CHAPTER 142: MY HUSBAND

Aelin

Everything around me blurred—the fighting, the screaming, the crackle of abyss Nothing existed beyond him and the blood and the look on his face.

He clutched his chest, blood running through his fingers. His eyes locked with mine as he fell.

And my world—

It cracked.

Splintered.

Shattered.

Like glass.

Because it wasn’t just a man falling.

It was my safety.

My anchor.

The one who protected me, believed in me, made me feel like I wasn’t alone in this cursed, impossible fight.

"Draegon, please—" I whispered, even though I hadn’t reached him yet. "Please, stay with me."

My magic flared to life in my palms, erratic and trembling like my breath. I didn’t know if I could heal this. I didn’t know anything except I had to try.

He can’t die.

Tears burned down my cheeks as I stumbled over fallen debris, too slow, too late.

And Alishay—

She was laughing. Blood dripping from her hand. It coated her arm like a trophy. Rage exploded in my chest, burning so hot it nearly made me collapse.

But I couldn’t stop. I wouldn’t stop.

I had to reach him.

"Draegon—"

His eyes... they were closing. Slowly. Like the weight of this world had finally crushed him.

"No." My voice cracked. Broke. As he fell, I felt like all of me shattered.

Something snapped inside me.

It wasn’t a sound I could hear. It was deeper. An internal shatter, like a dam breaking after being forced to hold back a storm for too long. A scream that had never made it to my throat finally erupted—not from my mouth, but from my soul.

My knees hit the ground, but I barely felt it.

Everything inside me burned. My heart, my lungs, my bones—every thread of me howled.

Rage.

Terror.

Love.

Desperation.

They all tangled into something I didn’t recognize. Something far bigger than me. Something ancient and unrelenting.

My palms lit up before I could think. Golden white light surged through my veins, rising like boiling water from a well that had no bottom. My breath stuttered as heat flared across my forehead—searing and brilliant. I knew what it was.

The sun mark.

The symbol of Solwyn.

My eyes burned.

I blinked—but the gold didn’t vanish. I wasn’t seeing the world anymore. The world was seeing me.

Something beyond me roared through my soul, so powerful I couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t scream. Couldn’t contain it.

And then it burst.

A wave of divine light exploded out of me. I felt it—rippling through every cell in my body, then out.

The clearing lit up in a flash so blinding, the sky looked dim in comparison. White-gold light surged outward in a ring, like the sun itself had chosen to descend and make the forest its throne.

The abyss monsters shrieked.

The worshippers recoiled.

Even the ground trembled.

Then

Everything began to dim.

The world, the noise, my own heartbeat.

And then—

Darkness.

Like falling into sleep wrapped in firelight.

***

Warmth pressed faintly against my cheek. The faint scent of herbs and linen surrounded me. I stirred, my eyelashes fluttering open to the dim golden light that filtered in through the drawn curtains.

Where—?

I blinked up at the ceiling, familiar in it’s strange way. The weight in my chest was immediate, like something large and crushing had settled into my lungs.

"Ah, you’re awake."

The soft, cheerful voice drifted to me like a breeze. I turned my head slightly and saw Lazelle, the sheep doctor, sitting in the corner of the room, knitting something pink and absurdly fluffy.

Her wide, warm eyes lit up when she saw me move.

"How are you feeling?" she asked, setting her knitting down and moving toward me. "You gave all your peers quite the scare, you know. I heard you pulled out a very powerful move."

"I..." I tried to speak, but my throat felt dry, raspy. "Water?"

Lazelle helped me sip from the glass by the bedside. I swallowed slowly, still trying to orient myself. Everything felt sore. My bones ached like they had been wrenched open and filled with fire.

"You’ve been out for nearly two days," she said. "It took that long just for your body to cool down from whatever it was you did."

"Two days?"

"Yes," she nodded, "Apparently there is a slight problem with your mana."

"My mana?"

"It seems you need more practice." She smiled at me, "That’s the conclusion the mages gave when they came to visit and analyze your condition."

"I see..." My condition was analyzed. Was it that bad? I’m sure my husband was in worse condition-

My eyes snapped wide.

Draegon!!

I sat up abruptly. "Where’s Draegon?"

Lazelle’s eyes widened, and I could see the hesitation flash across her face before she answered. "He’s resting. In one of the guest rooms. Still unconscious, but alive,"

"Which guest room?" I asked

"The one to the far left,"

I didn’t wait to hear another word.

