The stars shimmered in the dark sky as clouds shoved in front of them. Dark, gloomy clouds that brought heavy rainfall. But it wouldn't fall till the morning would peak through, Azriel knew.
He let out a deep, heavy sigh as he brought his whisky to his lips and took a sip. He leaned his arms on his legs and stared out over the small garden of the townhouse. The wind ripped at his hair, but not hard enough for him to be annoyed. It was actually a nice breeze, a tender caress. He was tired, it was far past midnight, but he didn't feel like sleeping.
Sometimes he was a walking paradox, even to himself. He needed sleep, he craved sleep, but he didn't go to bed. Because he knew that if he lay there, looking at the ceiling, his mind would start racing and he knew it wouldn't stop till the morning arrived.
So he preferred the darkness of the night over the suffocating darkness of his bedroom any day. At least the stars were here.
"Look at you, sipping a drink all by yourself." A feminine voice chirped.
Azriel did not turn around, he knew who it was, he had known she'd been on her way the moment he had heard her confident and light footsteps on the second floor of the house.
He could've walked away, but he somehow knew she would track him down nonetheless. And he wasn't feeling like hiding tonight.
"Want one as well?!" He asked softly, not looking up to Aelin as she sat down next to him. She seated herself at least a meter away from him, and he was grateful for the distance.
Azriel poured the golden liquor into a crystal glass and gave it to the queen.
"Can't sleep?" She said as she downed the drink in one go. Azriel couldn't help but chuckle and filled her glass once more, giving her the bottle with it. Aelin grabbed it and smiled. "I can't sleep either." She mused.
Azriel looked at her and found clarity and openness in her golden ringed eyes. "Would you like to share your thoughts?" He asked politely. "Maybe I can help you?"
Aelin smiled softly and nodded. "I bet you're a good listener, so here we go." She cleared her throat and placed her glass down.
"I've seen war, I've fought it, from a very very young age. I've seen more horror on the age of ten then most children do. Now, I made a vow to myself, to never put my children through such misery. I want to prevent that from happening at all costs." Aelin said and inhaled before she continued.
"But I cannot help but think that my vow will end soon. Mainly because I know Ciana will fight for you all, with you against the Lord of stupidity."
Azriel couldn't help but chuckle softly as she spat the last two words with so much fire that it was a miracle the stars did not burn brighter.
"I will fight for you and your family, my entire family will. But-- Ciana has never seen real battle. We all have. I wish I could spare her the horror, the nightmares, the tremors, the fear it brings you." She sighed and deflated a bit and Azriel looked in front of him, wrapping his wings tighter.
"Life is a balance between light and darkness. We can neither only face the sun and ignore the dark. It will always be both that makes the story of our lives. I understand, that you want to spare your child. But Ciana too, will face darkness, Aelin. No matter if that's soon, or in a later stadium of her life."
Aelin gazed at him and he stared back with just as much intensity. He raised his hands, the scars evident in the light of the moon. "My scars are a part of who I am. I have accepted them. You have yours to bear, mental and physical. Now tell me, are you facing the darkness or the light?"
Azriel could see she was thinking, but she quickly answered: light.
The shadowsinger nodded. "You've faced tremendous darkness but still your days are full of light. Which means, that no matter what kind of darkness Ciana will face one day, she'll see the light as well. How could she not?! With that flame in her heart?"
Aelin sighed and downed the glass of whisky before catching his gaze. "You're right, I know you're right. It's just, the need to protect, you understand?!"
Azriel nodded. "Believe me, I do."
"And I know she'll always have her family." "And us." Azriel added. "She'll always have us, as well."
Azriel could not pull his hand away fast enough as Aelin placed her hand on his. His entire body tensed. "Thank you." She said with so much sincerity that he could do nothing else but lightly squeeze her hand in return.
"Now tell me, what's been weighting you down, shadowsinger?"
~
The rain poured down so hard Ciana thought it would go through the roof. And that scared her, because then all these beautiful books, full of handsome men and adventures would be useless. "I can understand why Nesta enjoys this place." She murmured in herself.
The princess of fire and flame lay in a comfortable deep red couch near a roaring fire, the shape of falling stars carved into the stone. A cup of steaming orange and cinnamon tea was standing in front of her on the coffee table. She stared at it, and willed it to fly her way on a small breeze. "Why be active if you can be lazy and use magic?!" She giggled and caught the cup, the book she was reading in her lap.
It was a cheesy roman about a poor guy who fell in love with the princess. But the princess wasn't actually a princess, but a warrior witch who'd cursed the kingdom. And the poor boy had no clue.
"I knew I could find you here. Where the books are, there's my daughter." Rowan said as he entered and closed the heavy wooden door behind him.
Ciana suddenly found the floating orange in her tea very interesting.
The weight of the couch shifted as her father sat down, his eyes burning on her, commanding to look up. "Could you not stare at me like that?!" She barked, her voice sharper than intended.
"I'm here to apologize."
"Are you gonna break forks again?"
"I'm sorry."
"You should tell the fork that."
"Ciana." Rowan said lowly, a breeze turning her tea cold instantly.
Ciana snarled softly and heated it again with a flame.
Her father sighed and casted his eyes on the fire instead.
Ciana looked up now, to see him with a guilt wrinkle between his eyebrows. He never had the guilt wrinkle. She'd only seen it once in her life.
