Kingdom of Ash

Aelin’s again.
And when she looked up at him, there were
tears on his face.
Not at the dead Valg queen before them. Or
even at what Aelin had done.
No, her prince, her husband, her mate,
gazed to the south. To the battlefield.
Even as their power melded, and she
burned Maeve into ash and memory, Rowan
stared toward the battlefield.
Where line after line after line of Valg
soldiers fell to their knees mid-fight with the
Fae and wolves and Darghan cavalry.
Where the ruks flapped in amazement as
ilken tumbled from the skies, like they had
been struck dead.
Far out, several shrill screams rent the air
—then fell silent.
An entire army, midbattle, midblow,
collapsing.