In Her Shadow (ACOTAR)

Chapter Twenty-Six: Choices

"Oh for cauldrons sake, if you vomit every time we do that, this journey will take us your lifetime," Elinoire rubbed circles on Liam's back as he emptied the remains of his stomach into the grass.

They had been traveling for weeks now, slowed down by his human energy reserves, or her inability to winnow properly. She silently cursed herself. Perhaps if she had taught Isolde to turn invisible and Isolde had taught her to winnow with better success, life would have been a lot easier.

Liam straightened and wiped his mouth, "I'm fine, thank you for asking,"

"I didn't," she resumed walking along the path, cuddling into him for warmth.

"Tell me why I put up with you?"

"Because you love me and want to marry me and have dozens of babies?" she fluttered her eyelashes at him and he couldn't help but smile.

"Oh yes I absolutely want to marry into your charming sounding family," they strolled along together, his arm slung around her shoulders. "So your brothers are headcases, you serve a king who's weirdly obsessed with your sister who just so happens to be able to read and control people's minds and your parents are dead. Am I missing anything?"

"I suspect my parents are dead, I don't know for sure,"

He shot her a look, "You don't seem too upset about that part..."

She laughed bitterly, "Why should I be? They let our brothers torture us, let their king do unspeakable things to their own daughter and let him send me out to kill his enemies with no regard for my life,"

"Point taken,"

They looked ahead at the road through the forest in front of them. She knew they had to be in the Spring Court, but it was nothing like the beautiful and lush landscape she'd read of. Everything looked overgrown and unkempt, animals flitted past them nervously, but there was no sign of faerie or high fae.

"It seems deserted," Liam looked around. "The fae lands are odd,"

Elinoire took his hand, "Well if we're going to have any hope of making contact with the Night Court, we have to start here. I know tensions with the High Lords is... well high but they have to have some means of communication right?"

"Right,"

"Right. And I've left Issy there for too long,"

"Why not come sooner?"

Elinoire sighed, "Fear... weakness... the belief that my sister would be better off without me. You know, misplacing my magic also had a lot to do with that,"

"But what if the Night Court have hurt her... or killed her?"

"Then I'll have a lot of groveling to do, whether to her or her spirit. And then I'll have to burn the whole court to the ground... in any case I-"

But she wasn't able to finish her sentence as without a warning a huge beast came barreling towards them. Liam, bless him, shoved Elinoire behind him and unsheathed the crude sword they'd had the town blacksmith make before they left.

"Fat lot of good that will do darling,"

"Well then magic him or something, I don't know!"

The beast stopped in front of them and began prowling back and forth, bearing his teeth, saliva dripping from his huge mouth. If he leapt at them, Liam at least was done for. Elinoire's healing magic was okay at best, but if his chest was ripped open, she had no idea what she would do.

The beast paused and spoke, "A human and a high fae wandering through the Spring Court..."

The beast's voice was raspy, as though it hadn't been used for months.