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shadowisles-writes · 2 years

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Side By Side (part 3) [Gwynriel]

A/N: Find the series masterlist here and read on AO3 here

Word count: 2426

Azriel knew that Gwyn expected him to winnow to the River House for Nyx’s birthday when she met him on the roof of the House of Wind. Instead, he offered her a warm cloak to wear over the dress Nesta had helped her pick and scooped her up in his arms to fly. Gwyn gasped at the sight of the city as they soared over it and tightened the cloak around her to protect herself from the wind this high up.

The flight was short, and Gwyn’s eyes darted left and right to take in the unfamiliar surroundings as soon as Azriel set her back on her feet. She had been in this house before, after the blood rite, but this was different. Azriel hoped that his presence at her side was reassuring as they walked up to the door.

Emerie and Nesta were laughing when they walked into the house, Nyx’s sweet giggles filling the space as they took turns tickling him. Gwyn was quick to greet everyone and walk over to them to gush over the child while Azriel remained close to the door, content to just watch everything happening around him. The party was far too much for a child who wouldn’t even remember his birthday. Everyone was aware of it, but they were all too happy to have something like this to celebrate to hold back on anything. Cassian was quieter than usual, standing aside in conversation with Rhys, Feyre and Elain until he spotted Azriel in his corner.

“Anything to tell us, Az?” Cassian murmured so that none of the females would overhear. Rhys glanced towards them, a clear sign that he was listening in to their conversation.

“There’s nothing to tell,” the shadowsinger shot both an icy look that told both males to drop the subject immediately.

Gwyn was not material for gossip. Azriel didn’t overshare, and pushing him would only result in him withdrawing. Rhys walked over and clasped his hand over Azriel’s shoulder for a second, offering an apologetic smile. He had been right that day when he had caught Elain with him, and the shadowsinger gave a small nod of understanding. Even when it happened, he hadn’t really been angry. Gwyn already meant more to him than Elain ever had. It didn’t matter that they were only friends.

Lucien showed up soon after, though he only hugged Feyre and then chose a place to sit where no one would bother him. Elain seemed surprised to see him join, but the expression was quickly wiped off her face as she continued her conversation with Feyre and promptly ignored her mate. Azriel was content standing back and watching it all unfold. Mostly, he was happy to see Gwyn thriving outside of the House. It was only when a shadow curled around his ear that his expression darkened. The rest of the shadows that had been content to lounge around his wings were now agitated as he learned of the secrets they had to share.

Rhysand’s claws on his mental shields were expected, and Azriel let him in to share the information. The banter around the room never stopped, Mor joining the valkyries in a heated discussion while Cassian made every grimace he could think of in front of Nyx to make him laugh. Amren was rolling her eyes at him, insisting that the child would soon start crying if he continued. It was only when Rhys straightened his back and stepped out of the room with Azriel in tow that quiet fell over the party. Only Feyre and Cassian tried to pretend nothing had happened.

“What’s Azriel working on?” Nesta was the only one who dared to ask, looking at Cassian, who clearly knew more than he was letting on.

The Illyrian was already looking at Feyre, Nyx now on her hip as her expression turned grave. The room had fallen silent while they communicated through her daemati gift. It was obvious that Cassian was ready to give them all answers, but Feyre was the one to speak once their conversation was over.

“You will all hear about it in a matter of days, we just… need to make sure our information is correct,” she put the child back down, letting him stumble around the room for toys.

“Feyre,” Amren began to insist, but she shook her head at her.

“Rhys agrees,” she said. “Give us a few days,”

Mor didn’t look happy to be kept in the dark either, but both women nodded. Gwyn, Elain and Emerie stayed out of it, though it didn’t stop them from worrying, but Nesta wasn’t ready to let go.

“If there is any sort of threat looming over us again, I don’t want to wait to hear about it.” Her voice was glacial, reminding everyone of the flames she used to wield. The power had been incredibly fitting.

“Nes…” Cassian sighed, pleading with his eyes. She glared back with the posture of a queen, and the other two Valkyries stood at her side, showing their support.

