A Perfect World

Chapter 32

AELIN POV

Aelin didn't know where she was or where she was going. She didn't care either. All she knew was that she needed to get out of there. She was beyond thinking. What she needed was to go somewhere where she could burn and burn and burn. She could feel the fire smoldering in her veins, itching for release. All the pent up emotions inside of her were rearing up, ready to be released. 

For weeks she had been suppressing all of it. The fear of not knowing if her people were safe, the worry that her parents were grieving for her when she wasn't in fact dead and the anger. There was so much anger. Anger at everything and everyone. For keeping her locked up all these years, for thrusting her out into the world without any clue of what the hell was happening... for being too cowardly to deal with any of it and for letting herself be distracted by a Fae prince who was betrothed to another.

She was still in the castle, though she wasn't sure where. The was dark corridor before her and even darker corridor behind her. There was no light, save for her. She hadn't realized it but she had been burning. Her skin was glowing as if it were made of real embers. Looking back at the way she came, there was no mistaking her footprints which had been singed into the stone floors. 

Something else was glowing in the darkness too. A pair of golden eyes gleaming right at her. They came closer on silent footsteps. 

"I covered your trail for you," a familiar voice said, "No one will come looking for you." 

It was the girl she had met in the kitchens. Asterin. She gave Aelin a slow smile as she neared, teeth glinted in the faint light. 

Aelin didn't respond. 

Her instincts were telling her that this was bad. Asterin's glare was assessing her with predatory focus as she continued her approach. 

"That's far enough," Aelin said. 

Asterin stopped, but not until she was a few feet away. If the girl was expecting her to cower back, she had another thing coming. For spite, Aelin let herself burn a bit brighter and took a step closer. Both were well within range for a fist fight, but if Asterin made a single move, Aelin would burn her. As if she saw it in her eyes, Asterin stepped back. It was Aelin's turn to plaster on wolfish grin. Let it be known who the apex predator was in this little situation. 

"It would seem neither of us wear our true faces in the daylight."

"I'm not in the mood for riddles and bullshit. Tell me who you are then get the hell out of my face."

"My Wingleader sends her apologies," she said, tensing her finger so that metal claws shot out of them. 

"You're a witch," Aelin breathed. "Tell me why I shouldn't burn you to ash right this second." 

"We both want the same thing."

"You're going to need to be a little more specific than that."

"Your cousin stole our wyverns to hunt you. We want our wyverns back."

"I don't care about your wyverns."

"You must  care about your life."

"I do," Aelin spat. "If your beasts try to eat me, I'll turn them into jerky."

Asterin unleashed a fierce snarl, but caught herself. Though she was seething, the witch was visibly trying to master herself. "Then good luck trying to take on two kingdoms without them."

Aelin froze. "What do you mean two kingdoms?"

"You have questions and I have answers, Heir of Fire, but I will only give them to you if you promise to not spew flames at me."