I threw the covers off, my limbs shaking as I rose, but the adrenaline shoved the weakness aside. I barely heard Lazelle’s protest as I pushed the door open and rushed down the hall.

Please. Please, no. Please let him be okay.

I ran barefoot through the palace halls, heart hammering wildly in my chest, dread curling in my gut like a snake coiling tighter with every breath. My mind was flashing with images—his body convulsing, blood pouring from his chest, that laugh of Alishay’s—

I reached the guest corridor. A few servants were passing by there and I looked at them, "Where is Draegon?" I demanded to know

A maid pointed quickly to the right. "In that room, my lady—"

I didn’t hear the rest. I flung the door open.

And then I froze.

My breath left me.

A sound built in my chest. Raw. Uncontainable.

There—on the bed lay Draegon.

Unmoving.

Naked.

And wrapped in coils of glowing red scales

Vesper.

She lay in her half-serpent form, her massive body curled possessively around him like a predator shielding prey. Her bare arms were around his torso, her cheek resting against his chest.

His chest.

My vision blurred in rage.

I’d never screamed like that before in my entire life.

"GET OUT!"

My voice cracked the room in half.

Vesper’s head snapped up, startled. Her serpent tail tensed, tightening for a heartbeat before loosening slightly.

"Your Highness—" she began.

"OUT!" I screamed again, stepping into the room, fists clenched at my sides. "I SAID GET OUT!"

She sat up halfway, scales flashing in the dim lamplight, her mouth pressed into a tight line. "His temperature kept dropping," she said calmly. "He was freezing. I’m a fire serpent. I was just—"

"Don’t you dare say it," I growled. "Don’t you dare tell me this is nothing. Get away from him!"

"You don’t understand—" She tried to explain

"He’s my husband!"

The words tore out of me. Ripped clean from my chest like they’d been waiting there all along.

Vesper’s face changed—just slightly. A twitch in her jaw. A flicker of surprise.

"I didn’t mean it like that," she said softly. "He was in danger. I was just—helping."

But I couldn’t even process it.

Seeing her body wound around him, his bare skin pressed to hers, her arms around the man I—

The man I love.

It wasn’t logical. I knew that. But logic had nothing to do with the storm raging inside me.

"I’ll take care of him now," I said, my voice quieter, but not gentler. "Leave. Now."

Vesper finally pulled herself back, slowly uncoiling. The shift back to her full humanoid form was seamless—graceful. But I didn’t care. I refused to look at her face again.

She adjusted her collar as she stood, giving Draegon one last look, then turned to leave without another word.

When the door closed, I nearly collapsed.

I rushed to the bed, tears blurring my vision again. He was pale. His chest was rising—slowly. But his skin was so cold.

"Draegon," I whispered, brushing the wet hair from his forehead, trembling.

"I’m here. I’m here now."

I curled into the edge of the bed beside him, wrapping the nearest blanket around us both, tucking my arm around his chest protectively. He didn’t move.

I pressed my forehead to his and whispered, "Come back to me."

My fingers shook as I reached for the magic that always felt too big for me. It roared beneath my skin now, waiting—eager. I let out a slow breath and placed my palms gently over his chest, right where his heart was.

"Please," I whispered. "Don’t make me wake up in a world without you."

The golden glow sparked to life under my skin, bright and warm. My forehead pulsed with heat, the Solwyn symbol burning behind my eyes.

Soft light poured from my hands, golden-white and steady. My magic sank into Draegon’s body, seeking the damage—the torn tissue, the poisoned blood. The magic tugged and pulled at me, wanting to do more, wanting to burn through everything that had hurt him.

I gritted my teeth and focused.

It wasn’t about power. It was about healing.

My palms heated further, sweat forming on my temples, but I didn’t stop. Not until I felt it—that tiny shift beneath my hands. A flicker.

A strong heartbeat.

He inhaled sharply, and I jerked back, nearly falling over.

"Draegon?"

His brows furrowed first, like he was in a dream. Then his lips parted.

"Aelin..." His voice was hoarse, barely above a whisper.

Tears stung my eyes. I grabbed his hand immediately and brought it to my chest. "I’m here. You’re okay—you’re going to be okay."

His eyes fluttered open slowly. Deep purple, like jewels, hazy with confusion—but alive. His gaze found mine, and a breath escaped him like it was the first breath he’d ever taken.

"What happened...?" he rasped.