A Court in Flames

Chapter 33

Elentiya's POV

I felt the pain of the iron burning me when I shifted. The pain became too much and all I saw was blackness.

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I woke up to the sound of murmuring. I moved and the pain was still there. Not like when the lady had healed my back. I groaned in pain as I tried moving.

"How are you feeling?" I woke up to see a pair of black eyes staring at me.

"It hurts," I mumbled. Not as bad as what Hades did to me, but...

She stood up, "I'll go get Yrene. She'll be able to help you." I watched as her dark hair left. I looked at the glass of water beside me. I groaned as I sat up and reached for it. Going out there had been a bad idea. A really bad idea.

The woman came back as I held the glass, shakily. And I recognized her as Elide Lochan. Another woman came in. She smiled kindly at me.

"I'm Yrene Westfall. What's your name?" She asked me and I jumped when she said her name. I fingered the box in my pocket.

"Elentiya," I rasped. She smiled.

"That's a beautiful name. What were you doing on the battlefield?" She asked and touched my arm. I saw a light flare before my burns started to ease and fade.

"I was trying to help because I have lots of magic and I can become a dragon," I replied. My throat was still dry so I sipped from the glass.

"Really? I bet you love your magic." I nodded in agreement. "Where're your parents?"

"The battle. All I remember was saving my father and then iron wrapped around me and then my mother came and I think she may have called off the war." I emptied the glass of water.

"How did you get these burns?" She asked me.

"My mother used her magic and I think it heated up the chains. They're not that bad, though. Whips are worse," I said while glancing at Elide. When I turned back I saw a horrified expression on Yrene's face and Elide's. I blinked in shock.

"Whips?" Yrene asked hoarsely. I nodded. "Did your mother-?" I shook my head.

"She would never do that. It was the evil person, Hades. He stole me from my mom when she tried to escape him with me," I explained. My mother would never hurt me like that.

"Can I see?" She asked me. I showed her the scars on my back. Then the ones on my wrists. Her horrified expression deepened. "I can remove them if you want." I tilted my head. Not the whip marks I wanted to keep those to remember what I had survived. But the scars on my arms. I didn't want those.

"Can you only take away the ones on my arms?" I asked and she smiled at me.

"Of course." She used her light and I watched in awe as the scars on my arms vanished.

"Thank you," I said and smiled. There was shouting coming from the front of the tent and I furrowed my brows in confusion.

"If you don't let me through-" My eyes widened and a huge smile broke on my face as I heard my mother's voice. Yrene frowned at the shouting.

"Mom!" I shouted and got up before running to my mother and jumping in her arms.

"Elentiya! You're okay!" She held me close. "I was so worried. I thought I had lost you." I felt her tears fall on me and soak through my shirt. "Why did you do that? I told you to wait for Mor to take you and Elide here where you'd be safe."

"I know, mom. But I felt a pull to help. And I think it was so I could save dad because I did. I did and that's how they got me. And then you saved me. And Yrene is here and she helped me. See! She healed my scars! She made them go away!" I shouted as she hugged me tightly.

I watched as another person ran into the tent. He was panting heavily. When he finally caught his breath he said, "Aelin Galathynius is back! She stopped the war!"

"Indeed I did. Now. Why don't you get some rest?" My mother said, her voice was tight, and I watched as all eyes turned to her. "Should I have said something?" The messenger gaped. Feyre and Mor put a hand over their mouths. My eyes crinkled as I laughed.

I watched as another man blanched. He must have been the one barring her entrance.

She set me back on the ground as she walked out of the tent. I didn't follow as I saw a single tear fall down her cheek.

Aelin's POV

I don't know what I expected from Rowan. But it was not that. I felt the tears start to well in my eyes so I left as the tears began to pour down my cheeks.

I slashed at the trees around me in my fury. When I had released enough of my anger that I wouldn't explode at the next person to talk to me I started the long trek back to the battlefield to see if Galan and the Khaganate had evacuated their armies.

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I smiled as I talked to Galan while the last of his men boarded the ships. 

"I'm sorry for attacking your kingdom, cousin," he told me as he boarded the last ship waiting for him and waved farewell.

I smiled back and waved as he and his fleet sailed back to Wendlyn. I turned to find Borte, Sartaq and Nesryn standing before me. The ruks and navy had started the trip back to the Southern Continent.

"We came here to avenge you for what Melisande said Rowan had done to you," Sartaq explained. "We are sorry that we attacked without asking further questions about the situation."

I smiled. "We all still have much to learn. Thank you for not attacking my people after I had shown up."

He smiled back, "It was the least we could do for you. For saving this world." Indeed it was. He stretched out a hand and I shook it.

"Let's try not to go to war for a little while longer," I said with a small smile.

"Indeed." They mounted their ruks and as the flew off Nesryn waved and I waved them off.

I sauntered through Suria. My mood had lightened up quite a bit and I was no longer at risk of roasting anyone. I turned a corner and saw Rowan. I frowned. Okay. Maybe not ready to see him again.

"Rowan!" I saw him turn as a woman ran up to him and jumped at him before kissing him.

A/N 

****SUPER IMPORTANT IF YOU'RE THINKING OF NO LONGER READING BECAUSE OF WHAT I JUST DID.****

Basically. I have a plan. Pretty much the situation is going to be explained in the next chapter or the chapter after that. And the situation is actually going to get worse before it gets better. And I really didn't want to end this book quite yet because I'm having so much fun writing this! So... Ya! Another plot twist! 

Thank you so much to whoever's reading this! I appreciate it. 

And please, please, please keep reading.