A Court of Death || ACOTAR

95

Life abandoned Astryn in this strange new place. She stumbled through the streets. It looked like a kingdom on the road to recovery. A recent war, perhaps. Or maybe she only thought that because she had just come from a war.

Whatever the case, most of the humans roaming the area gave her a wide berth—seemed afraid of her, she still had her power and they could sense it. Without the limits of her body, her power felt like more than it had before. She didn't make it far before a blonde Fae female and a white haired Fae male blocked her path.

"I'm not here to fight," Astryn rushed the words out, "I'm still not even entirely sure where here is. I was told it's called Terrasen. There's no place by that name on my world."

"In your world," the female echoed, eyebrows raised. At least Life had dropped her in some place she could communicate with others.

"I was—there was a battle," she tried to explain, "a King set on conquering everything. We were...we...my power. I exploded. I was supposed to die. It was supposed to wreck my soul."

"You look intact," the female offered up, "a little see through, though."

"My body was left behind," she replied, "I was...I killed the King and what was left of his army. And then—my friend, Death—"

"Your friend Death," the male finally spoke, "as in Death?"

"Yes, it's a long story. Basically I died once but I didn't want to be dead and he liked me so he let me be alive again and it turned into a whole thing and I really need to get home before my soul fades away into nothing like Death's twin wants." She paused, taking an unsteady breath. "My name is Astryn. I'm from a place called Prythian."

"Does everyone in Prythian have power like that?" Rowan asked, eyeing her suspiciously.

"No—my brother, the High Lord of the Night Court, he's the closest to being my equal in power. It's not common."

"Why is he High Lord if you're more powerful than he is?" the female questioned.

"There's—or there was no such thing as a High Lady. He changed that recently when he found his mate and made her his High Lady. But, otherwise, we're only half siblings. He's the legitimate child. Our father hadn't even known I existed. Can you...what are your names?"

"Aelin Galathynius, Queen of Terrasen," the female introduced herself. "And Rowan Whitethorn Galathynius, King of Terrasen."

Astryn flinched at the title of King and internally chastised herself for it. The King of Hybern had perhaps sullied the title of King entirely. Just the word brought back too many things she wanted to forget.

"We don't have to use the K word," Aelin offered, feeling the way Astryn's power shifted and rose at that word, like she was preparing on instinct to defend herself.

"I apologize," she murmured, "back home..." she trailed off.

"I understand," Aelin assured her, "I understand."

Reality sunk in at that moment. She had killed the King. She had wiped out his entire army. She had killed them all. Killed them, killed herself. The last thing she had heard was Cassian screaming her name. She hadn't seen Azriel since before the battle, hadn't said goodbye. She had done what she had set out to do, and if she were simply dead, she may not mind it, but she wasn't dead. Not yet. She was lost in another world, away from her body and her family and her friends.

"I killed him," she said, more to herself than to Aelin and Rowan, "I killed the King."

Rowan straightened up his posture, but Aelin brushed him aside.

"And I'm certain he had it coming," she told her, "now, do bodiless souls require food? I'm a little new to this whole Queen business, I'm unsure of the proper etiquette for this scenario."

"I don't believe there is an established etiquette for this," Rowan pointed out the obvious, suspicion still in his eyes as he searched for the end of Astryn's power. In this bodiless form, it was near impossible to find a beginning or an end. There was Fae power, and then Other. "What are you?"

"Fae," Astryn answered, "I'm Fae. That...the other power you're sensing is what Death gave me."

"So, are you and Death...?" Aelin trailed off, eyes alight with interest.

"No! Cauldron, no, he was interested once but I have a mate already who I love and—he offered, I politely declined, and then we were simply friends," she explained, "he's a good friend. He rescued me when...he's a good friend."

"Do we have any reason to fear what will happen if he shows up here looking for you?" Rowan questioned. "Or if your mate comes?"

"No! No, not at all. And I don't think either of them will look for me. I'm sure they'll assume my soul was shredded by the power I used. Death's twin thinks he'll look for me but I doubt it's true. As for Azriel...it's beyond his capabilities. No one is coming for me."

And she believed it. She believed no one would come for her. She believed she would either have to find her own way home or fade into nothing in this new world.