The Whispers of Shadows - Azriel

41

Aurora nearly choked on the champagne. Red coated her face. "Oh, okay. Um, maybe I will take you up on that," she coughed out. Nesta laughed and stood.

"Enjoy the book, let me know if you ever want to join in. I'm sure you know by now that we normally are up to something most of the day," she winked as she went towards the door. Aurora watched Nesta leave, unable to fight off the redness that covered her face. It was an interesting suggestion, one she wasn't opposed to.

To clear her mind, Aurora shifted up to the headrest of the bed, champagne in hand and the book rested on her thighs. She began the story, sipping the champagne every once in a while. It grew hot very quickly, the females meeting in a brothel in the third chapter. Aurora was hooked, now curious how much of this Mor had done.

Before she'd realized it, she was halfway done with the book and the afternoon had come. Aurora stretched out her legs and sat the empty champagne bottle on her nightstand. She'd missed lunch and her stomach made sure she knew. With a heavy breath, Aurora tucked the mark into her book and padded to her bedroom door.

As she opened the door, her eyes widened at what she saw. Azriel and Elain were at the end of the hall, where she guessed Elain's room was. Elain was on Azriel's hips, her back pressed into the wall. Their lips were devouring each other. Aurora felt anger and jealousy rise within her, the bond making her want to tear Elain's head off, but Aurora knew that it didn't take one to kiss. Azriel was the one holding her onto his hips.

To make herself known, Aurora slammed her door shut. Azriel pulled his lips from Elain as he looked over at her, Elain kissing his neck now. Aurora lifted a brow and turned, marching down the stairs. Nesta was walking out of the sitting room with a glass of wine and a book tucked under her arm.

"Hey! How's the book so far?" Nesta asked, matching Aurora's steps to the kitchen.

"It's good," Aurora responded shortly. Nesta gave her a strange look.

"What's going on?"

"I just saw Azriel and Elain practically fucking in the hall outside of my room," Aurora snapped. Nesta's eyes widened and she handed Aurora her glass of wine as they entered the kitchen. Aurora took it gratefully and down the remaining liquid.

"So he hasn't decided to just be with you? What a fucking idiot," Nesta grumbled, filing through a cabinet and pulling out a bottle of wine. She shook it lightly when she saw Aurora's confused stare. "Rhysand locked the cellar, I started grabbing what I could and hiding it in the cabinets."

"Anyway, he hasn't spoken to me since this morning. He told me that he can't imagine going back to how things were, telling me he doesn't want me to push him away. I didn't expect this," Aurora groaned, leaning onto the table. Nesta popped open the bottle and poured the red wine into the glass, and then handed Aurora the bottle.

"Piss him off, then. Tell him what I told you earlier. That'll really make him jealous," Nesta suggested. Aurora watched as she sipped her wine, then drank from the bottle.

"I will if he says anything to me. For now, I want to get drunk," Aurora sighed, tipping back the bottle.

"I second that. I've hidden a few more bottles, let me grab you some," Nesta grinned, setting her glass down and going back to the cabinets. She pulled out three more bottles, one of white wine, which she handed Aurora immediately. Having already finished the champagne, these two bottles would have her blacked out pretty quick. Aurora gave Nesta a salute of thanks as she turned and began her trek back to her room.

As she made it halfway, Cassian met her on the stairs. He glanced to the top and then back at her.

"Hey, erm, have you seen Nesta?" Aurora raised the bottles in her hand.

"She's in the kitchen," Aurora said, starting to step up. Cassian quickly grabbed her arm. "What, Cass?"

"Well, uh, do you want to go to the sitting room? Nesta and I were about to play a card game," he stammered. Aurora rolled her eyes, pulling her arm from his grip.

"I already saw them, Cass. Why do you think I'm going to my room with two bottles of wine?" She asked, raising them again. He sighed, moving down a step.

"It's fucked up, them together. Especially after last night," Cassian murmured. Aurora bummed in agreement.

"It's his choice, that's fine. I'll find someone else," she winked at him and then continued up the stairs. Her eyes fell on two figures, still at the end of the hall. Aurora groaned and pushed open her bedroom door, making sure to slam it again.

Why would he be acting this way if he had begged her not to push him away? Why not go into Elain's room? Was this a plot to make her jealous? Anger stewed within her as she plopped onto her bed and sat the unopened bottle on the side table. She opened her book again and began reading, taking swigs of the wine. The first bottle was gone too quickly, and she opened the second right away.

Her eyes could hardly focus on the words of her book at that point. Aurora tilted her head back, head spinning. She closed her book and tucked her legs up. Everything in the past few days was just rolling through the mess in her mind. Could she find someone else? Would it matter? Was she truly in love with Azriel or was this just the bond? It was still fresh. She doubted their night of activities would weaken it at all.

The door opened and Aurora rolled her head to the side. She didn't move when Azriel walked in, cheeks and lips red and hand shoved in his pockets.

"Aurora-."

"No. You don't get to do that," she snapped. When Aurora lifted her head, it spun more.

"Aurora, I didn't plan for this. It's like she knows something happened, she won't let me leave. Even when I decided to just go with it and figure out the problems later, she wouldn't go into her room, that's why we were in the hall," Azriel tried to explain, but Aurora just glared at him. Her hair had fallen from the braid he had done that morning and fell over her shoulders.

"If you choose her, that's fine. I don't want to come between you and Elain, but just tell me," Aurora demanded, leaning forward. Azriel eyed the bottles of wine beside her bed, sighing when he looked back at her.

"I don't think I am. I just don't want to hurt her, this family is so close, I'm afraid I'll get banished or something," Azriel responded, his hand lifting and running over his face as he shifted on his feet.

"Did you fuck her?" Aurora asked, lifting her chin. Azriel swallowed, his eyes falling to his feet. Aurora scoffed, and she couldn't stop the words that left her mouth. "Did you think of me?" Azriel's eyes snapped up to her. His silence, again, answered her question. Aurora rolled her eyes and began climbing from the bed. She grabbed her bottle of wine, sending him another glare as she neared the door.

"Where are you going?" Azriel asked, stepping behind her. Aurora looked over her shoulder, a sly smirk growing on her lips. She wasn't sure if she'd actually do it, but the confidence the intoxication gave her had the words tumbling out.

"Nesta invited me to join her and Cassian in bed. She said I'd have a good time, so I'm going to go find out if that's true."