After Empire of Storms

Chapter 6 - Aelin

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Her head hung weakly, her back sent a shooting pain up her spine every time she breathed out. It had been weeks since her first encounter with Cairn and every day since then she had suffered through those brutal sessions. When her back became too ruined that even Cairn couldn't find a place to whip her without killing her, he moved onto the knife. Carving her up, leaving little messages across her body for Rowan to find; messages that would scar. Every night she didn't remember sleeping only the sweet darkness of unconscious and perhaps that was better because sleep meant nightmares and Aelin didn't know if she'd survive those. For the first few nights, while Aelin was unconscious, someone came in and cleaned her wounds gently bandaging them up, Fenrys if she was to guess. But then orders from Meave or another factor and the kindness from Fenrys stopped. Now she woke up to Cairn throwing a bucket of water over her. She didn't know how much longer she could take.

Cairn came in and Aelin began to prepare her self for the ominous pain to come. Cairn looked over to her and laughed "not today, princess, your meeting someone special today." He said as he strapped the iron mask to her face. Aelin continued to prepare herself, whoever she was meeting would not be good news. Cairn unbuckled her chains and threw her a white top. Aelin put it on, it instantly stuck to her open wounds in her back; staining the top red.

Free from all this iron for once, Aelin took it as a chance to tunnel down into some of her power. She's been doing this over the time she's been captured , slowly gathering her power at times where the iron wasn't strong enough, and had tunnelled into quite a significant amount. Now all she had to do was wait for the right moment.

Cairn clasped her hands together in iron shackles. He then proceeded to drag her towards their destination. He dragged her along stone corridor after stone corridor, stairs after stairs. Aelin hadn't failed to notice when they went down the same one twice. He was trying to get her lost. Aelin smiled as she remembered the time Chaol has also dragged in a similar way along the corridors of Endovier. Chaol. Aelin hoped he had made it to the southern continent safely and had healed, more than ever they needed the assistance he could bring. 'We're here." Cairn muttered as he punched open the large stone double doors which lead to.... The throne room, but not the one in Dorenalle as she had first thought.

Two wolves lay down either side of the towering stone throne and on the throne sat Meave. Aelin hadn't seen her since Meave had stormed into her cell demanding where the wyrd keys were after she had found out that Aelin no longer had them. Meave raised her eyebrows waiting for something, for her to bow. No Aelin wouldn't bow for that b*tch again, she wouldn't, she... Cairn pushed her back down. Aelin fell to her knees as pain rocketed up her back. She lifted her head up but Cairn pushed that down too, slamming it on the stone floor.
"Ah Aelin, I see we haven't broken you yet." Said the cold ancient voice of Meave.
"But don't worry someone is coming for you and if they come into harm..." Meave paused to think "yes, I think that would break you." She finished.
No. No. Rowan....He wouldn't be stupid enough to come for her, would he? She can't loose him too.
Aelin stayed still on the floor holding onto to her poker face; she wouldn't give Meave a reaction despite the tsunami of thoughts she held inside.
"I just wanted to inform you that your mate is coming to what he thinks is here to trade." Meave paused sitting up on the throne.
"The wyrd keys for you." Aelin's breaths came hard and fast her face still forced towards the ground by Cairn. No. Rowan wouldn't do that. He couldn't. Lose the world to save her. Aelin remembered words he once whispered to her what felts like years ago even when the world is a forgotten whisper of dust between the stars I will love you.

Meave carried on "However, Rowan believes us to be positioned in Doranelle." Meave let out an unearthly laugh
"The only thing positioned in Doranelle for him is an army of highly trained fæ soldiers."
Control. In all the situations of torture Aelin had been in, control is what the torturer wants. Control is what Meave thinks she has by informing her of this but actually Meave has just given Aelin the control. Meave has just given her confirmation that she is not held in Doranelle, confirmation that most of Meaves forced are in Doranelle, confirmation that if Aelin was to try and escape doing it in the next couple of days would be best.

So Aelin pretended to be the broken doll Meave thought her to be. Aelin cried as Meave commanded what messages for Cairn to carve into her body, she screamed every time Cairn brought down the whip upon her while Meave and the two wolves watched, the white one Aelin distinctly remembered to be Fenrys, looked tense and in pain as he fought against Meaves control over him. She acted like a fragile shattered mirror Meave thought her to be. But what Meave didn't realise was that a shattered mirror was still dangerous; a shattered mirror can still kill. So while Cairn whipped her and carved deep into her skin, Aelin buried deep beneath the pain, beneath the loss and went deeper and deeper into her flames; a small burning light in this world of darkness. She'd be doing this for weeks now, slowly, and soon she would be ready; to fight back, to kill.

Aelin just hoped she lasted that long as she let out another unearthly scream as leather attacked her skin because if she was weak the magic she would unleash would destroy her.

Days had passed and Aelin still suffered through Cairn's sessions. They only stopped if one more lash ment death and even then they only let her heal for a couple of hours. Every day, when the iron would allow it, Aelin dug deeper into her power without Meave knowing, deeper and deeper gathering power stronger than the power she used to destroy the ilken. Aelin hadn't heard Rowan through the bond since that first night whenever she tugged in it only stormy darkness and pain could be felt. So she learned to block it, to block him, to block out the world.

Today, however, no guards had come to bring her to Cairn, no one came to torment her, to tease her. There was no one. Aelin nearly smiled, Meave thought her so broken that she could be left on her own. Well that would be a mistake she will regret. Today. Today Aelin will break free, to Rowan, to Aedion, to her country, to her people.

1200 words

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The rescue/escape is coming soon! And Kingdom of ash is only months away !! Ahhhh I can't wait (excited fan girl screaming!!)

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