Hand of Fire

Aelin & Tamlin

Yes, this was published in my book, A Court of Pain & Feels, before it was taken down. Yes, this one shot is mine. No, it should not appear on any other app besides Wattpad. No, I am not stealing anything. These are Sarah's characters! They are not my own. Full rights to Sarah!!

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She couldn't take it anymore. Staying cooped up in this manor, painted & decorated like a pretty porcelain doll. Restricted to the grounds with guards watching her every action, every step; she couldn't take it anymore. Aelin was done.

She wasn't gentle in tearing the green wispy dress from her body before sliding into her skin-tight suit of sleek shadow & black leather. Simply luck & muscle memory kept her from unsheathing one of the deadly blades hidden in the endless pockets of material. She didn't flinch as she flung the door open, slamming it so hard the walls & their delicate hanging portraits trembled.

No, & Aelin didn't even acknowledge Tamlin or Lucien as she strode past the open study, her hips moving in time with her swaggered steps. Being so absorbed in the endless piles of paperwork, Tamlin wouldn't have even known she left if not for Lucien prodding his arm to note her presence.

"And where do you think you're going?" Tamlin's voice called from the study. Aelin scowled, preparing herself for, yet another, long argument that would most definitely end in part of the manor erupting into flames. Reaching for that familiar veil inside herself, Aelin didn't let her body wince against the pain as she felt her entire being shift into her familiar Fae form.

In between flashes of light, she didn't stop, didn't even bother to turn her head towards the study's direction to say, "Out!"

She wouldn't have picked up the scraping of wood against marble without her sharper hearing, but she continued nonetheless. "Like hell you are," Tamlin hissed, & he was before her. Either by winnowing or just unnatural speed, it didn't matter.

Tamlin believed she wouldn't leave this house. That she would simply roll over instead of grappling with the conflict that she was clearly bloodthirsty for.

And although Tam had a head on her in height, she was more than capable of holding her own. Aelin's gaze flicked up to his, her eyes glinting, unyielding. A challenge, then. Tamlin growled as she tried to maneuver around him. "It's not safe," he said lowly, his teeth gritting.

Aelin snarled, the sound more animal than anything as she shoved at his chest. Her eyes narrowed. "Bullshit." She first noted his feet moving into a defensive stance as her steps drew her closer, then the claws that slid out from his knuckles. Looking past him she could see the giant, looking glass doors, & from that, the gardens, the forests. Freedom.

Laughing darkly, Aelin met his gaze once again, her emotions raging with intensity within their turquoise depths. Tamlin flinched, he flinched as she swept herself into a lethal calm, ridding her mind of all feeling until all she knew was this.

Anyone who tried to stop her from leaving would find themselves very quickly burned to ash. No exceptions for an arrogant Spring incarnate that smelled like flowers.

Aelin could feel Lucien approaching from behind, but it didn't deter her in the least. Shoulders loose, muscles relaxed & her chin held high, she let blue flames lick her palm in a loving caress. It wouldn't burn her or her leather suit, but it could jump to the all-too territorial male in front of her with half a thought.

Tamlin warily eyed the fire emanating from Aelin, & recoiled slightly. But it was enough. "If you want someone with a pretty face blindly living to serve you with undying obedience, you should marry a doll. I am not one." She lifted her hand to graze his cheek, the flames wildly dancing in his emerald glare. Tamlin's mouth pulled back to reveal his cruel canines, baring them as the fire drew closer. She pouted, her flames smoldering before extinguishing completely as she patted his skin lightly. So faint, it could have been mistaken for a slight breeze.