Silent as the night, Aelin and Rowan snuck slowly towards the city. The dawn was a few hours away when they began their trek through the forest, and now the white walls of Doranelle was finally in sight. Their progress was slow, since they had to sneak past the roaming wolves and sentries. So far, so good. Rowan kept a constant shield up to mask their scent, to keep their scents from traveling to far from them.
Now the biggest obstacle between them and their target, was all those blasted bridges. All heavily guarded, as well. At least they were past the wolves, who kept an eye on the forest border. They hunched down low in the tall grass, watching the guards on the first bridge. Aelin glanced down at the bridge further down the river, then she looked at Rowan.
Ready? She asked him with her eyes, and he gave a quick nod. At that she summoned a small tendril of flame to her hand, and slowly snaked it through the grass towards the bridge further down the river, not the one that they hid by.
When the tendril of fire reached the bridge, she willed it to begin encasing and heating up the bridge. Shouting rose up as the fire engulfed the bridges. The fire wouldn't kill the sentries, it was only meant as a distraction. Guards ran to the burning bridge, even the guards on the bridge they hid by left their posts to help their comrades.
While the guards were busy with the flames downriver, she and Rowan snuck over the bridge and hid between the houses there. Great, now there were a dozen more bridges to go, but at least they could hide in the shadows of the houses now.
They quickly wove their way through the district until they reached the next bridge. Rowan peered around the corner of the house, then held up three finger. Three guards. She nodded at him, his turn to shine. Rowan stepped out of the shadows and casually walked down the street, pretending to just be a random citizen out for an early walk.
She knelt down to keep hidden as she watched her mate approach the bridge. Then suddenly the guards grabbed their throats before they all collapsed to the ground, all unconscious. Rowan motioned for her to come out, and she quickly left the shadows and slipped across the bridge.
They repeated this process several times, always going for the most secluded bridge to avoid too much trouble. And then, across the last bridge they went. Rowan led the way as they kept low by the palace wall. There was an old secret entrance on the eastern side that would lead them into the dungeons, and from there the way to Maeve would be short.
The sun had begun to peak over the horizon, slowly lighting up the beautiful palace. They had to hurry. She watched her mate several feet ahead of her, she blinked and realized that she shouldn't be this far behind. She hurried her pace, just as something dropped down behind her. Less then a second later she felt the cold, sharp edge of a knife at her throat and a strong hand yanked her close. Her breath hitched, but she could not cry out to Rowan. If she did the knife would cut her.
The male holding her began to slowly drag her backwards, and around the corner. While he did that, she began heating his blade until it melted. She stomped his foot, elbowed him in the stomach and wrenched his hand away from her throat. She spun around and drew her twin daggers, poised to fight. But the male, Lorcan she saw, was now on the ground gasping for breath. She glanced up and found Rowan in hawk form, glaring down at his old friend.
Rowan landed next to her, shifting back to his fae form. Are you alright?
I'm fine. She shrugged at him. I had him.
Rowan drew his sword and held it at Lorcans throat, then he let him breath again. «Speak.» Rowan said quietly. Lorcan's face was hard as he looked up at the two of them.
«You won't survive this.» he hissed. «I don't know what you did, or how you broke the blood oath. But My Queen is furious, and she will not spare your life.»
Aelin and Rowan exchanged a quick glance. Rowan moved in to knock him out.
«Wait!» Lorcan hissed. «Why? Why have you betrayed us? That's all I want to know.»
She could feel the anger emanating from Rowan as he contemplated the answer.
«She is not a queen of this land, or of the Fae. She has lied to us all, about who she is, where she is from. She is a Valg demon, Lorcan. She had Lyria killed, she had my mate tortured and possessed. That's why.» Rowan said, voice teeming with barely restrained anger, then he cut off Lorcan's air, knocking out the male. Aelin laid a hand on his arm.
«We need to move. He won't be out for long.» she said quietly, they had spent too much time here, and needed to get to that secret door now. Rowan nodded stiffly, and they hurried towards the secret entrance a few turns away. They quickly found the entrance and slipped inside, carefully closing it behind them. She glanced at her mate, whose face was set in stone cold anger now. She grabbed his arm, yanking at him to make him look at her. She put a hand on his cheek, over his tattoo.
«Don't let your anger cloud your judgement. I'm fine, I'm not possessed anymore thanks to you. And in just a few moments we will get back at her for what she did to us, and to Lyria. Stay levelheaded, Rowan.» she whispered to him in the dark passage. He closed his eyes, leaning his head into her hand.
«You're right. I just... I couldn't help but remember what she did to you. I won't let that happen to you again, Aelin.» he said quietly, then leaned down giving her a quick kiss on her lips.
«To whatever end, my love.» she whispered, stroking his cheek.
«To whatever end, Fireheart.» he whispered back.
They continued down the passage until they got to the dungeon, where they knocked one guard each before hurrying up the stairs. A few hallways later, after several turns and doors, they finally found themselves in large champer. It wasn't the balcony she had seen in her memories, no, this was in the middle of the palace with no immediate escape routes.
And before them stood the monster who had tried to destroy them, their lives and their relationship. Aelin drew her sword, Goldryn, from the scabbard on her back, and she heard Rowan draw his sword as well.
Maeve smiled at them, the same smile she had when she held the stone heart in her hands. Aelin swallowed. «Ah, my pretty little niece. How does it feel to have your own heart back?» Maeve said venomously. Aelin snarled, and tightened her grip on Goldryn and began to filter her magic into the sword, using it as a conduit.
«You won't get away with that.» Aelin snarled, but before she got to say anything more magic came crashing in around as the cadre moved in to protect Maeve. They were all here, Gavriel, Vaughan, Connal, Fenrys and Lorcan had now surrounded her and Rowan. Effectively cutting them off from Maeve.
A cold, heartless laugh came from the Valg queen. «My dear, you will soon be back in your coffin. And this time you will watch as we torture your mate right before your eyes.» she said coldly, while she slowly backed away from the group of fighters.
«Fight me yourself, you bloody coward!» Aelin roared at her. But Maeve just smiled, and then the cadre all attacked her and Rowan at the same time.
Gavriel and Lorcan went straight for Rowan, attacking him with both blade and magic. While the other three came at her. Vaughan swung his sword, while the twins shifted into their wolf forms and jumped at her. She jumped put of range of Vaughan's sword, and raised a fire shield to keep the wolves away.
She risked a quick glance at Rowan, who was in the middle of a deadly dance with his old friends across the room. Fenrys launched for her, then disappeared in mid air. She spun around where he appeared mid air with his mouth poised to bite her, but she threw up a wall of fire. She had to find a way to end this without killing them, and without exhausting herself.
She poured more magic into her sword, then swung it hard at Vaughan who tried to parry her blow. But when thet blades connected he was blasted back by the power in the sword, and was thrown hard high up on the wall. The male slid down, and slumped on the ground. She prayed that he was just unconscious.
The wolves stared for a second at their comrade, then growled angrily at her. She made a wall of fire and pushed it towards the twins, forcing them to back away. Aelin glared towards Maeve. «Stop hiding behind your slaves, and fight me yourself. Unless you're afraid of losing to a little girl.» she said mockingly.
Maeve narrowed her eyes, and her lips became no more than thin lines. Then the Dark Queen stepped towards her, slowly drawing a long, wicked black sword. «You're no more than a child, but if you truly wish to me, my dear, then be prepared to die a horribly painful death.»
Then Maeve attacked her, sending a wave of dark power her way while both wolves sprung at her again from both sides.