Their Fireheart

Chapter Twenty Seven

Rhysand

Aelin slapped the ring down on the small table behind the couch. For a moment, all I could do was stare at her. I was still trembling with that same helpless, impotent agony that had raged at me since Aelin had returned from her solitary conversation with Arobynn.

I'd heard every word uttered inside that room. We all had. Worse still, I'd seen that final touch the bastard had made, the possessive gesture of a man convinced that which he touched was entirely, undoubtedly his.

When she'd emerged, my mate's blank gaze had utterly gutted me, but I hadn't dared to grab for her hand to inspect the nefarious ring. Not with all the eyes watching our every move.

The entire carriage ride back, one phrase echoed in my head, over and over again like the pounding drums of war - taunting and tormenting me.

I love you, Arobynn Hamel.

Those words reverberated through my skull, the same way they had pierced through my chest, shredded my heart, and ripped the air clean from my lungs.

I love you.

The very phrase that was rapturous when it was directed towards me had somehow become my worst nightmare. The terror that plagued me was a living, breathing thing.

It wasn't even wholly about the words themselves, but the fact that those words passed my mate's lips at all - it could only mean that she was completely under the control of the unholy King of Assassins. Whatever dark magic those vile rings possessed now had a hold on her.

The idea that my mate, my precious, beautiful mate was lost to me was -

Incomprehensible.

Unimaginable.

Heartbreaking.

A thousand times worse than when she'd left us behind in Prythian. At least then, I'd known she did so of her own free will, that I had a chance to get her back, if I could only find her.

But now? I didn't know if there was a way out of this.

I knew Aelin had claimed she thought she could save the crown prince from this very same hell, but she hadn't said anything about how she would accomplish it. I cursed my ignorance, faced with the reality that my mate might be stuck in hell because of my lack of knowledge.

The world had been nothing more than a blur, the carriage ride passing in what felt like a second and an eternity, until suddenly we were flanking her up the stairs into the apartment. Next thing I knew, the golden dragon I'd admired so much when I'd first seen the breathtaking gown that caressed every inch of her luscious figure was once again glinting in the candlelight. Only this time, it was unable to inspire anything other than dread because -

Because Aelin just stood there - completely motionless - nothing more than a tamed slave, awaiting orders.

And then, she'd turned -

And it was her. It was her.

Her mouth moved, but I didn't hear a word she said, too lost in the hurricane of terror and fury that still shrouded my mind, leaving me incapable of rational thought. I blinked, trying to pull myself out of the hellish abyss I'd descended into, because -

Because Aelin was fine. Aelin was here, and she was fine.

Distantly, I heard my brothers and Aedion shouting and cursing. The room was still spinning, my world tilted on its axis and I was desperately trying to grab onto something solid.

To somehow make sense of what the fuck had just happened.

Aelin frowned down at the ring, nonchalant as anything, and muttered, "I'm honestly surprised he didn't check the guard's other hand. A bit overconfident if you ask me."