Made of Fire and Shadows (ToG and ACoTaR Crossover)

Chapter 2

Aelin

I couldn't see anything, but I could feel the nip of cold, night air swirling around me. I tried to focus on something, anything, but it was pitch black. I felt cool grass between my fingers and located a dagger strapped to my belt. As the night retreated I spied what looked like a stone far of to my right, no... It wasn't just a stone.

Dread filled my stomach as I stared at the pillar of black wyrdstone and my eyes widened as a ghostly figure appeared in front of it. I tried to grab at my knife but all I could do was stare as the eerie shape came towards me. It was afew feet away when it materialised into a person. A small whimper escaped my lips as I looked into the eyes of Nehemia Ytger and realised I was dreaming.

Nehemia smiled and I finally realised what was happening. I jumped up and embraced her, this wasn't a stupid nightmare, this was a good dream.
I let go as I spied my dead friends face, that had a look of slight sadness on it.

"What's wrong?" I asked her.

"I have something to share with you, Elentiya," she replied. I looked at her expectantly and Nehemia began again.

"I have reason to believe that you think of yourself as dead, and in a way you are right." She stopped for a moment and a pained expression crossed her face, it was gone as soon as it had came.

"But, the gods have another destiny planned out. You must go to lands that you have never heard of. You will meet the right people when you get there, they will know what to do."

As Nehimia finished what I could only describe as a simplified prophecy, she began to disappear.

"Wait, where do I need to go, I'm stuck here," I called after her.

"You will know what to do when the time is right, goodbye Elentiya," Nehimia smiled and then she was gone.

I had hardly a moment to think over what just happened before the dream started to dissolve.

————

I awoke with a start and was surprised when my eyes took a split second to adjust. There was a small stream of light coming from way above my head.
I thought that I was imagining it until I held out my hand and a shadow passed right over her silent heart, which for the first time I realised wasn't beating.

As I hesitated my thoughts drifted back to what Nehemia had said.

The gods had given me a new destiny. That must be why I was stuck in a void that seemed to be half way between life and death.

I  smiled.

The gods must have a soft spot for me, letting me cheat death twice.

Then I realised, if this wasn't death then maybe I still had a chance to get back to Rowan. That was settled then, with a face full of determination I, Aelin Ashryver Whitethorn Galathynius, living heir to the throne of Terrasen, began swimming through the black void ready to be thrown into a new world.