“Right now is not the time,” Mor interrupted the stare off, offering her support to Feyre and the Illyrian warrior. “If an afternoon was going to make a difference we wouldn’t be standing here celebrating.”

Mor’s trust in her High Lord and Lady never faltered, but it was Amren that eventually split the room by standing with Feyre. She may have lost her powers, but her voice didn’t lose any of its weight.

“We will wait,” Amren declared. “Don’t ruin this day.” She added towards Nesta.

Apologies had been made on every side and she had long been forgiven for her behavior, especially after saving Feyre, Nyx and Rhysand when everyone else had been powerless, but Amren still picked fights with her when she deemed it worthy. She might have been thankful for Nesta’s intervention that day, but she didn’t treat her any differently because of it.

Elain didn’t bother to weigh in, focusing on Nyx instead. Everyone glanced at them, reminding themselves of the tragedy that had almost struck this court exactly a year ago. Feyre’s eyes were the first to fill with tears as she went to kneel by her sister and son, speaking softly and stroking his cheek while the others dispersed around the room.

Rhys reappeared an instant later, surely because he had sensed his mate’s distress through their bond. He took Elain’s place and kissed his son’s cheeks, tickling his sides until he laughed and fell onto his back, small wings spread out on the floor. Feyre’s laugh echoed just as Cassian wrapped an arm around Nesta, silently reminding her that him keeping secrets and responding to orders did not mean he wasn’t on her side too. Things fell back into place, banter flowing throughout the room to lighten the atmosphere. Gwyn laughed along with them, and Azriel’s shadows danced in response to the sound, the hint of a smile visible on his face.

Lucien didn’t know where to put himself, though everyone had seemed happy to forget about him the second he sat on the couch. Azriel watched as the poor male could only look at his mate from a distance. Feyre was his only real friend in this room, and yet he showed up to every event he was invited to just to catch a glimpse of Elain.

It was only when Gwyn played with the chain around her neck that Azriel’s attention snapped back to her. The pendant that had previously been hidden under the fabric of her dress now rested on top of it, reflecting the light in the room in different colors. Azriel cursed himself for his poor decision making when the necklace caught Elain’s eye and she turned to look at him. He gave her a warning look that made her stare at the floor.

His heart squeezed for a moment when he realized that in his want to protect Gwyn from hearing the truth too early, he had hurt Elain. His anger would do nothing to help with the healing she also had to get through. Elain had always sought his company for the calm he provided, and he led her on until Rhys’s warning. Perhaps she deserved an honest conversation with him rather than his disinterest, but today would not be the day for it. Today was for Gwyn, to give her a chance to be more comfortable around their inner circle.

Azriel couldn’t have been happier with the way she fit in. Granted, she was already close with Nesta and Emerie, but he found her going head to head with Cassian too. She spoke to Amren like the small female wouldn’t threaten to tear her apart should she make a mistake, and Mor grinned every time they interacted.

It was dark out when Azriel flew Gwyn back to the House of Wind. Cassian and Nesta would be going out in the city and since she had refused the invitation they had extended as well as Emerie, Azriel found himself taking the skies with her again while Mor got Emerie home safely.

“Can we fly for another minute?” Gwyn pulled back to look at Azriel when the House came into view.

He glanced at her and nodded, shadows curling as he smiled in a way that told Gwyn he was up to no good. He gained altitude in an instant, his powerful wings only needing a few beats for him to give her a full view of the city below them. They could see the Sidra carving its bed deeper as it flowed all the way to the sea. The bridges helped Gwyn recognize different areas of the city, and she was nearly breathless at the sheer beauty of it all at night. What she had seen earlier could not compare to the illuminations she saw now.

“Take a deep breath,” he advised, waiting for her to fill her lungs before letting them drop so fast Gwyn couldn’t even scream.

The wind tore at her face, messing up her hair and making her stomach twist while her heart lurched. The speed at which they were going should have terrified her, but the feeling was so euphoric that she exploded into laughter. Even as the shadowsinger slowed and made them circle over the city to ascend towards the House again, Gwyn didn’t stop laughing.

“Can you do it again?” She met his eyes, but what surprised her was the grin on his face.

