𝐀 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐓 𝐎𝐅 𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐃𝐎𝐖𝐒-𝙖𝙯𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙡

IV

Mor wanted to go dancing after dinner and everyone else was inclined to join except for Lorelei and Azriel, his excuse that he had to be up early. Lorelei didn't have an excuse other than her being tired. Which was perfectly okay with everyone.

So that's how she found herself walking down the path to the house on the river with Azriel by her side. He was near silent beside her, even his footsteps seemed to disappear. Shadows moved up, down, and around his body.

"Can you control the shadows?" Lorelei asked before she worked up the nerve to stop herself.

Azriel wasn't shocked by the question and even seemed like he was waiting for her to ask. "Yes."

"So they're a part of you?"

"Not exactly." A male of few words. Okay, he didn't want to talk, that's fine. Lorelei didn't need to talk. They were almost to the house when he said, continuing their conversation, "They talk to me–as weird as it sounds–and they allow me to hear things that no one else can."

As he spoke, a single tendril of shadow broke off from his body and wove its way towards her. It wrapped around her fingers and made its way up her arm. It tickled as it moved, caressing her so softly. She giggled while petting it. The shadow seemed to melt into her touch and she looked up at Azriel. His face was the picture of stone beauty, but his eyes gave his emotions away. He was shocked. "They like you." He murmured.

Lorelei smiled. "I can understand why you keep them around you so often. It feels like an old friend. I don't feel as lonely." She blanched at the small truth she just revealed, the sad truth. She looked away from him, walking back up the pathway over the bridge. After a moment Azriel joined her.

"It is not a weakness to admit that you are lonely." He said softly, calling back his shadow. Her arm felt cold and empty without it.

She didn't look up as she asked. "Are you lonely?"

His voice was set in an emotion of neutrality, like this was a normal conversation about the weather. "Sometimes."

Lorelei looked up at him then. The most beautiful male she had ever seen...and he was lonely. She was sure that he had many lovers–anyone would be stupid to not be in bed with him–but it didn't didn't necessarily mean it would feel that empty space in a person's heart that craved the constant love and affection you can only get from someone who truly loved you. She wondered if he was just like her and felt like he didn't deserve it.

Not after everything she had been through, who would want her after that?

They finally made it to the house, Azriel holding the door open for her and allowing her to walk up the stairs first. She had counted this morning how many doors it took for her to get from her room to the stairs so she didn't make a fool of herself as Azriel passed to go to his own room. His door was only a couple down from hers across the hall. He told her goodnight before slipping into his room and closing the door.

She went into her own room, changing from her day clothes to night clothes, too tired to take a bath. She could always take one in the morning. She slipped into her sheets, shivering against the cold and thought about her conversation with Azriel. She had meant what she said about his shadows. It had felt like a friend, despite its dark exterior it was warm, like it would comfort her if she needed it. But what he meant about the shadows liking her, she had no idea.

Her eyes started to burn with exhaustion and she found it was harder to keep her eyes open as the minutes passed. She thought of the male as she fell asleep, thought about what a friendship with him would be like.

+

–Azriel–

Azriel was up and awake a second after a sharp scream reached his ears. He had half a mind to grab Truth-Teller from under his pillow as he ran out of his room and down to Lorelei's where another scream was coming from.