sworn the ringing of hammers sounded, so
many peoples and lands emerging once more.
And in the South, no land worked harder to
rebuild than Eyllwe. Their losses had been
steep, yet they had endured—remained
unbroken. The letter Aelin had written to
Nehemia’s parents had been the most joyous
of her life. I hope to meet you soon, she’d
written. And repair this world together.
Yes, they had replied. Nehemia would wish
it so.
Aelin had kept their letter on her desk for
months. Not a scar on her palm, but a promise
of tomorrow. A vow to make the future as
brilliant as Nehemia had dreamed it could be.
And as spring at last crept over the
Staghorns, the world became green and gold
and blue, the stained stones of the castle
cleaned and gleaming above it all.
Aelin didn’t know why she woke with the
lily
(lily)
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