Azriel had offered her smiles before, small and controlled, but he had never grinned until happiness was visible even in his eyes. “As many times as you want,” he promised as his wings beat faster, taking them higher than before.

The muscles of his back strained with the effort, but he was built to fly for hours on end, and he would push against soreness until the sun rose if that was what Gwyn asked of him. Anything to hear her laugh so freely. He gathered his shadows around him, wrapping them around her too to make them invisible in the night sky.

Gwyn adjusted her arms around his neck when she felt him stop at a good height. “Ready when you are, shadowsinger.” She teased, earning a look from him before he dove towards the ground.

Her laughter echoed through the air, her breath hot on his neck when she rested her head on his shoulder to protect her face from the wind. Azriel barely slowed as he adjusted their trajectory with two quick beats of his wings. He plunged towards the Sidra and followed its path until they were low enough to see the water ripple from his speed only centimeters above the surface.

Gwyn squealed when he tucked his wings tight around them to fit underneath a bridge. His shadows trailed them just as fast, keeping them hidden from the inhabitants of Velaris. He followed the curves of the river, slowing when turns required it until Gwyn felt comfortable enough to remove one of her arms from around his neck. The water was so close that she could reach out to touch it.

Her fingers broke the surface, spraying them both with droplets that made her laugh in amazement. Azriel’s shook with a chuckle against her, not bothering to shield himself from the water even when her hand plunged deeper and led to both of them being drenched. He continued in his path until they reached the sea, the calm waves a contrast against the flat waters of the Sidra. Gwyn retracted her arm to hold onto him tighter as he soared higher over the water, offering her a new view of the coast. His shadows retreated, amassed under his wings should he need them again to stay hidden.

“If I had wings I’d never want to walk again,” she admired the world beneath them and then took a moment to admire him.

Azriel was already looking at her, his eyes memorizing each of her features and the amazement he could read in her eyes. “The feeling is addictive, especially when you’ve been deprived of it for a long time.”

“Your brothers?” Gwyn guessed, and he gave her a short nod.

“Among others.”

A shiver ran through her, partly because of the thought of everything he had endured, and partly because being wet and so high up in the sky had made her cold.

Azriel felt it and pulled her closer to his chest to share warmth, the cold wind biting at his own wet skin. “Let’s go home.”

Gwyn was freezing, her fingers turning stiff as she clung to him while he hurried to get them somewhere warm. He landed on the roof in no time but didn’t put Gwyn back on her feet until they had made it past the door. Azriel’s eyes dipped to the necklace he could still see for a moment, but it was enough for Gwyn to notice. “Thank you, for coming today,” he said before she could ask questions he wasn’t ready to answer.

“Thank you for inviting me,” Gwyn found her footing and removed her arms from around his neck. “I had a great time, and… it felt really good to get out of the library for something fun.”

“I’m glad,” he smiled, trying not to show how much he wished she had stayed close to him for a few more seconds.

“Goodnight, Az.” The sound of his name on her lips shouldn’t have made him shiver the way it did.

He was nearly breathless as he replied, “goodnight, Gwyn.”

Tags ( Add yourself to my taglist here ): @em---r @sv0430 @silverflameataraxia @gingertaylorswift22 @shisingh @trashforazriel @gwynethhberdara @ruthieluvsbooks @a_little_disguised @earthofemily @halaberdara @sydney-fae25 @meher_sumedha @dealfea @chosenfamily-valkyriequeens @abooknerdlove

#gwynriel #gwyn x azriel #gwyneth berdara #gwyneth berdara x azriel #azriel #gwyn acosf #azriel acosf #gwynriel fic #acotar fanfiction

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lyyzismess · 25 days

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trashforazriel · 1 month

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“Remember how Gwyn was with the ribbon? You’re the new ribbon, Az” ~ 🦇📚

✨Gwynriel week day 5: domestic day✨ Commissioned by me, drawn by Venusfolk! We hope you like this entry a lot 🥰

#gwynriel #gwyneth berdara #gwyn berdara #azriel #azriel shadowsinger #azriel acotar #acosf #*acosf #a court of silver flames #azriel x gwyn #gwyn x azriel #venusfolk #my commission #*#gwynrielweeksofficial #gwynrielweeks2024

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moonshinexbooks · 24 days

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When SJM chose to point out this:

And then a few pages later in the same chapter she chose to point this out: (It is Gwyn’s breath)

I knew that Gwynriel was endgame.

