A Court in Flames

Chapter 15

Aelin's POV

The music had stopped. I blinked. Everyone was chattering. I felt sorrow build in me when the music stopped so I started singing. A song of joy and love in the old language and I was dancing. 

Spinning and twirling. I remembered the first time I had danced with Rowan. My feet moved faster and faster. And sparks were flying off of me. My beautiful green gown's skirt was billowing around and my magic created a crown on my head. 

I was laughing and smiling and when I stopped people were applauding. I hadn't realized people were watching.

My smile grew when I saw Feyre and Mor applauding, too.

I bowed before joining them.

"Where did you learn to dance like that?" Mor asked me. "There were sparks literally flying from your heels."

I smiled. "That was the dance I performed with my mate when I was crowned."

"And what language was that song in? It was beautiful even though I didn't understand a single word," Feyre added.

"My parents taught me before they were killed. It was in the old language. I don't know what all of the words mean, but I have a few songs memorized from when I was a child. Most of them are for singing to our dead." A scent caught my attention. "Is that chocolate?"

"Oh no," Mor groaned. "I was hoping to eat some before they were all gone."

I was already rushing over to the table behind her and started shoving chocolates in my face.

"Aren't you a Queen?" Rhys asked me and I nodded. "Then how on earth do you have such terrible manners?"

"My par'nts din't care 'cause I was only eigh' wen dey died. Den I was raised as assassin so manners din't ma'er and den by the time I was Queen I just din't care," I told him as I shoved more chocolate in my mouth.

His brows furrowed. "You're parents died when you were eight?"

"Dat's wat I said," I replied while shoving more chocolate in my mouth.

"Are you going to leave any for anyone else?" I shook my head.

"It chocwat." I looked down at the plate and frowned when I saw there was no more left. Rhys just shook his head in amusement and walked away.

Feyre and Mor walked up to me. "Der's no more," I told them and they just gaped at me.

"I didn't think you'd actually eat them all," Mor said with a groan.

"Ne'er underes'imate my chocwat eating skills," I said as I picked the remains of the chocolate from my teeth.

"I'll have to ask Rhys to get some more," Feyre said with a slight frown.

"He went that way," I told Feyre while pointing in the direction that Rhys had gone off in.

"Why did you eat them all?" She asked with a confused face.

"Because it's chocolate and I love chocolate," I replied with a smirk on my face. 

"Where are all the chocolates?" Amren asked as she walked in.

"I ate them all," I told her.

"You ate them all," She asked in disbelief and I nodded. "Well. Now I know never to get between Aelin and chocolate," Amren replied in astonishment.

"Did someone order more chocolate?" Rhys asked and I looked at him with innocent eyes. "No. Aelin. You get no more." I gave him pleading eyes. "No." I snarled at him.

"I want more, chocolate!" I growled at him.

"QUICK! Everyone! Eat all the chocolate before Aelin!" Feyre shouted. Amren, Mor and Feyre all crowded around the chocolate, but I had placed a shield of fire around it and grinned wickedly.

"Chocolate!" I shouted and swiped the platter away from them and started munching on the chocolate before setting Rhys's ass on fire. He yelped in pain and I walked away with my insufferable swagger.

I sat down near one of the bonfires and felt my magic murmur as the fires burned. It reached and stretched for them and I let it.

Let the fires burn high and then dance to the music.

I munched on the chocolates I had stolen. They practically melted in my mouth. They were filled with gooey caramel. It reminded me of when Rowan had bought me chocolates for my birthday. My first birthday with him.

And that Beltane... When he had saved my life and taken care of me... When we had stopped hating each other... When he had found out about Endovier...

I started shaking. My mate. My Rowan. In a different world and I was here eating chocolates.

I hurled them away. My daughter, alone and scared and hurt. My mate, sad and grieving. Rowan probably thought I was dead. My eyes widened. With the bond cleaved I had no idea if he was alive or not. What if he had given up? What if-? No! He had to be alive!

I marched back to my room and started drawing the wyrdmarks that I had used to get here except I left out the one that would suck me into the portal and the one that closed the portal immediately afterwards.

Then I drew a stag for Terrasen and as I finished the last mark someone burst into my room and I brushed my hand against the still-wet blood and looked at the portal only to find true darkness and a monster stepped through.

Feyre's POV

I had watched Aelin walk off with the chocolates with an insufferable swagger in her step. I was actually more amused than annoyed.

"S-she just stole the chocolates," Rhys stuttered and his mouth was slightly open in disbelief.

"You should know better than to get between Aelin and chocolate," I replied with a small, amused smile.

The bonfires started to grow and dance to the music and I knew Aelin was behind that as well.

I went to go talk to her but when I got to where she should've been there was no sign of her beside a green dress fluttering into the castle where the door was closing.

I sprinted after her and saw the green gown enter her suite which was far down the hall.

I walked after her.

I knocked on the door and when I got no answer I became worried and opened it.

I found Aelin's eyes glowing bright gold. It was as if the wildfire in her soul had shown itself in her eyes. Then I realized what she'd been doing. The wyrdmarks were on the wall and they started glowing. 

Her eyes widened in fear as she attempted to close the portal without success and then quickly back away.

What stepped through was not of this world and I prayed that I would never meet it's kind again.

Because what stepped through was a truly terrifying sight. All ghostly white with blood-red, razor-sharp teeth, and many beady, black eyes. It had huge tentacles that had giant black spikes and its tail ended in a spiked club.

We were in trouble now. Because that was water and fire magic it was using.