"Bring her back before nightfall" Xander said as he stood on the threshold of his house. Watching his sister standing with her fiancé Greyson. "Of course Xander" Greyson agreed. The pair turned around and started walking towards the gate. "And keep your hands off of each other" Xander shouted. Elain's cheeks flushed deep red which didn't have any connection to the outside temperature.
Nesta's eye narrowed as he plopped down beside her and rested his head in her lap. He crossed his legs and let it hang in the air. "I am tired Nes" he sighed. Days and days of training amateurs boys has taken a heavy toll on him. And minding the family's affairs while his father was away. Xander hasn't had a moment to take a step back and breath. Besides he has to worry about the impending doom of war. And the mortal queens. And his sister. And his other two sisters. He sighed.
Nesta's hand found it's way into her brother's hair. She massaged his scalp with her long slender fingers. Xander almost moaned at the feel. He exhaled heavily as Nesta's hands did their magic and relieved the tension in his scalp.
"Do you think the mortal queens would agree?" He asked Nesta at some point. "They have to" Nesta said. Her gaze distant and calculating. "What's on your mind Nes?" He inquired her. "Nothing for you to worry about" Nesta dismissed him. He sighed again. Nesta didn't want to add extra problem to her brother's plate. He is already juggling many. She has to take care of it herself. And she will.
"I am going to take a bath" he declared and stood up in his seat. He looked down at his sister. A lump forming in his throat. What if he fails her too? What if he fails Elain too? What if he fails Gavin? Robert? Greyson? Others of the village? His eyes glossed as his mind raced with thoughts. He reached behind his back and took out a single ash dagger and handed it to Nes.
"Keep it with you please" he pleaded his sister. Nesta took the dagger silently and pocketed in her gown. He bent down and kissed her forehead.
After a much needed bath Xander stood in front of his bath mirror with nothing but a towel around his waist. He examined his body closer. He may have gained some weight but the stress of living has caught up with him. Dark circles were prominent under his eyes and bruises from training littered his torso. He exhaled heavily and made his way out side of the bathroom.
"Fuck" he cursed loudly when he saw an Illyrian male casually lounging in his room. Looking around his bookshelf. His shadows dancing around his body when they sensed him. Azriel whipped his head to look at Xander when his shadow sang that beautiful melody he has been hearing since his first visit. Azriel has had his fair share of lovers in his life. Both male and female. But nothing, nothing can beat the beauty of Xander Archeron. Azriel cringed about the consequences he would have to face if Feyre found out about this attraction. He has to tear his eyes away from the water dripping tight abs of Xander to look at his breath taking squared jaw. His hair was in disarray. Brown locks falling into his face his one hand gripping the towel and the other hanging freely. When Azriel looked at the familiar grey eyes something inside him exploded. Like a bull breaking free of its rein. Like a river breaking the dam. Like a volcano erupting after laying dormant for centuries.
"I am sorry" Azriel said after what felt like days but merely seconds. "Don't be. You just caught me off guard" Xander dismissed. Azriel nodded his head. "Give me a minute to get dressed" he said and stepped into his closet.
Only Xander Archeron can pull a black t shirt and grey jogger's pants look like elegant clothes. The black t shirt hugged him tight in all the right places. His biceps bulged as he tossed the towel into the laundry bag. His chest looked firm and Azriel desperately wanted to place his hands on them. He hissed. His hands. His scarred, ugly hands. Which ruins everything it touches. The same hands which tortures people without mercy. He shook his head to get rid of the thoughts of younger Archeron and concentrated on the task in hand.
"The queens hasn't replied yet" Xander said before he can ask him. He circled the table and took the seat on the couch facing the balcony. Azriel stood still near where he was leaning against the table. "I have another letter" Azriel said. He took the letter Rhys gave him and weighed it in his hands. The fate of pyrithian and mortal realms may very well depend in this single sheet of paper.
Azriel extended his hand. He waited for Xander flinch away from his scars like many have but he didn't. Xander's fingers brushed against his fingers like a spring breeze kissing the morning flowers soaked in mist. Azriel's pants tightened. He fought hard against his instinct to lay claim to the full lips of Xander. He diverted his gaze to the balcony window.
Xander didn't know why he didn't feel unnerved by the presence of a fae male who came unannounced to not his home, his bedroom. His first instinct would have been to hurl dagger in his direction. But Xander felt a sense of peace in the presence of the shadow singer. He didn't know why, and he didn't want to he just don't want this feeling to fade away.
"Do you want to see the training ring?" Xander asked him. Not sure why but he did. The possibility of spending more time with him seemed like a life time full of happiness.
Azriel's shadows went haywire when the words left Xander's lips.
Say yes.
Say yes.
Set us free.
Set us free.
His shadows hissed in his ears. They haven't behaved like this once. But the mere breath of Xander Archeron excited them beyond belief. Azriel studied Xander for a long minute. Even though freshly bathed his face showed the tiredness and the dark circles indicated the lack of sleep. "Aren't you tired?" Azriel asked him. His voice showing the emotion he was feeling inside. And yet he couldn't understand the emotion himself.
"Nah. I will be fine" Xander dismissed him. "So you want to?" He asked again. His grey eyes twinkling in the dusk light. "Do you wish to fly there?" Azriel offered. The possibility of having Xander in his arms set his shadows on fire. They caressed all of him begging to set them free. So they can go to Xander. Azriel was a man of patience or else he wouldn't have spent the 500 years of his life loving a single woman waiting for her to reciprocate it. But this moment he didn't want to be patient. He wanted to set his shadows free and free himself of the moral shackles he bound himself with.
