Her fae & His fairy

Chapter 31

Euodia:

The rain has finally ceased, leaving the sky cloaked in a dark, evening grey. My mind races, and I pace back and forth, the weight of panic settling deep within me.

"Would you stop that?" I hiss at Azriel as I sense the waves of calming emotions he sends my way.

"I'm just trying to help," he responds, his tone light and airy. Despite his efforts, the calming influence does little to alleviate my escalating panic.

Fuck me. Fuck me. Fuck me. The mantra echoes relentlessly in my mind for the past ten minutes.

"Gladly," he quips from below on the ground. I must have whispered the words unintentionally. I turn towards him, raising my hand in a vulgar gesture. He lies on the ground, still bound in tree roots, with a dazed look in his eyes as he gazes up at the darkening evening sky.

My pacing continues, each step echoing the anxious rhythm of my thoughts. The air feels charged with a sense of urgency, and the fading daylight only intensifies my unease. Azriel watches me with a mixture of concern and amusement, a peculiar contrast given the gravity of our situation.

"Euodia," he calls softly, the syllables lingering in the quiet space between us. I halt my restless pacing, meeting his gaze. There's an unspoken understanding in his eyes, a shared recognition of the weight of our choices.

As the first stars begin to flicker in the darkening sky, a profound sense of uncertainty settles over me. I take a deep breath, attempting to steady my racing heart. The air feels charged with an unspoken tension, and the encroaching night amplifies the weight of our choices.

I start walking, each step echoing the inner turmoil within me. Moving up the hill we rolled down from, I leave Azriel on the ground, his urgent calls trailing after me.

"Euodia," he pleads again, impatience lacing his voice. "You can't leave me here." His attempts at persuasion fall on deaf ears. Instead, I swat my hand against the shadows, attempting to brush them away like persistent flies. Since the bond revealed itself, Azriel's shadows have clung to me, their excitement palpable as they lift strands of my hair, dance around my neck, and now wrap around my wrists. Their efforts aim to restrain me, hindering my determined walk. Despite their tenacity, I press forward.

"Watch me!" My defiant yell pierces the air as the hill steepens beneath my determined strides. In the growing darkness, I sense more than see Azriel's reaction—an audible huff, a frustrated groan, followed by the unmistakable rustling of wings. He has risen too easily from the ground, and the Shadowsinger, ever silent, begins his pursuit.

The bond that connects us stir within me, the warmth intensifying, signalling his proximity. Despite the quiet approach, his presence looms, and I refuse to grant him the satisfaction of witnessing me gasping for breath at the summit. I quicken my pace, a brisk walk bordering on a determined stride, all the while aware that he gains ground, inching closer with each silent step.

The uneven terrain underfoot challenges my progress, and I feel the pull of gravity as the incline becomes steeper. Shadows dance around me, a subtle reminder of Azriel's ethereal abilities. The air carries a hint of tension, charged with the anticipation of our unspoken conflict.

I resist the urge to break into a run, holding my ground against his pursuit. The thrill of the chase echoes through the night, and with each step, I feel the echoes of his presence trailing just behind. The shadows play their part, dancing in a silent symphony as the chase unfolds under the watchful gaze of the emerging stars.

As Azriel's fingers encircle my wrists, the night air takes on a weighty presence. A surge of energy, reminiscent of erupting stars, tingles across my skin, eliciting a shiver that traces the contours of my spine. The lingering chill remains, a subtle reminder of the ethereal connection established in that moment.