Hellfire

Aelin

Death hurt, Aelin decided. She had slipped in and out of consciousness consistently for the past few days, and it was by chance that that woman had appeared when she was lucid. Aelin still hadn't decided if that was real or just another fever dream brought on by the overwhelming pain that had not abated in the slightest. It was like someone was shoving wood splinters into her back and then setting them on fire and letting them burn slowly. It drove her out of her mind, that pain. It was all she could do to keep her breathing even. She remembered Endovier, remembered Arobynn's blood stained carpet, remembered the pain of Sam, of Nehemiah, of the blood-drenched bed and two gray faces beside her. This pain, this pain she could deal with. She had to. There was no other option. Then - light. Was she coming to again? How long would it be before another wave of black hit her in the back of the head? She was pressed against something hard, and panic flared through her. So it had been a dream then. Most likely she had fallen asleep slumped against that iron door. Her heart sank. She wouldn't be going home after all.

"Your Majesty?" a voice whispered, a featherlight touch brushing against her shoulder. Aelin opened her eyes. She was staring at the bottom of a boat, the floorboards a dry, pale brown. Her ears hollowed out as the sound of rain hitting the roof filled her head. She tried to crane her neck to see who was behind her, but her back was having none of that. Pain flared so violently that she thought she was going to be sick. 

"Shhh," the voice behind her soothed. "Don't move, Queen. I can't heal you when you're squirming." Aelin just nodded, slumping. Her chest and stomach were pressed against a board, possibly a makeshift bench, while her knees were bent and resting on the floor, leaving her head with nothing to rest on. So Aelin let her head hang, allowing the muscles in her neck to loosen. 

"That's it." Aelin studied the sounds. It was an old voice, yet young at the same time. Female. Whoever it was held a large presence, so large that Aelin guessed that maybe it hadn't been a dream after all. Cool tingles ran up and down her back, and Aelin sighed, the burning flare up settling. "I cannot heal you all the way in one go, Your Majesty, but I think you are healed enough to put on a shirt." Heat warmed her face, and Aelin shoved it back down. She had no reason to be embarrassed. Warm hands tugged her from her position and helped her sit up, facing the stranger. Aelin had no words for what she saw.

The voice had, indeed, belonged to woman, but a woman just barely. She was a creature, a being. Her golden eyes roved along her injuries, her dark hair pulled back. Aelin wondered if this woman was part witch, from the high cheekbones that so closely resembled Manon. Manon. A jolt went through her. The others. Had they survived? 

"Don't go delving into dark thoughts so quickly. You only just woke up," the female huffed, turning away. Aelin fought the urge to put a hand to her mouth. Wings - giant leathery wings - adorned the female's back, and were currently tucked in tight to avoid brushing against the furniture. At the apex of each gleamed a slightly curved talon. Delicately, Aelin sniffed, and the scent of the female was so complex and layered that Aelin knew she would have no way of knowing what she was. "Your Fae senses are still a bit deluged. I wouldn't expect them to be fully of use for at least a few days, most likely a week. You were lucky you were in your Fae form when that bitch put you in that box. While the loss of your magic made you weak, your senses kept you alert enough to stay alive while your Fae blood struggled against the iron. If you had been in your human form, it would have been much worse," the female explained, taking notes in a small notebook lying on the nearby desk. As she spoke, Aelin took the time to familiarize herself with the room. It was small, but not cramped, with two beds, one on either wall, one desk with a lamp, the bench she was currently sitting on, and a small chest of drawers in the corner near the door. For a minute, the scratch of the pen was the only sound. The female closed the notebook with a thump, and Aelin started, hissing as her back fought against the movement. The female eyed her, then drew up the chair from the desk and handed her a shirt. Aelin nodded her thanks and slowly pulled it over her head. As she pulled it down over her stomach, she blinked at the white bandages wrapping around her. "Those are to keep everything in place for now," the woman stated, noticing what had caught her attention. 

"Keep everything in place?" Aelin asked, voice dry and rough from the silent days. Golden eyes met her own. 

