A Court of Shadows and Thunder // AzrielxOC SlowBurn Romance, ACOTAR FanFiction

Chapter II - Easy Target

The air had gone still in the room, the wind no longer blowing through the open balconies. Everything had come to a halt; not a single sound could be heard, save for their own breathing.

It was almost like a hallucination, as the High Lords were motionless before the beautiful woman. 

Though there wasn't anything particularly extraordinary about the way that she looked, as she appeared as would any High Fae female in perfect shape would look, but there was something about her that had made every male in the room absolutely transfixed on her. Like they had watched the sun set for the very first time, and the view was making it impossible for them to tear their eyes away. There was something about her... something that had them so transfixed by her, mesmerized by her appearance alone.

But they quickly snapped out of it as the blond man spoke. "Thank you for accepting our request on such short notice," he said, in a grave yet soothing voice, "It is an honour to be in the presence of such..." It was like he pretended to search for the words, but a gleam remained in his twinkling blue eyes, "Powerful people."

At such a comment, the High Lords suddenly realised the nature of this meeting, of the rumours of these people. But they finally rose from their seats, a silent welcome, as they took in their appearances. They wore fine clothing, perfectly tailored to their bodies. The man wore a fitting white tunic, with silver thread embroidered throughout his chest and arms. His pants were grey, tucked into his black boots. The woman, much like the man, wore a similar outfit. But her tunic was cut in a more flattering manner to suit her soft curves, and flowed longer, to the middle of her thighs.

The blond man took it as his cue to enter the room, as he casually strolled past the threshold of the balcony, right into the chamber, stopping only a few feet away from Rhysand, his eyes roving around the war room. Cassian had quietly kept an eye on him as he had sauntered past them, watching him now as he locked eyes with the High Lords and their entourage, but Azriel's gaze remained fix on the woman who stood still on the balcony. She stood perfectly still, yet it was clear that both she was on high alert, her eyes darting around every person of power within the war room of the Mountain Palace. And indeed, it was full of them. 

The blond man nodded to her, but still she didn't move. Azriel, who was now the one nearest to her, tried to keep his shadows from flaying out as he watched her. Though she held her head high, she appeared to almost hesitate, he realized. As if she knew very well that she was walking into a trap, but was going to do it anyway. 

"Brianna," The man inside drawled, calling what could only be her name.

They watched, all of them within the room, as she slowly made her way towards the blond man, her long, brown locks falling past her slender shoulders in waves, the curled tips ending at her waist, swaying with her every move. There was a certain grace about the way she walked, how every step was as light as a feather, yet seemed to be a perfectly calculated move. Like she was aware of what was going on, that she very well knew that every single set of eyes were upon her, and that it didn't bother her one single bit. Or that perhaps she was used to it. 

When she walked past Azriel, she locked her eyes with his, studying him for the brief moment that she strode by him, eyeing his shadows, his hands, wings, and he felt as though she had suddenly laid him bare before her. Or maybe it was because her pretty almond eyes were blood red; striking, like she could see past his own eyes, deep into him, and perhaps beyond too. Something in him stirred, as did his shadows, almost in alert. But Azriel kept calm, biting back even a sliver of emotion, keeping his expression as stoic as he possibly could. Unlike Cassian, who was openly gawking as she walked past him too, much like the rest of the males in the room.