A Court of Fear and Longing

Chapter 4

Mor had winnowed Aelin to an unfamiliar house. Rhysand, Feyre, and five others she didn't know where gathered around a table. On the table was a book. Aelin walked over. The book emanated evil. 

Hello, gods-cursed, queen of a broken kingdom-yes, listen, you know what you must do.. bring my brethren to me, you have it... 

The book spoke to her this way, it compelled her. She knew what it was talking about, but no one else did. It was talking about the mysterious book on Wyrdmarks that had followed her since she'd first seen it, that had probably followed her here as well. It belonged to this thing, this monster trapped in another form, it was more powerful than Maeve and Erawan combined. 

Aelin looked up to find everyone staring at her expectantly. 

"What's it talking about?" A dangerous looking female asked her warily. 

"Well, I may have accidentally brought something with me that this book really wants back..." The female slammed the book shut and shoved it in a bag. 

"Well, we're not letting it anywhere near it, then. Sorry, and good luck getting home." She walked out and the rest immediately relaxed. 

"That has nothing to do with you." Feyre said. "She's always been a little on edge now that she's permanently fae. Just a little more so today. But we do need to see this thing you brought. It could be a threat. Aelin looked around. 

"well, if it's what I think it it, it probably followed me here. Does anyone see a book on Wyrdmarks?" A winged male picks up a book from a nearby coffee table and hands it to Feyre. 

"Thanks Az." She says. She opens the book, and Aelin can tell it's the right one. The wyrdmarks probably look like chicken scratch to them, but Aelin knew what each one said. The page Feyre had opened to was one Aelin had never seen though. It gave instructions for how to merge this book with another. Probably the book that could speak. 

"Rhysand looked at the page and frowned. 

"I've seen this once before. Feyre, remember Bryaxis? I was trying to figure out what kept it in the library all those years, and those were outlining a doorpost." Aelin knew what those probably meant. 

"I think this Bryaxis you're talking about may have come from another world. I've used Wyrdmarks like that before. I almost got killed." The room was silent as Feyre continued to examine the book. 

"I'll try to convince Amren to merge the books, but we'll have to see. Even then it could take months." Aelin didn't have that long. She needed to get back before the war went hopelessly wrong. They needed her fire. Rowan needed his mate. She would try to create a Wyrdmark door herself, but the book was now in the custody of her hosts. She walked out the door and down the street. She'd just have to look in the library then. Maybe this Bryaxis knew what to do. 

.........

Rowan stared at the tent flap. It moved as someone came in. He jumped up, half expecting it to be her. It was just Dorian. He sat down again, trying to hide the tears that once again threatened to come. Dorian still saw them. He sat down in a chair across from Rowan. 

"I know there's nothing I can do to fix this," he said," I know you blame me. I should have died too. I blame myself. We don't really know each other very well, despite you saving my life a few times, but know I was Aelin's friend, even if I couldn't ever care for her or mean so much to her as you did. Please just let us help you through this, even if there's little we can do. She died for a good cause. We don't have to fight a war now." 

That's all Rowan could handle. Someone telling him she died for a reason. That someone being the one person that could've protected her. He shot out a wall of hard air that sent Dorian flying back. Dorian scrambled up from the ground and ran from the tent. No one else disturbed him that night.