A Court of Darkness and Melodies

Chapter 5

Azriel's POV

Azriel couldn't forget the feel of Gwyn's fingers brushing his hand. He couldn't forget her arms around her neck and the way she squeezed him. But mostly, he couldn't forget her face when Azriel had flown downwards, her delighted laugh, the feeling of pure ecstasy that had overtaken her and made her teal eyes hazy.

He knew she had heard him sing. In all five centuries of his existence, he had never let a single person hear him sing. And then Gwyn had sneaked up on him and he had seen the hastily wiped tears in her eyes as he'd opened the door.

He was glad she didn't meet his eyes after he flinched back from her touch. Then she would've seen the complete and utter anguish he had felt that was surely all over his face. 

Azriel felt pathetic. He hadn't felt like this in a long time. The worthless feeling was always there but the feeling to cry every time someone looked at him with even the barest of concern made him want to break down.

What he needed was a distraction.

*******

An hour later, Azriel sat in one of the cheapest bars of Velaris, his seventh wine glass in his hand. He saw many people giving him appreciative looks but no one had approached him yet. He glanced around the room, and saw a beautiful girl eyeing him. He smiled at her invitingly and she approached him boldly. He could sense people staring but he didn't care.

She stalked towards him and smiled prettily. He made space for her on the bench beside him and she sidled up close to him, placing a hand on his thigh.

"Hey, beautiful." He murmured, curling an arm around her shoulders and pulling her close.

"Hi." She whispered, her lips touching his ear.

 "You wanna go upstairs?" He asked her, his voice husky. She nodded, biting her full lip. 

He grabbed her hand, stood up and they made their way to the stairs. Tucking his wings in close, they made it halfway up the stairs before he pushed her back to the wall and walked closer to her until their bodies were touching in every place possible and their lips were about a hair's breath away. She smiled at him, and turning her face upwards, closed her eyes. As he leaned down to kiss her, he noticed someone watching them standing on the top of the stairs.

Then suddenly, it was Elain's upturned face underneath him, and not a man but Rhys standing at the top of the stairs and Azriel stumbled back. The girl didn't notice his absence and her face was still tilted upwards waiting for that kiss. Just like Elain's.

"I need s-some air." Azriel choked out and without waiting to see her face reaction, he turned and fled.

He left using the back entrance to the bar and as soon as the door shut close behind him, he threw up. Feeling dizzy, he leaned against the wall, telling himself it was the drinks that had made him sick, that had made him hallucinate Rhys and Elain. But he knew that was not the case. 

Feeling drunk, he launched up into the air to get to the House of the Wind, but his wings failed him and he collapsed mid-air. His head hit the concrete hard and he saw blood. Feeling helpless, he sprawled there in one of the abandoned back streets of Velaris and for the first time in a very long time, he couldn't stop the tears and they traced a track down his bloody face.

Before he knew it, he was weeping his heart out, and he lay there on the road until his tears finally stopped and the blood on his head dried up and the sun started to set. He just stared at a single spot on the road, his eyes vacant, until he heard footsteps running towards him and saw Gwyn's dumbfounded and worried face appearing in front of him before he let his eyes close with pain and exhaustion, hoping they wouldn't open again.

Word Count: 746

Here's a short chapter for you guys! I did not mean to upload today, but nor did I mean to make this chapter so EMOTIONAL Azriel in pain is something I ABSOLUTELY CANNOT handle so I brought Gwyn at the end. Next chapter will hopefully be a little longer and from Gwyn's point of view but until then I'll let you guys cry over this.

And btw, not an Elerial shipper, but the art I posted above was too gorgeous to let pass! Just imagine that as Gwyn lmao.

Thank you for reading! Don't forget to vote and comment!

-BookAddict79