Divided (Throne of Glass and A Court of Thorns and Roses Crossover)

Chapter 40

Aidan slowly sat up, knees aching from the way she had landed. She had to blink a few times to bring the room into focus, light swam in front her eyes as she took in the cold, dark room. 

The room around her was disorienting and chaotic. Guards clad in silver and dark purple rushed around the room, there was a bloodied up dead man lying broken on the floor several feet away, and a woman was crawling toward a dark-haired man, who was hunched on the floor. 

Aidan tried to pull a little magic from her well, but nothing came, whether from exhaustion at opening the portal or from complete blockage Aidan didn't know. 

There was a deep male grunt as Azriel sprang to his feet, pushing her behind him and into the nearest wall. Guards advanced towards them as Tamlin also moved into a fighting position in front of her, but Aidan hardly noticed. There was a presence in the room pulling her attention away from the guards that outnumbered them ten to one. 

Aidan knew who she was as soon as she spotted the witch, who had glided to the top of the dais and taken a seat on the throne of bones. Although she had never seen Maeve before, most representations of her had been destroyed in Doranelle, there was no mistaking who the violet-eyed female was. 

When the guards had pressed them as far back into the wall as possible, Azriel nearly on top of her, Maeve lifted an ebony hand, and they stopped their pressing in unison. 

"That was quite an entrance," Maeve drawled from atop the dais. "May I ask who our new guests are, or should I just kill you for the interruption?"

Aidan sensed Azriel open his mouth to speak, but she kicked him hard in the back of the ankle. To his credit, he remained silent and closed his mouth. He tried to protest as she shoved him aside and faking confidence, tried to pass through the circle of guards towards Maeve.

When the closest guard tried to shove her back, Maeve tisked quietly and the soldier moved aside.

Holding her chin high, Aidan said, "Queen Aelin sends her regards."

Aidan expected her to jump from her seat, but her only response was a slight flare of the nostrils. 

"I didn't realize Aelin had resorted to sending children to do her dirty work," Maeve seethed. "What is your name, child? You do smell an awful lot like my niece." 

"Aidan, but I expect it won't matter because you're going to kill me soon enough," Aidan replied. 

"It depends on what you can do for me, I suppose," Maeve answered quietly. 

"And if I choose not to do anything for you?"

"I'll kill all of these Fae," Maeve replied, waving a hand at Azriel and Tamlin, as well as the male and female hunched together at the bottom of the stairs.

The female seemed to be whispering to him, and she looked up sharply towards Aidan as Maeve spoke. Aidan pushed the surprise down, recognizing the female as Feyre Archeron and the male as Rhysand if only from Azriel's descriptions of him.

Aidan willed ice into her voice, "And what do I care? I was sent here to bring those two intruders back to Prythian, nothing more. They mean nothing to me."

Maeve measured her words carefully, "I think you're lying, little one."

Aidan crossed her arms, "Try me, Maeve."

And Maeve laughed. Laughed. Aidan internally cringed at the cruel noise. 

"I can see why my niece kept you around. You're a lot like her," Maeve stopped. "Fine. Perhaps after a couple days without food and water and some beatings for your friends, you'll comply."