Throne of Glass & A Court of Thorns and Roses: Two Worlds Collide

Chapter 32-Amren

I regained consciousness when I heard the creak of my locked door being opened. My heart started beating faster; in the short time I'd been here, I'd learned to expect terrible pain when I heard that noise.

I couldn't remember how long I'd been here, my memory was botched by various occurrences of passing out. I barely recalled what the king's men had been asking me, but I did remember some.

They kept wanting to know where Tamlin was, apparently they thought we'd kidnapped him. When I wouldn't answer that question, they'd twist my arms, almost yanking them out of their sockets. Then, they asked about the two fae who'd come through the portal. I kept my mouth firmly shut and they'd put my hand on the ground and slam their heels down on my fingers. After more questions and torture, I'd eventually pass out. The noise from their keys would wake me up and we'd repeat the process over again.

I couldn't count how many times they'd opened that door. I had been fed once since I'd been here. Most of the time I stayed chained to the wall, my arms bound above my head. I'd fall asleep with my head against the damp stone and I often found myself waking with a terrible fever.

I closed my eyes and readied myself for the worst when someone walked into the cold cell. I couldn't see the details, but I eventually saw the silhouettes of three people, two males and one female. One of the males was carrying something acutely shaped like a human, long hair falling over his left arm.

When my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I saw the girl's blue and gold eyes. One of the men had tattoos on his face. The other's pitch black hair.

I couldn't speak, but I almost cried when Aelin Galathynius unlocked my shackles and I fell to the ground. I was too weak to move, so when I felt Rhysand bend down and pick me up, cradling me like a child, I was grateful. The rapid movement caused me to lose consciousness again and when I woke up, I had to shield my eyes from the blinding sunlight. I was now being carried by who I remembered as Aelin's cousin, Aedion; I'd met him when I went to Adarlan. It seemed like so long ago.

Aedion looked down at me and yelled, "this one's up." Everyone came running, asking me questions that I couldn't understand. Aedion placed me on my feet and everyone held their breaths.

After a minute of finding my balance, I looked up at everyone, tears welling in my eyes, and said, "thank you."

Mor came to the front of the group and crushed me in a hug, followed by Feyre, Aelin, and some other woman I didn't know. I looked at Rowan to see that Myriam still hadn't woken up, I could sense his growing worry.

Oddly, I walked for a long while without any trouble. Someone must have used magic to help me recover. Nobody talked once the whole time, they were probably too worried that Myriam wouldn't wake up.

But then she did. She dramatically sucked in a breath and her hands flew to her eyes. She looked up at Rowan and scrambled around before he placed her on her feet. She immediately crumpled to the ground, gasping for breath scratching at her eyes. Rowan crouched beside her, not quite sure what to do; Rhysand hurried to her side, pulling her hands from her eyes.

"Hey, hey, what's wrong," he coaxed. She had tears streaming down her cheeks.

"They used magic to make me think they'd gouged my eyes out," Myriam choked out. She sat for a few minutes crying, but once she'd composed herself she looked around and said, "how'd you get me out?"

Aelin said, "I snuck the three of us in to rescue you." I could hear the restraint in her voice-she was holding something back.

Myriam rolled her eyes and scoffed, "ever the hero."

Aelin raised her eyebrows and smiled. She walked toward Myriam until she was mere inches from her face. Aelin was significantly shorter than her, but I could tell Aelin would be the one emerging on top after this.

The queen lowered her voice and said, "Myriam, I suggest you watch yourself from now on because if I had been even the slightest bit spiteful about the way I was treated upon our meeting, you would still be hanging in that godsforsaken cell and I guarantee that you would be dead in a few hours-I overheard one of the king's men saying that your execution was scheduled for tonight. Don't think I didn't contemplate leaving you in there, but I decided against it because I was put in a prison just like that one. For a year. You were there for a few days. So your best move would be to drop the attitude, or I'll show just what I was locked up and tortured for."

Myriam didn't say a word as Aelin turned on her heel and kept walking with a smirk on her mouth and death in her eyes. The others followed her, Rowan at her side and Aedion not far behind her. I didn't say a word as I trailed behind them.