Rowan and Aelin Fluff.

Captured

I am slowly realizing that all of my titles sound like early Supernatural episodes. Huh. *DARK THEMES. READER DISCRETION*

Dark. Thats what Aelin saw as she cracked open her eyes, but this wasn't the dark of her bedroom in the White Castle. No. This dark was void of everything, the space between the stars. The darkness seemed to suck the very breath from her lungs, making every gasp of air difficult. She tried to brush her hair out of her face, but found her hand restrained. "Shit.", she whispered to the dark. Gods, her very being felt drained and in pain. Aelin flicked her hand, and willed her magic to appear- Aelin bit her tongue as hot pain raced through her. Iron. Damn it, iron was what she was bound to. Rowan had made her train with iron, so she could identify the feeling. She rolled her neck and tugged again. Nothing. Panic began to set in and she sucked in a breath. Panic was stupidity. Panic got you killed. She couldn't see anything, she was bound in iron, half naked, dressed only in one of Rowan's shirts, and as far as she could tell she was alone. "Rowan." Aelin called into the void, voice rough and painful. No answer. But then a cold, cunning voice like a sword being drawn from its sheath hissed, "You're awake." She shivered and looked around wildly. "Who said that? Who's there?" Aelin cursed herself for the fear running rampant in her voice. She hissed as light flooded her vision. Then a short, rotund figure came into view. "My dear, I think you know who I am." Her vision cleared, and she nearly cried out. "Erawan.", her voice no more then a wind running through the leaves. The Dark King smiled and she screamed as a whip of raging black sliced through the front of her tunic.

   
    Aelin was gone. Aelin was gone, and Rowan had no idea what to do. His mate was gone without a trace. Mate. He hadn't even told her yet, but that didn't matter, because she was gone, and it felt like his world was ending.

       Not two hours ago, he had awaken bound in iron and tied to a tree on the outside of camp, beaten and bloodied. Who ever had taken Aelin must've not cared to much about him, because he hadn't been killed. Slipping out of his reverie, he flinched as Lysandra dabbed at a deep cut on his neck he hadn't bothered to try to heal.     
            She muttered a meek sorry, and continued. He turned to look at her, and she sat down the cloth. Fixing her green eyes on him, she  pursed her lips. "We will find her, Rowan. I promise you." He nearly hissed. Pity was something he didn't want, but he still said, "I know. I will search every gods damned corner of this world if I have to. I'll rip apart the world." She didn't blink at his words. "Rowan, don't pretend you're alone in this. We will find her, Rowan. Alright. Because, gods damn me if I let my friend disappear without me fighting for her, tooth and nail. Just as she fought for me." His eyes stung at her words, and he swallowed the emotion. She too, swallowed, and blinked away the tears that very clearly threatened to spill over. Rowan cleared his throat and nodded as Lysandra instructed him to heal the wounds. Rowan looked around the camp, searching for Ren and Aedion. He couldn't see them. Gods, this was surreal. It felt like some horrible dream. A dream, where he'd wake up in Aelin's arms, and she would be safe, but this was real, and she was gone.

    Aelin vomited down her shirt front, and Erawan smiled. "Tell me where the wyrdkey is and the pain will end, child. It all will end." Gods, his voice ripped through her skull. Reverberating through her memories, carefully selecting a new nightmare to ruin her. She thrashed uselessly as Carsim Mallory's handsome face appeared. Her first kill under Arobyn's tutelage. The day after she had killed him, she had sat in her room in the Keep sobbing quietly. "I had family, you little bitch. They still curse your name. You deserve death." Carsim spat. A strange taste flooded her mouth. Copper. She had bitten her tongue. Upon noticing her distraction, the Duke approached her slowly, lazily. "Are you going to tell me, Princess.", his voice began to sound familiar, comforting. Aelin swallowed the pure bile as Erawan's face began rearranging, morphing into another's.  Short silver hair, sepia skin, black tattoo- He looked like Rowan. Her Rowan. "You pig. You dirty disgusting pig." Erawan laughed, and it sounded painfully like Rowan. He reached a tattooed hand up to her face, and she spat her blood onto him. "Don't touch me." His laugh boomed, and it most certainly didn't sound like her carranam's. As he let go of her face to wipe away her spit, a fist of black wrapped tightly around her throat, choking her. "Now, now. Don't treat your lover like that." Disgust rattled through her, "You are not him." The bastard just smiled, and drew a all blade. Her stomach tightened. The Duke began honing the intricate blade, humming lowly. "When I sent my men to your camp, I instructed them to kill your Prince," Her vision got blurry, and her heart seemed to stop. Rowan. If he was- "but he caused quiet the commotion, causing them to leave with only you. I really do want the Shifter to add to my collection." She snarled at his words. He hadn't said if Rowan was alive. Nothing felt wrong in the bond, but maybe Erawan's magic was interrupting the connection. The Duke examined his blade, and smiled in satisfaction. "Princess, this is one of my favorite techniques. You see if I drive my blade right through here," he tapped the top of her thigh. "the pain will be excruciating, but it avoids the arteries." She bit her lip and braced herself for the pain. She had used the technique before He ran a hand over her bare thigh and positioned the tip of the knife at the top of her leg- She screamed in pain. The knife was less then an inch below her skin, and it hurt like hell. "Tell me where the wyrdkey's are and I'll stop." Panting, she dared a look upon her leg. The cut was shallow, but wide, entering from one point and exiting from another, gushing blood. Aelin smiled arrogantly, "Is that all you got you coward?" The demon smiled and rolled his neck, still in Rowan's form. "You shouldn't have asked , Princess."

   She really shouldn't have.

Aedion stared at Rowan, pure rage flickering in his heart. The emptiness in his eyes made him regret wanting to beat the shit out of him. The Prince was barely injured, and their queen was gone, possibly dead. No, not dead. Rowan had assured them she wasn't dead, but she was in pain. So much pain. "Rowan, is there anything we can possibly do. Has she talked to you." The Prince shook his head, blanching. "I haven't felt anything recently, but-" Rowan didn't finish. Instead he doubled over, clutching his thigh and abdomen. Aedion lunged, grabbing him by the shoulder. "Rowan. What is it?" He groaned and pushed out of Aedion's grasp, panting. "She. . Somethings wrong, she's not dying, but she's hurt. She is hurting." Aedion started as the Prince groaned again, but stood nonetheless. "What are we going to do, Rowan." Aedion couldn't help the desperation from creeping in his voice. Rowan squared his shoulders, and the rage in his voice made Aedion step away. "We go to war."

 *An Empire of Storms prediction.