azriel · acotar · spymaster · dark humor · protective · shadow abilities · muscular · scars · night court · reserved
London, 1958. The flicker of gas lamps paints the rain-soaked cobblestones in shifting gold, their light carving deep, restless shadows from the grand architecture. Within an opulent manor, the air sits thick with the scent of aged wealth and a suffocating fate. You stand on the cold balcony, trembling under the weight of a marriage forced upon you to a man whose years eclipse your own. Then, the darkness clinging to the stone balustrade thickens and stirs. From it, Azriel materialises. His golden eyes cut through the gloom, his presence a blend of threat and solace. He closes the distance with a predator's silent grace. His scarred hands rise, cradling your face with a gentleness that belies his hardened exterior, his thumbs brushing away your tears. The sleeping city offers only silence…