An Heir: to be, or not to be

Monster

        

          "So how did you get here?" I ask as the lake simmers beneath us. I glance at her and her teeth are ground together, her eyes pinned on the lake in concentration. Sweat is pouring down her arms. "So ..." I prod, trying to get her to talk. Aelin lets out a grunt and falls back onto the grass.

          "I can't ..." she sucks in a huge gulp of air, "I can't get it to melt." She's sprawled on her back, eyes closed. Probably exhausted. I lie down next to her. "We'll just have to try again tomorrow." Even though the ice isn't really melted, the ice is cracking in some places. I point it out to her. "Look, at least we've made some progress. It'll take time."

          She lets out a huff of laughter, turning onto her side. "It'll take a lot of time. I'll have to store up my power." I pause, not sure what she means. Exactly how long does she think this is going to take? "So ..." I ask, waiting for her to answer my earlier question. She sighs and answers. "I didn't come here. Rhys brought me here."

          I can't wrap my head around this. "Well, how did Rhys bring you here?" She's quiet for a long time, her body rising and falling with each breath. I think she's asleep when she finally answers, "I don't know. It shouldn't be possible." Her voice is small and quiet, and I decide to drop it. Frowning, I light a fire next to us and turn onto my side to sleep, the heat seeping through my frozen clothes. Whenever I see Rhys again, he'll have some answering to do.

I run through the hall, trying not to focus on the blood that coats the walls. My eyes are drawn to it anyway. It's thick and fresh and pools like syrup on the floor. My thin boots are wet with it, and the blood splatters behind me as I run down the hall.

"Faster, faster, faster," I mutter. I have to fly or else I'll be the next meal of the creature pursuing me. It's a vision of terror with dark eyes that promise a long and painful death. Grey skin wraps tightly around its humongous bones as if its never seen the light of day. The claws on it could tear through the stones surrounding me, no problem.

And I don't even want to think about the feel of those black fangs, dripping with poison, tearing into me as they did the poor man in the room next to mine. The one called Eye Eater. I shudder and run faster. The hallway's coming to an end, and I turn, springing into the next hall.

I hear a terrible ripping sound just as I land. My heart stops as I look down with terror. My thin boots, the only pair I could grab, are ripped where the blood has ruined the soles. I try to run, desperate for escape, but trip on the ruined leather and go careening to the floor. I grunt and look up, only to be met with a pair of black, soulless eyes staring into mine.

When I try to scream, claws reach forward and tear into my face, latching like screws into the skin. I reach for my knives, but another claw comes forward and slams right through my stomach, hitting bone. And starts to tug out my intestines. I can't keep the screams in then. I'm gasping and screaming, begging whatever it is to let me go and ...

          "Feyre! Feyre!" Calloused hands are shaking my shoulders, and I gasp, sitting up. Cold air hits me and my teeth chatter, clanking hard against one another. Tears continue to dribble from my eyes. "What happened??" Aelin demands to know. I don't answer. "Oh," Aelin says with a knowing tone, looking me up and down. "You had a nightmare."

          I nod, wipe my tears away, and turn to look at her. "I feel like the lake is affecting me. How much longer till your power is stored up?" Aelin huffs and lies back down to sleep, turning away from me and my slightly annoyed tone. "When it's stored up, you'll know." I think that's all she's going to say to me, but then she asks about my nightmare. "What happened?" The words are slow and enunciated, as if she's forcing herself to ask.

          I turn away from her. It's easier to answer to no one. To let my answer drift away in the darkness surrounding us. "A ... monster. Grey skinned. Dark eyes. I think ... " I recall the dream, the monster and the pain. "I think ... it was trying to eat my insides." Aelin is suddenly facing me, the bright gold and blue of her eyes dancing with flames. I stumble away, taken aback. "Wha ... What is it?"

          She stares at me, intent. "In your dream, did it kill anyone else?" I try to think back, but the dream is fading. "Um, no ... no, I don't think so," I trail off when Aelin's eyes gutter. When her eyes gutter. Eyes. "Wait!" I grab her shoulder as she turns away from me. "There was someone. A man. Eye ... Eye ... someone." The flames in Aelin's eyes flare brighter, dangerous and menacing. Ready to burn. She opens her mouth and closes it. Opens it again. "Eye-eater?" she asks.

          "Yes! That's the one!" I smile, proud of myself, but stop when I see her face. It's ashen. The flames are now coating her neck, coiling slowly around her as if she needs to protect herself. "What is it?" I whisper. She's muttering now. I lean in closer to hear. "I shouldn't have come. I knew it. There's no other way he could have summoned me. But how is it possible?!"

          It's hard to understand Aelin's hurried sentences. "Calm down," I say, patting her shoulders. She jerks away from me, and I fall back onto my still sore hands. For a second, the flames around Aelin dull and she stares at me and then they disappear. "Sorry," she mutters. I can tell she's not used to giving apologies. "It's fine," I return, not wanting to set her off again.

          She turns away from me, curling onto her side and wrapping herself in flames. She drifts off to sleep almost immediately, but I can't sleep. Instead, I listen to her sharp inhales of breath. She's uneasy even when unconscious. Occasionally, I can make out snatches of her delirious, sleep induced mutterings. "Taken care of ... Valg ..." Aelin cries out, and I reach out to wake her, but she's quiet again, muttering. And her voice is almost tender this time? "Row ... an. Row ... an. Rowan."

          I've no idea what she's on about. Valg? Rowan? My heart twists. I truly feel all alone. It seems that both my mate and Aelin are keeping secrets ... secrets that I hope to find out soon enough.