The Past Lies Ahead (A Throne Of Glass Fanfic)

Chapter 14

Sam was standing guard at the city wall, but because of the events last night he was unable to pay attention to anything at all.

An entire city had been turned to ash with barely any effort on her part. Was her power really that strong or had it become like that because of the possession? Sam sighed heavily through his nose. They were way in over their heads with the magic, they should have found a professional for the training instead of meddling with things they knew nothing about. She could have died. The thought weighed heavily at him.

«Look up there! There he is! Sam! Down here!» a very familiar voice shouted from down in the streets. He looked down to see Lysandra waving like a madwoman and Wesley raise his hand in greeting.

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Celaena sat on the floor in the kennel and brushed the dog in front of her. The door leading into the shop stood slightly ajar enabling Celaena to hear what was being said out there. Right now Old Frey wished a couple a good evening and thanking them for choosing her shop as they left the store.

Celaena leaned her head against the wall and sighed. Sam was worried about her, she had seen it in his face this morning. And if she didn't pull herself together before lunch he would worry even more. A wet nose nudged her hand and she looked down into the eyes of the pomeranian puppy she had been brushing.

She scratched the tiny, fluffy dog behind the ear and smiled faintly.

«You seem tired, my dear.» Frey said from the doorway. Celaena started slightly as she hadn't noticed that the door had swung open.

«I slept badly.» she said and smiled at the old woman. Frey walked over to her and sat down beside her, she had left the door open so they could keep an eye on the store while they spoke.

«Do you wish to talk about it?» Frey asked as she clasped Celaenas hand in her own. Celaena looked at their combined hands, one young and one old. She stayed silent for awhile, watching the pomeranian waddle away to his friends.

«What would you do if you had a great secret hidden away in your heart. And it had been so secret for so long that you yourself sometimes thought it to have never ever been real. But it keeps peeking through the curtains, trying to find a way into the light of day at every turn you take. And... and it is an overwhelming and terrifying secret, and I don't know what to do with it anymore. Keeping it hidden is beginning to feel... selfish. What do I do?» she had no idea if any of that made sense to the old woman at all, but she had needed to vent her thoughts. She felt Freys eyes looking her over, but she kept her own eyes on their hands.

«When you walked into this shop, Celaena, it was barely more than a ramshackle building with a dusty old store inside it. You did not turn away from it when almost everyone else would have chosen to walk past and pretend they had never seen it. You saw the potential, you saw that you could do more good by walking inside than by walking past it.» she lifted Celaenas chin to peer into her eyes. «By doing so, you made a difference. For me, for this business and for the dogs that live here. That is what I think you should do. Do not ignore it, but embrace it and make it beautiful.» Tears rolled down her cheeks, and Frey wiped them away and embraced her. They sat like that until the bell above shop door rang, announcing a new customer.

Frey walked into the store and greeted whoever had entered, while Celaena stayed where she was to pull herself back together again. She closed her eyes and took three deep breaths before getting up to continue with her duties.

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Rowan soared above the city, scanning for any signs of Aelin. He had begun his search around the Torre, if only because he remembered her telling him about the healer she had helped once, but there were no sign of her.

So he veered south to search the less rich area of the city, bending the winds to aid his flight. He looked at every face as he flew by, looking for any sign of the woman he had walked through time and space to save. He would find her, to whatever end, he would find her.

The hawk released a shrill cry as he followed the network of roads and alleys milling with people. His eyes narrowed in on Lysandra and Wesley, they were supposed to search the east side today. Maybe they had found something.

He dove down and shifted in the air right before landing by the pair.

«Anything?» he asked curtly. Lysandra pursed her lips at his tone.

«As a matter of fact, yes. Sam just went inside to buy some chocolates. We're waiting for him to come back outside.» Lysandra said as she crossed her arms. Almost as if she had summoned the boy he came out of the store and approached, a small paper bag in hand.

Rowan looked him up and down, truly seeing him for the first time. The boy was radiating kindness and calm, but also determination and strength. He could see why his queen had once fallen in love with him. Well, currently was in love with him. Sam met his gaze, and Rowan realized he had been sizing him up as well. There was something in the boys' eyes he couldn't quite get a read on.

«The way you two are looking at each other one would think you had never met before.» Lysandra said, pointedly at Rowan who had claimed to be a friend of Sams. Rowan gave the shifter a quick glare. Then he turned his attention back to Sam.

«Where is Celaena?»

«And why should I tell you?» Sam countered as he tensed slightly.

«I'm her friend.» Friend, carranam, bloodsworn, husband and mate. That's who he had once been to her, but that belonged to a different time. Her life was different now, and he didn't know where he would fit in it.

Lysandra sighed theatrically and rolled her eyes at them. «Sam and Celaena are going to lunch soon, and we're tagging along. So you two can stop with whatever this nonsense is.»

Rowan kept his eyes on the boy and just said, «Lead the way, then.» Sam just narrowed his eyes at him, then turned to walk down the street without another word.

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Celaena had just finished filing down a dogs long talons as Sam swooped in the door to her left, grinning from ear to ear. He brought his arms around her from behind and rested his chin on her shoulder. She turned her head to give him a kiss.

«You're in a good mood.»

«So should you be.» she raised an eyebrow at him, and he laughed as he shook one of his hands that were covering her abdomen. A bag crinkled and she looked down, a smile blooming on her face as she beheld the bag of goodies. She twisted around in his arms so that they stood nose to nose, and gave him a deep passionate kiss.

Their moment was interrupted as several footsteps sounded entering the room, and she forced herself to break from the kiss to look at the newcomers.

She blinked, and her heart stumbled as she beheld the fae male from her dreams.