Kingdom of Ash



Formyparents—whotaughtmetobelieve

thatgirlscansavetheworld



BOOKSBYSARAHJ.MAAS

TheThroneofGlassseries

TheAssassin’sBlade

ThroneofGlass

CrownofMidnight

HeirofFire

QueenofShadows

EmpireofStorms

TowerofDawn

KingdomofAsh

•

TheThroneofGlassColouringBook

ACourtofThornsandRosesseries

ACourtofThornsandRoses

ACourtofMistandFury

ACourtofWingsandRuin

ACourtofFrostandStarlight

•

ACourtofThornsandRosesColouringBook


Contents
ThePrince
ThePrincess
PartOne:ArmiesandAllies
Chapter1
Chapter2
Chapter3
Chapter4
Chapter5
Chapter6
Chapter7
Chapter8
Chapter9

Chapter10
Chapter11
Chapter12
Chapter13
Chapter14
Chapter15
Chapter16
Chapter17
Chapter18
Chapter19
Chapter20
Chapter21
Chapter22
Chapter23
Chapter24
Chapter25
Chapter26
Chapter27
Chapter28
Chapter29

Chapter30
Chapter31
Chapter32
Chapter33
Chapter34
Chapter35
Chapter36
Chapter37
Chapter38
Chapter39
Chapter40
Chapter41
Chapter42
Chapter43
Chapter44
Chapter45
Chapter46
Chapter47
Chapter48
Chapter49

Chapter50
Chapter51
Chapter52
Chapter53
Chapter54
Chapter55
Chapter56
Chapter57
Chapter58
Chapter59
Chapter60
Chapter61
Chapter62
Chapter63
Chapter64
Chapter65
Chapter66
Chapter67
PartTwo:GodsandGates

Chapter68
Chapter69
Chapter70
Chapter71
Chapter72
Chapter73
Chapter74
Chapter75
Chapter76
Chapter77
Chapter78
Chapter79
Chapter80
Chapter81
Chapter82
Chapter83
Chapter84
Chapter85
Chapter86
Chapter87

Chapter88
Chapter89
Chapter90
Chapter91
Chapter92
Chapter93
Chapter94
Chapter95
Chapter96
Chapter97
Chapter98
Chapter99
Chapter100
Chapter101
Chapter102
Chapter103
Chapter104
Chapter105
Chapter106
Chapter107

Chapter108
Chapter109
Chapter110
Chapter111
Chapter112
Chapter113
Chapter114
Chapter115
Chapter116
Chapter117
Chapter118
Chapter119
Chapter120
Chapter121
ABetterWorld
Acknowledgments



ThePrince

Hehadbeenhuntingforhersincethemoment

shewastakenfromhim.

Hismate.

Hebarelyrememberedhisownname.And

onlyrecalleditbecausehisthreecompanions

spoke it while they searched for her across

violent and dark seas, through ancient and

slumbering forests, over storm-swept

mountainsalreadyburiedinsnow.

He stopped long enough to feed his body

and allow his companions a few hours of

sleep. Were it not for them, he would have

flownoff,soaredfarandwide.

But he would need the strength of their

blades and magic, would need their cunning

andwisdombeforethiswasthrough.

Before he faced the dark queen who had

tornintohisinnermostself,stealinghismate

long before she had been locked in an iron

coffin.And after he was done with her, after

that,thenhe’dtakeonthecold-bloodedgods

themselves, hell-bent on destroying what

mightremainofhismate.

Sohestayedwithhiscompanions,evenas

thedayspassed.Thentheweeks.

Thenmonths.

Stillhesearched.Stillhehuntedforheron

everydustyandforgottenroad.

And sometimes, he spoke along the bond

betweenthem,sendinghissoulonthewindto

wherevershewasheldcaptive,entombed.

Iwillfindyou.



ThePrincess

Theironsmotheredher.Ithadsnuffedoutthe

fireinherveins,assurelyasiftheflameshad

beendoused.

Shecould hear thewater, eveninthe iron

box, even with the iron mask and chains

adorningherlikeribbonsofsilk.Theroaring;

the endless rushing of water over stone. It

filledthegapsbetweenherscreaming.

A sliver of island in the heart of a mist-

veiledriver,littlemorethanasmoothslabof

rock amid the rapids and falls. That’s where

they’d put her. Stored her. In a stone temple

builtforsomeforgottengod.

As she would likely be forgotten. It was

betterthanthealternative:toberemembered

forherutterfailure.Iftherewouldbeanyone

left to remember her. If there would be

anyoneleftatall.

Shewouldnotallowit.Thatfailure.

Shewould nottellthemwhatthey wished

toknow.

Nomatterhowoftenherscreamsdrowned

outtheragingriver.Nomatterhowoftenthe

snap of her bones cleaved through the

bellowingrapids.

Shehadtriedtokeeptrackofthedays.

But she did not know how long they had

kept her in thatironbox. How long they had

forcedhertosleep,lulledintooblivionbythe

sweet smoke they’d poured in while they

traveled here. To this island, this temple of

pain.

Shedidnotknowhowlongthegapslasted

between her screaming and waking. Between

thepainendingandstartinganew.

Days, months, years—they bled together,

as her own blood often slithered over the

stonefloorandintotheriveritself.

Aprincesswhowastoliveforathousand

years.Longer.

That had been her gift. It was now her

curse.

Anothercursetobear,asheavyastheone

placed upon her long before her birth. To

sacrifice her very self to right an ancient

wrong.Topayanother’sdebttothegodswho

had found their world, become trapped in it.

Andthenruledit.

She did not feel the warm hand of the

goddesswhohadblessedanddamnedherwith

such terrible power. She wondered if that

goddessoflightandflameevencaredthatshe

nowlaytrappedwithintheironbox—orifthe

immortal had transferred her attentions to

another.Tothekingwhomightofferhimself

inhersteadandinyieldinghislife,sparetheir

world.

Thegodsdidnotcarewhopaidthedebt.So

she knew they would not come for her, save

her.Soshedidnotbotherprayingtothem.

But she still told herself the story, still

sometimesimagined that the river sang it to

her.Thatthedarknesslivingwithinthesealed

coffinsangittoheraswell.

Once upon a time, in a land long since

burned to ash, there lived a young princess

wholovedherkingdom…

Down she would drift, deep into that

darkness,intotheseaofflame.Downsodeep

that when the whip cracked, when bone

sundered,shesometimesdidnotfeelit.

Mosttimesshedid.

It was during those infinite hours that she

wouldfixherstareonhercompanion.

Notthequeen’shunter,whocoulddrawout

pain like a musician coaxing a melody from

an instrument. But the massive white wolf,

chainedbyinvisiblebonds.Forcedtowitness

this.

Thereweresomedayswhenshecouldnot

standtolookatthewolf.Whenshehadcome

soclose,tooclose,tobreaking.Andonlythe

storyhadkeptherfromdoingso.

Once upon a time, in a land long since

burned to ash, there lived a young princess

wholovedherkingdom…

Wordsshehadspokentoaprince.Once—

longago.

Aprinceoficeandwind.Aprincewhohad

been hers, and shehis. Longbefore the bond

betweentheirsoulsbecameknowntothem.

Itwasuponhimthatthetaskofprotecting

thatonce-gloriouskingdomnowfell.

The prince whose scent was kissed with

pineandsnow,thescentofthatkingdomshe

hadlovedwithherheartofwildfire.

Even when the dark queen presided over

the hunter’s ministrations, the princess

thoughtofhim.Heldontohismemoryasifit

werearockintheragingriver.

Thedarkqueenwithaspider’ssmiletried

to wield it against her. In the obsidian webs

shewove,theillusionsanddreamsshespunat

the culmination of each breaking point, the

queen tried to twist the memory of him as a

keyintohermind.

Theywereblurring.Theliesandtruthsand

memories.Sleepandtheblacknessintheiron

coffin.Thedaysboundtothestonealtarinthe

centeroftheroom,orhangingfromahookin

the ceiling, or strung up between chains

anchored into the stone wall. It was all

beginningtoblur,likeinkinwater.

Soshetoldherselfthestory.Thedarkness

and the flame deep withinher whispered it,

too, and she sang it back to them. Locked in

that coffin hidden on an island within the

heartofariver,theprincessrecitedthestory,

over and over, and let them unleash an

eternityofpainuponherbody.

Once upon a time, in a land long since

burned to ash, there lived a young princess

wholovedherkingdom…



PARTONE

ArmiesandAllies



CHAPTER1

Thesnowshadcomeearly.

EvenforTerrasen,thefirstoftheautumnal

flurries had barreled in far ahead of their

usualarrival.

Aedion Ashryver wasn’t entirely sure it

wasablessing.ButifitkeptMorath’slegions

from their doorstep just a little longer, he’d

get on his knees to thank the gods. Even if

those same gods threatened everything he

loved.Ifbeingsfromanother world could be

consideredgodsatall.

Aedion supposed he had more important

thingstocontemplate,anyway.

Inthetwoweekssincehe’d beenreunited

with his Bane, they’d seen no sign of

Erawan’sforces,eitherterrestrialorairborne.

Thethicksnowhadbegunfallingbarelythree

days after his return, hindering the already-

slow process of transporting the troops from

their assembled armada to the Bane’s

sweepingcamponthePlainofTheralis.

TheshipshadsaileduptheFlorine,rightto

Orynth’s doorstep, banners of every color

flapping in the brisk wind off the Staghorns:

thecobaltandgoldofWendlyn,theblackand

crimson of Ansel of Briarcliff, the

shimmering silver of the Whitethorn royals

andtheirmanycousins.TheSilentAssassins,

scatteredthroughoutthefleet,hadnobanner,

though none was needed to identify them—

not with their pale clothes and assortment of

beautiful,viciousweapons.

Theshipswould soon rejointhe rearguard

leftattheFlorine’smouthandpatrolthecoast

from Ilium to Suria, but the footsoldiers—

most hailing from Crown Prince Galan

Ashryver’sforces—wouldgotothefront.

A front that now lay buried under several

feetofsnow.Withmorecoming.

Hidden above a narrow mountain pass in

the Staghorns behind Allsbrook, Aedion

scowledattheheavysky.

Hispalefursblendedhimintothegrayand

white of the rocky outcropping, a hood

concealing his golden hair.And keeping him

warm.ManyofGalan’stroopshadneverseen

snow,thankstoWendlyn’stemperateclimate.

TheWhitethornroyalsandtheirsmallerforce

were hardly better off. So Aedion had left

Kyllian, his most trusted commander, in

chargeofensuringthattheywereaswarmas

couldbemanaged.

They were far from home, fighting for a

queen they did not know or perhaps even

believe in. That frigid cold would sap spirits

and sprout dissent faster than the howling

windchargingbetweenthesepeaks.

Aflickerofmovementontheothersideof

the pass caught Aedion’s  eye, visible only

becauseheknewwheretolook.

She’d camouflaged herself better than he

had. But Lysandra had the advantage of

wearing a coat that had been bred for these

mountains.

Notthathe’dsaidthattoher.Orsomuch

asglancedatherwhenthey’ddepartedonthis

scoutingmission.

Aelin, apparently, had secret business in

EldrysandhadleftanotewithGalanandher

new allies to account for her disappearance.

Which allowed Lysandra to accompany them

onthistask.

No one had noticed, in the nearly two

monthsthey’dbeenmaintainingthisruse,that

the Queen of Fire had not an ember to show

for it. Or thatsheandtheshape-shifternever

appeared in the same place.And no one, not

the Silent Assassins of the Red Desert, or

Galan Ashryver, or the troops that Ansel of

Briarcliff had sent with the armada ahead of

thebulkofherarmy,hadpickeduptheslight

tells that did not belong to Aelin at all. Nor

hadtheynotedthebrandonthequeen’swrist

that no matter what skin she wore, Lysandra

couldnotchange.

Shedidafinejobofhidingthebrandwith

gloves or long sleeves. And if a glimmer of

scarredskinevershowed,itcouldbeexcused

as part of the manacle markings that

remained.

The fake scars she’d also added, right

whereAelin had them.Along with the laugh

andwickedgrin.Theswaggerandstillness.

Aedion could barely stand to look at her.

Talktoher.Heonlydidsobecausehehadto

uphold this ruse, too. To pretend that he was

her faithful cousin, her fearless commander

who would lead her and Terrasen to victory,

howeverunlikely.

So he played the part. One of many he’d

donnedinhislife.

Yet the moment Lysandra changed her

goldenhairfordarktresses,Ashryvereyesfor

emerald, he stopped acknowledging her

existence. Some days, the Terrasen knot

tattooedonhischest,thenamesofhisqueen

andfledglingcourtwovenamongstit,feltlike

abrand.Hernameespecially.

He’d only brought her on this mission to

make it easier. Safer. There were other lives

beyond hisat risk,andthoughhecould have

unloaded this scouting task to a unit within

theBane,he’dneededtheaction.

It had taken over a month to sail from

Eyllwe with their newfound allies, dodging

Morath’sfleetaroundRifthold,andthenthese

pasttwoweekstomoveinland.

They had seen little to no combat. Only a

few roving bands of Adarlanian soldiers, no

Valg amongst them, thathad been dealt with

quickly.

Aedion doubted Erawan was waiting until

spring. Doubted the quiet had anything to do

with the weather. He’d discussed it with his

men, and with Darrow and the other lords a

fewdaysago.Erawanwaslikelywaitinguntil

the dead of winter, when mobility would be

hardest for Terrasen’s army, when Aedion’s

soldiers would be weak from months in the

snow, their bodies stiff with cold. Even the

king’s fortune that Aelin had schemed and

wonforthemthispastspringcouldn’tprevent

that.

Yes, food and blankets and clothes could

bepurchased,butwhenthesupplylineswere

buriedundersnow,whatgoodweretheythen?

All the goldinErileacouldn’t stoptheslow,

steadyleechingofstrengthcausedbymonths

in a winter camp, exposed to Terrasen’s

mercilesselements.

Darrow and the other lords didn’t believe

his claim that Erawan would strike in deep

winter—or believe Ren, when the Lord of

Allsbrook voiced his agreement. Erawan was

no fool, they claimed. Despite his aerial

legion of witches, even Valg foot soldiers

could not cross snow when it was ten feet

deep.They’ddecidedthatErawanwouldwait

untilspring.

YetAedionwastaking nochances.Neither

wasPrinceGalan,whohadremainedsilentin

that meeting, but soughtAedion afterward to

addhissupport.Theyhadtokeeptheirtroops

warmandfed,keepthemtrainedandreadyto

marchatamoment’snotice.

This scouting mission, if Ren’s

information proved correct, would help their

cause.

Nearby, a bowstring groaned, barely

audible over the wind. Its tip and shaft had

been painted white, and were now barely

visible as it aimed with deadly precision

towardthepassopening.

Aedion caught Ren Allsbrook’s eye from

wheretheyounglordwasconcealedamongst

the rocks, his arrow ready to fly. Cloaked in

thesamewhiteandgrayfursasAedion,apale

scarfoverhismouth,Renwaslittlemorethan

apairofdarkeyesandthehintofaslashing

scar.

Aedionmotioned to wait. Barely glancing

toward the shape-shifter across the pass,

Aedionconveyedthesameorder.

Lettheirenemiesdrawcloser.

Crunching snow mingled with labored

breathing.

Rightontime.

Aedion nocked an arrow to his own bow

andduckedlowerontheoutcropping.

As Ren’s scout had claimed when she’d

rushed intoAedion’s war tent five days ago,

thereweresixofthem.

Theydidnotbothertoblendintothesnow

androck.Their darkfur,shaggy andstrange,

mightaswellhavebeenabeaconagainstthe

glaringwhiteoftheStaghorns.Butitwasthe

reekofthem,carriedonaswiftwind,thattold

Aedionenough.

Valg.Nosignofacollaronanyoneinthe

small party, any hint of a ring concealed by

their thick gloves. Apparently, even demon-

infested vermin could get cold. Or their

mortalhostsdid.

Theirenemiesmoveddeeperintothethroat

ofthepass.Ren’sarrowheldsteady.

Leaveonealive,Aedionhadorderedbefore

they’dtakentheirpositions.

It had been a lucky guess that they’d

choose this pass, a half-forgotten back door

into Terrasen’s low-lying lands. Only wide

enough for two horses to ride abreast, it had

long been ignored by conquering armies and

the merchants seeking to sell their wares in

thehinterlandsbeyondtheStaghorns.

Whatdwelledoutthere,whodaredmakea

living beyond any recognized border,Aedion

didn’tknow.Justashedidn’tknowwhythese

soldiers had ventured so far into the

mountains.

Buthe’dfindoutsoonenough.

Thedemoncompanypassedbeneaththem,

andAedionandRenshiftedtorepositiontheir

bows.

A straight shot down into the skull. He

pickedhismark.

Aedion’s nod was the only signal before

hisarrowflew.

Black blood was still steaming in the snow

whenthefightingstopped.

It had lasted only a few minutes. Just a

few, after Ren and Aedion’s arrows found

their targets and Lysandra had leaped from

her perch to shred three others. And rip the

musclesfromthecalvesofthesixthandsole

survivingmemberofthecompany.

The demon moaned as Aedion stalked

toward him, the snow at the man’s feet now

jet-black,hislegsinribbons.Likescrapsofa

bannerinthewind.

Lysandra sat near his head, her maw

stainedebonyandhergreeneyesfixedonthe

man’spaleface.Needle-sharpclawsgleamed

fromhermassivepaws.

Behind them, Ren checked the others for

signs of life. His sword rose and fell,

decapitating them before the frigid air could

renderthemtoostifftohackthrough.

“Traitorous filth,” the demon seethed at

Aedion, narrow face curdling with hate. The

reekofhimstuffeditselfupAedion’snostrils,

coatinghissenseslikeoil.

Aedion drew the knife at his side—the

long, wicked dagger Rowan Whitethorn had

giftedhim—andsmiledgrimly.“Thiscango

quickly,ifyou’resmart.”

The Valg soldier spat on Aedion’s snow-

crustedboots.

AllsbrookCastlehadstoodwiththeStaghorns

at its back and Oakwald at its feet for over

fivehundredyears.

Pacingbeforetheroaringfireablazeinone

of its many oversized hearths, Aedion could

count the marks of every brutal winter upon

the gray stones. Could feel the weight of the

castle’sstoriedhistoryonthosestones,too—

the years of valor and service, when these

halls had been full of singing and warriors,

andthelongyearsofsorrowthatfollowed.

Ren had claimed a worn, tufted armchair

settoonesideofthefire,hisforearmsbraced

on his thighs as he stared into the flame.

They’d arrived late last night, and even

Aedion had been too drained from the trek

throughsnowboundOakwaldtotakethegrand

tour. And after what they’d done this

afternoon,hedoubtedhe’dmustertheenergy

todosonow.

The once-great hall was hushed and dim

beyond their fire, and above them, faded

tapestries and crests from the Allsbrook

family’s banner menswayed in the draft

creepingthroughthehighwindowsthatlined

one side of the chamber. An assortment of

birds nested in the rafters, hunkered down

against the lethal cold beyond the keep’s

ancientwalls.

And amongst them, a green-eyed falcon

listenedtoeveryword.

“If Erawan’s searching for a way into

Terrasen,” Ren said at last, “the mountains

would be foolish.” He frowned toward the

discarded trays of food they’d devoured

minutesago.Heartymuttonstewandroasted

root vegetables. Most of it bland, but it had

been hot. “The land does not forgive easily

out here. He’d lose countless troops to the

elementsalone.”

“Erawan does nothing without reason,”

Aedion countered. “The easiest route to

Terrasenwouldbe up through the farmlands,

on the northern roads. It’s where anyone

wouldexpecthimtomarch.Eitherthere,orto

launchhisforcesfromthecoast.”

“Orboth—bylandandsea.”

Aedionnodded.Erawanhadspreadhisnet

wide in his desire to stomp out what

resistance had arisen on this continent. Gone

was the guise of Adarlan’s empire: from

EyllwetoAdarlan’snorthernborder,fromthe

shoresoftheGreatOceantothetoweringwall

of mountains that cleaved their continent in

two,theValgking’sshadowgreweveryday.

Aedion doubted that Erawan would stop

before he clamped black collars around all

theirnecks.

And if Erawan attained the two other

Wyrdkeys, if he could open the Wyrdgate at

willandunleashhordesofValgfromhisown

realm, perhaps even enslave armies from

otherworlds and wield them for conquest …

Therewouldbenochanceofstoppinghim.In

thisworld,oranyother.

All hope of preventing that horrible fate

now lay with Dorian Havilliard and Manon

Blackbeak. Where they’d gone these months,

what had befallen them,Aedionhadn’theard

a whisper. Which he supposed was a good

sign.Theirsurvivallayinsecrecy.

Aedion said, “So for Erawan to waste a

scouting party to find small mountain passes

seems unwise.” He scratched at his stubble-

coated cheek. They’d left before dawn

yesterday, and he’d opted for sleep over a

shave.“It doesn’t make sense, strategically.

Thewitchescanfly,sosendingscoutstolearn

thepitfallsoftheterrainisoflittleuse.Butif

the information is for terrestrial armies …

Squeezing forces through small passes like

that would take months, not to mention risk

theweather.”

“Theirscoutjustkeptlaughing,”saidRen,

shaking his head. His shoulder-length black

hair moved with him. “What are we missing

here?Whataren’tweseeing?”Inthefirelight,

theslashingscardownhisfacewasstarker.A

reminderofthehorrorsRenhadendured,and

theoneshisfamilyhadn’tsurvived.

“Itcouldbetokeepusguessing.Tomake

us reposition our forces.” Aedion braced a

hand on the mantel, the warm stone seeping

intohisstill-chilledskin.

Ren had indeed readied the Bane the

months Aedion had been away, working

closely with Kyllian to position them as far

south from Orynth as Darrow’s leash would

allow. Which, it turned out, was barely

beyond the foothills lining the southernmost

edgeofthePlainofTheralis.

Ren had since yielded control to Aedion,

though the Lord ofAllsbrook’s reunion with

Aelin had been frosty. As cold as the snow

whippingoutsidethiskeep,tobeexact.

Lysandra had played the role well,

mastering Aelin’s guilt and impatience. And

since then, wisely avoiding any situation

wheretheymighttalkaboutthepast.Notthat

Ren had demonstrated a desire to reminisce

abouttheyearsbeforeTerrasen’sfall.Orthe

eventsoflastwinter.

Aedion could only hope that Erawan also

remainedunawarethattheynolongerhadthe

Fire-Bringer in their midst. What Terrasen’s

own troops would say or do when they

realizedAelin’sflamewouldnotshieldthem

inbattle,hedidn’twanttoconsider.

“It could also be a true maneuver that we

were lucky enough to discover,” Ren mused.

“So do we risk moving troops to the passes?

There are some already in the Staghorns

behind Orynth, and on the northern plains

beyondit.”

AclevermoveonRen’spart—toconvince

Darrow to let him stationpart of the Bane

behind Orynth, should Erawan sail north and

attack from there. He’d put nothing past the

bastard.

“I don’t want the Bane spread too thin,”

said Aedion, studying the fire. So different,

thisflame—sodifferentfromAelin’sfire.As

iftheonebeforehimwereaghostcompared

tothelivingthingthatwashisqueen’smagic.

“And we still don’t have enough troops to

spare.”

Even with Aelin’s desperate, bold

maneuvering, the allies she’d won didn’t

come close to the full might of Morath.And

all that gold she’d amassed did little to buy

them more—not when there were few left to

evenenticetojointheircause.

“Aelindidn’tseemtooconcernedwhenshe

flittedofftoEldrys,”Renmurmured.

For a moment, Aedion was on a spit of

blood-soakedsand.

An iron box. Maeve had whipped her and

putherinaveritablecoffin.Andsailedoffto

Mala-knew-where, an immortal sadist with

them.

“Aelin,”saidAedion,dredging upa drawl

asbest hecould,evenas the liechokedhim,

“has her own plans that she’ll only tell us

aboutwhenthetimeisright.”

Ren said nothing. And though the queen

Ren believed had returned was an illusion,

Aedion added, “Everything she does is for

Terrasen.”

He’d said such horrible things to her that

day she’d taken down the ilken.Where are

ourallies?he’ddemanded.Hewasstilltrying

toforgivehimselfforit.Foranyofit.Allthat

hehadwasthisonechancetomakeitright,to

doasshe’daskedandsavetheirkingdom.

Ren glanced to the twin swords he’d

discarded on the ancient table behind them.

“She still left.” Not for Eldrys, but ten years

ago.

“We’ve all made mistakes this past

decade.”ThegodsknewAedionhadplentyto

atonefor.

Ren tensed, as if the choices that haunted

himhadnippedathisback.

“Inevertoldher,”Aedionsaidquietly, so

thatthefalconsittingintheraftersmightnot

hear.“AbouttheopiumdeninRifthold.”

About the fact that Ren had known the

owner, and had frequentedthe woman’s

establishment plenty before the nightAedion

andChaolhadhauledinanearlyunconscious

Rentohidefromtheking’smen.

“Youcanbearealprick,youknowthat?”

Ren’svoiceturnedhoarse.

“I’d never use that against you.” Aedion

held the young lord’s raging dark stare, let

Renfeelthedominancesimmeringwithinhis

own. “What I meant to say, before you flew

off the handle,” he added when Ren’s mouth

opened again, “was that Aelin offered you a

place in this court without knowing that part

of your past.” A muscle flickered in Ren’s

jaw.“Butevenifshehad,Ren,shestillwould

havemadethatoffer.”

Ren studied the stone floor beneath their

boots.“Thereisnocourt.”

“Darrow can scream it all he wants, but I

beg to differ.”Aedion slid into the armchair

acrossfromRen’s.IfRentrulybackedAelin,

withElideLochannowreturned,andSoland

RaviofSurialikelytosupporther,itgavehis

queen three votes in her favor. Against the

fouropposingher.

TherewaslittlehopethatLysandra’svote,

asLadyofCaraverre,wouldberecognized.

The shifter had not asked to see the land

thatwastobeherhomeiftheysurvivedthis

war. Had only changed into a falcon on the

trek here and flown off for a while. When

she’dreturned,she’dsaidnothing,thoughher

greeneyeshadbeenbright.

No,Caraverrewouldnotberecognizedasa

territory,notuntilAelintookupherthrone.

UntilLysandrainsteadwascrownedqueen,

ifhisowndidnotreturn.

Shewouldreturn.Shehadto.

A door opened at the far end of the hall,

followed by rushing, light steps. He rose a

heartbeatbeforeajoyous“Aedion!”sangover

thestones.

Evangeline was beaming, clad head to toe

in green woolen clothes bordered with white

fur, her red-gold hair hanging in two plaits.

LikethemountaingirlsofTerrasen.

Her scars stretched wide as she grinned,

and Aedion threw open hisarms just before

she launched herself on him. “They said you

arrivedlatelastnight,butyouleftbeforefirst

light,andIwasworriedI’dmissyouagain—”

Aedion pressed a kiss to the top of her

head.“Youlooklikeyou’vegrownafullfoot

sinceIlastsawyou.”

Evangeline’s citrine eyes glowed as she

glancedbetweenhimandRen.“Where’s—”

Aflashoflight,andthereshewas.

Shining.Lysandraseemedtobeshiningas

she swept a cloak around her bare body, the

garment left on a nearby chair for precisely

this purpose. Evangeline hurled herself into

the shifter’s arms, half sobbing with joy.

Evangeline’s shoulders shook, and Lysandra

smiled,deeplyandwarmly,strokingthegirl’s

head.“You’rewell?”

For all the world, the shifter would have

seemedcalm,serene.ButAedionknewher—

knew her moods, her secret tells. Knew that

theslighttremorinherwordswasproofofthe

ragingtorrentbeneaththebeautifulsurface.

“Oh,yes,”Evangelinesaid,pullingawayto

beam toward Ren. “He and Lord Murtaugh

brought me here soon after. Fleetfoot’s with

him,bytheway.Murtaugh,Imean.Shelikes

him better than me, because he sneaks her

treats all day. She’s fatter than a lazy house

catnow.”

Lysandralaughed,andAedionsmiled.The

girlhadbeenwellcaredfor.

As if realizing it herself, Lysandra

murmured to Ren, her voice a soft purr,

“Thankyou.”

Red tinted Ren’s cheeks as he rose to his

feet.“Ithoughtshe’dbesaferherethaninthe

warcamp.Morecomfortable,atleast.”

“Oh, it’s the most wonderful place,

Lysandra,” Evangeline chirped, gripping

Lysandra’s hand between both of hers.

“Murtaugh even took me to Caraverre one

afternoon—beforeitstartedsnowing,Imean.

You must see it. The hills and rivers and

pretty trees, all right up against the

mountains. I thought I spied a ghost leopard

hiding atop the rocks, but Murtaugh said it

wasatrickofmymind.ButIswearitwasone

—evenbiggerthanyours!Andthehouse!It’s

the loveliest house I ever saw, with a walled

gardeninthebackthatMurtaughsayswillbe

fullofvegetablesandrosesinthesummer.”

Foraheartbeat,Aedioncouldn’tendurethe

emotion on Lysandra’s face as Evangeline

prattledoffhergrandplansfortheestate.The

painoflongingforalifethatwouldlikelybe

snatched away before she had a chance to

claimit.

Aedion turned to Ren, the lord’s gaze

transfixed on Lysandra. As it had been

whenevershe’dtakenherhumanform.

Fightingtheurgetoclenchhisjaw,Aedion

said,“YourecognizeCaraverre,then.”

Evangelinecontinuedhermerryjabbering,

butLysandra’seyesslidtowardthem.

“DarrowisnotLordofAllsbrook,”wasall

Rensaid.

Indeed. And who wouldn’t  want such a

prettyneighbor?

That is, when she wasn’t living in Orynth

underanother’sskinandcrown,usingAedion

tosireafakeroyalbloodline.Littlemorethan

astudtobreed.

Lysandra again nodded her thanks, and

Ren’sblushdeepened.Asiftheyhadn’tspent

all day trekking through snow and

slaughtering Valg. As if the scent of gore

didn’tstillclingtothem.

Indeed, Evangeline sniffed at the cloak

Lysandra kept wrapped around herself and

scowled.“Yousmellterrible.Allofyou.”

“Manners,” Lysandra admonished, but

laughed.

Evangeline put her hands on her hips in a

gestureAedionhadseenAelinmakesomany

times that his heart hurt to behold it. “You

asked me to tell you if you ever smelled.

Especiallyyourbreath.”

Lysandra smiled, and Aedion resisted the

tugonhisownmouth.“SoIdid.”

Evangeline yanked on Lysandra’s hand,

tryingtohaultheshifterdownthehall.“You

can share my room. There’s a bathing

chamberinthere.”Lysandraconcededastep.

“Afineroomforaguest,”Aedionmuttered

to Ren, his brows rising. It had to be one of

the finest here, to have its own bathing

chamber.

Ren ducked his head. “It belonged to

Rose.”

Hisoldestsister.Who had been butchered

along with Rallen, the middle Allsbrook

sibling,atthemagicacademythey’dattended.

NeartheborderwithAdarlan,theschoolhad

beendirectlyinthepathofinvadingtroops.

Even before magic fell, they would have

had few defenses against ten thousand

soldiers. Aedion didn’t let himself often

remember the slaughter of Devellin—that

fabled school. How many children had been

there.Hownonehadescaped.

Renhadbeenclosetobothhiseldersisters,

buttohigh-spiritedRosemostofall.

“Shewouldhavelikedher,”Renclarified,

jerking his chin toward Evangeline. Scarred,

Aedionrealized,asRenwas.Theslashdown

Ren’sfacehadbeenearnedwhileescapingthe

butchering blocks, his parents’ lives the cost

of the diversion that got him and Murtaugh

out.Evangeline’sscarshailedfromadifferent

sort of escape, narrowly avoiding the hellish

lifehermistressendured.

Aedion didn’t let himself often remember

thatfact,either.

Evangeline continued pulling Lysandra

away, oblivious to the conversation. “Why

didn’tyouwakemewhenyouarrived?”

Aedion didn’t hear Lysandra’s answer as

sheletherselfbeledfromthehall.Notasthe

shifter’sgazemethisown.

Shehadtriedtospeakwithhimthesepast

two months. Many times. Dozens of times.

He’d ignored her. And when they’d at last

reachedTerrasen’sshores,she’dgivenup.

She had lied to him. Deceived him so

thoroughly that any moment between them,

anyconversation…hedidn’tknowwhathad

beenreal.Didn’twanttoknow.Didn’twantto

know if she’d meant any of it, when he’d so

stupidlylefteverythinglaidoutbeforeher.

He’d believed this was his last hunt. That

he’d be able to take his timewith her, show

her everything Terrasen had to offer. Show

hereverythinghehadtooffer,too.

Lyingbitch,he’dcalledher.Screamedthe

wordsather.

He’d mustered enough clarity to be

ashamedofit.Buttherageremained.

Lysandra’s eyes were wary, as if asking

h i m ,Can we not, in this rare moment of

happiness,speakasfriends?

Aedion only returned to the fire, blocking

outheremeraldeyes,herexquisiteface.

Ren could have her. Even if the thought

madehimwanttoshattersomething.

Lysandra and Evangeline vanished from

thehall,thegirlstillchirpingaway.

The weight of Lysandra’s disappointment

lingeredlikeaphantomtouch.

Ren cleared his throat. “You want to tell

mewhat’sgoingonbetweenyoutwo?”

Aedioncuthimaflatstarethatwouldhave

sentlessermenrunning.“Getamap.Iwantto

gooverthepassesagain.”

Ren,tohiscredit,wentinsearchofone.

Aedion gazed at the fire, so pale without

hisqueen’ssparkofmagic.

How long would it be until the wind

howlingoutsidethecastlewasreplacedbythe

bayingofErawan’sbeasts?

Aediongothisansweratdawnthenextday.

Seated at one end of the long table in the

GreatHall,LysandraandEvangelinehavinga

quietbreakfast at theother,Aedionmastered

theshakeinhisfingersasheopenedtheletter

themessengerhaddeliveredmomentsbefore.

Ren and Murtaugh, seated around him, had

refrained from demanding answers while he

read.Once.Twice.

Aedion at last set down the letter. Took a

long breath as he frownedtoward the watery

gray light leaking through the bank of

windowshighonthewall.

Down the table, the weight of Lysandra’s

starepressedonhim.Yetsheremainedwhere

shewas.

“It’s from Kyllian,”Aedion said hoarsely.

“Morath’stroopsmadelandfallatthecoast—

atEldrys.”

Renswore.Murtaughstayedsilent.Aedion

kept seated, since his knees seemed unlikely

tosupporthim.“Hedestroyedthecity.Turned

it to rubble without unleashing a single

troop.”

Why the dark king had waited this long,

Aedioncouldonlyguess.

“The witch towers?” Ren asked. Aedion

had told him all Manon Blackbeak had

revealed on their trek through the Stone

Marshes.

“It doesn’t say.” It was doubtful  Erawan

had wielded the towers, since they were

massive enough to require being transported

by land, and Aedion’s scouts surely would

havenoticedaone-hundred-foottowerhauled

throughtheirterritory.“Buttheblastsleveled

thecity.”

“Aelin?” Murtaugh’s voice was a near-

whisper.

“Fine,”Aedion lied. “On her way back to

the Orynth encampment the day before it

happened.” Of course, there was no mention

ofherwhereaboutsinKyllian’sletter,buthis

top commander had speculated that since

there was no body or celebrating enemy, the

queenhadgottenout.

Murtaugh went boneless in his seat, and

Fleetfootlaidhergoldenheadatophisthigh.

“ThankMalaforthatmercy.”

“Don’t thank her yet.”Aedion shoved the

letter into the pocket of the thick cloak he

woreagainstthedraftinthehall.Don’tthank

heratall,healmostadded.“Ontheirwayto

Eldrys, Morath took out ten of Wendlyn’s

warshipsnearIlium,andsenttherestfleeing

backuptheFlorine,alongwithourown.”

Murtaugh rubbed his jaw. “Why not give

chase—followthemuptheriver?”

