Aelin POV

"Your what?" I asked, bolting out of the bed and snatching the clothes from his hand. I started stripping my night clothes right in front of him, favoring speed over privacy-he didn't seem to mind. "You said Lyria didn't survive and neither did the baby."

"The body was never found," he whispered, bowing his head. When I finished dressing, I stood in front of him and placed a finger under his chin to make him look at me. There was so much turmoil behind his green eyes; I could tell this was eating him alive.

"It's going to be okay, now let's go in there and figure things out. Okay?" I assured him, cupping his face and tracing the tattoos that covered it.

"Okay," he echoed as he placed a hand on my back and lead me out of the room.

As we walked down the hall, my stomach turned and turned. His daughter? So Lyria had lived, but for how long? She couldn't have had a long life and just leave Rowan to grieve her. Hopefully, this mystery person would shed some light on the whole situation.

We rounded the corner and I faltered when I saw the woman sitting at the large table in the middle of the room. She reminded me of Manon, only this woman had black hair. It wasn't that she particularly looked like Manon, but it was as if the very air around her was terrified to make a wrong move because it feared her punishments.

Rowan and I sat across from the strange woman and she eyed me as I studied her.

"Who are you and why are you here?" I asked, trying to keep calm.

She tapped her long fingers on the table and said, "My name is Amren. I need the assistance of a few very powerful fae, and I've heard some very promising things about your boyfriend here." She motioned with her head toward Rowan and added, "his daughter speaks well of him."

Rowan stiffened beside me and involuntarily squeezed my hand under the table.

"I want you to explain everything, right now. Starting with his daughter, ending with what exactly you need from us," I commanded, using the queen voice I had perfected over months in the meetings I was forced to attend every week.

Amren took a deep breath, placed her hands on her lap and said, "Her name is Myriam," Rowan quit breathing, "she is one of my very good friends. Back when our world was calm and we had time for true friendships, she told me stories of her father that her mother had told her."

Almost undetectable, almost too quiet to understand, Rowan said, "Lyria," under his breath and lowered his head.

"Yes, Lyria. When I first met your mate, I knew there was something off about her. She was with child when she came to my house begging for a place to stay. I could smell the half-fae child and knew I had to let her in. See, I am extremely old and if there's one thing I've learned, it's that children are more precious than anything else," as she said those words, she eyed me peculiarly. Rowan caught the look that Amren gave me and looked at me puzzledly. I didn't know why Amren gave me that look, but apparently Rowan thought I did because he kept eyeing me. Amren snapped him out of it by saying, "the poor girl flung herself on my couch and started rambling something about an attack and a portal and she kept saying Rowan over and over. She cried for hours and when she calmed down, she told me the story." She turned her attention to Rowan, "she said you left to defend your honor and while you were gone, there was an attack on your village. She got into a fight with a horrible creature that she didn't even know existed and managed to escape. But the thing had her scent memorized and kept following her; she knew she could not hide from it. Lyria ran and ran until she ran straight into a woman who saw her distress and offered to send her to another world. She didn't want to leave, but there was no other way to keep her child safe from the abomination that was following her."

A tear slipped over Rowan's tattoos and fell onto the table.

"The woman opened a portal into my world and sent Lyria to Prythian in order to keep her safe. After Lyria told me everything, and I sent her to one of the human villages to keep her safe and hidden from some particularly vicious fae, I never saw any part of her again-until a couple decades ago, when I met Myriam. She and I became friends and she explained to me what happened to her mother: Lyria was on her way to the human village when she was captured by the fae and was made a human slave for the rest of her life, which wasn't too long. I'm sorry Rowan, but she was beaten to death when Myriam was ten. After that, Myriam was given to the queen's fiancee, Drakon, as an engagement gift. He was horrified at the thought of such a beautiful girl being a gift, so he let her go. Myriam then met Jurian who fell in love with her-she was an extremely charming girl. While Myriam and Jurian went about their business, Drakon realized what a horrible woman he was about to marry and broke off the marriage to search for the pretty girl that was once given to him as a present. Once he found her, she left Jurian and fell in love with Drakon. Myriam and Drakon have been in hiding ever since, and I know where they are. If you help us, I could bring you there to meet them."

Rowan stood up abruptly and started pacing around the room, a wild look in his eyes.

"You keep talking about needing help, what exactly do you want?" I snapped, keeping my eyes on Rowan who was now breathing a little unevenly.

"There is a girl in our world who was once human. She has a strong heart and a good soul, and she is a very loving girl. A few months ago, she was killed by an evil woman who wanted to rule Prythian. All seven of our High Lords used their powers to bring her back to life. She was restored as a high fae, with the powers of each High Lord. I, myself, believe that she is the most powerful being in our world. And I know she is our only hope for defeating the powers that be, but she is trapped in the Spring Court. She is being held there by the High Lord that loves and hates her at the same time; it is a very dangerous situation for her. One wrong move, and she's dead. Aelin, I need your help to get her out," a feline smile placed itself on her face. "When I first arrived, your very handsome cousin," I heard Aedion cough in the adjoining room, "let slip that you just happen to be an assassin-the best assassin in this world."

"So I am, but what does that have to do with anything?" I said skeptically. Though I tried to hide it, I was excited. In the midst of all the meetings and formal events, I'd developed a longing for my familiar daggers. Even for the suit that Arobynn had made for me. This could be the chance to have some real fun, not the party planning and defense strategies I'd been hunched over for months.

"This job will need someone to sneak through vast lands and warded houses undetected, and a warrior," she nodded at Rowan, who had calmed down and was facing her now, "to discard of the High Lord who threatens our savior. Will you help?" she asked.

Rowan and I locked eyes savage smile crept across his face; I had the feeling that he'd been itching for some action too.

He turned to her and said, "We're in. What's the plan?"