The Ends of the Earth

Chapter 23

Rowan had not remembered the last time he had seen the sun.

The full body shackles that bonded him and another male to an iron post rubbed his golden skin raw.

He hadn't known how long it had been in this cell.

She had made it so every day, it became harder to breathe, harder to think. Uncertain of the next day.

Rowan tried waking up the male next to him. But he had been unconscious for days.

His pine green eyes trailed up and down his exquisite wings.

His eyebrows scrunched while looking at him.

Different, different. Nothing he'd seen before.

Rowan struggled against the shackles again, but to no avail. With a heavy sigh he looked up at the stone ceiling.

He heard whispers coming down from the hall, something about a High Lord of the Night Court. But as much as he scrounged his memories of diplomatic meetings with Aelin, he could remember nothing of the sort.

Aelin. His heart twisted until it physically hurt more than the shackles.

But the agony was short lived. And replaced with anger as Maeve strutted into the cell.

Rowan slowly brought his eyes to her, "Is she safe?"

Maeve gave a little smile before motioning someone in with her finger.

Rowan let out a breathe as a red haired, lady walked in.

Maeve looked at the winged male besides him, "It's time they meet. Oh but first, Rowan, meet Amarantha."

Amarantha, Amarantha, Amarantha... Rowan repeated to himself.

Maeve removed the gag from Rowan's mouth.

With a voice raspy from misuse he looked her in the eyes, ignoring the woman besides her, "This is a battle you've lost before."

Maeve chuckled, "Well now there's two of us."

Rowan wondered how powerful Amarantha really was.

But he knew as soon as he saw her look at the the winged male. And he woke up.

Mind control. He needed to find Aelin.

But before his thoughts ventured further, Amarantha said with a voice sweet but deadly, "Hello, Rhysand."

Rhysand groaned.

Maeve leaned against the wall, "King Rowan Whitethorn Galathynius, meet Rhysand, High Lord of the Night Court."

Rhysand seemed to don the same look on Rowan's face.

Confusion.

Rowan's jaw locked as he looked back at the Valg Queen, "Where are we?"

"Rowan," She kneeled down to caress his face, "Welcome to Prythian."

And Rowan knew this was no longer the world he had spent 300 years on.

No, this was something else.

He turned his head and locked eyes with Rhysand, who seemed to have as much as pain in his eyes as he suspected was in his own.

Not the enemy, he decided.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Rhysand recognized this place.

Through his throbbing headache, he recalled this cell being...Feyre's.

His heart seemed to catch fire.

"Hello, Rhysand."

The fire had stopped. Now, it was ice cold.

He looked up to see the woman who still made appearances in his nightmares and Feyre's.

His urge to clench his fists was stopped as he looked over to a white haired male with tattoos running up the side of his face.

If Rhysand were mortal, he'd be afraid.

He thought of Cassian, who would love to spar with this male.

He came back to his senses as he heard the male's name, "King Rowan Whitethorn Galathynius of Terrasen meet Rhysand, High Lord of the Night Court."

Terrasen. No, that doesn't ex-

"Where are we?" Rowan asked.

Prythian, thought Rhysand as he looked at the ground where he made the bargain with his wife.

Rhysand stopped hearing for a bit as he thought of his years Under the Mountain, never again, he thought to himself.

He made eye contact with Rowan again, his eyes full of emotions that made Rhysand wish he had his powers.

Another world, he's from another world. Rhysand thought.

He thought of the female that day when he was standing outside with Feyre to feel the breeze, the golden haired female falling between worlds, and decided-

He would help Rowan.

And by the look in the King's eyes, Rhysand could tell he thought the same.