Heart of Flame

《10》

Aelin

'Now Aelin I want my keys,'

Her knees barked in pain as Aelin was shoved to the ground at the foot of the throne. 'My keys Aelin, now,' Maeve said as she stood from her throne. Almost gliding across the polished floor towards Aelin.

But Aelin made no move to give Maeve the keys she did not possess, instead, Aelin raised her chained hands and snapped her wrists as wide as the chains would allow.

With a look of utter annoyance, Maeve snapped her fingers and a young fae male stepped forward, holding a small key. 'Unlock the chains,' she commanded, annoyance dripping from her words and hatred boiling in her eyes.

The fae stood in front of Aelin and grabbed her chained wrists and one after the other unlocked them. The clatter of the chains still echoed around the hall when he melded back into the crowd. Maeve only looked on with barely concealed impatience.

Feyre

I watched as Aelin's chains were removed, and her raw wrists were exposed, as Maeve glided towards her with a predatory smoothness. I still could not understand why we were in this realm, what Hybern could possibly gain from us being here. What would torturing this young fae woman achieve? I was still pondering the many questions I had when Aelin reached for the pocket in the side of her blood soaked trousers, to retrieve the 'keys' that Maeve, it appeared, so desperately wanted.

But Aelin did not pull her hand from her pocket and produce the keys, instead she began to shake, then she began to laugh. At first, it was quiet, barely audible. But it grew in volume and as it grew her laughter became more hysterical.

'Did you really think that I would give you the keys?' Aelin said tears streaming down her face, the face of a mad woman. 'The keys that can destroy the world, the people I love?'

Maeve's face was utterly white, with rage or with hatred, perhaps both, I had no idea but in that moment I wished I could be anywhere else, so long as it was not in that hall.

Before anyone could react Maeve flung out her magic, it was rotten and foul, undiluted pure evil and hate. And it was focus solely on Aelin, who faced it without a flicker of fear. But before it could touch her and before I could consider what I was doing, I threw my own shadows and light towards it, towards Aelin. 

Sorry for taking so long to update, I hope you enjoyed the chapter :)