“Who knows?” Aedion would think on it

later.“ErawansethissightsonEldrys,andso

hehasnowtakenthecity.Heseemsinclined

to launch some of his troops from there. If

unchecked,they’llreachOrynthinaweek.”

“Wehavetoreturntothecamp,”Rensaid,

face dark. “See if we can get our fleet back

down the Florine and strike with Rolfe from

thesea.Whilewehammerfromtheland.”

Aedion didn’t feel like reminding them

that they hadn’t heard from Rolfe beyond

vague messages about his hunt for the

scatteredMyceniansandtheirlegendaryfleet.

The odds of Rolfe emerging to save their

asseswereasslimasthefabledWolfTribeat

thefarendoftheAnascaulMountainsriding

out of the hinterland. Or the Fae who’d fled

Terrasen a decade ago returning from

whereverthey’dgonetojoinAedion’sforces.

The calculating calm that had guided

Aedion through battle and butchering settled

into him, as solid as the fur cloak he wore.

Speed would be their ally now. Speed and

clarity.

The lines have to hold, Rowan ordered

before they’d parted.Buy us whatever time

youcan.

He’dmakegoodonthatpromise.

EvangelinefellsilentasAedion’sattention

slidtotheshifterdownthetable.“Howmany

canyourwyvernformcarry?”



CHAPTER2

ElideLochanhadoncehopedtotravelfarand

wide,toaplacewherenoonehadeverheard

ofAdarlanorTerrasen,sodistantthatVernon

didn’tstandachanceoffindingher.

She hadn’t anticipated that it might

actuallyhappen.

Standing in the dusty, ancient alley of an

equallydusty,ancientcityinakingdomsouth

ofDoranelle,Elidemarveledatthenoontime

bells ringing across the clear sky, the sun

baking the pale stones of the buildings, the

drywindsweepingthroughthenarrowstreets

betweenthem.She’dlearnedthenameofthis

city thrice now, and still couldn’t pronounce

it.

She supposed it didn’t matter. They

wouldn’t be here long. Just as they had not

lingered in any of the cities they’d swept

through, or the forests or mountains or

lowlands. Kingdom after kingdom, the

relentless pace set by a prince who seemed

barely able to remember to speak, let alone

feedhimself.

Elide grimaced at the weathered witch

leathersshestillwore,herfrayinggraycloak

and scuffed boots, then glanced at her two

companions in the alley. Indeed, they’d all

seenbetterdays.

“Any minute now,” Gavriel murmured, a

tawnyeyeonthealley’sentrance.Atowering,

darkfigureblendedintothescantshadowsat

the half-crumbling archway, monitoring the

bustlingstreetbeyond.

Elide didn’t look too long toward that

figure.She’dbeenunabletostomachitthese

endlessweeks.Unabletostomachhim,orthe

unbearableacheinherchest.

ElidefrownedatGavriel.“Weshouldhave

stoppedforlunch.”

Hejerkedhischintothewornbagsagging

against the wall. “There’s an apple in my

pack.”

Glancing toward the building rising above

them, Elide sighed and reached for the pack,

riffling through the spare clothes, rope,

weapons, and various supplies until she

yanked out the fat red-and-green apple. The

last of the many they’d plucked from an

orchard in a neighboring kingdom. Elide

wordlesslyextendedittotheFaelord.

Gavrielarchedagoldenbrow.

Elidemirroredthegesture.“Icanhearyour

stomachgrumbling.”

Gavriel huffed a laugh and took the apple

withaninclineofhisheadbeforecleaningit

onthesleeveofhispalejacket.“Indeeditis.”

Downthealley,Elidecouldhaveswornthe

darkfigurestiffened.Shepaidhimnoheed.

Gavriel bit into the apple, his canines

flashing. Aedion Ashryver’s father—the

resemblance was uncanny, though the

similaritiesstoppedatappearance.Inthebrief

few days she’d spent with Aedion, he’d

proved himself the opposite of the soft-

spoken,thoughtfulmale.

She’dworried,afterAsterinandVestahad

left them aboard the ship they’d sailed here,

that she might have made a mistake in

choosingtotravelwiththreeimmortalmales.

Thatshe’dbetrampledunderfoot.

But Gavriel had been kind from the start,

making sure Elide ate enough and had

blanketsonfrigidnights,teachinghertoride

the horses they’d spent precious coin to

purchase because Elide wouldn’t stand a

chanceofkeepingupwiththemonfoot,ankle

orno.Andforthetimeswhentheyhadtolead

their horses over rough terrain, Gavriel had

evenbracedherlegwithhismagic,hispower

awarmsummerbreezeagainstherskin.

Shecertainlywasn’tallowingLorcantodo

soforher.

She would never forget the sight of him

crawling after Maeve once the queen had

severedthebloodoath.CrawlingafterMaeve

like a shunned lover, like a broken dog

desperate for its master. Aelin had been

brutalized, their very location betrayed by

LorcantoMaeve,andstillhetriedtofollow.

Right through thesand still wet withAelin’s

blood.

GavrielatehalftheappleandofferedElide

therest.“Youshouldeat,too.”

Shefrownedatthe bruisedpurple beneath

Gavriel’s eyes. Beneath her own, she had no

doubt. Her cycle, at least, had come last

month,despitethehardtravelthatburnedup

anyreservesoffoodinherstomach.

That had been particularly mortifying. To

explain to three warriors who could already

smell the blood that she needed supplies.

Morefrequentstops.

She hadn’t mentioned the cramping that

twistedhergut,herback,andlasheddownher

thighs.She’dkeptriding,keptherheaddown.

She knew they would have stopped. Even

Rowanwouldhavestoppedtoletherrest.But

every time they paused, Elide saw that iron

box. Saw the whip, shining with blood, as it

cracked through the air. Heard Aelin’s

screaming.

She’d gone so Elide wouldn’t be taken.

Had not hesitated to offer herself in Elide’s

stead.

The thought alone kept Elide astride her

mare.Thosefewdayshadbeenmadeslightly

easierbythecleanstripsoflinenthatGavriel

and Rowan provided, undoubtedly from their

ownshirts.Whenthey’dcutthemup,shehad

noidea.

Elidebitintotheapple,savoringthesweet,

tart crispness. Rowan had left some coppers

fromarapidlydwindlingsupplyonastumpto

accountforthefruitthey’dtaken.

Soonthey’dhavetostealtheirsuppers.Or

selltheirhorses.

A thumping sounded from behind the

sealed windows a level above, punctuated

withmuffledmaleshouting.

“Do you think we’ll have better luck this

time?”Elidequietlyasked.

Gavriel studied the blue-painted shutters,

carved in an intricate latticework. “I have to

hopeso.”

Luck had indeed run thin these days.

They’d had little since that blasted beach in

Eyllwe,whenRowanhadfeltatuginthebond

between him and Aelin—the mating bond—

andhadfolloweditscallacrosstheocean.Yet

whenthey’dreachedtheseshoresafterseveral

dreadful weeks on storm-wild waters, there

hadbeennothinglefttotrack.

NosignofMaeve’sremainingarmada.No

whisper of the queen’s ship, theNightingale,

dockinginanyport.Nonewsofherreturning

toherseatinDoranelle.

Rumors were all they’d had to go on,

hauling them across mountains piled deep

with snow, through dense forests and dried-

outplains.

Until the previous kingdom, the previous

city,thepackedstreetsfullofrevelersoutto

celebrate Samhuinn, to honor the gods when

theveilbetweenworldswasthinnest.

Theyhadnoideathosegodswerenothing

butbeingsfromanotherworld.Thatanyhelp

the gods offered, any help Elide had ever

received from that small voice at her

shoulder, hadbeenwithonegoalinmind: to

return home. Pawns—that’s all Elide and

Aelinandtheothersweretothem.

ItwasconfirmedbythefactthatElidehad

not heard a whisper of Anneith’s guidance

sincethathorribledayinEyllwe.Onlynudges

during the long days, as if they were

remindersofherpresence.Thatsomeonewas

watching.

That,shouldtheysucceedintheirquestto

find Aelin, the young queen would still be

expected to pay the ultimate price to those

gods. If Dorian Havilliard and Manon

Blackbeak were able to recoverthe third and

finalWyrdkey.Iftheyoungkingdidn’toffer

himselfupasthesacrificeinAelin’sstead.

SoElideenduredthoseoccasionalnudges,

refusing to contemplate what manner of

creature hadtaken such an interest in her. In

allofthem.

Elide had discarded those thoughts as

they’d combed through thestreets, listening

foranywhisperofMaeve’slocation.Thesun

had set, Rowan snarling with each passing

hour that yielded nothing.As all other cities

hadyieldednothing.

Elide had made them keep strolling the

merrystreets,unnoticedandunmarked.She’d

reminded Rowan each time he flashed his

teeth that there were eyes in every kingdom,

everyland.Andifwordgotoutthatagroupof

Fae warriors was terrorizing cities in their

searchforMaeve,surelyitwouldgetbackto

theFaeQueeninnotime.

Nighthadfallen,andintherollinggolden

hills beyond the city walls, bonfires had

kindled.

Rowanhadfinallystoppedgrowlingatthe

sight.Asiftheyhadtuggedonsomethreadof

memory,ofpain.

But then they’d passed by a group of Fae

soldiers out drinking and Rowan had gone

still. Had sized the warriors up in that cold,

calculating way that told Elide he’d crafted

someplan.

Whenthey’dduckedintoanalley,theFae

Princehadlaiditoutinstark,brutalterms.

A week later, and here they were. The

shoutinggrewinthebuildingabove.

Elide grimaced as the cracking wood

overpowered the ringing city bells. “Should

wehelp?”

Gavriel ran a tattooed hand through his

golden hair. The names of warriors who had

fallen under his command, he’d explained

whenshe’dfinallydaredasklastweek.“He’s

almostdone.”

Indeed, even Lorcan now scowled with

impatience at the window above Elide and

Gavriel.

As the noon bells finished pealing, the

shuttersburstopen.

Shattered was a better word for it as two

Faemalescameflyingthroughthem.

One of them, brown-haired and bloodied,

shriekedwhilehefell.

Prince Rowan Whitethorn said nothing

whilehefellwithhim.Whileheheldhisgrip

onthemale,teethbared.

Elide stepped aside, giving them ample

space while they crashed into the pile of

crates in the alley, splinters and debris

soaring.

Sheknewagustofwindkeptthefallfrom

being fatal for the broad-shouldered male,

whom Rowan hauled from the wreckage by

thecollarofhisbluetunic.

Hewasofnousetothemdead.

Gavrieldrewaknife,remainingbyElide’s

side as Rowan slammed the stranger against

the alleywall. Therewasnothing kindinthe

prince’sface.Nothingwarm.

Only cold-blooded predator. Hell-bent on

findingthequeenwhoheldhisheart.

“Please,” the male sputtered. In the

commontongue.

Rowanhadfoundhim,then.Theycouldn’t

hope to track Maeve, Rowan had realized on

Samhuinn. Yet finding the commanders who

served Maeve, spread across various

kingdomsonloantomortalrulers—that,they

coulddo.

AndthemaleRowansnarledat,hisownlip

bleeding,was a commander.A warrior, from

the breadth of his shoulders to his muscled

thighs.Rowanstill dwarfedhim.Gavrieland

Lorcan,too.Asif,evenamongsttheFae,the

threeofthemwereawhollydifferentbreed.

“Here’showthisgoes,”Rowansaidtothe

snivelingcommander,hisvoicedeadlysoft.A

brutal smile graced the prince’s mouth,

setting the blood from his split lip running.

“First I break your legs, maybe a portion of

yourspineso youcan’tcrawl.”Hepointed a

bloodied finger down the alley. To Lorcan.

“Youknowwhothatis,don’tyou?”

As if in answer, Lorcan prowled from the

archway.Thecommanderbegantrembling.

“The leg and spine, your body would

eventually heal,” Rowan went on as Lorcan

continued his stalking approach. “But what

Lorcan Salvaterre will do to you …”A low,

joyless laugh. “You won’t recover from that,

friend.”

The commander cast frantic eyes toward

Elide,towardGavriel.

Thefirsttimethishadhappened—twodays

ago—Elide hadn’t beenable to watch. That

particular commander hadn’t possessed any

information worth sharing, and given the

unspeakablesortofbrothelthey’dfoundhim

in, Elide hadn’t really regretted that Rowan

hadlefthisbodyatoneendofthealley.His

headattheother.

Buttoday,thistime…Watch.See,asmall

voicehissedinherear.Listen.

Despitetheheatandsun,Elideshuddered.

Clenched her teeth, bottling up all the words

that swelled within her.Find someone else.

Finda way to use your own powers to forge

theLock.Findawaytoacceptyourfatestobe

trapped in this world, so we needn’t pay a

debtthatwasn’tourstobeginwith.

Yet if Anneith now spoke when she had

only nudged her these months … Elide

swallowedthoseragingwords.Asallmortals

wereexpectedto.ForAelin,shecouldsubmit.

AsAelinwouldultimatelysubmit.

Gavriel’sfaceheldnomercy,only a grim

sort of practicality as he beheld the shaking

commanderdanglingfromRowan’sirongrip.

“Tellhimwhathewantstoknow.You’llonly

makeitworseforyourself.”

Lorcan had nearly reached them, a dark

windswirlingabouthislongfingers.

Therewasnothingofthemaleshe’dcome

toknowon hisharshface.At least,themale

he’dbeenbeforethatbeach.No,thiswasthe

maskshe’d firstseeninOakwald. Unfeeling.

Arrogant.Cruel.

The commander beheld the power

gathering in Lorcan’s hand, but managed to

sneer at Rowan, blood coating his teeth.

“She’ll kill all of you.” A black eye already

bloomed, the lid swollen shut. Air pulsed at

Elide’searsasRowanlockedashieldofwind

around them. Sealing in all sound. “Maeve

willkilleverylastoneofyoutraitors.”

“Shecantry,”wasRowan’smildreply.

See,Anneithwhisperedagain.

When the commander began screaming

thistime,Elidedidnotlookaway.

AndasRowanandLorcandidwhatthey’d

been trained to do, she couldn’t decide if

Anneith’s order had been to help—or a

reminderofpreciselywhatthegodsmightdo

shouldtheydisobey.



CHAPTER3

The Staghorns were burning, and Oakwald

withthem.

Themighty,ancienttrees were littlemore

thancharredhusks,ashthickassnowraining

down.

Embers drifted on the wind,a mockeryof

how they had once bobbed in her wake like

fireflies while she’d run through the Beltane

bonfires.

So much flame, the heat smothering, the

airitselfsingeingherlungs.

Youdidthisyoudidthisyoudidthis.

The crack of dying trees groaned the

words,criedthem.

The world was bathed in fire. Fire, not

darkness.

Motion between the trees snared her

attention.

The Lord of the North was frantic,

mindless with agony, as he galloped toward

her.As smoke streamedfrom hiswhite coat,

as fire devoured his mighty antlers—not the

immortal flame held between them on her

own sigil, the immortal flame of the sacred

stags of Terrasen, and of Mala Fire-Bringer

beforethat.Buttrue,viciousflames.

The Lord of the North thundered past,

burning,burning,burning.

She reached a hand toward him, invisible

and inconsequential, but the proud stag

plungedon,screamsrisingfromhismouth.

Suchhorrible,relentlessscreams.Asifthe

heartoftheworldwerebeingshredded.

Shecould do nothing when the stag threw

himselfintoawallofflamespreadlikeanet

betweentwoburningoaks.

Hedidnotemerge.

Thewhitewolfwaswatchingheragain.

Aelin Ashryver Whitethorn Galathynius

ran an ironclad finger over the rim of the

stonealtaronwhichshelay.

Asmuchmovementasshecouldmanage.

Cairn had left her here this time. Had not

bothered moving her to the iron box against

theadjacentwall.

A rare reprieve. To wake not in darkness,

butinflickeringfirelight.

Thebraziers were dying, beckoning in the

damp cold that pressed to her skin. To

whateverwasn’tcoveredbytheiron.

She’d already tugged on the chains as

quietlyasshecould.Buttheyheldfirm.

They’d added more iron. On her. Starting

withthemetalgauntlets.

She did not remember when that was.

Wherethathadbeen.Therehadonlybeenthe

boxthen.

Thesmotheringironcoffin.

Shehadtesteditforweaknesses,overand

over. Before they’d sent that sweet-smelling

smoke to knock her unconscious. She didn’t

knowhowlongshe’dsleptafterthat.

When she’d awoken here, there had been

nomoresmoke.

She’dtesteditagain,then.Asmuchasthe

ironswouldallow.Pushingwithherfeet,her

elbows, her hands against the unforgiving

metal. She didn’t have enough room to turn

over. To ease the pain of the chains digging

intoher.Chafingher.

Thelashwoundsetcheddeepintoherback

had vanished. The ones that had cleaved her

skin to the bone. Or had that been a dream,

too?

Shehaddriftedintomemory,intoyearsof

training in an assassin’s keep. Into lessons

where she’d been left in chains, in her own

waste, until she figured out how to remove

them.

Butshe’dbeenboundwiththattrainingin

mind. Nothing she tried in the cramped dark

hadworked.

Themetaloftheglovescrapedagainstthe

dark stone, barely audible over the hissing

braziers, the roaring river beyond them.

Wherevertheywere.

Her,andthewolf.

Fenrys.

Nochainsboundhim.Nonewereneeded.

Maeve had ordered him to stay, to stand

down,andsohewould.

Forlongminutes,theystaredateachother.

Aelin did not reflect on the pain that had

sent her into unconsciousness. Even as the

memory of cracking bones set her foot

twitching.Thechainsjangled.

Butnothing flickered where agony should

have been rampant. Not a whisper of

discomfortinherfeet.Sheshutouttheimage

of how that male—Cairn—had taken them

apart.Howshe’dscreameduntilhervoicehad

failed.

It might have been a dream. One of the

endlesshordethathuntedherintheblackness.

A burning stag, fleeing through the trees.

Hoursonthisaltar,herfeetshatteredbeneath

ancient tools. A silver-haired prince whose

veryscentwasthatofhome.

They blurred and bled, until even this

moment, staring at the white wolf lying

against the wall across from the altar, might

beafragmentofanillusion.

Aelin’s finger scratched along the curved

edgeofthealtaragain.

The wolf blinked at her—thrice. In the

early days, months, years of this, they had

craftedasilentcodebetweenthem.Usingthe

few momentsshe’d been able to dredge up

speech,whisperingthroughthenear-invisible

holesintheironcoffin.

One blink for yes. Two for no. Three for

Are you all right? Four forI am here, I am

withyou.FiveforThisisreal,youareawake.

Fenrys again blinked three times.Are you

allright?

Aelin swallowed against the thickness in

her throat, her tongue peeling off the roof of

hermouth.Sheblinkedonce.Yes.

Shecountedhisblinks.

Six.

He’dmadethatoneup.Liar,orsomething

like it. She refused to acknowledge that

particularcode.

Sheblinkedonceagain.Yes.

Dark eyes scanned her. He’d seen

everything. Every moment of it. If he were

permittedtoshift,hecouldtellherwhatwas

fabricatedandwhatwasreal.Ifanyofithad

beenreal.

Noinjurieseverremainedwhensheawoke.

No pain. Only the memory of it, of Cairn’s

smiling face as he carved her up over and

over.

Hemusthaveleftheronthealtarbecause

hemeanttoreturnsoon.

Aelin shifted enoughto tug on the chains,

the mask’s lock digging into the back of her

head.Thewindhadnotbrushedhercheeks,or

mostofherskin,in…shedidnotknow.

Whatwasn’tcoveredinironwascladina

sleeveless white shift that fell to midthigh.

Leaving her legs and arms bare for Cairn’s

ministrations.

There were days, memories, of even that

shift being gone, of knives scraping over her

abdomen. But whenever she awoke, the shift

remainedintact.Untouched.Unstained.

Fenrys’s ears perked, twitching. All the

alertAelinneeded.

Shehated the trembling thatbegantocoil

aroundherbonesasstrollingfootstepsscuffed

beyondthesquareroomandtheirondoorinto

it. The only way in. No windows. The stone

hall she sometimes glimpsed beyond was

equally sealed. Only the sound of water

enteredthisplace.

Itsurgedlouderas the irondoor unlocked

andgroanedopen.

She willed herself not to shake as the

brown-hairedmaleapproached.

“Awake so soon? I must not have worked

youhardenough.”

That voice.She hated that voiceabove all

others.Crooningandcold.

Heworeawarrior’sgarb,butnowarrior’s

weaponshungfromthebeltathisslimwaist.

Cairnnotedwherehereyesfellandpatted

theheavyhammerdanglingfromhiship.“So

eagerformore.”

Therewasnoflametorallytoher.Notan

ember.

Hestalkedtothesmallpileoflogsbyone

brazier and fed a few to the dying fire. It

swirled and crackled, leaping upon the wood

withhungryfingers.

Her magic didn’t so much as flicker in

answer.Everythingsheateanddrankthrough

thesmallslotinthemask’smouthwaslaced

withiron.

She’drefuseditatfirst.Hadtastedtheiron

andspatitout.

She’dgonetothebrinkofdyingfromlack

ofwaterwhentheyforceditdownherthroat.

Then they’d let her starve—starve until she

brokeanddevouredwhatevertheyputinfront

ofher,ironorno.

She did not often think about that time.

Thatweakness.HowexcitedCairnhadgrown

to see her eating, and how much he raged

whenitstilldidnotyieldwhathewanted.

Cairn loaded the other brazier before

snappinghisfingersatFenrys.“Youmaysee

to your needs in the hall and return here

immediately.”

Asifaghosthoistedhimup,theenormous

wolfpaddedout.

Maeve had considered even that, granting

Cairn power to order when Fenrys ate and

drank, when he pissed. She knew Cairn

deliberately forgot sometimes. The canine

whines of pain had reached her, even in the

box.

Real.Thathadbeenreal.

The male before her, a trained warrior in

everything buthonor and spirit, surveyed her

body.“Howshallweplaytonight,Aelin?”

She hated the sound of her name on his

tongue.

Herlipcurledbackfromherteeth.

Fast as an asp, Cairn gripped her throat

hardenoughtobruise.“Suchrage,evennow.”

She would never let go of it—the rage.

Even when she sank into that burning sea

within her, even when she sang to the

darknessandflame,therageguidedher.

Cairn’sfingersdugintoherthroat,andshe

couldn’t stop the choking noise that gasped

from her. “This can all be over with a few

little words, Princess,” he purred, dropping

lowenoughthathisbreathbrushedhermouth.

“A few little words, and you and I will part

waysforever.”

She’d never say them. Never swear the

bloodoathtoMaeve.

Swear it, and hand over everything she

knew, everything she was. Become slave

eternal.Andusherinthedoomoftheworld.

Cairn’sgriponherneckloosened,andshe

inhaleddeeply.Buthisfingerslingeredatthe

rightsideofherthroat.

She knew precisely what spot, what scar,

he brushed his fingers over. The twin small

markings in the space between her neck and

shoulder.

“Interesting,”Cairnmurmured.

Aelin jerked her head away, baring her

teethagain.

Cairnstruckher.

Not her face, clad in iron that would rip

open his knuckles. But her unprotected

stomach.

The breath slammed from her, and iron

clankedasshetriedandfailedtocurlontoher

side.

On silent paws, Fenrys loped back in and

took up his place against the wall. Concern

andfuryflaredinthewolf’sdarkeyesasshe

gasped for air, as her chained limbs still

attempted to curl around her abdomen. But

Fenrys could only lower himself onto the

flooroncemore.

Fourblinks.Iamhere,Iamwithyou.

Cairn didn’t see it. Didn’t remark on her

one blink in reply as he smirked at the tiny

bitesonherneck,sealedwiththesaltfromthe

warmwatersofSkull’sBay.

Rowan’smarking.Amate’smarking.

Shedidn’tletherselfthinkofhimtoolong.

NotasCairnthumbedfreethatheavy-headed

hammerandweigheditinhisbroadhands.

“If it wasn’t for Maeve’s gag order,” the

malemused,surveyingherbodylikeapainter

assessing an empty canvas, “I’d put my own

teeth in you. See if Whitethorn’s marking

holdsupthen.”

Dread coiled in her gut. She’d seen the

evidence of what their long hours here

summoned from him. Her fingers curled,

scrapingthestoneasifitwereCairn’sface.

Cairn shifted the hammer to one hand.

“This willhaveto do,Isuppose.” Heranhis

other hand down the length of her torso, and

shejerkedagainstthechainsattheproprietary

touch.Hesmiled.“Soresponsive.”Hegripped

her bare knee, squeezing gently. “We started

atthefeetearlier.Let’sgohigherthistime.”

Aelin braced herself. Took plunging

breaths that would bring her far away from

here.Fromherbody.

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.

Deep,deep,deepshewent,asifshecould

outrunwhatwastocome,asifshecouldhide

fromit.

The hammer glinted in the firelight as it

roseoverherknee,Cairn’sbreathsuckingin,

anticipationanddelightminglingonhisface.

Fenrys blinked, over and over and over.I

amhere,Iamwithyou.

Itdidn’tstopthehammerfromfalling.

Or the scream that shattered from her

throat.



CHAPTER4

“Thiscamphasbeenabandonedformonths.”

Manon turned from the snow-crusted cliff

whereshe’dbeenmonitoringthewesternedge

of the White Fang Mountains. Toward the

Wastes.

Asterin remained crouched over the half-

buriedremnantsofafirepit,theshaggygoat

pelt slung over her shoulders ruffling in the

frigid wind. Her Second went on, “No one’s

beenheresinceearlyautumn.”

Manon had suspected as much. The

Shadows had spotted the site an hour earlier

ontheirpatroloftheterrainahead,somehow

noticing the irregularities cleverly hidden in

the leeward side of the rocky peak. The

MotherknewManonherselfmighthaveflown

rightoverit.

Asterin stood, brushing snow from the

kneesofherleathers.Eventhethickmaterial

wasn’tenoughtowardagainstthebrutalcold.

Hencethemountain-goatpeltsthey’dresorted

towearing.

Goodforblendingintothesnow,Eddahad

claimed,theShadowevenlettingthedarkhair

dye she favored wash away these weeks to

reveal the moon white of her natural shade.

Manon’sshade.Briarhadkeptthedye.Oneof

them was needed to scout at night, the other

Shadowhadclaimed.

ManonsurveyedthetwoShadowscarefully

stalkingthroughthecamp.Perhapsnolonger

Shadows, but rather the two faces of the

moon.Onedark,onelight.

OneofmanychangestotheThirteen.

Manonblewoutabreath,thewindtearing

awaythehotpuff.

“They’re out there,”Asterin murmured so

the others might not hear from where they

gathered by the overhanging boulder that

shieldedthemfromthewind.

“Three camps,” Manon said with equal

quiet. “All long abandoned. We’re hunting

ghosts.”

Asterin’sgoldhairrippedfreeofitsbraid,

blowingwestward.Towardthehomelandthey

might very well never see. “The camps are

proof they’re flesh and blood. Ghislaine

thinks they might be from the late-summer

hunts.”

“Theycouldalsobefromthewildmenof

these mountains.” Though Manon knew they

weren’t. She’d hunted enough Crochans

during the past hundred years to spot their

style of making fires, their neat little camps.

All the Thirteen had. And they’d all tracked

and killed so many of the wild men of the

White Fangs earlier this year on Erawan’s

behalfthattheyknewtheirhabits,too.

Asterin’s gold-flecked black eyes fell on

thatblurredhorizon.“We’llfindthem.”

Soon.Theyhadtofindatleastsomeofthe

Crochans soon. Manon knew they had

methodsof communicating, scatteredas they

were. Ways to get out a call for help.A call

foraid.

Time was not on their side. It had been

nearlytwomonthssincethatdayonthebeach

in Eyllwe. Since she’d learned the terrible

costtheQueenofTerrasenmustpaytoputan

end to this madness. The cost that another

withMala’sbloodlinemightalsopay,ifneed

be.

Manonresistedtheurgetoglanceoverher

shoulder to where the KingofAdarlan stood

amongsttherestofherThirteen,entertaining

Vestabysummoningflame,water,andiceto

hiscuppedpalm.Asmalldisplayofaterrible,

wondrous magic. He set three whorls of the

elements lazily dancing around each other,

and Vesta arched an impressed brow. Manon

had seen the way the red-haired sentinel

looked at him, had noted that Vesta wisely

refrainedfromactingonthatdesire.

Manon had given her no such orders,

though. Hadn’t said anything to the Thirteen

about what, exactly, the human king was to

her.

Nothing, she wanted to say. Someone as

unmoored as she. As quietly angry. And as

pressed for time. Finding the third and final

Wyrdkeyhadprovedfutile.Thetwotheking

carriedinhispocketofferednoguidance,only

their unearthly reek. Where Erawan kept it,

they had not the faintest inkling. To search

Morathoranyofhisotheroutpostswouldbe

suicide.

Sothey’dset aside theirhunt,after weeks

of fruitless searching, in favor of finding the

Crochans.Thekinghadprotestedinitially,but

yielded. His allies and friends in the North

needed as many warriors as they could

muster. Finding the Crochans … Manon

wouldn’tbreakherpromise.

She might be the disowned Heir of the

Blackbeak Clan,might now command only a

dozenwitches,butshecouldstillholdtrueto

herword.

Soshe’dfindtheCrochans.Convincethem

toflyintobattlewiththeThirteen.Withher.

TheirlastlivingCrochanQueen.

Even if it led them all straight into the

Darkness’sembrace.

The sun arched higher, its light off the

snowsnear-blinding.

Lingering was unwise. They’d survived

these months with strength and wits. For

while they’d hunted for the Crochans, they’d

been hunted themselves. Yellowlegs and

Bluebloods,mostly.Allscoutingpatrols.

Manon had given the order not to engage,

not to kill.A missing Ironteeth patrol would

only pinpoint their location. Though Dorian

couldhavesnappedtheirneckswithoutlifting

afinger.

It was a pityhehadn’t beenborn a witch.

Butshe’dgladlyacceptsuchalethalally.So

wouldtheThirteen.

“What will you say,” Asterin mused,

“whenwefindtheCrochans?”

Manonhadconsidereditoverandover.If

the Crochans would know who Lothian

Blackbeak was, that she had loved Manon’s

father—a rare-born Crochan Prince. That her

parents had dreamed, hadbelieved they’d

created a child to break the curse on the

Ironteethandunitetheirpeoples.

Achildnotofwar,butofpeace.

But those were foreign words on her

tongue.Love.Peace.

Manon ran a gloved finger over the scrap

of red fabric binding the end of her braid.A

shred from her half sister’s cloak. Rhiannon.

NamedforthelastWitch-Queen.Whoseface

Manon somehow bore. Manon said, “I’ll ask

theCrochansnottoshoot,Isuppose.”

Asterin’s mouth twitched toward a smile.

“Imeantaboutwhoyouare.”

She’drarely balked fromanything. Rarely

feared anything. But saying the words,those

words … “I don’t know,” Manon admitted.

“We’llseeifwegetthatfar.”

The White Demon. That’s what the

Crochans called her. She was at the top of

theirto-killlist.AwitcheveryCrochanwasto

slayonsight.Thatfactalonesaidtheydidn’t

knowwhatshewastothem.

Yet her half sister had figured it out.And

thenManonhadslitherthroat.

Manon Kin Slayer, her grandmother had

taunted.TheMatronhadlikelyrelishedevery

CrochanheartthatManonhadbroughttoher

at Blackbeak Keep over the past hundred

years.

Manon closed her eyes, listening to the

hollowsongofthewind.

Behindthem,Abraxosletoutanimpatient,

hungrywhine.Yes,theywereallhungrythese

days.

“Wewillfollowyou,Manon,”Asterinsaid

softly.

Manonturnedtohercousin.“DoIdeserve

thathonor?”

Asterin’s mouth pressed into a tight line.

The slight bump on her nose—Manon had

givenherthat.She’dbrokenitintheOmega’s

mess hall forbrawling with mouthy

Yellowlegs. Asterin had never once

complainedaboutit.Hadseemedtowearthe

reminderofthebeatingManonbestowedlike

abadgeofpride.

“Only you can decide if you deserve it,

Manon.”

Manon let the words settle as she shifted

hergazetothewesternhorizon.Perhapsshe’d

deserve that honor if she succeeded in

bringingthembacktoahomethey’dneverset

eyeson.

Iftheysurvivedthiswarandalltheterrible

thingstheymustdobeforeitwasover.

It was no easy thing, to slip away from

thirteensleepingwitchesandtheirwyverns.

But Dorian Havilliard had been studying

them—their watches, who slept deepest, who

mightreportseeinghimwalkawayfromtheir

small fire and who would keep their mouths

shut.Weeksandweeks,sincehe’dsettledon

thisidea.Thisplan.

They’d camped on the small outcropping

where they’d found long-cold traces of the

Crochans, taking shelter under the

overhanging rock, the wyverns a wall of

leatherywarmtharoundthem.

He had minutes to do this. He’d been

practicing for weeks now—making no bones

of rising in the middle of the night, no more

thanadrowsymandispleasedtohavetobrave

thefrigidelementstoseetohisneeds.Letting

the witches grow accustomed to his nightly

movements.

Letting Manon become accustomed to it,

too.

Thoughnothinghadbeendeclaredbetween

them, their bedrolls still wound up beside

eachothereverynight.Notthatacampfullof

witches offered any sort of opportunity to

tanglewith her. No, for that, they’d resorted

to winter-bare forests and snow-blasted

passes, theirhands rovingfor anybitof bare

skintheydaredexposetothechillair.

Their couplings were brief, savage. Teeth

and nails and snarling. And not just from

Manon.

Butafteradayoffruitlesssearching,little

more than a glorified guard against the

enemies hunting them while his friends bled

to save their lands, he needed the release as

much as she did. They never discussed it—

whathoundedthem.Whichwasfinebyhim.

Dorian had no idea what sort of man that

madehim.

Most days, if he was beinghonest, he felt

little.Hadfeltlittleformonths,saveforthose

stolen, wild moments with Manon.And save

for the moments when he trained with the

Thirteen,andabluntsortofragedrovehimto

keepswinginghissword,keepgettingbackup

whentheyknockedhimdown.

Swordplay,archery,knife-work,tracking—

they taught him everything he asked. Along

with the solid weight of Damaris, a witch-

knife now hung from his sword belt. It had

been gifted to him by Sorrel when he’d first

managed to pin the stone-faced Third. Two

weeksago.

Butwhenthelessonsweredone,whenthey

sat around the small fire they dared to risk

each night, he wondered if the witches could

sniff out the restlessness that nipped at his

heels.

Iftheycouldnowsniffout thathehad no

intentionoftakingapissinthefrigidnightas

he wended his way between their bedrolls,

then through the slight gap between Narene,

Asterin’s sky-blue mare, and Abraxos. He

nodded toward where Vesta stood on watch,

and the red-haired witch, despite the brutal

cold,threwawickedsmilehiswaybeforehe

roundedthecorneroftherockyoverhangand

disappearedbeyondview.

He’dpickedherwatchforareason.There

were some amongst the Thirteen who never

smiled at all. Lin, who still seemed like she

was debating carving him up to examine his

insides; andImogen, who kept toherselfand

didn’tsmileatanyone.TheaandKayausually

reservedtheirsmilesforeachother,andwhen

Faline and Fallon—the green-eyed demon

twins, as the others called them—smiled, it

meanthellwasabouttobreakloose.

Allofthemmighthavebeensuspiciousif

he vanished for too long. But Vesta, who

shamelessly flirted with him—she’d let him

linger outsidethe camp. Likely from fear of

what Manon might do to her if she was

spottedtrailingafterhimintothedark.

Abastard—hewasabastardforusingthem

like this. For assessing and monitoring them

whentheycurrentlyriskedeverythingtofind

theCrochans.

But it made no difference if he cared.

About them. About himself, he supposed.

Caring hadn’t done him any favors. Hadn’t

doneSorschaanyfavors.

And it wouldn’t matter, once he gave up

everythingtosealtheWyrdgate.

Damaris was a weight at his side—but

nothing compared to the two objects tucked

into the pocket of his heavy jacket.

Mercifully,he’dswiftlylearnedtodrownout

their whispering, their otherworldly

beckoning.Mostofthetime.

