The Queen of Flame and Shadow

She is Back

So here is the thing, I know it confusing, but I have decided to make this take place after Amarantha and before the whole war goes down in ACOMAF. On that note, enjoy! 

Aelin 

Maeve was back. 

That was the only conclusion that she could come up with from the riddle. The other thing that kept ringing in her ears was even more dejecting. "Nameless is my price". Hadn't she already heard of that cursed phrase too many times! She was pulled out of her spiraling thoughts by a voice impervious to her struggle. 

"You mean you can hear them?" Asked Azriel with a voice an octave too high and eyes filled with something strange. Something like hope. 

What would they do to her is they had knowledge that she could? Would they hurt her for it or keep her closer? She decided to do what she did best. She gambled with the odds. 

She donned an air of superiority, "Can't everybody else hear them?"

All she got was a slack jaw from Cassian, a frown from Amren, a look of disbelief from Mor, a frown from Rhys, and longing in Azriel's eyes. The fact that they did not lunge to kill her was a good sign. She could work with that. 

"They are so chatty too. How they love to gossip and spill secrets." In truth, they were only spilling her secrets, but the people at the table did not need to know that. 

Rhys recovered soon after. "Not sorry to say, but that is very hard to believe that a little human like yourself can talk to shadows. If you can really hear them, what are they saying, huh?" She really wanted to wipe the smirk of triumph off his face.  

Her attention caught on something he said. He said talk to shadows. Could she have a conversation with them as he implied? She decided to give it a go. She mentally reached out to a shadow and asked it about Rhysand. 

The voice was cold, ancient, and slick like oil. "You mean the Whore. For fifty years he served Amarantha under the mountain. He was a plaything, something that had a master. Does that answer suffice, My Queen?" 

Indeed it did. She tucked away the name Amarantha to be asked about later. For now, she turned to look at Rhys with satisfaction in her gaze. 

"Oh you know, they talk about the weather and such. But I also hear of you Rhysand. Like your time as a toy for, what was her name, Amarantha under the mountain." Bingo. His face twisted into something ugly. She dared him to make a move. 

"Careful girl, you should not talk about such things, or about monsters that you have not had the pleasure of meeting."

"Please, how bad could this 'Amarantha' be? Just because she scared you bat boy does not mean she can scare me." She was scared of nothing, it was monsters that should be afraid of her. 

"Lucky for you,  she died when I slit her throat one night in bed. It may have taken 50 years, but people always meet their end eventually." And by the looks of it, Rhysand wanted her time to come sooner rather than later. Now she got him totally off course about her and the shadows and instead had him focused on his past. Just where she wanted him. Hey, she was not the best assassin for nothing. 

Cassian was also on the forgetful train alongside his High Lord, leading him to jump into the conversation. "Hey, you all bravado, or can you actually back it up. It is very easy to talk the talk, but can you walk the walk?" 

If only he knew how wrong he was. She could not only walk the walk, but she could do it blindfolded and before anyone else realized what had happened. So yes, easily. 

Azriel

Cassian was acting high. How could no one realize the game she was playing at? Was he the only rational person here? Actually, probably. She had Rhys reminiscing about his past, Cassian focused on fighting her, and Mor and Amren uncaring about the conversation. He was the only one that still held onto the truth bomb she dropped about the shadows. He turned to see that there was a wicked gleam in Celaena's eyes when Cassian inferred that he wanted to fight her. How was Cassian so blind, he did not know. Before irreversible damage could be done, he wiggled his way back into the conversation. 

"What other things did the shadows mention to you Celaena?"

She looked at him with something like hatred. He could handle it, most people looked at him that way regularly. She suddenly looked conflicted, as if she was trying to figure out how much to reveal. 

"Does anyone here know of a Maeve?" She said it almost hesitantly, like she really did not wish to ask such a question 

None of us could say that we had, and it looked like she could tell. Her shoulders sagged a bit at that, and she seemed to draw into herself a little more. It almost seemed impossible that someone had the power to take away some of her fire, yet it seemed like this Maeve person had that ability. 

"Maeve is a Valg queen, and I fear that she has come to your world to start a new war."

Rhys instantly jumped in. "Wait. Just wait a moment."

"Does it look like I am moving?"

"Piss off, you knew what I meant," that just earned him an eye roll. "How do you come by this information?"

"Just like Azriel asked, I heard it from the shadows. You must be daft not to keep up with such a simple conversation." Yet, under all the bravado and talk, Azriel could sense...a hint of pain and fear? That did not make sense. Really, what is going on, he wondered?

"Fine, let's say that you are telling the truth. What does this have to do with us?"

Her countenance was deadly serious, causing everybody's back to straighten. 

"She is a Queen of Darkness. You think you are the Lord of the Night, pathetic. She is a nightmare made flesh, and her dark is not the soothing kind of the night, it is festering and rotten. It is the dark that seeps into your soul and latches on. You think you know pain, then you are wrong. Pain did not even exist before her. She can also spin wonderful realities for you, trick you into thinking everything is a lie. I will say this once, and only once. If she were to attack anywhere in Prythian, anywhere at all, then everyone is doomed. It does not matter how far you are, you are next. Best not to forget that you will have no place to hide. That is why if she comes here, no one will survive."

Silence. 

A pin could be dropped in Velaris and it would be heard. The threat that Maeve posed was greater than anything that they had ever faced. And by the looks of it, if Celaena was not lying, then everyone would have to work together if they wanted to live. Rhysand was on the same page. 

"With this new threat, we need to show a united front. I think it is time for a High Lords meeting. Mor, please set that up. Cassian, check up on the Illyrians, we might need them to fly soon."

Celaena did not like being left out. "And what am I to do when you are scurrying off like bugs?"

Rhysand flicked his gaze to Azriel's. "You will stay with Azriel. Learn what you can before the meeting, lest you want to get eaten by the wolves."

The smirk that fell across her face was most definitely feral. 

"Throw me to the wolves and I will return leading the pack." 

Thank you so much for making it this far! 150 reads is incredible! Thank you so so much! As always, comments, questions, concerns, and criticism are greatly appreciated! 

With all the thanks, 

UnaDisgrace123 <3