.・。.・゜✭・.

The first time Lilac Rain learned what a mate was she had been huddled up in the back of Serendipity. A snow storm raged outside, staining the world in ivory and ice, frosting the windows and fogging her breath as she settled down beneath a blanket. She grasped her book, only to watch as the words 'The Ballard of Broken Hearts' melted away, reappearing in gold foiled letters as 'The Curious Tale of Twin Flames'.

That night she had poured over the words, drawn in to the idea of another half. Of a being designed to perfectly compliment yourself, to settle in beside her like a puzzle piece. But lost deep within the Illyrian mountains with only the wind and the snow as her company Lilac had brushed aside that dream.

But then, as though plucked from a story and etched upon the pages of her life came this man. A tragically beautiful man, all tanned skin, and dark eyes. Perfectly brooding and longing all at once.

Mate.

Something in her chest coiled and snapped.

"Oh," Lilac whispered, her grip going lax and the broom she was holding toppled to the ground with a crack.

"Hello," She said, lightly, and the man smiled.

"Hello, my name is Azriel," He greeted, slowly taking a few steps closer, his large beautiful wings glistened beneath the golden candle glow.

"I'm Lilac," The orange haired fae greeted, stunned as she watched the male move with such grace despite his large intimidating figure.

"Do you own this shop?" Azriel asked curiously, now only a few paces away.

"No," Lilac said with a small smile, "The shop owns itself, I simply take care of it," She watched as Azriel's brows furrowed. Curiously glancing around the room.

"Is it magic?" He asked and Lilac laughed, a sound like bells chiming.

"Isn't everything?" She asked and Azriel shook his head, smiling slightly, he was now directly before the other fae, he watched her glance down at his hands before looking back to his face.

"How about that tea?" She asked, already turning away and Azriel's heart lurched.

.・。.・゜✭・.

Azriel's skin was hot, something was coiling around his gut, pumping pure heat through his veins. The fae before him was delicate, milky skin, vibrant hair like flames within the hearth, and a smile that could challenge the beauty of starfall.

She looked at his hands.

Everything went still. Azriel had long since accepted the deformity to his skin, the wicked pink scars that marred his golden skin. But his mate had looked at them.

Lilac, this girl of light, she saw his scars.

The Illyrian felt sick.

"How about that tea?" The girl hummed, turning away. Away from him. From his scars.

"I cannot stay long," Azriel heard himself saying, those walls of obsidian rising around him. Lilac turned back, a frown on her perfect petal lips.

"It won't take long," She promised, eyes wide and bright. "Please, Azriel, stay," His name sounded like a prayer coming from her. "You are the first visitor I have had here in a long time,"

"Okay," He agreed, how could he say no when she was looking at him like that. Eyes so beautifully longing, and then she was smiling again. Azriel's heart stopped.

Lilac led Azriel through the maze of shelves and cabinets with ease, humming quietly to herself as they swung around a corner and were deposited into a corner of the shop, trellis of ivy and honeysuckle shielded the Illyrian's view, his brows raising when Lilac paused.

"Would you mind letting us through?" She asked softly, there was nothing for a few moments, the sounds of their breaths elevated in the stark silence, the crackle of the hearth, and then the curtain of leaves parted, allowing a gap for the two to pass through.

"What... what is this place?" Azriel found himself asking. He was a warrior, baptized in blood and flames, the Spymaster for the Night Court, trusted member of the High Lords Inner Circle, and yet this magical little shop burrowed deep within the mountains, inhabited by one lonely fae was far beyond anything he had ever known. His shadows were silent.

"Serendipity," Lilac answered simply, smiling as Azriel passed the plants and they fell back into place, she reached out and brushed her fingertips over them for just a moment before turning back to the man. "Home for the lost and the wandering," She said, gesturing for Azriel to sit.

Behind the ivy he found himself in a cozy parlor, the walls lined with shelves sagging under the weight of the books upon them, glimmering jars labelled 'star dust', 'hopes and dreams' and 'love' caught Azriel's attention, he drifted closer, but saw only light and sparkles.

"Careful with those," Lilac called out, "They tend to be very reactive depending on who touches them," Azriel glanced back at her and saw the girl pouring out two cups of tea from a delicate rosy tea pot, the table was filled with little stands of sandwiches, cakes and biscuits that he was sure had not been there a moment ago. At his stare the fae shrugged. "The shop likes guests," Was all she said.

"How long have you been here for?" Azriel asked the odd girl, his shadows veered out, fluttering across the room with inept curiosity, so unlike how they usually were. Tendrils of darkness twirled around Lilacs fingertips.

"Oh, hello," The fiery haired girl greeted, smiling down at the shadow, Azriel hissed quietly beneath his breath, trying to draw his shadows back in, but for the first time in almost four decades, they didn't listen to him. They fluttered carelessly around the room, whirling around the tea cups, dancing along the vines of ivy, and wrapping around the little jars Lilac had warned him of.

"I've been here a very long time, longer than I remember anymore," Lilac hummed, looking over to Azriel, "Please, sit," She requested, gesturing to the faded pink love seat.

"Lilac..." Azriel began to say, eyes following his shadows, unsure on how to act. For once in his life he had been struck completely unsure of himself.

He was the Spymaster, he was cold, quiet, closed off with all but a few, and yet this girl... this wonderful confusing girl...

Mate!

One of his shadows hissed in his ear, tearing the male from his trail of thought so instead he smiled and at the captivating fae.

