A court of water and worlds

Chapter #37

They had raced down to the library which was all dark because it was now three in the morning.
"What are we even looking for," Azriel asked as he walked through the library with Gwyn who was holding a fae light orb. The only source of light to guide them through obsidian hallways.
Gwyn stopped abruptly in front of an office door and tried to open it but it was locked.
Azriel grinned and asked, "Gwyneth, why are we trying to break into an office?"
She sighed, "because the book we need is in there, so can you use your shadows and break us in."
At that his shadows did as Gwyn commended and unlocked the door. He didn't even tell them to do it.
"Thank you," Gwyn said, opening the door, leaving Azriel speechless for a second time tonight.
He watched her rifle through the books laid on the office desk.
"Here," she said, picking up two books, "these are the ones we need."
"Are those books on made items?" He asked, confused.
She nodded, "one of them is and the other is on other worldly items."
"Could we go back to the house of wind to read them, I don't really like being in the library after dark?" Gwyn asked and Azriel nodded, winnowing them to the study connected to his room.
He let go of Gwyn and she walked straight over to his desk and sat down in his chair like this was her office.
He smiled.
"Do you have a note— never mind," Gwyn said, taking out a notepad from his drawer, "found it."
He sat on the desk in front of her watching as she stared intently at the book.
He watched as her eyes moved from left to right, it was fascinating really.
He could watch her read all day.
"Aren't you going to help?" She asked, tearing her eyes away from the text to look at him.
"I will when you tell me what we are looking for," he said, picking up the other book.
"We are looking for either a made item that looks like your dagger or another worldly item that looks like your dagger," she said then added "wait."
He looked at her waiting for her to continue. She picked up the notepad and pen and looked at him.
"Start from the top," she said and he furrowed his brow in confusion.
"How did you get the dagger, what can it do, things like that," she added.
He sighed, did he really have to get into that whole history?
"Well, it grants you Immunity to other made objects."
She waited for him to continue.
"Do I have to tell you everything it does?" He asked and she sighed.
"Yes you have to tell me everything it does, otherwise we will never figure out why it makes me freakin glow," she said putting her face in her hands which made a loud smack sound.
Azriel stifled a laugh.
"Are you ok? That sounded like it hurt," he asked, grabbing her wrists.
"I'm very overwhelmed," she said and he successfully pried her hands from her face.
"Does smacking your face usually help with that?" He asked running his thumb across her palms, they were so soft.
He felt something spark inside him saying "this, this is what you need, her."
She shook her head, no.
He continued to run his thumb across her palm exploring the lines on it as he said, "the dagger also allows me to cut through things, far more powerful things than flesh and bone."
"Like what?" she asked, looking to where he was holding her hands.
"Like promises, deals, bonds, stuff like that and it also allows me to cut through rooms so I can walk through walls and stuff."
"Why wouldn't you just winnow?"
"Sometimes I can't winnow because people put up shields and wards so I use the dagger to basically cut my way in," he said.
She reluctantly pulled her hands out of his hold and picked up the pen and started writing.
He felt the spark start to flicker out at the loss of her touch.
"So how do you know it's made?" She asked, looking up from the notepad.
"Do you remember the shadow piège," he said and she nodded, "that was where We found it. It was embedded in the rock."
"Who's we?"
"Luna, Rhysand's little sister. We were going to get my mother," he said not wanting to elaborate on that, "and we fell through some hole that opened up to a cave," Gwyn continued to write all of this down.
"How did you get it out of the rock?"
"I didn't," Azriel said, "Luna did, she looked kind of like you when she did. Like glowing and stuff," he finished.
"Wait, she was glowing?" Gwyn asked and Azriel nodded.
"She did that sometimes when she used her powers, she would glow like moonlight."
He watched Gwyn's jaw drop slightly, and she looked down at the table narrowing her eyes.
"What does this mean, that I have powers like hers?"
"I don't know," he said, setting the book down, "I think we need to discuss your powers."
She groaned, "do we have to?"
"Yes," he said, picking up the pen and notepad and giving her a broad smile.
She glared at him, "fine," she said.
He waited.
"I can water walk, I have that thingy—-
"Indomitable Sexuality," he said and saw her cheeks turn pink.
"Yes that. I can also water winnow, and I am able to shift," she finished and Azriel just stared at her.
"Are you ok?" She asked him and he continued to stare at her.
"You are amazing," Azriel said before he could stop the words from falling from his lips.
He watched her cheeks start to turn even more crimson and she smiled.
He really wanted to kiss that beautiful smile.
Wait, Elain.
What was he doing?
This is exactly what happened with Mor. He used Elain to get over her. He wouldn't do that with Gwyn.
He pushed away the thought of her beautiful smile.
"Wow, if all I had to do was tell you my abilities to get you to compliment me like that, I would have told you much sooner," she said still smiling and he couldn't get over how gorgeous it was.
"Water winnow as in—
"Just like normal winnowing but in the water like water teleportation."
"And shifting?" He asked writing all of this down on the notepad.
"I'm assuming that came from my father, he was a high fae in spring court, that's what my mother told me, but I can shapeshift. I'm not all that good at it though. I am able to easily take on some forms but I've never really known how to control it."
"You can shapeshift," Azriel said just staring at her, "ok wow, that's umm— that's, wow."
He didn't really have words for what he thought about Gwyn.
"Did Luna have any of those abilities?" She asked and Azriel shook his head, no.
"Her abilities had to do with mind control, mind reading and," he paused, "she could see the future."
That's primarily why he had let Elain use the truth teller. He thought because she was a seer like Luna maybe it was meant to be hers, but it never glowed like it did with Gwyn and Luna.
"Then how are we connected? There is no way I am related to her and I don't have any of her powers. So, it doesn't make sense how I can make it glow," Gwyn said confused.
Azriel was confused as well. The dots weren't connecting.
They spent the rest of the night looking through the books and taking notes.
They eventually drifted over to the couch and fell asleep.