None of the witches had questioned why

he’d been so easily persuaded to give up the

hunt for the third Wyrdkey. He’d known

betterthantowastehistimearguing.Sohe’d

planned,andletthem,letManon,believehim

to be content in his role to guard them with

hismagic.

Reaching the boulder-shrouded clearing

that he’d scouted earlier under the guise of

aimlessly wandering the site, Dorian made

quickworkofhispreparations.

Hehadnotforgottenasinglemovementof

Aelin’s hands in Skull’s Bay when she’d

smearedherbloodonthefloorofherroomat

theOceanRose.

But it was not Elena whom he planned to

summonwithhisblood.

Whenthesnowwasredwithit,whenhe’d

madesurethewindwasstillblowingitsscent

awayfromthewitchcamp,Dorianunsheathed

Damaris and plunged it into the circle of

Wyrdmarks.

Andthenwaited.

Hismagicwasasteadythrumthroughhim,

thesmallflamehedaredtoconjureenoughto

heathisbody.Tokeephimfromshiveringto

deathwhiletheminutespassed.

Ice hadbeen thefirst manifestation of his

magic. He supposed that should give him

some sort of preference for it. Or at least

some immunity.He had neither. And he’d

decided that if they survived long enough to

endure the scorching heat of summer, he’d

nevercomplainaboutitagain.

He’d been honing his magic as best he

couldduringtheseweeksofrelentless,useless

hunting.Noneofthewitchespossessedpower,

not beyond the Yielding, which they’d told

him could only be summoned once—to

terrible and devastating effect. But the

Thirteenwatchedwithsomedegreeofinterest

while Dorian kept up the lessons Rowan had

started.Ice.Fire.Water.Healing.Wind.With

the snows, attempting to coax life from the

frozen earth had proved impossible, but he

stilltried.

The only magic that always leapt at his

summons remained that invisible force,

capable of snapping bone. That, the witches

likedbest.Especiallysinceitmadehimtheir

greatestlineofdefenseagainsttheirenemies.

Death—that was his gift.All he seemed able

toofferthosearoundhim.Hewaslittlebetter

thanhisfatherinthatregard.

The flame flowed over him, invisible and

steadying.

They hadn’t heard a whisper ofAelin. Or

Rowanandtheircompanions.Notonewhisper

of whether the queen was still Maeve’s

captive.

Shehadbeenwillingtoyieldeverythingto

save Terrasen, to save all of them. He could

do nothing less.Aelin certainly had more to

lose. A mate and husband who loved her. A

court who’d follow her into hell.A kingdom

longawaitingherreturn.

All he had was an unmarked grave for a

healer no one would remember, a broken

empire,andashatteredcastle.

Dorian closed his eyes for a moment,

blocking out the sight of the glass castle

exploding,thesightofhisfatherreachingfor

him,beggingforforgiveness.Amonster—the

man had been a monster in every possible

way. Had sired Dorian while possessed by a

Valgdemon.

Whatdiditmakehim? His blood ran red,

and the Valg prince who’d infested Dorian

himselfhaddelightedonfeastingon him, on

making himenjoy all he’d done while

collared. But did it still make him fully

human?

Blowing out a long breath, Dorian opened

hiseyes.

Amanstoodacrossthesnowyclearing.

Dorianbowedlow.“Gavin.”

ThefirstKingofAdarlanhadhiseyes.

OrratherDorianhadGavin’seyes,passed

down through the thousand years between

them.

The rest of the ancient king’s face was

foreign: the long, dark brown hair, the harsh

features, the grave cast of his mouth. “You

learnedthemarks.”

Dorian rose from his bow. “I’m a quick

study.”

Gavindidn’tsmile.“Thesummoningisnot

agifttobeusedlightly.Youriskmuch,young

king, in calling me here. Considering what

youcarry.”

Dorian patted the jacket pocket where the

two Wyrdkeys lay, ignoring the strange,

terriblepowerthatpulsedagainsthishandin

answer.“Everythingisariskthesedays.”He

straightened.“Ineedyourhelp.”

Gavin didn’t reply. His stare slid to

Damaris, still plunged in the snow amid the

marks.Apersonaleffectof theking,asAelin

had used the Eye of Elena to summon the

ancientqueen.“Atleastyouhavetakengood

care of my sword.” His eyes lifted to

Dorian’s,sharpasthebladeitself.“ThoughI

cannotsaythesameofmykingdom.”

Dorianclenchedhisjaw.“Iinheritedabit

ofamessfrommyfather,I’mafraid.”

“YouwereaPrinceofAdarlanlongbefore

youbecameitsking.”

Dorian’smagicchurnedtoice,colderthan

the night around him. “Then consider me

tryingtoatoneforyearsofbadbehavior.”

Gavin held his gaze for a moment that

stretched into eternity. A true king, that’s

whatthemanbeforehimwas.Akingnotonly

in title, but in spirit. As few had been since

Gavinwaslaidtorestbeneaththefoundations

ofthecastlehe’dbuiltalongtheAvery.

Dorian withstood the weight of Gavin’s

stare.Letthekingseewhatremainedofhim,

markthepalebandaroundhisthroat.

ThenGavinblinkedonce,theonlysignof

hispermissiontocontinue.

Dorian swallowed. “Where is the third

key?”

Gavinstiffened.“Iamforbiddentosay.”

“Forbidden, or won’t?” He supposed he

should be kneeling, should keep his tone

respectful. How many legends about Gavin

hadhereadasachild?Howmanytimeshad

herunthroughthecastle,pretendingtobethe

kingbeforehim?

Dorian pulled theAmulet of Orynth from

hisjacket,lettingitswayinthebitterwind.A

silent,ghostlysongleakedfromthegold-and-

blue medallion—speaking in languages that

didnotexist.“BrannonGalathyniusdefiedthe

godsbyputtingthekeyinherewithawarning

toAelin.Theleastyoucoulddoisgivemea

direction.”

Gavin’sedgesblurred,butheld.Notmuch

time. For either of them. “Brannon

Galathynius was an arrogant bastard. I have

seen what interfering with the gods’ plans

bringsabout.Itwillnotendwell.”

“Your wife, not the gods, brought this

about.”

Gavinbaredhisteeth.Andthoughtheman

was long dead, Dorian’s magic flared again,

readyingtostrike.

“My mate,” Gavin snarled, “is the cost of

this. My mate, should the keys be retrieved,

willvanishforever.Doyouknowwhatthatis

like,youngking?Tohaveeternity—andthen

haveitrippedaway?”

Dorian didn’t bother to reply. “You don’t

wish me to find the third key because it will

meantheendofElena.”

Gavinsaidnothing.

Dorian let out a growl. “Countless people

wi lldie if the keys aren’t put back in the

gate.” He shoved theAmulet of Orynth back

into his jacket, and once again ignored the

otherworldly hum pulsing against his bones.

“Youcan’tbethatselfish.”

Gavin remained silent, the wind shifting

his dark hair. But his eyes flickered—just

barely.

“Tellmewhere,”Dorianbreathed.Hehad

mere minutes until even Vesta came looking

forhim.“Tellmewherethethirdkeyis.”

“Your life will be forfeit, too. If you

retrieve the keys and forge theLock. Your

soulwillbeclaimedaswell.Notonescrapof

youwillliveonintheAfterworld.”

“There’s no one who would really care

about that anyway.” He certainly didn’t.And

he’dcertainlydeservedthatsortofend,when

he’dfailedsomanytimes.Withallhe’ddone.

Gavin studied him for a long moment.

Dorian held still beneath that fierce stare. A

warrior who had survived the second of

Erawan’swars.

“Elena helped Aelin,” Dorian pressed, his

breath curling in the space between them.

“Shedidn’tbalkfromit,evenknowingwhatit

meantforherfate.AndneitherdidAelin,who

will have neither a long life with her own

mate, nor eternity with him.”As I will not

have, either. His heart began thundering, his

magicrisingwithit.“Andyetyouwould.You

wouldrunfromit.”

Gavin’s teeth flashed. “Erawan could be

defeatedwithoutsealingthegate.”

“Tellmehow,andIwillfindawaytodo

it.”

Yet Gavin fell silent again, his hands

clenchingathissides.

Dorian snorted softly. “If you knew, it

wouldhavebeendonelongago.”Gavinshook

his head, but Dorian plunged ahead. “Your

friends died battling Erawan’s hordes. Help

meavoidthesamefateformyown.Itmight

already be too late for some of them.” His

stomachchurned.

Had Chaol made it to the southern

continent? Perhaps it would be better if his

friend never returned, if he stayed safe in

Antica.EvenifChaolwouldneverdo sucha

thing.

Dorian glanced toward the rocky corner

he’drounded.Notmuchtimeleft.

“And what ofAdarlan?”Gavindemanded.

“Youwould leave it kingless?” The question

said enough of Gavin’s opinion regarding

Hollin. “This is how you would atone for

yearsspentidlingasitsCrownPrince?”

Doriantooktheverbalblow.Itwasnothing

but truth, dealt by a man who had served its

nameless god. “Does it really matter

anymore?”

“Adarlanwasmypride.”

“It is no longer worthy of it,” Dorian

snapped.“Ithasn’tbeenforalong,longtime.

Perhapsitdeservestofallintoruin.”

Gavin angled his head. “The words of a

reckless, arrogant boy. Do you think you are

theonlyonewhohasenduredloss?”

“Andyetyourownfearoflossmakesyou

chooseonewomanoverthefateoftheworld.”

“If you had the choice—your woman or

Erilea—would you have chosen any

differently?”

Sorscha or the world. The question rang

hollow. Some of the fire within him banked.

Yet Dorian dared to say, “You’d delude

yourselfaboutthepathahead,yetyouserved

thegodoftruth.”Chaolhadtoldhimoftheir

discoveryinthecatacombsbeneathRifthold’s

sewersthisspring.Theforgottenbonetemple

where Gavin’s deathbed confession had been

written. “What doeshe have to say about

Elena’sroleinthis?”

“The All-Seeing One does not claim

kinshipwiththosespinelesscreatures,”Gavin

growled.

Doriancouldhaveswornadusty,bone-dry

wind rattled through the pass. “Then what is

he?”

“Can there not be many gods, from many

places? Some born of this world, some born

elsewhere?”

“That’s a question to debate at another

time,”Doriangroundout.“Whenwe’renotat

war.” He took a long breath. Another one.

“Please,” he breathed. “Please help me save

myfriends.Helpmemakeitright.”

Itwasallhereallyhadleft—thistask.

Gavin again watched him, weighed him.

Dorian withstood it. Let him read whatever

truthwaswrittenonhissoul.

Pain clouded the king’s face. Pain, and

regret, as Gavin finally said, “The key is at

Morath.”

Dorian’s mouth went dry. “Where in

Morath?”

“I don’t know.” Dorian believed him. The

raw dread in Gavin’s eyes confirmed it. The

ancientkingnoddedtoDamaris.“Thatsword

is not ornamental. Let it guide you, if you

cannottrustyourself.”

“Itreallytellsthetruth?”

“It was blessed by the All-Seeing One

himself, after I swore myself to him.” Gavin

shrugged,ahalf-tamedgesture.Asiftheman

had never really left the wilds of Adarlan

where he’d risen from war leader to High

King. “You’ll still  have to learn for yourself

whatistruthandwhatislie.”

“ButDamariswillhelpmefindthekeyat

Morath?”TobreakintoErawan’sstronghold,

whereallthosecollarsweremade…

Gavin’s mouth tightened. “I cannot say.

ButIwilltellyouthis:donotventuretoward

Morathjustyet.Untilyouareready.”

“I’mreadynow.”Afool’slie.Gavinknew

it,too.Itwasaneffortnottotouchhisneck,

thepalebandforevermarringhisskin.

“Morath isno merekeep,”Gavinsaid.“It

isa hell,and itis notkindto reckless young

men.” Dorian stiffened, but Gavin went on,

“You will know when you are truly ready.

Remainatthiscamp,ifyoucanconvinceyour

companions.Thepathwillfindyouhere.”

Gavin’s edges warped further, his face

turningmurky.

Dorian dared a step forward. “Am I

human?”

Gavin’s sapphire eyes softened—just

barely. “I’m not the person who can answer

that.”

Andthenthekingwasgone.



CHAPTER5

The commander in the alley had claimed his

latest orders had been dispatched from

Doranelle.

None of them knew whether to believe

him.

Sittingaroundatinyfireinadustyfieldon

the outskirts of a ramshackle city, the blood

long since washed from his hands, Lorcan

Salvaterreagainmulledoverthelogicofit.

Hadtheysomehowoverlookedthesimplest

option?ForMaevetohavebeeninDoranelle

thisentiretime,hiddenfromhersubjects?

But that commander had been lying filth.

He’d spat in Lorcan’s face before they’d

endedit.

The other commander they’d found today,

however,afteraweekofhuntinghimdownat

thenearestseaport,hadclaimedhe’dreceived

orders from a distant kingdom they’d

searched three weeks ago. In the opposite

directionofDoranelle.

Lorcantoedatthedirt.

None of them had felt like speaking since

the commander this afternoon had

contradictedthefirst’sclaim.

“Doranelle is Maeve’s stronghold,” Elide

saidatlast,hersteadyvoicefillingtheheavy

quiet. “Simple as it is, it would make sense

forhertobringAelinthere.”

Whitethorn only stared into the fire. He

hadn’t washed the blood from his dark gray

jacket.

“It would be impossible, even for Maeve,

to keep her hidden in Doranelle,” Lorcan

countered.“Wewouldhaveheardaboutitby

now.”

He wasn’t sure when he’d last spoken to

thewomanbeforehim.

She hadn’t balked from how he’d broken

Maeve’s commanders, though. She’d cringed

duringtheworstofit,yes,butshe’dlistened

to every word Rowan and Lorcan had wrung

fromthem.Lorcansupposedshe’dseenworse

atMorath—hatedthatshehad.Hatedthather

monsterofanunclestillbreathed.

Butthathuntwouldcomelater.Afterthey

foundAelin.Orwhateverremainedofher.

Elide’seyesgrewcold,socold,asshesaid,

“Maeve managed to conceal Gavriel and

Fenrys from Rowan in Skull’s Bay. And

somehow hid and spirited away her entire

fleet.”

Lorcan didn’t reply. Elide went on, her

gaze unwavering, “Maeve knows Doranelle

wouldbetheobviouschoice—thechoicewe’d

likely reject because it’stoo simple. She

anticipatedthatwe’dbelieveshe’dhaulAelin

to the farthest reaches of Erilea, rather than

rightbackhome.”

“Maevewould have the advantage of an

easily summoned army,” Gavriel added, his

tattooed throat bobbing. “Which would make

rescuedifficult.”

Lorcan refrained from telling Gavriel to

shuthismouth.Hehadn’tfailedtonoticehow

often Gavriel went out of his way to help

Elide,totalktoher.Andyes,somesmallpart

ofhimwasgratefulforit,sincethegodsknew

shewouldn’tacceptanysortofhelpfromhim.

Hellas damn him, he’d had to resort to

giving his cut-up shirt toWhitethorn and

Gavriel to hand to her for her cycle. He’d

threatenedtoskinthemaliveifthey’dsaidit

was his, and Elide, with her human sense of

smell,hadn’tscentedhimonthefabric.

Hedidn’tknowwhyhebothered.Hehadn’t

forgottenherwordsthatdayonthebeach.

I hope you spend the rest of your

miserable,immortallifesuffering.Ihopeyou

spenditalone.Ihopeyoulivewithregretand

guilt in your heart and never find a way to

endureit.

Her vow, her curse, whatever it had been,

hadheldtrue.Everywordofit.

He’d broken something. Something

precious beyond measure. He’d never cared

untilnow.

Even the severed blood oath, still gaping

widewithinhissoul,didn’tcomeclosetothe

holeinhischestwhenhelookedather.

She’d offered him a home in Perranth

knowing he’d be a dishonored male. Offered

himahomewithher.

But it hadn’t been Maeve’s sundering of

the oath that had rescinded that offer. It had

beenabetrayalsogreathedidn’tknowhowto

fixit.

WhereisAelin?Whereismywife?

Whitethorn’s wife—and his mate. Only

this mission of theirs, this endless quest to

findher,keptLorcanfromplungingintoapit

fromwhichheknewhewouldnotemerge.

Perhapsiftheyfoundher,iftherewasstill

enough left ofAelin to salvage after Cairn’s

ministrations, he’d find a way to live with

himself. To endure this … person he’d

become. It might take him another five

hundredyearstodoso.

He didn’t let himself consider that Elide

would be little more than dust by then. The

thought alone was enough to turn the paltry

dinner of stale bread and hard cheese in his

stomach.

A fool—he was an immortal, stupid fool

for starting down this path with her, for

forgetting that even if she forgave him, her

mortalitybeckoned.

Lorcan said at last, “It would also make

senseforMaevetogototheAkkadians,asthe

commander today claimed. Maeve has long

maintained ties with that kingdom.” He,

Whitethorn,andGavrielhadbeentowarand

backinthatsand-blastedterritory.He’dnever

wished to set foot in it again. “Their armies

wouldshieldher.”

For it would take an army to keep

Whitethornfromreachinghismate.

He turnedtoward theprince,whogave no

indication he’d been listening. Lorcan didn’t

want to consider if Whitethorn would soon

need to add a tattoo to the other side of his

face.

“The commander today was much more

forthcoming,” Lorcan went on to the prince

he’dfoughtbesideforsomanycenturies,who

had beenas cold-hearted a bastard asLorcan

himself until this spring. “You barely

threatened him and he sang for us. The one

whoclaimedMaevewasinDoranellewasstill

sneeringbytheend.”

“I think she’s in Doranelle,” Elide cut in.

“Anneithtoldmetolistenthatday.Shedidn’t

theothertwotimes.”

“It’s something to consider, yes,” Lorcan

said,andElide’seyessparkedwithirritation.

“Iseenoreasontobelievethegodswouldbe

thatclear.”

“Says the male who feels the touch of a

god, telling him when to run or fight,” Elide

snapped.

Lorcan ignored her, that truth. He hadn’t

felt Hellas’s touch since the Stone Marshes.

As if even the god of death was repulsed by

him. “Akkadia’s border is a three-day ride

fromhere.Itscapitalthreedaysbeyondthat.

Doranelle is over two weeks away, if we

travelwithlittlerest.”

And time was not on their side. With the

Wyrdkeys, with Erawan, with the war surely

unleashing itself back on Elide’s own

continent,every delaycameat a cost. Not to

mention what each day undoubtedly brought

upontheQueenofTerrasen.

Elideopenedhermouth,butLorcancuther

off. “And then, to arrive in Maeve’s

strongholdexhaustedandhungry…Wewon’t

stand a chance. Not to mention that with the

veiling she can wield, we might very well

walkrightpastAelinandneverknowit.”

Elide’s nostrils flared, but she turned to

Rowan.“Thecallisyours,Prince.”

Notjustaprince,notanymore.Consortto

theQueenofTerrasen.

At last, Whitethorn lifted his head. As

those green eyes settled on him, Lorcan

withstood the weight in his gaze, the innate

dominance. He’d been waiting for Rowan to

claimthevengeancehedeserved,waitingfor

thatblow.Hopingforit.Ithadnevercome.

“We’ve come this far south,” Rowan said

atlast,hisvoicelow.“BettertogotoAkkadia

thanriskventuringallthewaytoDoranelleto

findwewerewrong.”

Andthatwasthat.

Elide only threw a seething glare toward

Lorcan and rose, murmuring about seeing to

her needs before she went to sleep. Her gait

heldsteadyasshecrunchedthroughthegrass

—thankstothebraceGavrielkeptaroundher

ankle.

Itshouldhavebeenhismagichelpingher.

Touchingherskin.

Her steps turned distant, near-silent. She

usually went farther than necessary to avoid

havingthemhearanything.Lorcangavehera

few minutes before he stalked into the dark

afterher.

He found Elide already heading back, and

shepausedatopalittlehill,barelymorethan

a hump of dirt in the field. “What do you

want.”

Lorcan kept walking, until he was at the

baseofthehill,andstopped.“Akkadiaisthe

wiserchoice.”

“Rowandecidedthat,too.Youmustbeso

pleased.”

She made to stomp past him, but Lorcan

stepped into her path. She craned back her

neck to see his face, yet he’d never felt

smaller.Shorter.“Ididn’tpushforAkkadiato

spiteyou,”hemanagedtosay.

“Idon’tcare.”

Shetriedtoedgearoundhim,Lorcaneasily

keepingaheadofher.“Ididn’t…”Thewords

strangled him. “I didn’t mean for this to

happen.”

Elide let out a soft, vicious laugh. “Of

course you didn’t. Why would you have

intendedforyourwondrousqueentoseverthe

bloodoath?”

“I don’t care about that.” He didn’t. He’d

never spoken truer words. “I only wish to

makethingsright.”

Her lip curled. “I would be inclined to

believethatifIhadn’tseenyoucrawlingafter

Maeveonthebeach.”

Lorcan blinkedat the words, the hatred in

them,stunnedenoughthatheletherwalkpast

thistime.Elidedidn’tsomuchaslookback.

NotuntilLorcansaid,“Ididn’tcrawlafter

Maeve.”

She halted, hair swaying. Slowly, she

glancedoverhershoulder.Imperiousandcold

asthestarsoverhead.

“I crawled …” His throat bobbed. “I

crawledafterAelin.”

He shut out the bloody sand, the queen’s

screams,herfinal,pleadingrequeststoElide.

Shut them out and said, “When Maeve

severed the oath, I couldn’t move, could

barelybreathe.”

Such agony that Lorcan couldn’t imagine

whatitwouldbeliketosevertheoathonhis

own, without bidding. It was not the sort of

painonewalkedawayfrom.

The oath could be stretched, drawn thin.

That Vaughan, the last of their cadre, still

undoubtedlyroamedthewildsoftheNorthin

his “hunt” for Lorcan was proof enough that

the blood oath’s restraints might be worked

around. But to break it outright of his own

will, to find some way to snap the tether,

wouldbetoembracedeath.

He’d wondered during these months if he

shouldhavedonejustthat.

Lorcanswallowed.“Itriedtogettoher.To

Aelin.Itriedtogettothatbox.”Headdedso

quietlyonlyElidecouldhearit,“Ipromise.”

His word was his bond, the only currency

he cared to trade in. He’d told her that once,

during those weeks on the road. Nothing

flickered in her eyes to tell him she

remembered.

Elide merely strode back for the camp.

Lorcanremainedwherehewas.

He had done this. Brought this upon her,

uponthem.

Elide reached the campfire, and Lorcan

followed at last, nearing its ring of light in

timetoseeherplopdownbesideGavriel,her

mouthtight.

The Lion murmured to her, “He wasn’t

lying,youknow.”

Lorcan clenched his jaw, making no

attempttodisguisehisfootsteps.IfGavriel’s

ears were sharp enough to have heard every

wordoftheirconversation,theLioncertainly

knewhewasapproaching.Andcertainlyknew

betterthantoshovehisnoseintheirbusiness.

Yet Lorcan still found himself scanning

Elide’sface,waitingforheranswer.

And when she ignored both the Lion and

Lorcan, he found himself wishing he hadn’t

spokenatall.

Prince Rowan Whitethorn Galathynius,

consort, husband, and mate of the Queen of

Terrasen,knewhewasdreaming.

Heknewit,becausehecouldseeher.

There was only darkness here. And wind.

Andagreat,yawningchasmbetweenthem.

Nobottomexistedinthatabyss,thatcrack

in the world. But he could hear whispers

snakingthroughit,downfarbelow.

She stood with her back to him, hair

blowing in a sheet of gold. Longer than he’d

seenitthelasttime.

Hetriedtoshift,toflyoverthechasm.His

body’s innate magic ignored him. Locked in

hisFaebody,thejumptoofar,hecouldonly

stare toward her, breathe in her scent—

jasmine,lemonverbena,andcracklingembers

—asitfloatedtohimonthewind.Thiswind

toldhimnosecrets,hadnosongtosing.

Itwasawindofdeath,ofcold,ofnothing.

Aelin.

He had no voice here, but he spoke her

name.Threwitacrossthegulfbetweenthem.

Slowly,sheturnedtohim.

It was her face—or it would be in a few

years.WhensheSettled.

Butitwasn’ttheslightlyolderfeaturesthat

knockedthebreathfromhim.

Itwasthehandonherroundedbelly.

She stared toward him, hair still flowing.

Behindher,foursmallfiguresemerged.

Rowanfelltohisknees.

The tallest: a girl with golden hair and

pine-greeneyes,solemn-facedandasproudas

her mother. The boy beside her, nearly her

height, smiled at him, warm and bright, his

Ashryver eyes near-glowing beneath his cap

of silver hair. The boy next to him, silver-

haired and green-eyed, might as well have

been Rowan’s twin. And the smallest girl,

clingingtohermother’slegs…Afine-boned,

silver-hairedchild,littlemorethanababe,her

blueeyesharkingbacktoalineagehedidnot

know.

Children.Hischildren.Theirchildren.

Withanothermereweeksfrombeingborn.

Hisfamily.

The family he might have, the future he

might have. The most beautiful thing he’d

everseen.

Aelin.

Their children pressed closer to her, the

eldestgirlpeeringuptoAelininwarning.

Rowan felt it then.A lethal, mighty black

windsweepingforthem.

He tried to scream. Tried to get off his

knees,tofindsomewaytothem.

But the black wind roared in, ripping and

tearingeverythinginitspath.

They were still staring at him as it swept

themaway,too.

Untilonlydustandshadowremained.

Rowan jerked awake, his heart a frantic beat

ashisbodybellowedtomove,tofight.

But there was nothing and no one to fight

here,inthisdustyfieldbeneaththestars.

Adream.Thatsamedream.

He rubbed at his face, sitting up on his

bedroll.Thehorsesdozed,nosignofdistress.

Gavrielkeptwatchinmountain-lionformjust

beyondthelightofthefire,hiseyesgleaming

inthedark.ElideandLorcandidn’tstirfrom

theirheavyslumber.

Rowan scanned the position of the stars.

Onlyafewhoursuntildawn.

AndthentoAkkadia—tothatlandofscrub

andsand.

WhileElideandLorcanhaddebatedwhere

togo,he’dweighedithimself.Whethertofly

to Doranelle alone and risk losing precious

daysinwhatmightbeafool’ssearch.

Had Vaughan been with them, had

Vaughanbeenfreed,hemighthavedispatched

the warrior in his osprey form to Doranelle

whiletheycontinuedontoAkkadia.

Rowanagainconsideredit.Ifhepushedhis

magic, harnessed the winds to him, the two

weeksitwouldtaketoreachDoranellecould

be done in days. But if he somehow did find

Aelin…He’dwagedenoughbattlestoknow

he’d need Lorcan and Gavriel’s strength

before things were over. That he might

jeopardizeAelinintryingtofreeherwithout

their help. Which would mean flyingback to

them, then making the agonizingly slow trip

northward.

And with Akkadia so close, the wiser

choice was to search there first. In case the

commander today had spoken true. And if

what they learned in Akkadia led them to

Doranelle, then to Doranelle they would go.

Together.

Evenifitwentagainsteveryinstinctasher

mate. Her husband. Even if every day, every

hour, that Aelin spent in Maeve’s clutches

waslikelybringinghermoresufferingthanhe

couldstandtoconsider.

Sothey’dtraveltoAkkadia. Within a few

days,they’dentertheflatplains,andthenthe

distant dried hills beyond. Once the winter

rainsbegan,theplainwouldbegreen,lush—

but after the scorching summer, the lands

were still brown and wheat-colored, water

scarce.

He’d ensure they stocked up at the next

river.Enoughforthehorses,too.Foodmight

be in short supply, but there was game to be

found onthe plains. Scrawny rabbits and

small, furred things that burrowed in the

crackedearth.PreciselythesortoffoodAelin

wouldcringetoeat.

Gavriel noticed the movement at their

camp and padded over, massive paws silent

even on the bone-dry grass. Tawny,

inquisitiveeyesblinkedathim.

Rowan shook his head at the unspoken

question.“Getsomesleep.I’lltakeover.”

GavrielangledhisheadinagestureRowan

knewmeant,Areyouallright?

Strange—it was still strange to work with

the Lion, with Lorcan, without the bonds of

Maeve’soathbindingthemtodoso.Toknow

thattheywereherebychoice.

What it now made them, Rowan wasn’t

entirelycertain.

RowanignoredGavriel’ssilentinquiryand

staredintothedwindlingfire.“Getsomerest

whileyoucan.”

Gavriel didn’t object as he prowled to his

bedroll,andploppedontoitwithafelinesigh.

Rowansuppressedthetwingeofguilt.He’d

been pushing them hard. They hadn’t

complained, hadn’t asked him to slow the

gruelingpacehe’dset.

He’dfeltnothinginthebondsincethatday

onthebeach.Nothing.

She wasn’t dead, because the bond still

existed,yet…itwassilent.

He’dpuzzledoveritduringthelonghours

they’d traveled, during his hours on watch.

Even the hours when he should have been

sleeping.

Hehadn’tfeltpaininthebondthatdayin

Eyllwe. He’d felt it when Dorian Havilliard

hadstabbedherintheglasscastle,hadfeltthe

bond—whathe’dsostupidlythoughtwasthe

carranam bond between them—stretching to

thebreakingpointasshe’dcomeso,soclose

todeath.

Yetthatdayonthebeach,whenMaevehad

attackedher,thenhadCairnwhipher—

Rowan clenched his jaw hard enough to

hurt, even as his stomach roiled. He glanced

toGoldryn,lyingbesidehimonthebedroll.

Gently,hesetthebladebeforehim,staring

intotherubyinthecenterofitshilt,thestone

smolderinginthefirelight.

Aelin had felt the arrow he’d received

during the fight with Manon at Temis’s

temple.Orenoughofajoltthatshe’dknown,

inthatmoment,thattheyweremates.

Yet he hadn’t felt anything at all that day

onthebeach.

Hehadafeelingheknewtheanswer.Knew

that Maeve was likely the cause of it, the

damper on what was between them. She’d

gone into his head to trick him into thinking

Lyria was his mate, had fooled the very

instincts that made him a Fae male. It

wouldn’tbebeyondherpowerstofindaway

tostiflewhatwas betweenhimandAelin,to

keep him from knowing that she’d been in

such danger, and now to keep him from

findingher.

But he should have known. About Aelin.

Shouldn’thavewaitedtogetthewyvernsand

the others. Should have flown right to the

beach,andnotwastedthosepreciousminutes.

Mate.Hismate.

He should have known about that, too.

Even if rage and grief had turned him into a

miserablebastard,heshouldhaveknownwho

shewas,whatshewas,fromthemomenthe’d

bittenheratMistward,unabletostoptheurge

to claim her. The moment her blood had

landed on his tongue and it hadsung to him,

andthenrefusedtoleavehimalone,itstaste

lingeringformonths.

Instead, they’d brawled. He’d let them

brawl,solostinhisangerandice.She’dbeen

just as raging as he, and had spat such a

hateful, unspeakable thing that he’d treated

herlikeanyofthemalesandfemaleswhohad

beenunderhiscommandandmouthedoff,but

those early days still haunted him. Though

Rowan knew that if he ever mentioned the

brawling they’d done with a lick of shame,

Aelinwouldcursehimforafool.

Hedidn’tknowwhattodoaboutthetattoo

down his face, his neck and arm. The lie it

toldofhisloss,andthetruthitrevealedofhis

blindness.

He’d come to love Lyria—that had been

true. And the guilt of it ate him alive

whenever he thought of it, but he could

understand now. WhyLyria had been so

frightened of him for those initial months,

why it had been so damn hard to court her,

evenwiththatmatingbond,itstruthunknown

to Lyria as well. She had been gentle, and

quiet, and kind. A different sort of strength,

yes, but not what he might have chosen for

himself.

Hehatedhimselfforthinkingit.

Even as the rage consumed him at the

thought, at what had been stolen from him.

From Lyria, too. Aelin had been his, and he

had been hers, from the start. Longer than

that.And Maeve had thought to break them,

breakhertogetwhatshewanted.

Hewouldn’tletthatgounpunished.Justas

he could not forget that Lyria, regardless of

what truly existed between them, had been

carrying their child when Maeve had sent

thoseenemyforcestohismountainhome.He

wouldneverforgivethat.

I will kill you,Aelin had said when she’d

heard what Maeve had done. How badly

Maevehadmanipulatedhim,shatteredhim—

anddestroyedLyria.Elidehadtoldhimevery

word of the encounter, over and over.I will

killyou.

Rowan stared into the burning heart of

Goldryn’sruby.

He prayed that fire, that rage, had not

broken.Heknewhowmanydaysithadbeen,

knewwhoMaevehadpromisedwouldoversee

the torture. Knew the odds were stacked

againsther.He’dspenttwoweeksstrappedon

an enemy’s table. Still bore the scar on his

armfromoneoftheirmorecreativedevices.

Hurry.Theyhadtohurry.

Rowan leaned forward, resting his brow

against Goldryn’s hilt. The metal was warm,

as if it still held a whisper of its bearer’s

flame.

He had not set foot inAkkadia since that

last, horrible war. Though he’d led Fae and

mortal soldiers alike to victory, he’d never

hadanydesiretoseeitagain.

ButtoAkkadiatheywouldgo.

And if he found her, if he freed her …

Rowandidnotlethimselfthinkbeyondthat.

Totheothertruththattheywouldface,the

otherburden.TellRowanthatI’msorryIlied.

Buttellhimitwasallborrowedtimeanyway.

Even before today, I knew it was all just

borrowedtime,butIstillwishwe’dhadmore

ofit.

He refused to accept that. Would never

accept that shewouldbethe ultimate cost to

endthis,tosavetheirworld.

Rowan scanned the blanket of stars

overhead.

Whileallotherconstellationshadwheeled

past, the Lord of the North remained, the

immortalstarbetweenhisantlerspointingthe

wayhome.ToTerrasen.

Tell him he has to fight. He mustsave

Terrasen,andrememberthevowshemadeto

me.

Time was not on their side, not with

Maeve, not with the war unleashing itself

back on their own continent. But he had no

intention of returning without her, parting

request or no, regardless of the oaths he’d

sworn upon marrying her to guard and rule

Terrasen.

And tell him thank you—for walking that

darkpathwithmebacktothelight.

It had been his honor. From the very

beginning,ithadbeenhishonor,thegreatest

ofhisimmortallife.

Animmortallifetheywouldsharetogether

—somehow.He’dallownootheralternative.

Rowansilentlysworeittothestars.

HecouldhavesworntheLordoftheNorth

flickeredinresponse.



CHAPTER6

The winter winds off the rough waves had

chilledChaolWestfallfromthemomenthe’d

emerged from his quarters belowdecks. Even

with his thick blue cloak, the damp cold

seepedintohisbones,andnow,ashescanned

the water, it seemed the heavy cloud cover

wasn’t likely to break anytime soon. Winter

was creeping over the continent, as surely as

Morath’slegions.

Thebriskdawnhadrevealednothing,only

the roiling seas and the stoic sailors and

soldiers who had kept this ship traveling

swiftly northward. Behind them, flanking

them,halfofthekhagan’sfleetfollowed.The

other half still lingered in the southern

continent as the rest of the mighty empire’s

armada rallied. They’d only be a few weeks

behindiftheweatherheld.

Chaolsentaprayeronthebriny,icywind

thatitwould.Fordespitethesizeofthefleet

gatheredbehindhim,anddespitethethousand

ruk riders who were just taking to the skies

from their roosts on the ships for morning

hunts over the waves, it might still not be

enoughagainstMorath.

And they might not arrive fast enough for

thatarmytomakeadifferenceanyway.

Three weeks of sailing had brought them

little news of the host his friends had

assembled and supposedly brought to

Terrasen,andthey’dkeptfarenoughfromthe

coasttoavoidanyenemyships—orwyverns.

Butthatwouldchangetoday.

A delicate, warm arm looped through his,

andaheadofbrown-goldhairleanedagainst

his shoulder. “It’s freezing out here,” Yrene

murmured, scowling at the wind-whipped

waves.

Chaolpressedakisstothetopofherhead.

“Thecoldbuildscharacter.”

