Nightfall {An Azriel (ACOTAR) FanFic}

Chapter 13

When Azriel knocked at Heart's bedroom door and it went unanswered, he was left to assume that her and Pip would both be in her study. When he only found Heart tapping her foot and glaring at the chalkboard, he slowly crept up behind her. His intention was not to startle her but she gasped loudly when she finally noticed the large wings.

"Are you trying to kill me?" She put a hand on her chest and gaped at him.

He grinned notoriously, "Quiet the opposite actually. I was looking for Pippor."

"He's still sleeping." Heart rolled her eyes. "He was too tired after spending the entire day yesterday outdoors." She tried to shoo him away but the spymaster caught her wrist as she was turning away from him.

"I never said I was looking for only Pip."

Heart narrowed her eyes as Azriel let her hand fall from his grasp. "And what is it that you want from me?"

"Time." He said.

"I don't owe you any time." She crossed her arms across her chest and tilted her head to a side.

"No." Azriel agreed. "But you're nice."

"I don't want to be nice to you." Heart retorted and fiddled with the chalk in her hand.

Azriel scoured for any other excuse. "You can spend your time being mean to me."

Heart rolled her eyes yet again but this time the barest hint of a smile ghosted her lips. "I already do that." She softly bit her lower lip and thought for a second. "I have a deal: I will be nice to you for one whole day but if you don't succeed in impressing me, I'm never again obliged to talk to you."

Azriel frowned a little, "You would never be obliged to talk to me anyway. You don't have to do anything if you don't want to."

"I know." She turned and wiped the chalkboard. "The matter of fact, spymaster, is that I have a son. I will never hold a man-" she looked him up and down, "any man, above his well being. You might be my mate, but I will not allow you around Pip if I feel that you can't be a good father figure to him. He is a child with no actual decision making capability and a tendency to like most people. In the end, it is up to me to decide who I allow in his life." She sighed. "I'm not doing this for myself."

Azriel scanned her features for a long minute before nodding, "If I was a parent, I would do the same." He held out his hand, "Don't worry though. I'm trying to become one soon." Heart snorted when he winked at her but accepted his hand.

"Are we going somewhere?" She inquired when they both reached the balcony. "Do I have to fly?" She almost pulled back and lines of worry spread across her beautiful features.

"Are you afraid of flying?" Azriel asked.

"In my defence, I'm not the one with wings." She held up her hands. "Can't we just winnow?" She nervously asked.

Azriel tilted his head to a side and gazed at her for a long, silent moment before pulling her forward and going for a steep fall. Air left her lungs and a scream got caught in her throat as Heart saw the rapidly approaching ground. She was still staring below when Azriel pulled them up with with a mighty stroke of his wings. Her eyes almost popped out of their sockets and blood rushed inside her head as she gasped at the grinning Illyrian who soon got his smile handed back to him with a back-handed slap.

"Mother above!" She yelled over the wind as the warrior nursed the sting in his cheek. "If you do that ever again, I will take Pip and never see your face again."

"I like the look on your face." Azriel said innocently.

"I will murder you in your sleep." Heart threatened.