A Court of Fire and Shadows -ON BREAK!!!-

Cassian

I woke up on the floor of the sitting room, Azriel was nowhere to be found. Prick.

I lay there for a moment while I tried to remember what had happened the night before.

I remember Manon coming up to Az and I, she wanted us to score a drinking competition between her Aelin and some new female. El? Ellie?

I remember her seeming familiar, but different, very different.

I remember that Ellie had outdrank the Queen of Terrasen and the Queen of Witches.

Az had dropped them all off before coming to find me. He must've been too tired to take me all the way to my room, and just decided to dump me here and go to his own room.

Prick.

I dragged myself off the ground and started walking to my room, only to be interrupted by Nesta barreling into the room, "Something's wrong," she gasped. I took a worried step forwards and she held her hands out in front of her, "Not- not with me."

Elain stumbled into the room, Aelin, Rowan and Manon on her heels. "The Cauldron," She rasped out, doubling over, "The Wall, Hybern-"

Rhys and Feyre ran into the room as Az winnowed in, Amren already in Velaris in case of another attack. 

Manon and Aelin, both looking very hungover, were holding Elain up when we felt it.

A wave of power blew across the land. The whole mountain underneath us shook, I could hardly move fast enough, I sprinted over to Nesta and covered her in a shield made with my siphons.

Across the room I saw Azriel holding up Elain, looking her over. In his eyes I saw panic, terror that I had never seen before.

But not fear for himself, fear for the shaking female in his arms. 

When the ground stopped shaking there was just silence. Complete, utter silence.

Aelin's face had leeched of all color.

"No." Aelin whispered.

"You're out, Aelin. You killed her. The keys are back in the gate." Rowan said quietly enough that I had to strain to hear it.

"No." Elain rasped, "This isn't the keys. This is much worse and-"

She took a deep breath, as if readying herself for what she was about to say.

"They are here."

Aelin leaned heavily on Rowan, squeezing her eyes shut and shaking her head, "No," she said again, more firmly this time as if trying to convince herself of something, "No, no Elain, you must be mistaken I killed her, you saw me kill her, right."

Elain grasped Aelin's hands, Azriel still supporting her, "Aelin you killed her, but you did not kill the other two. They brought her back, and now they are here. And they want you dead."

Aelin shook her head again before leaning in to whisper something to Elain that I couldn't make out.

Elain shook her head and I could barely make out her reply, "I will tell them when the time is right."

Fenrys and Lorcan raced into the room, Aedion, Lysandra and Elide right behind them.

"She's back." Fenrys said voice hollow.

Rowan looked at them, concern overtaking him, "The oath-"

Lorcan shook his head, "Still gone, but I can still feel her. She's back."

Rhys cleared his throat.

"Would someone care to explain what's going on?"

Elain regarded him with a hollow gaze that would've made Amren proud, before looking back at Aelin, "Do you want me to tell them now, or do you need time to think it through." 

"Let's go to the meeting and I can explain it there."

_____LINE BREAK_____

"Will someone explain what's going on. Enough with the suspense." Beron demanded.

"The king used the Cauldron to destroy the wall and the king is gone." Elain said bluntly.

That wasn't much of an explanation if it just made me more confused. What did she mean 'the king is gone.'

"What do you mean the king is gone?" Beron hissed, voicing my thoughts.

"It was the Valg." Aelin started, when no one showed any recognition she continued explaining, "The valg are a demon race. They can use wyrdstone collars or rings to possess someone's body. Their were three kings and one queen. She was the most powerful of them all. A daemati so strong, that when she came to our world, she made everyone believe that she was a Fae Queen. The kings created three wyrdkeys to control the wyrdgates. After Brannon Galathynius defeated the valg, he took the keys. But Maeve stole them back, eventually Brannon and Mala Fire-Bringer managed to take the keys from Maeve and hid them in the tomb of his daughter, Elena Galathynius Havillyard for me to find. We thought that they had killed the valg, but they couldn't kill them, instead they banished Orcus and Mantyx, and forged the Lock to hold Erawan under the mountain at Morath. 

"Five years ago Erawan and Maeve, separately, started trying to collect the keys. Went to war against them, and won. Dorian and I nearly died, trying to forge the lock again, but I managed to kill Maeve, and Yrene killed Erawan."

Elain cut in, "The King of Hybern was foolish enough to find the Cauldron which was made out of wyrdstone. When Orcus and Mantyx found out about this, they came to this world. Orcus possessed the king, and Mantyx one of his generals. They revived Maeve and are going to kill all of us." 

"So that's it then. All of this for nothing." Helion said.

Elain looked at Aelin, and when the queen nodded, she turned back to Helion, "Aelin is our best shot at defeating them. The only thing they fear is the fire of the Heir of Mala Fire-Bringer." Elain's voice was still cool and confident, it sounded more like Aelin's than her own.

"We will fight with you." Aelin said, "We will help you defeat the valg, not just banish them, you need to kill them."

We nodded and started planning out the war.

I will continue