Kingdom of Ash

so atop the tower standing high over the
world, but the day would be clear. Bright.
“So there it is,” Aelin said, nodding toward
the dark stain on the balcony stones. “Where
Erawan met his end at the hands of a healer.”
She frowned. “I hope it will wash off.”
Rowan snorted, and when she looked over
her shoulder, the wind whipping her hair, she
found him leaning against the stairwell door,
his arms crossed.
“I mean it,” she said. “It’ll be odious to
have his mess there. And I plan to use this
balcony to sun myself. He’ll ruin it.”
Rowan chuckled, and pushed off the door,
going to the balcony rail. “If it doesn’t wash
off, we’ll throw a rug over it.”
Aelin laughed, and joined him, leaning into
his warmth as the sun gilded the battlefield,
the river, the Staghorns. “Well, now you’ve
seen every hall and room and stairwell. What