Shehuffedalaugh,thesteamofherbreath

torn away by the wind. “Spoken like a man

fromtheNorth.”

Chaol slid his arm around her shoulders,

tucking her into his side. “Am I not keeping

youwarmenoughthesedays,wife?”

Yrene blushed, and elbowed him in the

ribs.“Cad.”

Over a month later, and he was still

marvelingattheword:wife.Atthewomanby

his side, who had healed his fractured and

wearysoul.

Hisspinewassecondarytothat.He’dspent

theselongdaysontheshippracticinghowhe

mightfight—whether byhorsebackor with a

cane or from his wheeled chair—during the

times when Yrene’s power became drained

enough that the life-bond between them

stretched thin and the injury took over once

more.

Hisspinehadn’thealed,nottruly.Itnever

would.Ithadbeenthecost ofsaving hislife

afteraValgprincesshadtakenhimtodeath’s

threshold. Yet it did not feel like a cost too

steeplypaid.

Ithadneverbeenaburden—thechair,the

injury.Itwouldnotbenow.

But the other partofthatbargain with the

goddesswhohadguidedYreneherentirelife,

who had brought her to Antica’s shores and

now back to their own continent … that part

scaredthehelloutofhim.

Ifhedied,Yrenewentaswell.

Tofunnelherhealingpowerintohimsohe

might walk when her magic was not too

drained,theirveryliveshadbeenentwined.

So if he fell in battle against Morath’s

legions … It would not be just his own life

lost.

“You’rethinkingtoohard.”Yrenefrowned

upathim.“Whatisit?”

Chaol jerked his chin toward the ship

sailing nearest their own. On its stern, two

ruks,onegoldenandonereddishbrown,stood

at attention. Both were already saddled,

though there was no sign of Kadara’s or

Salkhi’sriders.

“Ican’ttellifyou’remotioningtotheruks

or the fact that Nesryn and Sartaq are smart

enough to remain in bed on a morning like

this.”Asweshouldbe,hergolden-browneyes

addedtartly.

It was Chaol’s turn to nudge her with an

elbow. “You’rethe onewho woke meupthis

morning,youknow.”Hebrushedakisstothe

column of her neck, a precise reminder of

how, exactly, Yrene had awoken him. And

what they’d spent a good hour around dawn

doing.

Justthewarmedsilkofherskinagainsthis

lipswasenoughtoheathischilledbones.“We

can go back to bed, if you want,” he

murmured.

Yrene let out a soft, breathless sound that

had his hands aching to roam along her

bundled-up body. Even with time pressing

upon them, hurrying them northward, he’d

lovedlearningallhersounds—lovedcoaxing

themfromher.

But Chaol drew his head away from the

crookofhernecktogestureagaintotheruks.

“They’re heading on a scouting mission

soon.”He’dbetthatNesrynandthekhagan’s

newly crowned Heir were currently buckling

on weapons and layers. “We’ve sailed far

enough north that we need information on

wheretomoor.”Sotheycoulddecidewhere,

exactly,todockthearmadaandmarchinland

asquicklyaspossible.

IfRiftholdwasstillheldbyErawanandthe

Ironteeth legions, then sailing the armada up

the Avery and marching northward into

Terrasenwouldbeunwise.ButtheValgking

might very well have forces lying in wait at

any point ahead. Not to mention Queen

Maeve’s fleet, which had vanished after her

battle with Aelin and mercifully remained

unaccountedfor.

By their captain’s calculations, they were

justnearingtheborderFenharrowsharedwith

Adarlan. So they needed to decide where,

exactly, they were sailingto. As swiftly as

possible.

They’d already lost precious time skirting

the Dead Islands, despite the news that they

once more belonged to Captain Rolfe. Word

hadlikelyalreadyreachedMorathabouttheir

journey, but there was no need to proclaim

theirexactlocation.

But their secrecy had cost them: he’d had

no news on Dorian’s location. Not a whisper

as to whether he had gone north with Aelin

and the fleet she’d gathered from several

kingdoms.ChaolcouldonlypraythatDorian

had,andthathiskingremainedsafe.

Yrene studied the two ruks on the nearby

ship.“Howmanyscoutsaregoing?”

“Justthem.”

Yrene’seyesflaredwithwarning.

“Easier for smaller numbers to stay

hidden.”Chaolpointedtothesky.“Thecloud

covertodaymakesitidealforscouting,too.”

When the worry in her face didn’t abate, he

added, “We will have to fight  in this war at

some point, Yrene.” How many lives did

Erawanclaimforeverydaythattheydelayed?

“I know.” She clasped the silver locket at

her neck. He’d given it to her, had a master

engraver carve the mountains and seas onto

thesurface.Inside,itstillborethenoteAelin

Galathynius had left her years ago, when his

wifeworkedasabarmaidinabackwaterport,

and the queen lived as an assassin under

another name. “I just … I know it’s foolish,

but I somehow didn’t think it would come

uponusthisquickly.”

He’dhardlycallthese weeksatseaquick,

butheunderstoodwhatshemeant.“Theselast

dayswillbethelongestyet.”

Yrene nestledintohisside, herarmgoing

around his waist. “I need to check on the

supplies. I’ll get Borte to fly me over to

Hasar’sship.”

Arcas, the fierce ruk rider’s mount, was

stilldozingwherehesleptonthestern.“You

mighthavetowaitawhileforthat.”

Indeed, they’d both learned these weeks

not to disturb either rukor rider while they

were sleeping. Gods help them if Borte and

Aelinevermet.

Yrene smiled, and lifted her hands to cup

his face. Her clear eyes scanned his. “I love

you,”shesaidsoftly.

Chaol lowered his brow until it rested

againsthers. “Tellme thatwhenwe’reknee-

deepinfreezingmud,willyou?”

She snorted, but made no move to pull

away.Neitherdidhe.

So brow to brow and soul to soul, they

stood there amid the bitter wind and lashing

waves,andwaitedtoseewhattheruksmight

discover.

She’d forgotten how damn cold it was in the

North.

Evenwhilelivingamongsttherukridersin

theTavanMountains,NesrynFaliqhadnever

beenthisfrozenthrough.

Andwinterhadnotfullydescended.

Yet Salkhi showed no hint that the cold

affected him as they rushed over cloud and

sea. But that might also be because Kadara

flewbesidehim,thegoldenrukunfalteringin

thebitterwind.

A soft spot—herruk haddeveloped a soft

spot and an undimming admiration for

Sartaq’smount.ThoughNesrynsupposedthe

same could be said about her and the ruk’s

rider.

Nesryntorehereyesfromtheswirlinggray

cloudsandglancedtotherideratherleft.

Hisshornhairhadgrownout—barely.Just

enoughtobebraidedbackagainstthewind.

Sensing her attention, the Heir to the

khaganatesignaled,Alliswell?

Nesryn blushed despite the cold, but

signaled back, her numbed fingers clumsy

overthesymbols.Allclear.

A blushing schoolgirl. That’s what she

became aroundthe prince, no matter the fact

thatthey’dbeensharingabedtheseweeks,or

whathe’dpromisedfortheirfuture.

Torulebesidehim.Asthefutureempress

ofthekhaganate.

It was absurd, of course. The idea of her

dressed like his mother, in those sweeping,

beautifulrobesandgrandheaddresses…No,

shewasbettersuitedtotherukhinleathers,to

the weight of steel, not jewels. She’d said as

muchtoSartaq.Manytimes.

He’d laughed her off. Had said she might

walk around the palace naked if she wished.

Whatsheworeordidn’twearwouldn’tbother

himintheleast.

Butitwasstillaridiculousnotion.Onethe

princeseemedtothinkwastheonlycoursefor

theirfuture.He’dstakedhiscrownonit,had

told his father that if being prince meant not

beingwithher,thenhe’dwalkawayfromthe

throne. The khagan had offered him the title

ofHeirinstead.

Before they’d left, his siblings had not

seemed angered by it, though they’d spent

their entire lives vying to be crowned their

father’s Heir. Even Hasar, who sailed with

them, had refrained from her usual, sharp-

tonguedcomments.WhetherKashin,Arghun,

or Duva—all still in Antica, with Kashin

promised to sail with the rest of his father’s

forces—had changed their minds about

Sartaq’sappointment,Nesryndidn’tknow.

A flutter of activity to her right had her

steeringSalkhiafterit.

Falkan Ennar, shape-shifterandmerchant-

turned-rukhin-spy, had taken a falcon’s form

this morning, and wielded the creature’s

remarkablespeedtoflyahead.Hemusthave

seensomething,forhenowbankedandswept

past them, then soared inland again.Follow,

heseemedtosay.

Sailing to Terrasen was still an option,

dependingonwhattheyfoundtodayalongthe

coast. Whether Lysandra might be there, if

she might still be alive, was another matter

entirely.

Falkan had sworn that his fortune, his

properties, would be her inheritance well

beforeheknewthatshe’dsurvivedchildhood,

or received his family’s gifts. A strange

familyfromtheWastes,who’dspreadacross

the continent, his brother ending up in

Adarlan long enough to sire Lysandra and

abandonhermother.

ButFalkanhadnotspokenofthosedesires

since they’d left the TavanMountains, and

had instead dedicated himself to helping in

whatever manner he could: scouting, mostly.

But a time would soon come when they’d

needhisfurtherassistance,astheyhadagainst

thekharankuiintheDagulFells.

Perhapsasvitalasthearmythey’dbrought

withthemwastheinformationthey’dgleaned

there.ThatMaevewasnotaFaeQueenatall,

but a Valg imposter.An ancient Valg queen,

who had infiltrated Doranelle at the dawn of

time, ripping into the two sister-queens’

minds and convincing them that they had an

eldersister.

Perhaps the knowledge would bring about

nothing in this war. But it might shift it in

some way. To know that another enemy

lurkedattheirbacks.AndthatMaevehadfled

to Erilea to escape the Valg king she’d wed,

brother to two others—who in turn had

sundered the Wyrdkeys from the gate, and

rippedthroughworldstofindher.

That the three Valg kings had broken into

thisworldonlytobehaltedhere,unawarethat

their prey now lurked on a throne in

Doranelle, had been a strange twist of fate.

Only Erawan remained here of those three

kings, brother to Orcus, Maeve’s husband.

What would he pay to know who she truly

was?

It was a question, perhaps, for others to

ponder.Toconsiderhowtowield.

Falkan dropped into a swooping dive

throughthecloudcover,andNesrynfollowed.

Cold, misty air ripped at her, but Nesryn

leanedintothedescent,SalkhitrailingFalkan

without command. For a minute, only clouds

flowedpast,andthen—

Whitecliffsrosefromthegraywaves,and

beyond them dried grasses spread in the last

ofFenharrow’snorthernmostplains.

Falkan soared toward the shore, checking

hisspeedsohedidn’tlosethem.

Kadara kept pace with them easily, and

theyflewinsilenceasthecoastgrewclearer.

The grasses on the plains weren’t winter-

dried. They’d been burned. And the trees,

barrenofleaves,werelittlemorethanhusks.

On the horizon, plumes of smoke stained

thewintersky.Toomanyandtoogreattobe

farmers scorching the last of the crops to

fertilizethesoil.

Nesryn signaled to Sartaq,I’m taking a

closerlook.

Theprincesignaledback,Skimtheclouds,

butdon’tgetbelowthem.

Nesryn nodded, and she and her ruk

disappeared into the thin bottom layer of the

clouds.Throughoccasionalgaps,glimpsesof

thecharredlandflashedbelow.

Villages and farmsteads: gone. As if a

force had swept in from the sea and razed

everythinginitspath.

But there had been no armada camped by

theshore.No,thisarmyhadbeenonfoot.

Keeping just within the veil of clouds,

NesrynandSartaqcrossedtheland.

Her heart pounded, faster and faster, with

everyleagueofseared,barrenlandscapethey

covered. No signs of an opposing army or

ongoingbattles.

They’d burned it for their own sick

enjoyment.

Nesryn marked the land, the features she

couldmakeout.They’dindeedbarelycrossed

overFenharrow’sborders,Adarlanasprawlto

thenorth.

But inland, growing closer with each

league, an army marched. It stretched for

milesandmiles,blackandwrithing.

The might of Morath. Or some terrible

fraction of it, sent to instill terror and

destructionbeforethefinalwave.

Sartaqsignaled,Abandofsoldiersbelow.

NesrynpeeredoverSalkhi’swing,thedrop

merciless, and beheld a small group of

soldiers in dark armor wending through the

trees—an offshoot of the teeming mass far

ahead.Asiftheyhadbeensenttohuntdown

anysurvivors.

Nesryn’s jaw clenched, and she signaled

backtotheprince,Let’sgo.

Not back to the ships. But to the six

soldiers, beginning the long return trek to

theirhost.

NesrynandSalkhi plummetedthroughthe

sky,Sartaqabluronherleft.

Thebandofsoldiersdidn’thavethechance

toshoutbeforeNesrynandSartaqwereupon

them.

LadyYreneWestfall,formerlyYreneTowers,

hadcountedthesuppliesaboutsixtimesnow.

Every boat was full of them, yet Princess

Hasar’sship,thepersonalescorttotheHealer

onHigh,heldthemostvitalmixoftonicsand

salves.Manyhadbeencraftedpriortosailing

fromAntica, butYrene and the other healers

who had accompanied the army had spent

longhoursconcoctingthemasbesttheycould

onboard.

In the dim hold, Yrene steadied her feet

against the rocking of the waves and closed

thelidonthecrateofsalvetins,jottingdown

the number on the piece of paper she’d

broughtwithher.

“The same number as two days ago,” an

oldvoicecluckedfromthestairs.Hafiza,the

Healer on High, sat on the wooden steps,

hands resting atop the heavy wool skirt

covering her skinny knees. “What do you

worrywillhappentothem,Yrene?”

Yreneflickedherbraidoverashoulder.“I

wantedtomakesureI’dcountedright.”

“Again.”

Yrenepocketedthepieceofparchmentand

sweptupherfur-linedcloakfromwhereshe’d

tossed it over a crate. “When we’re on the

battlefields,keepingstockofoursupplies—”

“Will be vital, yes, but also impossible.

Whenwe’reonthebattlefields,girl,you’llbe

lucky if you can evenfind one of these tins

amidthechaos.”

“That’swhatI’mtryingtoavoid.”

The Healer on High offered her a

sympathetic sigh. “People will die,Yrene. In

horrible,painfulways,theywilldie,andeven

youandIwillnotbeabletosavethem.”

Yreneswallowed.“Iknowthat.”Iftheydid

not hurry, did not make landfall soon and

discover where the khagan’s army would

march,howmanymorewouldperish?

Theancientwoman’sknowinglookdidn’t

fade. Always, from the first moment Yrene

hadlaideyesonHafiza,shehademanatedthis

calm, this reassurance. The thought of the

Healer on High on those bloody battlefields

madeYrene’sstomachchurn.Evenifthissort

of thing was precisely why they had come,

whytheytrainedinthefirstplace.

But that was without the matter of the

Valg,squattinginhumanhostslikeparasites.

Valgwhowouldkillthemimmediatelyifthey

knewwhatthehealersplannedtodo.

WhatYreneplannedtodotoanyValgwho

crossedherpath.

“The salves are made, Yrene.” Hafiza

groaned as she rose from her perch on the

steps and adjusted the lapels of her thick

woolen jacket—cut and embroidered in the

style of the Darghan riders. A gift from the

lastvisittheHealeronHighhadmadetothe

steppes, when she’d taken Yrene along with

her. “They are counted. There are no more

supplies with which to make them, not until

wereachlandandcanseewhatmightbeused

there.”

Yrene clutched her cloak to her chest. “I

needtobedoingsomething.”

The Healer on High patted the railing.

“Youwill,Yrene.Soonenough,youwill.”

Hafiza ascended the stairs with that,

leavingYrene in the hold amid the stacks of

crates.

Shedidn’ttelltheHealeronHighthatshe

wasn’t entirely sure how much longer she’d

be a help—not yet.Hadn’t whispered aword

ofthatdoubttoanyone,evenChaol.

Yrene’s hand drifted across her abdomen

andlingered.



CHAPTER7

Morath.ThefinalkeywasatMorath.

The knowledge hung over Dorian through

the night, keeping him from sleep. When he

did doze, he awoke with a hand at his neck,

graspingforacollarthatwasnotthere.

Hehadtofindsomewaytogo.Someway

toreachit.

Since Manon would undoubtedly be

unwillingtotakehim.Evenifshe’dbeenthe

onewho’dsuggestedhemightbeabletotake

Aelin’splacetoforgetheLock.

TheThirteenhadbarelyescapedMorath—

they were in no hurry to return. Not when

theirtaskinfindingtheCrochanshadbecome

so vital. Not when Erawan might very well

sense their arrival before they neared the

keep.

Gavinhadclaimedthepathwouldfindhim

here, in this camp. But finding a way to

convincetheThirteentoremain,wheninstinct

and urgency compelled them to move on …

that might prove as impossible a task as

attainingthethirdWyrdkey.

Their camp stirred in the gray light of

dawn,andDoriangaveuponsleep.Rising,he

foundManon’sbedrollpacked,andthewitch

herself standing with Asterin and Sorrel by

their mounts. It was that trio he’d have to

convincetoremain—somehow.

Alreadywaitingnearthemouthofthepass,

theotherwyverns shifted as they readied for

theunbearablycoldflight.

Another day, another hunt for a clan of

witches who had no desire to be found.And

wouldlikelyhavelittledesiretojointhiswar.

“We move out in five minutes.” Sorrel’s

rockyvoicecarriedacrossthecamp.

Convincing would have to wait, then.

Delayingitwas.

Withinthreeminutes,thefirewasoutand

weapons were donned, bedrolls bound to

saddlesandneedsseentobeforethelongday

offlying.

Buckling on Damaris, Dorian aimed for

Manon, the witch standing with that

preternaturalstillness.Beautiful,evenherein

the blasted snow, a shaggy goat pelt slung

overhershoulders.Asheneared,hereyesmet

hisinaflashofburntgold.

Asteringavehimawickedgrin.“Morning,

YourMajesty.”

Dorian inclined his head. “Where are we

wanderingtoday?”Heknewthecasualwords

didn’tquitemeethiseyes.

“We were just debating it,” Sorrel

answered,theThird’sfacestonybutopen.

Behindthem,Vestasworeasthebuckleon

hersaddlecameundone.Doriandidn’tdareto

look,toconfirmthattheinvisiblehandsofhis

magichadworked.

“We already searched north of here,”

Asterin said. “Let’s keep heading south—

make it to the end of the Fangs before we

backtrack.”

“They might not even be in the

mountains,”Sorrelcountered.“We’vehunted

theminthelowlandsindecadespast.”

Manon listened with a cool, unruffled

expression. As she did every morning.

Weighing their words, listening to the wind

thatsangtoher.

Imogen’s saddlebag snapped free of its

tether.Thewitchhissedasshedismountedto

retie it. How long these little delays could

keep them here, he didn’t know. Not

indefinitely.

“If we abandon these mountains,”Asterin

argued, “then we’ll be far more trackable in

the open lands. Both our enemies and the

Crochans will spot us before we ever find

them.”

“It’d be warmer,” Sorrel grumbled.

“Eyllwewouldbeahellofalotwarmer.”

Apparently, even immortal witches with

steel in their veins could grow tired of the

leechingcold.

But to go so far south, into Eyllwe, when

they were still near enough to Morath …

Manonseemedtoconsiderthat,too.Hereyes

dippedtohisjacket.Tothekeyswithin,asif

she could sense their pulsing whisper, their

slide against his power.All that lay between

Erawan and his dominion over Erilea. To

bringthemwithinahundredmilesofMorath

…No,she’dneverallowit.

Dorian kept his face blandly pleasant, a

hand resting on the eye-shaped pommel of

Damaris. “This camp has no clues about

wheretheywent?”

He knew they hadn’t the faintest notion.

Knewit,butwaitedfortheiransweranyway,

tryingnottogripDamaris’spommeltoohard.

“No,”Manonsaidwithahintofagrowl.

YetDamarisgavenoanswerbeyondafaint

warmth in the metal. He didn’t know what

he’dexpected:someverifyinghumofpower,

aconfirmingvoiceinhismind.

Certainly not the unimpressive whisper of

heat.

Heatfortruth;likelycoldforlies.But—at

least Gavin had spoken true about the blade.

Heshouldn’thavedoubtedit,consideringthe

godGavinstillhonored.

Holding his stare with that relentless,

predatory focus, Manon gave the order to

moveout.Northward.

Away from Morath. Dorian opened his

mouth, casting for anything to say, do, to

delay this departure. Short of snapping a

wyvern’swing,therewasnothing—

The witches turned toward the wyverns,

where Dorian would ride with one of the

sentinelsforthenextlegofthisendlesshunt.

ButAbraxosroared,lungingforManonwitha

snapofteeth.

AsManonwhirled,Dorian’smagicsurged,

alreadylashingattheunseenfoe.

A mighty white bear had risen from the

snowbehindher.

Teethflashing,itbroughtdownitsmassive

paw. Manon ducked, rolling to the side, and

Dorian hurled outawall ofhismagic—wind

andice.

Thebearwasblastedback,hittingthesnow

with an icythump. It was instantly upagain,

racingforManon.OnlyManon.

Half a thought had Dorian flinging

invisible hands to halt the beast. Just as it

collidedwithhis magic, snow spraying,light

flashed.

Heknewthatlight.Ashifter.

ButitwasnotLysandrawhoemergedfrom

thebear’sperfectlycamouflagedhide.

No,thethingthatcameoutofthebearwas

madeofnightmares.

A spider.A great, stygian spider, big as a

horseandblackasnight.

ItsmanyeyesnarrowedonManon,pincers

clicking,asithissed,“Blackbeak.”

The stygian spider had found her, somehow.

Afterallthesemonths,afterthethousandsof

leagues Manon had traveled over sky and

earth and sea, the spider from whom she’d

stolen the silk to reinforce Abraxos’s wings

hadfoundher.

But the spider had not anticipated the

Thirteen.OrthepoweroftheKingofAdarlan.

ManondrewWind-CleaverasDorianheld

the spider in place with his magic, the king

showing little signs of strain. Powerful—he

grewmorepowerfuleachday.

The Thirteen closed ranks, weapons

gleaming in the blinding sun and snow, the

wyvernsformingawallofleatheryhidesand

clawsbehindthem.

Manon stalked a few steps closer to those

twitching pincers. “You’re a long way from

theRuhnns,sister.”

The spider hissed. “You were not so very

hardtofind,despiteit.”

“You know this beast?” Asterin asked,

prowlingtoManon’sside.

Manon’s mouth curled in a cruel smile.

“She donated the Spidersilk for Abraxos’s

wings.”

Thespidersnarled.“Youstolemysilk,and

shovedmeandmyweaversoffacliff—”

“How is it that you can shape-shift?”

Dorianasked,stillpinningthespiderinplace

as he approached Manon’s other side, one

hand gripping the hilt of his ancient sword.

“The legends make no mention of that.”

Curiosity indeed brightened on his face. She

supposed the white line through his golden

skin on his throat was proof that he’d dealt

with far worse. And supposed that whatever

bondlaybetweenthemwasalsoproofhehad

littlefearofpainordeath.

A good trait for a witch, yes. But in a

mortal? It would likely wind up getting him

killed.

Perhapsitwasnotalackoffear,butrather

alackof…ofwhatevermortalsdeemedvital

totheirsouls.Rippedfromhimbyhisfather.

AndthatValgdemon.

The spider seethed. “I took two decades

fromayoungmerchant’slifeinexchangefor

my silk. The gift of his shifting flowed

through his life force—some of it, at least.”

All those eyes narrowed on Manon. “He

willinglypaidtheprice.”

“Kill her, and be done with it,” Asterin

murmured.

The spider recoiled as much as the king’s

invisibleleashwouldallow.“Ihadnoideaour

sisters had become so cowardly, if they now

requiremagictoskeweruslikepigs.”

ManonliftedWind-Cleaver,contemplating

where between the spider’s many eyes to

plungetheblade.“Shallweseeifyousqueal

likeonewhenIdo?”

“Coward,” the spider spat. “Release me,

andwe’llendthistheoldway.”

Manondebatedit.Then shrugged.“Ishall

keep this painless. Consider that my debt

owed to you.” Sucking in a breath, Manon

readiedfortheblow—

“Wait.” The spider breathed the word.

“Wait.”

“From insults to pleading,” Asterin

murmured.“Whoisspinelessnow?”

The spider ignored the Second, her

depthlesseyesdevouringManon,thenDorian.

“Do you know what moves in the South?

Whathorrorsgather?”

“Oldnews,”Vestasaid,snorting.

“How do you think I found you?” the

spider asked. Manon stilled. “So many

possessions left at Morath. Your scents all

overthem.”

If the spider had found them here that

easily,theyhadtomoveout.Now.

Thespiderhissed, “ShallI tellyou what I

spiedamerefiftymilessouthofhere?WhoI

saw, Blackbeak?” Manon stiffened.

“Crochans,” the spider said, then sighed

deeply.Hungrily.

Manon blinked. Just once. The Thirteen

hadgoneequallystill.Asterinasked,“You’ve

seentheCrochans?”

Thespider’smassiveheadbobbedinanod

before she sighed again. “The Crochans

alwaystastedofwhatIimaginesummerwine

to be like. Whatchocolate, as you call it,

wouldtastelike.”

“Where,”Manondemanded.

Thespidernamedthelocation—vagueand

unfamiliar.“Iwillshowyouwhere,”shesaid.

“Iwillguideyou.”

“Itcouldbeatrap,”Sorrelsaid.

“It’snot,”Doriansaid,hishandstillonthe

hiltofhissword.Manonstudiedtheclarityof

his eyes, the squared shoulders. The pitiless

face,yetinquisitive angleto hishead.“Let’s

seeifherinformationholdstrue—anddecide

herfateafterward.”

Manon blurted, “What.” The Thirteen

shiftedatthedeniedkill.

Dorian jerked his chin to the shuddering

spider.“Don’tkillher.Notyet.There’smore

she might know beyond the Crochans’

whereabouts.”

The spider hissed, “I do not need a boy’s

mercy—”

“Itisaking’smercyyoureceive,”Dorian

saidcoldly,“andI’dsuggestbeingquietlong

enough to receive it.” Rarely, so rarely did

Manonhearthatvoicefromhim,thetonethat

sent a thrill through her blood and bones.A

king’svoice.

But he was not her king. He was not the

covenleaderoftheThirteen.“Weletherlive

andshe’llsellustothehighestbidder.”

Dorian’s sapphire eyes churned, the hand

onhisswordtightening.Manontensedatthat

contemplative, cold stare. The hint of the

calculating predator beneath the king’s

handsome face. He only said to the spider,

“You mastered shape-shifting in a matter of

months,itseems.”

Apathwouldfindhimhere,Gavinhadsaid.

A path into Morath. Not a physical road,

notacourseoftravel,butthis.

Theunholyterrorremainedquietforabeat

before she said, “Our gifts are strange and

hungrythings.Wefeed not just onyour life,

but your powers, too, if you possess them.

Oncemagicwasfreed,Ilearnedtowieldthe

abilities the shape-shifter had transferred to

me.”

Damariswarmedinhishand.Truth.Every

word the spider had spoken had been truth.

And this … A way into Morath—as

somethingelseentirely.Inanother’sskin.

Perhapsahumanslave,likeElideLochan.

Someonewhosepresencewouldgounmarked.

Hisrawpowerhadlentitselftoeveryother

form of magic, able to move between flame

and ice and healing. To shape-shift … might

helearnit,too?

Dorianonlyaskedthespider,“Doyouhave

aname?”

“Akingwithouthiscrownasksforalowly

spider’s name,” she murmured, her depthless

eyessettingonhim.“Youcannotpronounceit

inyourtongue,butyoumaycallmeCyrene.”

Manongroundherteeth.“Itdoesn’tmatter

whatwecallyou,asyou’llbedeadsoon.”

ButDoriancutherasidelongglance.“The

Ruhnns are a part of my kingdom. As such,

Cyrene is one of my subjects. I think that

givesmetherighttodecidewhethershelives

ordies.”

“You arebothatthemercyofmycoven,”

Manonsnarled.“Stepaside.”

Doriangaveheraslightsmile.“AmI?”A

wind colder than the mountain air filled the

pass.

Hecouldkillthemall.Whetherbychoking

theairfromthemorsnappingtheirnecks.He

couldkillthemall,andthewyvernsincluded.

The knowledge carved out another hollow

within him.Another empty spot. Had it ever

troubled his father, or Aelin, to bear such

power? “Bring her with us—question her

morethoroughlyatthenextcamp.”

Manon snapped, “You plan to bringthat

withus?”

In answer, the spider shifted, donning the

form of a pale-skinned, dark-haired woman.

Small and unremarkable, save for those

unnerving black eyes. Not pretty, but with a

deadly,ancientsortofallurethatevenanew

hidecouldn’tconceal.Andutterlynaked.She

shivered, rubbing her hands down her thin

arms. “Shall this form suffice to travel

lightly?”

Manonignoredthe spider. “Andwhenshe

shiftsinthenighttoripusapart?”

Dorianonlyinclinedhishead,icedancing

athisfingertips.“Shewon’t.”

Cyrene sucked in abreath. “Arare gift of

magic.”Herstareturnedravenousasshetook

inDorian.“Forarareking.”

Dorianonlyfrownedwithdistaste.

Manon glanced to Asterin. Her Second’s

eyeswerewary,hermouthatightline.Sorrel,

afewfeetbehind,gloweredatthespider,but

herhandhaddroppedfromhersword.

The Thirteen, on some unspoken signal,

peeled away to their wyverns. Only Cyrene

watched them, those horrible, soulless eyes

blinking every now and then as her teeth

begantoclack.

Manonangledherheadathim.“You’re…

differenttoday.”

He shrugged. “If you want someone to

warm your bed who cowers at your every

word and obeys every command, look

elsewhere.”

Her stare drifted to the pale band around

his throat. “I’m still not convinced,

princeling,” she hissed, “that I shouldn’t just

killher.”

“And what would it take, witchling, to

convince you?” He didn’t bother to hide the

sensualpromiseinhiswords,northeiredge.

AmuscleflickeredinManon’sjaw.Things

from legends—that’s who surrounded him.

The witches, the spider … He might as well

havebeenacharacterinoneofthebookshe’d

lentAelinlastfall.Thoughnoneofthemhad

everenduredsuchayawningpitinsidethem.

Scowling at her bare feet in the snow,

Cyrene’shandstwitchedathersides,anecho

ofthepincersshe’dbornemomentsbefore.

Dorian tried not to shudder. Suicide to

sneak into Morath—once he learned what he

neededfromthisthing.

TheweightofManon’sgazefelluponhim

again, and Dorian didn’t balkfrom it. Didn’t

balkfromManon’swordsasshesaid,“Ifyou

find so little value in your existence that it

compels you to trust this thing, then by all

means, bringheralong.”Achallengetolook

not toward Morath or the spider, but inward.

She saw exactly what gnawed on his empty

chest,ifonlybecauseasimilarbeastgnawed

on her own. “We’ll find out soon enough

whethershespoketrueabouttheCrochans.”

Thespiderhad.Damarishadwarmedinhis

handwhenCyrenehadspoken.

And when they found the Crochans, when

theThirteen were distracted, he’d learn what

heneededfromthespider,too.

Manon turned to the Thirteen, the witches

thrummingwithimpatience.“Weflynow.We

canreachtheCrochansbynightfall.”

“Andwhatthen?”Asterinasked.Theonly

oneofthemwhohadpermissiontodoso.

Manon stalked for Abraxos, and Dorian

followed,tossingCyreneasparecloakashis

magic tugged her with him. “And then we

make our move,” Manon hedged. And for

once,shedidnotmeetanyone’sstare.Didn’t

doanythingbutgazesouthward.

The witch was keeping secrets, too. But

werehersasdireashis?



CHAPTER8

Blackness greeted Aelin as she rose to

consciousness.Tight,containedblackness.

Ashiftofherelbowshadthemdigginginto

the sides of the box, chains reverberating

through the small space. Her bare feet could

grazetheendifshewriggledslightly.

Sheliftedherboundhandstothesolidwall

ofironmereinchesaboveherface.Tracedthe

whorls and suns embossed onto its surface.

Even on the inside, Maeve had ordered them

etched. SoAelin might never forget that this

boxhadbeenmadeforher,longbeforeshe’d

beenborn.

But—those were her own bare fingertips

brushingoverthecool,roughmetal.

He’d taken off the iron gauntlets. Or had

forgottentoputthembackonafterwhathe’d

done. The way he’d held them over the open

brazier,untilthemetalwasred-hotaroundher

handsandshewasscreaming,screaming—

Aelin pressed her palms flat against the

metallidandpushed.

The shattered arm, the splinters of bone

juttingfromherskin:gone.

Orhadneverbeen.Butithadfeltreal.

More so than the other memories that

pressedin,demandingsheacknowledgethem.

Acceptthem.

Aelin shoved her palms against the iron,

musclesstraining.

Itdidn’tsomuchasshift.

She tried again. That she had the strength

to do so was thanks to the otherservices

Maeve’s healers provided: keeping her

musclesfromatrophyingwhileshelayhere.

A soft whine echoed into the box. A

warning.

Aelin lowered her hands just as the lock

gratedandthedoorgroanedopen.

Cairn’s footsteps were faster this time.

Urgent.

“Relieve yourself in the hall and wait by

thisdoor,”hesnappedatFenrys.

Aelin braced herself as those steps halted.

Agruntandhissofmetal,andfirelightpoured

in.Sheblinkedagainstit,butkeptstill.

They’d anchored her irons into the box

itself.She’dlearnedthatthehardway.

Cairndidn’tsayanythingasheunfastened

thechainsfromtheiranchor.

The most dangerous time for him, right

before he moved her to the anchors on the

altar.Evenwithherfeetandhandsbound,he

tooknochances.

He didn’t today, either, despite not

botheringwiththegauntlets.

Perhaps they’d melted away over that

brazier,alongwithherskin.

Cairn yanked her upright as half a dozen

guardssilentlyappearedinthedoorway.Their

facesheldnohorroratwhathadbeendoneto

her.

She’d seen these males before. On a

bloodiedbitofbeach.

“Varik,”Cairnsaid,andoneoftheguards

steppedforward,Fenrysnowathissidebythe

door,thewolfastallasapony.Varik’ssword

restedagainstFenrys’sthroat.

Cairn gripped her chains, tugging her

against his chest as they walked toward the

guards, the wolf. “Youmake amove, and he

dies.”

Aelin didn’t tell him she wasn’t entirely

sure she had the strength to try anything, let

alonerun.

Heavinesssettledintoher.

Shedidn’tfighttheblacksackshovedover

her head as they passed through the arched

doorway. Didn’t fight as they walked down

that hall, though she counted the steps and

turns.

Shedidn’tcareifCairnwassmartenough

to add in a few extras to disorient her. She

countedthemanyway.Listenedtotherushof

the river, growing louder with each turn, the

rising mist that chilled her exposed skin,

slickingthestonesbeneathherfeet.

Then open air. She couldn’t see it, but it

grazeddampfingersoverherskin,whispering

ofthegapingopennessoftheworld.

Run.Now.

Thewordswereadistantmurmur.

She had no doubt the guard’s blade

remained at Fenrys’s throat. That it would

spill blood. Maeve’s order of restraint bound

Fenrystoowell—along with thatstrange gift

ofhistoleapbetweenshortdistances,asifhe

weremovingfromoneroomtoanother.

She’dlongsincelosthopehe’dfindsome

way to use it, to bear them away from here.

She doubted he’d miraculously reclaim the

ability,shouldtheguard’sswordstrike.

Yetifsheheededthatvoice,ifsheran,was

thecostofhislifeworthherown?

“You’re debating it, aren’t you,”  Cairn

hissed in her ear. She could feel his smile

even through the sack blinding her. “If the

wolf’s life is a fair cost to get away.” A

lover’s laugh. “Try it. See how far you get.

We’veafewminutesofwalkingleft.”

She ignored him. Ignored that voice

whisperingtorun,run,run.

Step after step, they walked. Her legs

shookwiththeeffort.

