Hellfire

Rowan

Rowan wasn't sure he was breathing. He began thanking every god he had ever heard of as he cradled his mate against his chest. He could feel her injuries beneath her clothes, and rage rose up so quickly he almost choked. But she just cried and cried, locking her arms around his neck. He had felt the barrage of emotions and thoughts erupting in her head the moment she had stepped through the door. 

Not dead not dead not dead here alive, he told himself as he held her tighter against him. He began rocking her gently before standing and looking in askance to the golden-eyed woman. She nodded, and led the way down the stairs and down a passageway. Aelin's cries had slowed, and she was just nuzzling her face into his neck in a way that made it hard to think straight. The female gestured to a room on the right, and smiled at him. 

"Do you want me to bring some food and water?" she whispered, a small smile on her face. Rowan nodded. He thanked her, then closed the door behind him. He laid Aelin down on the bed before walking around the room, checking for traps or suspicious holes or creaks. He finished his inspection, locked the door, and then sat down next to Aelin. She made his way into his lap again, tightening her hold on his neck. Quiet sobs still wracked through her, and Rowan just held her.

"You're not dead," she breathed, choking on tears. He shook his head, fingers brushing her hair back from her face. "And neither are you," he answered. It was her turn to shake her head. There were so many questions he wanted to ask her, but all he could do was just take in her face.

"How much pain are you in?" he asked gruffly, laying her down beside him, settling into the pillows. She smiled at him, eyes still lined with silver, shaking her head at the unasked question. "Too much," she answered. He nodded absently, running a finger down her shoulder and over her hip and back up again. Her hands found his face and brushed feather-light touches along his ears, jaw, and cheeks. Finally, she leaned in and claimed his mouth, tucking her arms behind his head. He wrapped one arm around her waist while the other cradled her head as he kissed her back, deepening it until she had to tip her head back to accommodate it. Then she winced, and Rowan remembered what she had gone through, and pulled back.

"Sorry," she whispered, placing her hands on either side of his face and running her thumbs across his cheekbones. 

"You have nothing to apologize for," he told her truthfully. "If anything, I should be apologizing."

 Her brows creased. "What for?" He pressed his forehead to hers. 

"For not being here sooner. For not being there in the first place. For not ripping Maeve to shreds when she-" 

She laid a finger on his lips. "No," she said. "You do not have to apologize for any of that. It is not your fault. Maeve may have separated us, but it was a lucky shot. It won't happen again, will it?" she asked the corners of her mouth twitching up. That fast, Rowan forgot his guilt. "No, it will not," he promised her, promised himself, as he kissed her again. Softly, as if they had all the time in the world to be here, to do this. Aelin pulled back as footsteps sounded, nearing their door.

"You need food," she said, flicking his nose and she slid off the bed. "Or you'll throw a hissy fit because you probably haven't eaten anything in days." "Weeks," he corrected, feeling a smile working its way to his mouth. She was fussing over him. "You also," she continued, opening the door, "need a bath before you contaminate the whole ship." The strange female's golden eyes danced and she handed two trays of food and beverage to Aelin.

"Thank you, Morgan," she told the female. 

"The cup on the right has healing tonic and pain killer for you, Your Majesty," the woman - Morgan - told Aelin. Aelin nodded, then began to close the door. 

"Morgan, you can call me Aelin, you know." 

Morgan smiled and nodded. Aelin shut the door, and carried the trays over to him. She immediately drained the glass on the right, before nibbling on a stack of crackers. "Tell me everything," he said. And she did.