Rowan
Seething, I flew towards the male that appeared out of thin air with Aelin - with my mate. I had been circling overhead when they popped into existence like Fenrys did and I watched her stumble. Bellowing a fierce cry I dove towards them, eyes locked on the male that who was a threat. Bright violet eyes locked on mine as I surged forward - painfully making contact with a strong magical barrier.
Refusing to let it get in my way, I shifted, drawing up my magic to attack the strange male when Aelin yelled "What in the name of Hellas do you think you are doing Buzzard?"
Growling and refusing to take my eyes off the male, I said softly to Aelin "Come here Aelin, and we can leave." I snarled when he attempted to place himself between us, seeing her roll her eyes from the corner of my vision - refusing to be manhandled.
I could almost hear her raised eyebrow when she responded "Really buzzard, can we? Because from where I'm standing it looks like you are attempting to separate me from the assistance that I worked very hard at tricking him into!" At that the male spared a glance at Aelin with a playfully raised eyebrow and a twinkle of mischief. "Oh shove it, Rhys. After seeing me fight you knew damn well it was a trick."
At that my mind blanked out with a white roar of rage. I snapped into the killing calm. I heard Aelin mumble, "Oh shit." Before I advanced on the male snarling, "You attacked her?"
Suddenly Aelin jumped in front of him and I roared at having the target of my rage blocked, his arms tried to tug her behind him and I snarled louder, moving like a blur until she was pressed into my chest, and I was breathing in her scent. I erected a shield of ice and wind around us, growling low when I felt the male attempt to use his strange dark magic to break through my protections. As jasmine, lemon verbena and embers filled my senses and soothed my soul, I allowed myself to relax out of the killing calm.
My nose was buried in her nape, mouthwateringly close to her pulse point when I realized she was speaking to me. "-the actual fuck buzzard. How in the hells did you even get here? Also your manners are more atrocious than I remembered because that is certainly NOT how you greet people."
I pulled back enough to look into her mesmerizing eyes and stated as softly as I could, "You were gone, Aelin. You were gone and I had no idea where you went."
She scoffed at that, "And I'm supposed to believe that mattered to you? I am aware exactly what I am to you, and what I am not." I could see the hurt and pain in her gaze and tried to explain but she spoke over me. "Rowan this is Rhysand, the High Lord of the Night Court and my reluctant ally in this realm." She winked at him and I had to shove down the growl building in my throat. "Rhys this is Prince Rowan Whitehorn; buzzard, trainer, carranam and fully fledged pain in my ass."
I cringed at that description, which was both accurate and wholly misinformed. I looked over at the male - at Rhysand - and had to stifle the urge to shove Aelin behind me. I fought the growl building in my throat as I observed the primal want and possessiveness he had in his eyes as he looked at Aelin - at my mate.
"You keep saying that word, carranam, what does it mean?" He asked as he glanced between us. His eyes gleamed with challenge when they met mine, and I longed to show him just how far I would go to protect and defend my bond with Aelin. Even better, to show him just how linked we were, even beyond the mate bond.
I grinned ferally, thrilled at the thought of putting this arrogant male in his place. "It is -"
"Neither here nor there at the moment." Aelin interrupted fixing me with a glare that said do not say another word, you have already ruined enough of my secrets here.
Turning back to Rhysand she asked "Are you able to winnow us both back? If we are going to rehash the day I think it would be more productive amongst the others." He nodded and I raised my brow at his easy acceptance of her demands.
Next thing I knew he grabbed my arm and we were in a lounge area surrounded by two fae males with large membranous wings, a fae female and another female presence whose scent made me want to snarl. I shoved Aelin behind me and took a defensive stance against the potential threats, growling low in warning.
Half a second later she had shoved off of me with a half hearted snarl. Announcing with far too much giddiness "Well I suppose introductions are in order."
Cassian
Today was truly the wildest day of my life. Aelin crashing into our lives the way she had left an imprint on my soul in fire that I don't think would ever fully leave. Now she was here with the male from her realm - Rowan - filling him in on the day's events.
I narrowed my eyes at him, noting the pure possession and obsession in his gaze as he looked at Aelin. Staring at her as if she was his whole world, his entire reason for living.