#gwynriel #acotar #acosf #gwyn x azriel #azriel x gwyn #azriel #gwyneth berdara #azriel shadowsinger #gwyn acosf #azriel spymaster #gwyneth x azriel #pro gwynriel #pro gwyneth berdara #pro azriel

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dimalry · 1 month

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Gwynriel week day 5: Domestic Life for @gwynrielweeksofficial

Yes I know I‘m very late.

Do NOT repost without credit!

IG: dimaalry

#gwynriel weeks 2024 #gwynriel #gwyn x azriel #gwyneth berdara #azriel shadowsinger #acosf #acotar #digital art #illustration

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freyjas-musings · 1 month

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For free day of @gwynrielweeksofficial

Gwynriel in the rain sharing a kiss .... I have wanted to do an art piece with rain for a bit now and obviously my first choice is my favourite @lucielart ... thank you for this gorgeous piece of art

Repost Not Allowed

Characters belong to @sarahjmaas from ACOTAR series published by @bloomsburypublishing

#gwynriel #gwyneth berdara #pro gwynriel #gwyn acosf #acotar #azriel shadowsinger #gwyn x azriel #azriel #post acosf #acosf theory #acotar fanart #gwynrielweeks2024

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bearbluebooks · 1 month

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A commission for a Court of Whispered Melodies made by @lucielart

I am so excited to finally share this commission made by the super talented @lucielart. Be sure to check her out on Instagram!

For day 7 @gwynrielweeksofficial - healing

The vision for the piece was inner calm, rest, peace.

I believe they will be each other’s safe spaces through their mutual understanding of hurt and trauma. Azriel will be finally able to breathe and lay down his head to rest as Gwyn watches over him. Azriel will help her realize her own strength and resilience.

I can’t wait to explore this theme and their journey in the fic. Read the first three chapters on AO3.

#gwynriel #gwyn x azriel #gwyneth berdara #acotar #azriel shadowsinger #gwyn acosf #acotar fanfiction #ao3 fanfic #a court of silver flames #acotar art #Gwynriel art

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tpcanvas · 1 month

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Az and Gwyn being cozy after their training session🩵

DAY 5: Domestic Life 🩵

#GWYNRIELWEEK2024

instagram: TP.canvas

#acosf #gwynriel #azriel x gwyn #gwyneth berdara #azriel shadowsinger #digital fanart #gwynriel fanart #acotar #gwyn berdara fanart #gwynriel week 2024 #gwynriel week #cozy #pro gwynriel #Instagram

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gwynrielweeksofficial · 2 months

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Can we all just... sit here and appreciate this first kiss art by @/that_starborn_fae on Instagram?!?!

HAPPY GWYNRIEL WEEKS, INDEED!

Visit the art here!

Visit and follow the artist here!

Reblogs okay with artist credit.

#gwynriel #gwynriel weeks 2024 #gwynriel weeks #gwynriel week 2024 #gwynriel week #gwynriel supremacy #fanart #gwynriel fanart #gwyn x azriel #azriel x gwyn #gwyn x az #az x gwyn #gwyneth berdara #azriel acotar #azriel shadowsinger #acotar #acosf #sjm #sarah j maas

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mystical-blaise · 2 years

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Building a Mystery: A Gwynriel Drabble

"Fuck!"

The shout echoed down the hallway, bouncing off the ceiling, and had Nesta and Cassian halting on the way to their chambers in the House of Wind. They eyed each other, both her blue and his hazel filled with suspicion.

"Az, you're doing it wrong."

"I know what I'm doing, Berdara."

"Oh, really? You're putting the D in the C when you're supposed to put the D in the A!"

Cassian choked on a laugh. Nesta quickly covered his mouth, putting a finger over her own as she pressed an ear against the Shadowsinger's door.

