A Perfect World

Chapter 7

AEDION POV

As their group approached the border, Aedion began to panic. Aelin was definitely up to something, at a time when she had so much to lose. But then again, that was basically Aelin's modus operandi. 

Ever since Rowan's pep talk yesterday, Aelin's anxiety had not only vanished but had been replaced with swaggering nonchalance. The Prince could spit that much game apparently. Rowan had obviously taken an immediate liking to his cousin and, admittedly, Aedion was pretty jealous. He had known Rowan since he was a boy and had to work so hard to gain Rowan's respect. He was still doing so. Aelin, on the other hand, had won it in a heartbeat. By the look of things right now, a few more batted eyelashes in Rowan's direction and she could probably win his heart too. Aelin, however, apparently decided that Fenrys was more up her alley.

That was when Aedion's bullshit sensor had started to tingle. She and Rowan were obviously into each other yet here she was chatting up Fenrys, today. Aedion noticed Rowan pretending not to notice the pair as they exchanged whispers. Those two were most definitely up to something but what, Aedion had no clue. Anytime he or Rowan would get close enough to eavesdrop, Fenrys would vanish with her and reappear a few metres ahead. 

Aedion was pretty sure that he was about to pop a vein when Lorcan suddenly announced, "We're here." 

Everyone had gone death still. 

There it was, marked by a stream that was running parallel to it. Terrasen's border. It was showtime. 

ROWAN POV

To say that Rowan was a bit annoyed by the time they had reached the border was the understatement of the century. He had already decided to himself that Aelin was off-limits and that was that. He had self-control. Or so he thought. She and Fenrys had been all over each other today and it irritated every fibre in his being. Call him crazy but he was pretty sure that Aelin was at least a little interested in him. Not that it mattered. Besides, she was nineteen. Why did this behavior even shock him? Nineteen year olds were frivolous creatures, just discovering the world and their place in it for the first time. He had been nineteen once, albeit a long, long time ago. That was another reason he needed to get a gods damned grip on himself. He was over three hundred years old for crying out loud.

It wasn't even the Fenrys thing that irritated him. It was simply being around her. He didn't know if anyone else had noticed but with each step that took them closer to the border, more and more of Aelin's magic began to leak out. He could feel it clinging to him, wrapping around him in a warm embrace and coaxing out his own. It was as if their magics were playing. So Rowan was pretty relieved by the time they had reached the border. Hopefully he'd be put out of his misery once her full power was unleashed.

"Are you ready?" he heard Fenrys ask Aelin. 

"It's now or never," she replied. 

The pair held each other's eyes for a brief moment. Fucking Fenrys. 

"Are you two quite done?" Rowan asked, losing his patience. 

He heard Lorcan huff a laugh behind him. 

"Seriously, we have to get going," said Lorcan. "Once we enter Adarlan, we'll have to split up and keep our heads down until we reconvene at the docks in Rifthold. It doesn't matter that Terrasen and Adarlan maintain a peaceful relationship. There are plenty of people in Adarlan who thrive on chaos, most notably the King of Assassins. Plus, this is a secret mission. King Havilliard doesn't even know that we're passing through his territory and will therefore not be able to offer us any protection."

"I think we can spare one minute to have her collect herself, General," Elide quipped. 

Lorcan gritted his teeth but relented, "One minute."