A Court of Fire and Ash

Aelin

The warrior looked at me with fury in his eyes.
I knew that I could win.
I just had to let him think that I couldn't.

It shouldn't be possible for a human to beat a Fae.
At least not in his world.
But I was going to show him what a human could do.

Too bad I couldn't show him my Fae form but I wouldn't give up my secret so easily.

I knew that he was probably going to use his magic but I had to accept the disadvantage I had when it came to this.

As I walked into the room and saw all these swords I missed my own swords.
Without the known weight of Goldryn and Damaris my hips felt empty.
I wondered what they had done to them.
What they had done to all of my weapons.

I could feel their eyes on my as I grabbed a beautiful sword that was heavy, but I could tell that it could do the most damage.

I had to admit that Cassians sword was a good choice either but I wouldn't let myself get distracted by that fact.

„You sure you want to do this? I don't want to remind you again that I am-”
„The greatest warrior of Prythian, I know I heard it the first hundred times you've said it. It's time to prove that claim.”

He growled and I knew that it was time to start the fight.
Everyone, the whole court, was watching as I walked over to the ring.
„You want to come or do you just want to stare?”
He didn't answer me but he came closer.

I couldn't say why but this gave me a feeling of being back at the vaults.
This place full of hate and death so much hate that I had to burn them down.

Rhysand cleared his throat but my attention was fully on Cassian.
„Well Cassian, Celaena let the fight begin.”

Cassian didn't wait for me to make my first move.
He leaped at me bringing his sword down to my stomach.
I could easily fight him off and started my own attack.
There was no point in letting him attack, trying to get him exhausted that would take way too long.

The next minute we just exchanged various hits each of us being able to block them over and over again.

When he placed his next hit I dodged under the sword, quickly grabbing my sword with my left hand.
Thanks to Arobynn my left hand was as strong as my right hand.

He wasn't prepared for me attacking from the other side and I could land my first strike.
Blood leaped from the cut in his right arm.

But I knew I couldn't let that small success slow me down.
The wound would heal in less than two minutes so I had to use the chance it gave me to weaken him more easily.

He had changed his hands giving his right arm a chance to rest.
But I could tell that his left hand wasn't as strong as mine.
I attacked with some brutal strikes but he didn't let my sword come too close to his body.

I had to admit that he was good. This wouldn't be an easy fight. So I had to be even more precise. He was stronger than me but I was quicker.

I attacked fast and deadly-like a snake.
But Cassian wouldn't let me win. When I attacked now I tried to leave marks on his skin. And after a few minutes both of us were covered with little scratches.

Only that his scratches had already healed. Mine had stayed and blood was dripping on the floor.
I had experienced worse.
I wouldn't let a bit of blood stop me.

I dodged the sword targeting my throat as jumped back just to untangle the dagger I had attached at my sides. Then I aimed for his neck slicing his skin.

But he was fast.
He feinted left and I didn't see his leg trying to land on my stomach.
The impact of his kick tossed me against the wall that surrounded the ring but I held on to my weapons.

Pain filled my head as I hit the wall and fell to the ground.
I didn't give him a chance to use my pain so I stayed on the ground and as he stood over me I aimed for his unprotected stomach.

But my hand just stopped in the air surrounded by red light.
Of course he wouldn't let me win this battle without using magic.

He used his magic to pin me down and no matter what I tried it didn't give in.
The the magic was gone but suddenly he was over me pinning me down so I couldn't get up.

„Give up. I won.”
He hadn't.
His body pinning mine to the ground ment nothing.
Cassian didn't know it but I was trained to escape impossible holdings.

I could feel his surprise as I lifted my elbows straightening his arms. Then I pushed his hands off of me and moved my hips pushing him to the ground.

He was on the ground trying to get up but he was too slow.
I leaped at him but suddenly red arrows filled the air.
I laughed.
He was nothing in comparison to Rowan and his daggers made of ice.

I dodged them easily as he got up.
Another wave of arrows aimed towards me.
As I dodged them again I didn't pay attention to two arrows coming from the back.

One landed in my cave the other one sliced my back open.
I groaned with pain as my blood flood down my leg and dripped on the floor.
My back was worse than my leg but I could care about that after I had beaten Cassian.

This time I didn't let him get prepared for using his magic.
I swung my leg hitting his stomach.
This was when my gaze fell on his hand.
And a weird red stone on it.
The source of his magic.

As he swung his sword at me I jumped back throwing my dagger at his stone.
It landed right in the center of it.

Without hesitation I leaped forward kicking his legs from under his body.
He fell to the ground and this time I was on top of him pointing my sword at his throat.
„I win.”

Then I got up, leaving the ring.
With each step the pain in my leg and my back got worse.
„If any of you has the ability to heal somebody it would be nice if you could heal my leg. Oh and my back.”

The court just started at me their gazes filled with complete shock.
Then Feyre moved forward.
„I can heal you. You'll just have to take your shirt off.”