How Kingdom of Ash SHOULD HAVE ended

The Final Battle

Maeve stared as Erawan was lifted and those two Ilken flapped toward the tower where the healers were. Maeve did not bother to hiss as she turned to Aelin Galathynius. 

Aelin.

She was a fool for thinking she could buy the Bane time. But Maeve wasn't sure if she had actually succeeded. A foolish desire. Aelin was no more than a fool, but Maeve still stared in horror.

"Just us then," Maeve grinned.

"That's precisely how I wanted it," Aelin grinned back. Maeve didn't need any proof to know that Aelin had said the truth.

"But I know what you so fear now, Heir of Fire," Maeve crooned.

***

Aelin stared at Maeve, the one who had trapped her in an iron box for two whole months as she and Cairn tore Aelin apart. Made her fear her magic.

"Why should I be surprised," Aelin managed to say. "You were there. There when you burnt me. Made me fear my fire."

"The truth," Maeve purred. "Will you ever use Mala's power ever again?"

Aelin wasn't sure what it was, but she knew that she wouldn't be able to lie. "Never."

"Good," Maeve continued. "Will you forge the lock."

Not a question. A command. And Aelin knew well and truly that there was only one reasonable answer. "No."

"Excellent." Maeve's lips curled into a spider smile. "Well, then. You will not need the keys if that is so true. One last question, Aelin of the Wildfire.  Will you give me the keys? Or will I need to kill you to retrieve them?"

Shit. Maeve knew that Aelin had the Wyrdkeys and did not want to use them.

"Don't run away," Maeve growled.

"I will not give you the Wyrdkeys, Maeve," Aelin growled back. She wanted to use swagger, wanted to tease her way out, but Aelin knew well and truly that she wouldn't be able.

Aelin would never give Maeve the Wyrdkeys.

"So will you run?" Maeve, trying to get Aelin to hand over those three keys. And possibly also the lock.

"I guess you leave me no choice."

***

Rowan wasn't sure if he was going to be too late. Rowan's legs hurt. God. 

Rowan saw Aelin's memory of Connall stabbing himself.

Rowan witnessed Fenrys die.

Rowan screamed when Lorcan drowned and when Gavriel had fallen, his tattooed throat torn out.

Rowan would never let something happen to Aelin, his mate. His wife. His carranam. 

The mate bond was tugging. Maeve was torturing Aelin. Rowan knew it. He could feel it. And Aelin would not use her fire gift, a refusal because of what Cairn had did to her. What Maeve, his former queen, had did to her.

Rowan would never be able to forgive Maeve for that, and if he let Aelin die this one time, well, he wasn't sure he would ever be able to forgive himself.

He soared as fast as he could, not giving a crap when his wings started to hurt. He needed to save Aelin. Needed to be with her.

Rowan could soon see where his mate stood, and shifted back into his Fae form. He ran, faster than he had ever ran before, and finally arrived to Maeve and Aelin.

But Rowan was too late.

Maeve's grin only grew louder as Rowan dropped to his knees and screamed at the deathly pale face of Aelin.

Rowan was too late.

Author's note. Yes, hello there fellow human beings that are not Fae. 1. I really like this bold font. I should use this more often. I'm going to write a lot of Author Notes in this bold, and we will all stare at them just as we would if it was Manon Blackbeak/Crochan (I mean, Manon is brilliantly sexy). 2. Yes. You read that right. Aelin is dead. No faking death. Maeve killed Aelin. Exactly! This is how I wanted Kingdom of Ash to end! With Aelin dying! 3. Read the next chapter, otherwise you will never think of me, look at me as a normal person blahblahblah. The next chapter and after that is truly beautiful. I totally did not get the idea from Heir of Fire. 4. There is no 4. So stop reading this. Seriously. How are you still reading when you could be reading the exciting next chapter! Okay, you are reading. I will stop now so that your temptation ends. Happy? I'm happy. No. I'm not happy, I'm slightly annoyed that you're still reading this.