Another night of sleeping right through. I woke with a smile on my face, despite the early start and dressed myself for training in a hurry. So much so that I nearly crashed into Deidre in the hallway.
She grinned at me, "Nice evening with the Shadowsinger?"
"Yes," I said, aware my cheeks were reddening.
"We all wondered how long it would take," She signalled to the other novices. "All those little quips and glances at training," She shook her head and beamed. "Just don't let him in your room, Clotho will be furious."
I gave a nod and we walked up to the training ring. Despite the early hour, the air was warm and I knew from the cloudless sky that it was going to be a beautiful day. I spotted Nesta and Emerie over at the punch bags so made my way over, wrapping my hands to protect them on the way.
"You look like you've slept well," Emerie commented and I gave a nod.
"That good of a night?" Nesta teased and I rolled my eyes.
"I enjoyed the chocolate cake," I told her, "Thank you."
"Chocolate cake?" Emerie raised her eyebrows, "I need to find someone who gives me chocolate cake." She stuck out her bottom lip as I started punching the bag.
"I'll always share mine with you," I told her and she grinned in response. My fists paused as Azriel and Cassian walked into the training ring together and both Emerie and Nesta turned to follow my gaze.
"You've got it bad," Emerie said, clapping my back and then moving to grab herself a glass of water. Azriel stopped mid-conversation and Cassian glanced over to see who had taken his attention. He smiled, shaking his head and signalled to Nesta to help him set up some equipment. Leaving the Shadowsinger to make his way over to me.
"You're not pretending this is me, are you?" He asked, leaning a hand against the padded material.
"Not… yet." I grinned.
"Not yet?" He raised his eyebrows and I winked, going back to my punching. He moved to stand behind me, as if adjusting my posture, but instead he whispered, "Still free later?"
"Yes, I'll just need to clean up after training but then I'm free," I told him. I glanced across the ring where Nesta and Cassian were pretending not to be watching us. "What's the dresscode?"
"The dresscode?" He laughed softly.
"Formal? Casual? Sword?"
He laughed again from behind me, a hand gently caressing my waist. "Whatever you'd like," He murmured and then he continued on to talk to the other priestesses by the water stand.
"Mmm yes, you've got it bad," Emerie said as she passed me again. I bit my lower lip and then made my way over to Cassian, ready for another day of training to begin.
There were no weapons for the session. It was instead a recap on hand-to-hand combat and footwork. I paired up with Nesta and we worked through the motions together, quickly. I thought back to when we'd first been trained like this and how much stronger we were now. It seemed so long ago. Now we'd packed on muscle and our footwork was smooth and almost flawless.
"So what are you going to wear on your date?" Nesta asked, amusement in her eyes as she put the padding onto her hands, my time to punch her.
"I don't know," I whispered. I glanced over to where Azriel was helping correct Deidre's fist. "I don't really have outfits for that kind of occasion."
"I'll ask the house to send some your way," Nesta winked and I rolled my eyes.
"Where does the house's bank balance even come from?"
"Rhys?" She shrugged, "It's fine, he won't even notice and if he does I'll say I wanted more clothes."
"How long are you going to let him send you all these gifts?"
She grinned, "As long as it doesn't get boring."
—-
True to her word, I got back to my room after my bath to find some folded clothes on my bed. Some white, blue and teal-coloured blouses, a few pairs of trousers and two new sundresses. One was a deep teal chiffon, a few shades darker than my eyes with cap sleeves and the other was a turquoise coloured-flowy fabric with a fitted bodice, elbow-length sleeves and a slit up the side. I opted for the deep teal as the other dress looked more evening than day and then I walked up to the House of Wind.
Cassian was on the main floor of the house when I walked into it and he grinned at me, "Looking nice, Gwyn."
I glanced around, awkwardly, "Is Azriel… here?"
"He'll be back in just a moment," Cassian replied, sipping at his coffee. Amusement shone in his eyes and I felt my cheeks reddening. "It's nice seeing you both so happy." He said, his face sincere. From behind him I could see Azriel land on the main balcony. He glanced to where I was standing with Cassian and his eyes turned wide, as if concerned his deepest darkest secrets were being shared.
"Hello," He said to me softly and then he glanced at Cassian.
"I didn't say anything embarrassing," He held up a hand and grinned into his coffee. "You got back just in time, brother. I was about to tell Gwyn all about those nights at Rita's."
I raised an eyebrow, "Rita's?"
Cassian smirked, "Have fun you two." And he headed back upstairs to the floor he shared with Nesta.
"Hello," Azriel said again, this time placing a kiss on my forehead. "Shall we go?"
