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The conversation had turned from the lighthearted jabs of brunch to the much more serious talk of the Illyrian discontentment. Despite the constant tension and snarls shared between Nesta and the others - especially Cassian - she had made it clear that she didn't mind the dark topic of a possible uprising. Elain however had sensed that the conversation had turned and clearly wanted no part in it. Not wanting to seem rude and be the first to dismiss herself, she shifted uncomfortably in the steel chair in silence. It wasn't the talk itself that made Elain uncomfortable. It wasn't even what the rumors meant for the future. The way the cheery nature of her new friends and sister changed was what really made her squirm.
Feyre caught her eye and held it for a moment before her eyes briefly glazed over. Elain knew that look. It was the one that she made when Rhys and her talked over their bond. Elain wondered if her and Lucien would be able to do the same. She shuddered at the thought of having someone else in her head, she could hardly manage having one person there let alone two.
Rhys didn't stop talking but it was obvious by the way he shifted slightly closer to Feyre that he had heard whatever it was that she had said. Elain looked down at her hands and tried not to squirm at the serious voices around her.
"Elain," a voice from her left said softly. "Perhaps you would care to accompany me on a walk through the city?"
Elain looked up to Azriel's passive face. She had expected Feyre to be the one to save her, or Nesta. But Nesta had become colder the last few months, it was miracle she had come to brunch at all really. Azriel stood and offered her a hand.
"I would be delighted to," Elain said and lightly grasped Azriel's hand.
There was a chorus of 'I'll see you later's and 'goodbye's and a single 'Are you leaving me to pick up the check, again?' from Cassian. Elain wished them all well, happy to be getting away from the peeking darkness that hid within each of them most of the time. Azriel smoothly slid her hand to his elbow and they set off down the street.
When the group's serious conversation finally faded away from her heightened fae hearing, Elain spoke.
"Is it truly that bad? The fighting, I mean," she said softly, aware of the passing fae around them.
Azriel turned and led her into one of the beautiful city gardens. At first Elain thought that he hadn't heard and was about to repeat herself when Azriel spoke.
"The past 50 years have given the Illyrians too much time to acquire bad habits. I do not expect breaking them will be easy for anyone."
Elain let this sink in. It was still hard to imagine that any one of her new companions were any older than Nesta or Feyre. Every now and then she would see the weight of 500 years or one of them will say something as nonchalant as 'the past 50 years', but it never quite clicked that looking young and talking old was something that might be accomplished. When Azriel spoke, his words were never wasted. He didn't say things that he did not mean and she hadn't ever heard him lie for his own benefit. Which only made his grim words all the more meaningful.
"Oh," was all Elain could think to say.
Azriel continued to lead Elain around the gardens slowly, carefully even. Elain tried to lighten the mood by talking about how beautiful the flowers were and was mostly successful.
"I've never seen anything like these plants before," Elain said and stepped away from Azriel to see them better. "What are they called?"
Azriel stepped smoothly beside her. He struggled to think of the name of the bluish-green leaved plant. Elain looked to him in anticipation and the name suddenly came to him.
"They are Night Blossoms."
Elain's face twisted into a smile that Azriel couldn't help but reflect, "Night Blossom?"
She stroked a finger over one of the long, broad leaves. Azriel watched her delicate hands with unrivaled concentration.
"If it's called Night Blossom - after the Night Court, I'm sure - then where is the flower?"
Unused to being asked questions about flowers, Azriel struggled to remember.
"The flowers only bloom one night a year. When day breaks the flowers wither and die."
Elain's hands stilled and she drew them away. Immediately, Azriel regretted his words but Elain straightened and looked at him.
"I think I should like to see that," she said. "Do you think Feyre would let me have some in the garden?"
"Of course."
"Good."
This time it was Elain who took Az's elbow and led them away to see the other flowers in the city garden. They didn't talk much more and to Elain's surprise, she didn't mind it.
When finally they had circled back to the gates to the garden, Elain stopped. The sun was high in the sky but she didn't want to go back to the others just yet.
"Do you have plans for this afternoon?"
Without thought or hesitation, Azriel answered, "Not at all."
Elaine shifted on her feet, she didn't know exactly why she had asked. She didn't want to go back to the house just yet. She also didn't really feel like being around the others. This silence with Azriel was like a breath of fresh air.
"Would you mind walking around the city with me? Feyre tried to show me some of it, but..." Elain trailed off and looked out at the busy street.
"It would be my pleasure."
Azriel said and his voice sounded truly genuine and slightly relieved. Like maybe he too wasn't ready to go back to the others. Elain sighed in relief, she hadn't wanted to disrupt his afternoon but she also hadn't wanted to say goodbye just yet.
Walking perhaps a bit closer than before, they started down the street. It was more crowded than before. Velaris was a city to be seen at night and only now had its patrons woken up for lunch. The pair were attempting to make it past the crowded market street and away from the people.
Azriel was not a small fae and many of the passerby left him and his wings plenty of room to walk but there were some spots where it was simply impossible. Eager to not be jostled too much, Elain stepped in closer to Azriel and with her other hand held on to a piece of his sleeve. Elain had only done it on instinct to not be torn away from him. He angled his body slightly in front of hers and with his wings tucked in tight, led way out of the crowded marketplace.
Azriel leaned down and with a smile said, "Perhaps we should've just stayed in the garden."
Elain smiled back and in an instant they were free of the crowds. They both breathed out a heavy sigh and shared a quick glance at each other. For a second, Elain thought about releasing her hold on his sleeve but found that despite the lacking overabundance of people, she didn't want to let go. Azriel didn't seem to mind her proximity at all. In fact, he seemed relaxed.
They walked until Azriel's stomach growled loud enough to send Elain into a fit of giggles. He apologized and Elain suggested that perhaps they should find someplace to have an early dinner. Azriel led her across the street to a hole in the wall street cafe. They talked a little more while they waited for their food and even between bites. Mostly, it was just small things. What is the weather usually like in Velaris? How big is the Night Court?
Just as they left the cafe, however, Elain looked just past Az's shoulder and asked, "Could I, maybe, touch your wings?"
The question took Az by surprise and his steps hitched a little. Elain pulled away immediately at his reaction and stopped. Before he could answer, she spoke again, her voice more hurried than it had been all day.
"I don't know if it's rude to ask. If you don't want me to, that's fine. I was just wondering."
"No," Az said, "It's fine."
Without another word, he extended a wing slowly out to her. She lifted a hand to the strong bone of the wing and paused.
"Are you sure? If you don't want to, you don't have to."
Az shifted his wing a little closer to her until it was pressed lightly into her hand. Elain could feel the soft strength beneath her fingers and smiled. She ran a hand along the top, moving gently over the hooks at its peak. Her face was in a wide grin as her hands moved from the top down a fold of the leathery, slightly fuzzy skin. She was especially gentle and only her fingertips grazed his wing. She pulled her hand away, almost reluctantly, but her eyes seemed glued to the slightly translucent wing.
"It feels like," she thought for a moment, her head tilting to the side slightly, "like the leaf of a Lamb's Ear plant."
She turned her head to look at Az and his eyes were staring softly at her. His mouth was twitched into a small smile and Elain's own wide grin changed to match.