AELIN POV

Aelin's lips were pursed as she waited for Lysandra and Evangeline to respond. Her story—who she was and the basic summary of her adventure thus far—had sounded way more epic in her head. In reality, it had sounded pretty lame rolling off her tongue. What had felt like a few weeks of misadventure and mishap had only been a few days, yet she felt completely overwhelmed. It was finally hitting her that she really had left home in some sort of permanent sense. She had no idea when she was going to return and when it came down to it, the only person she could really rely on was herself. 

"Aelin," Lysandra whispered, "you're glowing."

Aelin looked down at her hands and, sure enough, a hot blue haze had enveloped her. 

"It's fine," Aelin said, "It'll go away." 

"You're burning through the boat!" Evangeline yelped.

Aelin looked down where the wet wood was being singed, and immediately began to panic. 

The blue haze glowed brighter, singeing faster. 

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Aelin chanted frantically, hopping from one foot to the other. 

"Just—jump out!" Lysandra suggested. 

"I can't swim!" Aelin shrieked. 

"Um... um... um." Lysandra too was beginning to panic. 

"Hold your breath!" Evangeline shrieked. 

Aelin did. It wasn't like she had any better ideas. She gulped in as much air as possible and held it in. She could hear the frenzied beat of her heart in her ears. The longer she held it, the slower it became. 

"Good," Lysandra said, "It's working. The glow is subsiding. Just a little longer, then you can release it. Slowly."

Aelin nodded and willed her lungs to hold out a bit longer. Then, slowly, she exhaled. What came out wasn't just air. With her released breath came a wave of raw power. It poured out of her like a pent-up sigh, rippling outwards and billowing over the water in every direction. 

Lysandra looked a little nervous. She and Evangeline were catching their breaths. "Good?" the shifter enquired.

"Good," Aelin nodded, glumly. 

Aelin sank to her knees, face buried in her hands and let out a frustrated scream. Moments after she felt thin, tiny arms wrap around her and a matching tiny head lean against her own. She bit back a sob. 

"It's okay, Aelin," Evangeline said sweetly. 

"I didn't have anyone to walk me through shifting either," Lysandra said, "so I have an inkling of how you're feeling."

"You didn't?" Aelin asked. 

"No," she confirmed. "It's a bit of a sad story, but I'll share it with you. You trusted me with yours and I trust you with mine." She came to sit next to her. "We're quite alike you know. Apart from the whole you being a princess of the realm thing." Aelin laughed and looked up at the shifter. Lysandra continued, "I know what it's like to have power yet still feel powerless, Aelin. I also know what it's like to be alone." 

Aelin smiled a bit. "Suddenly I don't feel so alone anymore, actually."

Lysandra smiled back. 

FENRYS POV  

Fenrys stood with Elide near the prow of the ship looking out into the ocean as the captain steered the vessel towards Skull's Bay. 

"Spot anything of interest?" he asked the girl, who was peering through a spyglass. 

He liked Elide. The girl was obviously the smartest of the Terrasen bunch. Aelin was pretty witty herself but Elide possessed a sharpness to her intelligence that clearly singled her out. She would be a great asset to Aelin's court in the future, no doubt about it. Aedion, on the other hand, seemed a bit dull. Fenrys did have a soft spot for him—him being Gavriel's son—but facts were facts. 

"Is there any reason you're bothering to humor me?" she shot back. "Your eyes can easily see as far as this thing lets me."

"Testy, testy," he chided, "I'm just making conversation."

She scowled, but relented only a few seconds later. "Sorry," she apologized, "Aedion's just got me worked up."

"You three are pretty close, huh?"

"Yeah," she admitted, "Aedion's basically our big brother."

"His Fae heritage probably makes it worse."

"Entirely worse. What's that about anyway?" she asked. 

An innocent enough question but at Fenrys' age, though still young by Fae standards, one could tell when someone was fishing for information. As neutral as Elide had willed her face to be, Fenrys' ears could pick up on the slight increase in her heart rate.

