Ethereal - Part One

Chapter 24 - A Favour for a Favour

I locked the bathroom door behind me and covered my mouth with my hands in shock. Oh my God! Was Azriel was about to kiss me? He almost kissed me, and I? I was waiting for it. I wanted it to happen. If Clarren hadn’t appeared in time, it would have happened.

I shook my head slightly and decided to get a move on. I changed into a pair of silky pyjamas and then unlocked the bathroom door and walked into the room. Clarren was standing against the dresser with her arms crossed against her chest, her lips curled up in a wicked smirk. Oh, man, I was not up for this.

When I entered the room and found it empty, I was happy that I wouldn’t have to listen to any of Clarren’s taunts. I had thought that I might still have time to avoid her and go straight to bed without having to see her, but nope, never mind, destiny hadn’t taken a liken to me.

“We really don’t have to do this, Clarren” I told her and walked over to the bed. “Do what? I am not doing anything” She answered in a voice so innocent, I was close to letting it go. “Fine, you know what? If you have something to say about what you had seen outside, go ahead, speak freely”.

Clarren raised her eyebrows and pulled her lips into a straight line. “I would have thought that someone like Kaz was more your type, you know? He is oozing with charm, and that boyish youthful looks are such a pretty bonus”.

“Then of course, I thought maybe Zeir would be second choice at least, with his striking dark blue eyes and wings to match, long and silky black hair that makes you want to run your hands through his hair…”.

“It’s beginning to sound to me that you have a thing for both Zeir and Kazier” I commented, but Clarren continued speaking. “…But, no. You choose the broad, burly, always angry Azzie. I mean, hey, he is good looking, but it is kept hidden behind that scowl that constantly seems to be fixed to his face”.

I sighed and then tucked a stray piece of hair behind my ear. “That’s just the thing, I guess. You can’t choose who you’re attracted to”. Clarren narrowed her eyes at me and then smiled. “Yes, I suppose you are correct, Mira”.

……………………………………….

I woke up the next morning feeling a bit sore. All the training I had done yesterday could be felt through my body. Luckily for me, Zeir was reasonable enough to understand that if I needed him to take things easy with me, he would do so happily.

I hit the shower first and then afterwards dressed in my athletic wear. Clarren was still sleeping when I left the room, so I was careful to be as quiet as I could be. Then I walked towards the kitchen.

“Good morning, Mira”. “Morning, Kazier. Is it your turn to make breakfast?” I asked him as he took out cake flour and oil from the one cupboard. “No, not exactly. But I am most certainly not waiting on Destry to step into the kitchen after her lengthy night with Ryelen”.

I raised my eyes in surprise and then laughed at his words. “What? Did you not hear them through the night?” He asked me with a frown. “Well, my room is on the opposite side of the cabin” I answered with a shrug.

“Ah, yes, so of course that is why” He mentioned while I took the loaf of bread out from its bin. “Are you making yourself a sandwich”. “Yeah, want one?” I asked him but he didn’t answer, instead he smiled at me, wickedly.

“What?” I eyed him suspiciously and frowned. “You know, you still owe me a favour” He reminded me, that dangerous smirk of his not faltering. I had nearly forgotten about that. “So, a sandwich?” I asked again and started buttering the first slice.  

“I was thinking of something else” He whispered and turned me around slowly to face him. Kazier placed his hands on my sides and I placed mine on his to push him away. “Kazier I…”.

“What the fuck is going on in here?” I heard Azriel’s voice and again pushed at Kazier to get away from him. This time he moved, holding his hands up in surrender while I watched Azriel charge towards us.

“Nothing now” Kazier said with a smile. “What did you say?” Azriel asked him and stepped between Kazier and I. “Nothing, Az” He replied calmly. “It better be fucking nothing”. “Azriel, calm down” I told him and placed my hand on his shoulder to get his attention.

Azriel was about to turn to face me but then he physically moved Kazier away from us and then looked him straight in the eye. “Mira is my woman. You see this space between us? This is the same amount of distance you need to keep from her, do you understand me?”.

Kazier whistled lowly, his eyebrows hiked up in surprise, a smile on his lips, but he folded his arms across his chest and nodded eagerly. I too was taken aback by Azriel’s bold speech. “I get it, Az, she is yours. Whatever you say, man” He answered with a laugh. Then he walked away from the kitchen, sending a wink my way before disappearing completely.

I frowned in confusion at that, but was more worried about what would happen if Azriel had seen it. But he didn’t. Because as soon as Kazier had finished speaking, Azriel turned his back to him and kept his eyes on me. 

“Mira”. I met his gaze and was downright shocked to see him staring lovingly into my eyes. That was the last thing that I saw before Azriel transported me elsewhere.

My legs shook slightly from the sudden shift in location and I looked around me while I become stable on my feet. Azriel had transported us back to the woods at the back of the house, where we almost kissed last night.

“Why did you run off after Clarren left”. “There was nothing else left to say”. “You are wrong, Mira. We have much to discuss”. “I have training soon, with Zeir” I mentioned and I noticed a muscle in Azriel’s jaw stiffen.

A few moments passed before Azriel spoke up. “Tell me about your dream”. I frowned and took a step back from his proximity. “No. Why do you want to know so badly about it”.  “You dreamt of me, Mira, I have a right to know”. I shifted my footing and shook my head. Azriel gently placed his hand on my shoulder.

“Did we kiss?” He asked me in a tone so soft I wasn’t sure if I had heard him correctly. I thought back to the dream I had after the demon of lust had stung me and shook my head. “We did everything but kiss”. Azriel nodded his head slowly. “Then I suppose I should make up for that now” He said and pulled me towards him.

The moment he pressed his lips against mine, I reciprocated. Azriel’s lips danced with mine in a passionate rhythm. I reached my hands up into his hair and tugged on it and I knew he accepted that as motivation to deepen the kiss.

He kissed me harder now, his arm around the small of my back to keep my body pressing up against his. In between smaller kisses, Azriel had caught my lip between his teeth. He nibbled at it slightly and then instantly pulled away from me as immediate as we heard movement coming from the house.

I looked everywhere else besides at Azriel while Zeir and Adaeon approached us. “Had a change of mind?” Zeir asked me and I stared blankly at him not knowing what the hell he was referring to.

Then he frowned and came to stand right before me. “About who gets to train you?”. “Oh! No, uhm…no, Azriel and I were just... talking”. “Ok, well chit-chat time is over. I asked Adaeon to join today, so let us see how you take on two of us at the same time”.