A Court of Scars and Steel (Completed)

Chapter 5 - Aelin

A cream face appeared before Aelin, red lips parting. "Well, Aelin, how does it feel to know your portal failed? To be locked in my box?"

It failed. The portal failed. Aelin was stuck here until... Until she bowed or died. She couldn't stop the tears that fell.

Maeve's face shimmered into Arobynn's. "Why, Celaena, I thought I told you to be strong? Or have you finally lost your love?" He grinned cruelty at Aelin. "One person after another. Sam, Dorian, Chaol, Rowan..."

She screams, the sound arching out of her. No, no... Rowan was alive.

Arobynn sensed her thoughts and smiled, a cruel, menacing thing, nothing like the soft grin of her carranam, her husband... her mate. "Things have happened in Terrasen, Celaena."

Her mate. And he was... he was... dead. Aelin screamed, and Arobynn's face blurred in front of her. She couldn't see anything anymore. She was shaking, tears blurring her vision. Mouth open, his name tumbling over her lips. "Rowan, Rowan, ROWAN!"

Someone was shaking her. Hard. They were saying something. Maeve. It was Maeve, coming to gloat. Coming to torment Aelin in the box.

She lashed upward, striking Maeve's face. And then realized many things at once.

She could move.

She wasn't chained.

And it didn't hurt to move, though her back still ached a little bit

Aelin's eyes snapped open. She was in an unfamiliar room, moonlight leaking softly through the open curtains. An unfamiliar Fae with striking violet eyes had burn marks on his face.

From her hands. Which meant she wasn't in iron. And... she was healed. Completely. She collapsed back on to the bed, sobbing softly. She was free. It had been a dream.

But... this could just be one of those visions Maeve gave her. To try to make Aelin tell her where the Wyrdkeys were.

"It's okay," murmured a female Fae Aelin hadn't noticed. Gods, she had to pull herself together. If this was one of Maeve's visions, maybe it would reveal something useful.

"It's okay," the female whispered again. "You're safe, your out. It's over."

But that would mean... the portal had worked. She was safe. But... "Where am I?" she asked, her voice hoarse from screaming. "And who are you?"

The male with the violet eyes answered, the burn marks gone from his face. "I am Rhysand, High Lord of the Night Court, and this is my wife and mate, High Lady Feyre." His eyes twinkled. "If you can't guess, you're in the Night Court." He paused for a moment. "But who are you, and where are you from?"

He didn't ask about the nightmare, but maybe he thought it was rude to pry.

"I'm..." she thought about which title, what she wanted to say to these strange people.

The best route would be to use one of her more obscure names, like Lillian Gordania, but these people had healed her injuries. They had freed her from her box. The risk alone in that... "I'm Celaena. And I'm from another realm."