A Court of Storms and Ash **DISCONTINUED**

~ Chapter Three ~

Aelin
Where was I? Was this another one of Maeve's illusions? Memories flooded my mind as I lay in the darkness, reliving my nightmare in the iron coffin. I could feel something, someone trying to get inside my mind, the same way Maeve did. They couldn't get through though, something was blocking them— my mind was foggy. I couldn't think my own thoughts. Memories of Sam, Arobynn, Aedion, my parents— memories of my misery.
After some time, I could feel again. I could feel myself dozing off, sleeping soundly for the first time in months–years even. I slept for a long time.

My eyes opened to a celing, not the night sky I blacked out to. The celing was white and the light was coming in through the curtains. I looked up and saw the male and female I saw when I fell into this world.
"Hi, I'm Feyre. High lady of the Night Court. Who are you?" The pregnant female asked. She looked at me warily, like I was dangerous.
"I'm – I'm Aelin Ashryver Galathynius," I said. My voice was raw and quiet, but I'm sure they could hear me with their pointed ears.
"Nice to meet you, how did you get here?" She asked me sweetly. She was beautiful, like most fae with golden-brown hair and grey-blue eyes. She looked important, with nice clothes and a healthy-looking face and body.
"I-I was locking the lock with the three wyrdkeys. It worked, I think, and it transported me through different worlds to get me home and the portal closed here..." I explained. The male sat in silence and listened. I think he knew what I was talking about.
"I'm Rhysand, High Lord of the Night court" He started. "Do you know how to get back?"
I thought of saying no, but then I remembered. Wyrdmarks appeared in the sky where I got dropped from, maybe they could help. But to get to another world? I surely don't have enough magic in me to get between different dimensions.
"I might have an idea of where to start, but I don't know if it'll work."
"Hmm," he sighed. He was as puzzled as I was, wanting me out of his world.
"What kind of magic do you possess?" Feyre asked. She eyed me curiously as if she already had a rough idea.
"Um... Fire?" I said. "I can also shift between my secondary and fae form like all fae," I added.
"Shift?" Rhysand asked, confused. His eyes moved all over me, looking for differences between us. "Can you demonstrate?"
"Um, sure?" I said. I delved into my magic and shifted into my human form. I still had all my magic, unlike what should have happened. I could still shift. Did the lock not work?
He stared at me in confusion. Were fae here not able to shift?
"Is something wrong, Rhys?" Feyre asked him. She was also as confused as me.
"Let's discuss this later, could I eat some food?" I asked them.
"Feyre, should we introduce her to our friends?" Rhysand asked Feyre eagarly. His eyes twinkled when he looked at Feyre, they were clearly in love.

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I do not like winnowing. Rhysand winnowed us to a townhouse, in which sat a lot of other people. Their friends.
"The cocky one is Cassian, the quiet one is Azriel, the bubbly one is Morrigan and the scary one is Amren," Feyre explained. When I first saw them, I took a step back and gasped. Winged fae... were they even fae? Were they like me?
"This is Aelin, be nice," Rhysand said to his friends. He sat down beside Feyre and Morrigan, while I sat between Amren and Azriel.
"So...what do you do in your world?" Rhysand asked when everyone became silent. They were all looking at me cautiously as I sat down. Azriel looked warily at me like I was dangerous.
"I'm the heir to Terrasen, but I don't have my crown," I said. "I assume they told you how I got here?"
They all nodded.
"What's your story?" Asked Morrigan. I sighed and answered.
"I-It's a long story," I said.
"We have time," Cassian answered.
"I mean, they couldn't get into your head so there's probably something special about you."
"Get–Get into my head?" I shudder. Were they trying to trap me here too? Why were they trying to get into my mind?
"Why were you trying to get into my mind?" I demanded.
"I-We-" Feyre tried to explain.
"To make sure you're not a danger to our court," Rhysand said powerfully.
"I-" I tried to say. I started again. "Why couldn't you get into it?" I questioned. Was something wrong with me? Wrong with him? I could sense his immense amount of power, it was breathtaking how powerful one could be.
"Because of the flames. Your shield," Rhysand stated. He looked relaxed but said it firmly.
"What shield?" I asked.
"Mental shields. You must know what one is if you already have such a complex one" He said.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"What is the world you come from, Aelin?" Amren asked curiously.
"I come from Erilea" I stated.
"Erilea?" she asked. She must have known of it. "That's where Erawan is, correct?"
"It is. I- Me and my court were getting back to Terrasen to gather my army and fight him and his army," I answered. She seemed to understand what I was talking about, as she nodded along as I was talking.
"Interesting." She murmured before returning to her meal.
"But what is your story?" Cassian asked.
So I told them everything. About my parents when I was young, how they died, how Arobynn found me, about being an assassin, and ended off with Meave and her torture, leaving out the bits about Rowan and my other friends.
"So...half-fae exist in your world? Fae and humans live peacefully?" Asked Rhysand.
"Isn't that how it is here?" I asked.
All Rhysand replied with was, "I wish it was."