Into the Shadows - ACOTAR / ACOMAF - Azriel x OC

Chapter V - Day I

I whirled around before reaching the body, shoving the Illyrian with as much force as I could muster. He took a controlled step back and used his wings to brace against my push.

"He wasn't close enough yet," his narrowed eyes searching mine, his hands back on my shoulders holding me steady.

"I was bait?" I huffed, enunciating harder than necessary on the last word.

"Perhaps if your stomach didn't growl as loud, the Naga wouldn't have targeted you," his voice had a mocking ring to it.

I clumsily moved my hands in an attempt to slap him but he grabbed my wrists and held them away from his face. I struggled against his grip drawing his attention to my wrists as I then jump kicked, my foot finding sweet release in his groin.

He dropped my hands and coiled over. "You're an asshole" I spat to him before finally going to look at the Naga's body. The dagger was pinned too high for me to reach. I watched as his black blood poured from the wound. His eyes still seemed to be trained on the spot I was previously standing on.

I turned and walked back to the Shadowsinger, his lips were pursed and his eyes were gleaming with anger and... something else I couldn't read. "You know, most people just say thank you when their life gets saved" he spat onto the ground, still slightly breathless from my attack.

"Most people don't get used as bait" I countered, keeping my distance as he stood and went to retrieve his precious dagger. A dagger I would like to throw off the cliff into the ocean if it meant pissing him off further.

He stalked back to me, stopping so close and angling his head down to look into my eyes. We were sharing breath. "Your kick would have been stronger if you had eaten something today"

I opened my mouth to make a retort, but his sentence was not what I was expecting and I quickly closed it again. "Also, you should have kneed me rather than a kick. You would have had more power and the manoeuvre would have been less clumsy" he drawled. His eyes still glimmering with that mysterious emotion and a small twitch playing at the corner of his lips.

Was this idiot male really telling me how to kick someone in the balls? I didn't care that he was an Illyrian with 7 Siphons, his unwarranted advice could go fuck itself as far I was concerned. I returned his twitching smile and said in a sweetly sick voice "duly noted."

I moved again to knee him in the balls, but he caught my strike.

"That was painfully obvious" he retorted. I growled at him.

I forced my knee out of his grip, slamming my foot down, as I quickly twisted my hands to the ground behind me and used the momentum to kick up with my free leg, knocking him straight in the jaw.

He stumbled back hitting hard into the tree behind him. He blinked and narrowed his gaze, using his arm to keep him steady after the blow.

"And was that just painful?" I taunted. He stared at me for a few seconds before lightly snorting and rubbing his chin.

"When did you learn to fight?" He asked, his eyes no longer showing anger, but that other mysterious glimmer remained and from the smirk donning his golden lips, I would have thought he seemed impressed.

I swallowed. "Why are you taking me to the Court of Nightmares?" I replied instead. The playful look dropped from his gaze.

Conversation over.

He stalked past me walking in silence. I guess it was going to be a game of tit for tat.

I tried to remain focused on detailing a plan of action. Trying to work out how to get information and weigh up what opportunities I might have if I did make it to the Court of Nightmares. If they were simply going to kill me, they would have done it by now.

The Shadowsinger would have done it by now. But clearly, they wanted me for something... Maybe they also believed that I was a powerful weapon that they could yield. I thought about ways to gain the upper hand, and getting one of his blades seemed like the best option.

Although it also seemed the most unlikely. He would never part with the notorious Truth Teller and for me to wield the massive Illyrian sword strapped to his strong back...

I blinked furiously clearing my mind of what his back might look like without a shirt. He was so well-muscled...

If I wasn't visualising his no doubt perfect body, I found myself picturing his hazel eyes with that playful glimmer. The way his lip twitched when he teased me. My body and mind were not listening to the reason and logic that had guided me through my life. But still, I could feel the warmth of his hands on my shoulders, his touch... I had to forcibly shiver to get rid of the thoughts and squash the warm glow that flickered in my chest.

He stopped again and turned around slowly. The sun was setting and the arid yellow tinge had turned to a purplish hue. His dark shadows were returning and they all seemed to dance around his body as if they were moving to music only they could hear.

He strolled towards me taking off his cloak.

"I'm not cold" I informed him, a bit more bite to my tone than I intended, as he started to place it over my shoulders. But I suddenly felt embarrassed that maybe he knew what I had been thinking.

"You're shivering" he replied, and I had to bite my lower lip to stop myself from reacting to my own shameful desires. Something dark flashed through his hazel eyes and one of his shadows playfully lurched towards me whilst he secured the cloak around my shoulders.

Warmth radiated into my bones along with sea salt and figs. My toes curled in my boots.

I didn't say anything, didn't trust whatever might pour out of my mouth if I opened it again, so all I could do was stare and try as hard as possible to maintain that mask of indifference. I wasn't going to thank him.

I'm his responsibility and hostage, his problem. And I had no intention of making it easy for him. He narrowed his eyes in response and let out a small frustrated sigh. "You can give it back to me once we reach the cave" he muttered and with that, he turned and continued to walk on.