A Court in Flames

Chapter 19

Elentiya's POV

I stood at the single window I had. Four years ago my mother had abandoned me and sold me off to the highest bidder. Said highest bidder was Hades and I hated him. I hated my mother, too because she left me with him.

The slithering sound came again and I braced myself for the pain that was sure to follow. 

"Nameless. Come out." That terrible voice. The voice that snaked its way into my dreams and mind and I went to it because I knew if I didn't my punishment would be worse.

I saw the thing that had caused the noise. The iron-tipped whip. I could already feel the pain as it hit my back and I was shaking.

I didn't know what I had done this time. Sometimes it was because I was worthless. Other times it was because I did something wrong.

"Please!" I begged. I knew it wouldn't work, but sometimes it lightened the pain. "What did I do? I can fix it! Just please-" I screamed as it came down.

And sometimes I had visions of someone whispering something to me. Those blue and gold eyes were soft with love. At least, I thought it was love. I had never really felt like I loved someone before. Yet... I felt like I loved whoever it was more than anything else.

I felt his probing search and I quickly buried the thoughts and memories that I wanted to keep safe and for myself.

That was the first thing I had learned. Sooner than I had learnt how to walk I had learnt how to shield my mind or only parts of my mind.

He left my mind as quickly as he had come because there was nothing he wanted today.

I felt the whip strike over and over again and I could hear my screams echoing inside the stupid room.

The eyes comforted me again. The kind, beautiful face.

I waited for the next strike, but it never came. I looked up to see Hades staring at me with undiluted satisfaction and joy. Joy at the pain he had caused me.

Then he left and I waited for him to come back and smear salt on my back.

There was no pain this time, though. Only gentle hands on my shoulders. The didn't touch my back. 

"It's okay. I'm here. Hades is my sister's son and she hated him and called him Hades before abandoning him at your age."

"W-why are you h-here?" I stuttered.

"Because you don't deserve the fate you've been given. And I wanted to ease your pain." And she had eased my pain. There was no pain. Not even as she took my shredded shirt off and put on a new one. "I also wanted to give you something." She handed me a flat rectangle of metal. "Your mother gave this to you before she tried to escape with you, the day you were born."

My eyes widened in shock. My mother? "But she sold me to him." The lady shook her head.

"I was with her when you were born. Hades had her trapped and beaten. When he gave her one wish. All she asked was that he never harm you. Now, you should go to your room before Hades changes his mind."

I did climb up the stairs and I marvelled when I felt no pain. But... Who was telling the truth? Hades or his Aunt?

When I got to my room I examined the box-thing.

"What are you?" I started playing with it because it was the only object I've ever received.

I pushed on some of the sides and pulled others and twisted it. I shook it and tapped it with my nails.

I threw it across the room, frustrated. Then, I immediately sat up as I realized what had happened.

I rushed over to the little box. And saw where it had a little crack in one corner. But, that wasn't the corner that had hit the wall.

I pushed on the corner and it opened, revealing a strip of cloth.

I frowned. That's the thing I had been frustrated with. With my heightened senses, I put the cloth to my nose and smelt embers and other smells I couldn't quite place. It was all over the cloth.

I flipped it over and saw little words formed on it. I recognized that scent. I was covered in it now. Blood. Whoever had written this had written it in blood. No. That blood smelled the same as the cloth. Whoever had written it, had written it in their own blood.

I sat by the window. I sudden breeze blew in through the slightly open window and for the first time that I had ever felt it tug me to the North.

I shook my head as I started to read the note. I was lucky that reading was one of the few things I had learned because it certainly came in handy now.

'I wrote this note in case we were separated. Your name is Elentiya Ashryver Whitethorn Galathynius. It means spirit that can't be broken. My name is Aelin. I am your mother.'

That word clanged through my mind. My mother had written a letter to me in her own blood in case we were separated.

'I loved you before I ever saw you. And I would do anything to protect you. Elentiya, do not trust him. The man who will hurt you. 

'There is magic in your blood, Elentiya. Please trust your magic. You have fire magic, my magic, and your wind magic will call you. It will guide you and sing you it's secrets.

'I want to tell you one more thing. If you escape there are people you can trust. Anielle, Chaol and Yrene Westfall. Rifthold, Adarlan Dorian Havilliard. Perranth, Elide and Lorcan Lochan. Orynth, Rowan Whitethorn Galathynius, your father. Keep your eyes, my eyes, hidden from those you don't know. I will find you one day, Elentiya and I am sorry for everything.'

I stared at the note. My mother loves me and didn't sell me to Hades. Hades lied to me and I could never let him know that I knew. I could never let him know any of what I now knew.

I was fae and I had fire magic and wind magic. I have a mother who loves me. And I have her eyes. I stared at the window at my eyes and let the magic I felt inside me grow. I would not be afraid of it because my mother told me to trust it and then I felt a burning sensation at my wrists. I stared at the bracelets I couldn't take off.

They were starting to glow and I could feel my wrists burning. I stopped the flow of fire magic and tried my wind to cool it down. It made it worse somehow. So I stopped using my magic and went to look over the box and there engraved on one side was a note.

'Never use your magic on iron. It won't work and it will only burn you.' I stared at my wrists. Iron. They were made of iron.

I folded the note back up and put it back in the box before hiding it under the loose floorboard I had found under my bed.

I fell asleep with my head pressed against the window and the wind singing to me.