"For the last time, the D doesn't fit in the A! It's too tight!" Azriel said, and Nesta could feel Cassian's chest moving with his muffled laughter against her back as he loomed over her to join her in eavesdropping.

Gwyn groaned. "Cauldron, can't you just squeeze it in?"

A single snort escaped before Nesta could catch it by covering her mouth.

"Gwyn, I'm telling you, it's too tight! If I push too much, it'll snap!"

"It's literally designed to fit! Bang it in! Make it work!"

There was a distinctive creaking followed by a masculine grunt. Then another.

Thud! Thud! Both rhythmic and telling.

Nesta peered up at her mate, who was staring down at her, amusement lighting his gaze.

We should leave them be, she mouthed up at him. He nodded and when they were peeling themselves away from the door, they heard Gwyn yell, "Harder!"

Thud! Thud!

"Just one more good whack, Azriel! Almost there…"

Thud! Azriel grunted and growled...

"Perfect," Gwyn panted out her praise. "Now, was that so hard? And you didn't break it."

Cassian could not hold in his snorting guffaw at that. Nesta smacked him on the shoulder. The noise, both voice and exertion alike, went totally silent.

Love-tapping an apologetic Cassian in the arm again, Nesta cleared her throat and knocked on the door.

"What?" Azriel asked—no, demanded—through the thick wood, his voice full of an annoyance that he usually only had with his brothers.

"You both all right in there? We heard shouts and—"

With a high-pitched squeal, Gwyn interrupted Nesta. "We're fine! You can go now!"

"You're sure? We heard a lot of racket coming from—"

The door cracked open enough to reveal a shirtless Azriel glistening with sweat, with his arm propped up at the jamb to allow Gwyn to peek through. An equally sweaty and flushed Gwyn. Wearing a rumpled soft cotton shirt and leggings, her copper ponytail was half undone, as if she'd spent half a day flying high over Velaris.

Nesta smiled softly. She wasn't sure what was going on with them—if they'd gotten their shit together and stopped pretending they weren't perfect for each other—but she was happy for them.

Gwyn brought out a side of Azriel rarely seen. A teasing playfulness that had only been reserved for a select few. He laughed now—a lot. And it seemed her friend Gwyneth Berdara had been making it a personal mission, a daily quota, to pull as many smiles and laughs as she could.

Azriel pushed Gwyn in the best possible way. Their equally competitive asses always found something to bet on. And not once had Gwyn backed down, accepting everything he threw at her. Once when Nesta had asked Gwyn about Azriel and their relationship, she merely said, We're just friends, Nesta. Really good friends. He makes me feel safe.

Nesta had taken that moment to offer her observation. I see the way you two look at each other, Gwyn. It's more than friends. You two are just too scared to admit it.

In her typical unruffled Gwyn fashion, she'd brushed Nesta off.

But now, staring at her two friends, sweat-dappled and red with exertion, she wondered if they had finally taken a new step.

"There. Proof of life," Azriel grumbled. "Satisfied?"

Nesta's smile curled up on one side. "For now." Turning her attention to the redhead tucked beneath the Shadowsinger's powerful arm, she asked, "We were concerned with all the yelling. What were you up to?"

"We were building bookshelves," her friend returned a little too quickly.

"Building bookshelves? Is that what you are calling it these days?"

"Good for you, Az," Cassian chimed in. "Nes and I built a whole damn library last night, too."

Azriel's forehead made a thud as it met the door.

Nesta turned and punched Cassian in the shoulder at the same time as Gwyn.

"Fuck that hurts! But nice form," the giant Illyrian baby said as he rubbed his arm.

Gwyn's sweet face tilted up to Azriel's and dipped in the barest nod. With a sigh, he moved aside and swung an arm toward the inside of his personal space.

Chaos.

Absolute chaos.

A mess.

Papers and boxes and tools were strewn about. Piles and piles of books. And behind it?

Two tall bookcases; one empty and one now full. And Nesta couldn't help but notice the titles were mostly…romance and adventures.

Some of Gwyn's absolute favorites.

"Gwyn likes to read in here," Azriel explained, clutching his neck at the nape.

"I just like your chair."

