A Love From A Different World

Chapter 17

Aelin tensed up immediately. It had been a while since she last saw the princess, and she had wanted to keep it that way. The assassin observed the spirit with caution.

"Why are you here?"

"You call, I answer."

"I called for Nehemia." 

"She's occupied at the moment."

Aelin was already tired from their useless banter and decided not to beat around the bush. "How did I get here?"

"You must have opened the wrong portal,"

"You don't say," Had Elena always been this obnoxious? "Do you know about this realm?"

Elena's silence told Aelin everything she needed to know. "I'll take that as a yes. How do I go home?"

Again, silence. The assassin didn't care about the secrets and plans Elena was hiding. She couldn't give a shit, and she sure as hell was getting tired of being strung along. "Elena-"

"There's a book. A very powerful book. If you find it you'll be able to return to Erilea."

Before Aelin could utter a single word, Elena disappeared. Cursing, Aelin started scrubbing the floor. Godsdamnit; she really despised her ancestor. Always dangling information in front of her but never explaining anything. What book was she even talking about? And how would Aelin even begin to find it?

Cruising the Gods to hell one last time, the princess cleaned her hands of the chalk and went to bed.

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Rhysand had been up for the better part of the night. Tossing and turning mostly. No matter what he did he could not shut off his mind. Because every time he tried, he thought of her. The blond beauty with the turquoise eyes, who was a couple of doors away from him. Why couldn't he stop thinking of her? Why did she need to be so beautiful? Why did she have to be interested in his brother, of all people? That's what tore at him the most. Rhys felt like a lesser male just thinking of it but he could not help himself. The way she looked at Azriel...well it made Rhys almost hate him.

Just as he was processing the horrible feeling he had just named jealousy, a scream erupted down the hall. The High Lord was already out the door before he even knew what he was doing. That scream had been an unmistakable female, and he didn't need to be told whose voice it belonged to. In nothing but underclothes, Rhysand ripped Celaena's door wide open, almost taking the door off its hinges. Her room was dark, all the candles had gone out and her curtains were closed. Celaena was in another of Mor's...interesting set of lingerie and she was trashing in her bed. Across the black silk sheets, Celaena's golden hair stood out, as did her fair complexion. He would have thought she looked so peaceful if she wasn't screaming her lungs out. Rhysand was sure the entire house was awake now, if not the whole city.

Her tears had wet her sheets, her hands were fisted around them too. She kept mumbling 'no, no'. Rhys went to her, trying to calm her down. He had barely touched her when Celaena lashed out. She grabbed his wrist and jerked him towards the bed, jumping onto him, a dagger at his neck. It was safe to say that he was surprised. He was surprised for two reasons. One; because of Celaena's sheer strength. He had never before met a human that was able to overthrow him. Second was because Celaena was still sleeping. Rhys tenderly caressed her face, trying to calm down the sleeping girl for fear that she would slit his throat.

"Celaena," What had happened to her for her to be so guarded even when she slept? "Wake up Celaena, it's just a dream."

Her crying had stopped, but her hold on the dagger hadn't lessened.

"It's me, Rhys, wake up."

Celaena's eyes flew open. She looks at him with surprise and confusion and in that moment, all Rhys wants to do is hold her. Her gorgeous blue eyes stare at him as her tears ran down her cheeks. When she spoke her voice was hoarse and Rhys' heart broke a bit. "Rhys?"