Divided (Throne of Glass and A Court of Thorns and Roses Crossover)

Chapter 38

Hey everyone! This is definitely the longest chapter I've written so far, please read it through to the end because some things come together in this chapter, and I want to know what you think about it! Thanks again for reading! 

Aelin stood at the helm with Evie, a small flame in her palm. She'd began delving down into her well of magic the minute Gavriel had burst through her doors, teaching Aidan to do the same. 

In all honesty, she didn't know how Aidan's reservoirs would work, if she would draw up the same amount of each type of magic or if she would solely pull from one or the other. It would probably surprise her, most things about Aidan did. 

She'd been surprised when Aidan had chosen to return to Adarlan instead of taking Tamlin and Azriel home. Most Fae would do anything to please their mate, but Aelin knew that Aidan hadn't noticed the mating bond yet. She had felt the connection with Azriel, but not the truth depth of it. 

Aelin looked down at the main deck and at the ships that surrounded her, displaying a never-ending sea of green and silver. She looked at Declan and Evie, at Aidan and Azriel, the soldiers and crewmembers, even at Tamlin. Even in the middle of a war, Aelin was happy with the life she had created for herself. 

Finally, she looked up at her mate, who was flying quickly towards their boat. She couldn't help but appreciate how agilely he landed, transforming once again into the brooding male she'd fallen in love with. 

His gaze shot straight to her, and the look in his eyes was one of worry. He tilted his head in the direction of their cabin and began moving toward it himself. 

Moving towards the helm's stairs, Aelin called, "Evie, slow down the fleet until I get back."

Rowan was pacing back and forth in the cabin when she slipped in, followed closely behind by Gavriel and Lorcan, who had also picked up on his behavior.

"What did you see? We're about a day from Terrasen," Aelin asked, sitting down in one of the armchairs. 

Rowan didn't answer and continued to pace.

"Seriously, buzzard. If you don't tell us, I'll fry you up and eat you for dinner tonight."

"Adrian's armada is headed right towards us. He's about twenty minutes west. We're going to have to meet them. They're blocking off the route to Terrasen," Rowan said. 

Aelin's heart skipped a beat, and Gavriel replied, "We could turn around. We have the advantage with the wind. They wouldn't be able to catch us."

The three of them looked at her for an answer.

Swallowing hard,  Aelin said, "We can't run. Rowan, how many ships are there?"

"Maybe three hundred." 

They had split with the remainder of her fleet the day before. Kol, Gavin, and Connall headed that half of it and would arrive in Melisande the next day. 

"We've faced greater odds," Aelin shrugged.

"True, but I saw something else," Rowan swallowed, sitting in the seat beside her. Lorcan and Gavriel slouched about the cramped cabin, making Aelin more than a little claustrophobic. 

"What did you see?" Lorcan hissed.

"Adrian has a dragon," Rowan said in a measured voice. 

In disbelief, Aelin laughed, "He has a dragon?"

"Yes. It's flying over their armada. I don't know if it's real or not. For the most part, shape shifters can't turn into such large animals without considerable deficits. There aren't many shape shifters that would be able to fly from Adarlan in such a large form," Rowan explained.