“To whatever end?” she breathed. Rowan followed her, as he had his entire life, long before they had ever met, before their souls had sparked into existence. “To whatever end, Fireheart.”

“But just remember that this fear of yours? It means you have something worth fighting for - something you care so greatly for that losing it is the worst thing you can imagine.”

“She’d never let them break her. Never swear that blood oath.

For Terrasen, for her people, whom she had left to endure their own torment for ten long years. She owed them this much.”

“Aelin looked at Chaol and Dorian and sobbed. Opened her arms to them, and wept as they held each other. “I love you both,” she whispered. “And no matter what may happen, no matter how far we may be, that will never change.”

“We came," Manon said, loud enough that all on the city walls could hear, "to honor a promise made to Aelin Galathynius. To fight for what she promised us."

Darrow said quietly, "And what was that?"

Manon smiled then. "A better world.”

“We are the Thirteen,” she said. “From now until the Darkness claims us.”

“Yrene put her hands atop Chaol’s and brought them brow to brow. “You are my joy,” was all she said to him.”

“Passed over one of those mountains, where a winged male stood beside a heavily pregnant female, gazing at those very stars. Fae.”

“And when Aelin lifted her head to survey the cheering crowd, when she smiled, Queen of Terrasen and the Faerie Queen of the West, she burned bright as a star.”