Iron in the Night

Chapter 7 - Aelin

I felt so much lighter now that I had taken the edge off, there was still a whole lot there, but I could deal with that.

When we walked back into the sitting room everyone in there was staring at me in shock.

"I know, I'm fae as well." I sighed as I sat.

"We could feel your power from here." Rhysand told me slowly.

"Sorry, I haven't used it in a while so it just sort of rushed out of me, I'm normally more controlled than that." I looked down at Fenrys who was grinning at me.

"How are you even still conscious?" Mor asked.

"I only took the edge off, not enough to exhaust me but enough that I wasn't in any danger of turning your home into rubble." I told her.

"That was only a little bit?" Cassian snapped.

"Yes, I've just had the same conversation with Feyre, as for how deep my power well is, let's just put it this way, I've been tunnelling down into it for two months and I still haven't reached the bottom." I said, weaving a flame ribbon through my fingers.

"If that is true, she has about four times the amount of power as Beron!" Amren said, eyes wide.

"Who is Beron?" I asked, a little curious.

"Beron is High Lord of Autumn, he's the most powerful fire wielder in Prythian, the continent you are on now." Feyre replied.

"And what is a High Lord?" I asked, a little confused.

"Oh, a High Lord is a bit like a king, what they say is law and they protect their people, I'm the first High Lady, I'm like a queen, I help Rhys in any way I can." Feyre replied.

Fenrys pawed at my leg, I knew he wanted me to tell them.

"I haven't been particularly honest with you." I said, looking at my lap.

"I know," Mor told me, "My power is pure truth," she added when I frowned.

"My name was once Celaena, I didn't outright lie, but my real name is Aelin Ashvyer Whitehorn Galathynius and I'm the Queen of Terresen, also known as Fire Breathing Bitch Queen." Fenrys looked at me, eyes wide.

"I married Rowan you mut, did you really not guess?" I asked laughing a little.

He blinked twice before laying down,

'No.'

I snorted, he snarled.

"Wait, because you are part of the Cadre, does that make you my brother now?" I asked him, Rowan said they were like brothers, appart from Lorcan.

He grinned, "Great, I went from just having one of you as an uncle to all of you as family, my house is going to be full of pissed off males." I sighed. "So, I'm married to Rowan, Gavriel is Aedion's father, you are now my brother by marriage and so is Lorcan, why is my life so complicated?" I didn't mention Conall.

Everyone was looking at me in shock.

"What?" I asked.

"You just told a wolf that he was your brother, that doesn't even make sense!" Cassian looked more confused that earlier.

"For the last time, Fenrys isn't a wolf." I told him.

Before they could reply he shifted in a flash of light and picked me up, swinging me around.

"Welcome to the family kid!" his voice was a rasp, having not used it in a long time.

"Fenrys, put me down!" I said, trying not to laugh.

"Aelin," he said, grinning like a fool.

"Oh gods, what?" I asked.

"If I had been the one to train you instead of Whitehorn, would you have married me?" he asked, grinning still.

"Rowan is my mate you mut!" I couldn't believe he didn't know this.

"What, but how, Lyria?" he looked completely baffled.

"They were never mates." I said, sitting down, a tear running down my cheek. "She tricked them into it, organised her death to break him to her will."

"That bitch, I'm going to kill her!" Fenrys snarled.

"Yeah, well you can get in line." I told him.

He shifted back into his wolf and sat down next to me again.

"Your wolf is fae." Rhys looked like his head was going to explode.

"In my world all fae and some powerful demi fae can shift between their fae bodies and an animal form. Fenrys's animal form is a wolf, mine is my human body." I told them, they all seemed to understand.

"Aelin, are you hungry?" Feyre said, steering the conversation in a new direction.

"I've been starved for the past two months; eating will not be a good idea." I replied.

Feyre gave me a look of understanding instead of the pitying looks I got from the rest of them, I appreciated it.

"Anyway, I would love to stay but my home is at war and I need to go and die so I can end it once and for all, so do any of you know how to make a portal back home?" I asked, siting back on the sofa.

Before anyone could reply Fenrys shifted, "you need to do what!" He yelled at me.

"Wow you are really out of the loop. I have to give my life to put the wyrdkeys back in the gate and banish the gods." I told him calmly.

"Whitehorn won't let you do that, nor will I," he replied, crossing his arms.

"But when I die you will all be free, Rowan will need to rule my kingdom and I hope you will help him, but you won't have a blood oath to obey." I told him, tears running down my face.

"I'm glad you mentioned the blood oath, you are aware that because we have sworn it to you, we have to protect you at all costs." He said, arms crossed.

"Yes, but you also have to listen to me." I replied.