Heart of Flame

《5》

Aelin

Aelin braced for the pain, she would not scream, she wouldn't give them the satisfaction.

Rough hands pulled the jacket from her shoulders, bearing her chest. The brine filled sea air kissed her skin as two fae males grabbed her arms, spreading them wide, bracing them with their strong hands.

Some primal ancient instinct told her the exact moment that the whip would connect with her exposed back. But she would never get used to that pain, as it ripped through her flesh. Once, twice, three times.

'No words, Aelin?' The queen asked, Aelin knew exactly what words she meant, so she only bared her teeth, elongated canines exposed, in a feral snarl.

Feyre

I watched in horror as the woman was hauled to her feet, the jacket ripped from her shoulders and a male, with a feral beauty, Cairn, was his name, raise a braided leather whip to her back.

A sickening thwack. Again and again. Yet the woman, Aelin, I heard her called, made no sound. It went on for what felt like a lifetime. Until an ear piercing scream cut through the silence. Maeve smiled, so did Cairn. I felt Tamlin tense beside me. I was going to be sick. Cairn had ribboned Aelins' back for the second time in one day. I wanted to yell for it to stop, but my voice would not work, so I turned pleading eyes towards Tamlin. His face was contorted with disgust at what was before him- of all that I knew Tamlin to be, a basted and a monster, I knew he wasn't a sadist. But he looked towards me, and must have read what was in my eyes because he cleared his throat and raise his voice, 'Enough!' He said the command of a high lord.

'Yes?' Maeve asked, 'is something bothering you?'

'You're killing her,' Tamlin answered, 'she is too weak,' I glanced from Maeve to Aelin, limp in the arms of the two males, but still, miraculously, conscious.

'Ah, you are right, there is no use you dying before we can begin our fun, is there Aelin?' Maeve looked towards the golden haired woman, and I dreaded what Maeve meant by fun.

Aelin

Aelin was in agony. Her back felt like it was aflame, her lungs could not pull in enough air. But she managed to lift her head just high enough to look the stranger in the eyes. He had saved her the shame of begging- surely what Maeve wanted of her- for the whipping to stop, to admit what she was too weak.

Exhaustion pulled at her every muscle, agony coated her back like the licks of a too hot flame. And her whole body was cold, frozen to the core. Probably due to her depleted magic. Aelin was barely conscious when she heard Maeve speak. Her voice sounded far away and small.

'Put the mask on her,' Maeve said, Aelin didn't fight the hands that gripped her face, and fasten the mask over her mouth and nose, burning where it touched her skin. She didn't fight as she was half dragged to the coffin and shoved inside.

'We'll see you in three days' Maeve knelt over her, her fingers stroking Aelin's matted hair, ' perhaps by then you will have reconsidered bowing to me.'

It was only as they were sealing the coffin shut did Aelin register the words spoken to her. Three days, they would see her in three days. But oblivion pulled at her, claiming her so fast that she did not have even the slightest chance to feel the panic that was looming over her.

Feyre

I watched as Aelin was shoved into the iron coffin, why iron? A small part of me asked, but I pushed the thought away. But I could not stand the thought if someone being locked in a box, for any amount of time. So I reached for Aelins mind. Slipping through her shields, barely embers of flame, I told her to sleep, sleep for a long time, pulling what I hoped were pleasant memories to the front of her mind.

I raised my head needing to feel the breeze on my face and found Maeve smiling at me. And I knew in the instant that somehow the queen had known or felt when I had slipped into Aelin's mind. And now I was the focus of that terrible gaze