A Court in Flames

Chapter 23

Elentiya's POV

This was beyond craziness. Beyond insaneness. Beyond any words. There was absolutely no way that my life had just become this mess.

I guess my life has always been insane and a mess. But, this...

My mother. A Queen. 

"First. Do not fear your magic." Sure that had been easier than I had expected. One day out here and I already found someone I could trust. "Fearing it lets your magic take control. If you don't fear it then you are in control."

I nodded. I had already learnt that when I had escaped.

"Second. Your magic is a well. There is a limit to it and if you do not recognize where that bottom is then you will burn yourself out. The burnout will kill you." 

Lorcan was pacing while speaking.

"Third. Your magic will grow as you grow. So years from now you will have more magic than you currently have."

Right now he was just giving me the basics because he didn't really understand my magic. Apparently.

"Forth. When using your magic you should spiral down so you can control the descent and have better control over the magic. Understand?" I nodded. "Good."

"When will she get here?" I asked him.

"I've explained this it could take her anywhere from an hour to a week. It depends on where she is." He explained for the fifth time in the last hour. "Will you please stop asking?" 

"I've never really met her, though! I'm just so excited!" I was running around the small clearing we had set up camp in. "Can you tell me about her?"

"I'm not sure I'm the best person-" 

I cut him off. "Okay." I hid my disappointment behind the mask I used to stop Hades from reading my mind.

He stared at me as I swung from one of the branches by my legs and fell. My fire magic was the first to react. It flared and so did the wind. The wind managed to slow my fall enough that I landed on my back, not my head.

"Oof!" I had not expected that. It took me a minute to realize that my magic had saved me. Gods, I love my magic!

I lay on my back as I watched the clouds drift over the sky.

"Elentiya, are you okay?" I wondered if he actually cared about me or just felt duty-bound to protect me.

"Ya. Aren't the clouds beautiful? I've never seen such beautiful clouds before," I told him.

"Good." Ugh! He is horrible! 

I sat down again and let the wind sing its secrets to me.

Aelin's POV

I felt Lorcan's summons and at first, I was inclined to ignore it until I realized that he was summoning me to a spot in Adarlan, not Terrasen.

I took it up with Mor and Feyre and they decided that we should check it out.

I took Feyre's hand and she transported us to the general area where Lorcan had summoned me.

"He could be anywhere nearby. But is impossible to miss. Tall, brooding male, with dark hair."

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Mor asked.

"Trust me. We'll be fine. Feyre will glamour us so that we look like humans and my eyes will be a different colour because it is so obvious and we want to be inconspicuous."

"Okay. Let's do this," Feyre said and we walked into the village.

We walked past a group of women murmuring about a war, "What do you mean, there's a war coming?"

"You haven't heard?" One of the women asked.

"Terrasen's about to go to war with Melisande, Eyllwe, Fenharrow and Wendlyn." I blinked before covering my mouth with a hand in, not completely faked, shock.

"How did this happen?" I asked.

"There's a rumour going around that the King killed Aelin six years ago. Wendlyn was furious. You know because Aelin was an Ashryver."

"No!" I said with utter shock. "I thought they were mates!"

"I know, right! But our King's sending aid and so are the wastes and Doranelle, so there must've been some kind of mistake! Anyway, enjoy your day!" She called.

"You, too!" I called after her and when I went to meet up with them I saw a small figure chasing a red bird into the woods.

My eyes narrowed.

Feyre! I shouted in my mind.

Are you okay?

I'm going to go check something out. If I'm not back in three minutes go to the Southend of the market. I'll leave a trail of dagger markings on the trees.

Is this a good idea. I just ignored Feyre's last comment and quickly followed the child. I watched as she went further and further into the trees. We were about ten minutes from the market when Feyre and Mor caught up.

Mor opened her mouth to say something, but I covered her mouth my hand and put my finger to my lip before pointing to the group of fae that had circled the child.

She took a step back as one of the fae entered the clearing only to back into another. She whirled around and backed away from him only to be grabbed by one of the men. I saw a flash of fear in her turquoise and gold eyes as she beheld the iron chains.

Unglamour me, Feyre. I have some business to take care of.

As I stepped out of the trees the glamour fell off of me.

"All of you, please step away from the girl," I said. When they laughed.

One of them even went so far as to say, "It's a two for one, deal." The others smiled as I tugged my hood off and they beheld my eyes.

"I call dibs!" The tallest one said. They made to grab me, but I sent a wall of flames knocking them away.

"Oh! I'm sorry," I said in a sickly sweet voice. By the look on their faces, I knew the gold ring in my eyes had turned to flames. My face dropped so there was nothing human left in it and they started to back off. "I wasn't asking." As flames encircled my hands and a crown appeared on my head. "Get your rutting hands, off of my daughter!" I roared before attacking.