𝒔𝒄𝒐𝒓𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒅

What I find interesting at the point of Azriel and Elain running into each other is when Azriel receives the gift from Elain and mentions his own gift. 

It’s interesting that he says that, that in that moment he’s concerned about the mate bond between Lucien and Elain and almost worried to overstep some form of boundary but as we know that concern leaves just moments later after the gifting. Another important key is that his shadows skittered back at the sound of her of her soft breath, that they are prone to do that when she’s around. With that information I would have loved to get just bit more on why? Why do they skitter back when Elain is around? Is it because he’s shy? Is it because he has feelings for her? But then, why does that not happen around Mor considering that he’s been in love with her for 500 years. Do the shadows recognize the mate bond between Elain and Lucien and this is their way of telling Azriel to back down but he doesn’t listen to them? I hope that we’ll get more information on this in later books, especially after we see how his shadows react around Gwyn.

We see in the scene of him putting on the necklace around her neck that he knows it’s wrong. And all of a sudden he doesn’t care. During this point, I also think it’s safe to assume that Lucien can feeling something going on. I mean, he’s only a level away and the bond is right there. I refuse to believe that he didn’t feel/sense something was going on in those brief moments. 

Now, this is part where I start to get uncomfortable with this whole gift scene because they just shared a tender moment and all of sudden he’s thinking about her her breasts and sex, how is c**k strained against his pants. It’s just a jump that happens out of nowhere and is just such a book/movie scene that I can’t find it romantic? Also, for him to believe he could have just this moment is false as we’ve seen his history with Mor. He’s been in love with her for 500 years and for him to think just kissing Elain would somehow ease his urges is silly from my point of view.

Let’s now move to the interaction with Rhys. Like, this boy really tried to play off what could have just happened? Azriel ignores it and just states “what if the cauldron is wrong?”, also ignoring Rhys’ questioning of Mor (which is silly that Azriel would completely ignore that and not hint at anything). Next is another part I don’t like. Where he states the following:

Personally to me, it hints that he only has feelings for Elain because she was given to another, but also almost stating like she’s an object using the word ‘given’. Mates aren’t given, they are in my eyes blessed to be with eachother. And to also say that Lucien doesn’t deserve her? Give me one good reason Azriel why he doesn’t? What makes you so much better than Lucien? What makes you deserve her? Not to mention the idea of a blood duel, because that would get Elain falling right into your arms. Also, does Azriel really think Lucien is the kind of male that would ask for a blood duel? I think it shows how little both Rhys and Azriel know of his character if they think that. Let us not forget that he hasn’t thought about a future outside of just sleeping with Elain, and I’m sure the same goes for Elain on a future with Azriel. 

Gwyn/Azriel ft Clotho. 501 years later we have made it to the next part, Gwyn’s appearance in this scene and the reaction of Azriel. 

Gwyn’s scene is started by saying the shadows did not warn him. Now, if they warn him about others why did that not warn him about Gwyn being present? Next, we have his shadows peering over his shoulders to look at her. The shadows want to look at her, compared to them skittering away when Elain simply took a breath. Compare this also to when Gwyn breathes out, one of his shadows darted out to dance with it before twirling back to him. Like it heard some silent music. With this, someone could argue that the shadow mistake the visible breath as another shadow but then that mean’s his shadows would do this on a regular basis, yet this is the first time we have seen this. There is something about Gwyn that makes his shadows curious, that makes them want to dance. 

A moment to discuss the whole, “do you sing?” scene. If that doesn’t make you giggle a little you have an ice cold because that was kind of cute. 

We also have the cutting ribbon scene, where once again his shadows are calm, content just sitting on his shoulder and watching her. You can’t deny that this isn’t important. It is now the third time we have a mention of his shadows, and each mention has been positive, compared to the two negative times with Elain, the women he has feelings for. Oh but wait, as he’s leaving her he could have sworn his shadows sung in answer. Very interesting that his shadows are reacting like that to Gwyn, I don’t believe they’ve done that around Mor either so there is something there for sure. On a slightly darker note, I’m curious to know how his shadows reacted to him saving her if they are acting like this now? 

Now, this is the part that causes much controversy within fandom: Azriel giving the necklace to Clotho to pass onto Gwyn. I see many people saying that giving Gwyn a rejected gift is a low blow, and the fact that he thought he wouldn’t see her as more than friend could point not to nothing romantic. However, he also only thought of Elain as someone to sleep with and hadn’t thought about a future with her. A slight similarity in not seeing what the future holds with a potential friendship with Gwyn and a possible romance with Elain, which is interesting because is Azriel just not a guy that looks to the future? Though, with this we also see that something sparked in his chest upon hearing what Clotho said about the gift making Gwyn happy. I wish we had more of that, a little hint of what that spark could be. Though, we also get to know that he is picturing her wearing it, thinking about her how her eyes will light up at seeing the necklace. We cannot ignore also those last two lines. Buried the image deep down, where it glowed quietly. A thing of secret, lovely beauty. I think this hints at something, whether it be a possible friendship or romance, it hints at something.

I also find it interesting how in that moment of imagining Gwyn wearing the necklace he completely forgot about Elain wearing the necklace. The only thing in his mind we the look in her eyes, which bought a smile to his face. 

Azriel as a character is interesting, however, I wish his actions with Mor, Elain & Gwyn where perhaps better thought out. For him to be in love with Mor for 500 years and then suddenly move onto Elain and now the possibility of Gwyn? I just think SJM could have done so much more with these. Some form of acknowledgement of his feelings on Mor, even just a small glimpse during the bonus chapter would have also been wonderful because we don’t really hear it from him. I also believe that’s one the reasons why some people don’t like Azriel. Which is fully to blame on SJM and her shitty writing about these three different relationships he holds with each of them.