Throne of Bones

Prologue

Kana's POV:

She stared out over the fields of blooming Kingsflame. Queensflame would be better for the new ruler of Terrassen. The early spring chill froze her bones, even as the snow began to melt. Fenrys sighed beside her, "Are you sure you just want to take Vaughn?"

"Yes," she grumbled at him. "You need to stay here."

"Because you don't want to bring me?"

"Because I don't know if my brothers are going to fucking stab you, so I'm bringing Vaughn."

She glanced up and smiled at the Osprey hovering in the air above them. She waved her heart jumping slightly in her chest. Months had gone by everytime she blinked her eyes. Six months had passed since the Battle of Orynth. And Yrene gave her the all clear to use her magic again.

Besides, she dearly wanted to take her friend with her. The friend who had made sure she silently survived all of those years with Maeve. Vaughn would love the Night court, she silently hoped he'd get along with Azriel.

She wanted to meet Essa for the first time. To hold Nyx, her nephew. Fenrys frowned, "He dotes on you like Rowan dotes on Aelin."

"Fenrys." She said flatly. The wolf threw his hands up, "For being a four hundred year old tactical genius you suck at seeing the signs."

She'd noticed the signs two hundred years ago, and swiftly chosen to ignore him. Now she was just grateful he was giving her the time to figure herself out. Rolling her eyes she smiled, "Thank you for being concerned, Fen. But the thing about being so observant is not letting people you know what they know."

Fenrys blinked at her and howled before wrapping her in a tight hug. He whispered, "You'll come back right?"

"Yes," She nodded. "I doubt my father can go against The Mother's will."

Her Champion mark had moved back above her heart. The first day Rowan had noticed it and quickly turned away before eye chatting with Aelin. He finally got his mate to ask about it as they worked on rebuilding the seat of Terrassen.

She'd explained, and Fenrys had scooped her up before asking if she planned to get any others. She'd asked her eldest godson that night, to ink their names along the pulse of her neck.

Anemone.

Cerberus.

Connall.

All in the old language of the fae. In exchange Rowan had asked her to put Connall's name above his heart. Which she did with the utmost care she could. Gavriel, Fenrys, Vaughn, and Lorcan all insisted they get it done too. So they did, and slowly she watched their little 'cadre' come back together.

Lorcan and Elide visited often as they could. And she had never laughed as hard as she did when Elide introduced him as her husband for the first time. The ghosts had never pressured her so hard to be able to be seen by other people before.

They wanted to tease the poor male mercilessly.

Lord Lorcan Lochan. She smiled just thinking about it. Fenrys grinned, he knew he obviously knew. "How do you think ole' Lord Lorcan Lochan is doing?"

She smiled and the wolf's eyes went wide. "You'll see."

"The fuck does that mean."

Rowan dove for them and shifted quickly before wrapping her in a quick hug. He murmured quietly, "The Bane is convinced that if you need help they get to launch war on another world. Please, I beg of you, come back in one piece."

"Because you love your Aunt?"

"Because he bet two hundred gold pieces on it." Vaughn muttered from the shadow of a tree. She cackled wickedly and hugged both of her boys again. She adjusted her leather fur-lined jacket and glanced down at her black rough pants, that the people of Terrassen called, 'jeans.'

She wore the leather bracing boots Yrene had recommended and Rowan had gotten her for Yulemas. The Terrassen green shirt she wore watched the color her hair preferred to silently glow. Not green entirely, but the hint of it as it continued its starlight appearance. Slowly coming back to the torch it used to be.

Vaughn squeezed her shoulder, "You can get us back right?"

She nodded and tapped the space of her Champion mark. Rowan nodded and glanced to his feet, before looking back up to her. Then turning his gaze to Vaughn, where the cold ice flared in his eyes. "You keep her safe,"

Fenrys grumbled, "We'll send Lorcan after you."

"Fuck Lorcan." Rowan scoffed. "I'll call Manon."

Vaughn's face paled considerably and nodded. "There will never be a reason for you to call her because of Kana's safety for this trip."

"We might call her to deal with some not so nice males though. Who needs a very good ass kicking." She nodded and crossed her arms. Rowan smirked and Fenrys shivered. "I'm pretty sure Aelin and Manon have a silent agreement to skewer Lorcan should he ever hurt Elide. Manon even joked about roasting him over a fire."

"That wasn't a joke." She pursed her lips and Fenrys' eyes went wide.

She sighed and said, "It might be a few months but we'll come back."

With one last glance at the fiery plains. She turned and used her Champion mark to open the portal. Her ghosts offered her a quick glance at herself. Bright shining short hair, cropped to her shoulders. It parted just right so her hair had this tiny in fashion hiccup at the top, where she had more hair positioned on one side than the other. Earrings decorating her ears, and she had her halfear exposed, letting it get some sunlight.

Because when she looked at it she no longer saw her failures. No, over time she'd began to see her victories and the battles she'd one in her scars. The portal swirled and Vaughn said calmly, "You're sure."

"Yes," She whispered. "You said you wanted to see your brother again anyways."

And so they hopped into the portal appearing in her homeland. She smiled. Every story began and ended at home. But the ending of one adventure was the beginning of another.

Where this time, she'd live life to the fullest. Wrapping her hand in Vaughn's she smiled. His Onyx eyes sparkling with silent joy. Her heart pounded.

Because this time she had something to live for.

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