Throne of Glass, #7
Kingdom of Ash
by Sarah J. Maas
Contents
Chapter 114
Overview
Maeve unleashes her full Valg power against Rowan, Fenrys, and Lorcan, trapping them in intimate nightmares while Aelin is forced to watch. Aelin turns pain into a rescue, using flame to anchor Rowan and Lorcan, then combining her strength with Rowan’s and Lorcan’s to open prepared portals for the lost Fae of Terrasen and the Wolf Tribe.
The arrival of this hidden army reverses the battlefield’s momentum and exposes Aelin’s final contingency against Maeve’s allies. Most importantly, Aelin reaches Fenrys through their silent bond, allowing him to break Maeve’s hold long enough to teleport behind the queen and stab her through the heart with Goldryn.
Summary
Maeve traps Rowan, Fenrys, and Lorcan inside waking nightmares shaped from their deepest griefs and fears. Rowan sees Aelin dead on Orynth’s gates while Lyria condemns him; Fenrys faces Connall’s accusation that Fenrys caused his suffering and death; Lorcan sees Elide reject him as unworthy. The visions feel real, and Maeve uses them to prove that her Valg power can break even the strongest warriors.
Aelin watches Rowan, Fenrys, and Lorcan suffer and realizes Maeve is using the same kind of Valg darkness that once tortured Aelin. Maeve reveals that Gavriel died defending Aedion, then offers Aelin a cruel bargain: herself in exchange for sparing the males. Instead of surrendering, Aelin throws Goldryn to distract Maeve and sends flame into Rowan, Fenrys, and Lorcan, burning them as an anchor back to reality.
The burning pain reaches Rowan and Lorcan through their visions. Rowan recognizes the flame as Aelin’s lifeline and breaks Maeve’s hold, remembering that Aelin chose him beyond illusion and pain. Lorcan also fights free by accepting the painful truth of loving Elide, including the future grief of losing her, and returns to the battlefield. Fenrys remains trapped in grief, still under Maeve’s power.
Rowan silently signals Aelin, and Aelin takes his hand, opening their bond so Rowan can pour his magic through her. Their powers fuse into flame, and Lorcan adds his strength. Aelin then uses blood-drawn Wyrdmarks to open portals across the battlefield, revealing that she and Rowan had prepared a desperate contingency: the lost Fae of Terrasen and the Wolf Tribe, including wolf-riders, arrive from the northern hinterlands to attack Morath, especially the kharankui hybrids and Ironteeth forces.
As the new army charges into Morath’s ranks, Maeve declares herself a god and gathers power for a decisive confrontation. Aelin keeps silently commanding Fenrys through their bond and their blinking language, reminding him that he is not alone until he answers. Aelin, Rowan, and Lorcan attack Maeve together, forcing Maeve backward, but Aelin reveals that Maeve has wronged Fenrys most. Fenrys teleports behind Maeve and drives Goldryn through her back into her dark heart.
Who Appears
- Aelin GalathyniusUses flame, blood, and bonds to free allies, summon reinforcements, and guide Fenrys.
- MaeveReveals devastating Valg power, tortures the males with nightmares, and is stabbed by Fenrys.
- Rowan WhitethornEndures a nightmare of Aelin’s death, breaks free, and channels magic through Aelin.
- FenrysTrapped in guilt over Connall, answers Aelin’s silent signal, and attacks Maeve from behind.
- LorcanFaces fears about Elide and mortality, escapes Maeve’s illusion, and joins the magical assault.
- ConnallAppears in Fenrys’s nightmare, accusing Fenrys of causing his suffering and death.
- LyriaAppears in Rowan’s nightmare, blaming him for choosing Aelin and bringing suffering.
- Elide LochanAppears in Lorcan’s visions as both rejecting him and later dying after a shared life.
- Lost Fae of Terrasen and the Wolf TribeArrive through Aelin’s portals to fight Morath, the kharankui hybrids, and Ironteeth witches.
- GavrielHis death defending Aedion is revealed by Maeve, wounding Aelin emotionally.