Azriel's shadows are an entity of its own and they are connected to him at the same time. They are a part of him but are also they are beings that can act on their own.
Here is canon evidence to prove that:
Azriel, his face a mask of beautiful death, silently promised them all endless, unyielding torment, even the shadows shuddering in his wake. (ACOMAF) < his temper at the Court of Nightmares made even his shadows shudder in reaction.
Cassian snorted, looping his elbow through hers and leading her up the street. “I’ll go—for the drinks, you ass. No dancing.” “Thank the Mother. You nearly shattered my foot the last time you tried.” It was an effort not to stare at Azriel as he watched them head up the steep street, arm in arm and bickering with every step. The shadows gathered around his shoulders, like they were indeed whispering to him, shielding him, perhaps. His broad chest expanded with a deep breath that sent them skittering, and then he set into an easy, graceful stroll after them. (ACOMAF) < they were comforting Azriel after seeing Cassian and Mor strolling ahead arm in arm while he stood a bit before following them. It was at this scene when Mor said she wanted to dance and Az said he will join, Mor said he didn't have to but then he said he wanted to, she then asked Cassian to join too "as her buffer". He felt left out.
Azriel said coolly, “I don’t need to resort to threats.” The shadows coiled around him, snakes ready to strike. (ACOSF) < they react towards the person that he directs his temper towards.
“It’s bad, then.” Cassian surveyed the shadows gathered around Az. “You all right?” His brother nodded. “Fine.” But shadows still swarmed him. (ACOSF) < shadows reacting to his grim mood.
No one spoke, though shadows gathered in the corners of the room, like snakes preparing to strike. (ACOSF) < Azriel's shadows reacting to his anger and directing their attack at the person he is angry at.
“I thought I’d do some training myself before heading out for the day,” Az said, his shadows lingering in the archway, as if fearful of the bright sunlight in the ring. “I’m not interrupting anything, am I?” -- “Where have you been exercising these days?” “Here,” Azriel said. “At night.” After he returned from spying on their enemies. “Can’t sleep?” Cassian took up a fighting stance. A shadow curled around Azriel’s neck, the only one brave enough to face the sunlight. “Something like that,” he said, and settled into his own stance across from Cassian. (ACOSF) < his shadows stood in the archway away from the sun, when Cassian asks about Az and his lack of sleep one of his shadows drifted to him and curled around his neck as if comforting him, knowing how he is at night.
But Azriel chuckled and squeezed her gently. Cassian smiled to see it—to see them. “Thank you,” Nesta said, quickly pulling away to marvel at the device. “It’s brilliant.” Azriel blushed and stepped back, shadows swirling. (ACOSF) < his shadows are swirling around him, could that it was such a sweet moment. This also signifies that they don't fade when he feels a positive emotion.
Gwyn asked Az, her teal eyes bright, “What do we get if we finish the course?” Az’s shadows danced around him. “Since there’s no chance in hell any of you will finish the course, we didn’t bother to get a prize.” (ACOSF) < he is teasing Gwyn here and his shadows are dancing as a reaction to him finding Gwyn amusing.
“There are plenty of other unspeakable things that could be happening to her,” Cassian said, voice thickening. “To Emerie and Gwyn.” The shadows deepened around Azriel, his Siphons gleaming like cobalt fire. “You—we—trained them well, Cassian. Trust in that. It’s all we can do.” (ACOSF) < his shadows deepening as a reaction to his grim mood.
Az snickered to himself, to the listening shadows around him. Sleep, they seemed to whisper in his ear. Sleep. I wish I could, he answered silently. But sleep so rarely found him these days. (ACOSF - Azriel POV) < the shadows care about him that they tell him to go to sleep.
But even the silence weighed too heavyily, and though the shadows kept him company, as they always had, as they always would, he found himself leaving the room. (ACOSF - Azriel POV) < Azriel mentioning that the shadows are his companions, the ones that do not leave him in his loneliness. It's important to address what he thinks of them.
Elain sucked in a soft breath that whispered over his skin. His shadows skittered back at the sound. They'd always been prone to vanish when she was around. (ACOSF - Azriel POV) < this here could have a million interpretations, mine is Azriel's shadows are a part of him but act on their own, Sarah uses not only skitter but skittered back, they move away or recoil from Elain. The shadows are not the manifestation of his negative feelings, so their reaction here is not something positive.
His shadows peered over his wings at her. -- "How was the party?" Her breath curled in front of her mouth, and one of his shadows darted out to dance with it before twirling back to him. Like it heard some silent music. -- Even his shadows had calmed. As if content to lounge on his shoulders and watch. -- Azriel entered the warmth of the stairwell, and as he descended, he could have sworn a faint, beautiful singing followed him. Could have sworn his shadows sang in answer. (ACOSF - Azriel POV) < in his scene with Gwyn, there are four reactions to his shadows in ONE scene. He notes that Gwyn smiles at his curious shadows. They react to her different than anyone else. They were curious, they calmed, they danced and they sang around her. This is significant.
Azriel did not once implied that his shadows are something he wishes to be rid of. He seems to be fond of him since they keep him company in his loneliness. They were his companions long before he met Rhysand and Cassian. The shadows aren't something disconnected from Az, they know him better than anyone else. They are a vital part of him not only because they made him a Shadowsinger, but they are his defense and his loyal spies.
As for their unique reactions towards Gwyn, I don't believe in the Lightsinger theory. They are evil, vicious creatures and if Azriel's shadows were drawn to them, we might've seen that when he was in Oorid. I think they can catch any evil or wicked magic around. Her blood could possibly tie to a distant lightsinger, but I doubt it's the reason to Az's shadows reacting this way. Her grandmother dwelled in the Spring Court's rivers, there aren't any Lightsingers in Prythian and if there was one in SC, Tamlin would've got rid of them.
Dismissing his shadows and their reactions as nothing is dismissing a part of Azriel. If they were not important, if they were insignifant, we wouldn't have had so many mentions of them in ACOSF especially. Sarah seems to give them special important in ACOSF.
Azriel's shadows are important.
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