Chapter 29: Tape

Elide frowned. Covered in styrofoam pellets was an old cassette tape.

Great, now Elide needed to find a way out and find a cassette player. Who kept those things nowadays? She peeked out from behind the cabinets. Students started trickling in. Good, hopefully, it would buy her some time.

She snuck out of the cafeteria.

Eventually, Elide came across an old storage closet that looked like the epicenter of all things outdated.

Using her staff key, she opened the door and immediately started coughing. Swatting through cobwebs, she found the light switch. She held a breath. Around her were stacks of discarded textbooks, papers, and objects that indicated staff hookups.

Using her foot, she slid a paper to her. The date that was written indicated that the paper was lying there for over twenty years. Why didn't anyone clean this place?

She shook her head and abandoned her confusion. Elide rummaged through a pile of nothing until she found a cassette player attached to a thick TV.

She slid the cassette and turned the TV on. She waited for a moment while black and white lines fluttered on the screen and there was only white noise. After a minute, the screen cleared and a low-quality video played.

It was enough to make her stomach drop.

There were two things Aelin hated: a low chocolate supply and cram study sessions. Sprawled around her were papers and binders and notes and supplies. Rowan was lounging on the couch of the lobby room. Aedion was sitting at a desk facing the wall, and Lysandra was lying on the ground next to Aelin, who was sitting against the couch. All of them studied diligently for their midterms, which were in a week. But Aelin could barely understand what was hastily scribbled in her notebook through the hard nightcore blasting through her headphones.

At some point, Rowan's timer went off. He tapped Aelin's shoulder and told her it was time to go volunteering again. So she packed her things and left with Rowan.

Sitting in the car, Aelin turned on the radio to one of the 90's pop stations she liked. If they were going to go on a long trek, she was going to do things her way.

After some time Aelin grew bored. Rowan, sensing her agitation, asked her a spontaneous question that threw her off, "If we had a daughter what would we name her?"

Aelin stared at him for a moment and then slowly smiled, "Lada."

Rowan creased his brow, "As in Lada Dragwlya of And I Darken?"

Aelin nodded, "The one and only."

He cleared his throat and turned the gear to cruise, "Isn't she quite… brutal?"

Aelin's smile turns into a devilish smirk, "Yes. That's why she's awesome."

Rowan grew fearful of the glint in Aelin's eyes, "Okay."

End of conversation.

Elide watched in horror as she saw Vernon beating up her. Her nine-year-old self. A lump was caught in her throat, and she was pretty sure she couldn't breathe. She knew Vernon recorded her helpless self when he beat her for his own twisted gain, but why would Lorcan have it. How did it end up here?

Elide was on her knees. She didn't know how long she sat there. But to some degree, when she was able to stand, she to the cassette out and left the room.

Her eyes held no emotion and one hand held the tape, for the world to see. Seeing her helpless self… she wasn't that girl anymore. She could take a stand. She could ask the questions.

And Lorcan was going to get them.

Most of what happened a few hours ago was a blur. Rowan and Aelin had cracked themselves up into oblivion that Rowan steered right into the side of the hospital building. The damage wasn't too bad. It was just the side, but a doctor came rushing out of the doors. She called herself Irene. Immediately she fixed the situation. And just like that, it looked like nothing happened. Except for the basketball sized dent on the side of Rowan's car. The fiasco took an hour of their time. But it still left enough time to get some hours in.

Still enough time to meet Fenrys.

Lorcan was at a loss. How did she find the cassette? How did she know what was in it?

Elide's eyes were brimming with water. Of course, she felt humiliated. And to some degree, betrayed. For Lorcan to see her so weak and helpless. She pulled him into the corner of the kitchen, where nobody could see them. All the students were already busy eating.

She waved the cassette, "Why do you have this?"

Lorcan lifted his hands up, "I know this looks bad, but just listen. It's very confusing."

Elide froze at the desperation in his voice.

Lorcan seized the opportunity and explained, "After Vernon was imprisoned, he gave the tape to Ianthe so that she could use it against you. Perhaps to bail him out - I don't know. After I found out, I needed to get my hands on the tape. But Ianthe wouldn't budge. So I threatened to hurt Arobynn, her sweet darling love if she didn't give me the tape."

Elide shoved down her disgust at those two together."

Lorcan lowered his hands, "I wanted to destroy that tape. So nobody could get the upper hand against you. So you could be free of your past."

Now Elide was at a loss, and the latch on her feelings burst through the seams, "But… I was so weak. In so much pain… and I was… so broken. And you saw me…"

Lorcan shook his head fiercely and hugged Elide in a bone-crushing manner. Elide was smashed into Lorcan's broad chest. But she didn't mind. Not one bit as Lorcan held her as sobs racked her body.

He pulled her out of the hug and held her face in between his hands and spoke with absolute certainty, "You were not broken. I know that. You were controlled." He brushed away the hair covering her face, "Though he should have known better than to cage a lioness."

She gave him a shaky smile.

Someone cleared his throat, and Luca stood a few feet away with his arms over his chest with a wide grin. Elide felt Lorcan tense.

Luca teased, "I hate to break it up, but these dishes won't do themselves."

Lorcan grunted, "Do them yourself, boy." As he wrapped Elide's legs around his waist and hauled her into the supply room.

Rowan held Fenrys's hands as him and Aelin laughed at a lewd joke he told her.

But eventually, the laughter wore off and he looked to his friend that was there for him since the beginning, "Rowan, you need to get that scholarship. I can't pay off these medical bills on their own."

Rowan gave him a gentle smile, "Don't worry. We're here for you. Me and the Cadre. Now and always."

Maybe that worry Aelin had of losing her friends was without reason.

I know, the editing could be better. Who's excited for Kingdom of Ash? The cover is GORGEOUS! I'm low key panicking because school starts tomorrow. Agh!

Maybe leave a review for your girl?