Fireheart: A "Throne of Glass" Fanfiction

Chapter 12

Aelin stood on the roof across from the Keep. She wouldn't waste time on stealth. They knew she was coming.

Still, she had waited for a coastal storm to reach Rifthold. In the summer, she didn't have to wait long.

She ran up to the front gate, acting like a scared member.

"I heard what happened in Orynth! I need to get inside, please!" She said.

"You're too late. Leave or die."

"With the one hunting us, those are the same thing." She said. But, they let her get too close. In an instant, she had Shadowsbane slicing their heads off. She sent a blast of heat that melted the lock instantly and kicked the gate open.

The metal shrieked. The Keep doors opened and five assassins stepped out. The doors shut.

"You're already dead." Aelin said, not stopping. They charged as one, and Aelin ripped them apart. The first one took her sword in the gut after she deflected his blade. She brought the sword in a wide arc that cut another's head off and deflected a strike. She dodged a few of their swings, then put a little bit of power into Shadowsbane. The golden blade lit, and flames danced across the blade, turning the rain into steam. The blade ran on its own flame.

The last three hesitated.

"Amateurs." She whispered, twirling her blade with a wicked grin. "'High standards' my ass." She feinted right, then cut the left's stomach open, decapitating her in the same fluid motion. She deflected their blades and breathed fire to the right. The center attacked, and she sidestepped. She grabbed her assailant's sword arm and cut it off from the elbow, Shadowsbane cutting through bone like a hot knife through butter. He screamed in pain and dropped to his knees.

The right was still patting his flaming cloack, screaming, when Aelin stabbed him through his open mouth. She stood over the last, clutching his stump arm. He looked up at her.

"Please, we didn't know! He took the job without telling us! Please, mercy!" He said.

"You should keep your soldiers in line." Aelin slit his throat with her knife. She placed a hand on the locked door handle. She poured heat into it, and the gold melted quickly.

"Gold is lovely, but a poor security measure." Aelin said to herself. Once the lock melted, she lazily pushed the door open. The hinges creaked, and she was met by a dozen assassins. "Your assassin stepped out of line. For that, I sentence you all to death. Come and get it." Aelin challenged. They attacked.

In two minutes, Aelin stood over a dozen dead corpses. Well, eleven corpses and one on the brink of death. She used her foot to put him on his back.

"Allow me to take the pain away." Aelin put a hand on his chest.

"Th- thank you, Your Majesty." Aelin poured heat in. It must have felt good.

At first.

She built up the heat.

"I- is it supposed to be hot?"

"Healing magic, no. Fire magic, yes." Aelin said. The man screamed as the blood in his heart boiled.

When she took her hand away, the man was dead, and a brand in the shape of her hand was printed over his heart.

Aelin locked the Keep door with a few melted swords. Arobynn was a paranoid bastard, and made sure it was the only entrance.

Or exit.

Except for Arobynn's room window, of course, but Aelin welded that shut a day ago.

Aelin walked up the stairs, putting as much flair and drama into it. She couldn't think of a reason why, given that the only witnesses would be dead in a moment. Guilty pleasures, she supposed.