Fire On Fire - Azriel's story - acotar

Chapter 9.

"It's been three days, get up," Cassian strode into Fallon's room and opened the curtains.

"Go away," she'd been resting for a while just to make sure her body wasn't burnt out.

He ignored her and threw some clothes on her bed, "Your first lesson stars in ten minutes."

Cassian leaned on the door frame, "And Azriel doesn't tolerate tardiness."

That had Fallon jumping out of bed, washing up, braiding her hair into a loose braid and getting dressed all in just five minutes. The loose clothes she was wearing were a nice change from Illyrian leathers. The pants were stale blue and flowy, the top of the same colour was cropped just below her ribcage, showing a little bit of her stomach.

Before heading to the library where Azriel was waiting, Fallon stopped at the kitchen and grabbed a muffin. It would be embarrassing if her stomach grumbled during the lesson.

She'd actually expected Rhys or Feyre to help her, but of course the High Lord and Lady had their own obligations.

Fallon opened the library door slowly, unsure what to expect honestly.

"Good morning," Azriel's deep, morning voice welcomed her and the nervousness faded a bit.

"Hey," she said as she sat down at the table opposite of him. It was already full of books and scrolls.

"Tea?" A tea pot and cups appeared out of nowhere.

Fallon nodded and took the cup Azriel offered, "How is this supposed to go?" She couldn't picture what magic lessons would look like.

"First of all," Azriel opened a book in front of him, "How are you?"

The causal question threw Fallon off a bit, but she collected herself, "Better," Azriel looked up to meet her eyes, "haven't burnt down any houses, so ..."

A smile tugged at the corner of Azriel's lips as he spoke, "Now that we know the origins of your fire, we can work on how to master it."

Fallon nodded - she wanted to control it. If it could harm others or her, if she didn't, well, she wasn't letting that even be an option.

The rest of the lesson was spent on learning the history of her powers, the Autumn Court and potentially learning something about why her mother had left.

---

On their eighth lesson, Fallon couldn't take it anymore.

"When am I actually going to use my powers?" She complained from the sofa in front of the fireplace in the living room.

All the others were gone, Rhys and Cassian dealing with Illyrians and the girls had gone out to dinner. And Fallon was getting fed up with all the theory.

Of course Azriel brushed her nagging away, "Can you tell me who is currently the potential heir to the throne of the Autumn Court and what his weakness are?" Azriel asked from the armchair on her right.

Fallon rolled her eyes at him, hoping he'd see how fed up she was.

Azriel put down the book he'd been reading and leaned closer to her, his arms resting on his knees. His warm breath brushed her skin, sending shudders through her as he spoke, "Can't you understand why this is so important?" Azriel's tone wasn't just tense, he sounded worried, Fallon thought.

"The only people who know of your powers are us and the Illyrian warriors who are so terrified of Rhys that they wouldn't dare say anything. That means you're safe, for now." Azriel pinched the bridge of his nose, "But if the Autumn Court found out and if you somehow ended up there, knowing your enemies is the first step to defeating them."

"So trust me when I say this is important," Azriel went back to his book, leaving Fallon stunned.

What if something like that could happen? What if they found out about her and wanted her to pay for her mothers sins? She'd never thought of it this way.

As if he could read her mind, Azriel said, "Don't worry, we wouldn't let anything happen to you," his hazel eyes were burning sincerity and care, and Fallon couldn't deny she too had come to care about him, about all of them, "But just in case."

Fallon understood. This could prove itself to be an advantage in the future. If reading a few books and learning about the Court that her mother'd abandoned could save her life, she'd do it. She didn't complain the following lessons, no matter how dreadful they were.

---

Fallon entered the library for another boring lesson on the Courts and was surprised to not find her teacher there. Strange, she thought. Azriel was always on time. That was one of the things she liked about him - he stayed true to who he was and if he wouldn't tolerate tardiness, he couldn't be late himself.

So he obviously had some urgent business to take care of. But as Fallon sat at the table she could see a piece of paper on it. No books, no scrolls, just a piece of paper.

Highest peak looking over Velaris.

She didn't bother hiding the smile on her face as she shot to the night sky, looking at the bright lights of her home beneath her.

This had to only mean one thing. She would finally use her powers. But the more she thought about it as she rose higher and higher, the more afraid she became. What if she wouldn't be able to control it?

Fallon located the highest peak, the city underneath on the left and the sea on the right. Even before she landed she could make out Azriel's wings, enlightened only by the moonlight.

Azriel said nothing as she sat down before him, only pulled out a candle from behind him.

"What, no explaining how to do this?" Fallon asked, hoping to distract herself from the tension she was feeling.

"Light it," Azriel responded, his features casting a shadow in the moonlight, making his cheekbones even sharper.

"Oh, that easy, huh?" Fallon's hands started shaking a bit and not from the slight cold breeze.

Azriel put his scarred hands on hers, and they were so cold, Fallon had trouble not flinching, "Relax, breathe, and direct your power where you want it to go."

She wanted to snap back at him that it wasn't so easy, but stopped herself. He clearly couldn't know how to control her powers - this was her responsibility.

Fallon took a deep breath and stared at the candle.

She stared and stared and stared as Azriel observed her patiently.

Maybe that was the thing, she thought, as she felt his eyes on her. He was disrupting her concentration. The way his chest expanded with each breath he took, the way his wigs moved every now and then, and the way his dark hair blew lightly in the wind.

"Can you please turn around?" Fallon just hoped he would take it the wrong way, like she wasn't grateful for his help.

Azriel stared at her blankly.

"I can't focus when you're watching me," she waited as Azriel's eyes widened slightly with understanding. A few months ago she wouldn't be able to notice the slight change on his face, but now she could read him without a second thought.

"Oh, right, well ..." Azriel's mouth caught. "I'll do a patrol lap and then come back."

Was he flustered? Fallon smiled to herself as he took off.

Deep breath and then another and -

A warmth caressed her face and she slowly opened her eyes.

A small flame was dancing against the dark of the night. Above she could feel Azriel circling around her and she swore she could see a bright moonlit smile looking down at her.

She did it. Granted, she'd only lit one candle, but she did that with just her mind.