The Ends of the Earth

Chapter 17

Aelin's POV

The sun rose, and the sun fell, along with it came the moon.

Everything was the same.

And yet not.

"Aelin get some sleep it's been a hectic few days," Lysandra calmly said.

I shook my head. I wouldn't sleep until I found Rowan.

There would be no dead body, no, I can still feel him.

But so far. I drew myself to the brink of madness searching for him for the past three days. Was this what it felt like when I was in the iron coffin? Atleast he knew who I was with...

"I can't Lys, he's out there," I whispered, buckling on weapons.

"You can't find him on zero energy," Lysandra suggested.

I huffed, but this was an argument I wouldn't give into to. I was going to find him.

I rubbed my eyebrows. And then there was the topic of finding out whose army that was out there with a vendetta. Terrasen won, but barely...

Their uniforms were different too, feathers adorned them. Scouts came back with no answer of who it was. They weren't doing this for the publicity, they were doing it for endgame.

Rowan, I called out down the bond. But it was so empty, not full of the life that they willed into it. Where are you?

"I'll be back," I put every ounce of my being into the small smile I gave her.

"Okay, you better," Lysandra tried to joke, but I was already out the tent.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~The sky was black as pure obsidian. I bought a lantern with me, illuminating the area beyond.

"Rowan!" I yelled into the forest near our tent encampment area. "Where are you!"

A wolf howled as my boots crunched on something.

Bone.

Gods if he was injured out here.

No no, I can't let myself panic.

"Rowan!"

The smell of the pine in the forest made my heart ache beyond words.

"ROWAN!" I yelled again and again until my voice became hoarse.

In a 360 turn, all around me was pure forest area. I can't ignore anything.

The cold in the air was beginning to bite. I could've kept myself warm, provided light with my powers, but as I reached into that once never ending reservoir, I found a bottom that I wasn't willing to reach just right now.

I kept walking and looking until I stumbled upon a green thread on a tree branch.

Rowan's.

My heart began racing, but I willed it to calmness.

"Rowan!" I screamed. I broke out into a sprint, thread clutched tightly in my hand.

I screeched to a stop in a clear area of the forest.

It was once full of life. But something...something cleared it.

My eyes raced around for any sign of my mate.

"Have you come for your beloved?"

I whipped my head around.

"Where is he?" I said without hesitation. Even upon looking at the face that still haunts me in my nightmares.

"Don't you want to catch up first, Aelin dear?" Maeve drawled.

And behind her, was Aedion with a finger to his lips and a dagger in his other hand.