"Really?" Xander exclaimed. Happiness whooshing out of his body. Azriel's lips tugged upward. He nodded his head. Xander jumped up from his seat and gathered his dual daggers in his hands.
"Nes, I am going out. I will be back for dinner later" he shouted into the open doorway. Azriel didn't know if his sister heard him but he could picture her sitting in the table listening to everything and anything like a wraith.
Xander had a large smile plastered on his face. He opened the balcony door and the winter air made him shiver lightly. Azriel stepped next to him and looked at him. Xander is not short by any means but Azriel still had an inch or two over him. He offered Xander his hand. His hand. He completely forgot about his hand when he offered Xander to fly. He waited for Xander to flinch away from his hands. But Xander didn't. His smile didn't even waver for second when he took Azriel's hand in his.
Azriel scooped Xander in his arms and shot up into the sky. His shadows covering them both. They slid into every space between him and Xander. His shadows had never acted so strange. They behaved like they knew Xander their whole life but meeting him just now. It was like going home after a long war. His shadows felt like they are at home with Xander.
Yes we do
They all sang together. Xander gave Azriel the direction to fly. Getting it wrong the first two times since it the first time he was seeing the town from above.
Azriel landed in a snow covered clearing with a sparring ring in middle and dummies and target for shooting practice. "So what do you think?" Xander asked him as they both walked around the training ring. "It's nice" he replied. Not particularly caring about the ring. He liked the way Xander's eyes twinkled when he was talking about something he likes.
"Do you want to spar with me?" Xander asked him out of the blue. Azriel blinked in surprise. "I am sorry it's just we have been training to fight fae for months now but we still don't know what to expect or where we are or what to do to develop our skills. It would be very useful if we actually fight against one of you" Xander told him as he fiddled with the hem of his shirt. Azriel was taken back by the devotion Xander was showing to the cause he committed. He is definitely Feyre's brother. Azriel agreed to train with him whenever he comes here to know about the Queens.
"You are sneaky and fast. And you know how to use it to your advantage. Very smart" Azriel commented as Xander and him circled each other in the ring. This is their routine. Whenever he comes here they will train. "Thanks, shadow singer" Xander said as he twirled the twin daggers in his hands. His shadows went berserk at the mentioning of the name. Azriel ignored them and brought his sword down in a powerful arc.
Xander crossed the blades and blocked the attack with all of his strength. Gritting his teeth he released one dagger and slammed it's hilt into Azriel's wrist causing him to loose his grip on the blade. Azriel's eyes went wide the moment his long sword escaped his grip. A feline smile graced Xander's lips as he angled his other dagger to Azriel's throat.
Azriel feigned innocence for a moment and back handed him. Xander anticipating the attack stepped out of the way and danced out of Azriel's reach. Chuckling Azriel regained his composure and turned around. His sword laid near Xander he would have to expose his back to Xander if he need to retrieve it. He contemplated his next move. Xander has a smug grin plastered on his face as he waited for Azriel to attack.
In a flash Azriel blended into the shadows and materialised right before Xander tackling him to the ground causing him to let a out a loud shriek. Azriel laid atop Xander. Both breathing heavily. Azriel looked into the depth of Xander's grey eyes right as he felt a thousand lightning land inside his heart and break open a dam of emotions Azriel's thought he never had. A loud click echoed in his ears as he continued to gaze into his eyes.
Mate.
Ours.
Mate.
Ours.
Mate.
Ours.
His shadows sung in his ears. Azriel couldn't believe what in the name of cauldron just happened. He never thought he would care about someone other than Mor in that way. Yet here he was. Falling love with a mortal. The mother had a wicked sense of humour. Snapping the bond into place right as he started to fell for the boy. This is the reason the bond didn't snap for him and Mor. They weren't meant to be mates.
Because Azriel and the mortal god are mates. Azriel the spymaster and Xander Archeron are mates.
Mates.
Ours.
Mate.
Ours.
Mate.
Ours.
Mate.
His shadows continued to sung. He was brought back to reality when he felt his shadows cocooning around Xander. Marking their territory. Sneaky bastards. With much struggle Azriel withdrew his gaze from Xander and stood up. He wrestled with his shadows to leave Xander alone. At last he controlled them.
"We should get going" Azriel said voice plain as he tried very hard to not slam Xander down on the ring again and have his way with him. He didn't know what to do with this new found information. He was a spymaster gathering information was his job. But it would have been nice if this particular piece of information came a little bit later in his life when they didn't have a threat of war looming over their head. They flew home with complete silence. If Xander found something off with Azriel he didn't comment on it.
Elain was pacing the front foyer when they landed. "The queens replied" was the way of greeting her brother. She extended her hand and gave the letter to Xander. He read the letter and passed it to Azriel. "We will be prepared" Xander assured him. Azriel nodded his head in agreement to his mate. Mate. He flew up into the night sky. He tugged on the new found mating bond to see if Xander would feel something. To his utter relief Xander's grey eyes snapped towards him. With a grin plastered on his face Azriel took of the in the direction of Velaris.
What they both didn't know was the single tendril of shadow which weaved itself in Xander's golden brown hair. Resting comfortably and contented.