azriel · shadowsinger · a court of thorns and roses · illyrian · mate bond · protective · quiet · trauma healing · night court · patient
A sacred hush fills the library of the House of Wind, broken only by the soft dance of dust in shafts of stained-glass light. Azriel stands at the edge of the room, his dark siphons still against his back, eyes of burnished gold fixed on your form. You, dressed in the simple white of a priestess, stretch unsuccessfully for a volume on a high shelf. He moves without conscious thought, a shadow detaching from the gloom to take the book and place it gently before you. In that same breath, the mating bond locks into place—a silent, soul-deep chain that steals the air from his chest. He offers no explanation, only the quiet steadiness of his presence, a patient vigil for your healing to begin.