A ShadowSingers Love

Chapter 4-The Roof

Amara sat beside Azriel, looking down at the sparkling city below them. Awkward silence settled between them and she still did not look at him. That feeling in her gut kept tugging at her and she tried to ignore it.
She took a deep breath, looking down at her lap as she opened her mouth to speak. "I came to check on you."
Azriel continued to keep his eyes on the city. "I just assumed you wanted to stare at the city."
Amara blinked in surprise and looked over at him and immediately felt her stomach twist. She hadn't truly observed him, at least his face, until now. The way his hair gently fell against his forehead as he looked down. The curve of his lips and the shadows that seemed to float around him. He was attractive, far more attractive than anyone else downstairs. They may just be her own opinion, but her eyes noticed more features as she stared at him.
She hadn't noticed how long she had been looking until his eyes moved over to look at her, obviously noticing her gaze.
Her cheeks flushed to a pink and quickly turned her head back down to the city, focusing on a small light coming from one building.
She was still thinking about the features of his face, especially the curve of his mouth when she heard him shifting. His wings, for that matter, moving to wrap around her back.
"You're shivering." He said, his voice low and husky.
"Oh." She said not even having noticed how cold it was outside until he pointed it out.
His wing was comforting, warm even and she couldn't stop herself as her body leaned into his warmth. It was large and she turned her head to look at it. It could have wrapped around her entire body, the far edge at her shoulder because of their far distance from each other. The wings sparkled with a hint of midnight blue, and the veins that ran through them slightly visible in the moonlight.
She had heard stories, mostly from scared people about the illryian wings. That they were horrifying, and resembled bats. They were feared, especially Azriel and Cassian because of their syphons. No one spoke of the beauty of the two men. But then again, the stories were from outside of Velaris. People still believed Rhysand was a horrifying and cruel High Lord out there.
Her hand reached out to touch his wing, enchanted by them and ran her finger down the inside. She felt him shudder and she instantly withdrew her hand back to her lap.
"Sorry," She mumbled and felt his wing tense then relax behind her.

Azriel stayed quiet, his eyes carefully looking over her as his wing covered her. He knew why she had come outside, Rhysand or Feyre having worried about him. And Mor, being nosy once again into his life.
He watched her closely when she stared at his wing, knowing she may have heard stories. He had heard them floating about at the corners of the Night Court.
He watched her finger run down a very sensitive part of his wing and he had to bite down on the inside of his mouth, shuddering being the only thing he couldn't stop himself from doing. No one had touched his wing before, no one had ever bothered and he hadn't wanted them to. But her–the knotting in his stomach tightened as he wanted her to keep touching it. She was the only one he wanted touching his wings.
He let out a long breath when she pulled her hand back, missing the soft skin against his wing.
Azriel kept his wing tight around her back, keeping her warm from the midnight air.
"Did Rhys send you?" He asked, keeping his voice low as he kept his eyes on her. He didn't want to look away, not when he could finally observe her properly. Cauldron she was beautiful and he was slightly grateful Feyre's flying was still absolute shit.
He watched Amara's head shake, her hair dropping over her shoulder as she did so and he felt the urge to run his fingers through it.
"I came on my own." Her voice was soft, Cauldron boil him it sent shivers through him as she spoke.
"I see." Was all he said in return, fully turning his head to face her and he felt her back lean into his wing which he supported. He let his wing tighten around her, feeling the layer of cold on her skin from being outside.
That silence fell between them again and he wanted to keep talking with her, to keep hearing her voice.
As he glanced at her, her own head turned towards him. Just as he opened his mouth to speak they eyes locked and he froze. That knot, that annoying feeling that had driven him so mad he had to leave the table. That feeling that if it didn't go away he might be sick. It tightened, solidified in him and he knew why it had been bothering him so much.
She was his mate.

Amara looked at him, staring into those hazel eyes seeing him open his mouth to say something. She raised a brow when his eyes widened, ever so slightly. Probably the only emotion she had seen on that elegant face of his. "Is something wrong?" She asked curiously, hugging her arms now.
Azriel did not respond, instead standing up pulling his wing away from her. "I have to go." He said, keeping his voice low as he disappeared into shadow.
"What the hell?" She whispered to herself as she was now left alone on the top of the roof.
Her teeth chattered, realizing just how warm his wing had been from its absence. She didn't know if she had done something wrong, but that knot in her stomach had eased slightly. It wasn't bothering her as much and she started to feel better.
As she stood up, giving one last glance to the city below, then around the roof she walked back down to the dining area where everyone was still sitting. They paused their conversation, whatever Cassian had been going on about, to look over at her.
"What happened? Was he there?" Mor asked, seeming very interested in what happened on the roof between them. As she thought back to him, the warmth of his wing and every detail of his face she had burned into her memory she shook her head.
"He wasn't there."
She didn't know why she lied, but she did and returned to the table. Maybe she just wanted to keep their small conversation a secret, something to keep to herself.
As she thought of him, of those wings and his shadows, she did not shudder. Instead she smiled softly and secretly wished to see him again.