Escape from the Darkness

Part 7

Italics are direct excerpts from Empire of Storms or Kingdom of Ash

Underlines are Aelin's thoughts from the memories

Cassian's POV -

I was kicked out of her mind, and apparently I wasn't the only one, as everyone met Rhys' gaze in question. But he was just looking at Aelin, wide-eyed. Then everyone was.

"I kicked you all out." she said, which made everyone confused. How did she kick out Rhys, the strongest High Lord, out of her mind.

"If you think what you've seen so far is bad, I don't suggest continuing. And I'm being serious." She looked serious, but she also looked pained, like even she didn't think she could relive whatever came next.

"You've done some pretty amazing things, you know." Rhys commented.

He got a small smile in return. "I tried." She doesn't sound very convinced at all. In fact she seems like still doesn't think any of it was enough, which maybe it wasn't for who she is trying to fight but come on, I mean, she raised armies by herself and called in hundreds of life-debts. I don't even have that many life-debts and I'm hundreds of years old!

"What comes next is how I got captured by Maeve, and my...torture. It isn't just physical torture or even mental torture." That got a lot of confused faces. "You'll see what I mean if you choose to continue, but you'll also see the alternate realities I was talking about. I don't think I can handle it to relive it, so if you could keep me from seeing it, that would be greatly appreciated." She directed that last part to Rhys. Through all Aelin has been through and survived, and doesn't think she can handle to relive the past 6 months. That sent a chill down my spine.

Rhys looked to everyone to see it anyone wanted to opt out, no one did, not even Fenrys. I think we were all too nervous to back out, and instead opted to see fully what happened to Aelin. Before diving back in, Aelin asked another question.

"Will you be able to hear what I was thinking at the time?" Rhys nodded in affirmation.

"Hm, alright. Again, I don't want any of your pity." Everyone nodded and turned back to Rhys. He projected Aelin's memories into out minds.

It left off where we were kicked out, Aelin seeing Maeve and kneeling before her was a sentry holding a blade to Elide's throat.

Aelin forced a half smile to her smile, shoved down her raw, bleeding heart into a deep box inside her chest.Not as impressive as Doranelle, if you ask me, but at least a swamp really reflected your true nature, you know? It'll be a wonderful new home for you. Definitely worth the cost of coming all this way to conquer it." I could hear her heart thundering in her ears as she took in the small party of armored Fae surrounding them and the massive ship waiting in the bay - all Maeve's. Lorcan came to Aelin's side, blade drawn, as if they were somehow allies in this.

Maeve taunted them all. "The girl who Lorcan Salvaterre summoned me to save." So Lorcan tipped off Maeve to where Aelin was all for Elide? That doesn't make sense? But then her thoughts explained it: when Ansel's fleet arrived he thought it was an enemy and let out a surge of power to tell Maeve where they were, in hope of saving Elide.

Elide's eyes were wide with rage directed at Lorcan as she put the pieced together

Maeve mused, again taunting them asking for her ring and her keys. And of course, Lorcan told Maeve that Aelin had them both, probably knows where the third is. The blade tightened around Elide's throat and Aelin lost her patience.

"Let her go, and let's settle this the fun way." she said, letting a lick of fire at the fingertips. But I'm drained, I don't have enough power left to fight Maeve, let alone come out on top, I know that. Aelin stepped forwards and dropped the keys into Manon's pocket, so subtly no one else caught it.