Worlds Of Fire And Darkness

Chapter 9

Time seemed to stop as Aelin looked at her loyal friend, the one who'd suffered with her through the darkest times of her life in Maeve's cells, getting tortured every day and yet he was the one who always assured her that it was going to be alright and that he was there with her.

Their eyes met and his widened as recognition slid over his face.

The stench of his blood filled the room. He was brutally bruised, a split brow and lip, a swollen cheek and a very messed hair. He had a slight limp in his left leg and was shirtless which means they must have stripped him to undergo him in Gods know what kind of torture.

Torture, Gods above, and not only did he have shackles on his wrists, but on his ankles and throat as well. Iron, she realized, no doubt why he couldn't escape, but, how had they known?

"Fenrys?" she whispered lowly, her voice small and disbelieving, and all of the people in the room's heads whipped towards her in surprise.

Beron, ever the devil, smirked at her and said with satisfaction, "Well well, if this isn't a pleasant surprise, maybe coming here wasn't a waste of my day after all."

Unthinkable rage burned inside her as understanding finally sank in. Beron had captured Fenrys and tortured him. Fenrys was tortured, again. She'd promised herself to never allow such fate on either of them again and yet, there he was.

Her subject and a blood sworn member of her court. How did Beron even dare touch him before knowing where he was from and what he was doing in his territory? He was clearly lost and looked nothing like the people from this world.

She would bet on anything that Beron had done it merely for the satisfaction it would bring him.

Her anger burned brighter and flames appeared on her hands as Helion whispered, "Oh no, this is about to get nasty," because just then, Aelin exploded.

Flames erupted from her, not only her hands, but her whole body, boiling the water in the fountain and melting the chains off of Fenrys who sagged to the ground in relief, and blasting the soldiers around him back.

Everyone covered themselves in shields but still, Aelin made sure that her fire didn't hurt anyone but him, Beron.

"Rowan help him," she said without looking at her mate who needn't be told twice before he rushed to Fenrys and began healing him.

Beron was on his knees now, staring at Aelin with loathe in his eyes as she hovered in front of him, her eyes completely burning with fire and her hair floating on a phantom wind.

"You feel that?" she asked as she smiled, "You feel that Beron? That is your blood boiling inside your body."

Beron then snarled as he slowly stood up and formed, with every bit of magic he had, a solid shield of fire around him.

"You're not the only one who knows how to play with fire, Queen," he said.

His sons lunged at her and she was about to blast them when three Illyrians countered them, each one taking on one and she heard Cassian say, "Don't even think about it."

Rowan stepped fast to her side but Aelin held up her hand and he stopped immediately in his tracks, "Beron here needs a lesson on how to treat foreigners," she turned her head to Rowan, "no one approaches us."

It was more of a statement than a command because Rowan saw the promise in her eyes that she wouldn't be responsible if someone countered in their fight and perished in the crossfire.

Beron lifted a hand and the table and now empty chairs slammed to a wall at the far end of the room, leaving the space between them as empty as a fighting pit.