A Court of Light and Embers

Chapter Fourteen

Bryce firmly planted her hands on Hunt's chest, holding him back as he snarled. "Hunt, listen to me. I know you have no idea what's going on, and to be honest, neither do I. But just listen."

Lightning crackled at his fingers. Aelin arched an impressed eyebrow. "This is fucking ridiculous," Hunt growled.

"I know. Trust me, I know. But just calm down for a second and they will explain everything."

"Stop this, Bryce. They're coming with me."

"Uh, uh, uh," Aelin tutted, stepping forward. She smirked. "You might want to listen to pretty girl over here."

Hunt bared his teeth, and his wings flared. "How dare you-"

"How dare I? You almost killed Feyre."

"Who the fuck is Feyre?"

"Hunt."

Bryce looked Hunt square in the eyes. He glowered down at her, his mouth carved into a wicked teeth-baring.

Aelin noticed it a moment before Feyre did.

The slight glimmer in their eyes. The silent understanding between both of them.

The look of an ally about to betray another.

Just as Bryce began to turn, Feyre grabbed onto Aelin as blinding light erupted from the Bryce, and a bolt of lightning shot from Hunt towards them.

They disappeared in a swirl of shadows, appearing in an alleyway beside the White Raven. Aelin growled just as the last tendrils of darkness faded away, ripping her arm out of Feyre's grip. "I can't believe it. She deceived us!"

Feyre sighed, running her hands through her hair. "I didn't think this was going to be so difficult. Now we're on the run-again."

"Don't worry about that," Aelin said, waving a hand. "I've been running from authority figures all my life."

"And Bryce was the only chance to help save my world."

"We'll find another way," Aelin said roughly. She was pissed, tired, and homesick. All she wanted was to be in Rowan's arm and eat chocolate cake. "Deanna is a lying prick, after all. We might not need that bitches help."

Feyre shot Aelin a look. "Let's think realistically, Aelin. I don't Deanna would've lied."

"Oh, come on! All she cares about is herself!"

"But what if she lived in my world? If the Valg destroyed it, what would happen to her?" Feyre seemed to slowly diminish under Aelin's rage and fire.

"She's a rutting god, she can figure it out for herself." But Feyre did have a point. Aelin had banished Deanna and all of the gods to another world; which one, she wasn't sure. Perhaps she was right.

Aelin took a calming breath. "Okay. Let's just... take this one step at a time. First, we need to find a safe place to stay. Not with other people; we don't know who we can trust."

Feyre nodded, her eyes sad and tired. She rubbed her arms. "Okay." There was something so fragile, so broken in her voice that made Aelin pause. She wasn't the only one missing home, it seemed.

She hesitated for a heartbeat, then strode the short distance to Feyre and wrapped her arms around her. Feyre's lilac and pear scent drifted under her nose as Feyre sobbed. "I just got him back," she whimpered, her grip tightening on Aelin's waist. Aelin stroked her hair. "I can't lose him again."

"We'll get back to him," she replied softly, partially to Feyre and to herself. "I promise."