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

Chapter 35 - Reunited

"You promised."

The laughter that bubbled out of Brianna's mouth could not stop, and she could feel her stomach beginning to ache in how just how much she was enjoying this.

She had compelled him, and it was harmless, just as promised. But, after Azriel had specifically requested that whatever she were to do wouldn't be ridiculous, Brianna simply couldn't resist otherwise.

And now she laughed, forgetting the soreness in her back, forgetting the day's ordeal. All she could think about was just how ridiculous the shadowsinger now looked, blinking away the tears of joy through her squinted eyes. And it was the look on the shadowsinger's face that got to her, as he attempted to scowl at her, though the position he was in was making it very hard for him to do.

Brianna's voice had floated its way into his ears, had sung sweet words and lodged a command into his mind. There was nothing he could do to stop it, nothing he could say to go against the words that danced round his mind, compelling him to obey, to yield at her command. He had felt helpless, like a puppet being pulled by invisible strings, but it didn't make him feel like he was being forced. Instead, her words had soothed him, made him want to do it, for her.

And now, Azriel was upside down, his entire body and wings swaying slightly as he supported his full weight on a single hand.

At first, she told him to do a cartwheel. And while Azriel scowled at her wide grin, he could do nothing but obey. And she had laughed, watching him awkwardly, yet somehow expertly perform a cartwheel within the spacious chamber, ending in a triumphant landing, arms up by his side.

Brianna had clapped at the spectacle, and then, because she truly could not help herself, and because she was far too curious to see just how proficient the shadowsinger could be in gymnastics, Brianna told him to a handstand.

And when he did, and he huffed and spat an absolutely harmless insult at her, to which she laughed again and ordered him to only use one hand.

"This isn't funny," Azriel muttered, craning his neck to see her, trying his best to keep his wings tucked in, though they were beginning to flare out to help keep himself balanced, "This is an abuse of power."

"This-" Brianna tried to speak between her giggles, wiping tears that fell from her eyes, making Azriel wonder just how hilarious this must be to her, "This is amazing. I didn't know you were so flexible."

"To be honest with you," Azriel said, a smile finding its way onto his lips, perhaps because he finally realised the absurdity in the situation, or perhaps it was because he shifted his head just right and caught sight of her dazzling smile, "I haven't done this since I was young."

"You're still young."

Azriel almost lost balance trying to catch her eye, "I'm five-hundred and thirty-eight."

Brianna blinked, angling her head at him as though she was thinking it over.

"Oh," she said, another smile forming on her face, "So you're an old man. This explains so much about you."

The shadowsinger's cheeks flared up red almost immediately at her words. But it had only made Brianna double on the laughter, watching how Azriel was now struggling to keep his balance, feeling more flustered than ever.

They didn't even hear the door creak open, or the footsteps of the High Lord as he walked into the room. The shield that Azriel had set must have still been up, and hadn't fallen when he had been compelled, muffling their voices and other noises contained within the room. Tarquin sensed the shield, but walked right through it. And, upon entering her chamber, he began to understand why it might have been set up by the shadowsinger.