"Dad?!" She said as she lifted herself up from her slouchy position, till she was sitting right up. She grabbed his hand and squeezed, making Rowan look at her.
Her dad's pine eyes were induced with guilt and she couldn't bear to see. So she threw herself in his arms without thinking. Ciana wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and snuggled against her dad, placing her head on his shoulder, letting it rest there.
A low chuckle went through the room as her dad hugged her back. "You always did this when you were little." "Well, you're my shoulder to lean on. That's what you told me, I'm only using it." She chirped.
Her das slowly stroked her back. "And no matter what will happen, I'll be here for you. Always, Ana." He whispered.
"No matter what?"
"Through fire and darkness, sweetheart." He answered and pulled her back. "And I'm really sorry for letting my dominant ass rule my behavior yesterday." He said, placing a kiss on her forehead.
"Yes, yes. It's alright. Just don't do it again, please?" She said with a fire in her eyes. Pine eyes rolled and Ciana giggled. "Dad, do you think we can celebrate Starfall here?!"
"That's in two weeks." Rowan said, thinking for a second. "I don't know, Ciana. We also have an entire country to take care off."
"Oh...yeah, of course." To be honest she'd totally forgotten about life in general after her night with Brion. It had been so full of magic that she felt like she was floating on the clouds nonstop. And she'd heard such magical stories about Starfall. She just had to experience it for herself.
"But I mean, we shall see?! Who knows what life brings, right?!" Her dad said as he stood up and kissed her forehead once more. "I should go safe Myrina. Your mother hasn't left her alone ever since this morning. I think Feyre wants her child back."
Ciana giggled and Rowan closed the door with a soft click. She was about to dive into her book once more, but starlight kissed her neck.
~
Starlight danced over her neck, her jaw, her lips, back to her neck. It tingled and tickled like a lover's touch. Like Brion's lips had done that night. Heat rushed to her cheeks as her turquoise eyes scanned the massive library. But no one was in sight.
The starlight moved to her fingers, swirling between it and pulled her on her feet. "Oh, so we're playing a game now?" She mused lowly, drenching her voice in sweetness.
"Find me, and you'll get a kiss." Brion's seductive voice boomed through the library. It seemed to come from behind and in front of her. From above and below her. It was all around, so she couldn't locate him through his voice.
"Just a kiss?" She crooned. "I think I deserve a bit more after I walked through this entire library." She fired back as she stalked towards the wooden bookshelves in front of her. They reached for the ceiling. She turned left, entering a row of ancient books. Her eyes twinkled, she knew.
"Maybe I'll do a bit more than just kissing you. But you first have to find me, darling." His voice stroked her skin, her bones, her heart, the last pumping the blood through her body in a fast pace. Oh lord, that voice.
She took a right turn and a left one again, ending up near the end of the library, where the old and cheeky romance novels were stored. She'd grabbed her book from here, Ciana remembered.
"Closer, darling. Come closer."
The toes in her soft socks curled and she could literally swoon on the tone of his voice. So soft and seductive and full of all that she knew he could do with that heavenly mouth of his.
Ciana swirled around and around and around. Secretly she cursed herself for not seeing him, but then her eyes caught the blue of his eyes and she smiled. "There you are." She crooned as she stalked his way like a cat walking towards her prey. She made sure to sway her hips, to smile so her lips had the form of a plump rose. Her eyes flickered with mischief as she stopped right in front of him.
Darkness swirled around him, had him cloaked. But even in the dark she'd see those beautiful eyes. Eyes that held so many emotions, she was sometimes jealous. He wore his emotions up his sleeve, for everyone to admire and see. Ciana sometimes had the tendency to hide them.
"Where's my kiss?!" She crooned, leaning in slowly. "Nah uh. Not yet." He whispered. Ciana raised her brows as she followed him to a bookshelf with a row of thick books on it.
All romance novels, looking at the title. She chuckled.
"Pick one." Brion said as he placed his hands in his pockets, leaning against the shelf. Every muscle in his strong, muscular body was visible through his black, tight sweater.
Ciana tilted her head and read the titles of the books.
One upon a starry night.
Love and war.
Passionate nights and sorrowful days.
The maiden and the thief.
Each title was absolutely cheesy and Ciana knew from experience that each Romance novel held a steamy scene. Feeling where Brion was going with his game, Ciana picked the book with the title that promised the most excitement.
Brion smirked down on her, his blue eyes full of fire as she opened
the maiden and the thief.
What he didn't know, was that she had read this book, knowing exactly where the steamy scene would appear.
She opened the book on page 529, on chapter 55 and smirked. "This is what you're after?! But Brion, you could've just asked me." She crooned as she caged him between the shelf and her curvy frame.
"But this way is so much more exciting." He mused against her neck as he lifted her up and turned, pressing her against the shelves.
The book fell on the floor, open on the chapter Ciana had showed Brion.
~ the thief pressed the maiden against the bookshelves in the hidden library, their secret place. For their love was searing and steamy. He kissed her deeply and she groaned softly~
Hello hello fellow book lovers.
Well well, guess what Brion and Ciana are doing😉
Lol, it took me a while, but I truly hope you liked this chapter.
More to come soon, stay tuned.
I hope you're all safe and healthy.
With love,
Bente ❤️