Ittoldherenoughabouthowlongshehad

beenhere.Howlongshehadnotbeenableto

properly move, even with the healers’

ministrations to keep her muscles from

wastingaway.

Cairn led her up a winding staircase that

had her rasping for breath, the mist fading

awaytocoolnightair.Sweetsmells.Flowers.

Flowers still existed. In this world, this

hell,flowersbloomedsomewhere.

Thewater’sbellowfadedbehindthemtoa

blessedly dull rushing, soon replaced by

merry trickling ahead. Fountains. Cold,

smoothtilesbitintoherfeet,andthroughthe

hood flickering fire cast golden ripples.

Lanterns.

The air tightened, grew still.A courtyard,

perhaps.

Lightning pulsed down her thighs, her

calves,warninghertoslow,torest.

Then open air yawned again wide around

her,thewateroncemoreroaring.

Cairn halted, yanking her against his

towering body, his various weapons digging

into her chains, her skin. The other guards’

clothes rustledas they stopped, too. Fenrys’s

claws clicked on stone, the sound no doubt

meanttosignalherthatheremainednearby.

She realized why he’d feel the need to do

soasafemalevoicethatwasbothyoungand

old, amused and soulless, purred, “Remove

thehood,Cairn.”

It vanished, and Aelin needed only a few

blinkstotakeeverythingin.

Shehadbeenherebefore.

Had been on this broad veranda

overlookingamightyriverandwaterfalls,had

walked through the ancient stone city she

knewloomedatherback.

Had stood in this very spot, facing the

dark-hairedqueenloungingonastonethrone

atop the dais, mist wreathing the air around

her, a white owl perched on the back of her

seat.

Onlyonewolflaysprawledatherfeetthis

time. Black as night, black as the queen’s

eyes, which settled onAelin, narrowing with

pleasure.

Maeve seemed content to let Aelin look.

Lethertakeitin.

Maeve’s deep purple gown glistened like

the mists behind her, its long train draped

overthefewstepsofthedais.Poolingtoward

—

Aelin beheld what glittered at the base of

thosestepsandwentstill.

Maeve’sredlipscurvedintoasmileasshe

wavedanivoryhand.“Ifyouwill,Cairn.”

Themaledidn’thesitateashehauledAelin

towardwhatlayontheground.

Shattered glass, piled and arranged in a

neatcircle.

Hehaltedjustoutside,thefirstofthethick

shardsaninchfromAelin’sbaretoes.

Maeve motioned to the black wolf at her

feetandherose,pluckingupsomethingfrom

the throne’s broad arm before trotting to

Cairn.

“I thought your rank should at least be

acknowledged,” Maeve said, that spider’s

smileneverfalteringasAelinbeheldwhatthe

wolfofferedtotheguardbesideCairn.“Putit

onher,”thequeenordered.

Acrown,ancientandglimmering,shonein

theguard’shands.Craftedofsilverandpearl,

fashioned into upswept wings that met in its

peaked center, encircled with spikes of pure

diamond, it shimmered like the moon’s rays

had been captured within as the guard set it

uponAelin’shead.

A terrible, surprising weight, the cool

metaldiggingintoherscalp.Farheavierthan

itlooked,asifithadacoreofsolidiron.

A different sort of shackle. It always had

been.

Aelinreinedintheurgetorecoil,toshake

thethingfromherhead.

“Mab’scrown,”Maevesaid.“Yourcrown,

bybloodandbirthright.HertrueHeir.”

Aelinignoredthewords.Staredtowardthe

circleofglassshards.

“Oh, that,” Maeve said, noting her

attention.“Ithinkyouknowhowthisshallgo,

AelinoftheWildfire.”

Aelinsaidnothing.

Maevegaveanod.

Cairn shoved her forward, right into the

glass.

Her bare feet sliced open, new skin

shriekingasitripped.

She inhaled sharply through her teeth,

swallowing her cry just as Cairn pushed her

ontoherknees.

The breath slammed from her at the

impact.At each shard that sliced and dug in

deep.

Breathe—breathingwaskey,wasvital.

She pulled her mind out, away, inhaling

andexhaling.Awavesweepingbackfromthe

shore,thenreturning.

Warmth pooled beneath her knees, her

calves and ankles, the coppery scent of her

bloodrisingtoblendintothemists.

Her breath turned jagged as she began

shaking,asascreamsurgedwithinher.

Shebitherlip,caninespiercingflesh.

Shewouldnotscream.Notyet.

Breathe—breathe.

Thetangofherbloodcoatedhermouthas

shebitdownharder.

“Apitythatthere’snoaudiencetowitness

this,”saidMaeve,hervoicefarawayandyet

too near. “Aelin Fire-Bringer, wearing her

properFaerieQueen’scrownatlast.Kneeling

atmyfeet.”

AtremorshudderedthroughAelin,rocking

her body enough that the glass found new

angles,newentries.

Shedriftedfurtherback,away.Eachbreath

tuggedherouttosea,toaplacewherewords

andfeelingsandpainbecameadistantshore.

Maevesnappedherfingers.“Fenrys.”

The wolf padded past and sat himself

besideherthrone.Butnotbeforeheglancedat

theblackwolf.Justaturnofthehead.

Theblackwolfreturnedthelook,blandand

cold.And thatwasenoughforMaeve tosay,

“Connall,youmayfinallytellyourtwinwhat

youwishtosay.”

Aflashoflight.

Aelin inhaled through her nose, exhaled

through her mouth, over and over. Barely

registeredthebeautifuldark-hairedmalewho

now stood in place of the wolf. Bronze-

skinned like his twin, but without the

wildness, without the mischief shining from

hisface.Heworeawarrior’slayeredclothes,

black to Fenrys’s usual gray, twin knives

hangingathissides.

Thewhitewolfstaredupathistwin,rooted

tothespotbythatinvisiblebond.

“Speak freely, Connall,” Maeve said, her

faint smile remaining. The barn owl perched

on the back of her throne watched with

solemn, unblinking eyes. “Let your brother

knowthesewordsareyourownandnotofmy

command.”

A booted foot nudged Aelin’s spine, a

subtlejabforward.Harderintotheglass.

Noamountofbreathingcoulddrawherfar

enoughawaytoreininthemuffledwhimper.

Shehatedit—hatedthatsound,asmuchas

shehatedthequeenbeforeherandthesadist

at her back. But it still made its way out,

barelyaudibleoverthethunderingfalls.

Fenrys’s dark eyes shot toward her. He

blinkedfourtimes.

She could not bring herself to blink back.

Herfingerscurledanduncurledinherlap.

“Youbroughtthisuponyourself,”Connall

saidtoFenrys,drawinghisbrother’sattention

once more. HisvoicewasasicyasMaeve’s.

“Yourarrogance,youruncheckedrecklessness

—was this what you wanted?” Fenrys didn’t

answer.“Youcouldn’tletmehavethis—have

anypartofthisformyself.Youtooktheblood

oath not to serve our queen, but so you

couldn’t be bested by me for once in your

life.”

Fenrys bared his teeth, even as something

likegriefdimmedhisstare.

Anotherburningwavewashedthroughher

knees,acrossherthighs.Aelinclosedhereyes

againstit.

Shewouldendurethis,wouldbeardownon

this.

Her people had suffered for ten years.

Werelikelysufferingnow.Fortheirsake,she

woulddothis.Embraceit.Outlastit.

Connall’srumblingvoicerippledpasther.

“You are a disgrace to our family, to this

kingdom. You whored yourself to a foreign

queen,andforwhat?Ibeggedyoutocontrol

yourselfwhenyouweresenttohuntLorcan.I

begged you to besmart. You might as well

havespatinmyface.”

Fenrys snarled, and the sound must have

been some secret language between them,

becauseConnallsnorted.“Leave?Whywould

I ever want to leave? And for what?That?”

Even with her eyes shut, Aelin knew he

pointed toward her. “No, Fenrys. I will not

leave.Andneitherwillyou.”

Alowwhinecutthedampair.

“That will be all, Connall,” Maeve said,

and light flashed, penetrating even the

darknessbehindAelin’slids.

Shebreathedandbreathedandbreathed.

“You know how quickly this can end,

Aelin,”Maevesaid.Aelinkepthereyesshut.

“TellmewhereyouhidtheWyrdkeys,swear

thebloodoath…Theorderdoesn’tmatter,I

suppose.”

Aelin opened her eyes. Lifted her bound

handsbeforeher.

And gave Maeve an obscene gesture, as

filthyandfoulasshe’devermade.

Maeve’s smile tightened—just barely.

“Cairn.”

BeforeAelincouldinhaleabracingbreath,

hands slammed onto her shoulders. Pushed

down.

Shecouldn’tstopherscreamthen.

Notasheshovedherintoaburningpitof

agonythatracedupherlegs,herspine.

Ohgods—ohgods—

From far away, Fenrys’s snarl sliced

throughher screaming, followed by Maeve’s

lilting,“Verywell,Cairn.”

Thepressureonhershoulderslightened.

Aelinbowedover herknees.Afull breath

—sheneededtogetafullbreathdown.

She couldn’t. Her lungs, her chest, only

heavedinshallow,raspingpants.

Her vision blurred, swimming, the blood

that had spread beyond her knees rippling

withit.

Endure;outlast—

“My eyes told me an interesting tidbit of

information this morning,” Maeve drawled.

“An account thatyou were currently in

Terrasen, readying the little army you

gatheredforwar.You,andPrinceRowan,and

my two disgraced warriors.Along with your

usualgroup.”

Aelin hadn’t realized she’d been holding

ontoit.

That sliver of hope, foolish and pathetic.

Thatsliverofhopethathe’dcomeforher.

Shehadtoldhimnotto,afterall.Hadtold

him to protect Terrasen. Had arranged

everythingforhimtomakeadesperatestand

againstMorath.

“Useful, to have a shape-shifter to play

yourpartasqueen,”Maevemused.“ThoughI

wonder how long the ruse can last without

your special gifts to incinerate Morath’s

legions. How long until the allies you

collected start asking why the Fire-Bringer

doesnotburn.”

It was no lie. The details, her plan with

Lysandra…There was nowayfor Maeveto

know them unless they were truth. Could

Maevehavemadealuckyguessinlyingabout

it?Yes—yes,andyet…

Rowan had gone with them. They’d all

gonetotheNorth.AndhadreachedTerrasen.

Asmallmercy.Asmallmercy,andyet…

The glass around her sparkled in the mist

and moonlight, her blood a thick stain

wendingthroughit.

“Idonotwishtowipeawaythisworld,as

Erawandoes,”saidMaeve,asiftheywereno

more than two friends conversing at one of

Rifthold’sfinestteacourts.Ifanystillexisted

aftertheIronteethhadsackedthecity.“Ilike

Erileapreciselythewayitis.Ialwayshave.”

The glass, the blood, the veranda and

moonlighteddiedinhervision.

“Ihaveseenmanywars.Sentmywarriors

to fight in them, end them. I have seen how

destructivetheyare.Theveryglassyoulayon

comes from one of those wars, you know.

Fromthe glass mountainsin the South.They

once were sand dunes, but dragons burned

them to glass during an ancient and bloody

conflict.”Ahumofamusement.“Someclaim

it’s thehardest glass in the world. The most

unyielding. I thought, given your own fire-

breathing heritage, you might appreciate its

origins.”

A click of the tongue, and then Cairn was

thereagain,handsonhershoulders.

Pushing.

Harderandharder.Gods,gods,gods—

Therewerenogodstosaveher.Notreally.

Aelin’sscreamsechoedoffrockandwater.

Alone.Shewasaloneinthis.Itwouldbeof

nousetobegthewhitewolftohelpher.

Thehandsonhershoulderspulledaway.

Heaving, bile burning her throat, Aelin

oncemorecurledoverherknees.

Endure;outlast—

Maeve simply continued, “The dragons

didn’t survive that war.And they never rose

again.” Her lips curved, and Aelin knew

Maevehadensuredit.

Otherfire-wielders—huntedandkilled.

Shedidn’tknowwhyshefeltitthen.That

shred of sorrow for creatures that had not

existedforuntoldcenturies.Whowouldnever

againbeseenonthisearth.Whyitmadeher

so unspeakably sad. Why it mattered at all,

whenherverybloodwasshriekinginagony.

MaeveturnedtoConnall,remaininginFae

formbesidethethrone,ragingeyesstillfixed

onhisbrother.“Refreshments.”

Aelinkneltinthatglassasfoodanddrink

were gathered. Knelt as Maeve dined on

cheese and grapes, smiling at her the entire

time.

Aelin couldn’t stop the shaking that

overtookher,thebrutalnumbness.

Deep,deep,shedrifted.

ItdidnotmatterifRowanwasn’tcoming.

If the others had obeyed her wishes to fight

forTerrasen.

Shewouldsaveitinherownway,too.For

aslong asshe could.Sheowed Terrasenthat

much.Wouldneverfullyrepaythatdebt.

From far away, the words echoed, and

memoryshimmered.She let it pull her back,

pullheroutofherbody.

She sat beside her father on the fewsteps

descending into the open-air fighting ring of

thecastle.

It was more temple than brawling pit,

flanked by weathered, pale columns that for

centurieshadwitnessedtheriseofTerrasen’s

mightiest warriors. This late in the summer

afternoon,itwasempty,thelightgoldenasit

streamedin.

Rhoe Galathynius ran a hand down his

round shield, the dark metal scarred and

dinged from horrors long since vanquished.

“Someday,” he said as she traced one of the

longscratchesovertheancientsurface,“this

shieldwillpasstoyou.Asitwasgiventome,

andtoyourgreat-unclebeforeme.”

Her breath was still jagged from the

training they’d done. Only the twoof them—

ashe’dpromised.Thehouronceaweek that

hesetasideforher.

Her father placed the shield on the stone

step below them, its thunk reverberating

through her sandaled feet. It weighed nearly

as much as she did, yet he carried it as if it

weremerelyanextensionofhisarm.

“And you,” her father went on, “like the

many great women and men of this House,

shalluseittodefendourkingdom.”Hereyes

rose to his face, handsome and unlined.

Solemnandkingly.“Thatisyourcharge,your

soleduty.”Hebracedahandontherimofthe

shield, tapping it for emphasis. “To defend,

Aelin.Toprotect.”

She had nodded, not understanding. And

her father had kissed her brow, as if he half

hopedshe’dneverneedto.

Cairngroundherintotheglassagain.

Nosoundremainedinherforscreaming.

“Iamgrowingboredofthis,”Maevesaid,

her silver tray of food forgotten. She leaned

forward on her throne, the owl behind her

rustling its wings. “Do you believe, Aelin

Galathynius, that I will not make the

sacrificesnecessarytoobtainwhatIseek?”

She had forgotten how to speak. Had not

utteredawordhere,anyway.

“Allow me to demonstrate,” Maeve said,

straightening. Fenrys’s eyes flared with

warning.

Maeve waved an ivory hand at Connall,

frozen beside her throne. Where he’d

remainedsincehe’dbroughtthequeen’sfood.

“Doit.”

Connall drew one of the knives from his

belt.SteppedtowardFenrys.

No.

Thewordwasacoldclangthroughher.Her

lips even formed it as she jerked against the

chains,linesofliquidfireshootingalongher

legs.

Connalladvancedanotherstep.

Glass crunched and cracked beneath her.

No,no—

Connall stopped above Fenrys, his hand

shaking.Fenrysonlysnarledupathim.

Connall raised his knife into the air

betweenthem.

Shecouldnotsurge toherfeet.Couldnot

rise against the chains and glass. Could do

nothing,nothing—

Cairn gripped her by the neck, fingers

digginginhardenoughtobruise,andground

her again into the blood-drenched shards. A

rasping,brokenscreamcrackedfromherlips.

Fenrys. Her only tether to life, to this

reality—

Connall’sbladeglinted.He’dcometohelp

at Mistward. He had defied Maeve then;

perhaps he’d do it now, perhaps his hateful

wordshadbeenadeception—

Thebladeplungeddown.

NotintoFenrys.

ButConnall’sownheart.

Fenrysmoved—ortriedto.Mawgapingin

what might havebeen a scream, he triedand

tried to lunge for his brother as Connall

crashed to the tiled veranda.As blood began

topool.

The owl on Maeve’s throne flapped its

wingsonce,asifinhorror.ButCairnletouta

low laugh, the sound rumbling past Aelin’s

head.

Real.Thiswasreal.Ithadtobe.

Something cold and oily lurched through

her. Her hands slackened at her sides. The

light left Connall’s dark eyes, his black hair

spilled on the floor around him in a dark

mirrortothebloodleakingaway.

Fenrys was shaking. Aelin might have

been,too.

“You tainted something that belonged to

me, Aelin Galathynius,” Maeve said. “And

nowitmustbepurged.”

Fenrys was whining, still attempting to

crawl to the brother dead on the ground. Fae

could heal; perhaps Connall’s heart could

mend—

Connall’s chest rose in a rattling, shallow

breath.

Itdidn’tmoveagain.

Fenrys’showlcleavedthenight.

Cairn let go, and Aelin slumped onto the

glass,handsandwristsstinging.

Sheletherselfliethere,halfsprawled.Let

the crown tumble off her head and skitter

acrossthefloor,dragon-glasssprayingwhere

it bounced. Bounced, then rolled, curving

across the veranda. All the way to the stone

railing.

Andintotheroaring,hatefulriverbelow.

“There is no one here to help you.”

Maeve’s voice was as empty as the gaps

between stars. “And there is no one coming

foryou.”

Aelin’sfingerscurledintheancientglass.

“Think on it. Think on this night, Aelin.”

Maeve snapped her fingers. “We’re done

here.”

Cairn’shandswrappedaroundthechains.

Herlegsbuckled,feetsplittingopenanew.

She barely felt it, barely felt it through the

rage and the sea of fire down deep, deep

below.

But as Cairn hauled her up, his savage

handsroving,shestruck.

Twoblows.

A shard of glass plunged into the side of

hisneck.Hestaggeredback,cursingasblood

sprayed.

Aelinwhirled,glassrippinghersolesapart,

andhurledtheshardinherotherhand.Right

atMaeve.

It missed by a hairsbreadth. Scraping

Maeve’s pale cheek before clattering off the

thronebehindher.Theowlperchedjustabove

itscreeched.

Rough hands gripped her, Cairn shouting,

raging shrieks ofYou little bitch, but she

didn’t hear them. Not as a trickle of blood

snakeddownMaeve’scheek.

Blackblood.Asdarkasnight.

Asdarkastheeyesthatthequeenfixedon

her,ahandrisingtohercheek.

Aelin’slegsslackened,andshedidn’tfight

theguardsheavingheraway.

Ablink,andthebloodflowedred.Itsscent

ascopperyasherown.

A trick of the light. A hallucination,

anotherdream—

Maevepeeredatthecrimsonstaincoating

herpalefingers.

AnonyxwindsnappedforAelin,wrapping

aroundherneck.

Itsqueezed,andsheknewnomore.



CHAPTER9

Cairntiedhertothealtarandlefther.

Fenrys didn’t enter until long after she’d

awoken.

The blood was still leaking from where

Cairn had also left the glass in her legs, her

feet.

Itwasnotawolfwhoslippedintothestone

chamber,butamale.

Each of Fenrys’s steps told her enough

beforeshebeheldthedeadnessofhiseyes,the

pallorofhisusuallygoldenskin.Hestaredat

nothing,evenashestoppedbeforewhereshe

laychained.

Beyond words, unsure her throat would

evenwork,Aelinblinkedthreetimes.Areyou

allright?

Twoblinksanswered.No.

Lingeringsalttracksstreakedhischeeks.

Her chains rustled as she stretched a

shakingfingertowardhim.

Silently,heslidhishandintohers.

She mouthed the words, even though he

likelycouldn’tmakethemoutwiththeslitof

themask’smouth.I’msorry.

Hisgriponlytightened.

Hisgrayjacketwasunbuttonedatthetop.

Itgapedopenwideenoughtorevealahintof

the muscled chest beneath. As if he hadn’t

bothered to seal it back up in his hurry to

leave.

Her stomach turned over. What he’d

undoubtedly had to do afterward, with his

twin’s body still lying on the veranda tiles

behindhim…

“I didn’t know he hated me so much,”

Fenrysrasped.

Aelinsqueezedhishand.

Fenrys closed his eyes, drawing in a

shaking breath. “She gave me leave only to

takeouttheglass.Whenit’sout,I—Igoback

over there.” He pointed with his chin toward

the wall where he usually sat. He made to

examine her legs, but she squeezed his hand

again,andblinkedtwice.No.

Let him stay in this form for a while

longer, let him mourn as a male and not a

wolf. Let him stay in this form so she could

hearafriendlyvoice,feelagentletouch—

Shebegantocry.

Shecouldn’thelpit.Couldn’tstopitonce

it started. Hated every tear and shuddering

breath, every jerk of her body that sent

lightningthroughherlegsandfeet.

“I’ll get them out,” he said, and she

couldn’ttellhim,couldn’tstarttoexplainthat

itwasn’ttheglass,theshreddedskindownto

thebone.

He wasn’t coming. He wasn’t coming to

gether.

Sheshouldbeglad.Shouldberelieved.She

wasrelieved.Andyet…andyet…

Fenrysdrewoutapairofpincersfromthe

toolkitthatCairnhadleftonatablenearby.

“I’llbeasquickasIcan.”

Biting her lip hard enough to draw blood,

Aelin turned her head away while the first

piece of glass slid from her knee. Flesh and

sinewsunderedanew.

Saltoverpoweredthetangofherblood,and

she knew he was crying. The scent of their

tearsfilledthetinyroomasheworked.

Neitherofthemsaidaword.



CHAPTER10

Theworldhadbecomeonlyfreezingmud,and

red and black blood, and the screams of the

dyingrisingtothefrigidsky.

Lysandra had learned these months that

battlewasnoorderly,neatthing.Itwaschaos

and pain and there were no grand, heroic

duels.Onlytheslashingofherclawsandthe

rip of her fangs; the clash of dented shields

and bloodied swords. Armor that had once

been distinguishable quickly turned gore-

splattered,andwereitnotforthedarkofher

enemy’s colors, Lysandra wasn’t entirely

certain how she would have discerned ally

fromfoe.

Their lines held. At least they had that

much.

Shieldtoshieldandshouldertoshoulderin

thesnowyfieldthathadsincebecomeamud

pit, they’d met the legion Erawan had

marchedthroughEldrys.

Aedion had picked the field, the hour, the

angleofthisbattle.Theothershadpushedfor

instant attack, but he’d let Morath march far

enough inland—right to where he wanted

them.Locationwasasimportantasnumbers,

wasallhe’dsaid.

NottoLysandra,ofcourse.Hebarelysaid

adamnwordtoherthesedays.

Now certainly wasn’t the time to think of

it.Tocare.

Their allies and soldiers believed Aelin

Galathynius remained en route to them,

allowingLysandratodontheghostleopard’s

form. RenAllsbrookhadeven commissioned

plated armor for the leopard’s chest, sides,

andflanks.Solight asto notbea hindrance,

but solid enough that the three blows she’d

been too slow to stop—an arrow to the side,

then two slashes from enemy swords—had

beendeflected.

Little wounds burned along her body.

Blood matted the fur of her paws from the

slaughtering she’d done amongst the front

linesandbeingtornopenonfallenswordsand

snappedarrows.

Butshekeptgoing,theBaneholdingfirm

againstwhathadbeensenttomeetthem.

Onlyfivethousand.

Onlyseemedlikearidiculousword,butit

waswhatAedionandtheothershadused.

Barely enough to be an army, considering

Morath’sfullmight,butlarge enoughtopose

athreat.

To them, Lysandra thought as she lunged

between two Bane warriors and launched

herselfuponthenearestValgfootsoldier.

Themanhadhisswordupraised,poisedto

strike the Bane soldier before him. With the

angleofhisheadashebroughtthebladeup,

theValggruntdidn’tspyhisoncomingdeath

untilherjawswerearoundhisexposedneck.

Hours into this battle, it was instinct to

clampdown,fleshsplittinglikeapieceofripe

fruit.

She was moving again before he hit the

earth,spittinghisthroatontothemud,leaving

the advancing Bane to decapitate his corpse.

Howfarawaythatcourtesan’slifeinRifthold

now seemed. Despite the death around her,

shecouldn’tsayshemissedit.

Down the line,Aedion bellowed orders to

the left flank. They’d let rest some of the

BaneuponhearinghowfewErawanhadsent,

and hadfilled the ranks with a mixture of

soldiers from the Lords of Terrasen’s own

small forces and those from Prince Galan

Ashryver and Queen Ansel of the Wastes,

both of whom had additional warriors onthe

way.

No need to reveal they had a small

battalion of Fae soldiers courtesy of Prince

Endymion and Princess Sellene Whitethorn,

orthattheSilentAssassinsoftheRedDesert

were amongst them, too. There would be a

time when the surprise of their presence

would be needed, Aedion had argued during

the quick war council they’d conducted upon

returningtothecamp.Lysandra,windedfrom

carryinghim,Ren,andMurtaughwithoutrest

from Allsbrook to the edges of Orynth, had

barelylistenedtothedebate.Aedionhadwon,

anyway.

As he won everything, through sheer will

andarrogance.

Shedidn’tdarelookdownthelinestosee

howhewasfaring,shouldertoshoulderinthe

mud with his men. Ren led the right flank,

whereLysandrahadbeenstationed.Galanand

Anselhadtakentheleft,RaviandSolofSuria

fightingamongstthem.

Shedidn’tdareseewhoseswordswerestill

swinging.

They would count their dead after the

battle.

Thereweren’tmanyoftheenemyleftnow.

A thousand, if that. The soldiers at her back

numberedfarmore.

SoLysandra kept killing, the blood of her

enemylikespoiledwineonhertongue.

Theywon,thoughAedionwaswellawarethat

victory against five thousand troops was

likelyfleeting,consideringMorath’sfullhost

hadyettocome.

Therushofbattlehadn’tyetwornoffany

ofthem—whichwashowAedionwoundupin

hiswartentanhourafterthelastoftheValg

had fallen, standing around a map-covered

tablewithRenAllsbrookandRaviandSolof

Suria.

WhereLysandrahadgone,hedidn’tknow.

She’d survived, which he supposed was

enough.

Theyhadn’twashedawaythegoreormud

coating them so thoroughly that it had caked

beneath their helmets, their armor. Their

weapons lay in a discarded pile near the tent

flaps.Allwouldneedtobecleaned.Butlater.

“Lossesonyourside?”AedionaskedRavi

and Sol. The two blond brothers both ruled

over Suria, though Sol was technically its

lord. They’d never fought in the wars before

now, despite being aroundAedion’s age, but

they’d held their own well enough today.

Theirsoldiershad,too.

TheLordsofSuriahadlosttheirfatherto

Adarlan’s butchering blocks a decade ago,

theirmothersurvivingthewarsandAdarlan’s

occupation through her cunning and the fact

thatherprosperousport-citywastoovaluable

totheempire’straderoutetodecimate.

Sol,itseemed,tookaftertheireven-keeled,

clevermother.

Ravi,coltishandbrash,tookaftertheirlate

father.

Both,however,hatedAdarlanwithadeep-

burning intensity belied by their pale blue

eyes.

Sol, his narrow face flecked with mud,

loosed a breath through his nose. An

aristocrat’s nose, Aedion had thought when

theywerechildren.Thelordhadalwaysbeen

more of a scholar than a warrior, but it

seemed he’d learned a thing or two in the

grimyearssince.“Notmany,thankthegods.

Twohundredatmost.”

Thesoftvoicewasdeceptive—Aedionhad

learnedthattheseweeks.Perhapsaweaponin

its own right, to make people believe him

gentle-hearted and weak. To mask the sharp

mindandsharperinstinctsbehindit.

“Andyourflank?”AedionaskedRen.

Renranahandthroughhisdarkhair,mud

crumblingaway.“Onehundredfifty,ifthat.”

Aedion nodded. Far better than he’d

anticipated.The lines had held,thanks to the

Bane he’d interspersed amongst them. The

Valg had tried to maintain order, yet once

human blood began spilling, they had

descended into battle lust and lost control,

despitethescreamingoftheircommanders.

All Valg grunts, no princes among them.

Heknewitwasn’tablessing.

KnewthefivethousandtroopsErawanhad

sent, ambushing Galan Ashryver’s ships by

IliumbeforesettinguponEldrys,werejustto

wear them down. No ilken, no Ironteeth, no

Wyrdhounds.

Theyhadstillbeenhardtokill.Hadfought

longerthanmostmen.

Ravi eyed the map. “Do we pull back to

Orynthnow?Orheadtotheborder?”

“Darrow ordered us to Orynth, if we

survived,” Sol countered, frowning at his

brother. At the light in Ravi’s eyes that so

clearlyvoicedwherehewishedtogo.

Darrow, who was too old to fight, had

lingered in the secondary camp twenty miles

behind theirs. To bethenextline ofdefense,

if fivethousand troops somehow managed to

destroyoneofthemostskilledfightingunits

Terrasen had ever seen. With word now

undoubtedlyarriving thatthe battle had gone

intheirfavor,Darrowwouldlikelyheadback

tothecapital.

AedionglancedtoRen.“Doyouthinkyour

grandfather can persuade Darrow and the

otherlordstopresssouthward?”

War by committee. It was absurd. Every

choice he made, every battlefield he picked,

hehadtoargueforit.Convincethem.

As ifthesetroops weren’tfor theirqueen,

hadn’tcomeforAelin when she’d called.As

iftheBaneservedanyoneelse.

Ren blew out a breath toward the tent’s

high ceiling. A large space, but unadorned.

They hadn’t time or resources to furnish it

intoaproperwartent,settinguponlyacot,a

few braziers, and this table, along with a

copper tub behind a curtain in the rear. As

soon as this meeting was over, he’d find

someonetofillitforhim.

Had Aelin been here, she might have

heateditwithinaheartbeat.

Heshutoutthetightnessinhischest.

HadAelin been here, one breath from her

andthefivethousandtroopsthey’dexhausted

themselveskillingtodaywouldhavebeenash

onthewind.

None of the lords around him had

questioned where their queen was. Why she

hadn’t been on the field today. Perhaps they

hadn’tdared.

Ren said, “If we move the armies south

withoutpermissionfromDarrowandtheother

lords,we’llbecommittingtreason.”

“Treason, when we’re saving our own

damnkingdom?”Ravidemanded.

“Darrow and the others fought in the last

war,”Solsaidtohisbrother.

“Andlostit,”Ravichallenged.“Badly.”He

noddedtowardAedion.“YouwereatTheralis.

Yousawtheslaughter.”

TheLordsofSuriahadnoloveforDarrow

or the other lords who had led the forces in

that final, doomed stand. Not when their

mistakeshadledtothedeathsofmostoftheir

court, their friends. It was of little concern

that Terrasen had been so outnumbered that

therehadneverbeenanyhopeanyway.

Ravicontinued,“Isayweheadsouth.Mass

ourforcesattheborder,ratherthanletMorath

creepsoclosetoOrynth.”

“And let any allies we might still have in

the South not have so far to travel when

joiningwithus,”Renadded.

“GalanAshryver andAnsel of the Wastes

will go where we tell them—the Fae and

assassins, too,” Ravi pushed. “The rest of

Ansel’s troops are making their way

northwardnow.Wecouldmeetthem.Perhaps

have them hammer from the west while we

strikefromthenorth.”

A sound idea, and one Aedion had

contemplated. Yet to convince Darrow …

He’d head to the other camp tomorrow,

perhaps catch Darrow before he returned to

thecapital.Oncehesawtoitthattheinjured

werebeingcaredfor.

But it seemed Darrow didn’t want to wait

forthemorning.

“GeneralAshryver.”Amalevoicesounded

fromoutside—youngandcalm.

Aedion grunted in answer, and it was

certainly not Darrow who entered, but a tall,

dark-haired, and gray-eyed man. No armor,

though his mud-splattered dark clothes

revealedatonedbodybeneath.Aletterlayin

hishands,whichheextendedtoAedionashe

crossed the tent with graceful ease, then

bowed.

Aediontooktheletter,hisnamewrittenon

itinDarrow’shandwriting.

“Lord Darrow bids you to join him

tomorrow,” the messenger said, jerking his

chin toward the sealed letter. “You, and the

army.”

“What’s the point of the letter,” Ravi

muttered, “if you’re just going to tell him

whatitsays?”

The messenger threw the young lord a

bemusedglance.“Iaskedthat,too,milord.”

“Then I’m surprised you’re still

employed,”Aedionsaid.

“Notemployed,”themessengersaid.“Just

…collaborating.”

Aedion opened the letter, and it indeed

conveyed Darrow’s order. “For you to have

gottenheresofast,you’dhaveneededtofly,”

he said to the messenger. “This must have

beenwrittenbeforethebattleevenstartedthis

morning.”

Themessengersmirked.“Iwashandedtwo

letters.Onewasforvictory,theotherdefeat.”

Bold—this messenger was bold, and

arrogant, for someone at Darrow’s beck and

call.“What’syourname?”

“NoxOwen.”Themessengerbowedatthe

waist.“FromPerranth.”

“I’veheardofyou,”Rensaid,scanningthe

mananew.“You’reathief.”

“Former thief,” Nox amended, winking.

“Now rebel, and Lord Darrow’s most trusted

messenger.” Indeed, a skilled thief would

make for a smart messenger, able to slip in

andoutofplacesunseen.

ButAediondidn’tcarewhatthemandidor

didn’t do. “I assume you’re not riding back

tonight.”Ashakeofthehead.Aedionsighed.

“Does Darrow realize that these men are

exhaustedandthoughwewonthefield,itwas

notaneasyvictorybyanymeans?”

“Oh, I’m sure he does,” Nox said, dark

browsrisinghighwiththatfaintamusement.

“Tell Darrow,” Ravi cut in, “that he can

come meetus, then. Rather than make us

moveanentirearmyjusttoseehim.”

“The meeting is an excuse,” Sol said

quietly. Aedion nodded. At Ravi’s narrowed

brows, his elder brother clarified, “He wants

tomakesurethatwedon’t…”Soltrailedoff,

awareofthethiefwholistenedtoeveryword.

ButNoxsmiled,asifhegraspedthemeaning

anyway.

Darrow wanted to ensure that they didn’t

take the army from here and march

southward.Hadcutthemoffbeforetheycould

doso,withthisordertomovetomorrow.

Ravigrowled,atlastgettingthegistofhis

brother’swords.

Aedion and Ren swapped glances. The

LordofAllsbrookfrowned,butnodded.

“Rest wherever you can find a fire to

welcomeyou,NoxOwen,”Aedionsaidtothe

messenger.“Wetravelatdawn.”

Aedion set out to find Kyllian to convey the

order. The tents were a maze of exhausted

soldiers,theinjuredgroaningamongstthem.

Aedionstoppedlongenoughtogreetthose

men,toofferahandontheshoulderoraword

of reassurance. Some would last the night.

Manywouldn’t.

He halted at other fires as well. To

commend the fighting done, whether the

soldiershailedfromTerrasenortheWastesor

Wendlyn.Atafewofthem,heevensharedin

theiralesormeals.

Rhoe had taught him that—the art of

making his men want to follow him, die for

him.Butmorethanthat,seeingthemasmen,

as peoplewith families and friends, who had

as much to risk as he did in fighting here. It

was no burden, despite the exhaustion

creeping over him, to thank them for their

courage,theirswords.

Butitdidtaketime.Thesunhadfullyset,

the muddy camp cast in deep shadows amid

thefires,bythetimehenearedKyllian’stent.

Elgan, one of the Bane captains, clapped

him on the shoulder as he passed, the man’s

grizzled face setinagrim smile.“Not a bad

first day, whelp,” Elgan grumbled. He’d

calledAedion that since those initial daysin

the Bane’s ranks, had been one of the first

menheretotreathimnotasaprincewhohad

losthiskingdom,butasawarriorfightingto

defendit.Muchofhisbattlefieldtraining,he

owed to Elgan. Along with his life,

considering the countless times the man’s

wisdomandquickswordhadsavedhim.

Aediongrinnedattheagingcaptain.“You

fought well, for a grandfather.” The man’s

daughterhadgivenbirthtoasonjustthispast

winter.