"Your back was no more than raw muscle with a few strips of skin hanging off when I got you out," she stated baldly. Aelin grimaced, then finished pulling on the shirt. Her pants were light and airy, likely given to her by the same woman. She opened her mouth to ask more questions, but the female wordlessly handed her a glass filled with a clear liquid. Aelin sniffed. 

"If I had wanted to kill you, I would have left you in that box. What you smell is no more than tonic water laced with painkiller." Aelin blinked, then nodded. She sipped slowly, letting the cool substance slide down her throat. She finished the cup, then handed it back. The female refilled it. Once, twice, three times. Finally, Aelin set the glass on the bench beside her. 

"I have questions," Aelin said softly, but not weakly. The female nodded, more to herself than anything. "You and the other people on this ship all have questions, so I think it's best if they're all answered together," she replied with a small smile. Aelin caught a glimpse of elongated canines as the female strode for the door. 

"Can you walk?" Aelin looked down at herself. 

"Maybe," she conceded. She braced her hands on the edge of the bench and stood, legs quivering. She blinked as tendrils of magic ran up her legs, wrapping around them but allowing her knees to bend. A brace. She nodded her thanks again, and took one slow, agonizing step, but didn't fall. She made her way across the room, holding onto various pieces of furniture for balance. The female offered her arm the door, and Aelin allowed herself a small smile.

"Thank you, but I have to inform you I'm not on the market." The female let out a small chuckle, but kept her arm out, which Aelin grasped gratefully. "Who else is on the boat?" Aelin queried, clutching the female's muscled arm as the ship rocked beneath her feet. 

"Fenrys, Connall, and Vaughn," she answered. Aelin missed a step, and the woman grabbed her waist to keep her steady. "But they're allied with Maeve," Aelin winced as she regained her footing. The woman shook her head, propelling her forward. "I will explain. We're almost there." Indeed, up ahead a door opened, and Fenrys's dark gold head popped out.

"Look here, are you waltzing down the passageway?" His voice was playful, but Aelin caught the bob of his throat and the silver in his eyes. "Good to see you too, Fenrys," Aelin mumbled, sticking out her tongue, even as her muscles twinged. He laughed, and jabbed, "If only you had a silver tongue of fire, like at Rolfe's place. That was a sight to see." Aelin laughed quietly, but her mood shifted at the memories flooding her. Morgan hissed at Fenrys. 

"Tell the others I'm here to answer their questions." 

A dismissal. Fenrys looked at her apologetically before disappearing behind the door. "He means well," Aelin whispered. The female's gaze softened. "I know he does, but that pretty face has no business bringing up bad memories." Aelin let out a hollow laugh, the sound almost foreign to her. They reached the door, and Aelin let go of the other woman's arm to steady herself on the nearest piece of furniture; a chest of drawers. A male entered the room from a door to her right. He had dark brown eyes and matching hair, and moved with the same quiet ease Rowan did. Her heart jumped. Rowan. She shoved the thought away. She would make it back to him. There would be no other alternative. He extended a hand, and Aelin took it, clutching it as the ship rocked once more. His skin was dry and warm, and he helped her sit on the nearest bed. "I'm Vaughn," he said simply, before pulling up a chair beside her. Ah, that would explain why she didn't recognize him. She nodded in greeting, wanting to use her voice as little as possible. Fenrys and - a male who had to be Fenrys's twin - entered through the same door Vaughn had. Their rooms must be down that way, Aelin reasoned. Fenrys's twin came over to her, his face so similar to that sharp-edged smile, but softer, a face less used to jabbing humor and more accustomed to being in the shadows. "Connall," he said by way of greeting, extending a hand with the same tan coloring. She took it, shook it once, and released him to go sit next to his twin. The female stepped forward and claimed a seat on Aelin's left, the five of them forming a rough circle. "And my name is Morgana, though I prefer to be called Morgan." Aelin's brows creased, but said nothing. Morgan continued, leaning forward and bracing her arms on her knees. "I will tell you my story."