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

Lucien

I clenched my jaw as I tried -and failed- to not glare at Azriel.

I could smell him on her, though the other didn't seem to notice. His scent wasn't intertwined in her own enough for them to be lovers, they were definitely close. Friends, right. 

No, they were definitely more than friends, whether they knew it or not, most likely not. Some primal part of me kept screaming at me to challenge him to a blood duel, but I couldn't do that. 

First of all, even if I killed him and she ended up falling in love with me, after a while she would grow to hate me and I can't live with that.

Second, if he killed me, Elain would be miserable because her mate is dead. 

Also -obviously- I would be dead, and as much as I want my mate, I want to live even more.

I shook my head as Aelin started talking.

"We need to go to some of the nearby villages to try to find information about where the Keys are. They are our top priority. We should split into groups and we need at least one person who can read Wyrdmarks, and one person who can winnow in each group so," She looked around for a moment before saying, "We can have three groups. Lys, Aedion, Manon and Abraxos can be in a group. I can take Ro, Cassian, Mor, Nesta, and Dor. Everyone else goes with Elain."

So Elain can read wyrdmarks?

And what the hell were wyrdmarks.

"What are wyrdmarks," I asked.

Aelin gave me a look as if to say You're an idiot, before responding, "They're extremely dangerous magical symbols."

"And Elain can... read them." I said skeptically.

"Yes, I can. If you want I can demonstrate on you." Elain gave me a too-innocent smile.

I could feel the blood starting to drain from my face at the viciousness lacing her words.

"Alright, we can take the southeast. Lys, you all can take the southwest. Elain, you can just go south." Aelin said.

"There is a city about twenty miles south of here." Elain said, turning to Rhys, "We can start there."

Rhys nodded and we all grabbed onto him.

We were enveloped in a dark, swirling wind momentarily before we reached a clearing in a forest.

I started to walk forwards but Elain grabbed onto my arm to stop me.

"What the hell do you think you're doing? You can't just walk out there, this is in human lands, we need to look human." She hissed at me.

I looked down at her hand on my arm and she dropped it as if she had been burned.

She turned to her sister, "Feyre, can you glamour us."

Feyre nodded, "I can't glamour our scents though, so just stay away from any guard dogs."

I felt a slight tickling sensation as the glamour settled over us. We all looked so... plain.

It was unsettling.

"Feyre," Elain turned back to her sister, "I need knives."

Feyre looked uncertain, "Elain, I don't know."

"Feyre, I'll be fine. Besides, if I cut myself, I have fae speed healing." Elain held out a hand insistently.

Feyre reluctantly nodded and unbuckled two of her smallest knives.

Elain put one in the sheath of the form-fitting witch leathers she was wearing and stuck the other one in the ground.

"We need clothes. Rhys?" She turned to him and he made a pile appear on the floor.