A Court Of Secrets And Shadows.- gwynriel story

Chapter-3

Oh, I know that this love is pain
But we can't cut it from out these veins, no
So I'll hit the lights and you lock the doors
We ain't leaving this room 'til we both feel more
Don't walk away, don't roll your eyes
They say love is pain, well darling, let's hurt tonight.

"This is unbelievable." Gwyn said throwing her hands in the air in absolute disbelief.
"Not one information about Koschei. I have read three books , not to mention the thousand pages in each and I have found nothing. Every book has the same information- he is a death lord, he curses people, he was cursed and now is bound to the sea , he had two siblings each one of them also death lord." She said reciting the facts and shaking her head. " We are getting nowhere" she said in a whisper.

And Azriel, well he was just staring at her ,sitting in his room,across him, cross legged with a pillow in her lap ,a big book on top of it reading with sheer concentration, her lower lip tucked between her teeth , her teal eyes roaming all over the pages , her beautiful hands hovering over the lines . He couldn't help but notice how the sunlight - making it's way through the open balcony - made her auburn hair glow, her freckles so red on her pale skin - which looked almost yellow with the light kissing her - it was just breathtaking. She was just breathtaking, it was a view to be looked at. So ethereal, he thought to himself
"Stop staring." She hissed when he didn't reply. "it makes me self conscious" she admitted.
He smiled,a small smile and said "Why do you assume I am looking at you?"
She made a face at him and stretched her legs out , probably sore from sitting in one postion for this long.

Even though he had been sitting with her almost for a week now it was still surprising how she indulge herself in her work , he had to literally push her out of his room at night and if she asked to take some books with her he would say 'are you leaving or u want me to throw you over my shoulder and deliver you to your room' to which she made a vulgar gesture and walked away. He would watch her until she disappeared.

Almost as if on instinct his hand started massaging her feet. She groaned throwing her head back and rolling her stiff shoulders and neck.
"Don't Az, it's alright." Az she called him, he smiled to himself. She started pulling her feet back but he held her ankle.
"Why is there so much swelling Gwyn?" He looked at her and then examined her feet.
"You are working in the library, aren't you? "
"Um.. no?" She said giving him an innocent face.
"Why?"
She just shrugged.
"Is it Merill?" Did she-"
" Oh , cauldron boil me, she said nothing, leave the poor priestess alone , will you?"
" Why? " He said edge in his words .
" Because I can't sleep, happy? "
" No , not at all . Why are having problems with sleeping? "
" Why are you having problems with sleeping?" She threw his words over him , her face blank.
"You are not one easy woman." He said sighing.
"You are not one easy man." She sighed mocking him acting all smug.
He just rolled his eyes , she wasn't going to talk unless she wanted to. When he looked up again she was already in her book , eyes scanning the pages so he decided to do some work himself but instead he just kept yawning his eyes dropping, his head felt heavy. Sleep never came to him easily and not at all when he was working but Gwyn's presence made him feel light almost as if she would take all of his burdens away just with that smile of hers.
"Sleep." Her voice came out of nowhere.
"Hmm?"
"You need rest. Look at yourself."
He sighed. Not wanting to get up from his position he just moved a little and placed his head on top of the priestess lap ,on the pillow.

She immediately stiffened.

Dick move,he thought to himself, she was not comfortable with men was a simple thing he never understood, always wanting to touch her. But when he stirred to rise her hands started running through his black locks and massaging his scalp. He relaxed ever so slightly but the priestess was again calm , lost in her own thoughts. She started humming a sweet tune. He had heard her hum so many times , but she never actually sang, not in front of him atleast. It took everything in him not to ask her sing for him because he knew if he did , she would ask him to sing too but he didn't know what song he would sing. A romantic one? Maybe . A sad one? Absolutely not. A happy one? He didn't knew any. Eventually sleep overcame his thoughts and darkness pulled him in.
Gwyn peered down at the shadowsinger on her lap , his breathing steady, his hair a mess from her fingers running through them and some of the strands falling on his forehead. The setting sun complimenting his tan skin. He looked so divine was all she thought. Her mind slowly drifting to how months ago they were just a priestess training and a shadow singer helping but now she could admit, he was her friend - except Emerie and Nesta of course - and one of the rare male she was comfortable with. It all started with them challenging each other, she did stuff and engaged him into it , it just felt right to her , everything around him felt right. Like it was meant to be.
She looked at the shadows that were now circling around them , weaving a cocoon around them.
"Go to sleep" she whispered to them. To her shock the obliged and rested around them.
Her lips tugged at the corner remembering the first time they came near Gwyn.

"Hey" they seemed to whisper and she just giggled at the tickles she felt as they made their way around her cheekbones and neck.
"I am ..uh.. really sorry." He muttered, flustered.
"They don't usually go near anyone, so I don't have to stop them."
"Oh it's fine , don't go too hard in them." She said casually, twirling a one around her finger as if it wasn't something that expressed darkness but a cat .
He kept apologizing for a whole week everytime the shadows reached for her but atleast he had stopped forcing them to not go around the priestess.

She looked at his scarred hands, she didn't knew why they were like this, never asked about them to Azriel knowing that the story will be painful. His eyes always pained when he looked at them. She hated it - not his hands of course- but that he didn't like himself. He would often forget about them and reach out to her , touch her , help her carry the books his hand ever so slightly touching her , just a feather light touch, but he would immediately withdraw them. She wanted to tell him that she didn't care they were scarred and that she was definately not scared of them but she always pulled back , maybe he didn't want her to know about the story.

She heard the creak of the door, pulling her out if her trance.
Nesta stood on the doorway, watching with her infamous smirk. Gwyn just rolled her eyes. She beckoned who Gwyn assumed was Cassian and she knew what was coming. A hell lot of teasing. But to her horror it wasn't Cassian, it was Rhysand whose eyes widened taking in the scene , she glared at Nesta aware of the fact that her face was redder than a tomato. She quickly pulled her hand out of Azriel's hair, praying it wasn't visible to the high lord.
Azriel let out a low whine,but didn't wake.
'Thanks' a voice murmured in her head. She looked at Rhysand again and he smiled at her,a genuine smile.
'For what?' she asked , confused.
'He never sleeps so easily and definately not so peaceful.'
Gwyn smiled as Rhysand pulled out of her head.
He picked up the notes Gwyn had made and went through the details, finding what he already knew , he sighed and guilt crept in Gwyn. She was given one work and she couldn't do it , maybe she really was useless just like Merill always told her .
Rhys gave her an encouraging smile and said in her mind again
'Don't go too hard on yourself , even Amren was unable to find information.' She knew the petite female, knew how ancient she was.
The priestess gave him a tired smile but felt motivated again. He nodded back at her and eventually after reading the title of the books and some more notes he made his way outside.
Rhys glanced at his brother for the last time before leaving sleeping peacefully in Gwyn's lap. He deserved this happiness, he deserved her , he thought to himself. He send the picture to Feyre, knowing she would be happier, even more than him.

Here is chapter-3. Do vote and comment. Thank you for reading my fanfiction.❤️

Ps- Eid mubarak to everyone. 🤗😇