"The territorialism?"

"I was going to say "overprotectiveness" but I like that a lot better."

"You've been around Fae enough to know about it, I'm sure," he challenged.

"Yes, but I don't always understand it."

"That's surprising."

The neutrality in her face faltered a bit, frustration beginning to seep in. Fenrys couldn't help his smirk. 

"How so?" she asked, teeth grinding a bit as she did.

"Granted, I haven't known you for a very long time, Lady, but you're definitely one of the smartest people I know. So out with it—whatever it is you're dying to know."

She narrowed her eyes at him, probably debating whether to just come clean, or how to murder him in his sleep. Both options excited Fenrys immensely. 

"I get why Aedion's got his panties in a twist but I don't get why Rowan's got the same affliction."

Fenrys burst out laughing. The thought of Rowan in panties. Gods, it was just too much. He laughed for a solid minute and a half before managing to regain his composure. Barely, though. 

"What's make you say that? Rowan's chill. I mean, look at him." 

Elide gave him a deadpan look. "You insult the intelligence you yourself claim I possess, Fenrys."

Rowan had just came back from scouting the area for pirates and was leaning atop one of the ship's spars. Anyone who didn't really know him would read his rigid posture as "cool and collected Fae warrior." Those who did know him, however, would know that rigidness was tied directly to his worry for Aelin. Fenrys still couldn't get over the fact that the Princess was his Gods damned mate. He had secretly hoped that his brother-in-arms would find his mate to be some sweet merchant girl who would whisk him away to a life of quiet agriculture in some isolated mountain. If anything, it would lower Rowan's blood pressure, which seemed to be constantly high. But a Princess? Terrasen's only Princess, no less. The poor guy wouldn't be catching a break anytime soon. The politics he so tried to avoid would no doubt be inescapable in days to come. 

Elide cleared her throat. Shit. There was no way in hell he was telling her that Aelin was Rowan's mate. He supposed it didn't really matter, though. If she was half as smart as he thought she was, Elide would figure it out herself in no time. 

He sent her that grin of his that usually made people throw punches, paired with an elaborate shrug. 

"The Gods alone know what Whitethorn's got up his ass, Lady. Try asking him yourself."

Then it happened. A wave of power blew right through them, like an invisible push. It was a wind given form and energy. It crackled, smelling of embers and lemon verbena—it smelled of Aelin. It was a beacon, it had to be. As soon as the realization dawned on him, he whipped his head towards Rowan. The Fae Prince had already shifted and was flying toward the point where the beacon had come from. 

"I guess my question will have to wait," Elide breathed. 

AELIN POV

"Lysandra! Aelin! Wake up!" 

Aelin's eyes shot open. Though Evangeline's voice was low, it was full of urgency. Lysandra woke up seconds later. The shifter squinted at the bright glow of the sunset as she sat up. Dried salt left streaks on her face from the corners of her eyes to the curve of her chin. She had fallen asleep, shedding tears as she told Aelin her and Evangeline's story. 

Aelin looked at Evangeline, who was also crying. Aelin smiled a bit at the girl before she registered the panic in her eyes. They had all fallen asleep—hours ago by indication of the sun. Why was Evangeline still crying? Aelin quickly leaned over the boat and splashed some water on her face, willing the grogginess to leave her body. When she looked back, the girl was shaking in Lysandra's arms. Both the shifter and the girl were staring at whatever was behind Aelin's back. Aelin turned around, bracing herself for the worst. 

Creeping up behind them was a ship. Not just any ship—a pirate ship, one with a huge sea-dragon plastered to its prow.

Fuck. 

She didn't think it was possible, but the day had officially gotten worse. 

** I didn't forget about this fic, I've just been super busy with school—yes, even during this summer. I promise to do better in bringing you guys the next chapter within a decent time frame!.

As always, thanks so much for reading!**