To whatever END

The last battle

*Warning: spoilers for Sarah J. Maas's Throne of Glass series, including Tower of Down* 

Ashes surround Aelin, but she presses on, the sounds of battle behind her. She's already killed two of the valg kings. Her magic is burning out, but she refuses to stop, she has the edge. Across the battlefield she sees Erawan, formerly Duke Perrington. Are you going to burn out? Rowan asks down the mating bond. Focus Rowan She sends back. Erawan steps out of formation to approach her. 

"Well well Princess,here to stop me?" He says taking a step forward "I don't even have to tell you that your attempts will be futile." 

"Will they? I already killed your 2 friends, and your sister" She responds. "What's one more?" She can tell from Erawans face that he didn't believe her. Erawan made the fatal mistake of stepping within range. She sends a last thought down the mating bond I love you. Then she unleashed the dregs of her power, the fire so hot that it burned through Erawan, but Aelin had used all of her magic, not a drop remained, and she was gone. 

Rowan pushes through the battlefield, Aelin ahead leading the battle. She's drained, he can feel it down the bond, but she keeps insisting she's fine. Rowan sees a Valg soldier, and as he lifts his sword to attack, a message is sent down the bond I love y-- The message is cut short and the bond goes limp. Fire goes up and down in front of him. All at once the valg stop fighting. But Rowan can't be relieved. He pushes past them yelling for Aelin, but no one responds. He passes through a field of ashes. And he sees her, she's lying on the ground, her skin pale, and her body still, too still. He crashes to his knees in front of her. Pressing his fingers to the side of her neck, nothing, no pulse. And a sob overtakes him. He hugs himself close to her breathing in her scent for the last time. 

"Rowan, we won... Is that?" Rowan is so broken he can't even identify who is speaking. His mate is gone, the happiest thing in his life, the brightest light now gone. Rowans magic reacted, gusts of icy wind being flung out of him as another sob escaped him, the tears on his cheeks freezing. And suddenly, Rowan knew what to do. 

"Where is Chaol?" He asks, his voice horse. As he says it he hears Chaols wheelchair roll across the fields. 

"Is that Aelin?"

Rowan doesn't answer instead he just asked "Where is 'the walking dead?'"

"Dorians tent, why?" 

Rowan doesn't respond to that either, he just scoops Aelin up in his arms and carries her to Dorians tent. He barges in, not bothering to knock he finds 'The walking dead' on his bedside table. Rowan picks it up, careful to not let it touch Aelin in his hands before striding into their,his, tent. He sets Aelin down on the floor, and opens the book, searching for a portal to the gods. when he finds one he sets down the book, picks up one of the daggers Aelin keeps, kept, on her at all times and draws it across his forearm. He writes the wyrdmarkes in his blood. When he finishes, it turns white and after picking up Aelin, they step through.

Rowan enters the Gods realm. Mala and Silba were standing there. 

"Help me, please" rowan says gesturing to the body in your hands. 

"How did you get here?" Mala asks. 

"I opened a portal" Rowan responds, determined to not flinch away from these women.

"I'm afraid there is nothing we can do" Mala replies. Rowan's anger slips it's leash. 

"Do you have any idea what she's done? She rid the Valg from this realm and beyond, she set millions of people free, she accomplished a task even your beloved Brannon could not complete"

Mala looks furious but Silba reply's for her. "I'll see what I can do, there will be a cost."

"What?" Rowan asks. 

"I try to make the cost as low as possible, as she has done a great service to this land, but I believe this will leave a scar" Rowan almost laughed, Aelin would no doubt wear that scar as a badge of honor. 

"I believe I can speak for her when I say, she will accept the price." Silva nods and puts her hand on Aelins heart.

Suddenly they are back in Rowan's room. He looks down at Aelin, and watches as her chest rises and falls. He sobs with relief. "Aelin" he murmurs. Her eyes flutter open. "It worked... your alive" She looks up at him and presses her mouth to his. He groans low in his throat, but pulls away. "Don't ever do that again"