A Court of Storms and Shadows

Chapter 15 - Aelin

"I didn't expect her to be so blond."

"Yeah well, I don't get paid to worry about that."

"How do we know this is the right one?"

"I don't get paid to worry about that either."

"Fair."

Heavy cuffs locked around her wrists and ankles. Someone propped her up against a wall. Aelin made sure to keep her body relaxed and her eyes closed.

So far, these two hadn't been exactly useful, but at least they didn't really seem like a threat either.

"Let's hope she just doesn't wake up until he's here."

"Yeah, I don't get paid enough to deal with upset females."

With that they left her.

Just to be sure, Aelin waited another minute. Then, she slowly opened her eyes and took in her surroundings.

They'd chained her with chains that glowed a faint blue. She frowned. Carefully, she called forward her flame and set the ends the ends of Elain's nightgown on fire with ease.

Weird.

She stopped the flame.

As she moved around, Aelin noticed she had quite some movement space. Grinning, she reached up and clicked the lockpick in her mouth free.

Poking around in the lock for a bit, she used her lockpicking tool to unlock her wrists. That was always the hardest part.

With her hands freed, Aelin easily unlocked her ankles.

The old blood on her lockpick caught her eye. Frowning, she decided that it'd be unsanitary to put it back in her mouth. Instead, she shoved it into a hidden pocket in her suit.

She just had to make sure she wouldn't get caught.

Crouching down, she pulled the chain as silently as possible into the light. Dried blood covered the inside of the cuffs and the chains.

Bracing herself, she pulled the chain to her nose and sniffed.

She knew that scent.

Rhysand.

The blood was old, several months she'd guess, but the scent of it was most definitely Rhys's.

They'd never have been able to keep Rhys in chains unless they muted his magic. The chains must've done that, but since she was from another world, they didn't work on her. Interesting.

Aelin debated her options for a moment. She could get out and kill the guards where they stood, but that would be in full view, someone would sound alarm and then the only thing she could do was run. Not appealing.

Another way then.

She slipped back into the chains, making sure to keep them unlocked.

Aelin groaned, pretending to wake up. Gasping dramatically she cried, "Help! Help I'm locked up!" She rattled the chains for good measure. She'd have to be the most annoying damsel in distress to get mister I-don't-get-paid-enough to move.

Or just make a lot of noise. Nobody wanted to be the one who woke up an entire camp because they couldn't keep their prisoner quiet.

Focussing on her hearing she heard the guards swear outside of the tent.

"I hate night guard, you can never ask anyone else to do the stupid shit for you."

"Shut up, night guard pays the most."