A Court of Golden Shadow || Elain x Azriel

Chapter 36 - Summoned

"I used to wonder, after being Made, how I would ever recover from my broken heart." She smiled, embarassed at her former self. "And now, I feel like I never even had a whole heart until I found you."

Azriel seemed to glow in the light of her words, his shadows nowhere to be found as they shared their whispering words, the House silent beyond their room, Nesta and Cassian off somewhere together, only the flicker of the candle and the fire in the fireplace crackling in the room. Elain pulled herself up suddenly, leaning back against the headboard with her knees tucked in front of her, her arms encircling her legs.

She closed her eyes, her voice small before opening them again, her gaze blazed toward the Shadowsinger. "But what about my vision? I know we haven't talked about it since we've.... been enjoying ourselves..." She rolled her eyes at his devilish smirk. "But it doesn't change the fact that I saw it. The red hair... I saw her– your mate. And the Blood Duel... what if Lucien calls for the duel? I don't want to see you fight like that–not over me. It's all so complicated." She frowned, shaking her head in frustration, her arms wrapped tight around her knees.

"Hush." Azriel shushed her, scooping her into his arms and back under the blankets, her head under his chin, his hand making circles on her shoulderblades. "Shhh. Remember? Come what may, together we'll live."

She breathed out her sigh, falling into his arms, repeating his words in a whisper. "Together we'll live."

"Truthfully, sometimes, I think it's strange that you aren't my mate..." Azriel mused, his arms still holding Elain to his chest. "When I lost you today... I nearly flattened Velaris." Elain nodded, urging him to continue. "And our connection seems no different from Cassian and Nesta. Honestly, having lived with mates..." he let the sentence hang in the air.

"Trust me, I sympathize. I lived with Rhysand and Feyre remember? In that tiny townhouse? At least in the House of Wind, there's some distance..." Elain rolled her eyes as she let out a sparkling laugh.

"Hey, I like the townhouse!" Azriel laughed, pulling her away from him to smile at her.

"Really? I didn't know that. But me too. I miss my small garden there."

"You know that was the first place I felt like I truly loved you." Azriel spoke the words with solemnity.

"Where? In the gardens? As I was boring you to death with my blueprints?" Elain blushed, giggling and burrowing deeper under the blankets. "I genuinely believed you liked plants, but now I see that you just liked me!"

"I DO like plants!" Azriel bellowed, laughing and burrowing beneath the blankets as well, grabbing Elain as she squirmed away. "I mean now I do... having listened to you speak about them for ages... I've grown rather fond."

Flinging back her head in mock-offense, Elain gasped and turned away, removing herself from his arms. "Well don't think you're escaping future discussions on plants. In fact, I missed out on the rare opportunity to grow an heirloom family of cactus while I was in Patras because I was so busy pining over YOU. "

She laughed again, tumbling into his arms.

"You find me more mesmerizing than a rare family of cacti? Elain, I've never been seduced with such charming compliments in my life!" Azriel gasped, his mocking silliness causing Elain to fall into a fit of giggles. "But when did you begin to fall in love with me?"

He asked the question so earnestly, so sweetly, that Elain could not help but glow beneath his gaze, her breathy laugh halting as she recalled the memory. Something told her that this was the first time Azriel had ever asked another fae such a question.

"Well, I have to say that it was before our hands grazed as I was passing you a plate on Solstice, but after you rescued me from Hybern." She answered honestly, gazing at him with all the love within her heart.