Nightfall {An Azriel (ACOTAR) FanFic}

Chapter 17

The wind had decided not to cooperate with Pip's plans on that one wretched day. Azriel and him inspected the grey sky and shook their heads in unison.

"No flying for today." The taller male said.

"Thank the couldron." Heart murmured behind them but didn't look up from her book.

Pip pouted, "I want to fly." He turned to his mother and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Not in a weather like this." She shook a finger at the sky.

"Shadow man has flown in a war." He argued and Heart sighed at her fate of having an intelligent son.

She held her arms out, "I know, baby." Pip begrudgingly walked over to her and leaned against her chest. "But I don't want your first time flying to be in a weather this cold and harsh." She kissed the top of his little head.

Azriel inspected the sky, "I will take you as soon as the weather is a little better."

Pip whined and buried his face in his mother's chest who stroked his hair soothingly.

"It won't take long." Heart reassuringly said but Pip's mood was already ruined.

He stomped his foot and refused to listen to any reason. After several minutes of sulking in Heart's lap, he finally looked up to see Azriel studying both of them. "Shadow man." He called out and Azriel raised an eyebrow. "Will there be rain?"

"Maybe." Azriels shrugged. "The weather looks bad."

"And the wind? Will the wind be very fast?"

"Maybe."

Pip straightened and rubbed his eyes. "If the rain is coming and the wind is fast, it will destroy plants, won't it?" He looked at his mother who nodded slowly.

"It could."

He went over to Azriel and wrapped his little fingers around his scarred hand and tugged. " Let's go pick flowers before the wind destroys them."

"Now you want to pick flowers?" Azriel said, amused. He obliged, however, and started walking with Pippor. "What are we going to do with those flowers, anyway?"

Heart waved a little at them as they went out of her eye sight and Pip continued, "I'm going to give the little ones to Nyx-"

"-Because you're a good elder brother." Azriel finished for him.

Pip nodded. "I am. And then you are going to make a bouquet for mom."

"Me?" Azriel frowned.

"I'm too small, shadow man. I don't know how to make bouquets." Pip looked up at him. "And flowers make people happy. If I ever love someone, I would give them lots of flowers."

Azriel thought for a second. "We could just buy one?" He sheepishly suggested.

Pip shook his head with immense disappointment. "No, you have to make it."

"I don't know how to." Azriel protested.

"Shadow man." Pippor said sternly. "Do you really love mum?"

"Of course, I do." Azriel grumbled.

"Then you can do this for her." He grinned. "We are going to surprise her. She'll be so happy."

Azriel smiled down at him, "Alright, then. Let's get the flowers before the weather ruins them."

Pip merrily skipped all the way to the garden and was absolutely thrilled to find the orange roses in full bloom. "I am going to pick those." He pointed. "You can use them, but in return, you have to get me the little ones."

Azriel lifted him over the fence and ruffled his hair. "Okay, but be careful of the thorns. And don't let any insects bite you."

Pip carefully stepped around the smaller flowers and insected the roses. "I won't." He replied and reached for a flower.

After making sure that Pip would not hurt himself, Azriel began to snoop around the bushes and picking every small flower he could find. The sky was getting darker and he didn't want to risk getting Pip wet in the rain as he had just recovered from his fever.

Once he had sufficient flowers he returned to find Pip sittings beside the flowers he had picked and staring at the ground. The spymaster called out his name but Pip didn't even look up. He only pointed at where he was looking. "Big spider."

Azriel stepped closer. "There is no spider, Pip. It's just soil. Let's go back."

Pip shook his head. "No, look. It's huge."

Azriel kneeled down to inspect what he was looking at, "There is nothing." He frowned and touched the upturned soil.

Pip stuck his finger out, "Right there." He pointed at a big chunk of soil.

"Spiders are not round, Pip-" the soil moved. Azriel paused and watched. A thin leg stuck out and Pip retracted his hand.

"I told you, there is a spider." Pip looked at Azriel and there was something different in his eyes. A different liquidness filled the blue eyes and Azriel ignored the giant spider that had emerged from a place that he could  never tell.

Pip looked back at it, "I hate spiders. Let's go back, shadow man."

"Yes." Azriel didn't remove his gaze from the little boy. "It has already started to rain."

Sure enough, a few drops had already landed on Pip when he got up, left the spider alone and presented Azriel with his freshly picked flowers. "Give me my flowers now." He said.

Azriel watched his eyes return to their original state and carefully handed over the flowers. Pip, satisfied with his adventure for the time being, ran inside without looking back.

Azriel was still lost in thoughts when Pip's voice cane ringing out from Nyx's nursery. Azriel stopped to listen and then left Pip to play with his little brother.

Technically, it would be foolish to think that Pip, being the son of the king, didn't have any powers. But what kind of powers exactly would he have? The king had almost completely relied on the couldrom during the war so Azriel had no idea what Pip could inherit. That, combined with the fact that he had no idea on what the couldron gave to Heart, he was completely lost on what to make of Pip's actions in the garden.

He looked down at the orange flowers in his hand and started towards his room. No matter how much he had to  persist, he would get his answers.