Aelin grabbed her father's weapons belt.

"Aelin," Rowan said, sheathing his own knives. "Stay here."

"No."

The horses wouldn't be fast enough. Aelin shifted into her fae body. They would have to run.

They met Aedion, Lysandra, Dorian, and Manon. Abraxos was waiting for them.

Manon petted her winged beast. "He just showed up. He had been in Asterin's care but he came here." Manon shrugged.

The beast knew she needed him. Aelin nodded. "You and Dorian take the skies."

Aedion cocked his head at Aelin. A silent question to stay behind. She ignored him and looked to Lysandra who had shifted into a ghost lepoard.

Dorian helped Manon onto Arbaxos' back. Aelin looked at Rowan who was frowning. She gave a sharp nod and broke out into a run.

She felt every brush of the wind, heard every creature calling to their mates. She ran like wildfire.
.
.
Aelin skidded to a halt. She could smell Elide. The others stopped beside her. Abraxos and the other two circling above.

"There!" Manon shouted.

They ran for another mile and found the upturned carriage.

Rowan placed a hand on Aelin's back. Something was stirring inside her. She breathed slowly.

Lysandra's big nose sniffed along the path and towards the woods. Aelin looked inside the carriage and found the Eye of Elena discarded on the floor. She picked it up and prayed that Elide was safe.

Rowan took the necklace and placed it over her head, letting it dangle between her breasts. It wasn't for her. He knew she could protect herself. It was for their child who's magic was slumbering inside her.

Aedion called to them, "This way!"

They followed Lysandra as she tracked the scent into a dense part of the woods. Woods that smelt so much like Rowan's pine (and snow in the colder months). How had she not noticed?

Abraxos swooped low and Manon said quietly from the beast, "there is a wooden house across a field. Something wicked is in that house."

Aelin nodded and drew out Goldyrn from her back. Aedion and Rowan did the same.

The house looked abandoned. The wood looked burnt and rotting. They made a silent agreement for Dorian and Manon to watch from above in case the attacker escaped.

The windows had been boarded up and there was only a single door to the building. Aelin reached for it but Rowan grabbed her arm. Aedion pushed the door open.

She should have gone first. Aelin grinned at Rowan. She would not allow Aedion to be attacked. She rushed in after him, Rowan on her heels.

No one ambushed them. They rounded the hallway into a set of long connecting rooms. There was no door except for the last room.

Aelin pushed Aedion aside and rushed through the archways. She didn't look too long at them to avoid letting the fear of them collapsing stop her from reaching that room. As she passed through each one she felt a familiar tingle.

Aelin kicked open the door and swung her sword for anyone waiting for her. No one was there.

There was a small cot for someone to sleep on. Aelin moved towards it and the floorboards creaked. She knelt down and knocked on them. A few were hollow.

Aelin sheathed Goldryn and pulled out a knife. She started to remove the first floor board and saw an eye looking up at her.

It was a brown human eye.

"Elide!" Aelin whispered.

Rowan and Aedion started the other floorboards.

Elide was bound in iron chains and she was gagged. Blood and dirt covered her face. Clean streaks scarred her face from where the tears had fell. She had been gagged.

Aelin got to her knees and reached for the girl. A zing of cold power rushed down her arm in a wave. Aelin fell backwards in shock. Elide's eyes were wide.

Aedion pulled Elide out as Rowan helped Aelin to her feet. He studied her and then turned to the whole in the ground.

Aelin sniffed for Lorcan who was indeed somewhere in the whole...

She smelt smoke. And it wasn't hers. The others looked at her and she held up her hands.

Rowan rushed out of the room and came storming back in within seconds. "Its a fire."

The archways, Aelin realised. The tingle... they had wyrdmarks. They must have set them off walking past.

Aedion had managed to ungag Elide. Her voice hoarse as she said, "Lorcan...he's trapped."

Aelin didn't hesitate as she jumped into the hole. She lit up her hand as a make shift torch.

There was a pile off rocks and rubble blocking the rest of the tunnel.

"Lorcan?" Aelin cried.

"Get out of here," he roared.

Aelin started clearing the rubble. Aedion grunted as he landed behind her. He helped her clear the rubble.
The managed to find Lorcan's pale face. It, like Elide's was covered in blood and dirt.

"My arm is stuck," Lorcan told her. "Get Elide out of here. Go before it collapses."

"No," was all she said.

She used her power to melt away some of the smaller rocks.

"I let Maeve take you," he said. "You should leave me."

"We will get you out."

"Aelin," Rowan called. "I cannot put out the fire."

Aelin shook her head. She was already using her magic to hold most of it back but the wyrdmarks were just as powerful as her fire.

"You can stop it soon!" Elide shouted. "This spell is only temporary. When the fire burns the marks away it will have no more power."

"Get out!" Lorcan roared to Elide.

"Rowan take her to Manon," Aelin ordered.

He could get her out safely and someone needed to stay above the hole to help them get back out.

Lysandra rushed in. "I saw the fire." She grabbed Elide and ran like hell.

"Is she out?" Lorcan asked.

There was a massive crash at the other end of the house. Rowan called down. "They're out."

Aelin cleared away some more rocks and found Lorcan's mangled - and definitely broken - arm. He twisted as he realised he was free.

Aelin gripped his good arm. That wave of cold power washed through her arm and into Lorcan. This time she didnt let go. Lorcan cried out in pain.

"Aedion go," she demanded. She needed to see what this power would do.

She heard Rowan pull Aedion up. Aedion then cursed. The fire was closer and the wooden beams were collapsing.

Aelin shoved Lorcan towards Rowan's outstretched arm. She wouldnt leave unless everyone was out. Rowan shot her an exasperated look but pulled Lorcan up.

Rowan then reached down for Aelin and helped her out of the whole. Lorcan slammed the door shut.

"Can't go that way," he growled.

Aelin gripped Lorcan's broken arm this time. He hissed at her but she needed to see the power flowing through her.

Rowan kicked one of the wooden pannels in the wall over and over until it finally broke free. He did the same to the pannel next to it and made a gap.

"Aelin," he whispered.

She stalked towards him and waved for him to leave first - or she wouldn't follow.

Rowan stepped through the gap he made when-

"Shit," Lorcan said and knelt under the cot.

Aelin saw something glimmer under the cot and dove for it.

The wooden house exploded.