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

Chapter 38 - A Guide and an Emissary

"I feel awful for leaving the Night Court when I've barely had but a taste of it," Dorian said with a sigh, and while his eyes roved over the members of the Inner Circle around him as he spoke, they ultimately landed on Brianna standing in front of him, "But; duty calls."

It was as he had said; Dorian couldn't stay for breakfast. He had come up with Brianna, had greeted the others, then had delivered his excuses. He was needed at home, back in the capital of the Strofades, in Allegrya.

They stood on that balcony once more, wind howling, threatening to lift them off their feet. The Illyrians had their wings tucked in tight, while the Syrens stood together, no feathers in sight.

Rhysand offered the Prince a kind smile, nodding in understanding.

"A pity and a shame," the High Lord mused, "Though we're lucky to receive a new Syren to toy with."

His violet eyes landed on Yohann, who gave him a very skeptical look. As did Brianna, for she wondered what prompted him to use such words, but Rhysand merely let out a chuckle as Feyre nudged his side with an elbow.

"We'll take great care of them both," the High Lady reassured Dorian, as if her mate's words were nothing but a joke.

Dorian let out a laugh of his own, giving Yohann a pat on his shoulder.

"This is goodbye for now, old friend," Dorian told him as they clasped their hands together, "You two better not have too much fun without me."

"Oh, we will," Yohann snickered with a rather devilish grin, "Hope you'll survive the council meetings on your own. If you need a shoulder to cry on, this one'll be a ways away."

The Prince simply rolled his eyes at his General. Then he took Brianna's cheeks into his palms, much like he had done so before, so many other times.

"And you," he told her, planting a kiss on her forehead, "Try not to miss me too much."

Brianna gave him a look - "Alright, I'll try not to."

They kissed, and like every other time, everyone looked away. Azriel had chosen to stand further away from them this time, the awkward encounter from the night before still horribly fresh in his mind. As much as he wanted to, as much as he hated it, he could not erase the sight of a naked Dorian with an arm slung round Brianna, coaxing her to go back to bed, to go tangle themselves back up in those sheets.

The thought of it burned him up, and so he stayed away, in the shadow of a pillar, in proximity to Cassian. The General Commander had seemed to notice his behaviour, quickly catching on that Azriel was looking at everyone but Brianna and Dorian, and he let out a soft snicker. Azriel sent out a shadow to slap the back of his head.

But the shadowsinger wasn't the only one to want this kiss to end. Oddly enough, Brianna found that she was the one to pull away. Strangely enough, Brianna was the one to find that she did not want the kiss to linger any longer than it did.

To anyone else watching, it could have been written off as a girl who was upset her lover was leaving. But to Brianna it somehow felt like a hurdle had been vanquished, like it eased her mind. Like the amber eyes that burned into her so deeply the night before were burning less, were looking away from her. Had not even glanced at her once this morning.