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

Chapter 40 - Dread and Gloom

"Well?"

There was a pause that was deemed far longer than it should between Yohann's question and Brianna's answer, one that made the Syren General give her a look.

But Brianna's mind was fixated on the words Yohann had just said, on the words she knew Azriel could hear, hidden amid the shadows around them.

How are your cravings?

"They're fine," Brianna said, stilling her composure into nothing, until she became completely unreadable. That didn't sit well with Yohann, and he took another step toward her.

Then he took another step, faster this time, his hand shooting up to press against her forehead. His palm collided with her head, while his other hand held her face in place, his fingers squishing her cheeks together with the bit of force he used.

Brianna squirmed, immediately going to sway his hands away, letting out sounds of protest.

"Yohann, stop-"

"Hey," he interrupted, voice stern, though a smile still sported his lips, like he found the situation hilarious, like her squirming was nothing new to him, "If you're going to lie to me, then I need to check you for myself."

"I'm not lying," Brianna shot a glare at him, but Yohann only let out a small chuckle, not believing a word. Eventually she just rolled her eyes, let her shoulders sag, and allowed him to check her temperature.

It looked like two friends joking with one another, like Yohann was merely teasing her and Brianna protesting out of reluctance. At least, that is what it looked like to Azriel, only he knew that there was something else behind Yohann's motives, and that there was something like fear bubbling inside of Brianna.

But he couldn't possibly come out of the shadows now. He couldn't expose himself, for it would only result in Yohann finding out that Azriel knew so much of Brianna's true nature. And that was something Brianna surely did not want to happen. That and, something inside the shadowsinger wanted to linger, wanted to listen in, hear and see what exactly was going on here. Especially since Brianna had asked him to stay.

"You're warm, even for someone so cold blooded," Yohann joked, and this time Brianna successfully swatted his hand away, taking a step back.

"That isn't funny," she said to him, but he didn't look bothered by it.

Instead, his brows went back into that disapproving frown, though his eyes told her he was concerned.

"Alright, fine," Yohann said, crossing his arms together, "Then how are your cravings? And tell me the truth this time."

Brianna crossed her arms, her own brows drawing together into a frown.

This was nothing new. In fact, this was something that was done so often that she didn't mind it anymore. She was used to Yohann checking up on her, used to him and Dorian catching on to her triggers, the signs that made her tick.

When she had first turned, the check-ups were constant - multiple times a day, every day, for years. And then, over time, when she learned control, how to restrain herself, it was less regular, perhaps only once a month. And as the years went by, less and less.

But since the Hybern attack, since the day Brianna had unleashed herself, took down twelve ships and murdered all those soldiers, Yohann had been more cautious around her. Checking up on her once a week, taking her temperature, looking at her pupils, asking her all sorts of questions that may just ignite those triggers. To test that restraint, to see if she could still control herself.

And it was those questions that Brianna was mentally preparing for now, because she didn't doubt that he would ask them. And normally, once again, she would simply suck it up, she would hold herself together and try her hardest to answer. But right now, with Azriel so near to her, she didn't know if she could hold back.