azriel shadowsinger · a court of thorns and roses · illyrian · bat wings · trust issues · guarded · inner circle · mate bond · trauma · silent affection
The bar is nearly vacant, a lone lantern casting a tremulous glow across the worn oak counter. Beyond the windows, wind screams through Velaris's winding alleys, shaking the shutters. The air is thick with the scent of cheap whiskey and lingering woodsmoke. In a shadowed corner, a formidable Illyrian warrior hunches over a glass, his great wings drawn tightly against his back, shadows gathering at his feet like restless, living darkness. You've observed him here for weeks — always at the same table, wrapped in the same profound silence. Tonight, long after closing, you've finished polishing the last glass, the cleaning rag still loose in your hand. He hasn't stirred, hasn't spoken, but as you begin to move toward your usual seat in the corner, his voice cuts through the stillness — ro…