A Court Of Fire And Pain

Confrontation

Chapter 11 Feyre:

I couldn't move, couldn't breathe. I had no idea how that bitch Ianthe was still alive, but that wasn't my main concern right now. Although I noticed with no small satisfaction that her left hand was hanging uselessly by her side. Then I focused back on the tool. I thought we had left on better terms, we had come to a mutual agreement. My throat was dry, but I forced myself to speak.

"Hello Tamlin."

He stalked towards me but I couldn't move away. I was frozen in place. The hate in his eyes surprised me. My arms were leaden. He reached out, like he was going to take my hand, but was interrupted by loud growling.

Suddenly Celaena was in front of me, forcing Tamlin back a step. Her strangely long canines flashed as her snarling grew louder. Then she spat on him. She actually spat on him.

I gaped as his expression grew from annoyed to furious.

"How dare you! Do you know who I am! You aren't in a good position to anger me right now!" He towered over her, but she didn't flinch.

Instead she advanced a step and put her hand on his upper arm. "No, I don't know who you are. And clearly you don't know who I am. And you aren't in a good position either."

I didn't know what she was talking about, but I noticed Tamlin had gone still. I followed his gaze to his arm, where Celaena had a dagger positioned to slice all the way down. How she had managed to do that was beyond me.

Ianthe couldn't see what was happening, and complained about Tamlin being in her way. We would have to run, before she realized something was off.

Celaena leaned closer with her free hand resting on his neck, and whispered something in Tamlin's ear that made him turn pale and flinch. Then she spoke a little louder so I could hear.

"I don't have the time or resources to fight you right now. But we will find you again."

Then she sliced her dagger through his arm, turned and ran down one of the side alleys, without waiting to see if I followed. I remained in place as Tamlin swore loudly and stared at the blood running down his arm. Then I too turned and ran.

Aelin:

I had no idea who these bastards were but they had something to do with my children, and that was enough. When the man, Tamlin Feyre called him, had approached her I expected her to move, do something.

But I saw the look on her face, one that I recognised all too well. It was the look Lysandra sometimes had, when we mentioned Arobynn during the nights we felt the need to talk. It was also the look Elide had when she had first told us what happened to her in Morath.

That was all it took for me to growl and cover her with myself. Then I spat in his face, because I felt like it. He raged and spouted some nonsense about who he was and how I should be afraid.

Yeah right. He tried to look intimidating, but I crept closer and rested my dagger on his upper arm.

"No, I don't know who you are. And clearly you don't know who I am. And you aren't in a good position either." He finally noticed the dagger and stilled. I grinned. Then I leaned closer and rested my left hand on his neck. "Listen here. I don't care who you are, but you have been a part of the kidnapping of my children. She kept you in the dark about who I was, who you held. Well guess what? I'm a gods damned queen and my kingdom will do anything to get their heirs back." Tamlin paled, but I wasn't finished. "I have powerful friends, powerful allies. And most importantly, I am powerful." To prove my point I sent a wave of heat through my hand into his neck. He flinched.

I spoke louder so Feyre could hear. "I don't have the time or resources to fight you right now. But we will find you again." That wasn't true. I could easily kill him and the woman, but I needed them alive. I knew their scents, and could follow them to where they kept Nehemia and the others. Feyre had more claim over their deaths anyways. And she couldn't know how skilled I was.

So I turned and ran, praying that Feyre would follow me. After I turned the corner onto the main street I heard her pounding footsteps follow mine. I didn't dare stop and wait for her, but I did slow down. It would be suspicious if a 'human' outran a Fae. I kept running until the inn came into sight.

I slowed down and sauntered along, singing a cheery tune. Feyre joined me and we made our way back to my room. Once we entered I collapsed onto the bed. I wasn't tired, not even winded in the slightest, but I hadn't been in a fight for a while. Feyre sat on one of the chairs, head in her hands.

After a couple minutes she spoke. "Why didn't you kill them?"

That wasn't what I was expecting. I kept my voice cool. "They will lead us to our children. And you have more claim over their death than I do."

She inhaled. "I could kill Ianthe, I almost did once before. But I can't kill Tamlin. Even after everything... I just can't do it. I'd rather just stay away." She looked at me, for once her emotions unhindered. "Does that make me weak?"

I was beside her in a second, her hand in mine. "No. That isn't a weakness, it's a strength. Not wanting to kill someone, wanting to spare life... that is a strength that I will never have." She seemed reassured so I dropped her hand and plopped back onto the bed.

Feyre spoke again. "How did you keep up with me? Your human and I'm Fae. Even if you were super fast you should at least be winded?"

I tried to control my temper. But it was getting so gods damned annoying to be underestimated. "I'm just fast."

She didn't buy it. "A musician shouldn't be able to keep up with me. And you don't have enough scars to mean you've been through a war. So how?"

This little— she didn't know anything. I snarled. "Because I'm not only a musician, I'm a goddamn assassin!"

My favorite character in ACOTAR is the Suriel so I sort of died when I found out he looked like this: 

I never really imagined him looking ugly before, even when reading the description. So yeah. Who is your favorite character?