The Spymaster's Assassin (An ACoTaR Fanfic)

Chapter 39

I woke up lying on my back, Az laying with his head on my shoulder and my arms around his shoulders. I didn't want to get up. Because I knew this would be the last time I had him in my arms like this for a few weeks yet.

I lifted a hand to brush my fingers through his hair and his arms curled around me more, brushing one of my wings in the process and I shuddered. He didn't move from his relaxed position draped over me but mumbled, "It's time to wake up."

His voice was flat, as if stating a fact. Nothing in his voice portrayed any sort of eagerness to move. Instead, a foreboding and lingering fear that sat between us like a cloud. We didn't know what would happen, or if the plan to nullify the Cauldron would even work to begin with. Nor what awaited us on Hybern.

"It is." I said softly. My arms didn't move from around him, as if my very muscles didn't want to let go, my skin forbidding me from breaking contact.

He lifted his head and gazed into my eyes and gently kissed my lips, tenderly, but firmly. And I kissed him back. I stole a few more as he sat up, arms locking around my waist to pull me up into a sitting position with him.

We didn't move far from each other as we helped the other into our fighting leathers, tightening straps tenderly with fleeting kisses in between. When we were dressed, Azriel insisted on braiding my hair, and I let him, sitting in a chair and handing him my brush and the tie and merely closed my eyes as he gently brushed my red curls and then tied them into a sturdy braid. When he was finished, he bent to kiss my cheek.

I stood and felt my eyes stinging as I merely hugged him tightly. His arms wrapped around me, and his wings raised to form a warm cocoon around us.

I released a steady breath and held my right hand out to him. "A-Alright. Are you ready?" He grasped my hand with his own right hand.

He nods. "I'm ready."

And he closed his eyes and I gasped as a string of tattoos went up my arm, but not his. He opened his eyes and met mine. "It's a deal. That keeps you tied to me. It'll look like how you want it to, because I don't have the same."

I tightened my fingers around his and reached up and brought my hands to his cheeks and pulled him down to kiss me, and he kissed me back, arms looping around my waist as he pulled me closer to him.

When I pulled away, I said softly, "I have something for you. I made it when the plan was made, and successfully kept it from you." I smiled as he pressed his forehead against mine.

"Only my mate could keep something from the Court's Spymaster." Hs says with a small grin and love shining in his eyes.

I smiled and kissed his nose.

"Mhm. Now wait a second." I said and pulled away from him and went over to my wardrobe and pulled a box out of it. "Close your eyes, Azriel." I said over my shoulder and he did so. I pulled out from the box the pair of wrist cuffs I had made.

I walked over to him and took his hand and slid the cuff onto his wrist. He opened his eyes to see what I was doing. "What's this?" He asks and looks at me.

It was made of black leather with swirls stamped into it that looked like shadows. I had a matching one. "They're enchanted. So while we are apart, we can feel each other's heart beats from the cuffs. So we can always have the other nearby. And they change color to match what you are wearing. It just seems at first impression something ordinary. But it isn't. And I have one so I can feel your heartbeat."

His face broke into a grin and he scooped me up into his arms and I laughed as he spun me around, looping my arms around his neck tightly. He gently set me down and kissed my cheek. "Thank you, Adrianna." He said softly.