Kingdom of Ash

She winced at the sting of a particularly
sensitive spot near her spine.
“Burn it to the ground. Blast the mountains
into rubble.”
“Good. I’ll help you.”
A small smile curved her lips. “The fabled
warrior-prince wouldn’t tell me to avoid
carelessly expending my strength?”
“The fabled warrior-prince would tell you
to stay the course, but if destroying Endovier
will help, then he’ll be right there with you.”
Aelin fell silent while Rowan continued
working for another few minutes.
“I don’t remember the tattoo taking this
long the last time.”
“I’ve made improvements. And you’re
getting a whole new marking.”
She hummed, but said nothing more for a
time.
Rowan kept at it, wiping away blood when