Rattle the Stars

Chapter 9

ACOSF is out! I'm reading it soon; no spoilers plz😄 Also-OMG 363 READS!!! *ded* Thank you so much!

They were back in the forests where Aelin had first landed. The same pine, mountains, and frigid winds. The Inner Circle looked drawn and tired, stress shadowing their eyes. "Well," Rhys said, dragging a hand through his hair. "The first war camp with Devlon is right up there." He gestured, and using her enhanced fae hearing, she could briefly hear the tell-tale sounds of a war camp.

Cassian turned towards Aelin's court. "They... don't have the best policies about females here. We're working on it- but do try your hardest not to rip their heads off, alright?" Lysandra laughed a little. "No need to worry about us ladies. It's the males that are the real territorial bastards." At the statement, Aelin held back a laugh weighing on the tip of her tongue.

She felt heavy, but whether it was from the dread and fear for Prythian or just straight mental exhaustion, she didn't know. Before leaving, she had changed clothes into something more appropriate, and finally, finally, gotten a decent amount of weapons, including Goldryn swung across her back. This would be a success, she told herself. They would be able to make the Illyrians understand and stop them from listening to Mantyx.

Hopefully.

"Alright. Here we go." Rhys said. In a rush, he winnowed them into the heart of a bustling camp. Next to her, Aelin watched Aedion's shoulders release the slightest bit of tension. Despite everything they had been through, this was familiar. Instantly, the camp froze. It was filled with fae, all with the same ginormous bat wings that Azriel and Cassian bore.

Rhys nodded at everyone, and released the damper on his power just the slightest. Grinning, Aelin let embers crackle near her fingers. The Illyrians gathered around them, all staring at the High Lord. The Inner Circle hadn't been wrong. Vicious and feral, the Illyrians were warriors, through and through. And not a single one showed hints of a black ring, or collar.

Relief poured through her.

A male stepped forward, practically oozing with an air of arrogance. Devlon. "I see you've brought your pets this time, High Lord. May I ask what had prompted such an...interesting party to visit?" His gaze lingered on Aelin and Lysandra, obviously surveying them. Lys snarled, and Aelin just gave a cruel, smug smile towards the gathered warriors, flashing her pointed canines.

They didn't know who they were trifling with. Rhys cleared his throat, closing his eyes as if he was fighting some sort of internal battle. "We have reason to believe that there is a powerful outside threat approaching Prythian, and we have come to warn you of it and discuss." Murmurs ran through the gathered warriors, but she couldn't decipher them, even with her fae hearing. Her head felt heavy.

"So soon after Hybern?" Interest sparked in Devlon's eyes, though that self-satisfied air never left. "Yes. The group of people I have with me are part of a royal court from another world." Rhys waved a hand at Aelin and her friends. "That is Aelin Galathynius, and she is queen of Terrasen. Treat her with the respect she deserves." Devlon snorted, disbelief evident.

"Like a woman could run a kingdom. You saw how well the mortal queens did their job." He sneered. Taking a deep breath to cool her rage, she kept her face an unmovable mask, but stepped several feet closer to the war lord. "I have fought every moment of my life for my kingdom. I have killed, and I have done unspeakable things, been treated in terrible ways. Do not for one moment doubt my capabilities."

Something flickered in his eyes, but Aelin couldn't identify it before she stepped away. Rhys gave her a subtle nod, before laying a hand on Feyre's arm to calm her.

"Devlon, now is not the time to pick a fight, although it would be entertaining to watch Aelin kick you into the ground." Devlon opened his mouth to speak, but Cassian silenced him with a deadly look, arm crossed. Aelin's head pounded, a headache working it's way to her temples. She turned slightly, just enough so she could see Rowan's face. Do you feel sick?

Yes. Something is off. We need to tell the others, who may not have noticed.

Nodding, she opened her mouth to speak to Rhys, waiting for him to finish his speech with Devlon. "We need to speak somewhere more private so I can explain the situation-" Devlon smirked, crossing his arms. "No. We will not."

"Rhys, something isn't right, we need to go." Aelin interrupted, tensing. A low laugh came from Devlon. "Oh no, you won't be leaving." His voice was a low hiss, and his eyes were completely black.

Completely Valg.

Backing up a few steps, Aelin drew Goldryn. Suddenly, there was a flurry of motion, like a ripple from a stone dropped in a pond. Every single Illyrian was standing, having revealed the rings on every one of their hands, all hidden various ways. And every one of them held a weapon.

But what made her blood chill the most was where every single blade was pointed. Directly at Feyre's womb and the unborn child within.

Note: Sorry for the update so late in the day! I've been scrambling to get this chappie together! And: Just so ya'll know, I have been completely winging this story. I have literally no set plot and I'm just going with the flow.