A Court of Light and Embers

Chapter One

Aelin Galathynius groaned, lifting her heavy head.

Deanna

Portal

The Star

She slowly blinked her eyes open, cursing at the bright light. Looking down, she found her hands and ankles bound to a metal chair, the only object in the sterile white room.

The last thing she remembered was being a captive in her own mind as Deanna controlled her body, her voice. She and Feyre had tumbled through the burning red portal, and then she must have blacked out.

Her tunic and pants she had changed into back at the Night Court were ripped and dirty. She had no idea where they had landed, or where she was.

"Hello?" She called, her voice raspy from lack of use. She coughed, her throat parched. As if on cue, a plastic cup of water slid from a small chute to her left. At the same time, the metal bounding her wrists disappeared. She grabbed the cup, gulping down the water. Once she was done, her restraints once again attaching her wrists to the arms of the chair.

"State your name and business," a monotone, smooth voice said.

Aelin squinted up at the ceiling, where the voice seemed to have come from. "Am I crazy, or are the walls speaking to me?"

"State your name and business," the voice repeated.

"I'll pass," Aelin replied, squirming in her bindings. "Who are you?"

"State your name and business."

Aelin rolled her eyes. "No."

"State your name and-"

"Oh, just shut up!" Aelin yelled, jangling her cuffs. The voice quietened for a second, then...

"Tell us your name or we will have to take action," a deeper, much more human voice said.

Aelin wrinkled her nose. "What is this? An interrogation?"

"That's exactly what this is."

Aelin blew a strand of hair out of her face, starting to get pissed off. "I'm not telling you anything, so just give it up."

There was a muffled thumping then a much more feminine voice said, "Look, bitch, tell us your name and why the fuck you flew out of a portal."

A hissed, "Bryce," then a few more thumps. "Tell us. Now."

Aelin hummed, pretending to consider for a moment. "Let's see: no."

There was silence for a long minute, in which Aelin attempted to escape her restraints. But they were made of a metal so strong that even her Fae strength couldn't break it.

"Ok, this is how this is going to work," the male voice said. Aelin arched a brow. "You will co-operate with us-"

"Will I?"

"-and then we will negotiate some terms-"

"Will we?"

"-And then perhaps we might let you go."

Aelin tilted her head. "As interesting as that sounds, I would prefer the option where you just let me and my friend go."

The voice sighed, then it said, "Fine. If you want to play it that way..."

Aelin gaped as the wall to her right split down the middle, the panels sliding smoothly apart. Feyre Archeon sat, unconscious, in a chair similar to Aelin's, with her hand and feet bound. Her bare feet were resting in a small tray filled with water, with odd lines leading out of the water and into the wall.

"Hey!" Aelin shouted, not daring to say Feyre's name. "Wake up!"

She didn't stir, her head lolling on her chest.

"Tell us your name," the male voice repeated. "Or your friend gets the zap."

Aelin bared at teeth towards the direction of the voice. "Go to hell."

"Fine. Have it your way."

Aelin whirled her head to face Feyre just as tiny lightning bolts travelled along those little lines...

...And electrocuted her where she sat.