His lips twitched. "So, I wanted her to be able to come in here to read whenever she wants without having to lug up her favorite books every time." He featured with disdain to the bookshelves. "I had to buy those from a store and put them together. I'd rather have made them from scratch, but with the missions—"

Gwyn's hand took his, lacing them together. She squeezed. "It's perfect, Shadowsinger."

He offered a small smile and Nesta swore Azriel was blushing as he said, "You deserve more than labeled pieces of cheap wood, Berdara. I promise I'll build you something nicer."

And Nesta watched as Gwyn bounded over the debris to show off her present, Azriel right there to make sure she didn't impale herself on any tools. The shadows swathing around them, serene and lingering, as if they too could see the change before them.

Cassian took Nesta's hand as they relished in their dear friends' happiness and excitement.

Yes, those two were indeed building something.

#gwyneth x azriel #gwynriel #gwyneth berdara #gwyn x azriel #azriel x gwyn #gwynriel supremacy #azgwyn #gwyn berdara #gwyneth berdara x azriel #gwyn acotar #gwynriel fanfiction #pro gwyn #gwyn x az #pro gwynriel #gwynriel drabble #cassian x nesta #nessian #house of wind #house of wind gang

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shadowisles-writes · 2 years

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Side By Side (Part 2) [Gwynriel]

A/N: You can find the series masterlist here and read on AO3 here.

Word count: 1471

Azriel didn’t show up in the library the following evening, nor did he show up to train Gwyn before sunrise. She took out her frustration on the targets, alone, but she found no satisfaction in it. Gwyn hated herself for her reaction. Why had she gone from joking with the shadowsinger to running away from him? She had made his shadows dance, gotten him to smile, but yesterday… yesterday his eyes had darkened and she might as well have landed a punch straight in his gut based on his expression.

Azriel wasn’t a male she needed to run away from, but her instincts were always screaming at her to do so. She had come so far during her time in the library, and she was even comfortable around males during training. She was comfortable training alone with Azriel too, but anything more than that… Her annoyance must have been written all over her face because even Merrill didn’t bother adding to her workload that day.

Gwyn was surprised to find him in the library later in the evening. She almost walked past him, invisible behind a swirl of shadows in a corner, but the way they moved when she was close gave him away. His hazel eyes met hers, cleared up of the shadows that curled and retreated to his shoulders while she walked up and stood behind the chair across from his.

“I’d like to apologize,” Gwyn said, focusing on the pen he placed on the table rather than his eyes.

The shadowsinger’s voice was low, smooth as silk as he replied. “What for?”

“My reaction,” Gwyn shifted her weight from one foot to the other. “The other morning, I-”

“You’ve got nothing to apologize for,” he cut her off before she could say more. “I should be the one doing that. It was my fault, I overstepped, it won’t happen again. I would have apologized earlier but I preferred giving you space,”

“There’s no need,” Gwyn pulled out the chair and sat down in front of him even though he hadn’t invited her. “You did nothing wrong,”

Just like that, things felt normal again. She reached for a book from his pile and opened it, Azriel sliding a sheet of paper and a pen towards him a second later.

It only took her reading the same paragraph four times for her to know she wasn’t done with their conversation.

She took a deep breath before she opened her mouth again, but even then her words trailed off before she could finish her thought. “I just can’t…”

Azriel gave her a second, waiting to see if she would continue, but Gwyn found herself stuck until he was the one to speak. “You don’t need to explain anything to me, Gwyn.”

“Can we be friends?” She managed to ask.

Azriel’s shadows fell from his shoulders and down his arms into swirls. “I was hoping we already were,” a smile appeared on his face.

Their training sessions began again the next morning. They fell back into their routine of training, working, doing research and repeating that again the next day. It would have stayed that way if Cassian and Nesta hadn’t come back at the end of the week. Gwyn didn’t want the obnoxious couple to break their bubble, and she would miss the one on one training sessions (though she would enjoy not having to get up extra early anymore) but she was thankful to have Nesta around again. It also meant that Emerie would return, and the reunited trio was stronger than ever as they fought side by side and against each other under Cassian’s careful eyes. Sometimes, he would get a little too close to Nesta, and Gwyn was able to catch Azriel’s eyes to exchange an exasperated look.

