Rowan Whitethorn Galathynius continues searching for his wife to free her from her aunt's clutches, but months have passed since she was taken, and things aren't looking promising. Hope is quickly fading, and the Court of Terrasen is beginning to ge...
"We did nothing," Tamlin replied coldly, hands forming fists. "And who in the Cauldron's name are you?"
The males stared each other down, but the female sighed. "Aedion, enough. Let's just collect Rowan and get back to Terrasen." Her green eyes revealed her irritation. "Before the day ends, please."
"Terrasen?" Amren asked, silver eyes flashing up to meet her's.
"Yes," the female said irritably. "Do you not know where you are?"
Rhys narrowed his eyes. "We come from a place called Prythian. I've never heard of Terrasen in my entire life. I've never seen this forest before, seen this kind of magic before, and I certainly haven't seen you before. Are we in Terrasen now?"
"No," Aedion answered. "You're in the Bogdano jungle-- very far away from Terrasen." He crouched beside the male as if he was going to pick him up and carry him on his own.
Nobody seemed to recognize the name. I frowned and glanced around once more. Lucien was too caught up with Elain and Nesta to even bother with Aedion and the female. The others were either confused, hostile, or both.
Fine. I turned back to Aedion and said, "We don't recognize any of these names. Please, could you provide some assistance to us? We just want to go home." As Aedion frowned suspiciously, I added, "and I swear on my life that we didn't do anything to the male."
"Even so," Aedion replied, "You'll be coming to Terrasen with us until we get the full story from Rowan."
A few of the others glared at him silently, tensed for attack, but then he said, "Lysandra," in a bored tone. I turned just in time to see the white-and-gray wildcat she had shifted into. At the rumbling growl she let out, Tamlin tensed and Lucien visibly paled.
Elain stared at Lysandra with an expression of near-awe and I was pretty sure mine matched her's. The animal was beautiful. Then again, many dangerous things were.
This moment. I wanted to paint this moment. The light that dappled her splotchy gray-and-white fur caught her green eyes, sending them glinting like twin stars. Already, I could see what colors I'd use to make such a painting-- hwo I'd paint the light glinting on the tips of her ears, the magnificent muscles of the wildcat as it prowled just a little closer, daring us to make a move.
The others were more caught up in the threat of it. Even Az looked concerned, narrowing his eyes and tensing up. Amren was staring at Lysandra with the eyes of a predator that just found new prey. Lysandra cocked her furry head at her, eyes narrowing.
There was another growl, and this time, someone joined her. A woman with wine-red hair and brown eyes surveyed us, unimpressed. Her eyes stopped on the male-- Rowan-- and she raised an eyebrow. "A sorry state for such an illustrious warrior," she said scathingly. "Maybe he'll be more truthful about Aelin's location." She glared at the wildcat with hostility, and it bared horrifyingly large teeth at her, licking its gums as if it wanted to tear into the woman's throat.
Apparently we weren't the only ones with some issues.
"Ansel, would you keep an eye on these ones?" Aedion asked calmly, and the woman nodded, surveying us again.
"Do you know them?"
"No. That's why I'd like you to keep an eye on them," Aedion snapped. "Lysandra, help me with Rowan."
Ansel sat down with her hand easily in reach of her sword as the shapeshifter stalked forward. The pommel had a wolf's head, and I admired it silently. Come to think of it, all of her armor had something to with wolves. I searched for the pointed ears that would identify her as Fae like Rowan, but her ears were curved. She wasn't Fae. She was human. I flashed back to Lysandra's human form. She hadn't been Fae, either. A full shapeshifter? And Aedion had rounded ears, too. Humans-- or creatures with human-like features-- working with Faeries? This was nothing like Prythian.
And who was Aelin?
I just hit my knee so hard that it swelled and bruised on impact. Talk about talent! (And it's already much worse than the picture, which I took ten fucking seconds ago. Shit.)
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