Elgangrowled.“I’dliketoseeyouwielda

swordsowellwhenyou’remyage,boy.”

Then he was gone, aiming for a campfire

thatheldseveralotheroldercommandersand

captains.TheynoticedAedion’sattentionand

liftedtheirmugsinsalute.

Aedion only inclined his head, and

continuedon.

“Aedion.”

He’dknowthatvoiceifhewereblind.

Lysandra stepped from behind a tent, her

facecleandespitehermuddyclothes.

Hehalted,finallyfeelingtheweightofthe

dirtandgoreonhimself.“What.”

She ignored his tone. “I could fly to

Darrow tonight. Give him whatever message

youwant.”

“He wants us to move the army back to

him, and then to Orynth,” Aedion said,

making to continue to Kyllian’s tent.

“Immediately.”

Shesteppedinhispath.“Icango,tellhim

thisarmyneedstimetorest.”

“Is this some attempt to reenter my good

graces?” He was too tired, too weary, to

botherbeatingaroundthetruth.

Her emerald eyes went as cold as the

winter night around them. “I don’t give a

damn about yourgood graces. I care about

thisarmybeingworndownwithunnecessary

movements.”

“Howdoyouevenknowwhatwassaidin

thetent?”Heknewtheanswerassoonashe’d

voiced the question. She’d been in some

small,unnoticedform.Preciselywhysomany

kingdoms and courts had hunted down and

killed any shifters. Unparalleled spies and

assassins.

She crossed her arms. “If you don’t want

me sitting in on your war councils, then say

so.”

He took in her face, her stiff posture.

Exhaustionlayheavyonher,hergoldenskin

paleandeyeshaunted.Hedidn’tknowwhere

shewasstayinginthiscamp.Ifsheevenhada

tent.

Guilt gnawed on him for a heartbeat.

“When, exactly, will our queen make her

grandreturn?”

Her mouth tightened. “Tonight, if you

thinkitwise.”

“Tomissthebattleandonlyappeartobask

in the glory of victory? I doubt the troops

wouldfindthatheartening.”

“Thentellmewhere,andwhen,andI’lldo

it.”

“Just as you blindly obeyed our queen,

you’llnowobeyme?”

“Iobeynoman,”shesnarled.“ButI’mnot

fool enough to believe I know more about

armiesandsoldiers than youdo.Mypride is

notsoeasilybruised.”

Aedion took a step forward. “And mine

is?”

“What I did, I did for her, and for this

kingdom.Lookatthesemen,yourmen—look

attheallieswe’vegatheredandtellmethatif

theyknewthetruth,theywouldbesoeagerto

fight.”

“The Bane fought when we believed her

dead.Itwouldbenodifferent.”

“It might be for our allies. For the people

of Terrasen.” She didn’t back down for a

moment.“Goaheadandpunishmefortherest

ofyourlife.Forathousandyears,ifyouwind

upSettling.”

WithGavrielforhisfather,hemightvery

well.Hetriednottodwellonthepossibility.

He’dbarely interacted with the Faeroyalsor

theirsoldiersbeyondwhatwasnecessary.And

theymostlykeptto themselves.Yet they did

not sneer at him for his demi-Fae status;

didn’treally seem tocarewhatbloodflowed

inhisveinssolongashekeptthemalive.

“We have enough enemies as it is,”

Lysandra went on. “But if you truly wish to

make me one of them as well, that’s fine. I

don’tregretwhatIdid,norwillIever.”

“Fine,”wasallhecouldthinktosay.

She shrewdly looked him over. As  if

weighing the man within. “It was real,

Aedion,” she said. “All of it. I don’t care if

youbelievemeornot.Butitwasrealforme.”

He couldn’t bear to hear it. “I have a

meeting,” he lied, and stepped around her.

“Goslitheroffsomewhereelse.”

Hurt flashed in her eyes, quickly hidden.

Hewastheworstsortofbastardforit.

But he continued into Kyllian’s tent. She

didn’tcomeafterhim.

Shewasastupidfool.

Astupidfool,tohavesaidanything,andto

nowfeelsomethinginherchestcrumpling.

Shehadenoughdignityleftnottobeg.To

not watch Aedion go into Kyllian’s tent and

wonderifitwasforameeting,orbecausehe

wasseekingtoremindhimselfoflifeafterso

much killing today. To not give one inch of

spacetotheburninginhereyes.

Lysandra made her way toward the

comfortable tent Sol of Suria had given her

near his. A kind, sharply clever man—who

had no interest in women. The younger

brother, Ravi, had eyed her, as all men did.

But he’d kept a respectful distance, and had

talked toher,notherchest,soshelikedhim,

too.Didn’tmindhavingatentintheirmidst.

An honor, actually. She’d gone from

having to crawl into the beds of lords, doing

whatever they asked of her with a smile, to

fightingbesidethem.Andshewasnowalady

herself. One whom both the Lords of Suria

andtheLordofAllsbrookrecognized,despite

Darrowspittingonit.

It might have filledher with gladness had

battlenotwornheroutsocompletelythatthe

walkbacktothetentseemedendless.Hadthe

general-prince not filleted her spirit so

thoroughly.

Everystepwasaneffort,themudsucking

atherboots.

She turned down an alley of tents, the

banners shifting from the white stag on

emerald green of the Bane to the twin silver

fishonvibrantturquoiseofthosebelongingto

theHouseofSuria.Onlyfiftymorefeettoher

tent, then she could lie down. The soldiers

knew who she was, what she was. None, if

theyglancedtwiceinherdirection,calledout

toherinthewaymenhaddoneinRifthold.

Lysandra trudged into her tent, sighing in

exhausted relief as she shouldered her way

throughtheflaps,aimingforhercot.

Sleep, cold and empty, found her before

shecouldremembertoremoveherboots.



CHAPTER11

“You’re sure of this?” His heart pounding,

Chaol braced a hand on the desk in the

quarters hesharedwithYreneandpointed to

the map that Nesryn and Sartaq had spread

beforethem.

“The soldiers we questioned had been

givenordersonwheretorendezvous,”Sartaq

saidfromtheothersideofthedesk,stillclad

in his rukhin flying clothes. “They were far

enoughbehindtheothersthattheywouldhave

neededdirections.”

Chaol rubbed a hand over his jaw. “And

yougotacountonthearmy?”

“Ten thousand strong,” Nesryn said, still

leaningagainstthenearbywall.“Butnosign

of the Ironteeth legions. Only foot soldiers,

andaboutathousandcavalry.”

“As far as you could see from the air,”

PrincessHasar countered, twirling the endof

her long, dark braid. “Who is to say what

mightbelurkingamidtheranks?”

How many Valg demons, the princess

didn’t need to add. Of all the royal siblings,

Hasar had taken Princess Duva’s infestation

andtheirsisterTumelun’smurderatherhand

themostpersonally.Hadsailedheretoavenge

bothhersisters,andtoensureitdidn’thappen

again. If this war had not been so desperate,

ChaolmighthavepaidgoodcointoseeHasar

ripintoValghides.

“The soldiers didn’t divulge that

information,” Sartaq admitted. “Only their

intendedlocation.”

At his side, Yrene wrapped her fingers

around Chaol’s and squeezed. He hadn’t

realized how cold, how trembling, his hand

hadbecomeuntilherwarmthseepedintohim.

Because the intended target of that enemy

armynowmarchingtothenorthwest…

Anielle.

“Your father  has not kneeled to Morath,”

Hasar mused, flicking her heavy braid over

the shoulder of her embroidered sky-blue

jacket.“ItmustmakeErawannervousenough

thathesawtheneedtosendsuchanarmyto

crushit.”

Chaolswallowedthedrynessinhismouth.

“ButErawanhasalreadysackedRifthold,”he

said,pointingtothecapitalonthecoast,then

draggingafingerinlandalongtheAvery.“He

controls most of the river. Why not send the

witchestosackitinstead?Whynotsailright

uptheAvery?Whytakeanarmysofartothe

coast,thenallthewayback?”

“Toclearthewayfortherest,”Yrenesaid,

her mouth a tight line. “To instill as much

terroraspossible.”

Chaol blew out a breath. “In Terrasen.

Erawan wants Terrasen to know what’s

coming,thathecantakehistimeandexpend

forcesondestroyingswathsofland.”

“Does Anielle have an army?” Sartaq

asked,theprince’sdarkeyessteady.

Chaolstraightened,handballingintoafist,

as if it could keep the dread pooling in his

stomach at bay. Hurry—they had to hurry.

“Notoneabletotakeontenthousandsoldiers.

The keep might survive a siege, but not

indefinitely,anditwouldn’tbeabletofitthe

city’s population.” Only his father’s chosen

few.

Silence fell, and Chaol knew they were

waitingforhimtospeak,tovoicethequestion

himself.Hehatedeverywordthatcameoutof

hismouth.“Isitworthittolaunchourtroops

hereandmarchtosaveAnielle?”

Because they couldn’t risk theAvery, not

whenRiftholdsatatitsentrance.They’dhave

to find a place to land and march inland.

Across the plains, over the Acanthus, into

Oakwald, and to the very foothills of the

White Fangs. Days of travel on horseback—

thegodsknewhowlonganarmywouldtake.

“TheremightnotbeanAnielleleftbythe

time we get there,” Hasar said with more

gentleness than the sharp-faced princess

usually bothered with. Enough so that Chaol

reined in the urge to tell them that was

precisely why they had to movenow. “If the

southernhalfofAdarlanisbeyondhelp,then

wemightlandnearMeah.”Shepointedtothe

cityinthenorthofthekingdom.“Marchnear

the border, and set ourselves up to intercept

them.”

“Or we could go directly to Terrasen, and

sail up the Florine to Orynth’s doorstep,”

Sartaqmused.

“Wedon’tknowwhatwe’llfindineither,”

Nesryn countered quietly, her cool voice

fillingthe room.A different woman in some

ways than the one who’d gone with Chaol to

the southern continent. “Meah could be

overrun,andTerrasenmightbefacingitsown

siege.Thedaysitwouldtakeforourscoutsto

flynorthwardwouldwastevitaltime—ifthey

returnatall.”

Chaol drew in a deep breath, willing his

heart to calm. He hadn’t the faintest idea

where Dorian might be, if he’d gone with

Aelin to Terrasen. The soldiers Nesryn and

Sartaqhadinterrogatedhadnotknown.What

would his friend have chosen? He could

almost hear Dorian yelling at him for even

hesitating, hear him ordering Chaol to stop

wondering where he’d gone and hurry to

Anielle.

“Anielle lies near the Ferian Gap,” Hasar

said,“whichisalsocontrolledbyMorath,and

is another outpost for the Ironteeth and their

wyverns.Bybringingourforcessofarinland,

we risk not only the army marching for

Anielle, but finding a host of witches at our

backs.” She metChaol’s gaze, her face as

unflinching as her words. “Would saving the

citygainusanything?”

“Itishishome,”Yrenesaidquietly,butnot

weakly,herchinrefusingtodipevenaninch

intheroyals’presence.“I’dthinkthatwould

bealltheproofweneedtodefendit.”

Chaol tightened his hand around hers in

silent thanks. Dorian would have said the

same.

Sartaq studied the map once more. “The

Avery splits near Anielle,” he murmured,

runningafingeralongit.“Itveerssouthward

to the Silver Lake and Anielle, and then the

other branch runs northward, past the Ferian

Gap, skirting along the Ruhnns and up to

nearlytheborderofTerrasenitself.”

“Icanreadamap,brother,”Hasargrowled.

Sartaq ignored her, his eyes meeting

Chaol’s once more. A spark lit their steady

depths. “We avoid the Avery until Anielle.

Marchinland.Andwhenthecityissecure,we

begin a campaign northward, along the

Avery.”

Nesrynpushedoffthewalltoprowltothe

prince’sside. “Into the Ferian Gap? We’dbe

facingthewitches,then.”

Sartaq gave her a half grin. “Then it’s a

goodthingwehaveruks.”

Hasar leaned over the map. “If we secure

theFerianGap,thenwecouldpossiblymarch

all the way to Terrasen, taking the inland

route.”Sheshookherhead.“But whatof the

armada?”

“They wait to intercept Kashin’s fleet,”

Sartaq said. “We take the soldiers, the

Darghan cavalry, the ruks, and they wait for

therestofthearmytoarriveandtellthemto

meetushere.”

HopestirredinChaol’schest.

“But that still leaves us at least a week

behind the army marching for Anielle,”

Nesrynsaid.

Truth—they’d never catch up to them in

time.Anydelaycouldcostuntoldlives.“They

needtobewarned,”Chaolsaid.“Aniellemust

bewarned,andgiventimetoprepare.”

Sartaq nodded. “I can be there in a few

days’flight.”

“No,”Chaolsaid,andYreneliftedabrow.

“Ifyoucansparemearukandarider,I’llgo

myself. Stay here, and ready the ruks to fly.

Tomorrow,ifpossible.Adayortwoatmost.”

He gestured to Hasar. “Dock the ships and

lead the troops inland, as swiftly as they can

march.”

Yrene’s eyes turned wary, well aware of

whatandwhomhewouldfaceinAnielle.The

homecoming he had never pictured, certainly

notunderthesecircumstances.

“I’mcomingwithyou,”hiswifesaid.

He squeezed her hand again, as if to say,

I’mnotatallsurprisedtohearthat.

Yrenesqueezedrightback.

Sartaq and Hasar nodded, and Nesryn

opened her mouth as if she’d object, but

nodded,too.

They’d leave tonight, under cover of

darkness.FindingDorianagainwouldhaveto

wait. Yrene chewed on her lip, no doubt

calculatingwhatthey’dneedtopack,whatto

telltheotherhealers.

He prayed they’d be swift enough, prayed

thathecouldfigureoutwhatthehelltosayto

hisfather,aftertheoathhe’dbroken,afterall

that lay between them. And more than that,

what he’d say to his mother, and the not-so-

young brother he’d left behind when he’d

chosenDorianoverhisbirthright.

ChaolhadgivenYrenethetitleowedtoher

inmarryinghim:LadyWestfall.

He wondered if he could stomach being

called Lord. If it mattered at all, given what

boredownuponthecityontheSilverLake.

Ifitwouldmatteratalliftheydidn’tmake

itintime.

Sartaq braced a hand on the hilt of his

sword.“Holdthe defensesfor aslong asyou

can,LordWestfall.Therukswillbeadayor

sobehindyou,thefootsoldiersaweekbehind

that.”

ChaolclaspedSartaq’shand,thenHasar’s.

“Thankyou.”

Hasar’s mouth curved into a half smile.

“Thankusifwesaveyourcity.”



CHAPTER12

Everything.Shehadgiveneverythingforthis,

andhadbeengladtodoit.

Aelinlayindarkness,theslabofironlikea

starlessnightoverhead.

She’dawokeninhere.Hadbeeninherefor

…alongtime.

Longenoughshe’drelievedherself.Hadn’t

cared.

Perhaps it had all been for nothing. The

QueenWhoWasPromised.

Promised to die, to surrender herself to

fulfillanancientprincess’sdebt.Tosavethis

world.

She wouldn’t be able to do it. She would

failinthat,evenifsheoutlastedMaeve.

Outlasted what she might have glimpsed

laybeneaththequeen’sskin.Ifthathadbeen

realatall.

AgainstErawan,therehadbeenlittlehope.

ButagainstMaeveaswell…

Silenttearspooledinhermask.

It didn’t matter. She wasn’t leaving this

place.Thisbox.

She would never again feel the buttery

warmthofthesunonherhair,orasea-kissed

breezeonhercheeks.

She couldn’t stop crying, ceaseless and

relentless.As if some dam had cracked open

inside her the moment she’d seen the blood

dribbledownMaeve’sface.

She didn’t care if Cairn saw the tears,

smelledthem.

Let him break her until she was bloody

smithereens on the floor. Let him do it over

andoveragain.

Shewouldn’tfight.Couldn’tbeartofight.

A door groaned open and closed. Stalking

footstepsneared.

Then a thump on the lid of the coffin.

“Howdoesafewmoredaysintheresoundto

you?”

Shewishedshe could foldherselfinto the

blacknessaroundher.

Cairn told Fenrys to relieve himself and

return.Silencefilledtheroom.

Thenathinscraping.Alongthetopofthe

box.AsifCairnwererunningadaggeroverit.

“I’vebeenthinkinghowtorepayyouwhen

Iletyouout.”

Aelin blocked out his words. Did nothing

butgazeintothedark.

Shewassotired.So,sotired.

ForTerrasen,shehadgladlydonethis.All

of it. For Terrasen, she deserved to pay this

price.

She had tried to make it right. Had tried,

andfailed.

Andshewasso,sotired.

Fireheart.

The whispered word floated through the

eternalnight,aglimmerofsound,oflight.

Fireheart.

The woman’s voice was soft, loving. Her

mother’svoice.

Aelin turned her face away. Even that

movementwasmorethanshecouldbear.

Fireheart,whydoyoucry?

Aelincouldnotanswer.

Fireheart.

The words were a gentle brush down her

cheek.Fireheart,whydoyoucry?

Andfromfaraway,deepwithinher,Aelin

whispered toward that ray of memory,

BecauseIamlost.AndIdonotknowtheway.

Cairn was still talking. Still scraping his

knifeoverthecoffin’slid.

ButAelindidnothearhimasshefounda

woman lying beside her. A mirror—or a

reflection of the face she’d bear in a few

years’time.Shouldshelivethatlong.

Borrowed time. Every moment of it had

beenborrowedtime.

Evalin Ashryver ran gentle fingers down

Aelin’scheek.Overthemask.

Aelin could have sworn she felt them

againstherskin.

Youhavebeenverybrave ,hermothersaid.

Youhavebeenverybrave,forsoverylong.

Aelin couldn’t stop the silent sob that

workeditswayupherthroat.

Butyoumustbebravealittlewhilelonger,

myFireheart.

Sheleanedintohermother’stouch.

Youmustbebravealittlewhilelonger,and

remember…

Her mother placed a phantom hand over

Aelin’sheart.

It is the strength of thisthat matters. No

matterwhereyouare,nomatterhowfar,this

willleadyouhome.

Aelin managed to slide a hand up to her

chest,tocoverhermother’sfingers.Onlythin

fabricandironmetherskin.

ButEvalinAshryverheldAelin’sgaze,the

softness turning hard and gleaming as fresh

steel.It is the strength of thisthat matters,

Aelin.

Aelin’s fingers dug into her chest as she

mouthed,Thestrengthofthis.

Evalinnodded.

Cairn’s hissed threats danced through the

coffin,hisknifescrapingandscraping.

Evalin’s face didn’t falter. You are my

daughter. You were born of two mighty

bloodlines. That strength flows through you.

Livesinyou.

Evalin’sfaceblazedwiththefiercenessof

thewomenwhohadcomebeforethem,allthe

waybacktotheFaerieQueenwhoseeyesthey

bothbore.

Youdonotyield.

Then she was gone, like dew under the

morningsun.

Butthewordslingered.

Blossomed within Aelin, bright as a

kindledember.

Youdonotyield.

Cairn scraped his dagger over the metal,

rightaboveherhead.“WhenIcutyouupthis

time,bitch,I’mgoingto—”

Aelinslammedherhandintothelid.

Cairnpaused.

Aelinpoundedherfistintotheironagain.

Again.

Youdonotyield.

Again.

Youdonotyield.

Again.Again.

Untilshewasalivewithit,untilherblood

was raining onto her face, washing away the

tears, until every pound of her fist into the

ironwasabattlecry.

Youdonotyield.

Itroseinher,burningandroaring,andshe

gaveherselfwhollytoit.Distantly,closeby,

wood crashed. Like someone had staggered

intosomething.Thenshouting.

Aelinhammeredherfistintothemetal,the

song within her pulsing and cresting, a tidal

waveracingfortheshore.

“Getmethatgloriella!”

Thewordsmeantnothing.Hewasnothing.

Wouldalwaysbenothing.

Overandover,shepoundedagainstthelid.

Overandover,thatsongoffireanddarkness

flaredthroughher,outofher,intotheworld.

Youdonotyield.

Somethinghissedandcracklednearby,and

smokepouredthroughthelid.

ButAelinkeptstriking.Keptstrikinguntil

the smoke choked her, until its sweet scent

draggedherunderandaway.

Andwhensheawokechainedonthealtar,

she beheld what she had done to the iron

coffin.

Thetopofthelidhadbeenwarped.Agreat

humpnowprotruded,themetalstretchedthin.

Asifithadcomesoveryclosetobreaking

entirely.

On a dark hilltop overlooking a sleeping

kingdom,Rowanfroze.

Theotherswerealreadyhalfwaydownthe

hill,leading the horses along the dried slope

that would take them over Akkadia’s border

andontothearidplainsbelow.

Hishanddroppedfromthestallion’sreins.

Hehadtohaveimaginedit.

He scanned the starry sky, the slumbering

landsbeyond,theLordoftheNorthabove.

Ithithimaheartbeatlater.Eruptedaround

himandroared.

Over and over and over, as if it were a

hammeragainstananvil.

Theotherswhirledtohim.

That raging, fiery song charged closer.

Throughhim.

Downthematingbond.Downintohisvery

soul.

Abellowoffuryanddefiance.

From down the hill, Lorcan rasped,

“Rowan.”

It was impossible, utterly impossible, and

yet—

“North,” Gavriel said, turning his bay

gelding.“ThesurgecamefromtheNorth.”

FromDoranelle.

Abeaconinthenight.Powerripplinginto

theworld,asithaddoneinSkull’sBay.

Itfilledhimwithsound,withfireandlight.

Asifitscreamed,againandagain,Iamalive,

Iamalive,Iamalive.

Andthensilence.Likeithadbeencutoff.

Extinguished.

He refused to think of why. The mating

bond remained. Stretched taut, but it

remained.

Sohesentthewordsalongit,withasmuch

hopeandfuryandunrelentingloveashehad

feltfromher.Iwillfindyou.

There was no answer. Nothing but

hummingdarknessandtheLordoftheNorth

glistening above, pointing the way north. To

her.

He found his companions waiting for his

orders.

He opened his mouth to voice them, but

halted.Considered.“WeneedtodrawMaeve

out—away from Aelin.” His voice rumbled

over the drowsy buzzing of insects in the

grasses.“Justlongenoughforustoinfiltrate

Doranelle.” For even with the three of them

together,theymightnotbeenoughtotakeon

Maeve.

“If she hears we’re coming,” Lorcan

countered, “Maeve will spirit Aelin away

again, not come to meet us. She’s not that

foolish.”

But Rowan looked to Elide, the Lady of

Perranth’s eyes wide. “I know,” he said, his

plan forming, as cold and ruthless as the

power in his veins. “We’ll draw out Maeve

withadifferentsortoflure,then.”



CHAPTER13

Thespiderspoketrue.

Keeping hidden amongst the ice-crusted

rocksofajaggedmountainpeak,Manonand

theThirteenpeereddownintothesmallpass.

At the camp of red-cloaked witches, the

location confirmed by the Shadows just an

hourago.

Manonglancedoverhershoulder,towhere

Dorianwasnearlyinvisibleagainstthesnow,

the spider in her plain human form beside

him.

The depthless eyes of the creature met

hers,shiningwithtriumph.

Fine. Cyrene, or whatever she called

herself,mightlive.Whereitwouldleadthem,

she’d see. The horrors the spider had

mentionedinMorath—

Later.

Manon scanned the darkening blue skies.

None of them had questioned when Manon

had sailed off onAbraxos hours earlier.And

none of her Thirteen now asked where she’d

goneastheymonitoredtheirancientenemy’s

camp.

“Seventy-five that we can see,” Asterin

murmured, eyes fixed on the bustling camp.

“Whatinhellaretheydoingouthere?”

Manon didn’t know. The Shadows hadn’t

beenabletogleananything.

Tents surrounded small campfires—and

every few moments, figures departed and

arrivedonbrooms.Herheartthunderedinher

chest.

The Crochans. The other half of her

heritage.

“Wemoveonyourcommand,”Sorrelsaid,

acarefulnudge.

Manondrewinabreath,willingthesnow-

lacedwindtokeephercoldandsteadyduring

this next encounter. And what would come

after.

“No nails or teeth,” Manon ordered the

Thirteen. Then she looked over her shoulder

once more to the king and spider. “You may

stayhere,ifyouwish.”

Dorian gave her a lazy smile. “And miss

thefun?”Yetshecaughtthegleaminhiseye

—the understanding that perhaps he alone

could grasp. That she was not just about to

face an enemy, but a potential people. He

subtlynodded.“Weallgoin.”

Manon merely nodded back and rose. The

Thirteenstoodwithher.

It was the matter of a few minutes before

warningcriesrangout.

But Manon kept her hands in the air as

Abraxos landed at the edge of the Crochan

camp, the Thirteen and their wyverns behind

her,VestabearingbothDorianandthespider.

Spears and arrows and swords pointed at

themwithlethalaccuracy.

Adark-hairedwitchstalkedpastthearmed

frontline,afinebladeinherhandashereyes

fixedonManon.

Crochans.Herpeople.

Now—nowwouldbethetimetomakethe

speech she’d planned. To free those words

thatshe’dtetheredwithinherself.

Asterinturnedtowardherinsilenturging.

YetManon’slipsdidn’tmove.

The dark-haired one kept her brown eyes

fixed on Manon. Over one shoulder, a

polished wood staff gleamed. Not a staff—a

broom. Beyond the witch’s billowing red

cloak,gold-boundtwigsshimmered.

High ranking, then, to have such fine

bindings.MostCrochansusedsimplermetals,

thepoorestjusttwine.

“What interesting replacements for your

ironwood brooms,” the Crochan said. The

others were as stone-faced as the Thirteen.

The witch glanced toward where Dorian sat

atopVesta’smount,likelymonitoringallwith

that clear-eyed cunning. “And interesting

company you now keep.” The witch’s mouth

curled slightly. “Unless things have become

sosorryforyourilk,Blackbeak,thatyouhave

toresorttosharing.”

AsnarlrumbledfromAsterin.

But the witch had identified her—or at

leastwhatClantheyhailedfrom.TheCrochan

sniffed at the spider-shifter. Her eyes

shuttered.“Interestingcompanyindeed.”

“We mean you no harm,” Manon finally

said.

The witch snorted. “No threats from the

WhiteDemon?”

Oh,sheknew,then.WhoManonwas,who

theyallwere.

“Or are the rumors true? That you broke

with your grandmother?” The witch brazenly

surveyedManonfromheadtoboot.Abolder

lookthanManonusuallyallowedherenemies

tomake.“Rumoralsoclaimsyouweregutted

at her hand, but here you are. Hale and once

more hunting us. Perhaps the rumors about

yourdefectionaren’ttrue,either.”

“She broke from her grandmother,” said

Dorian, sliding off Vesta’s wyvern and

prowling toward Abraxos. The Crochans

tensed,butmadenomovetoattack.“Ipulled

her from the sea months ago, when she lay

upon Death’s doorstep. Saw the iron shards

myfriendsremovedfromherabdomen.”

The Crochan’s dark brows rose, again

taking in the beautiful, well-spoken male.

Perhaps noting the power that radiated from

him—and the keys he bore. “And who,

exactly,areyou?”

Dorian gave the witch one of those

charmingsmilesandsketchedabow.“Dorian

Havilliard,atyourservice.”

“Theking,”oneoftheCrochansmurmured

fromnearthewyverns.

Dorianwinked.“ThatIam,too.”

The head of the coven, however, studied

him—thenManon.Thespider.“Thereismore

tobeexplained,itseems.”

Manon’s hand itched for Wind-Cleaver at

herback.

But Dorian said, “We’ve been looking for

youfortwomonthsnow.”TheCrochansagain

tensed. “Not for violence or sport,” he

clarified, the words flowing in a silver-

tongued melody. “But so we might discuss

mattersbetweenourpeoples.”

The Crochans shifted, boots crunching in

theicysnow.

Thecovenleaderasked,“BetweenAdarlan

and us, or between the Blackbeaks and our

people?”

ManonslidoffAbraxosatlast,hermount

huffing anxiously as he eyed their glinting

weapons.“Allofus,”Manonsaidtightly.She

jerkedherchintothewyverns.“Theywillnot

harmyou.”Unlessshesignaledthecommand.

ThentheCrochans’headswouldbetornfrom

their bodies before they could draw their

swords.“Youcanstanddown.”

One of the Crochans laughed. “And be

rememberedasfoolsfortrustingyou?Ithink

not.”

Thecovenleaderslashedasilencingglare

toward the brown-haired sentinel who’d

spoken,apretty,full-figuredwitch.Thewitch

shrugged,sighingskyward.

The coven leader turned to Manon. “We

will stand down when we are ordered to do

so.”

“Bywhom?”Dorianscannedtheirranks.

Now would be the time for Manon to say

whoshewas,whatshewas.Toannouncewhy

shehadtrulycome.

The coven leader pointed deeper into the

camp.“Her.”

Evenfromadistance,Dorianhadmarveledat

the brooms the Crochans sat astride to soar

throughthesky.Butnow,surroundedbythem

…Nomeremyths.Butwarriors.Onesalltoo

happytoendthem.

Bloodred capes flowed everywhere, stark

against the snow and graypeaks. Though

many of the witches were young-faced and

beautiful, there were just as many who

appeared middle-aged, some even elderly.

How old they must have been to become so

withered, Dorian couldn’t fathom. He had

littledoubttheycouldkillhimwithease.

The coven leader pointed toward the neat

rows of tents, and the gathered warriors

parted, the wall of brooms and weapons

shininginthedyinglight.

“So,” an ancient voice said as the ranks

stepped back to reveal the one to whom the

Crochan had pointed. Not yet bent with age,

butherhairwaswhitewithit.Herblueeyes,

however,wereclearasamountainlake.“The

huntershavenowbecomethehunted.”

Theancientwitchpausedattheedgeofher

ranks, surveying Manon. There was kindness

on the witch’s face, Dorian noted—and

wisdom. And something, he realized, like

sorrow.Itdidn’thalthimfromslidingahand

onto Damaris’s pommel, as if he were

casuallyrestingit.

“We sought you so we might speak.”

Manon’s cold, calm voice rang out over the

rocks.“Wemeanyounoharm.”

Damariswarmedatthetruthinherwords.

“Thistime,”thebrown-hairedwitchwho’d

spoken earlier muttered. Her coven leader

elbowedherinwarning.

“Who are you, though?” Manon instead

askedthecrone.“Youleadthesecovens.”

“I am Glennis. My family served the

Crochanroyals,longbeforethecityfell.”The

ancient witch’s eyes went to the strip of red

cloth tying Manon’s braid. “Rhiannon found

you,then.”

Dorian had listened when Manon had

explained to the Thirteen the truth about her

heritage, and who her grandmother had bade

hertoslaughterintheOmega.

Manonkeptherchinup,evenashergolden

eyes flickered. “Rhiannon didn’t make it out

oftheFerianGap.”

“Bitch,”awitchsnarled,othersechoingit.

Manon ignored it and asked the ancient

Crochan,“Youknewher,then?”

Thewitchesfellsilent.

The crone inclined her head, that sorrow

fillinghereyesoncemore.Doriandidn’tneed

Damaris’s confirming warmth to know her

next words were true. “I was her great-

grandmother.” Even the whipping wind

quieted.“AsIamyours.”



CHAPTER14

The Crochans stood down—under the orders

of Manon’s so-called great-grandmother.

Glennis.

She had demanded how, what the lineage

was,butGlennishadonlybeckonedManonto

followherintothecamp.

Atleasttwodozenotherwitchestendedto

the several fire pits scattered amongst the

white tents, all of them halting their various

work as Manon passed. She’d never seen

Crochans going about their domestic tasks,

but here they were: some tending to fires,

some hauling buckets of water, some

monitoring heavy cauldrons of what smelled

like mountain-goat stew seasoned with dried

herbs.

No words sounded in her head while she

strodethroughtheranksofbristlingCrochans.

The Thirteen didn’t try to speak, either. But

Doriandid.

Thekingfellintostepbesideher,hisbody

a wall of solid warmth, and asked quietly,

“Did you know you had kin still living

amongsttheCrochans?”

“No.” Her grandmother hadn’t mentioned

itinherfinaltaunts.

Manondoubtedthecampwasapermanent

place for the Crochans.They’d be foolish to

everrevealthat.YetCyrenehaddiscoveredit,

somehow.

Perhaps by tracking Manon’s scent—the

parts of it that claimed kinship with the

Crochans.

The spider now walked between Asterin

and Sorrel, Dorian still showing no sign of

strain in keeping her partially bound, though

hekeptahandonthehiltofhissword.

A sharp glance from Manon and he

droppedit.

“How do you want to play this?” Dorian

murmured.“Doyouwantmetokeepquiet,or

beatyourside?”

“AsterinismySecond.”

“And what am I, then?” The smooth

questionranahanddownherspine,asifhe’d

caressedherwiththoseinvisiblehandsofhis.

“YouaretheKingofAdarlan.”

“ShallIbeapartofthediscussions,then?”

“Ifyoufeellikeit.”

She felt his rising annoyance and hid her

smirk.

Dorian’s voice dropped into a low purr.

“DoyouknowwhatIfeellikedoing?”

She twisted her head to glare at him

incredulously.Andfoundthekingsmirking.

“You look like you’re about to bolt,” he

said, that smile lingering. “It will set the

wrongtone.”

He was trying to rile her, to distract her

into loosening her iron-hard grip on her

control.

“Theyknowwhoyouare,”Dorianwenton.

“Provingthatpartofitisover.Whetherthey

acceptyouwillbethetruematter.”Hergreat-

grandmother must have come from the

nonroyal part of her bloodline, then. “These

donotseemlikewitcheswhowillbewonby

brutality.”

He didn’t know the half of it. “Are you

presumingtogivemeadvice?”

“Consider it a tip, from one monarch to

another.”

Despitewhowalkedaheadofthem,behind

them,Manonsmiledslightly.

He surprised her further by saying, “I’ve

been tunneling into my power since they

appeared. One wrong move from them, and

I’llblastthemintonothing.”

Ashiverrippleddownherbackatthecold

violence in his voice. “We need them as

allies.” Everything she was to do today,

tonight,wastosealsuchathing.

“Then let’s hope it doesn’t come to that,

witchling.”

Manonopenedhermouthtoanswer.

But a horn, shrill and warning, blasted

throughthedescendingnight.

Thenthebeatingofmightyleatherywings

boomedacrossthestars.

The camp was instantly in action, shouts

ringingoutfromthescoutswho’dsoundedthe

alarm. The Thirteen closed ranks around

Manon,weaponsdrawn.

TheIronteethhadfoundthem.

FarsoonerthanManonhadplanned.

How the Ironteeth patrol had found them,

Dorian didn’t know. He supposed the fires

wouldbeagiveaway.

Dorian rallied his magic as twenty-six

massiveshapessweptoverthecamp.

Yellowlegs.Twocovens.

The crone who’d introduced herself as

Manon’s great-grandmother began shouting

commands,andCrochansobeyed,leapinginto

the newly dark skies on their brooms, bows

drawnorswordsout.

No time to question how they’d been

found, whether the spider had indeed laid a

trap—certainly not as Manon’s voice rang

out, ordering the Thirteen into defensive

positions.

Swift as shadows, they raced for where

they’dlefttheirwyverns,ironteethglinting.

Dorian waited until the Crochans were

clear of him before unleashing his power.

Spears of ice, to pierce the enemy’s exposed

chestsorripthroughtheirwings.

HalfathoughthadhimlooseningCyrene’s

bonds, though not unleashing her from the

power that kept her from attacking. Just

giving her enough space to shift, to defend

herself.Aflashontheothersideofthecamp

toldhimshehad.

Theinterrogationwouldcomelater.

Manon and the Thirteen reached the

wyverns,andwereairbornewithinheartbeats,

flappingintothechaosabove.

The Crochans were so small—so terribly

small—againstthebulkofthewyverns.Even

ontheirbrooms.

And as they swarmed around the two

Ironteeth covens, firing arrows and swinging

swords,Doriancouldn’tgetaclearshot.Not

with the Crochans darting around the beasts,

toofastforhimtotrack.Someofthewyverns

bellowedandtumbledfromthesky,butmany

stayedaloft.

