p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="df39014d1acd3d36470fd4c9f90bdc47"Excerpt taken from KoA/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="3c4e499315c4948e6f6ab7622ac01a13" She was falling. Falling and being thrown. The Wyrdgate sealed behind her, and yet she was not home. As it closed, all worlds overlapped./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="d4e81586caef98628413c203d11803c2" And she now fell through them./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="40220e57d1969cd23e6b838b7cf65402" One after another after another. Worlds of water, worlds of ice, worlds ofbr style="box-sizing: border-box;" /darkness. She slammed through them, faster than a shooting star, faster than light./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="84dbbc13bc3f80ee64b81205dc001b09" Home./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="2857b7eb88008515f16639f16c7f8b9f" She had to find em style="box-sizing: border-box;"home/em—br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /Worlds of lights, worlds of towers that stretched to the skies, worlds ofbr style="box-sizing: border-box;" /silence./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="f7f59be768ccc10ec3b10803ee62c331" So many./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="103e3b2e696c7fee74555d06fa5f9db1" There were so many worlds, all of them miraculous, all of them so preciousbr style="box-sizing: border-box;" /and perfect that even as she fell through them, her heart broke to see style="box-sizing: border-box;" /Home. The way home—br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /She fumbled for the tether, the bond in her soul. Inked into her flesh./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="b445b1b4a2c1f57b9b6215e5d7d46028" em style="box-sizing: border-box;"Come back to me/em./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="7f0350fb27ebc76e01a7e4e57575795c" Aelin plunged through world after world after world. Too fast. She would hit her own world too fast, and miss it style="box-sizing: border-box;" /But she could not slow. Could not stop./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="586af0dd9b794e7dd54f1b0c8a7a4c0d" Tumbling, flipping over herself, she passed through them one by one by onebr style="box-sizing: border-box;" /by one by one./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="570d2a33224f5ad7a41299ea690c47e1" It is the strength of this that matters. Wherever em style="box-sizing: border-box;"you go, Aelin, no matter how/embr style="box-sizing: border-box;" /em style="box-sizing: border-box;"far, this will lead you home./embr style="box-sizing: border-box;" /Aelin roared, a spark of self flashing through the sky./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="b78f9ca9f0a780436768a0e522b9be96" The tether grew stronger. Tighter. Reeling her in./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="18cdc38d8bd1d68415b5d04347dc7d1a" Too fast. She had to slow—/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="11a2e0b274448bfbeabe7d9f38835a01" She plummeted into the last of herself, into what remained, grappling for anybr style="box-sizing: border-box;" /sort of power to slow her racing./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="2967732213710369ff03b89b293ff068" She passed through a world where a great city had been built along the curvebr style="box-sizing: border-box;" /of a river, the buildings impossibly tall and glimmering with lights./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="0aceeeefbb54d5b0fe8b890504d1629b" Passed through a world of rain and green and wind. Roaring, she tried to slow./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="5e6e29fc52f8dc85bb8db686dfa57daa" She passed through a world of oceans with no land to be seen./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="04b7cc3fe0363d993b925378db5841dd" Close. Home was so close she could nearly smell the pine and snow. If shebr style="box-sizing: border-box;" /missed it, if she passed by it— She passed through a world of snowcapped mountains under shining stars./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="92d54c4ff3cc24a989f05e4f9c96cf0c" Passed over one of those mountains, where a winged male stood beside a heavilybr style="box-sizing: border-box;" /pregnant female, gazing at those very stars./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="2f7af0108cbe6499062f4f520e978fac" Fae./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="6ab619a8ebba3c5864f263e92647ad49" They were Fae, but this was not her style="box-sizing: border-box;" /She flung out a hand, as if she might signal them, as if they might somehowbr style="box-sizing: border-box;" /help her when she was nothing but an invisible speck of power—/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="cb0ccd74135b8607cfbc7bfa1aaa33d9" The winged male, beautiful beyond reason, snapped his head toward her asbr style="box-sizing: border-box;" /she arced across his starry style="box-sizing: border-box;" /He lifted a hand, as if in greeting./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="047057b79cd35e3084d9b5ec0fa056dc" A blast of dark power, like a gentle summer night, slammed into her./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="189a7a6add0b4b07d19e695974def26b" Not to attack—but to slow her down. A wall, a shield, that she tore and plunged through. But it slowed her./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="42205fe9c15ae49222e70f3e1bdffc2c"*span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;"End of excerpt. A bit long, but I don't think any of us mind reading more of /spanspan style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;"SJM's/spanspan style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;" wonderful work.