Rowan stood dumbfounded, by the woman in front of him who had seem terrors indescribable and still fought like hell to wake up.
"Well, look who came out to play," Maeve crooned as the fire encasing her died down a bit.
"Any last words?" Aelin ground out.
"I think you're mistaken, I should be asking you if you have any last words?" Maeve stepped closer to Aelin.
Rowan snarled and stepped in front of her, Aelin gestured for him to move.
"Whether I kill you now or not, you're going to die anyways. I mean, who's going to forge the lock?"
But Dorian already knew how Aelin planned that one out as well. For months before Queen Georgina lay on her death bed, all they had to do was figure out how it played into the lock.
"Aelin?" Aedion said, standing from the doorway, panting and bloodied. Aelin smiled at him as he eyed her up and down, taking in every new injury on her.
His face contorted as he rushed to her and gave her a gentle hug.
"Oh my god..." Lysandra said running to her, now wearing her own skin, Gavriel and Lorcan just lingered outside the door. Perhaps not ready to face the Queen with disgrace.
"If your little reunion is done here, I'd like to challenge you to a fight Queen of Terrasen," Maeve sheathed her sword.
"No," Rowan and Aedion said at the same time.
"Give me your daggers Aedion," An order, from a Queen to her General.
"Aelin, please, you are not in the condition," Aedion pleaded.
"I have scores to settle," Aelin said grabbing the daggers from his belt.
"Winner gets the keys," Maeve said. Aelin nodded and everyone in the room went silent. She had to win this.
So they clashed, magic and steel entwining to rattle the stars, one last time.
Maeve went for her side but Aelin twirled, flashing her bloody back to everyone in the room.
Rowan was holding his breath, he knew damn well his mate could fight on her own but in this condition...
Maeve struck with her power, choking off Aelin's air.
"You think you can defeat me? I'm older that the ground you lay on," Maeve snarled in her ear.
Rowan charged at her only to be pushed back by an invisible wall.
He couldn't find her just to let her go again. He thrashed against the wall.
"Aelin, get up," He pleaded.
"How does it feel? Losing," Maeve crooned in her ear.
Through clawing at her throat, Aelin glares at her.
Maeve took the dagger from Aelin's side, "I shall kill you with your own dagger."
She brushed it down her face.
Rowan was screaming her name as Dorian, Aedion, and Gavriel were now pushing against the shield with force and magic.
Maeve looked behind at them, "Any last goodbyes?" And she raised the dagger.
"I love you, i'll do anything! Please," Rowan yelled while pushing against the shield.
But Aelin mustered up her magic one last time as she burned a hole through the shield.
But the dagger was already imbedded in her side.
Because she missed.
Maeve missed as Lorcan's arrow went right through her neck.