DISCONTINUED A Court Of Blood And Night (Tog & ACOTAR crossover)

5 - Rowan

Sorry that these chapters are so short! I'm doing it because it gives me an easier time when I'm updating, and then I don't feel super stressed about it. But, the downside of course is that it's... Well, short.

There wasn't much to the jungle he'd picked to stay in. The only humans Rowan saw were from the village a few miles away, and the undergrowth was thick enough to hide all sorts of creatures-- some as dangerous enough to make Rowan wary. The tree he resided by was far from the biggest there-- plenty of the trees were so big that the first few branches towered high over Rowan's head. It was almost... Unnerving.

The canopy of branches blocked the sun, and Rowan was glad enough for that; it was getting uncomfortably hot outside, for one, and it blocked off his location from anything that might by flying through the skies looking for him.

Days passed torturously slowly, and Rowan was constantly fighting the instinct to leave, to search. It went against everything in him to wait around like this, to not do something. He couldn't leave, not yet.

And so the days following his decision were days of anxious, impatient waiting. There wasn't a lot he could do to pass the time except hunt, but it would require leaving the tree, so he did it sparingly.

However, every once in a while, a few Vlag would come and patrol the area, as if they sensed he was there. Rowan very much enjoyed ripping them apart, their cries of pain and rage and whatever else music to his ears. That was certainly a good way to pass the time-- but it was a rare enough occurence that Rowan couldn't say it did much.

Rowan wasn't completely sure he would make an appearance. For days, Rowan waited. The only time he left that tree was when he desperately needed to eat, and by the time three days were over, he smelled like a vagrant-- and he had those Vlag to blame for it. He could practically hear Aelin scolding him for not bathing at least once. He might've chuckled at the memory of her making a fuss about it, had it not hurt so much.

The nights were restless, filled with the mournful cries of the nocturnal creatures, and in the daytime, Rowan was almost too exhausted to function. But there was no gods-damned way he was giving up on this-- even if it was the stupidest idea he'd ever had.

Five days of waiting rewarded him, finally. He was half-dozing, leaning against the strong trunk, when there was an odd sound from nearby. A rustling. He jerked into alertness, scanning the woodland around him. There was nothing to see, but the hair on his neck raised, chills gliding over his skin. Someone was there, watching him. Studying what he would do.

He didn't want to call out-- there were too many things that might happen if he did. Silently, he stood up, surveying the area once more. Again, he could see nothing, smell nothing. But that feeling didn't leave.

Rowan looked around a third time, looking at every shadow, every crevice. There was nothing. Slowly, he left the tree behind and began walking deeper into the forest, eyes missing nothing, senses on high alert.

No matter where he looked, there was nothing. After a while, Rowan was beginning to doubt that feeling-- that maybe the lack of sleep was doing things to his senses. He finally turned around to go back to the tree when a glimmer of something caught his eye. Cautiously, he turned to the source of that glimmer, peering into the shadows of an overlooked tree.

Two eyes holding the color of fire peered at him from the shadows just above his head. Studying him. Mocking him.

"Hello, Prince," Erawan said, emerging from the shadows. The body he'd taken was undoubtedly fae, but different that what Rowan was used to. Dark hair fell to his shoulders and his skin was flushed a bit, as if he had a mild sunburn. He was short enough that Rowan towered over him. He certainly didn't hold the ethereal beauty that most fae had, but it wasn't to say he wasn't handsome. A perfect disguise if you didn't want to be discovered-- if you didn't want to seem like a threat. Rowan barely cared as he met the gaze of those  wicked golden eyes. Erawan continued with a cold smile, "I hear you've been waiting around for me."

I'm writing some very emotional chapters right now (for my next updates) and I'm dying inside.