𝐀 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐭 𝐎𝐟 𝐐𝐮𝐞𝐞𝐧𝐬 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫𝐬

Ch 28: Cure

"but it was clear that fire was not an option."

Aelin POV
My mind was racing, trying to find anything to heal him. He was in pain, which pained me and I needed to stop it. There were going to be repercussions to the attack, I already knew that but I needed to get Rowan back before that happens. It's just a matter of time before Tamlin wants a meeting regarding the attack and then they'll have Rowan as collateral damage and kill him.

"Explain it to us in more detail, so that we can figure out a way to remove it without killing him." Feyre said, looking at me with determination in her eyes. "Every collar has a demon in it, it takes over the body and cages the actual person. The person you knew just becomes a shell, a housing space for the valg prince." I explained, hoping that it gave her any ideas. "If the body becomes a shell how are we supposed to save him?" questioned Mor, and I didn't know how to explain it to her, so I looked at Gavriel for help. "It's like a disease. The more time its inside, the more damage it will do until one day the real person is dead and only the demon remains." he said, and I was suddenly thankful that Maeve had attacked.

His pine green eyes staring at me with so much love and trust, like he knew I would free him. I needed him back, for the kingdom we had to rule and the child we were going to have. My mind kept spiralling back to that expression of pin on his face, his hands clutching his head so hard that his knuckled turned white, when it hit me. It was like a disease. A disease!

"That's it! It's a disease. We have healers" I announced, standing up from the floor I was sitting on. "We can try to heal him like he's sick. Gavriel come here, and where's Madja?"

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Dorian POV

We had arrived yesterday, and have been camping in the trees ever since, planning and assessing for the perfect moment for a coup. We needed someone who had sway here, who people who hated Maeve would listen too, and I was here to become them. I knew Rowan's family was royal, him being a Whitehorn. I needed Maeve to leave, to become Rowan and take over this place. Nox waved his hand in front of my face which brought me out of my head and back to the fire blazing before us, for the tiniest semblance of heat. I was controlling the fire to keep it out of view from predators and the people inside Doranelle. "Do you really think two people can take over a fae kingdom run by a overanxious powerful dark queen?" Nox asked, trying a reality check which was clearly needed. "We can't, but Rowan can." I replied.

After we were incharge, I needed to find Aelin and Rowan. Terrasen lost its queen and king in the short span of three months and Lysandra would go insane if she had to do this for the rest of her life. "So when are we going to go in?" he asked, and I looked up at him, about to say when Maeve leaves but as luck would have it. "Right now."

Behind the invisible barrier of the city, stood more soldiers than I could count, all in armor and battle ready, with Maeve standing facing them. She was saying something that had the soldiers hollering in approval, and then she turned around and slowly stepped outside the border, the others following her. She extended her hands and black tendrils of darkness slithered out, and encased the army of thousands, and the next second they were gone.

Me and Nox got out of our shock a second after they disappeared. "The city is undefended, the queen and probably all the soldiers are gone, which makes it perfectly vulnerable for us to infiltrate." Nox commented, while packing his remaing food and buttoning his jacket. "Yes it does." I replied, one of my hands moving to button my now silver and green tunic, and the other finger-combing my silver hair.

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Aelin POV

We found Madja unconcious on the bedroom floor, which had gotten Rowan a lot of dirty looks. We had gotten her on the bed and seated ourselves around her, waiting for her to awaken. "She's up." someone announced and I lifted my head up to find her squinting and rubbing her forehead where it had hit the floor. "We need your help." I said, not even giving her time to be able to open her eyes properly, but Rowan was in pain and I don't care about anything else.

"Th- That guy, he did something to me, knocked me o-out I think." she stuttered, her hand moving to rest on her legs now. "He's in pain. A demon is in his body, and we think we know how to cure it but we need your help." I finished, ready to force her to help, even if she had to cure the guy who attacked her, but she nodded her head, her eyes finally fully opening and looking me up and down. My confused look must have been question enough, "my job is to heal, no matter who the patient is, especially if they're in pain. I took an oath." she said, answering me. I smiled a little and nodded my head in gratitude. "So where is he?" she asked, looking around the room probably trying to find Rowan. "Downstairs. Unconcious and ready to be healed." I told her, and she nodded her head, and then slowly lifted herself up from the bed. "Come on then."