A court of shadow and spying (Azriel X OC)

The bathtub

The next few days were normal. Boring even.

The High Lord said it would be better to start with the mission in a few days, because a constant coming and going from the inner circle would bring too much attention. Since I announced I would offically join the mission, we would need to plan out my training lessons and our meetings in which we would share the information. Therefore, I continued with my normal daily routine, except that between my breaks I always waited for a certain shadow singer to come and teach me. He had been in my mind since the day they decided to make me the offer and even in some of my dreams he haunted me. He had made me feel safe and secure and now, when he wasn't here anymore I somehow was reminded of the Hewn City and it's characteristics. My reputation had not gone down since the day the inner circle had come. No, it had been raised, just as my High Lord had predicted, because even the Shadow Singer, the Illyrian bastard, wanted someone like me. Someone powerful wanted someone like me. My customers became more and more numerous and I had little time for myself. My body was almost always marked with bruises, not that any of my customers would have cared how I got to them. They were just content to add more.
Sometimes my job became a burden. Just now I noticed it extremely. I was always bruised and weak, barely able to carry myself to bed at night before the sun came up again the next day, but I fulfilled my part of the bargain by collecting more clients with influence, pretending to be innocent and submissive, and picking up something here and there about Keir's plans. But it was never something important, just convincing me that he did actually planned something.

 I was neither proud nor happy to have such a job, I never liked it, but it was getting harder and harder to do it with pleasure. Also, because a certain shadow singer wouldn't get out of my head. Every time I met with men to please them, I imagined he was there, taking me, but better and more beautiful than anyone could ever do. I quickly banished those thoughts, however. He had no interest; he had only chosen me that day because the inner circle had planned it that way for a while. What he had done, his touches that had put me in such turmoil, were certainly nothing to him. Just a little game. So, it shouldn't be anything more than that for me either. 
When I came back from my last client, broken and battered, it was already after midnight. I sighed and tried to prepare my body for at least a few hours of sleep. As I entered my room, I stripped off my tight dress, took off the rest of my underwear and went into the bathroom to draw myself a hot bath. I feel so shabby every time i came back from my customers, like someone who hadn't washed in days and had rolled in the dirt. When the water filled the edge of the pool, I climbed in and couldn't help a relieved groan.
'Finally', I said softly to myself. This was the only time I felt completely comfortable in my skin, when all the bacteria were washed off me and I could admire and relax my clear skin.
However, today did not seem to be one of my lucky days. For as I wet my hair and resurfaced, there he stood.
Enveloped in his shadows, barely noticeable to see, but just perceptible to me.
'Shadow singer', I said harshly, eyeing him as he did me. My body was covered by the foam of my bath additive, but I still didn't feel safe with him standing there, fully clothed, and me lying naked in the bathtub. It should not have bothered me, since being a prostitude literally made any nudeness a part of my job, but with him, something was different. I almost felt shy, even. Not that I would voice that out loud.
'How long have you been here?' I asked quietly, it was night so I didn't need to speak louder, I knew he heard me.
He looked at me for a moment longer before deigning to answer.

'Just a few minutes', he admitted, watching me as I shifted restlessly in water. I had never been shy around men, I knew what I had, but around him....
as said, somehow it was more intimidate with him. My body felt damaged and filthy when he let his eyes glide over it.

'I'm here to tell you when we train. It will usually be late at night or early in the morning so no one will notice you're gone.'

I just nodded.

'I will come get you and then we will go to a secluded training area and train there for an hour or two. Mostly every day, if not then I will contact you.'

I nodded again. That was all I could think of. I couldn't do more than agree with him.

'We start next week, get ready. I'll bring you training stuff and utensils to practice with.'
'Alright', I said quietly and sank back into the hot water again to relax.
'If you want something else, all you have to do is ask', I said softly, and the bitterness in my voice was hard to miss. I looked up at him, deep into his eyes, but I could not interpret what he was thinking. I closed my eyes and waited for him to leave and merge with his shadow. But he still stayed, looking, waiting, calculating.

'What, spymaster, is it that you want then?'
I said now, more sharply than I had intended.
What was it that he wanted? Why was he still here? I felt that anger again mixed with the desire I felt in my abdomen every time, that passionate tug towards him when he looked at me.

'Nothing Jenna, it's nothing.' Azriel said and completely disappeared into the shadows. I snorted in anger and despair at his behavior, but I forced myself to get out of the tub, dry off, and fall naked under my covers. And as soon as my head touched the pillow, I was asleep.

《Hope you enjoyed. More coming soon.》