After Empire of Storms

Chapter 26

The witch made no movements save standing up and placing a hand on the dark hide of her mount. The beast only shook and nudged her back with a snarl towards the approaching group. 

Aelin's answering grin wasn't human. 

The only sound was wind, the fae's footsteps near-silent on the worn stone. Aedion pushed his way past Lysandra as they neared the stone wall encircling the castle. The shifter only snarled and flicked Aedion's backside with her snowy tail, keeping pace. 

A pointed cough from Fenrys had the snow leopard turning and baring her teeth with a slight hiss, to which Fenrys bared his own canines in a smile. Aelin stormed by, Aedion and Rowan on her heels, the latter with a warning look at Fenrys. He only grinned at his former commander, offering a mocking salute before slipping away. 

The witch only looked to Aelin as she lowered her head a fraction, "Queen of fire." 

Aelin allowed no surprise to show as the witch spoke. "Blackbeak." 

The wyvern standing at her side shook, its wings and brushing the scaly hide as it stayed behind when the golden-haired witch stepped forward. Her white skin rivaled Manon's in paleness, though Aelin could see the light spattering of freckles across the woman's--witch's--high cheekbones. A leather band donned her brow. 

Fenrys whistled as they drew closer. "If this is what the witches look like--" 

Rowan silenced the male with a look. "Do not finish that sentence." Fenrys grinned, only looking more inclined to speak before Aelin interrupted. 

"You know any one of us could kill you and think absolutely nothing of it." The witch only stared, her cold gaze revealing nothing. Her wyvern snarled at the words, Lysandra loosing a warning growl before stepping forward, each of those paws shifting until a smaller Abraxos stood before the monster nearly twice her size. 

This time the witch did move, wrists jerking with a quick snap. Her iron nails glinted in the growing sun as Aelin halted, her court fanning out to the sides of Lysandra, who remained in wyvern form as the witch wisely took a step back. 

"So Manon did make it out. That witch they found looked nothing like her." The brown-haired beauty scoffed. " I didn't believe her matron for a second." Though the words were light, anger shone behind that gaze, shadows of memories glazing her dark eyes. 

Aelin caught the words and inched forward, placing a hand on Lysandra's flank. Manon's matron. Not hers. "Who do you answer to, witch?" 

The silence between them grew taught as Aelin watched the witch weigh her options. Finally, she stepped away from her mount as the corners of her mouth tilted upwards slightly. "Not Erawan, if that is what you assumed." 

Aelin didn't loose one breath--didn't let that burning crown on her head lose one ember as she strode forward, Rowan tensing as the two woman neared each other. 

"I serve the three-headed goddess." The witch matched Aelin's steps until they were several hairsbreadths apart. "And I am a Blueblood, not a Blackbeak." A paper-thin wall of flame separated the deadly women, yet neither seemed inclined to stop approaching. 

Fenrys snorted. "Same difference. You have the...parts." The male had the good sense to look slightly unnerved as Aelin and the witch turned on him, both offering incredulous looks at the male. Even Lysandra turned, her massive head clearly berating the words. 

Loud footsteps followed by soft cursing saved Fenrys from the stares as the group turned to see Elide and Lorcan appear just beyond the gates. Lorcan trailed behind Elide, who strode out of the gates, head held high as she looked at the witch--not in fear, but in warning.