Glennis barked orders from the ground, a

great bow in her wrinkled hands, aimed

upward.

A wyvern soared overhead, so low its

spiked, poisonous tail snapped through tent

aftertent.

Glennis let her arrow fly, and Dorian

echoedherblowwithoneofhisown.

A lance of solid ice, careening for the

exposed,mottledchest.

Botharrowandicespeardrovehome,and

black blood spewed downward—before the

wyvern and rider went crashing into a peak,

andflippedoverthecliffface.

Glennisgrinned,thatagedfacelighting.“I

struck first.” She drew another arrow. Such

lightness,eveninthefaceofanambush.

“I wish you were my great-grandmother,”

Dorian muttered, and readied his next blow.

He’d have to be careful, with the Thirteen

looking so much like the Yellowlegs from

below.

But the Thirteen did not need his caution,

orhishelp.

They plowed into the lines of the

Yellowlegs, breaking them apart, scattering

them.

The Yellowlegs might have had the

advantage of surprise, but the Thirteen were

mastersofwar.

Crochans tumbled from the skies as they

were struck by brutal, spiked tails. Some not

eventumblingatallastheycameface-to-face

with enormous maws and did not emerge

again.

“Clearout!”Manon’sbarkedordercarried

overthefray.“Formlineslowtotheground!”

Not an order for the Thirteen, but the

Crochans.

Glennis shouted, some magic no doubt

amplifyinghervoice,“Followhercommand!”

Just like that, the Crochans fell back,

formingasolidunitintheairabovethetents.

TheywatchedasAbraxosrippedthethroat

fromabulltwicehissize,andManonfiredan

arrowthroughtherider’sface.Watchedasthe

green-eyed demon twins rounded up three

wyvernsbetweenthemandsentthemcrashing

ontothemountainsides.WatchedasAsterin’s

bluemarerippedariderfromthesaddle,then

ripped part of the spine from the wyvern

beneathher.

Each ofthe Thirteenmarked atarget with

everyswipethroughthegatheredattackers.

TheYellowlegshadnosuchorganization.

The Yellowlegs sentinels who tried to

break from the Thirteen’s path to attack the

Crochans below found a wall of arrows

meetingthem.

Thewyverns might have survived, but the

ridersdidnot.

And with a few careful maneuvers, the

riderlessbeastsfoundthemselveswiththroats

cut,bloodstreamingastheycrashedontothe

nearbypeaks.

Pity mingled with thefear and rageinhis

heart.

Howmanyofthosebeastsmighthavebeen

likeAbraxos,hadtheygoodriderswholoved

them?

Itwassurprisinglyhardtoblasthismagic

atthewyvernwhomanagedtosailoverhead,

aiming right for Glennis, another wyvern on

itstail.

He made it an easy death, snapping the

beast’sneckwithaburstofhispowerthatleft

himpanting.

He whipped his magic toward the second

attacking wyvern, offering it the same quick

end, but didn’t see the third and fourth that

now crashed into the camp, wrecking tents

and snapping their jaws at anything in their

path.Crochansfell,screaming.

ButthenManonwasthere,Abraxossailing

hardandfast, andshe lopped offtheheadof

thenearestrider.TheYellowlegssentinelstill

woreanexpressionofshockasherheadflew.

Dorian’smagicbalked.

The severed head hit the ground near him

androlled.

A room flashed, the red marble stained

with blood, the thud of a head on stone the

onlysoundbeyondhisscreaming.

Iwasnotsupposedtoloveyou.

The Yellowlegs’s head halted near his

boots, the blue blood gushing onto the snow

anddirt.

Hedidn’thear,didn’tcare,thatthefourth

wyvernsoaredtowardhim.

Manon bellowed his name, and Crochan

arrowsfired.

TheYellowlegssentinel’seyesstaredatno

one,nothing.

A gaping maw opened before him, jaws

stretchingwide.

Manon screamed his name again, but he

couldn’tmove.

The wyvern swept down, and darkness

yawnedwideasthosejawsclosedaroundhim.

As Dorian let his magic rip free of its

tethers.

Oneheartbeat,thewyvernwasswallowing

himwhole,itsrancidbreathstainingtheair.

The next, the beast was on the ground,

corpsesteaming.

Steaming,fromwhathe’ddonetoit.

Nottoit,buttohimself.

The body he’d turned into solid flame, so

hot it had melted throughthe wyvern’s jaws,

its throat, and he had passed through the

beast’s mouth as if it were nothing but a

cobweb.

The Yellowlegs rider who’d survived the

crashdrewhersword,buttoolate.Glennisput

anarrowthroughherthroat.

Silencefell.Eventhebattleabovediedout.

TheThirteenlanded,splatteredinblueand

black blood. So different from Sorscha’s red

blood—hisownredblood.

Thentherewereiron-tippedhandsgripping

his shoulders, and gold eyes glaring into his

own.“Areyoudaft?”

HeonlyglancedtotheYellowlegswitch’s

head, still feet away. Manon’s own gaze

turned toward it. Her mouth tightened, then

sheletgoofhimandwhirledtoGlennis.“I’m

sendingoutmyShadowstoscoutforothers.”

“Any enemy survivors?” Glennis scanned

theemptyskies.Whetherhismagicsurprised

them, shocked them, neither Glennis nor the

Crochansrushingtotendtotheirwoundedlet

on.

“Alldead,”Manonsaid.

But the dark-haired Crochan who’d first

intercepted them stormed at Manon, her

swordout.“Youdidthis.”

Dorian gripped Damaris, but made no

movetodrawit.NotwhileManondidn’tback

down. “Saved your asses? Yes, I’d say we

did.”

Thewitchseethed.“Youledthemhere.”

“Bronwen,” Glennis warned, wiping blue

bloodfromherface.

The young witch—Bronwen—bristled.

“You think it mere coincidence that they

arrive,andthenwe’reattacked?”

“They fought with us, not against us,”

Glennis said. She turned to Manon. “Do you

swearit?”

Manon’s golden eyes glowed in the

firelight. “I swear it. I did not lead them

here.”

Glennis nodded, but Dorian stared at

Manon.

Damarishadgonecoldasice.Socoldthe

goldenhiltbitintohisskin.

Glennis,somehowsatisfied,noddedagain.

“Thenweshalltalk—later.”

Bronwen spat on the bloody ground and

prowledoff.

Alie.Manonhadlied.

She arched a brow at him, but Dorian

turned away. Let the knowledge settle into

him.Whatshe’ddone.

Thus began a series of orders and

movements, gathering the injured and dead.

Dorianhelpedasbesthecould,healingthose

whoneededitmost.Open,gapingwoundsthat

leakedbluebloodontohishands.

Thewarmthofthatblooddidn’treachhim.



CHAPTER15

Shewasaliar,andakiller,andwouldlikely

havetobebothagainbeforethiswasthrough.

ButManonhadnoregretsaboutwhatshe’d

done.Hadnoroominherforregret.Notwith

timebearingdownonthem,notwithsomuch

restingontheirshoulders.

Forlonghourswhiletheyworkedtorepair

camp and Crochans, Manon monitored the

frostyskies.

Eight dead. It could have been worse.

Muchworse.Thoughshewouldtakethelives

of those eight Crochans with her, learn their

namessoshemightrememberthem.

Manon spent the long night helping the

ThirteenhaulthefallenwyvernsandIronteeth

riders to another ridge. The ground was too

hard to bury them, and pyres would be too

easily marked, so they opted for snow. She

didn’t dare ask Dorian to use his power to

assistthem.

She’d seen that look in his eyes. Like he

knew.

Manon dumped a stiff Yellowlegs body,

thesentinel’slipsalreadyblue,icecrustedin

her blond hair.Asterin hauled a stout-bodied

rider towardher bythe boots, then deposited

thewitchwithlittlefanfare.

ButManonstaredattheirdeadfaces.She’d

sacrificedthem,too.

Both sides of this conflict. Both of her

bloodlines.

Allwouldbleed;toomanywoulddie.

Would Glennis have welcomed them?

Perhaps, but the other Crochans hadn’t

seemedsoinclinedtodoso.

And the fact remained that they did not

have thetime to waste in wooing them. So

she’d picked the only method she knew:

battle.Hadsoaredoffonherownearlierthat

day, to where she knew Ironteeth would be

patrolling nearby, waited until the great

northern wind carried her scent southward.

Andthenbidedhertime.

“Didyouknowthem?”Asterinaskedwhen

Manonremainedstaringatafallensentinel’s

body. Down the line of them, the wyverns

usedtheirwingstobrushgreatdriftsofsnow

overthecorpses.

“No,”Manonsaid.“Ididn’t.”

Dawn was breaking by the time they

returned to the Crochan camp. Eyes that had

spat fire hours earlier now watched them

warily, fewer hands drifting toward weapons

as they aimed for the large, ringed fire pit.

The largest of the camp, and located in its

heart.Glennis’shearth.

The crone stood before it, warming her

gnarled, bloodied hands. Dorian sat nearby,

andhissapphireeyeswereindeeddamningas

hemetManon’sstare.

Later.Thatconversationwouldcomelater.

Manon halted a few feet away from

Glennis, the Thirteen falling into rank at the

outskirts of the fire, surveying the five tents

aroundit,thecauldronbubblingatitscenter.

Behindthem,Crochanscontinuedtheirrepairs

andhealing—andkeptoneeyeuponthemall.

“Eatsomething,”Glennissaid,gesturingto

the bubbling cauldron. To what smelled like

goatstew.

Manon didn’t bother objecting before she

obeyed, gathering one ofthe small

earthenware bowls beside the fire. Another

way to demonstrate trust: to eat their food.

Acceptit.

So Manon did, devouring a few bites

before Dorian followed her lead and did the

same. When they were both eating, Glennis

satonastoneandsighed.“It’sbeenoverfive

hundred years since an Ironteeth witch and a

Crochan shared a meal. Since they sought to

exchange words in peace. Interrupted,

perhaps,onlybyyourmotherandfather.”

“Isupposeso,”Manonsaidmildly,pausing

hereating.

The crone’s mouth twitched toward a

smile,despitethebattle,thedrainingnight.“I

wasyourfather’sgrandmother,”sheclarified

at last. “I myself bore your grandfather, who

mated a Crochan Queen before she died

givingbirthtoyourfather.”

Another thing they’d inherited from the

Fae:theirdifficultyconceivingandthedeadly

nature of childbirth. A way for the Three-

Faced Goddess to keep the balance, to avoid

flooding the lands with too many immortal

childrenwhowoulddevourherresources.

Manon scanned the half-ruined camp,

though.

The crone read her question in her eyes.

“Ourmendwellatourhomes,wheretheyare

safe. This camp is an outpost while we

conduct our business.” The Crochans had

always given birth to more males than the

Ironteeth, and had adopted the Fae habit of

selecting mates—if not a true mating bond,

then in spirit. She’d always thought it

outlandishandstrange.Unnecessary.

“After your mother never returned, your

fatherwasaskedtocouplewithanotheryoung

witch.HewasthesolecarrieroftheCrochan

bloodline, you see, and should your mother

and you not have survived the birthing, it

wouldendwithhim.Hedidn’tknowwhathad

happened to either of you. If you were alive,

ordead.Didn’tevenknow wheretolook.So

he agreed to do his duty, agreed to help his

dyingpeople.”Hergreat-grandmothersmiled

sadly. “All who met Tristan loved him.”

Tristan. That had been his name. Had her

grandmother even known it before she’d

killed him? “A young witch was chosen for

him especially. But he did notlove her—not

withyourmotherashistruemate,thesongof

his soul. Tristan made it work nonetheless.

Rhiannonwastheresultofthat.”

Manon tensed. If Rhiannon’s mother were

here—

Again, the crone read the question on

Manon’sface.

“She was slaughtered by a Yellowlegs

sentinel in the river plains of Melisande.

Yearsago.”

AflickerofshamewentthroughManonat

the relief that flooded her. To avoid that

confrontation, to avoid begging for

forgiveness,assheshouldhavedone.

Dorian set down his spoon. Such a

graceful,casualgesture,consideringhowhe’d

felled that wyvern. “How is it that the

Crochanlinesurvived?Legendsaystheywere

wipedout.”

Another sad smile. “You can thank my

motherforthat.RhiannonCrochan’syoungest

daughter gave birth during the siege on the

Witch-City. With our armies felled and only

the city walls to hold back the Ironteeth

legions,andwithsomanyofherchildrenand

grandchildren slaughtered and her mate

spiked to the city walls, Rhiannon had the

heraldsannouncethatithadbeenastillbirth.

So the Ironteeth would never know that one

Crochanmightyetlive.Thatsamenight,just

before Rhiannon began her three-day battle

against the Ironteeth High Witches, my

mothersmuggledthebabyprincessoutonher

broom.” The crone’s throat bobbed.

“Rhiannonwasherdearestfriend—asisterto

her. My mother wantedtostay,to fightuntil

the end, yet she was asked to do this for her

people.Ourpeople.Untilthedayofherdeath,

my mother believed Rhiannon went to hold

the gates against the High Witches as a

distraction.TogetthatlastCrochanscionout

whiletheIronteethlookedtheotherway.”

Manon didn’t entirely know what to say,

howtovoicewhatroiledwithinher.

“Youwillfind,”Glenniswenton,“thatyou

havesomecousinsinthiscamp.”

Asterin stiffened at that, Edda and Briar

alsotensingwheretheylingeredattheedgeof

the fire. Manon’s own kin, on the Blackbeak

side of her heritage. Undoubtedly willing to

fighttokeepthatdistinctionforthemselves.

“Bronwen,” the crone said, gesturing

toward the dark-haired coven leader with the

gold-bound broom, now monitoring Manon

andtheThirteenfromtheshadowsbeyondthe

fire, “is also my great-granddaughter. Your

closestcousin.”

No kindness shone on Bronwen’s face, so

Manondidn’tbotherlookingpleasant,either.

“She and Rhiannon were close as sisters,”

Glennismurmured.

Ittookaconsiderableamountofeffortnot

to touch the scrap of red cloak at the end of

herbraid.

Dorian,Darknessembracehissoul,cutin,

“Wefoundyouforareason.”

Glennis again warmed her hands. “I

supposeitistoaskustojoininthiswar.”

Manondidn’tsoftenherstare.“Itis.You,

and all the Crochans scattered across the

lands.”

OneoftheCrochansintheshadowsletout

a bark of laughter. “That’s rich.” Others

chuckledwithher.

Glennis’sblueeyesdidn’tfalter.“Wehave

not rallied a host since before the fall of the

Witch-City.Youmightfinditamoredifficult

taskthanyouanticipated.”

Dorian asked, “And if their queen

summonedthemtofight?”

Snowcrunched under stomping steps, and

then Bronwen was there, her brown eyes

blazing.“Don’tanswer,Glennis.”

Such disrespect, such informality to an

elder—

Bronwen leveled her burning stare on

Manon.“Youarenotourqueen,despitewhat

your blood might suggest. Despite this little

skirmish.Wedonot,andwillnever,answerto

you.”

“Morathfoundyoujustnow,”Manonsaid

coolly.She’danticipatedthisreaction.“Itwill

dosoagain.Whetheritisinafewmonths,or

ayear,theywillfindyou.Andthentherewill

be no hope of beating them.” Shekept her

hands at her sides, resisting the urge to

unsheathe her iron claws. “A host of many

kingdomsralliesinTerrasen.Jointhem.”

“Terrasen didn’t come to our aid five

hundred years ago,” another voice said,

comingcloser.Thepretty,brown-hairedwitch

from earlier. Her broom, too, was bound in

finemetal—silvertoBronwen’sgold.“Idon’t

seewhyweshouldbotherhelpingthemnow.”

“I thought you lot were a bunch of self-

righteous do-gooders,” Manon crooned.

“Surelythiswouldbeyoursortofthing.”

Theyoungwitchbristled,butGlennisheld

upawitheredhand.

Itwasn’tenoughtostopBronwen,though,

asthe witchlooked Manonover and snarled,

“You are not our queen. We will never fly

withyou.”

Bronwen and the younger witch stormed

away,thegatheredCrochanguardspartingto

letthempass.

Manon found Glennis wincing slightly.

“Our family, you will find, has a hotheaded

streak.”

Ruthless.

WhatManonhaddonetonight,leadingthe

Ironteethtothiscamp…Doriandidn’thavea

wordforitotherthanruthless.

HeleftManonandhergreat-grandmother,

theThirteenlookingon,andwentinsearchof

thespider.

He found Cyrene where he’d left her,

crouchedintheshadowsofoneofthefarther

tents.

She’dreturnedtoherhumanform,herdark

hairtangled,bundledinaCrochancloak.Asif

one of them had taken pity on her. Not

realizing the hunger in Cyrene’s eyes wasn’t

forthegoatstew.

“Where does the shifting come from?”

Dorianaskedashepausedbeforeher,ahand

onDamaris.“Insideyou?”

The spider-shifter blinked up at him, then

stood. Someone had given her a worn brown

tunic,pants,andboots,too.“Thatwasagreat

feat ofmagic you performed.” She smiled,

revealing sharp little teeth. “What a king it

mightmakeyou.Unchallenged,unrivaled.”

Dorian didn’t feel like saying he wasn’t

entirely sure what manner of king he wished

to be, should he live long enough to reclaim

histhrone.Anyoneandanythingbuthisfather

seemedlikeagoodplacetostart.

Dorian kept hisstance relaxed,evenas he

asked again, “Where does the shifting come

frominsideyou?”

Cyrene angled her head as if listening to

something. “It was strange, mortal king, to

findthatIhadanewplacewithinmewiththe

return of magic. To find that something new

hadtakenroot.”Hersmallhanddriftedtoher

middle,justabovehernavel.“Alittleseedof

power.Iwilltheshift,thinkofwhatIwishto

be, and the change starts within here first.

Always, the heat comes from here.” The

spidersettledherstareonhim.“Ifyouwishto

besomething,king-with-no-crown,thenbeit.

Thatisthesecrettotheshifting.Bewhatyou

wish.”

Heavoidedtheurgetorollhiseyes,though

Damaris warmed in his grip.Be what you

wish—a thing far easier said than done.

Especiallywiththeweightofacrown.

Dorian putahandonhis stomach,despite

the layers of clothes and cloak. Only toned

muscle greeted him. “Is that what you do to

summon the change: first think of what you

wanttobecome?”

“With limits. I need a clear image within

mymind,orelseitwillnotworkatall.”

“Soyoucannotchangeintosomethingyou

havenotseen.”

“I can invent certain traits—eye color,

build, hair—but not the creature itself.” A

hideous smile bloomed on her mouth. “Use

that lovely magic of yours. Change your

pretty eyes,” the spider dared. “Change their

color.”

Godsdamnhim,buthetried.Hethoughtof

brown eyes. Pictured Chaol’s bronze eyes,

fierceafteroneoftheirsparringsessions.Not

howtheyhadbeenbeforehisfriendhadsailed

tothesoutherncontinent.

Had Chaol managed to be healed? Had he

andNesrynconvincedthekhagantosendaid?

How would Chaol even learn where he was,

what had happened to all of them, when

they’dbeenscatteredtothewinds?

“Youthinktoomuch,youngking.”

“Betterthantoolittle,”hemuttered.

Damaris warmed again. He could have

swornithadbeeninamusement.

Cyrene chuckled. “Do notthinkoftheeye

colorsomuchasdemandit.”

“How did you learn this without

instruction?”

“Thepowerisinmenow,”thespidersaid

simply.“Ilistenedtoit.”

Dorian let a tendril of his magic snake

toward the spider. She tensed. But his magic

brushedupagainsther,gentleandinquisitive

as a cat. Raw magic, to be shaped as he

desired.

He willed it toward her—willed it to find

thatseedofpowerwithinher.Tolearnit.

“Whatareyoudoing,”thespiderbreathed,

shiftingonherfeet.

His magic wrapped around her, and he

could feel it—each hateful, horrible year of

existence.

Each—

His mouth dried out. Bile surged in his

throat at the scent his magic detected. He’d

never forget that scent, that vileness. He’d

bearthemarkonhisthroatforeverasproof.

Valg.Thespider,somehow,wasValg.And

notpossessed,butborn.

He kept his face neutral. Uninterested.

Even as his magic located that glowing,

beautifulbitofmagic.

Stolenmagic.AstheValgstoleallthings.

Tookeverythingtheywanted.

Hisbloodbecameadull,poundingroarin

hisears.

Dorianstudiedhertinyframe,herordinary

face.“You’vebeenratherquietregardingthe

questforrevengethatsentyouhuntingacross

thecontinent.”

Cyrene’sdarkeyesturnedtodepthlesspits.

“Oh,Ihavenotforgottenthat.Notatall.”

Damarisremainedwarm.Waiting.

He let his magic wrap soothing hands

around the seed of power trapped within the

blackhellinsidethespider.

He didn’t care to know why and how the

stygian spiders were Valg. How they’d come

here.Whythey’dlingered.

They fed off dreams and life and joy.

Delightedinit.

Theseedofshape-shiftingpowerflickered

inhishands,asifgratefulforakindtouch.A

humantouch.

This.Hisfatherhadallowedthesesortsof

creatures to grow, to rule. Sorscha had been

slaughteredbythesethings,theircruelty.

“I can make a bargain with you, you

know,” Cyrene whispered. “When the time

comes,Iwillmakesureyouarespared.”

Damariswentcolderthanice.

Dorianmetherstare.Withdrewhismagic,

and could have sworn that seed of shape-

shiftingpowertrappedwithinherreachedfor

him.Triedtobeghimnottogo.

Hesmiledatthespider.Shesmiledback.

Andthenhestruck.

Invisible hands wrapped around her neck

and twisted. Right as his magic plunged into

hernavel,intowherethestolenseedofhuman

magicresided,andwrappedaroundit.

Heheldon,ababybirdinhishands,asthe

spiderdied.Studiedthemagic,everyfacetof

it,beforeitseemedtosighinreliefandfade

intothewind,freeatlast.

Cyrene slumped to the ground, eyes

unseeing.

Half a thought and Dorian had her

incinerated. No onecametoinquire afterthe

stench that rose from her ashes. The black

stainthatlingeredbeneaththem.

Valg.PerhapsaticketforhimintoMorath,

and yet he found himself staring at that dark

stainonthehalf-thawedearth.

HeletgoofDamaris,thebladereluctantly

quieting.

He’d find his way into Morath. Once he

masteredtheshifting.

The spider and all her kind could burn in

hell.

Dorian’sheartwasstillracingwhenhefound

himselfanhourlaterlyinginatentnoteven

tallenoughtostandin,ononeoftwobedrolls.

Manonenteredthetentjustas hetoedoff

hisbootsandhauledtheheavywoolblankets

overhim.Theysmelledofhorsesandhay,and

might very well have been snatched from a

stable, but he didn’t care. It was warm and

betterthannothing.

Manonsurveyedthetightspace,thesecond

bedroll and blanket. “Thirteen is an uneven

number,” she said by way of explanation.

“I’vealwayshadatenttomyself.”

“Sorrytoruinthatforyou.”

She cut him a drily amused glance before

seatingherselfonthebedrollandunlacingher

boots. But her fingers halted as her nostrils

flared.

Slowly, she looked over her shoulder at

him.“Whatdidyoudo.”

Dorian held her stare. “You did what you

hadtotoday,”hesaidsimply.“Ididaswell.”

He didn’t bother trying to touch Damaris

whereitlaynearby.

She sniffed him again. “You killed the

spider.” No judgment in her face, just raw

curiosity.

“She was a threat,” he admitted. And a

Valgpieceofshit.

Warinessnowfloodedhereyes.“Shecould

havekilledyou.”

Hegaveherahalfsmile.“No,shecouldn’t

have.”

Manon assessed him again, and he

withstood it. “You have nothing to say about

myown…choices?”

“My friends are fighting and likely being

killed in the North,” Dorian said. “We don’t

have the time to spend weeks winning the

Crochansover.”

Thereitwas,thebrutaltruth.Togainsome

degree of welcome here, they’d had to cross

thatline.Perhapssuchcallousdecisionswere

partofwearingacrown.

He’d keep her secret—so long as she

wishedithidden.

“Noself-righteousspeeches?”

“Thisiswar,”hesaidsimply.“We’repast

thatsortofthing.”

Anditwouldn’tmatter,wouldit,whenhis

eternal soul would be the asking price to

staunch so much of the slaughter? He’d

already had it wrecked enough. If crossing

line after line would spare any others from

harm,he’ddoit.Hedidn’tknowwhatmanner

ofkingthatmadehim.

Manon hummed, deeming that an

acceptable answer. “You know about court

intrigueandscheming,”shesaid,deftfingers

again flying over the laces and hooks of the

boots. “How would you … play this, as you

called it earlier? My situation with the

Crochans.”

Dorianrestedahandunderhishead.“The

problem is that they hold all the cards. You

need them far more than they need you. The

onlycardyouhavetoplayisyourheritage—

andthattheyseemtohaverejected,evenwith

theskirmish.Sohowdowemakeitvitalfor

them?Howdoyouprovethattheyneedtheir

last living queen, the last of the Crochan

bloodline?”Hecontemplatedit.“Thereisalso

the prospect of peace between your peoples,

but you …” He winced. “You’re no longer

recognizedasHeir.Anybargainingyoumight

have as a Blackbeak would be on behalf of

onlyyouandtheThirteen,nottherestofthe

Ironteeth.Itwouldn’tbeatruepeacetreaty.”

Manon finished with her boots and lay

back on her bedroll, sliding the blanket over

herasshestaredupatthetent’slowceiling.

“Didtheyteachyouthesethingsinyourglass

castle?”

“Yes.” Before he’d shattered that castle

intoshardsanddust.

Manon turned on her side, propping her

headwithahand,herwhitehairspillingfrom

itsbraidtoframeherface.“Youcan’tusethat

magicofyourstosimply…compelthem,can

you?”

Dorian huffed a laugh. “Not that I know

of.”

“Maeve wormed her way into Prince

Rowan’smindtoconvincehimtotakeafalse

mate.”

“I don’t even know what Maeve’s power

is,” Dorian said, cringing. What the Fae

QueenhaddonetoRowan,whatshewasnow

doing to theQueen of Terrasen … “AndI’m

not entirely certain I want to start

experimentingonpotentialallies.”

Manon sighed through her nose. “My

trainingdidnotincludethesethings.”

Hewasn’tsurprised.“Youwantmyhonest

opinion?”Hergoldeneyespinnedhimtothe

spot as she gave a curt nod. “Find the thing

theyneed,anduseittoyouradvantage.What

wouldpromptthemtorallybehindyou,tosee

you as their Crochan Queen? Fighting in

battle tonight won some degree of trust, but

not immediate acceptance. Perhaps Glennis

mightknow.”

“I’dhavetoriskaskingher.”

“Youdon’ttrusther.”

“WhyshouldI?”

“She’syourgreat-grandmother.Anddidn’t

orderyouexecutedonsight.”

“My grandmother didn’t until the end,

either.”Noemotionpassedoverherface,but

herfingersdugintoherscalpatherwords.

So Dorian said, “Aelin needed Captain

Rolfe and his people shaken out of centuries

ofhidinginordertorallytheMycenianfleet.

She learned they would only return to

Terrasenwhenaseadragonreappearedatlast,

oneof theirlong-lostallieson thewaves.So

sheengineeredittohappen:provokedasmall

Valg fleet to attack Skull’s Bay while it lay

mostlydefenseless,andthenusedthebattleto

showcase the sea dragon that arrived to aid

them,summonedfromairandmagic.”

“Theshifter,”Manonsaid.Doriannodded.

“AndtheMyceniansboughtit?”

“Absolutely,” Dorian drawled. “Aelin

learned what the Myceniansneeded in order

tobeconvincedtojoinhercause.Whatsortof

thing might the Crochans require to do the

same?”

Manon lay back onto her bedroll, as

gracefulasadancer.Shetoyedwiththeendof

her braid, the red strip there. “I’ll ask

Ghislaineinthemorning.”

“Idon’tthinkGhislaineisgoingtoknow.”

Those gold eyes slid to his. “You truly

believeIshouldaskGlennis?”

“Ido.AndIthinkshewillhelpyou.”

“Whybother?”

HewonderediftheThirteencouldeversee

it—that hint of self-loathing that sometimes

flickered across her face. “Her mother

willingly abandoned her city, her people, her

queenintheirlasthourssoshemightpreserve

the royal bloodline. Your bloodline. I think

she told you that story tonight so you might

realizeshewilldothesameaswell.”

“Whynotsayitoutright,then?”

“Because,incaseyoudidn’tnotice,you’re

not exactly a popular person in this camp,

despite your ploy with the Ironteeth. Glennis

knowshowtoplaythegame.Youjustneed to

catchupwithher.Findoutwhythey’reeven

here,thenplanyournextmove.”

Her mouth tightened, then relaxed. “Your

tutorstaughtyouwell,princeling.”

“Being raised by a demon-infested tyrant

did have its benefits, it seems.” His words

rang flat, even as an edge sharpened inside

him.

Her gaze drifted to his throat, to the pale

line across it. He could almost feel her stare

likeaphantomtouch.

“Youstillhatehim.”

Hearchedaneyebrow.“AmInotsupposed

to?”

Her moon-white hair gleamed in the dim

light. “You told me he was human. Deep

down, he’d remained human, and tried to

protect you as best he could. Yet you hate

him.”

“You’llforgivemeifIfindhismethodsof

protectingmetobeunpalatable.”

“But it was the demon, not the man, who

killedyourhealer.”

Dorian clenched his jaw. “It makes no

difference.”

“Doesn’t it?” Manon frowned. “Most can

barely withstand a few months of Valg

infestation.Youbarelywithstoodit.”Hetried

nottoflinchatthebluntwords.“Yetheheld

onfordecades.”

Heheldherstare.“Ifyou’retryingtocast

my fatheras some sort ofnoble hero, you’re

wasting your breath.” He debated ending it

there,butheasked,“Ifsomeonetoldyouthat

yourgrandmotherwassecretlygood,thatshe

hadn’twanted to murder yourparents and so

many others, that she’d been forced to make

youkillyourownsister,wouldyoufinditso

easytobelieve?Toforgiveher?”

Manon glanced down at her abdomen—at

the scar hidden beneath her leathers. He

braced himself for the answer. But she only

said,“I’mtiredoftalking.”

Good.Sowashe.

“Is there something you’d rather do

instead, witchling?” His voice turned rough,

andheknewshecouldhearhisheartbeatasit

beganhammering.

Her only answer was to slide over him,

strands of her hair falling around them in a

curtain. “I said I don’t want to talk,” she

breathed,andloweredhermouthtohisneck.

Dragged her teeth over it, right through that

whitelinewherethecollarhadbeen.

Doriangroanedsoftly,andshiftedhiships,

grindinghimselfintoher.Herbreathbecame

jaggedinanswer,andheranahanddownher

side.

“Shutmeup,then,”hesaid,ahanddrifting

southward to cup her backside as she nipped

at his neck, his jaw. No hint of those iron

teeth, but the promise of them lingered, an

exquisiteswordoverhishead.

Only with her did he not need to explain.

Onlywithherdidhenotneedtobeaking,or

anything but what he was. Only with her

would there be no judgment for what he’d

done, who he’d failed, what he might still

havetodo.

Justthis—pleasureandutteroblivion.

Manon’s hand found his belt buckle, and

Dorianreachedforhers,andneitherspokefor

sometimeafterthat.

The release she found that night—twice—

couldn’tentirelydulltheedgewhenmorning

broke,grayandbleak,andManonapproached

Glennis’slargertent.

She’dleftthekingsleeping,bundledinthe

blankets they’d shared, though she hadn’t

allowedhimtoholdher.She’dsimplyturned

onto her side, putting her back to him, and

closed her eyes. He hadn’t seemed to care,

satedanddrowsyaftershe’driddenhimuntil

they’dbothfoundtheirpleasure,andhadbeen

quickly asleep. Had stayed asleep, while

Manon had contemplated how, exactly, she

wastohavethismeeting.

Perhaps she should have brought Dorian.

He certainly knew how to play these games.

Tothinklikeaking.

He’dkilledthatspiderlikeablue-blooded

witch,though.Notanounceofmercy.

Itshouldn’thavethrilledherthewayitdid.

But Manon knew her pride would never

recover,andshe’dneveragainbeabletocall

herselfawitch,ifshelethimdothistaskfor

her.

So Manon shouldered through Glennis’s

tentflapswithoutannouncingherself.“Ineed

tospeaktoyou.”

She found Glennis buckling on her

glamouredcloakbeforeatinybronzemirror.

“Prior to breakfast? I suppose you got that

urgencyfromyourfather.Tristanwasalways

rushingintomytentwithhisvariouspressing

matters. I could barely convince him to sit

stilllongenoughtoeat.”

Manondiscardedthekernelofinformation.

Ironteeth didn’thave fathers. Only their

mothersandmothers’mothers.Ithadalways

beenthatway.Evenifitwasanefforttokeep

herquestionsabouthimatbay.Howhe’dmet

Lothian Blackbeak, what had prompted them

tosetasidetheirancienthatred.

“Whatwouldittake—towintheCrochans

over?Tojoinusinwar?”

Glennis adjusted her cape in the mirror.

“OnlyaCrochanQueenmayignitetheFlame

of War, to summon every witch from her

hearth.”

Manon blinked at the frank answer. “The

FlameofWar?”

Glennis jerked her chin toward the tent

flaps, to the fire pit beyond. “Every Crochan

family has a hearth that moves with them to

eachcamporhomewemake;thefiresnever

extinguish.Theflameinmyhearthdatesback

to the Crochan city itself, when Brannon

Galathynius gave Rhiannon a spark of

eternally burning fire. My mother carried it

withherinaglassglobe,hiddeninhercloak,

when she smuggled out your ancestor, and it

hascontinuedtoburnateveryroyalCrochan

hearthsincethen.”

“What about when magic disappeared for

tenyears?”

“Our seers had a vision that it would

vanish, and the flame would die. So we

ignitedseveralordinaryfiresfromthatmagic

flame, and kept them burning. When magic

disappeared, the flame indeed winked out.

And when magic returned this spring, the

flameagainkindled,rightinthehearthwhere

we had last seen it.” Her great-grandmother

turned toward her. “When a Crochan Queen

summonsherpeopletowar,aflameistaken

from the royal hearth, and passed to each

hearth,onecampandvillagetotheother.The

arrivaloftheflameisasummonsthatonlya

trueCrochanQueenmaymake.”

“SoIonlyneedtousetheflameinthatpit

outthereandthearmywillcometome?”

Acawoflaughter.“No.Youmustfirstbe

acceptedasqueentodothat.”

Manongroundherteeth.“AndhowmightI

achievethat?”

“That’snotformetofigureout,isit?”

It took all her self-restraint to keep from

unsheathing her iron nails and prowling

through the tent. “Why are you here—why

thiscamp?”

Glennis’s brows rose. “Didn’t I tell you

yesterday?”

Manontappedafootontheground.

The witch noted the impatience and

chuckled.“WewereonourwaytoEyllwe.”

Manon started. “Eyllwe? If you think to

runfromthiswar,Icantellyouthatit’sfound

thatkingdomaswell.”LonghadEyllweborne

the brunt of Adarlan’s wrath. In her endless

meetingswithErawan,he’dbeenparticularly

focused on ensuring the kingdom stayed

fractured.

Glennis nodded. “We know. But we

received word from our southernhearthsthat

athreathadarisen. We journey to meet with

some of the Eyllwe war bands who have

managed to survive this long—to take on

whateverhorrorMorathmighthavesent.”

Togosouth,notnorthtoTerrasen.

“Erawanmightbeunleashinghishorrorsin

Eyllwe just to divide you,” Manon said. “To

keep you from aiding Terrasen. He’ll have

guessed I’m trying to gather the Crochans.

Eyllwe is already lost—come with us to the

North.”

The crone merely shook her head. “That

may be. But we have given our word. So to

Eyllwewewillgo.”



CHAPTER16

Darrow was waiting onhorseback atop a hill

when the army finally arrived at nightfall.A

fullday’smarch,thesnowandwindwhipping

themforeverydamnedmile.

