Glass of Revenge

~27~

 Lyria didn't think that she had ever been so enraged before in all the three centuries of her existence. Her mate, her beloved mate was standing just feet away from her, and yet, instead of looking at her with the affection and relief, was looking at her as though she was something disgusting that he had trodden on. Like a squashed slug on the bottom of his shoe. He had amassed an army to fight hers. An army that was far larger than hers had been, even in the beginning.

And yet, Rowan still loved her, she was certain of it. The fire breathing bitch queen had just placed him under her thrall, and once Lyria had cut him free, he would be ever so grateful to her, she just knew he would be. But how on earth would she free him from her clutches, Lyria suddenly found herself wondering in that moment. No, it would not help if she showed herself to be as angry and violent as she had been in the last few months. The anger that had been brought to the surface by the knowledge that the bitch queen had enspelled her beloved mate.

No, it would all go much better for her if she showed herself to be the same loving, caring, generous and compassionate female that he knew her to be. It was time for her to be the benevolent female that had first attracted Rowan's attentions. Rowan would know her to be acting genuine and fall in love with her all over again.

"Rowan," Lyria simpered up at him. "It has been a very long time since I saw you last, my beloved mate. I have missed you so much. It seems that you and I have rather a lot of catching up to do."

Rowan merely stepped backwards, away from Lyria, taking Aelin with him. His expression was cold as ice, as hard as stone. This cold, uncaring, murderous female was not the woman he had ever though her to be, and he found himself wondering why he had ever been attracted to her in the first place, found himself wondering how he could have ever believed it when he had been manipulated into believing she was his mate. He may once have loved Lyria, but he now hated her guts.

Meanwhile the survivors of Lyria's small army, those who hadn't fallen prey to either Lyria's whims or the rivers, were shifting on their feet uncomfortably, almost unable to believe their eyes and ears. How could she bring herself to flirt when they had just lost the majority of their forces? How could she bring herself to flirt, when they had just watched their friends and comrades drown? Did she truly not understand that Rowan had no interest in her whatsoever? How could she do any of this? For the first time, they truly understood just how much Lyria had used and abused them. That they had been nothing but a means to an end for her. She had used them all. And now hundreds of their comrades had died for her insane quest.

They had suspected much of it, they had known it, and yet the reality of their situation and the extent to which they had been betrayed was still quite distressing for them all. What on earth were they going to do now? Would they be taken prisoner? Or would they be allowed to leave, to find their own way back to Adarlan, their homes, and their families?

"Why on earth would I want to do anything with you, Lyria?" Rowan said, his tone icy cold, colder than the frozen rivers had been by far. "In case you hadn't realised it before, I want nothing to do with you. Any affection I might have had for you died when I realised just how far you were willing to go. The atrocities you have committed in order to win me back leave me cold. You have miscalculated quite badly. I want nothing to do with you whatsoever. Take your remaining men and leave now, before action is taken against you."

"But you don't mean that!" Lyria trilled loudly. "I know you still love me, we are mates after all, you silly goose. I just need to find out what spell that that fire breathing bitch of a queen has used on you, and I'll be able to free you, and when I do, you'll be ever so grateful to me."

"In case you haven't realised, I have a name, and I'm standing right here, you damned idiot," Aelin snapped angrily, beginning to lose her temper. Not only was she unable to believe the audacity of the woman before her, but the way she seemed to single-mindedly focus in on Rowan while ignoring her entirely grated on her nerves.