Gwyn liked it. It was loud and messy, but she still had her quiet and private moments in the library with Azriel, which were most important to her. Nesta and Emerie had of course been updated on the situation of the past week, and they didn’t miss an occasion to tease her about it. Cassian seemed to be doing the same, if the way Azriel retreated into his shadows was any indication. Cassian only shut up when he began to teach the priestesses how to use a bow and Gwyn hit every target dead center at a speed he couldn’t have expected.

“Okay, I take it back,” Cassian crossed his arms over his chest as he supervised the lesson from a distance once everyone was set up. “Maybe you did more than look at her like a lost puppy when we weren’t there,”

Gwyn bit back a laugh at what she overheard while Azriel replied with a snarl. She wondered if the general always got what he wanted simply because he was an absolute pain in the ass. Mercifully, Nesta picked a fight with him by the end of the lesson and the two disappeared into the house before everyone else. Gwyn could only hope that they’d make it to their bedroom before anyone else had to walk through the house.

She lingered in the ring while the other priestesses filtered out to regain the safety of the library. Gwyn used that time for extra stretches, and she found herself alone for a few minutes when Azriel winnowed Emerie home.

“Cassian’s face was priceless,” Gwyn grinned when he appeared in the ring again, shadows trailing after him.

They caught up and stretched ahead of him, curling at her feet. “I’ve never been prouder.” Azriel’s chest shook with a chuckle.

“Any other skill I could learn to shut him up again?”

“Apart from flying? I’m unfortunately out of ideas,”

“That’s too bad,” she breathed out, a strand of hair falling into her face.

For a second, Gwyn thought he would step closer and push it back for her. It was almost imperceptible, the way his body moved in hesitation and stilled again, his eyes locked on hers.

“Nyx will be a year old next week.” Azriel broke the silence before it could get uncomfortable. “We’ll be celebrating at the River House, and I’d like it if you could come.”

Gwyn weighed the pros and cons of leaving the House. She had always wanted to, thought about it several times in the past few nights, and Nesta would be there too, along with Cassian.

“I would like that.” Gwyn gave him a smile before she turned to leave. “I’ll see you this afternoon, shadowsinger.” She pretended she couldn’t feel his stare as he trailed her every step until she had disappeared into the House.

“Well then I guess he just beat me to it,” Nesta announced when Gwyn told her that Azriel had invited her to Nyx’s birthday celebration. “I was going to invite you and Em today. Mor can winnow you,” she added the last part for Emerie.

The valkyries were having one of their weekly sleepovers in the house library. There had been no more bubble baths since that first night, but they still indulged in all the chocolate and cake they could eat while the mini pegasus lounged by the window.

“I’d love to be there,” Emerie nodded before she continued, “and I would love to know what exactly is going on with Azriel.”

Gwyn felt blood rush to her cheeks as they looked at her with expectant looks. “We’re friends,” was all she could get out.

“Mmh, is that really all you have to say?” Emerie teased when she noticed Gwyn blush harder.

“Pretty suspicious,” Nesta agreed, and the Pegasus neighed, as if in agreement.

Gwyn sighed, her expression turning sad before she looked down to avoid Nesta and Emerie’s eyes. “I can’t give him what he wants.”

“Can’t, or can’t yet ?” Nesta pointed out softly.

“It took me over a year to even step out of that library, do you really think he has that much patience?”

“Yes.” It was Emerie’s turn to butt in. “A lot more patience than you’re giving him credit for.”

“Either way, it doesn’t matter. I asked him to be friends, so that’s what we are,” Gwyn insisted.

Neither female really knew what to say to that, so the House intervened instead. A pile of books was dumped beside her, waiting to change her mind.

“If we can’t convince you, I think a few romance novels might do the trick,” Nesta chuckled.

Gwyn was glad her cheeks were still flushed so that her friends wouldn’t notice the reaction she had to those books being piled next to her. She was sure some—if not all of them—contained smut and she wasn’t ready to reveal that Azriel was the one on her mind every time she stumbled upon one of those scenes. No one was ever going to find out—especially not the shadowsinger himself.

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