Heir of Fire and Ice

Rescued

Aelin shook with rage. How dare Maeve take her child, keep her in a cell? She stalked down the corridor, slaughtering the guards she passed before they even noticed her. Rowan, to his annoyance, was in Orynth, having a meeting with Maeve. Aelin should never had let her live. At the time, she had reasoned that as long as she couldn't reach the valg, and wasn't allowed out (unless they wished it so) there wasn't much harm they could do. Her army was dilapidated enough that it wouldn't matter if Maeve tried another war. She shouldn't have taken the chance.

Reaching the cell that the servant woman had indicated, Aelin paused. This would take control. She would have to keep the fire hot enough to melt the door, but concentrated enough not to harm her daughter. As the door melted, Aelin forced herself not to rush in. She would be so annoyed if this was the wrong cell. Finally, she walked in, seeing a beautiful girl huddled on the floor, covered in blood.

...

The girl stared up, looking at the female framed in flames, standing in the doorway. She wasn't as scared as she should have been, of the female covered in blood that did not belong to her, of the flames licking the doorway. Somehow she just knew. That she was safe now.

"Who are you?" She asked. A normal question, considering the circumstances, but the female just stared as if in horror. What was wrong? The female smelled fae, and... human? The girl had never met one, but it was similar to her own scent. Was the female from the human realms? Could she not understand her? "Who....... are........ you............?" She repeated, saying the syllables slowly. The female kept staring. How had this gone so wrong.

...

Gods. When imagining the things that could go wrong, Aelin had never imagined this. That she and her daughter wouldn't even be able to talk to each other. The Old Language. At least Rowan could speak it, but... This had all gone wrong. A shout echoed up the corridor. She had wasted enough time already. She went to reach for her daughter, but she flinched back. Then Aelin noticed the scars. Maeve had burnt her. To make her scared of Aelin's fire. Afraid to use her own magic. Extinguishing the flames, Aelin reached out again, easily carrying her daughter. Time to escape.