Disclaimer: I do not own the Throne of Glass series or any of the wonderful characters and stories told by the lovely Sarah J. Maas.

Summary: "Elide, my darling girl. It's time to come home." (OR what if Vernon doesn't go down without a villainous, manipulative fight). KOA what if scenario.


"Elide," Lorcan chokes out her name as he steps forward. But the pitch black eyes that meet his gaze stop him.

The Valg lazily smiles at him, tilting Elide's head to the side, "oh ho, you must be the man. Lorcan, right?" She traces her hands up Elide's body. Swirling idle lines up her hips, waist, circling her breasts.

Lorcan snarled, "Elide I know you're in there-"

"Too late," the creature interrupts quietly, "this girl is mine. She called out for you, did you know? Over and over and over again. Did you hear her cries? Her stubborn spirit resisted for so long. But Lorcan, you never came and she despaired. So she accepted her fate. Elide Lochan was nobody. She accepted that. And now, now she is nothing."

Lorcan felt like he had been punched, "No. Elide would not give up. She doesn't know how."

The creature cackled, "Maybe so, but apparently it was you who gave up on her. You chose to abandon her. You all, a group of legends I'm told. You labeled her unimportant. But, my mistress has great use of her. For this body and broken mind."

"You are a fucking liar," Aelin spat, "Elide I know you're in there. Lorcan knows it too. And we are coming for you. We will not leave you with them."

A new voice let out a loud laugh. Aelin whipped back around toward the mirror.

Maeve laughed from inside the mirror. "Oh yes, Elide Lochan. A woman of such power to stop Aelin and Lorcan in their tracks. And with witch blood in her veins, a powerful conduit for my princess.

"She's stronger than she looks. Like someone else I know. Two women who don't know when to just stop. She had to let me break her before I could get that collar around her neck. That collar I retrieved for your neck by the way. But I think this all worked out much better. I'm pretty sure you're unwilling to kill her."

Lorcan went utterly still. Except for his hands, they were shaking with restrained rage.

"I will end you," Aelin quietly stated.

"Then I will kill Elide," Maeve simply answered in turn.

"No." Lorcan's response was both a threat and a promise.

He stepped forward toward Maeve in the mirror, lifting his hatchet to shatter it.

"Perhaps a demonstration, my pet."

Aelin's shout of distress had Lorcan whirling around. Elide had darted forward to grab a discarded dagger and before any of them could comprehend what was happening, had turned the dagger on herself.

Lorcan was horrorstruck seeing the handle of the dagger jutting out of Elide's side. The valg creature smiled serenely, seemingly unaffected by injury.

Blood seeped out of the wound. Lorcan couldn't look away. He remembered another time, when Elide's resolve nearly cost her her life. Because of Vernon. Vernon and Maeve.

"What do you want, Maeve?" Rowan growled, stepping to stand shoulder to shoulder with Aelin.

"I want everything. And that girl is going to help me. Her power, do you even know who she is? What she is capable of?"

Maeve chuckled and turned her glare to Aelin, "No, I think the more important question is what do you want, little queen? And who are you willing to lose along the way?" Maeve's magic pulsed in the room before she faded away, the mirror returning to normal, reflecting Aelin's stony expression.

The room was silent.

"Now I guess that means, well me," the gazes in the room swiveled back to the Valg princess who calmly pulled the knife from her side. Covered in Elide's blood.

The wound pulsed, and Lorcan couldn't stop himself from moving towards Elide, hands lifting as if to apply pressure.

Elide doesn't hesitate and throws the blood-soaked blade at Lorcan on his approach but he deflects with his hatchet. He sees her body tense and knows she's about to dart away. In a blink he grabs her arm, still raised from throwing the dagger, and roughly twists her around before bodily shoving her against the dining room wall. The wound still seeped blood down her side.

The Valg hisses and tries to twist away but Lorcan crowds up against Elide. He holds one arm to her back and the other against the wall as his knee digs into her lower back, until the creature stills.

"Elide, I will find you again," Lorcan whispers in her ear.

"She is gone, Fae. Although this body sure recognizes the position," the voice turns sultry, "you naughty boy taking her against a wall. I think I might be jealous."

Instead of trying to twist away Elide digs her ass into Lorcan's midsection and he curses as he repositions his knee to pin her once more.

"Get the fuck out of her mind."

"Who's mind? Like I already told you there's no one in here, but me. Maeve shattered the girl into pieces. She broke telling her truths about you, Lorcan."

"Liar."

Aelin had come up behind Lorcan's shoulder, while Gavrial had calmly stepped forward and lent his magic to heal Elide's side.

Lorcan muttered, "thank you," as the Valg princess chuckled and responded to Gavriel's work with a quick jab of her tongue.

"Nuh uh, you forget who has the power here. Now let me go. I need to go find my uncle."

Lorcan doesn't move as he tightens his grip on Elide.

"What is it that you want? Why are you here?"

"Okay, I see you need some convincing, my friends" the Valg princess hisses as her eyes dart to the side, meeting Aelin's. "You're right, I lied. Elide is in here, but I didn't lie about her losing her mind. Want to see her?"

"Release her," Lorcan's voice is gruff as he bends his head to her ear.

"Then release me," the creature whispers in turn.

Lorcan drops his grip on one of her hands and spins the Valg Princess around so her back is now to the wall. His gaze one of pure fury. Elide's black gaze matches his as he stands chest to chest. She brings her free hand to his chest and slowly draws them down. Her touch is gentle and familiar.

Lorcan is shaking but doesn't move.

"Release her," Lorcan repeats.

"You won't recognize the creature she is now," the Valg abruptly leans forward and brushes her lips against Lorcan's before tilting her head back and cackling.

"You want to meet the broken creature left behind in here? Here she is."

Elide's agonizing scream fills the air.

"LORCAN! LORCAN!"


Rowan is helpless at the heartbreak he sees in his mate's eyes as they listen to Elide's screams. Helpless to help his comrade reach the love of his life. It is agony.

"Elide, it's me. Snap out of it," Lorcan's hands move to clutch Elide's face and force her jet black gaze to his.

The scream cuts abruptly

"She can't, Fae. She's trapped in this moment. This truth she can't escape. Your devotion to our Queen, Maeve."

"No," Lorcan growled, "no, she knows this truth. I belong to her. Only her. Elide, only you. Do you hear me?"

Then he closes the distance between them and kisses her.


Vernon warily raises his head when he hears the door rattle, tensing. Before immediately relaxing as the shapeshifter walks in.

"About time. Now let's go pick up our darling girl."