*/span/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="2c3278b519ec32911829348aaa30374d" It slowed her. Too much. She was slowing, slowing, slowing. Slowing enough that instead of crashing through this world and into the next, she was softly drifting down to the surface of this world. No- no, she needed to get home./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="b5eb2b7b35b892efb679768b1f0a5802" Aelin needed to return to her world, to fight and lead and kill. Instead, she was stuck in this gods-damned world, whose surface was approaching ever nearer./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="89d8552b2c0ff4e3b93b0eed8014f967" She twist and fought, but nothing erased that dark power's hold. One last brutal gift from the vengeful gods she had just doomed to fate, she supposed./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="8ccf7a2416174202461bdf6e233037b5" Finally, the ground was near enough that when the power's grip loosened, Aelin fell only around 10 feet, tucking and rolling smoothly, easing into a crouch./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="2f4f5a1dac03cc18b5d7e9fd48f39ae8" Another shock came when she realized that the world she was in was quite like Terrasen. All around her, pine forests stretched, tall rocky mountains piercing the beautiful starry sky beyond them./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="36ef870d419d06f933fb4e49eb7c5cf0" This place was made for the moon and the night./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="abbccaefe920a437843c8dd6eb25b036" A bright flash and rustle of wind came from behind, and Aelin whirled, cursing herself for her lack of weapons. Although, she knew her hands and feet would do just fine./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="6ee0790954071dab94da0da389a020d3" In place of the flash, the two fae she had seen stood. Aelin instantly knew who the power that had stopped her had come from. The one with night-dark hair and violet eyes. The well of power she could sense he had once could have rivaled her own./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="c805445fce42afea802833259c3ad42c" She furiously shoved down the pain and sorrow that came from the thought. em style="box-sizing: border-box;"I am Aelin /emem style="box-sizing: border-box;"Ashryver/emem style="box-sizing: border-box;" Whitethorn Galythinius, and I will not be afraid. Even in a new world, separated from my mate, friends, and power, I am the Fire-Bringer. Heir of Mala. Queen of /emem style="box-sizing: border-box;"Terrasen/emem style="box-sizing: border-box;"./em/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="8911b9a431e81f234ff00e2c5de3a1b4"em style="box-sizing: border-box;" I am still /emem style="box-sizing: border-box;"Elentiya/emem style="box-sizing: border-box;". Spirit that cannot be broken./em/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="4d39725f06e461d95249e448063c57b8"span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;"Edit: I'm so sorry about the weird layout! On my end, it looks fine, but to readers, it looks really spaced out. I don't know how to fix it, so I'm sorry it's staying that style="box-sizing: border-box;" /br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;"Did/spanspan style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;" I do ok? Constructive criticism and comments are welcome! Usually, the chaps will be longer and consist of more original writing, but since this is chapter 1, I'm letting that slide. /span/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="3c4e499315c4948e6f6ab7622ac01a13" She was falling. Falling and being thrown. The Wyrdgate sealed behind her, and yet she was not home. As it closed, all worlds overlapped./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="d4e81586caef98628413c203d11803c2" And she now fell through them./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="40220e57d1969cd23e6b838b7cf65402" One after another after another. Worlds of water, worlds of ice, worlds ofbr style="box-sizing: border-box;" /darkness. She slammed through them, faster than a shooting star, faster than light./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="84dbbc13bc3f80ee64b81205dc001b09" Home./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="2857b7eb88008515f16639f16c7f8b9f" She had to find em style="box-sizing: border-box;"home/em—br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /Worlds of lights, worlds of towers that stretched to the skies, worlds ofbr style="box-sizing: border-box;" /silence./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="f7f59be768ccc10ec3b10803ee62c331" So many./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="103e3b2e696c7fee74555d06fa5f9db1" There were so many worlds, all of them miraculous, all of them so preciousbr style="box-sizing: border-box;" /and perfect that even as she fell through them, her heart broke to see style="box-sizing: border-box;" /Home. The way home—br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /She fumbled for the tether, the bond in her soul. Inked into her flesh./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="b445b1b4a2c1f57b9b6215e5d7d46028" em style="box-sizing: border-box;"Come back to me/em./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="7f0350fb27ebc76e01a7e4e57575795c" Aelin plunged through world after world after world. Too fast. She would hit her own world too fast, and miss it style="box-sizing: border-box;" /But she could not slow. Could not stop./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="586af0dd9b794e7dd54f1b0c8a7a4c0d" Tumbling, flipping over herself, she passed through them one by one by onebr style="box-sizing: border-box;" /by one by one./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="570d2a33224f5ad7a41299ea690c47e1" It is the strength of this that matters. Wherever em style="box-sizing: border-box;"you go, Aelin, no matter how/embr style="box-sizing: border-box;" /em style="box-sizing: border-box;"far, this will lead you home./embr style="box-sizing: border-box;" /Aelin roared, a spark of self flashing through the sky./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="b78f9ca9f0a780436768a0e522b9be96" The tether grew stronger. Tighter. Reeling her in./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="18cdc38d8bd1d68415b5d04347dc7d1a" Too fast. She had to slow—/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="11a2e0b274448bfbeabe7d9f38835a01" She plummeted into the last of herself, into what remained, grappling for anybr