A Court in Flames

Chapter 6

Fleetfoot's POV

I waited at the door again. All-day. All night. Again and again. I really like the Lysandra-person and the Rowan-person. But they were both gone now. Maybe they're going to go bring my Aelin back home.

But for now, I was stuck with the Fenrys-person. He annoyed me sometimes.

I remembered how my Aelin wanted me to get the Aedion-person. He annoyed me sometimes and I don't think he likes me much. But I had needed to save my Aelin. 

The only other time my Aelin had left me this long was ten years ago. Oh. I missed my Aelin so, so, so much.

There was this other dog who'd hang out with me sometimes. He didn't understand why I liked my Aelin so much no matter how many times I tried to explain it.

I remember when my Aelin was called something else and she had a friend called Nehemia. She was my Nehemia until she vanished and never came back. My Aelin had said she was dead. I didn't know what that meant.

Not until years later. It meant I would never see her again. I really hoped my Aelin wasn't dead because I really wanted to see her again. And even if Lysandra-person was gone she would come back once in a while so I knew she wasn't dead.

And Rowan-person. I didn't know if he was dead or not. Probably not, because no-one had screamed in my face that he was.

"Hey, Fleetfoot," I whined at Fenrys-person I hope he understood that I was asking about my Aelin. The people always seemed to know if someone was okay. Especially, my Aelin. "She's going to come back. Don't worry." He said. Oh, thank goodness. My Aelin isn't dead. I wagged my tail which made him smile.

I saw the other dog hiding in the bushes. He was scared of Fenrys-person. I turned away from him and kept searching for my Aelin. When is she coming home then?

I just hoped I'd see my Aelin again.

Fenrys's POV

I watched Fleetfoot sitting by the gate. I'd seen her sitting there every day since Yulemas.

I knew how she felt. Waiting for someone to return and not knowing their fate. So I reassured her. Telling her that Aelin would come back because I hoped that she would.

I watched as another dog lay in the bushes nearby. I laughed as Fleetfoot purposely turned away from him. 

Oh, Fleetfoot. I think you have a little admirer. 

Because as she turned away from him he made a little whimpering noise.

I turned away to give him some space only to find Fleetfoot following me. Oh, she was well aware of her admirer.

"You know. He likes you." She yipped as if to say that she knew. I looked at her amused. "You never follow me around. What's gotten into you?"

She nudged me and looked behind her before shaking her head and looking back at me.

"Oh! Are you following me because you don't want to hang around him?" She yipped again. "You are a smart dog." She wagged her tail before running off to who knows where.

I shook my head in amusement before continuing on.

Rowan's POV

I had been flying for months now. Aelin had been captured for so long. Too long.

I had scanned almost every inch of the Oakwald forest by spreading my magic wide to see what the winds told me from there. And I was now moving onto the Ruhnn mountains.

As I flew there were hunters who tried to shoot me down and rogue wyverns who tried to eat me as a snack.

Wyverns such as the huge gold one that happened to appear out of nowhere. Great. Just great. 

Luckily, I had reached a landscape of rock spires that were tall, tightly packed and spikey. I dove into the rock maze. My hawk easily maneuvered around the spikes of doom. The wyvern by some fortune tried diving in between the spires, but misjudged the space and ended up dying with rocks sticking through its spine and scales.

Aelin would've burnt the thing to ashes or, depending on how much magic she used, into nothing.

I screeched at the thought of my mate. She was practically the only thing I ever thought of now as I searched endlessly. I remember what Lysandra had said about Aelin. She couldn't possibly be, right? I mean she surely would've told someone. Or Fenrys would've scented it on her. And she would've missed her period. She would've known. She never would've let herself be helpless.

And Lyria... No. Aelin wasn't Lyria. Aelin was as strong as they came and she would be fine. And I would find her and save her and we'd be together forever. 

Yes. That is the plan. That is the future. That will happen. Step 1. Find Aelin. Step 2. Save Aelin. Step 3. Bring her home. Step 4. Never let this happen again. That was the plan it is simple and straightforward and I would see it through.

Because if I couldn't-

Aelin's POV

The whip came down. Again and again and again. I was screaming. It had destroyed the tattoo days, weeks, months ago. They had all really bled together as surely as my blood, soaked the floor.

He never made me lose consciousness. Not since he had promised to spare my child. He gave me enough to eat, to feed my child, enough to drink, too. It wasn't as bad as it was with Maeve because of it. But it was bad none the less.

After he stopped I was breathing heavily. "That's enough for now. I promised we would protect that child. Not kill it." He said and held a hand up.

The whip lowered and hissed as it was trailed along the ground.

"Day?" I asked. My voice was barely a whisper

"Beltane's-" My scream cut him off. A pain that left as quickly as it came. My breathing sped up as I realized what had just happened. "As I was saying, Beltane's tomorrow." No. No. No. No. 8 months. I couldn't've been here for 8 months. Which meant. 9 months. The baby was right on time. It can't come now. Not here.

I was panting and I knew he was looking at me like I was crazy. So I muttered the words that I knew would change everything, "Baby. Coming. Now."