Feyre's POV

"I called it!" Mor whispered to me as we walked back into the house. I'd expect a reaction like this from Aelin, but she seemed so scared. I'd think she would be a bit more excited; it was a baby!

Aelin had seemed so vulnerable in that moment, more vulnerable than I'd ever seen her. I would guess she was around my age, but the way she carried herself made her seem older. The way she was slightly cold and closed off suggested that she's been through a lot. She probably didn't think she would be able to take care of it.

The thought boggled me, though I had just met the girl but she seemed so capable to do anything, to take on the world. She was frightened about something else, too, but I didn't know what it was yet. I'd only come this conclusion because I realized how alike Aelin and I were. We were put into situations that we didn't ask to be put in. The way she held her chin high, not in an arrogant manner, but as if it were the only thing to keep her going, the same way I did. Or the way she would stare into the distance, hints of tears lining her eyes every now and then. Or the way she would clench her jaw as if holding her back from spilling all her thoughts that she kept so hidden, so neatly tucked away.

I'd seen myself in Aelin. I'd noticed all of this in the few moments I'd seen her, and I knew one thing. I would do anything to help her, for what she saved me from. I'd never gotten the chance to thank her, because her weapons and the twisted act she performed at the Spring Court kept me terrified and a good distance away from her.

Before we walked through the doorway, I grabbed Mor's arm and pulled her back a few steps.

"Mor, I don't think it would be wise to mention Aelin's…" I glanced at the men cautiously before adding, "condition. She's still in a state of shock. She'll say it when the time is right." I whispered so softly that Mor had to hold her breath to catch it.

She looked me in the eye, glanced at Aelin through the glass door before nodding. And in that moment I knew that Aelin would be sticking around for a while, and we'd do anything to help her if she accepted Rhysand's offer.

Rhysand's POV

Once Aelin had come back, Feyre and Mor followed soon after. Curious as to what went down outside, I asked consent to explore Feyre's mind to make it quick. My imaginary talons grazed her solidly guarded mind. I could easily open her mind without breaking a sweat but we agreed long ago that we would never do that. She quickly accepted and granted me entrance only to the memory of what happened outside. What I saw confirmed my suspicions, the queen was pregnant, but she wished to keep it a secret for now. I squeezed Feyre's hand and she closed her mind to me completely like I had taught her to.

I looked at Aelin to see that she was nervously glancing at Mor and Feyre. Rowan seemed to notice her fidgeting and kept trying to comfort Aelin, but she would just inch away, and shake her head. His brows were furrowed and I could practically see all the wheels in Rowan's head turning, but I knew he would never figure it out unless she came out and said it.

"What was it you needed to speak to us about privately?" Aelin demanded, she had regained her composure and was no longer that frail and fidgety girl, but a true queen.

I glanced at the rest of my companions, sorrowful looks onto their faces and I knew I was making the right choice in consulting Aelin.

"It's Amren. She's- she's gone," saying the words aloud was harder than I thought it would be.

"What do you mean, she's gone? Where is she?" Aelin said, eyes wide and concern clear in her voice. She had known Amren for a few hours, but I could tell she'd grown to care for her. Maybe this would be easier than I thought.

"Well if I knew, don't think I would have gotten her back by now," I snapped back in an irritated tone. I took a deep breath, and was grateful when Feyre took over.

"We think the king has taken her. One of his lackeys left a clue behind, and we think it was on purpose."

"A trap?" Rowan asked cooly. He did everything cooly, with an air of detachment it seemed. The only thing close to emotion I'd seen of him was when he was surprised to see Azriel and Cassian.

"Probably," I confirmed in a much stronger voice. "Amren is strong. I know she'll be able to survive long enough for us to get her out. But what I'm even more worried about is this," I said, taking out a piece of paper from my pocket and handing it to Rowan.

WE HAVE MYRIAM was scrawled on the tiny shred of paper. Rage flashed across Rowan's features and his teeth were bared. I could feel the power brewing within him, he truly was terrifying, not that I'd ever admit it.

"Why would they target Myriam?" Aelin asked. She was also furious, fire dancing in her eyes. Power seemed to ripple off of her as well, they made quite the pair. While Rowan was cool and collected, Aelin was all fire.

I took a deep breath once more before I began to explain. "I believe Amren has told you about Jurian?" I asked.

"She said that he fell in love with Myriam, but Myriam left him for Drakon," Aelin answered impatiently, she raised her eyebrows waiting for me to explain further. Certainly this baby did not dull her impatience.

"Yes. Well, the King resurrected Jurian. Long story short: Jurian is still in love with Myriam and he wants her back; the King, for some unknown reason, is doing what Jurian asks. We think he captured Amren as well because she was the only one even close to translating the Book," I summarized in a rushed tone. With each word rage and betrayal was becoming more and more prominent on Aelin and Rowan's faces.

"What Book?" asked Aelin in a barely even voice. She was struggling to remain calm, and suddenly her hand caught on fire. I saw the gold in her eyes turn bright red.

Everybody in the room let out surprised shrieks and gasps, except Rowan.

"Fireheart, calm down," he said, his voice calm and soothing. He enveloped her in a tight embrace and the fire on her hand extinguished. His immediate reaction suggested that this happened often.

"The Book of Breathings is a powerful tool that could be used to destroy the Cauldron that revived Jurian. We painfully retrieved it from the Summer Court," I answered the question that was asked before her outburst.

"What in the worlds is the Cauldron?" she demanded hysterically. I guessed these were the mood swings that were to be expected.

"One of the most dangerous objects in this land. With it, who knows what the king could do. He's planning on destroying the mortal lands. With it, he can create Fae just like that," I snapped my fingers for the effect. "We need to translate the Book, destroy the Cauldron, and rescue Amren and Myriam."

"Why couldn't you translate the stupid Book?" Aelin asked me.

"It was a language that no one in this realm has ever heard before. Amren was the only one who could translate it, and only sections of it. It took her ages," I admitted.

"Where is it?" she asked suspiciously, her eyes narrowing. A look that I had received from her before.

"It's in a safe place. It's dangerous. There were two halves of the book. When they joined it was powerful. It had a mind of it's own. It could convince you to do things you don't want to do," I said regretfully, squeezing Feyre's hand.

"Whatever. What are we waiting for? Let's go," Aelin insisted pulling Rowan's arm like a child. He didn't budge.

Surprisingly, it was Rowan who said what we'd all been thinking. "We need a plan. If the King is strong enough that he could somehow capture Amren, and almost kill Rhysand, we need a lot more than anger to defeat him," Rowan said, ice frosting his articulate diction.

"There's more," I added, a bit hesitantly. Something told me I didn't want to see Aelin's reaction when I told her what I wanted to ask her next.