High School Diaries (A Throne of Glass Fanfiction)

Chapter 42

I'm back guys! Btw, the book hit 22k views! Thank you all so much for this ❤️

It was when Lysandra ran to the bathroom, sounds of retching echoing till the living room, that Aelin realized that she had frozen, back of her throat burning.

The video playing on the screen had ended a while ago but neither she nor Aedion had gotten up, the silence only broken when Lys got up. Her ears were ringing, every fibre of her body numb, yet filled with a thrum of energy she didn't have a source to release against.

This was not what she had expected when Rowan had come up to her after taking Lorcan to the hospital. She had noted the apprehension and hesitance in his pine green eyes when he gave her the CD, but she had blamed it all on his worry for Lorcan, who had a concussion. Hospital was still keeping him there to check if his head injury was mild or severe as Lorcan kept passing in and out of consciousness. She had given Rowan a CD herself, but she hadn't managed to spit out any words. But Rowan understood, he always did. Kaltain gone, Elide gone. Aelin had just started to build herself, her life all over again after Sam and prison, when their past came to bite them back in the ass.

"Aelin?" She felt a warm hand clamp on her shoulder when she realized that she had started to shake. With fury, helplessness, despair and every emotion that had numbed while watching her Sam, tied to the table being skinned alive. Broken, physically and mentally. Every turmoil she was feeling inside her gut came out through her eyes and for the first time in a very, very long time, Aelin let herself cry.

She was tugged in a warm embrace, her cousin murmuring some comforting words but she was too far gone to hear. Too far gone to feel the wetness on her scalp and realize that Aedion was also crying. Too far gone to realize that Lysandra had joined them. Too far gone to see Evangeline was hugging them all, crying loudly too. But not that far to realize that Elide was missing.

"My name is-" Aelin hiccuped, trying to get those words out through her sniffles, the words that Sam had left with her, her biggest inheritance from him. But no, the words failed to came out of her mouth and she lost hope when-

"My name is Lysandra Ennar and I will not be afraid." Lysandra whispered, her voice scratchy from all the vomiting but determination shone in her eyes as they met hers.

"My name is Evangeline and I will not be afraid." The little girl squeaked out, voice unwavering as she said the words out loud, following Lys but not understanding the importance of her words.

"My name is Aedion Ashryver and I will not be afraid." Aedion looked down at her, the face twin to hers, strong and unyielding. Aelin looked at all their faces, remnants of hope igniting the dying embers of hope inside her. She took a deep, deep breath, one that warmed and cooled her insides at the same time.

"My name is Aelin Ashryver Galathynius and-" she sat up straight, "-I will not be afraid."

She just hoped Rowan was dealing better than her.

***

Fenrys was being held back by Gavriel, while he was continuously screaming, "I will kill him!"

Rowan looked at him, eyes focused yet unfocused on the male. How easily was Fenrys shouting on top of his voice about killing his own brother, his own kin? Was it that easy for Connall to stab him in the back and kill Rowan's girlfriend?

"Shut up, Fenrys. It's a hospital, keep your voice down!" Gavriel scrunched his eyebrows, struggling with Fenrys trying to escape from his arms. They were in an empty ward, with a laptop Fenrys had borrowed from one of the female interns. His fireheart had given him a CD in return when he had given her the CD containing Sam's brutual murder. He was confused all night about whether to tell her, but when she approached him, all his doubts vanished. She did deserve to know the truth, no matter how wrecking.

"He betrayed one of his own, that bastard-" Fenrys continued to hurl swears at his brother who was not there when Gavriel said something that got his brain whirring.

"You know Connall wouldn't do anything without Maeve's orders."

Rowan thought about it. Lyria had died sometime after the deal with Rolfe. Was this Maeve's revenge? Or she'd planned it anyway, because Rowan had become her new favorite next to Lorcan for any task she wanted after that. Lyria's death had made Rowan an emotionless soldier, just what Maeve had wanted him to be, a pawn that just followed her orders.

"It's all because of Maeve and Arobynn." Rowan said, his voice foreign to his own ears. Lyria. Sam. Elide. Kaltain. Headmaster. Vernon and Perrington drama. There were two chess players playing all of them all this time, not caring about who they sacrificed, as long as they won the game.

"Fuck Maeve and Arobynn." Gavriel mumbled, arms crossed as Fenrys was not fighting anymore, hearing Rowan speak up.

"More like them fucking each other. Literally and figuratively," Fenrys scoffed.

"So we have until morning till they come back."

"Whatever you are thinking Rowan, know that there are 2 lives at stake. Even without Maeve and Arobynn, both Perrington and Vernon have personal shit against Elide and Kaltain." Gavriel said, lips pursued.

"What are you thinking?" Fenrys said, curiosity and excitement bare on his face.

"Something." Rowan whispered, eyes landing on the steel tray beside the hospital bed.

Rowan grabbed a surgical scissor and left the room.

***

"You cut your hair."

Rowan heard a voice shake him as he was sitting next to Lorcan's bed, slipping in and out of consciousness. Fenrys and Gavriel left after the nurse told them that so many people could not wait.

He opened his eyes, squinting through the drowsiness taking over him, his back stiff sitting on the small seat next to Lorcan. It was the person he needed the most right now.

Fireheart.

Buzzard.

Her eyes were rimmed red, clothes haphazard as she had just thrown something on and decided to come here. It warmed his heart how Aelin allowed herself to be vulnerable in front of him, when normally, no matter what, she would have dressed to impress.

"Needed a change." She gave him a sad smile in return of his dry chuckle. He had cut his hair, close cropped, in the hospital's bathroom itself. Aelin didn't reply, just standing there, glancing at the sleeping figure of Lorcan once before eyes landed on him again.

He didn't say anything, just opening his arms with the blanket wrapped around him. Aelin didn't miss a beat as she slipped between his arms, hugging him, warming her and him. The storms raging inside both of them could wait a day. For making their minds work the best, they needed their hearts to rest.

He listened to her heart beating against his, the frantic lub-dub relaxing as he slowly caressed her hair and kissed her forehead. She returned the kiss, a soft press of lips against the hollow of his throat, assuring him, that she was here. And here, with her in his arms, despite what happened, he felt his heart clench, the three words on his mind bubbling to come out of his mouth. He gulped and said instead, "To whatever end, Aelin."

Aelin pulled back, turquoise eyes looking at him with so much emotion, like he was precious to her.

"To whatever end, Rowan."

***

AUTHOR'S NOTE

I know it's a really short chapter,and not a very good one but I need to kinda warm up to get back into the writing mode. I have a question- did you guys predicted/ how surprised you were with Elide and Kaltain being kept in the clock tower at Adarlan High?

I hope you all are doing great and following all the necessary precautions against COVID- 19.

Stay safe. 

💜