Throne of Glass & A Court of Thorns and Roses: Two Worlds Collide

Chapter 10-Amren

I stayed in my own quarters for a while after my trip to the world that Aelin and Rowan inhabited. Going through so many portals after decades of going through none had taken its toll on not only my body, but my mind. My power was also weaker and less terrifying than it usually was, which frightened me a little.

I hadn't spoken to any of the other Night Court members since the night I got Feyre back; I assumed they were still resentful of my actions but it didn't bother me in the slightest. They'd get over it soon enough.

For some reason, Cassian slipped into my mind. I wondered how he was and if he would survive-he was in very bad shape. One of the healers told me that Illyrian wings were much harder to heal than any other part of the body, and that they hold a large amount of blood. She had said that if he did survive, he wouldn't be the same as he'd always been.

I was so wrapped up in my own thoughts that I didn't hear the man come through the window. It was when he stepped on a squeaky floorboard that I turned and faced him, a snarl on my face.

I recognized the man as one of the king's pets, with his auburn hair and fair skin. His demeanor reminded me of a child, though I had no doubt that he was lethal. I noticed the dagger in his right hand and reached for my power. I felt it rising up inside me, that black and unrelenting darkness, but then it sputtered and dissipated. I had nothing. I couldn't defend myself.

The man lurched at me with the dagger aimed at my face but I dodged his blow just in time. Even though I'd never had previous fight training, I put my fists close to my face like I'd seen so many times. He turned to me with a look of pure hatred in his eyes and I knew there was no getting out of this. I turned to grab one of my lamps to swing at him but before I could even touch the cold surface, I felt something hard slam into the back of my head.

My thoughts fled with my consciousness and it wasn't long before I'd completely blacked out.