"Thank you," He nodded, and settled himself onto the love seat. Lilac's face lit up, emerald eyes glistening like the bursts of Starfall, but her smile. Azriel had never seen anything quite as beautiful in his life. He thought he had seen beauty within the delicate curve of Mor's sinfully glossy lips, had imagined it in the delicate curves of a women sprayed out beneath him, but they all fell short in this moment.

"Here," The girl said, placing a delicate rosey tea cup before him. The liquid inside was a pale amber colour, he picked it up gently and rose it to his lips. It smelled slightly citrusy with a herbal undertone and when he tasted it he couldn't help but smile.

"This is really good," Azriel complimented, smiling sweetly at the fae.

"Thank you," Lilac beamed, "It's my own blend, I don't tend to get to share them with anyone so it's always nice to hear," She grinned, taking a sip from her own cup.

"What's in it?" The Shadowsinger asked, watching as a shadow flitted over Lilac's head, playing with a tendril of her hair.

"It's Raspberry Leaf, Orange Peel and Rosemary," She told him, "It should help with that pain in your shoulders,"

"How did you..." Azriel began to say only to see Lilac grin and shrug her shoulders.

"Just because I'm in here all the time doesn't mean I can't read people," She said softly, "Plus, you have been rolling your right shoulder every one and a half minutes since you got here,"

"I didn't even notice," Azriel said, stunned. What was this girl doing to him? He was loosing his mind.

"You are used to being in control aren't you?" Lilac noticed, sipping her tea, "You seem disoriented, people who come here usually relax, but you look... hm..." She shook her head, glancing down.

"I'm a Shadowsinger and the Spymaster of High Lord of the Night Court," Azriel informed her, "I'm used to being in control, of knowing my surroundings and being able to intercept even the most impenetrable of blockades. But since I have stepped in here I can't find myself able to focus on anything but... you," He looked away, despite every muscle in his body begging for him to keep his eyes locked upon the fae.

"I don't know much about mating bonds," Lilac confessed quietly, "From what I've read, we haven't accepted it yet... but if we do it would cause whatever I'm feeling right now in my chest to grow stronger," At this Azriel brought his gaze back to the fiery haired girl only to find himself melting into her eyes.

"If we accept the bond, we will be connected, we would be able to share our emotions, share our thoughts, enter one another's dreams and so on," He explained, "But I don't want you to feel pressured to enter anything with me," Azriel said.

"I don't think that's possible, you have been more than sweet since you have entered Serendipity tonight," Lilac grinned, "If anything I feel as though I have been corralling you after making you stay for tea,"

"No, no," Azriel argued with a shake of his head, "I'm glad that you asked me to stay, I would really like to get to know you more. If that's okay with you?" He asked bashfully.

"I would really like that, Azriel," Lilac said with a bright smile.

'Az, where are you?'

Rhy's voice rang out in his mind, tearing Azriel away from his mate.

'Give me five.'

He answered, glancing sadly to the girl before him, setting down his half drunk tea cup down onto the saucer.

"I'm sorry, Lilac, I have to go," He said, "The High Lord is calling for me," He admitted, almost bashfully.

"Oh, okay," Lilac said with a sweet smile, "It was really nice to meet you, Azriel,"

"You have no idea how long I have been waiting for you," The male confessed, slowly standing up, his mate following his actions before she suddenly gasped.

"Before you go!" She exclaimed, the volume of her voice sending his shadows scattering from where they had been drifting peacefully around the base of the table. Lilac quickly hurried from the room, only sending a few quiet words to the plants before running and Azriel couldn't help but trail behind her helplessly.

She rustled around some shelves in the back, before running back to Azriel with a grin.

"Here," Lilac said, "So you can find your way back," She said handing a pendant to the shadowsinger. It was a simple silver chain, with a glistening sapphire charm at the end with an odd sort of rune etched onto it. "And to help with your shoulder," She said, handing him a small jar of loose tea leaves.

"Are these courting presents?" Azriel asked with a sly grin that had a beautiful rosey blush appearing on the fae's porcelain cheeks.

"No... I... well, I guess they are," She said shyly, meeting Azriel's eyes with docile determination.

"Then I accept them," He said, slipping them into his pockets and taking Lilac's hand in his own, pressing a delicate kiss to the top of it. "And when I return I shall make sure I bring something for you,"

"You don't have too," Lilac argued by Azriel shook his head.

"I want to," He told her, "Until me meet again," He said before walking out of the shop, a cold feeling seeping into his bones as he left his mate behind and took off into the early morning sky.

.・。.・゜✭・.

"Gods," Lilac whispered to herself, slumping back against a shelf and leaning her head against a pile of books. "I have a mate,"

The shop seemed to shiver with excitement, the floor board groaning and creaking to their own accord.

"You knew about this didn't you," Lilac accused, straightening herself up to glare at the walls of the shop but only the chime of the bells of the door answered her.

"Okay, okay, I trust you," She sighed, just as a book fell from the shelf and right into her hands.

'Of Shadows and Song'

"How curious," Lilac hummed before heading deeper into the shop, a little song on her lips.

.・。.・゜✭・.

🌼 after months i finally fell back into my azriel era and wrote a new chapter ! i honestly love writing about serendipity and lilac sm. plus azriel is so,,, ahhhhh

🌼 anyways thank you so much for reading and i'll see you all soon ! mwah !