The Whispers of Shadows - Azriel

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Aurora had known that Azriel would want children at some point, but they were still so fresh in this relationship. She was still overcoming the fears inside of her mind, still learning to love and trust. Children were years down the road, if at all. Why would he have brought that up? Anxiety was brushing through her nerves as if it were metal spikes tearing her skin as it filled her body. She began peeling off the clothes that stuck to her skin with dried sweat and filled the tub with lukewarm water. She needed to cool off, to relax before another stressful evening. It would be good for her, Aurora decided, to mingle with Emerie and Gwyn. She had done her part with easing tension with Elain, so she needed to do the same with Gwyn, even if it was one sided. 

The water seemed to sizzle against Aurora's burning skin as she lowered into the tub. Her anxiety had raised her body temperature, had fed the flame of power beneath her skin. She went to work on scrubbing harshly against every inch of her body and scalp with lavender scented soaps. Maybe it was a way to try and rid the nervous energy, or she truly felt that dirty, but Aurora scrubbed until her normally pale skin was red and angry. Time wasn't a concept during her bath, and by the time Aurora climbed from the tub and dried her sore skin with a towel, Azriel was walking into the bedroom. He called out her name before walking into the bathing chamber, eyes roaming over the exposed skin. 

"Was the water too hot?" He asked in a gentle tone as he approached her. The tip of his finger ran over her clavicle, making chills rush down her back. 

"No, I just used the cloth too much," she responded in a much  more breathy tone than she meant. His touch sent her mind into a spiral. The corner's of his lips twitched upward at the sound of her voice and the way her body went rigid, but instead of teasing her further, Azriel curled that knuckle beneath her chin and lifted her face to press a slow and soft kiss to her lips. Aurora followed him as he pulled back, eager to kiss him more, but Azriel ran his thumb over her bottom lip. 

"You were in the bath for nearly two hours, love. It's time to get dressed if you want to join Nesta." Her eyes widened. Two hours? Had her spiral of emotion and incessant need to clean her skin stolen away time? She lifted two fingers to her hair. The hair nearest her scalp was entirely dry, the ends still dripping from being in the water, and her fingers were wrinkled and soft. 

Aurora cursed under her breath and slid around Azriel to the bedroom. She opened the wardrobe and began filing through her gowns and attire, wondering what was appropriate for a night out at Rita's. 

"I saw Nesta on my way up here, she's wearing a shorter blue dress," Azriel told her as he came up to the wardrobe. Aurora looked over her shoulder at him. 

"Short how?" Gowns are normally floor length, no matter the weather. Her brows furrowed in confusion. 

"It was just above her knees," Azriel explained. Aurora let out a sigh. She had nothing of the sort. Maybe she could go borrow something. She tightened the towel around her body and set off for the door. "Where are you going?" Az asked, hurrying to reach her side. 

"To borrow a dress," Aurora huffed. His hand rested on her lower back as he walked alongside her, thumb rolling over the fabric of the towel. They reached Nesta and Cassian's bedroom, Aurora knocking softly. The door opened to reveal Cassian, shirtless and in lounging pants. A wide grin spread across his face as he eyed Aurora's attire. 

"Az finally agreed to get in on the action?" He asked with a wiggle of his brows. Azriel's chest rumbled as he shoved Cass's shoulder. 

"Is Nesta here? I need to borrow a dress," Aurora changed the subject. Cassian turned his eyes back down to her. 

"She's in the bathing chamber putting makeup on," he explained, stepping to the side to allow them in. Aurora slid past the two males and into the room. She crossed and knocked on the bathing chamber door. Shuffling sounded behind the big oak doors before they cracked open. Nesta peeked her head out, makeup half done. 

"Aurora? Why are you in a towel?" Nesta's eyes ran over her body and back up to her face. Aurora sighed. 

"Can I borrow a dress?" Nesta nodded and widened the door. Aurora slipped in and let out a heavy breath. 

"Is everything okay?" Nesta asked. Aurora looked her over. She was indeed wearing a short dress. Her muscular legs on show beneath the midnight blue fabric that ended at her mid thigh. It was looser than other dresses she normally wore, as well. 

"Yes, Az just told me you invited me to Rita's with your friends and then told me that you're wearing a short dress. I don't have a short dress," Aurora spoke quickly, her nerves obviously still flaring. Nesta smiled slightly. 

"Aurora, you don't have to wear a short dress. You can wear whatever you're comfortable in. Here, you sit and start combing your hair, I'll find some dresses to choose from," Nesta spoke gently, running fingers through the front of Aurora's hair before slipping out the door. Aurora let out yet another heavy breath as she sat at the vanity and began using Nesta's brush to get through the tangles that remained from that morning. She was nearly finished when Nesta came back in, a lump of dresses hanging from her arm. Aurora turned in the chair and eyed the options. Nesta began holding them up; some as simple as a floor length black gown, the same dress but in many colors, and then a few that seemed more suitable. Some were sleeveless, some with thin straps, some with corsets built in. Nesta held up the final dress. It was a single fabric of cream with flowers throughout it, thin straps tied together at the shoulders, and a corset to help with the fit. Aurora nodded, liking the look of that one. 

"I stole this one from Elain a while back, it doesn't fit me anymore," Nesta explained. The rest of the dresses hit the ground with a loud thump. 

"It's beautiful. It goes well with the season," Aurora responded softly. Nesta grinned and shook the dress slightly. 

"Come try it on." Aurora stood from her seat and let the towel fall. She had grown comfortable with Nesta, her nude body not a bother to either of them. Nesta helped Aurora into the dress and then settled at her back to begin tightening the corset. She kept it at a fitted but comfortable size. Aurora's breasts swelled slightly with the press of the material, the top of the bite mark scar visible. She blushed, both in embarrassment and anger. Nesta ran a hand over her shoulder and looked at her through the mirror. 

"It looks beautiful, you look beautiful," she cooed. Aurora felt her tense muscles relax slightly, the emotion falling away as she observed herself. She wondered what Elain looked like in this. It was a beautiful dress, as simple as it was, and Elain probably made it look fit for a ball. 

"Let me finish my makeup and I will help with yours. With a dress like that, you won't need much at all," Nesta explained, plopping down in front of the vanity and using various brushes to apply pigment to her eyes and cheeks. Aurora watched in silence, her fingers pinching at the fabric of the skirt. Anxiety was still making its way through her body and she was entirely sure that it would only get worse throughout the night.