𝐀 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐓 𝐎𝐅 𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐃𝐎𝐖𝐒-𝙖𝙯𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙡

XII

Lorelei sat in her room, her legs crossed under her. It was dark and all she saw was Azriel's glowing eyes five feet in front of her. He had drawn the curtains closed, to give them full and uninterrupted darkness.

"So all I have to do is talk to them?" She asked quietly. She wasn't sure why she was whispering, but it felt right to do it in the dark room. Besides it was night time and she didn't want to risk waking anyone up.

"Coaxed them out. Remember they are your friends." Azriel said just as softly.

"How will I know that I've coaxed them out if I can't see them."

"You'll feel them."

Lorelei closed her eyes, reached out with some sort of awareness, feeling for the corners of the rooms that would be cloaked in more shadows, but she didn't feel anything. She called out to them under her breath, using the sweetest voice she knew. Again nothing. She groaned and opened her eyes, squinting until she saw Azriel's form. "How did you get yours to come to you?"

She felt him hesitate and he drew in a breath before he answered. "I was locked in my father's dungeons as a child. All I had known was darkness. I had no one to talk to for most of my time there, so I started talking to the shadows. And they talked back."

Lorelei felt the sadness pass between them at his story and a part of her knew that it wasn't the full one. The full story would be far worse. She swallowed the lump in her throat before asking, "So should I seclude myself and see if that works?"

"If you think it will. But you can always talk to them when you happen to find yourself with shadows."

She raised her hand, calling on an orb of faelight. Azriel's face came into view, the light making him look sickly, like he might have as a child in his Father's keep. She wanted to change the subject, wanted to take a break from training. "Are we ever gonna talk about the cabin?"

It has been a couple days since then, but Lorelei has thought about it every night since coming back from Hewn City. Azriel's eyes widened at her bluntness and then he looked away, uncharacteristically shy. "After what had just happened after that...I wanted to give you some time. I didn't want to seem like that was all I wanted you for."

She bit her lip. "I know that's not all you want me for, but I would be lying if I said I didn't want it to happen again." She watched his eyes darken as they found hers. She hoped the faint light didn't expose her blush.

"Is that so?" She nodded, heat flowing through her body at the sensual tone that took over his voice. "We could do whatever you want, all you have to do is ask." She shifted where she sat, suddenly feeling too cramped in her skin. He moved closer to her, so close she could feel his warm breath on his cheek, on her neck. She shivered at the contact. "What is it that you want Lory?"

She looked up at him with wide eyes, everything that she wanted a fleeting thought that she couldn't seem to put into words. So she let her body take over. She sent the faelight to float around them, wrapped her arms around Azriel's shoulders and pulled him into a kiss. He was quick to respond back, wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close to him. She went to climb onto his lap, but he held her tight as he stood, walking them over to the bed.

Azriel set her down onto the mattress, unwrapped her arms so he could lift his shirt over his head. She looked at his chest in the faint light, tracing over the tattoos that she knew by heart. She felt his body shudder under his touch and she gave him a teasing smile.

Something like the sound of frustration sounded from the back of his throat and he was pulling her into another kiss, but this one was different from all the other ones they shared. It was rough and full of want and need.

His full scent of arousal hit her like a massive wave and it awoke hers, their scents mingling and filling the room.

He pushed her softly onto the bed, hovering above her, his hips just barely touching hers. She bucked her own hips, gasping at the light contact. Azriel chuckled, standing up straight, taking the contact with him. "You're so impatient." He teased. "Scoot up the bed for me."

She did so eagerly, waiting for him to join her again. But instead of getting back on the bed, his hands went to the strings of his pants, working at pulling them apart. His eyes never left hers as he pushed the waistband off his hips, as he stepped out of the pants and finally moved to position himself at her waiting legs.

He still wore his underwear but without the layer of his pants, Lorelei saw exactly how big his bulge was. She felt a jolt of excitement low in her belly, wondered what it would feel like inside her.

Azriel's hands came to her hips again, playing with the waistband of her pants. His eyes locked onto hers, pleading. He wanted her pants off. She swallowed and nodded, lifted her hips so he could get them past her butt. He slid them off slowly, kissing each leg as he did.

Goosebumps rose in the wake of his lips, spreading through her whole body. A shiver went down her spine and she couldn't stop herself from panting when he moved her legs so he could settle himself between them.

With two layers missing, the feel of his bulge on her already soaking core was enough to have her come right then and there. He moved slowly, watching Lorelei's face the whole time. Her hands held onto the comforter when he pushed harder, a groan escaping from his lips.

She whined at the feeling and sounded, rutting her hips against his for more friction. He obliged her, moving harder and faster. Her whines turned into moans which got higher pitched as she got closer to finishing.

Azriel kept his pace, sensing that she was close. His hand slipped under her shirt, his fingers light as he took one of her breasts in his hand. His callouses rubbed against her nipple and that was enough to push her over the edge.

Her hand flew to her mouth as she cried out, teeth closing tightly on her skin so she didn't let out too much noise. Azriel kept moving at the same pace and she was coming again, her eyes rolling back. He slowed to a stop, riding her through a third orgasm, his hands pushing her shirt up. He moved back so his hands could roam all over her body.

She caught her breath, looking at him through blurry eyes. He was giving her a cocky smirk. She huffed out a laugh and looked up at her ceiling. "Alright, gloat all you want."

"I didn't say anything." A laugh at the edge of his words.

"You didn't have to." She ran a hand through her hair, cringing at the sweat that had started to collect there. Then she realized something. "You didn't come?"

His hands moved up and down her still parted legs, massaging them. "It's okay."

She shook her head, moving to sitting up, ignoring the cold wetness between her legs. "It's not fair."

He stopped her, took her face in his hands, holding her gently. He gave her a single kiss on the nose. "Don't worry about me. I'm okay. Besides...I like...denying myself."

She tipped her head to the side, thought about it and looked at him with wide eyes and a slightly open mouth. Then it was her turn to smirk. "Azriel, you're kinky."

Instead of becoming shy like she thought he would, Azriel just smiled. "Is that a problem?"

She bit her lip at his confidence, ready to go another round. "I didn't say that."

"Good." He leaned forward, kissed her lips once, twice. "I think it's time for bed." He pulled away and laid beside her.

She stared at the space he was just in and gave it a blank stare. That cheeky shit. She laid back, settled against Azriel, and breathed in his scent.

She wondered what were the odds of their being two Shadowsingers in the same lifetime. Azriel had said they were rare, but it didn't surprise him that she would develop a gift for shadows. He had said that their situation had been somewhat similar. Locked up and alone for a majority of the time.

Lorelei had blocked out a lot of her time chained to a wall in a dark room and couldn't recall if the shadows had tried to talk to her, tried to keep her company. She just wished someone would save her.

No one came and she had to wait until she was able to free herself. But if Azriel believed that she was just like him, then she would trust him. She would always trust him.