Saviour of Ashes

Chapter 32

Lorcan, Dorian, and Rowan used their magic on the three witches in the middle. Gavriel and Aedion took the ones on the right, and Fenrys and Rolfe took the two on the left.

"Remember they're illusions," Aedion warned. "But they can still hurt us."

Or kill us. No. Rowan refused to think like that. He had his mate waiting for him back home.

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Manon sat on top of her grandmother. Ansel stood glancing between the one of the floor and the ten at the back. Something wasn't right. Lorcan and Rowan had killed the witches within minutes. Lorcan went to help Rolfe and Rowan helped Aedion.

Manon hissed something at her grandmother and ripped out her throat with her iron teeth.

Ansel looked at the witch Dorian was fighting. Dorian was bleeding.

"Good riddance," Manon said and climbed to her feet.

Why hadnt her grandmother fought back? Why hadn't the other versions died along with the witch's magic?

The witch struck Dorian's arm and her eyes gleamed.

"She's not the real one," Ansel breathed and ran towards Dorian.

Dorian fell backwards and Ansel pretended she was heading towards Fenrys and the witch he was facing. Dorian glanced at her as she moved past. She winked at him.

Dorian moved to get up and he fell back down. Manon cried and started rushing over to him but the witch... She grabbed him by his shirt and pulled him towards her.

Ansel snuck up behind the witch who was ready to eat her prey. She whispered, "Fuck you, witch," and with a swift swipe of her sword the witch's head fell from her body and on to the floor.

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For a heartbeat, Dorian thought Ansel had got the wrong witch and had sprayed him in blue blood for nothing. But then the other witches remaining froze and clutched their necks. In unison, they fell to their knees and exploded into dust.

Ansel picked up the witch's head by het hair. "For Maddy," she whispered.

Manon helped Dorian off the floor. They all left the caravan as Lorcan started a fire to burn the witch's body inside the caravan. They wanted everything to burn.

Smoke began to rise as Lorcan joined Rowan's side.

"What are you going to do with the head?" Dorian asked Ansel.

"It needs to be burnt as well," Manon advised her.

Ansel nodded. "I want to burn it separately from the body - just to be sure."

So that damn witch never comes back to hurt anyone ever again.
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"Do you realise that the day after tomorrow is your coronation?" Nesryn asked as they laid on the blankets the servants had put out on the grass.

Aelin studied the stars. "I can't believe it either." She just prayed that Rowan would be back for it.

"What will you wear?" Lysandra asked.

Chaol groaned. "If I knew this was going to be ladies talk I would have stayed inside."

"But then who would protect us?" Lysandra mock pouted and Nesryn snorted.

Aelin sat up and rubbed her bump. Gods, she was uncomfortable.

"Are you ok?" Elide asked.

Aelin nodded and reached for some water.

Yrene smiled to herself.

"What is it?" Nesryn asked her.

"Oh," the healer blushed. "I was just thinking about the others and hope they get home safe."

"Liar," Aelin teased.

"Who were you really thinking about?" Elide asked.

Yrene sighed, "No one."

"As your Queen I demand to know," Aelin told her and the others laughed.

Yrene bit her lip. "This stays between us. I was hoping to see Gavriel again."

Aelin nearly choked on her drink.

"Aedion might not be too pleased," Lysandra pointed out.

"It's just at the ball, when some lady was flirting with him..." Yrene shook her head.

"Fae don't have to be mates with fae," Elide reminded them of her and Lorcan.

Nesryn studied the healer. "You could be. You should talk to him."

Chaol grunted. "Now that's sorted can we talk about something manly."

"And what would you propose?" Aelin asked him. She ignored how bloated she felt and popped a grape into her mouth.

"Weapons, fighting, training," he suggested.

"Is that all you live for?" Elide rose her eyebrows.

Chaol grinned at her.

A sharp pain burst through Aelin's stomach. She gasped and clutched her bump.

"Aelin?" Chaol asked, as they all rushed to her.

"I'm fine," she breathed. "It's just very uncomfortable." She fought a gasp as another sharp pain hit her.

"You're going into labour," Yrene said and reached for her hand.

Aelin used the bench beside her to help climb to her feet. "I'm not going into labour, I just need to walk it off."

Her body started sweating, she felt it drip down her back.

"I'm going to set up in your room," Yrene told her. "It could be hours yet. Nesryn will you help me?"

The two women scurried back inside the castle, and Aelin sat back down on the floor, knowing she wouldn't be able to get there by herself.

Aelin panted through the pains as they came and went. She savoured the peaceful breeze in between each pain.

Chaol gripped her hand. She squeezed it. "I need Rowan," she told him as the pain subsided.

"He'll be here soon," Chaol assured her.

"Aelin Galathynius," Lorcan's voice sang from the other side of the garden. "You're not the only witch killer. Ansel slayed that bitch."

When Lorcan came into view, he went straight to Elide and kissed her. The others followed him.

Aedion knelt down beside Lysandra, who was holding Aelin's other hand.

"Did you miss me?" He purred.

"Not now," she hissed at him.

Gavriel and Fenrys sat on the other blankets. Manon going to stand beside Elide. Aelin gripped Chaol and Lysandra's hands as another wave of pain - worse than the last - hit her. She bit down her scream.

Rowan, who had been talking to Dorian about magic strategies, froze.

Lysandra lifted her eyes to Rowan's and said, "It's starting."

Rowan pushed the others aside and rushed to his wife. He scooped Aelin up into his arms, shifting her weight so he could hold her better.

"Yrene is setting up in your room," Chaol told him.

Aedion clapped him on the shoulder. "Good luck."