𝐀 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐭 𝐎𝐟 𝐐𝐮𝐞𝐞𝐧𝐬 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫𝐬

Ch 32: A way home

Dorian POV
He asked us if we were hunting Maeve and of course we nodded, the next step in the plan being to go and warn Aedion and fight against that evil bitch. "Can I come with you? She has my brother." he said, and Nox was already shaking his head and about to say no when I put a hand on his chest, pushing him behind me. "You can come." I said, having a small hint on who his brother is. Nox was not happy, but how are you supposed to explain that he might be the fifth fae of the cadre, the Black Wolf of Doranelle, in the flesh.

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Aelin POV
Lying in the bedroom, Rowan beside me, asleep, I was finally at peace. My hand subconsciously went to my stomach and rested there. It had been three and a half months, and the bump was already showing, which was making the males in the house crazy, especially Rowan. He wouldn't leave my side, but after months of not seeing him, I didn't really mind.

Everyday Amren and I had been sitting in the library, surfing through books after books trying to find anything that would take us back. Maeve was pissed, that much was clear after her dramatic threatening last words and was no doubt planning on attacking Terrasen right about now, which can't happen when I am here. My kingdom came above everything else. I had yet to tell Rhysand and the Night Court about my status, but this was a welcome relief, absolutely no one knowing anything about me besides the fact that I was Rhysand's sister, which he had gratefully accepted.

"Rowan." I said, my eyes staring at the ceiling, my head going over how I was going to reveal my mother's other son to him. His eyes opened and his hand came to rest upon mine, on my stomach, telling me that he's awake. "Rhysand is my brother." I said, getting straight to the point, patience already gone. He sat up on his elbows, looking back at me with worry and utter confusion in his eyes, mine still staring at the ceiling. "I asked him for help. For aid in the war." I continued, focusing my gaze on him now.

He gave me a look, telling me to continue. "He agreed, said that I was his sister and that the Night Court is at my disposal." I revealed, waiting to gouge his reaction. A sigh escaped his lips and he fell back down on the bed. "Evalin. How-How is this even possible?" he asked, trying to understand how my mother had two children in two different worlds. I understood his confusion, I had been there too.

"She was born here. She was married to the previous High Lord of the Night Court and had two children here, a son and a daughter. She was attacked one night when she was out with her daughter. She survived but her child didn't. Some ancient truth teller they call 'The Bone Carver' told Rhys that the gods were playing with her. Amren and the High Lord of the Day court helped her escape to our world, where she married my father and had me." I said, my eyes drifting back to the ceiling.

Rowan, he didn't say a word, just pulled me in his chest. Tears escaped my eyes, imagining my mother's fear and guilt at surviving while one of her children was dead, and the other left without a mother. "It's okay Fireheart." he whispered in my ear, and love flooded through me at the sound of that name he calls me - Fireheart. "It's just hormones." I said, making him chuckle a little as he tightened his hold on me and my eyes drooped with exhaustion.

Fenrys POV
Amren stepped inside my room, without even knocking, as a I lay in the bed trying to get any sleep, which was proving to be impossible thanks to the nightmares. I was about to go to Aelin's room, and sleep next to her on the floor because I knew she wouldn't mind. Just as I was about to throw the blankets off, my door creaked open and she stepped inside. "Fenrys? or Sam, whatever it is. I found it." she announced, and I was up in a second.

"Found what?" I asked, rubbing my eyes to adjust to the now switched on light. "I found the wyrdmarks, to portal. We just need the symbol of where you want to go and a native's blood." she said, a book open in her hands. She was looking at me with emotion- happiness and satisfaction -which was enough to get me worried. I walked towards her and took the book from her offering hands, looking at the page that was open. Sure enough, there were symbols and a picture of a portal, and some text in a language I didn't understand. "I have to show Aelin." I announced, looking up from the book into her eyes. "Thank you. Thank you so much." I said, unable to fit my gratitude into those small words. She just smirked, a playful mysterious smirk, and stepped aside as clearing the way, as if urging me to tell her the news.

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Nox POV

We had been flying for a whole day now, and by our gradually slowing speed, Dorian was tired. It was his fault anyway, who told him to bring the jail-y along?!

We were passing above a barren mountain range when Dorian's wyvern body suddenly swerved sideways and started descending. We got the message, he was tired. We landed and Dorian changed back, sweating so much that his shirt was very very wet. He lay down on the slate ground and panted for a good few minutes while me and the jail-y sat and drank water. "We're staying here." Dorain said in between pants and no one objected. Our only means of transport was tired. "I'll set up the tents." I said and got up, walking towards my bag. "We only have two though, and I am not sharing." I said on the way, making it very clear that I did not like our criminal travelling partner. Connall just shrugged, "I don't need one." he said, and I didn't bother to enquire.

It took me thirty minutes but the tents were set up, and the winds were picking up already, making it very cold. How Connall was planning on surviving outside was beyond me but I didn't mind if he was dead, his morbid personality was not something I felt like rooting for. Dorian was already asleep, on the stone, the sweat from his face all gone. He seemed so at peace and I didn't want to wake him up so I went towards him and gently picked him up. He was lighter than he looked thankfully, and laid him down inside a tent. I covered him with the blanket and then walked out.

Outside, there was a black wolf instead of Connall, lying right outside of Dorian's tent, eyes closed and seemingly asleep. Bringing him along was not the best decision Dorian had made, but for some reason, I felt like he would be welcome in the camp. He seemed like he was a warrior. His assessing gaze and silent steps said a lot. And on top of all that, he seemed to have incentive enough to hate Maeve, she had his brother. I came out of my daze and went inside of my own tent, lying down on the sleeping back, and dozed off with the thought of Connall and the war that was coming.

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Aelin POV

"Somebody better be dying." I whisper-warned as I got up from the bed, slowly untangling myself from Rowan's sleeping figure. Fenrys just rolled his eyes and gestured for me to follow him outside. Unwilling to wake Rowan up, I nodded and followed Fenrys out on silent feet.

I closed the door behind me and turned towards Fenrys to ask him what the problem was, but what I saw was weird. His face broke into a huge smile and he was hugging me the next second. I was a little surprised but I hugged him back, chuckling a little at his childish behaviour. "Amren found a way, Aelin. She found a way home." he whispered in my neck and pure and utter joy broke out in my heart. I tightened my hug and laughed in his chest, pure happiness and hope surging through me.

Someone cleared their throat from the other side of the corridor and I let go, my head turning towards the noise but my smile never vanishing. "I have some bad news." Rhysand said, and the smile was suddenly gone. I gestured for him to continue, "Tamlin is pissed. Called another High Lord meeting regarding what Feyre and your friend Kaltain did to his court. You don't have to come if you don't want to though." he said, adding the last bit in a hurried manner as if afraid to piss me off. Too late.

"Oh no, I'm going." I said, sick of this Tamlin's stupid holier-than-thou attitude. Besides, he was about to mess with my sister in-law, and I said enough. Rhysand just gave me a smirk that said 'We really are siblings' and I smirked right back, looking forward to putting Tamlin in his place.

"Tomorrow." he said, before turning around and leaving.