High School Diaries (A Throne of Glass Fanfiction)

Chapter 22

DOUBLE UPDATE 🔥

The front door of the house opened, and Rowan swaggered in the apartment, ushered right into the dining room. She barely caught a glimpse of his silvery-white hair and fine clothes before he was whisked away.

Biting her lip to keep herself from groaning, Aelin reorderdered her plans, thinking of all possible outcomes.

Did Arobynn know about it and choose not to mention anything?

Was it a surprise for him as well?

But none of this mattered as the dire dilemma remained- should she continue or go back?

There were higher chances of getting caught. But she may not get such golden chance again. And the thought of going back empty handed, seeing Kaltain's anticipation contort into disappointment left an unsettling feeling in her gut.

She knew extremely well when someone gives you hope in darkness when it was sure there's no way out and then they fail, for any reason.

She had to do this.

Aelin heard the chairs scraping against the floor, pouring of wine in glasses and the conversation resuming, probably Rowan and Arobynn getting introduced. Or they already did know each other. She didn't know how she felt about it exactly.

She straightened from her crouch and hurried off her vantage point. Silent as smooth as a wraith, she moved down the hall, sticking close to the wall and slipping in and out of the shadows. Tip toeing slowly, careful not to make any noise, she reached the work room.

Her eyes scanned through the room and she checked behind once for any looming presence. After feeling satisfied, she entered the room.

It was uncharacteristically black, like a bachelor pad, but creepier. The room felt cold to her, something about it that she could not put a finger, something that made her check and feel all the weapons she had on herself. Getting past the chill running down her spine that had the hair on the back of her neck rising, she closed the door halfway, luckily, it did not groan. But when she tried opening, the hinges started squeaking. The best option was to leave it half open.

Aelin was making her way towards the laptop, on the table on the opposite side of the room and suddenly it dawned upon her.

"What is his laptop password?" She whispered, waiting for the response through the earpiece.

"Capital Q, small azwsx, hashtag 69. He thought I was asleep. You've no idea the things he's done thinking I wasn't noticing. Oh, wait -..." Kaltain's voice trailed off, mushed with buzzing and crackling that had her removing the earpiece with the realization.

There was no network in this room.

Loosely translated, her backup was gone, in case Arobynn didn't uphold his end of the bargain properly. But she had just asked for the location of the videos. Technically, he did fulfill his end already. Shit.

Hoping Kaltain was alright and this was just a network issue, Aelin approached the laptop perched on the oak wood table, in steps so delicate and slow, that if she was not feeling the floor hit the sole of her shoes, she wouldn't be able to hear or tell that she was on the move.

She let out a shuddered breath, eyeing the skyline of the city beautifully illuminated by moon and artificial lights alike, through the window next to the table. With her back towards the door, she opened the laptop.

The smell hit her just before a hand slid into her vision and she twisted, blades out on reflex, trapping the intruder in death grip- one behind the neck and one aiming for the stomach.