A Court of Fire and Ash

Aelin

What in the hell?
How?
How was this possible?
The scar shouldn't be there.
Maeve had taken it.
Was it just an illusion?
What if everything had been an illusion?
Was I still there?
No.
That wasn't possible.
I couldn't be.
I wasn't.
No one not even Maeve could create an illusion this long, this realistic.
The chains weren't there anymore, the mask wasn't and I had used my fire magic.
Hell I had killed her.

I could feel their gazes on me.
They were staring at me as I was trapped in this state of non believing.
It had something to do with that world that I was sure of but I didn't know what could cause my body to change like that.

At least I knew what that pain had meant.
That pain had come with my scars with my flesh reliving every whiplash, every cut every mistreatment.

I forced myself not to slide away in my thoughts and lifted my gaze as I stared in everyones face.
„Is there anything else I should be doing?”
Rhys shook his head.
„No, Celaena. But as long as you are our guest you will have to follow our rules. Of course you will want to know where you are staying so you will be allowed to explore this city but you will not go alone. You will need new clothes, which we will provide for you. You will also be allowed to move around the house if you want but if I notice anything missing or you snooping through my stuff that privilege will be taken from you. There's a bathroom linked to that room, you will just have to go through that door. You will eat with us, dinner is three times a day. If you want to eat anything now let us know but I suggest we will rest because as you already anticipated we did not really get a chance to do so last night. Do you need anything now?”
I looked him right in the eyes.
„Do you have a library?”

I sat in the library with a small and angry fae watching me.
She hadn't told me her name and neither had Rhys but apparently she was the only one, who got enough sleep last night.
As soon as I stepped in- or rather got teleported in- the library I didn't even care about her presence.
The smell of all those books was overwhelming.
But more compelling was the possibility to gain all the knowledge.
Knowledge was power.
It was a weapon.
And I wouldn't miss out on the chance to get to know everything possible about this world.

I read from the formation of the world through a strange cauldron, the evolution of the seven high courts of prythian, the injustice between fae and humans, the mistreatment and the slavery of thousands of humans, the war caused by this and the struggle of the immortal Fae to choose between humans and a cruel hyberian leader called Amarantha. I read from the treaty between human and fae and the great wall that kept each worlds separated, the return of Amarantha and her longing to control this world denied by Feyre Cursebreaker, the second war that followed, the destruction of the wall and the defeat of the King of Hybern.

They had been through a lot.
They had lived through war and survived it.
They were not that different from me and my court.
And I could tell right there that I could trust them.
Even though the small fae stared at me like she wanted to kill me.

I got another book which showed me the Geography and I tried to memorize it as well as possible.
Another one also showed me different creatures of the world and one stood out to me.
A Suriel.
It could answer any question.
It could get me home.
After this I was ready with reading and went to the Fae.

„I'm ready. Will you take me back? Oh and I didn't catch your name.”
She looked at me with a cold gaze.
„I am Amren and as far as I am concerned that's the only thing you need to know about me.”
She sniffed the air and then continued to talk.
„There is something strange about you but I can't figure out what it is. I was from a different world too but you just seem wrong.“
I tried not to listen to her.
„You were from a different world?”
„Yes I just said that.”
„I...have certain things changed? Like...?”
She looked at me suspiciously.
„The only thing you need to know is that time is different here. It doesn't work the same way like where you came from.”

Then she didn't talk anymore.
She teleported me back but she already gave me the answer I needed.
Time.
My body had changed because of the different time.
And maybe just maybe my powers would come back too.
And then I would find a way to escape from here.

I smiled as I went back to my room and found new clothes laid out on the bed.
They were simple.
A tunic and trousers.
The color was a bright turquoise that matched my eyes.
There were also small golden fibres embroided.

I went to the bathroom, took a quick shower and put the clothes on.
As I went downstairs the table was already packed with dozens of different meals and everyone, exept for Amren was still seated.
There was a empty chair next to Azriel, which I assumed was for me.
So I just sat down and stared at Rhys.

„I hope you found what you needed in the library.”
„I did indeed. There was this creature I read about. A Suriel. Do you know where I can find one?”
A certain kind of oppression filled the table.
Then Feyre spoke up.
„He died. During war. I don't know if there is another one but Suriels aren't easily trapped and in the past year not one got caught in my traps.”

Well the highlady's traps were probably not even half as good as mine would be so I could at least try.
Maybe.
„I'm sorry to hear that.”
She smiled at me.
„It's alright. But let's eat now. You must be starving.”

I indeed felt very hungry and the food that was laid out all over the table looked very delicious.
Soon my plate was filled with various meals and as everyone started eating I reached for the cutlery.
But then I hesitated.
It was made out of iron.
But every Fae here ate with those as if it meant nothing.

Then I realized that it indeed meant nothing.
Maybe in my world it did.
Bit not in theirs.
And suddenly I knew what their weakness was.
The wood that my shackles were made of.

„Celaena. I'm sorry for knocking you out earlier.”
I smiled at him sardonically.
„Well trust me you won't be able to do that again.”
His eyebrows raised and I heard Mor laughing at the other end of the table.
„No offense but I'm Prythians greatest warrior and you are just an assassin after all. And I don't think I need to remind you again of what happened yesterday, right? You can't compete with me.”
„Well I certainly can compete with him”, I pointed in Azriel direction, „and I remember the highlord called him one of the greatest warriors, too. And also you'll have to admit that it yesterday wasn't a fair fight. Attacking from behind, while I am occupied with attacking someone else can't be called a fair fight.”
Again I could feel the amusement of the whole court.
„But again if you don't believe me, you surely have a fighting room in which I can prove myself to you. Because I may only be a human assasin but you don't know where I come from or what I have done and trust me you don't want to know.”
Gasps rang out and I smiled into the round.
„Well than it's setteled. Tomorrow we will see if I can beat Prythians greatest warrior.”

I noticed his gaze landing on my plate and I picked up my fork and ate it as good as I could.
Every bite hurt but I wouldn't let them know my weakness.

I could hear someone clearing his throat and turned into the direction of the noise.
It was Azriel.
The mysterious fae, with darkness all around him.

„Celaena, may I ask how a human turned out to be a deadly assassin?”
I could not answer him truthfully so I blended truth and lies like Arobynn had taught me to.

„My parents died when I was only six years old. The flu, they weren't prepared. I was lucky that I didn't catch it but I was all alone. I ran away trying to find someone who could help me, until the King of Assassin's found me. He said I could stay with him if I would train and become better than the assassins that he had already trained. So I did. His methods were cruel but he was the only home I had. I established a name and got feared all over my world. And then the king hired me to work for him.”
Silence filled the room.
„I am sorry to hear that. It must be hard to live with the darkness all day.”

As I looked at him this time I could tell he had felt darkness.
Probably more than any of them.
And he lived with it.
He had used it and became it.
„I am also sorry for knocking you down but it was necessary.”
His face didn't show any emotion but he nodded slightly.

And as the evening continued they asked me numerous questions and in the end I was tired and went to bed right ahead.