Kingdom of Ash (Throne of Glass, #7)

by Sarah J. Maas

“Hellas guards Lorcan,” Fenrys murmured. “And Anneith, his consort, watches over Elide. Perhaps they will find each other.”

His name on her lips had been a summons he could never deny, even when death had held him so gently, nestled beneath all those he’d felled, and waited for his last breaths.

“I love you,” he whispered in Elide’s ear. “I have loved you from the moment you picked up that axe to slay the ilken.” Her tears flowed past him in the wind. “And I will be with you …” His voice broke, but he made himself say the words, the truth in his heart. “I will be with you always.”

So Lorcan kissed Elide’s cheek again, allowed himself to breathe in her scent one last time. “I love you,”

If he tumbled off the horse, she would go with him. Together. They would either outrun this or die together.

The wave slammed into it. And where water met a wall of fire, where a thousand years of confinement met three months of it, the world exploded.

there was only a slim pillar of fire, veiled in the mist-shrouded plain. Not a pillar of fire. But Aelin. Glowing white-hot. As if she had given herself so wholly to the flame that she had become fire herself. The Fire-Bringer someone whispered down the battlements.

Fell to her knees in the utter silence of the world, and curled onto her side. She had the vague sense of strong, familiar arms scooping her up. Of being carried onto a broad feathery back, still in those arms.

“Did you mean it? What you said.”

“Yes.”

“I meant every word.” His heart thundered, so wildly it was a wonder she couldn’t hear it. “And I will until the day I fade into the Afterworld.”

Lorcan didn’t breathe as Elide gently reached out her hand. And interlaced their fingers. “I love you,” she whispered.

“I have loved you,” she went on, “from the moment you came to fight for me against Vernon and the ilken.” The light in her eyes stole his breath. “And when I heard you were somewhere on that battlefield, the only thing I wanted was to be able to tell you that. It was the only thing that mattered.”

I missed you. Lorcan allowed himself a rare smile.

“Light the Flame of War, Queen of Witches, and rally your host.”

“Your queen summons you to war.”

Bronwen picked up a branch of her own, a long log burning in the fire. “The Vanora will fly.”

“Your queen summons you to war. The Vanora fly with her. Will you?” The hearth leader only said, “The Redbriar will fly,” and ignited her own torch before hurrying to the next clan’s fire. Hearth to hearth. Until all seven in the camp had accepted and ignited the fire.

Mile after mile, across the darkening world, the call went out, ceaseless and unending as the eternal flame that passed from hearth to hearth. “Fly, fly, fly!” they shouted. “To the queen! To war!” Far and wide, through snow and storm and peril, the Crochans flew.

“The gods demand it.” “The gods can go to hell.”

“The humans. Aelin Galathynius. Dorian Havilliard. All of them. Do you truly hate them?” Why do you make us suffer so greatly?

Erawan’s golden eyes guttered. “They would keep me from my brothers,” he said. “I will let nothing stand in the way of my reunion with them.”

“Did the former King of Adarlan ask such questions?” The words broke from him. Erawan again paused. “He was not so faithful a servant as you might believe. And look what it cost him.” “He fought you.” Not quite a question. “He never bowed. Not completely.” Dorian was stunned enough that he opened his mouth.

The king I wish to be is the opposite of what you are. He gave Maeve a smile. And there is only one witch who will be my queen.

when he looked behind him, at the mountain and valley that reeked of death, at the place where so many terrible things had begun, Dorian smiled and brought Morath’s towers crashing down.

Punish them all, Kaltain had made Aelin once promise. And Vernon, from what Elide had told Aelin, seemed likely to have been at the top of Kaltain’s list.

She passed through a world where a great city had been built along the curve of a river, the buildings impossibly tall and glimmering with lights.

UHM-

She passed through a world of snowcapped mountains under shining stars. Passed over one of those mountains, where a winged male stood beside a heavily pregnant female, gazing at those very stars. Fae.

FEYRE AND RHYS ????

She flung out a hand, as if she might signal them, as if they might somehow help her when she was nothing but an invisible speck of power— The winged male, beautiful beyond reason, snapped his head toward her as she arced across his starry sky. He lifted a hand, as if in greeting. A blast of dark power, like a gentle summer night, slammed into her. Not to attack—but to slow her down. A wall, a shield, that she tore and plunged through. But it slowed her. That winged male’s power slowed her, just enough. Aelin vanished from his world without a whisper.

OMFG MULTIVERSE CONFIRMED ?

“I will find you again,” he promised her. “In whatever life comes after this.” Lysandra nodded. “In every lifetime.” Together, they turned toward the stairs that would take them down to the gates. To death’s awaiting embrace.

before them all, sword raised to the sky as that horn blew one last time, the ruby in the blade’s pommel smoldering like a small sun … Before them all, riding on the Lord of the North, was Aelin.

And when dawn had broken, the Lord of the North had knelt beside Aelin and offered himself as her mount.

For Terrasen. All of it, for Terrasen. The Lord of the North landed, the immortal flame within his antlers shining bright as he began the charge.