Flying was exhilarating, I decided as he flew me down from the House of Wind. We flew alongside the coast this time, over the amphitheatre and the large houses on the coast that belonged to some of the High Fae. We passed over the Rainbow and the Harbour until we were where sand met the water. A beach. He swooped us down, like a bird moving to catch its prey and before putting me down onto the sand, he placed another kiss on my forehead, making me blush. The area of the beach we were on was quiet, no one else around at all. The sand beneath us was golden and there were a few large boulders scattered about.
As I glanced around, I spotted a picnic blanket and I grinned, "So this is where you were?"
He gave a nod and we walked over to it. A picnic basket sat there, as well as a few books. I picked one up and scanned the front cover. "Poetry."
"Do you like poetry?" He asked, looking hopeful.
I smiled, "Yes, especially older poetry." I sat down on the blanket and kicked my shoes off, leaning back on my hands to look at the ocean. I watched as the blue waves, a mixture of different shades, crashed against the sand and dragged it backwards. The white foam looked like white horses riding into battle and the salty smell of the water filled the air. Azriel sat down beside me, leaning on his side so he could glance over at me. The sun was overhead and warmed my face.
"This is lovely," I told him and he smiled. "More males should read romance novels."
His laugh was almost a snort, "I've not done anything like this before," He said, his voice turning serious. "I'm not even sure if I'm doing it right."
"What, courting?"
"Courting?" His eyes were wide and then they shone with amusement.
"Emerie said you were courting me," I explained.
He raised his eyebrows and then shrugged, "And if I am?"
"Then that would be okay," I replied. He smiled and lifted my closest hand to him, kissing it softly. "And for the record, I don't know if you're doing it right either, I've never…" I trailed off awkwardly. "But it's nice, I like it."
"Good." He watched me as I leaned forward and grabbed a poetry book. I sat cross-legged as I turned to a random page.
"Till the seas gone dry, my dear, and the rock melts with the sun; I will love thee still, my dear, while the sands of life shall run," I read and glanced back at the front cover. "Are these love poems?" Azriel shrugged, a smile on his face. "You are a secret romantic," I said to him. "How much would your friends tease you, I wonder…"
He moved to grab me and I stood up, laughing as he chased me across the sand. He caught up with me and I dodged his grasp once, twice, but the third time he caught my wrist, just as he lost his balance and I landed on top of him on the sand, straddling him. We were both laughing as we fell and his smile lit up his whole face.
"You know, you're pretty beautiful," I told him and he stopped laughing.
"Do you have a concussion?" He asked, threading his fingers through mine.
"I didn't hit my head," I reminded him, "But you did."
"I'm not concussed," He assured me, sitting up with me still straddling him. Our faces were close now and that familiar pull towards him seemed to pull me in, closing the gap between our lips with a kiss. I released a hand from his grasp and moved it to hold the back of his neck as his free hand slid across my thigh, exposed from the fall. He smiled into the kiss as he reached the dagger that was strapped there. He murmured against my lips, "You're even armed on our date."
"I might have needed to defend you against whatever monsters live in the ocean," I told him and he laughed softly until I pressed my lips against his again. His hand reached my waist and he pulled me in closer, as close as he possibly could and I melted into his touch. This kiss was passionate and magic seemed to him around us. His hand moved gently up and down my spine, sending fire in its wake and I shivered into the touch.
I pulled back for air, resting my forehead against Azriel's as we both breathed quickly. "You're a distraction," I told him.
"Hmm?"
"I don't think you'll ever be allowed in the library again," I explained between breaths, "I'd never get any work done."
"I nearly didn't get any work done in training this morning," He replied. "I just wanted to pull you into my arms." His hands moved to my hips and his nose brushed against mine. "Cass will be firing me."
"I… I didn't know kisses felt this… good," I told him, running a hand through his hair. He stilled beneath me and I continued, "I… I've never kissed anyone before… until you." He was quiet, his eyes widened and he looked lost it thought. I wondered if perhaps I had said the wrong thing. "Sorry, I shouldn't have… I'm not sure why I told you that…"
He blinked and it was as if he suddenly remembered to breathe again as his chest started moving against mine. One of his hands moved to cup my cheek. "You didn't say the wrong thing, not at all," He whispered, his eyes softened and his shadows seemed to wrap themselves around me, tucking me into his embrace. "And not all kisses feel like this," He added before kissing me tenderly, holding me as if he were afraid I might just break or disappear. We just stayed like that for a while, back to gentle kisses and holding one another and then he carried me back to the picnic blanket, placing me down and opening the picnic basket.
"Hungry?" He offered, getting out a selection of meats, fruits, cheeses, cakes and some bread. I poured each of us a cup of the fruit juice that had been packed and then tucked into the food. And when I was full and the sun had truly warmed us I fell asleep sprawled out on the blanket with my head on Azriel's chest.