High School Diaries (A Throne of Glass Fanfiction)

Chapter 55

PLEASE PLEASE READ THE NOTE AT THE END. ITS LONG BUT IMPORTANT :) <3

Aelin swallowed once. Twice. The portrait of uncertain fear as she lay chained on a table this time instead of hanging, Cairn waiting for her answer. She was tired. She wanted this to end. Connall was dead. Fenrys and Gavriel were almost dead. Why was she alive? This was all because of her. No one was coming.

And then she said, her voice cracking, "When you finish torturing me for the day, how does it feel to know that you are still nothing?"

Cairn grinned. "Some fire left in you, it seems. Good."

She smiled back, moving her cheek muscles taking all her effort. "You were only called back for this. For me. As a fallback option, bootleg versions of Lorcan and Rowan. Without us, you're nothing. You'll go back to being nothing. Less than nothing, from what I've heard."

Cairn's fingers tightened, reaching for the branding iron today. This seemed like a finality from his side. Good to know that the feeling was mutual. "Keep talking, bitch. Let's see where it gets you."

A rasping laugh broke from her. "The guards talk when you're gone, you know. They think I am too gone to listen or understand anything."

Cairn said nothing. "At least they agree with me on one front. You're spineless. Have to tie up people to hurt them because it makes you feel like a male." Aelin gave a pointed glance between his legs. "Inadequate in the ways that count."

A tremor went through him. "Would you like me to show you how inadequate I am?"

Aelin huffed another laugh, haughty and cool, and gazed toward the tiny window of the room she was in, all alone with this monster, toward the night sky. The last she'd see, if she played this right.

So she drawled toward the sky, the stars, "Oh, I know there's not much worth seeing in that regard, Cairn. And you're not enough of a male to be able to use it without someone screaming, are you?"

At his silence, she smirked. "I thought so. I dealt with plenty of your ilk at the Assassins' Guild. You're all the same."

A deep snarl came from the door, a voice she recognized. Fenrys. He was tied just outside the door, Gavriel lying lifeless beside him, no need to be bothered with. She felt bad for wanting to leave him alone but Fenrys will have to forgive her now.

Aelin only chuckled and adjusted her body, as if getting comfortable. "Go ahead, Cairn. Do your worst. I survived the whip."

Fenrys let out another warning whine.

She waited, waited, maintaining the smirk, the looseness in her limbs.

A hand slammed into her gut, hard enough she bowed around it, the air vanishing from her. Then another blow, to her ribs, a cry rasping from her.

Fenrys shouted. The sounds of wood creaking, as if he was struggling against the ropes tying him to the woods came. In the same breath, all bindings tying her to the table opened.

Hot breath tickled her ear as she was yanked up, off the table. "Maeve's orders might be to keep you alive until Lorcan comes in, bitch, but let's see how much you talk after this."

Her legs failed to get under her before Cairn gripped the back of her head and slammed her face into the edge of the metal table. Stars burst, blinding and agonizing. She stumbled, falling back, her tied feet sending her sprawling. The sounds from outside came again.

But Cairn was there, gripping her hair so tightly her eyes watered, and she cried out once more as he dragged her across the floor toward that great, burning brazier. He hauled her up by her hair and shoved her masked face forward. "Let's see how you mock me now."