Not that I could blame him, the things I would do to keep even a piece of that female after only knowing her for a day - cauldron knew what I would be like in his shoes.
And yet every time he attempted to get close to her she brushed him off. It was easy to see that he had hurt her in some way - but what? I observed the stiffness in her stance that hadn't been present before his arrival and gritted my teeth.
I heard a low snarl and my eyes snapped up to see him locked onto how I had been observing him and Aelin. I smirked, practically begging for a fight. Perhaps I couldn't best Aelin, but if this male wanted to challenge me, I was more than willing to meet him blow for blow.
Mor cleared her throat, sensing both the tension and the exhaustion that was clear in Aelin's stance. "Aelin, how about we find you some sweets and draw you a bath? I'm sure today was long enough for you. I will make sure Rowan has a place to rest and we can discuss further plans in the morning."
Smiling the softest I had seen on her ethereal face, Aelin nodded. I was transfixed and I swore that I would do everything in my power to see that expression on her face again. Quickly glancing towards the other males in the room, I saw my thoughts echoed in each expression.
Aelin said quietly "That sounds perfect Mor, thank you." Snapping her eyes to Rowan she spit out, "Do try to play nice Buzzard, or I swear to the gods I will leave you here and you will never see your precious Maeve again."
As she proudly walked from the room Amren chuckled. A shiver ran down my spine as I thought of their budding friendship. Glancing around at the male, I saw his face fall, looking like there was nothing more he wanted in the world than to run after Aelin.
Azriel's sharp eyes picked up on the utter devastation on the males face as he asked, "Who is Maeve?"
Azriel
The males eyes snapped to mine, a snarl of warning building in his throat. However, a quick glance at the door Aelin exited out of had him shoving down his primal anger.
Swallowing heavily, he said, "She is - was my Queen."
Rhys quirked an eyebrow at that. "She was your Queen and yet you were charged with training another?"
Grimacing, the male explained, "Maeve is Aelin's aunt - far removed. Aelin needed information from her, but Maeve refused to assist her until she was able to pass my training."
Cassian, eyebrows furrowed, asked, "Training for battle?" It did seem the most likely, and yet I sensed there was more.
Rowan simply shrugged. "In a sense."
Rhys grew more confused, "Why does Aelin seem to despise her, because she refused to aid her in her quest for this knowledge?"
Rowan shifted on his feet, which was a sign of great agitation in this male who was clearly a warrior - I exchanged a glance with Rhys to note that.
"In part... Maeve is ruthless and bloodthirsty. She acts for herself above all - in short is the complete antithesis of Aelin, who is the most selfless, genuine and caring person I have known in over 300 years," he said.
Rhys, a glimmer of understanding in his eye, demanded softly "Yet you served Maeve - why?"
Rowan growled, growing visibility frustrated. "She was all that I knew," he spat, "I thought all Queens were like her. By the time I knew better I was already her bloodsworn and thought there was no way out."
Sending a questioning glance at Rhys and Cassian I asked, "I have not heard of this term before. What is a bloodsworn?"
Growling under his breath, he explained, "It is a fae custom from my world where a warrior swears his life to his monarch for entirety. It is a position of high honor but in exchange the monarch can demand their bloodsworn do whatever they desire, even against their will."
Understanding lit Rhys gaze. "She commanded you to train Aelin as her bloodsworn. If Maeve is what you say then you would have wanted to keep her far from your queen, even if that meant pushing her away when you longed to draw her close."
In an instant Rowan was at Rhys's throat - snarling, "You know nothing of me and my -" he cut himself off and I sent a sharp gaze towards my brothers. "My fire heart," he finished brokenly, stepping away.
My heart beat sharply beneath my ribs as my mind supplied what my soul refused to accept. She couldn't be Rowan's, she couldn't. Because every primal instinct within me was screaming that she was mine. But how was that possible, fierce as she was if she was nothing but human...
I reached out to my brother in my mind. Rhys. Is there a chance she is something other than what she appears? We both know what he wanted to say but if she is a human how is that possible?
Stranger things have happened, Az. But I agree, it seems more and more unlikely that Aelin is only human. I am sure that there are more secrets we will have to wait to be revealed.