A Court of Wings and Fate

40. Siphoning the Truth

Estelle lifted her head, hearing a knock on the door. She blinked wearily, rubbing her eyes. She felt a wet spot on her cheek. The tips of her fingers were stained black. Estelle narrowed her eyes, then spied the partially written list on the desk beneath her other hand.

She stood and opened her bedroom door, not bothering to wipe the ink off. Azriel studied her through shrewd hazel eyes. "You didn't come down last night after I got home," he said.

"Was I supposed to?"

"Not if you didn't want to." He crossed his arms. "Your mother mentioned you'd been at the cabin the night before. With Mikael."

Estelle couldn't hold back her amused grin. "I was."

"So did you not come down because you didn't want to see me..." He tapped his chin, "Or because you were hiding something?"

"What would I be hiding?" Estelle heard giggles down the hall. She glanced past her father and saw Celeste and Sienna poking their heads out Celeste's door. They disappeared the moment she made eye contact with them.

"You tell me." Shadows drifted past Azriel's ears. She wondered what they were telling him. Her own were humming with laughter.

"You won't like what I tell you."

"Then don't tell me."

"Why are you asking if you don't want me to tell you?"

"Because I want you to tell me."

"No, you don't."

"Oh, I really do." Azriel narrowed his eyes, a smirk playing at his lips. "Rhys won't let me kill him without a solid reason."

"I'd prefer if you didn't kill him, so I won't give you a solid reason." Estelle mirrored her father's sassy stance. "And why is it such a big deal if I spend a night alone with someone, but not when Lysander does? Shouldn't you be over there threatening Celeste too?"

Azriel rolled his eyes. "You can't threaten someone who would just enjoy those threats."

Estelle grimaced. "Fair point. I had hoped you were oblivious to her attraction to you."

"It's hard to be oblivious to something when she makes it so apparent. I hope Lysander talks some sense into her soon."

Or maybe he'll just fuck it into her, Estelle thought with a snort. The shadows tittered away in her ears.

Azriel sighed, rubbing the back of his neck with a scarred hand. "I won't kill Mikael, Estelle, for three reasons. One, you like him. Two, Thesan would probably declare war on us and three, Rhys would be pissed at me."

"That's a relief," Estelle laughed. She retreated to her bed and sprawled across it. Azriel followed her, licking his thumb. Estelle knit her brows. He leaned down and began rubbing the ink off her face. "I could do that myself, Dad."

"Well, you didn't, so I am."

Estelle gave an exasperated sigh, but smiled. "Mikael is a good male. He really does care for me."

"I know. I can tell just by the way he looks at you. That doesn't mean I'll stop being protective of my Little Bat though."

Estelle bit her lip, thinking. "Remember what you told me when I asked why my shadows had given him nicknames, and why one of them had chosen to stay with him?" Azriel stiffened, but nodded. "At first, I didn't really believe you, but now..." She hesitated.

Azriel smoothed stray curls from her forehead, then laid down on his stomach. He simply watched her, waiting for her to continue. His shadows drifted over to Estelle, sliding along her cheeks and mingling with her own.