The Past Lies Ahead (A Throne Of Glass Fanfic)

Chapter 64

Sam pulled Aelin into a his arms, and stroked her hair until she finally stopped sniffing and he felt her relax in his arms. She nestled her face into the crook of his neck, and he felt her take a deep intake of breath, breathing him in. Despite the reason why they sat there, he was relishing the feeling of holding her in his arms again. He leaned his head on hers and smiled into her hair.

«Tell me about the mission.» he muttered against her hair. She pulled back, but only far enough to look at him. «Did it go according to plan?»

She suppressed a smile. «For the most part...» Then he listened as she told him about the sixteen fires they had made that served as both sabotage and a diversion, and how they had dispatched the six guards that watched the only entrance into the passage leading the tomb. «But then when we finally got in, the keys were hidden behind a giant puzzle wall. Luckily Old Aelin knew enough about Erawan's past to figure it out. But once she turned the right discs the wall started moving and made a lot of noise, so we had to hurry with the portal before anyone went to check it out. However, we were a bit too slow and didn't make it through the portal before Erawan himself came running down the passage. We had no choice but to hide in the sarcophagus.» she said, she sighed. 

 «Can't imagine that Old Aelin was too thrilled about that.» he said, and his eyebrows rose up to his hairline. He could never forget how much she freaked out by just believing she had been locked up.

«That poor woman, she was on the verge of panic from the moment I closed the lid over our heads. She's been through so much, and I feel bad for her, you know. She is finally free to live her life, but... well, the lock and all that.» she picked at a straw of grass, and fell silent. 

He opened his mouth to say something, but then strange movement in the sky caught his eye. He squinted, trying to get a better look at what was up there, but they disappeared behind thick, white clouds.«Did you see that?» he asked, hoping maybe she, with her Fae senses, had seen more than him. 

«See what? I was looking at the grass...» she said, her voice full of question. He didn't take his eyes away from the spot in the sky, maybe it would come back. Aelin too began to scan the skies when he didn't answer. She sprung to her feet, cursing so much even a sailor would blush, then grabbed his arm and pulled at him. «Ilken. We have to warn the others.»

«You run ahead, you'll get there much faster than me.» he said, and she just nodded and took of faster than wind. He allowed himself a second to marvel at her speed, before he too set of at a run.

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Aelin pushed her legs to move faster and faster, occasionally glancing quickly at the cloudy sky. She shot past the first tents, heading straight for the center of the camp where all the leaders' tents were located. She tore the tent flap of Rowan's tent to the side and rushed in, making Rowan look up in surprise at the sudden intrusion. He and Aedion had been looking over a map that showed the current location of their armies. 

«We're under attack.» she said hastily.«Ilken are hiding in the cloud cover.» The males were on their feet in an instant, strapping on their weapons, then rushed out. From the next tent over, Dorian, Manon and Old Aelin emerged, armed to the teeth as well. Apparently they had heard what Aelin had said, because they looked poised and ready to fight.

«TO ARMS!» Rowan roared, and right then countless figures dove out of the sky, heading straight for the center of the camp. 

Aelin threw fireballs into the biggest groups of Ilken, making those who survived the blast fall to the ground where the blades of their soldiers waited. One landed a few feet from where she stood, its hideous, deformed face snarling at her. She drew her sword, snarling back at the demon, and charged at it. The Ilken brandished its long claws that glistened with poison, and struck for her side.