style="box-sizing: border-box;" /sort of power to slow her racing./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="2967732213710369ff03b89b293ff068" She passed through a world where a great city had been built along the curvebr style="box-sizing: border-box;" /of a river, the buildings impossibly tall and glimmering with lights./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="0aceeeefbb54d5b0fe8b890504d1629b" Passed through a world of rain and green and wind. Roaring, she tried to slow./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="5e6e29fc52f8dc85bb8db686dfa57daa" She passed through a world of oceans with no land to be seen./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="04b7cc3fe0363d993b925378db5841dd" Close. Home was so close she could nearly smell the pine and snow. If shebr style="box-sizing: border-box;" /missed it, if she passed by it— She passed through a world of snowcapped mountains under shining stars./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="92d54c4ff3cc24a989f05e4f9c96cf0c" Passed over one of those mountains, where a winged male stood beside a heavilybr style="box-sizing: border-box;" /pregnant female, gazing at those very stars./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="2f7af0108cbe6499062f4f520e978fac" Fae./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="6ab619a8ebba3c5864f263e92647ad49" They were Fae, but this was not her style="box-sizing: border-box;" /She flung out a hand, as if she might signal them, as if they might somehowbr style="box-sizing: border-box;" /help her when she was nothing but an invisible speck of power—/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="cb0ccd74135b8607cfbc7bfa1aaa33d9" The winged male, beautiful beyond reason, snapped his head toward her asbr style="box-sizing: border-box;" /she arced across his starry style="box-sizing: border-box;" /He lifted a hand, as if in greeting./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="047057b79cd35e3084d9b5ec0fa056dc" A blast of dark power, like a gentle summer night, slammed into her./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="189a7a6add0b4b07d19e695974def26b" Not to attack—but to slow her down. A wall, a shield, that she tore and plunged through. But it slowed her./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="42205fe9c15ae49222e70f3e1bdffc2c"*span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;"End of excerpt. A bit long, but I don't think any of us mind reading more of /spanspan style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;"SJM's/spanspan style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;" wonderful work.*/span/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="2c3278b519ec32911829348aaa30374d" It slowed her. Too much. She was slowing, slowing, slowing. Slowing enough that instead of crashing through this world and into the next, she was softly drifting down to the surface of this world. No- no, she needed to get home./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="b5eb2b7b35b892efb679768b1f0a5802" Aelin needed to return to her world, to fight and lead and kill. Instead, she was stuck in this gods-damned world, whose surface was approaching ever nearer./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="89d8552b2c0ff4e3b93b0eed8014f967" She twist and fought, but nothing erased that dark power's hold. One last brutal gift from the vengeful gods she had just doomed to fate, she supposed./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="8ccf7a2416174202461bdf6e233037b5" Finally, the ground was near enough that when the power's grip loosened, Aelin fell only around 10 feet, tucking and rolling smoothly, easing into a crouch./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="2f4f5a1dac03cc18b5d7e9fd48f39ae8" Another shock came when she realized that the world she was in was quite like Terrasen. All around her, pine forests stretched, tall rocky mountains piercing the beautiful starry sky beyond them./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="36ef870d419d06f933fb4e49eb7c5cf0" This place was made for the moon and the night./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="abbccaefe920a437843c8dd6eb25b036" A bright flash and rustle of wind came from behind, and Aelin whirled, cursing herself for her lack of weapons. Although, she knew her hands and feet would do just fine./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="6ee0790954071dab94da0da389a020d3" In place of the flash, the two fae she had seen stood. Aelin instantly knew who the power that had stopped her had come from. The one with night-dark hair and violet eyes. The well of power she could sense he had once could have rivaled her own./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="c805445fce42afea802833259c3ad42c" She furiously shoved down the pain and sorrow that came from the thought. em style="box-sizing: border-box;"I am Aelin /emem style="box-sizing: border-box;"Ashryver/emem style="box-sizing: border-box;" Whitethorn Galythinius, and I will not be afraid. Even in a new world, separated from my mate, friends, and power, I am the Fire-Bringer. Heir of Mala. Queen of /emem style="box-sizing: border-box;"Terrasen/emem style="box-sizing: border-box;"./em/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="8911b9a431e81f234ff00e2c5de3a1b4"em style="box-sizing: border-box;" I am still /emem style="box-sizing: border-box;"Elentiya/emem style="box-sizing: border-box;". Spirit that cannot be broken./em/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="4d39725f06e461d95249e448063c57b8"span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;"Edit: I'm so sorry about the weird layout! On my end, it looks fine, but to readers, it looks really spaced out. I don't know how to fix it, so I'm sorry it's staying that style="box-sizing: border-box;" /br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;"Did/spanspan style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;" I do ok? Constructive criticism and comments are welcome! Usually, the chaps will be longer and consist of more original writing, but since this is chapter 1, I'm letting that slide. /span/p