAR FanFiction

Chapter 33 - Buried Secrets

The sun shined down through the pale blue curtains, right into the Syren's face, making her squint and groan. She pressed a palm to her forehead, feeling the effects of the heavy drinking that she endured the night before, recollecting bits and pieces of what had happened.

Brianna didn't drink much. Or at least, she tried not to. Because she knew she couldn't handle her liquor well, and she knew her limits when it came to indulging. But when Helion kept shoving drinks into her hands, when Tarquin kept dragging her onto the dance floor, celebrating the night, the alliance, and all other things that there possibly was to celebrate, Brianna completely lost track of time.

She remembered laughing a lot, until her cheeks were burning red, until her stomach hurt with glee. She remembered Helion making a fool of himself when he had tried to make Azriel dance with him, and how the shadowsinger had flat out refused, despite the High Lord's many attempts.

Brianna sat up, letting out another groan, feeling far more nauseous than she thought she was. She cursed herself for letting herself go like that, for allowing herself to drink and get drunk to such an extent, to the point where she was now waking up still within the Summer Court, and not back in her chamber in the Night Court. It was only meant to be a simple dinner, and it had escalated in ways that Brianna truly didn't expect. Maybe it really was the company, or the fast-acting effects of the alcohol, but Brianna had never been so trusting amid a crowd of strangers as she was last night.

The Syren blinked away the light from her eyes, now taking the time to look round her room. It was heavily decorated, as if the ocean had swept through the room, leaving behind remnants of its passing. Paintings of the sea at every corner, corals, seashells on every cabinet, every shelf. There was no mistaking where she was, that was clear. Even the bedding imitated the ocean's waves, with different shades of blue sheets layered on top of one another, and numerous cream coloured pillows sat like sand dunes surrounding her in a disarray, no doubt by her own doing.

And then Brianna's eyes fell on a large deep blue couch that sat in the middle of her vast chamber, or rather, on the person who was still asleep upon it. And the Syren felt her heart quicken when she recognised those bat-like wings that stuck out from the top of the couch, and that head of black hair she could see resting on its end.

Brianna immediately sat up, her hand resting on her lap, feeling the smooth fabric of the gown she was still wearing. She looked down at her feet, noticing how she was now bare-foot, and the satin gold slippers she wore were laying by the foot of her bed.

Her mind was reeling, and her cheeks heated up instantly when she suddenly remembered what had happened. Brianna felt her chest tighten at the bits and pieces she could recollect - that Azriel had been the one to bring her here, to plop her down on this bed, as well as to kick the High Lord of the Day Court out of this chamber when he had tried his best to remain.

Though, she couldn't remember much after her body had hit the plush bed. She couldn't remember Azriel leaving, and now, it was clear to her that he had never left. And, standing up now, ever slowly creeping up toward him, she noticed how the shadowsinger seemed to be in a similar state as she was.

Azriel was still dressed in that elegant tunic he wore last night, though much of it had been unbuttoned, exposing his chest, as well as those swirling black tattoos upon it. His hair was an absolute mess, almost like a bird's nest, but Brianna looked at his face, and couldn't help but see how peaceful he appeared.

It was so unlike the last time she had ever seen him asleep, albeit the only time. Brianna's cheeks blushed once more at the thought, or rather, at the circumstances in which that had happened, for she had truly been a creep to sneak up on him in that way.