A Love From A Different World

Chapter 53

Aelin ignored Rhysand as she spoke to the Bone Carver. Ignored the confusion and perhaps betrayal illustrated on his face that he was no doubt expressing. She had no time for it. Her research on magic had proved to be long and unpromising, with her sole hope of ever returning home by stealing both halves of the Book of Breathings.

"Yes," Though it looked like her lover, the sound that came out of the creature's mouth was nothing like his. It was sinister and old and cruel. It looked like Sam, yes, but it was not him.

She tried to remember that as she answered. "By anyone?"

The look in its eyes change as it tilted its head. "What are you planning?"

"I'll answer when you do,"

It chuckled and rattled her bones. Aelin despised the Bone Carver, despised and resented him for taking on this torturous form, for almost succeeding in tricking her, in believing taht her lover was not dead. "Yes, by anyone, with the right tools..."

The princess stayed quiet as she processed the information, as she schemed and planned. As she did so, Alien glanced at Rhysand. He looked shaken and worried, the most emotion he had ever shown her. The High lord must be racking his brain trying to understand who she was and what she was doing and she could not tell him anything.

And this was serious, she knew. And a risk to ask such dangerous questions while he was present. But she did not have a choice. When else would she get an opportunity like this? When else would she ever be able to get information on how to go home? All Aelin hoped was by the time Rhysand decided what to do with her, she would be long gone.

With that thought, Aelin turned away from Rhysand and asked, "What tools?"

The Bone Carver simply stared at her.

Unable to keep looking at a face she had loved so, Aelin turned her eyes elsewhere, impatiently awaiting a response. "Tell me a secret that no one else knows and I'll answer your question,"

True to herself, Aelin gave him an unimpressed look. "My instructor is very handsome. He's a handsome bastard. But I'll never tell Rowan that, because he's a bastard."

The Bone Carver seemed to enjoy what she had said and shook its head gently. "I want something else, a juicy truth."

"I answered your question," The assassin retorted, a hint of annoyance gleaming through her shield.

The creature turned towards Rhysand briefly, a whisper of a smile on its face. "I think she has just become my favorite now,"

The High Lord said nothing, but his face, gods, his face said so much. It said that he was unhappy with her questions, with the reveal of what her motives might be. Of course, he did not know what they were, but he had enough of an idea if she was asking about portals. And Rhysand was not pleased. Aelin wasn't sure where that put her. Did not know how much influence she had over him and Azriel for them to keep their claws off of her. That might be out the window now that she was potentially a threat. But Aelin could not worry about that right now.

"The Cauldron, that's what you would need to open a portal."

And with that, all of her hope was extinct. Because she had read about the Cauldron, knew that it was the most powerful tool in this world, knew that it is what created Prythian. And knew that it was all but lost.

Aelin had asked in hopes that she would not need the Book of Breathings, but now she could access neither. There was no hope of somehow managing to steal both halves of the book, much less find a magical object that had been lost for millennia.

Screwed, she was completely and utterly screwed. And if that was not bad enough, Rhysand was looking at her with such complexion. He looked betrayed and broken. The very person who was giving her shelter was looking at her like she was the enemy. And perhaps she was. Perhaps she was indeed the villain because she was using him, planning on stealing from him to get home.

"Thank you for the information," She said quietly, gently stepping aside, being sure not to make eye contact with Rhysand.