Aedion,atophisownhorse,brokefromthe

columnofsoldiersaimingforthesmallcamp

and galloped across the ice-crusted snow to

the ancient lord. He gestured with a gloved

hand to the warriors behind him. “As

requested:we’vearrived.”

Darrow barely glanced at Aedion as he

surveyed the soldiers making camp.

Exhausting,brutalworkafteralongday,and

a battle before that, but they’d sleep well

tonight. And Aedion would refuse to move

them tomorrow. Perhaps the day after that,

too.“Howmanylost?”

“Lessthanfivehundred.”

“Good.”

Aedion bristled at the approval. It wasn’t

Darrow’sownarmy,wasn’tevenAedion’s.

“What did you want that warranted us to

haulassupheresoquickly?”

“I wanted to discuss the battle with you.

Hearwhatyoulearned.”

Aediongrittedhisteeth.“I’llwriteareport

foryou,then.”Hegatheredthereins,readying

tosteerhishorsebacktothecamp.“Mymen

needshelter.”

Darrownoddedfirmly,asifunawareofthe

exhausting march he’d demanded. “At dawn,

wemeet.Sendwordtotheotherlords.”

“Sendyourownmessenger.”

Darrow cut him a steely look. “Tell the

other lords.” He surveyed Aedion from his

mud-splattered boots to his unwashed hair.

“Andgetsomerest.”

Aedion didn’t bother responding as he

urged his horse into a gallop, the stallion

chargingthroughthesnowwithouthesitation.

Afine,proudbeastthathadservedhimwell.

Aedionsquinted at the wailing snow as it

whippedhisface.Theyneededtobuildshelter

—andfast.

At dawn, he’d go to Darrow’s meeting.

Withtheotherlords.

AndAelinintow.

A foot ofsnow fell overnight, blanketing the

tents, smothering fires, and setting the

soldiers sleeping shoulder to shoulder to

conservewarmth.

Lysandra had shivered in her tent, despite

being curled into ghost-leopard form by the

brazier, and had awoken before dawn simply

becausesleepinghadbecomefutile.

And because of the meeting that was

momentsawayfromtakingplace.

ShestrodetowardDarrow’slargewartent,

AnselofBriarcliffatherside,thetwoofthem

bundled against the cold. Mercifully, the

frigidmorningkeptanyconversationbetween

themtoaminimum.Nopointintalkingwhen

theveryairchilledyourteethtothepointof

aching.

The silver-haired Fae royals entered just

before them, Prince Endymion giving her—

givingAelin—abowofthehead.

Hiscousin’swife.That’swhathebelieved

her to be. In addition tobeing queen.

Endymion had never scentedAelin, wouldn’t

know that the strange shifter’s scent was all

wrong.

Thankthegodsforthat.

The war tent was nearly full, lords and

princes and commanders gathered around the

center of the space, all studying the map of

the continent hanging from one of the wall

flaps. Pins jutted from its thick canvas to

markvariousarmies.

Somany,toomany,clusteredintheSouth.

Blocking off aid from any allies beyond

Morath’slines.

“Shereturnsatlast,”acoldvoicedrawled.

Lysandra summoned a lazy smirk and

sauntered to the center of the room, Ansel

lingeringneartheentrance.“IheardImissed

somefunyesterday.IfiguredI’dreturnbefore

I lost the chance to kill some Valg grunts

myself.”

A few chuckles at that, but Darrow didn’t

smile.“Idon’trecallyoubeinginvitedtothis

meeting,YourHighness.”

“Iinvitedher,”Aedionsaid,steppingtothe

edge of the group. “Since she’s technically

fighting in the Bane, I made her my second-

in-command.”Andthusworthyofbeinghere.

Lysandra wondered if anyone else could

see the hint of pain in Aedion’s face—pain,

anddisgustattheimposterqueenswaggering

amongstthem.

“Sorry to disappoint,” she crooned to

Darrow.

Darrow only turned back to the map as

Ravi and Sol filtered in. Sol gave Aelin a

respectful nod, and Ravi flashed her a grin.

Aelinwinkedbeforefacingthemap.

“AfterourroutofMorathyesterdayunder

GeneralAshryver’s command,” Darrow said,

“I believe we should position our troops on

Theralis, and ready Orynth’s defenses for a

siege.”Theolderlords—Sloane,Gunnar,and

Ironwood—gruntedwithagreement.

Aedion shook his head, no doubt already

anticipatingthis.“ItannouncestoErawanthat

we’reontherun,andspreadsustoofarfrom

anypotentialalliesfromtheSouth.”

“In Orynth,” said Lord Gunnar, older and

grayer than Darrow and twice as mean, “we

havewallsthatcanwithstandcatapults.”

“If they bring those witch towers,” Ren

Allsbrook cut in, “then even Orynth’s walls

willcrumble.”

“We have yet to see evidence of those

witch towers,” Darrow countered. “Beyond

thewordofanenemy.”

“An enemy turned ally,”Aelin—Lysandra

—said. Darrow cut her a distasteful stare.

“Manon Blackbeak did not lie. Nor were her

Thirteen aligned with Morath when they

foughtalongsideus.”

AnodfromtheFaeroyals,fromAnsel.

“Against Maeve,” sneered Lord Sloane, a

reed-thin man with a hard face and hooked

nose. “That battle was against Maeve, not

Erawan. Would they have done the same

againsttheirownkind?Witchesareloyalunto

death, and craftier than foxes. Manon

Blackbeakandhercabalmightverywellhave

playedyoufordesperatefoolsandfedyouthe

wronginformation.”

“Manon Blackbeak turned on her own

grandmother, the High Witch of the

Blackbeak Clan,” Aedion said, his voice

droppingtoadangerousgrowl.“Idonotthink

the iron splinters we found in her gut wound

werealie.”

“Again,” Lord Sloane said, “these witches

arecrafty.They’lldoanything.”

“Thewitchtowersarereal,”Lysandrasaid,

letting Aelin’s cool, unfazed voice fill the

tent. “I’m not going to waste my breath

provingtheirexistence.NorwillIriskOrynth

totheirpower.”

“Butyou’driskthebordertowns?”Darrow

challenged.

“Iplantofindawaytotakeoutthetowers

before they can pass the foothills,” she

drawled.SheprayedAedionhadaplan.

“Withthefirethatyou’vesomagnificently

displayed,” Darrow said with equal

smoothness.

Ansel of Briarcliff answered before

Lysandra could come up with a suitably

arrogant lie. “Erawan likes to play his little

mindgames,todrumupfear.Lethimwonder

andworrywhyAelinhasn’twieldedhersyet.

Contemplate if she’s storing it up for

something grand.”A roguish wink at her. “I

dohopeitwillbehorrific.”

Lysandragavethequeenaslashofasmile.

“Oh,itwillbe.”

She felt Aedion’s stare, the well-hidden

agony and worry. But the general said,

“Eldrys was to thin our numbers, make us

doubtMorath’swisdombysendinghisgrunts

here.Hewantsustounderestimatehim.Ifwe

movetotheborder,we’llhavethefoothillsto

slow his advance. We know that terrain; he

doesn’t.Wecanwieldittoouradvantage.”

“And if he cuts through Oakwald?” Lord

Gunnar pointed to the road past Endovier.

“Whatthen?”

RenAllsbrookrepliedthistime.“Thenwe

know that terrain as well. Oakwald has no

loveforErawanorhisforces.Itsallegianceis

to Brannon.And his heirs.”A glance at her,

coldandyet—warming.Slightly.

She offered the young lord a hint of a

smile.Renignoredit,facingthemapagain.

“If we move to the border,” Darrow said,

“we risk being wiped out, thus leaving

Perranth, Orynth, and every town and city in

thiskingdomatErawan’smercy.”

“Thereareargumentstobemadeforboth,”

PrinceEndymionsaid,stepping forward. The

oldest among them, though he looked not a

day past twenty-eight. “Your army remains

toosmalltoriskdividinginhalf.Allmustgo

—eithersouth,orbacknorth.”

“IwouldvotefortheSouth,”saidPrincess

Sellene,Endymion’scousin.Rowan’scousin.

She’d been curious about Aelin, Lysandra

couldtell,buthadstayedaway.Asifhesitant

toforgeabondwhenwarmightdestroythem

all. Lysandra had wondered more than once

whatintheprincess’slonglifehadmadeher

that way—wary and solemn, yet not wholly

aloof. “There are more routes for escape, if

the need arises.” She pointed a tanned finger

to the map, her braided silver hair shining

amongstthefoldsofherheavyemeraldcloak.

“In Orynth, your backs will be against the

mountains.”

“There are secret paths through the

Staghorns,” Lord Sloane said, utterly

unruffled.“Manyofourpeopleusedthemten

yearsago.”

And so it went on. Debating and arguing,

voicesrisingandfalling.

Until Darrow called a vote—amongst the

six Lords of Terrasen only. The only official

leadersofthisarmy,apparently.

Two of them, Sol and Ren, voted for the

border.

Fourofthem,Darrow,Sloane,Gunnar,and

Ironwood,votedtomovetoOrynth.

Darrow simply said, when silence had

fallen,“Shouldouralliesnotwishtoriskour

plan, they may depart. We hold you to no

oaths.”

Lysandraalmoststartedatthat.

Aedion growled, even as worry flashed in

hiseyes.

ButPrinceGalan,whohadkeptsilentand

watchful,alistenerdespitehisfrequentsmiles

and bold fighting on both sea and land,

stepped forward. Looked right at Aelin, his

eyes—their eyes—glowing bright. “Poor

allies we would indeed make,” he said, his

Wendlynian accent rich and rolling, “if we

abandoned our friends when their choices

veeredfromours.Wepromisedourassistance

inthiswar.Wendlynwillnotbackfromit.”

Darrowtensed.Notatthewords,butatthe

factthattheyweredirectedather.AtAelin.

Lysandra bowed her head, putting a hand

onherheart.

Prince Endymion lifted his chin. “I swore

anoathtomycousin,yourconsort,”hesaid,

and the other lords bristled. SinceAelin was

not queen, Rowan’s own title was still not

recognized by them. Only the other lords, it

seemed.“SinceIdoubtwewillbewelcomein

Doranelleagain,Iwouldliketothinkthatthis

may perhapsbeour newhome,should allgo

well.”

Aelin would have agreed. “You are

welcomehere—allofyou.Foraslongasyou

like.”

“You are not authorized to make such

invitations,”LordGunnarsnapped.

Noneofthembotheredtoanswer.ButIlias

oftheSilentAssassinsgaveasolemnnodthat

voiced his agreement to stay, and Ansel of

Briarcliff merely winked again at Aelin and

said, “I came this far to help you beat that

bastardintodust.Idon’tseewhyI’dgohome

now.”

Lysandra didn’t fake the gratitude that

tightenedherthroatasshebowedtotheallies

herqueenhadgathered.

A tall, dark-haired young man entered the

tent,hisgrayeyesdartingaroundthegathered

company.Theywidenedwhentheybeheldher

—Aelin.Widened,thenglancedtoAedionas

iftoconfirm.Hemarkedthegoldenhair,the

Ashryvereyes,andpaled.

“What is it, Nox,” Darrow growled. The

messenger straightened, and hurried to the

lord’s side, murmuring something in his ear.

“Sendhimin,”wasDarrow’sonlyanswer.

Nox stalked out, graceful despite his

height, and a shorter, pale-skinned man

entered.

Darrow extended a hand for the letter.

“YouhadamessagefromEldrys?”

Lysandrasmelledthestrangerthemoment

Aediondid.

A moment before the stranger smiled and

said,“Erawansendshisregards.”

And unleashed a blast of black wind right

ather.



CHAPTER17

Lysandraducked,butnotfastenoughtoavoid

thelashofpowerthatsliceddownherarm.

Shehittheground,rolling,asshe’dlearned

underArobynn’scarefultutelage.ButAedion

was already in front of her, sword out.

Defendinghisqueen.

A flash of light and cold—from Enda and

Sellene—and the Morath messenger was

pinned to his knees, his dark power lashing

againstaninvisiblebarrierofice-kissedwind.

Around the tent, all had fallen back,

weapons glinting. Flanking the downed man,

Ilias and Ansel had their swords already

angled toward him, their defensive poses

mirror images. Trained into their very bones

bythesamemaster,underthesameblistering

sun.Neitherlookedattheother,though.

Ren, Sol, and Ravi had slipped into

position at Lysandra’s—at Aelin’s—side,

their own blades primed to spill blood. A

fledglingcourtclosingranksarounditsqueen.

Never mind that the older lords had

stumbledbehindthesafetyoftherefreshment

table,theirweatheredfacesashen.OnlyGalan

Ashryver had taken up a place near the tent

exit, no doubt to intercept their assailant

should he try to flee. A bold move—and a

fool’s one, considering what knelt in the

centerofthetent.

“Di dno one smell that he was a Valg

demon?”Aediondemanded,haulingLysandra

to her feet with her uninjured arm. But there

was no collar on the stranger, no ring on his

bare,palehands.

Lysandra’sstomachchurnedassheclasped

ahandtothethrobbinggashonherupperarm.

Sheknewwhatbeatwithintheman’schest.A

heartofironandWyrdstone.

The messenger laughed, hissing. “Run to

yourcastle.We’re—”

He sniffed the air. Looked right at

Lysandra.At the bloodleakingdownherleft

arm, seeping into the ocean blue of Aelin’s

worntunic.

His dark eyes widened with surprise and

delight, the word taking form on his lips.

Shifter.

“Kill him,” she ordered the silver-haired

Faeroyals,herheartthundering.

Noonedaredtellhertoburnhimherself.

Endymion raised a hand, and the Valg-

possessedmanbegangasping.Yetnotbefore

his eyes darkened wholly, until no white

shone.

Notfromthedeathsweepingoverhim.But

as he seemed to convey a message down a

long,obsidianbond.

Themessagethatmightdoomthem:Aelin

Galathyniuswasnothere.

“Enoughofthis,”Aedionsnarled,andfear

—real fear blanched his face as he, too,

realized what the messenger had just relayed

tohismaster.

TheSword of Orynth flashed, black blood

spraying, and the man’s head tumbled to the

rug-coveredground.

Inthesilence,Lysandrapanted,liftingher

handfromherarmtosurvey the wound. The

cutwasnotdeep,butitwouldbetenderfora

fewhours.

Ansel of Briarcliff sheathed her wolf-

headed sword and grippedLysandra’s

shoulder,herredhairswayingassheassessed

the injury, then the corpse. “Nasty little

pricks,aren’tthey?”

Aelin would have had some swaggering

answertosetthemallchuckling,butLysandra

couldn’t find the words. She just nodded as

theblackstaininchedoverthetentfloor.The

Faeroyalssniffedatthereek,grimacing.

“Clean up this mess,” Darrow ordered no

one in particular. Even as his hands shook

slightly.

By the tent flaps, Nox was gaping at the

decapitated Valg. His gray eyes met hers,

searching,andthen lowered.“Hedidn’t have

aring,”Noxmurmured.

Snatchingupadanglingedgeoftablecloth

fromtheuntouchedrefreshmenttable,Aedion

wiped the Sword ofOrynth clean.“Hedidn’t

needone.”

ErawanknewAelinwasnotwiththem.Thata

shifterhadtakenherplace.

Aedion stalked through the camp,

Lysandra-as-Aelin at his heels. “I know,” he

said over his shoulder, for once ignoring the

warriorswhosalutedhim.

She kept following him anyway. “What

shouldwedo?”

He didn’t stop until he reached his own

tent,thereekofthatValgmessengerclinging

in his nose. That whip of blackness spearing

forLysandrastillburningbehindhiseyes.Her

cryofpainringinginhisears.

Histemperroiled,howlingforanoutlet.

She followed him into the tent. “What

shouldwedo?”sheaskedagain.

“How about we start with making sure

there aren’t any othermessengers lurking in

thecamp,”hesnarled,pacing.TheFaeroyals

had already conveyed that order, and were

sendingouttheirbestscouts.

“He knows,” she breathed. He whirled to

face her, finding his cousin—finding

Lysandra shaking. Not Aelin, though she’d

been plenty convincing today. Better than

usual.“HeknowswhatIam.”

Aedionrubbedhisface.“Healsoseemsto

know we’re going to Orynth. Wants us to do

justthat.”

She slumped onto his cot, as if her knees

couldn’tholdherupright.Foraheartbeat,the

urgetositbesideher,topullhertohim,was

sostronghenearlyyieldedtoit.

The tang of her blood filled the space,

alongwiththewild,many-facedscentofher.

It dragged a sensual finger down his skin,

whettinghisrageintosomethingsodeadlyhe

mighthaveverywellkilledthenextmalewho

enteredthistent.

“Erawan might hear the news and worry,”

Aedion said when he could think again. “He

mightwonderwhysheisn’there,andifshe’s

about to do something that will hurt him. It

couldforcehimtoshowhishand.”

“Or to strike us now, with his full might,

whenheknowswe’reweakest.”

“We’llhavetosee.”

“Orynth will be a slaughterhouse,” she

whispered, her shoulders curving beneath the

weight—notjustofbeingawomanthrustinto

this conflict, but a woman playing another,

whomightbeabletopretend,butonlysofar.

Whodidnot trulyhavethepowertohalt the

hordesmarchingnorth.She’dbeenwillingto

shoulder that burden, though. For Aelin. For

thiskingdom.

Even if she’d lied to him about it, she’d

beenwillingtoacceptthisweight.

Aedion slumped down beside her and

stared blankly at the tent walls. “We’re not

goingtoOrynth.”

Herheadlifted.Not just at the words, but

at how close he sat. “Where are we going,

then?”

Aedion surveyed his suit of armor, oiled

andwaitingonadummyacrossthetent.“Sol

andRaviwilltakesomeoftheirmenbackto

thecoasttomakesurethatwedon’tencounter

any more attacks from the sea. They’ll

rendezvous with what’s left of the

WendlynianfleetwhileGalanandhissoldiers

staywithus.We’llmarch asonearmy down

totheborder.”

“The other lords voted against it.” Indeed

theyhad,theoldfools.

He’d danced with treason for the past

decade. Had made it an art form. Aedion

smiledslightly.“Leavethattome.”

The Bane were loyal to none but Aelin

Galathynius.

Sowerethealliesshe’dgathered.Andthe

forces of RenAllsbrook and Ravi and Sol of

Suria.

Andso,apparently,wasNoxOwen.

YetitwasLysandra,notAedion,whomade

theirflightpossible.

She’dbeenwalkingbacktoherowntent—

to Aelin’s tent, not fit for a queen, but an

armycaptain—whenNoxfellintostepbeside

her. Silent and graceful. Well-trained. And

likelymorelethalthanheappeared.

“So,Erawanknowsyou’renotAelin.”

She whipped her head to him. “What?”A

quick,vaguequestiontobuyherselftime.Had

Aedionriskedtellinghimthetruth?

Nox gave her a half smile. “I figured as

muchwhenIsawthesurpriseonthatdemon’s

face.”

“Youmustbemistaken.”

“Am I? Or do you not remember me at

all?”

She did her best to look down her nose at

him,evenasthemessenger-thieftoweredover

her.AelinhadnevermentionedaNoxOwen.

“Why should I remember one of Darrow’s

lackeys?”

“Adecentattempt,butCelaenaSardothien

lookedalittlemoreamusedwhenshecutmen

intoribbons.”

He knew—who Aelin was, what she’d

been.Lysandrasaidnothing,andkeptwalking

toward her tent. If she told Aedion, how

quicklycouldNoxbeburiedunderthefrozen

earth?

“Your secret  is safe,” Nox murmured.

“Celaena—Aelinwasafriend.Isstillone,I’d

hope.”

“How.” She’d admit no more than that

regardingherroleinthis.

“We fought in thecompetition together at

the glass castle.” He snorted. “I had no idea

until today. Gods, I was there for Minister

Joval asa spy for the rebels. It was my first

time out of Perranth. Myfirst time, and I

wound up unwittingly training alongside my

queen.” He laughed, low and amazed. “I’d

been working with the rebels for years, even

asathief.Theywanted metobetheirinside

eyesonthecastle,theking’splans.Ireported

the strange goings-on until it became too

dangerous. Until Cel—Aelin warned me to

run. I listened, and came back here. Joval is

dead.Fellinaskirmishwithabandofrebels

bytheborderthisspring.Darrowpluckedme

uptobehisownmessengerandspy.SohereI

am.”Asidelongglanceather,awestillonhis

face.“Iamatyourdisposal,evenifyou’renot

… you.” He angled his head. “Who are you,

anyway?”

“Aelin.”

Noxsmiledknowingly.“Fairenough.”

Lysandra paused before the queen’s too-

small tent, nestled between Aedion’s and

Ren’sown.“What’sthecostofyoursilence?

OrdoesDarrowalreadyknow?”

“Why would I tell him? I serve Terrasen,

andtheGalathyniusfamily.Ialwayshave.”

“Some might say Darrow has a strong

claim to the throne, given his relationship

withOrlon.”

“IrealizedtodaythattheassassinIcameto

call a friend is actually the queen I believed

dead. I think the gods are pointing me in a

certaindirection,don’tyou?”

She lingered between the tent flaps.

Deliciouswarmthbeckonedwithin.“AndifI

weretotellyouweneededyourhelptonight,

andthattheriskwasbeingbrandedatraitor?”

Noxonlysketchedabow.“ThenI’d say I

owe my friend Celaena a favor for her

warning at the castle, plus saving my life

beforethat.”

Shedidn’tknowwhyshetrustedhim.But

she’d developed an instinct for men that had

always proved correct, even if she had been

unabletoactonitinthepast.Hadonlybeen

abletobraceherselfforthem.

But Nox Owen—the kindness in his face

was true. His words were true. Another ally

Aelin had wrangled for them, this time

unwittingly.

SheknewAedionwouldagreetotheplan,

evenifhestillhatedher.SoLysandraleaned

in, her voice dropping to a whisper. “Then

listencarefully.”

Itwasdonequietlyandwithoutatrace.

Everyintricateelementplayedoutwithout

issue,asifthegodsthemselvesaidedthem.

At dinner, Nox Owen laced the wine he’d

personallyserved—asagrovelingapologyfor

lettingintheValgsoldier—toLordsDarrow,

Sloane, Gunnar, and Ironwood. Not to kill

them,buttosendthemintoadeep,dreamless

sleep.

Even a roaring bear couldn’t wake this

lout, Ansel of Briarcliff had sniffed when

she’dstoodoverLordGunnar’scot,liftedhis

limparm,andletitdrop.

Thelorddidn’tstir,andLysandra,wearing

a field mouse’s form and tucked into the

shadows behind the queen, deemed it proof

enough.

The four lords’ loyal banner men also

found themselves sleeping deeply that night,

courtesy of the wine that Galan Ashryver,

Ilias, Ren, and Ravi had made sure was

handedoutattheirfires.

And when they all awoke the next day,

there was only whipping snow beyond their

tents.

Thecampwasgone.

Thearmywithit.



CHAPTER18

No one in Anielle or the gray-stoned keep

looming over its southern edge shouted with

alarmattherukthatdescendedfromtheskies

andalituponthebattlements.

Thekeepsentrieswho’dbeenonwatchhad

onlydrawntheirweapons,oneracingintothe

dim interior, and pointed them at Chaol and

Yreneastheyslidoffthemightybird.

The cold on the open ocean was nothing

compared to the wind off the wall of

mountains the city had been built against, or

the blistering chill from the sprawling Silver

Lake it curved around, so flat that it looked

likea mighty mirror spread beneath thegray

sky.

Yrene knew Anielle’s layout was as

familiartoChaolashisownbody—andknew,

fromthememoriesshe’dseeninhissouland

whathe’dtoldherthesemonths,thatthegray

shinglesoftheroofshadbeenhewnfromthe

slate quarries just to the south, the timber of

the houses takenfrom the tangle of Oakwald

lurkingbeyondtheflatplainthatborderedthe

southernsideofthelake.Asmalloffshootof

peaks juttedlike an arm from the snaking

body of the Fangs, hemming in the city

between it and the Silver Lake—and it was

into thebarren slopes thatthe keep had been

built.

Levelafterlevel,WestfallKeeprosefrom

theplaintothehigherreachesofthemountain

behindit,thelowermostgateopeningontothe

flat expanse of snow, while other levels

flowed into the city to its left. It had been

built as a fortress, the countless levels,

battlements, and gates all designed to outlast

an enemy assault. The gray stones bore the

scars of just how many it had witnessed and

survived,nonemoresothanthethickcurtain

wallthatencompassedthekeep.

Intimidating, imposing, unforgiving—

Chaol had told her the keep had never been

built for beauty or pleasure. Indeed, no

colorfulbannersflappedinthewind.Noscent

orspicesdriftedonit,either.Justchill,thick

dampness.

From the lichen-crusted upper towers,

Yrene knew that one could monitor any

movementsonthelakeortheplain,inthecity

or the forest, even along the slopes of the

Fangs. How many hours had her husband

spent on the tower walkways, gazing toward

Rifthold, wishing he were anywhere but this

cold,darkplace?

ChaolstayedclosetoYrene,hischinhigh,

as he announced to the dozen guards aiming

their swords at them that he was Lord Chaol

Westfall, and he wished to see his father.

Immediately.

She’d never heard him use that voice. A

differentsortofauthority.Alord’svoice.

Alord—andshewasalady,shesupposed.

Evenif flying had forced her to abandon her

usualdressesinfavorofrukhinleathers,even

if she was certain her braided hair had been

whipped in about a dozen directions and

wouldtakehoursandabathtodetangle.

They lingered on the battlements in

silence,andChaol’sglovedhandslidintoher

own,thewindrufflingthefuralonghisheavy

cloak collar. His face revealed nothing but

grimdetermination,yetthehandhesqueezed

around her own … She knew what this

homecomingmeant.

She’d never forget the memory she’d

witnessed of the father who had thrown him

down the stone steps a few levels below,

granting Chaol the hidden scar just past his

hairline. A child. He’d hurled achild down

thosestairsandforcedhimtomakehiswayto

Riftholdonfoot.

She doubted her second impression of her

father-in-lawwouldbeanybetter.

Certainly not as a gaunt-faced man

appearedinagraytunicandsaid,“Comethis

way.”

Notitle,nohonorific.Nowelcome.

Yrene tightened her grip around Chaol’s

hand. They had come to warn the people of

this city—not the bastard who had left such

brutal scars upon her husband’s soul. Those

peopledeservedthewarning,theprotection.

Yreneremindedherselfofthatfactasthey

enteredthegloomykeepinterior.

The tall, narrow passageway wasn’t much

better than the exterior. Slender windows set

high in the walls permitted little light, and

ancient braziers cast flickering shadows on

the stones. Threadbare tapestries hung

intermittently,andnosounds—notmusic,not

laughter,notconversation—greetedthem.

This drafty, ancient house had been his

home? Compared to the khagan’s palace, it

wasahovel,notfitforrukstoroost.

“My father,” Chaol murmured so their

escort wouldn’t hear, no doubt reading the

dismay on Yrene’s face, “doesn’t believe in

wasting his coffers on improvements. If it

hasn’tcollapsed,thenit’snotbroken.”

Yrene tried to smile at the attempt at

humor, tried to do it for his sake, but her

temper roiled with every step down the hall.

Their silent escort at last paused before two

towering oak doors, the wood as old and

rottingasthekeepitself,andknockedonce.

“Enter.”

Yrene felt the tremor that went through

Chaolatthecold,slyvoice.

The doors swung open to reveal a dark,

column-lined hall speared with shafts of

waterylight.

The only greeting they would get, it

seemed, since the man seated at the head of

the long, wooden table, large enough to host

fortymen,didnotbothertorise.

Eachoftheirstepsechoedthroughthehall,

the roaring, mammoth hearth to their left

hardly taking the edge off the cold.A goblet

ofwhatseemedtobewineandtheremainsof

the evening meal lay before the Lord of

Anielle on the table. No sign of his wife, or

otherson.

But the face … it was Chaol’s face, in a

fewdecades.Orwouldbe,ifChaolbecameas

soullessandcoldasthemanbeforethem.

Shedidn’tknowhowhedidit.HowChaol

managedtolowerhisheadinabow.

“Father.”

Chaol had never been ashamed of the keep

untilhe’dwalkedthroughitwithYrene.Had

never realized how badly it needed repairs,

howneglectedithadbeen.

The thought of her, so full of light and

warmth,inthisbleakplacemadehimwantto

run back to the ruk waiting on the parapets

andflytothecoastagain.

And now, at the sight of her before his

father,whohadnotbotheredtorisefromhis

chair, whose half-eaten dinner lay discarded

beforehim,Chaolfoundhistemperinneedof

ashortleash.

His father’s fur-lined cloak pooled around

him.Howmanytimeshadheseenhimonthis

chair,attheheadofthismightytable,which

had once seated some of the finest lords and

warriorsinAdarlan?

Now it lay empty, a husk of what might

havebeen.

“You walk,” his father said, scanning him

fromheadtotoe.Hisattentionlingeredonthe

handChaolstillkeptclaspedaroundYrene’s.

Oh, he’d surely bring that up soon enough.

When it would strike deepest. “Last I heard,

youcouldnotsomuchaswiggleyourtoe.”

“It is thanks to this woman,” Chaol said.

YetYrenestaredathisfather withacoldness

Chaol had never glimpsed before. As if she

were thinking of rotting his organs from the

inside out. It warmed Chaol enough to say,

“Mywife.LadyYreneTowersWestfall.”

A kernel of surprise lit his father’s face,

but swiftly vanished. “A healer, then,” he

mused,surveyingYrenewithanintensitythat

made Chaol want to start shattering things.

“TowersisnotanoblehouseIrecognize.”

Themiserablebastard.

Yrene’schinliftedslightly.“Itmaynotbe,

milord, but its lineage is no less proud or

worthy.”

“Atleastshespeakswell,”hisfathersaid,

sippingfromhiswine.Chaolclenchedhisfree

hand so hard his glove groaned. “Better than

thatotherone—theswaggeringassassin.”

Yrene knew. All of it. She knew every

scrapofhistory,knewwhosenoteshecarried

inherlocket.Butitdidn’teasetheblow,not

as his father added, “Who, it turned out, is

QueenofTerrasen.”Amirthlesslaugh.“What

a prize you might have had then, my son, if

you’dmanagedtokeepher.”

“Yrene is the finest healer of her

generation,” Chaol said with deadly quiet.

“Herworthisgreaterthananycrown.”Andin

thiswar,itmightverywellbe.

“You don’t need to bother proving my

valuetohim,”Yrenesaid,hericyeyespinned

onhisfather.“IknowpreciselyhowtalentedI

am.Idon’trequirehisblessing.”

Shemeanteverydamnword.

Hisfatherturnedthataloofstareuponher

again,curiosityfillingitforamoment.

Ifhe’dbeenasked,evenminutesago,how

he thought this encounter might go, Yrene

being utterly unfazed by his father, Yrene

going toe to toe with his father, would not

havebeenamongthepossibleoutcomes.

His father leaned back in his chair. “You

didn’tcomeheretoatlastfulfillyouroathto

me,didyou.”

“That promise is broken, and for that I

apologize,” Chaol managed tosay. Yrene

bristled. Before she could tell him not to

bother again, Chaol went on, “We came to

warnyou.”

Hisfatherliftedabrow.“Morathisonthe

move, this I know. I’ve taken the precaution

of having your beloved mother and brother

removedtothemountains.”

“Morath is on the move,” Chaol said,

fightingthedisappointmentthathewouldsee

neither of the two people he neededtospeak

to the most, “and it is on its way directly

here.”

Hisfather,foronce,wentstill.

“Ten thousand troops,” Chaol said. “They

cometosackthecity.”

Hecouldhaveswornhisfatherpaled.“You

knowthiswithoutadoubt?”

“I sailed with an army sent from the

khagan, a legion of his ruk riders amongst

them. Their scouts discovered the

information.Therukhinflyhereaswespeak,

buttheirDarghansoldierswon’tarriveforat

least a week or longer.” He came forward—

justonestep.“Youneedtorallyyourforces,

preparethecity.Immediately.”

Buthisfatherswirledhiswine,frowningat

the red liquid within. “There are no forces

here—none to make a dent in ten thousand

men.”

“Then begin the evacuation, and move as

many into thekeepas youcan.Preparefora

siege.”

“Last I looked, boy,I was still Lord of

Anielle. You gladly turned your back on it.

Twice.”

“YouhaveTerrin.”

“Terrin’s a scholar. Why do you think I

senthimawaywithhismotherlikeanursing

babe?” His father sneered. “Have you come

back to bleed forAnielle,then?To bleed for

thiscityatlast?”

“Don’t you talk to him like that,” Yrene

saidwithdangerouscalm.

Hisfatherignoredher.

ButYrenesteppeduptoChaol’ssideonce

more.“IamtheheirapparenttotheHealeron

HighoftheTorreCesme.Icameatyourson’s

behest,backtothelandsofmybirth,tohelp

in this war, along with two hundredhealers

fromtheTorreitself.Yoursonspentthelast

several months forging an alliance with the

khaganate,andnowallofthekhagan’sarmies

sail to this continent to saveyour people. So

while you sit here in your miserable keep,

tossinginsultsathim,knowthathehasdone

what no other could do, and if your city

survives,itwillbebecauseofhim,notyou.”

Hisfatherblinkedather.Slowly.

IttookallofChaol’srestrainttokeepfrom

sweepingYreneintohisarmsandkissingher.

ButChaolsaidtohisfather,“Preparefora

siege, and get the defenses ready. Or the

Silver Lake will run red again beneath the

clawsofErawan’sbeasts.”

“I know thehistory of this city as well as

youdo.”

Chaoldebatedendingitthere,butheasked,

“Isthatwhyyoudidn’tkneeltoErawan?”

“Or to the puppet king before him,” his

fathersaid,pickingathisfood.

“You knew—that the old king was Valg-

possessed?”

His father’s fingers stilled on a crust of

heartybread,theonlysignofhisshock.“No.

Only that he was building a host throughout

thelandthatdidnotseem…natural.Iamno

king’s lackey, no matterwhat youmay think

ofme.”Heloweredhishandoncemore. “Of

course, in myplanstoget youout ofharm’s

way,itseemsitonlyledyouclosertoit.”

“Whybother?”

“ImeantwhatIsaidinRifthold.Terrinis

not a warrior—not at heart. I saw what was

building in Morath, in the Ferian Gap, and

requiredmyeldestsontobehere,topickup

the sword should I fall. And now you have

returned, at the hour when the shadow of

Morathhascreptaroundusonallsides.”

“Allsidesbutone,”Chaolsaid,motioning

toward the White Fangs just barely visible

throughthewindowshighabove.“Rumorhas

it Erawan has spent these months hunting

downthewildmenoftheFangs.Ifyouareso

shortofsoldiers,callforaid.”

His father’s mouth tightened. “They are

half-savage nomads who relish killing our

people.”

“As ours have relished killing them. Let

Erawanuniteus.”

“And offer them what? The mountains

have belonged to us since before Gavin

Havilliardsatonhisthrone.”

Yrene muttered, “Offer them the damn

moon,ifitwillconvincethemtohelp.”

Hisfather smirked. “Canyou offer sucha

thing, as the heir apparent to the Healer on

High?”

“Careful,”Chaolgrowled.

Hisfatherignoredthat,too.“Iwouldrather

have my head on a pike than give the wild

menoftheFangsaninchofAnielle’sland,let

aloneaskthemforaid.”

“Ihopeyourpeopleagree,”saidYrene.

His father let out one of those joyless

laughs. “I like you better than the assassin-

queen, I think. Perhaps marrying the rabble

will breed some backbone into our bloodline

oncemore.”

Chaol’s blood roared in his ears, but

Yrene’s lips curved into a smile. “You’re

exactly as I’d pictured you to be,” she said.

Hisfatheronlyinclinedhishead.

“Prepare this city, this keep,” Chaol

managedtosaythroughhisgrittedteeth.“Or

you’ll deserve everything you bring down

uponit.”



CHAPTER19

Fifteenminuteslater,ChaolcouldfeelYrene

still trembling as they entered a small yet

warmbedroom.Oneofthefewcozyplacesin

this horrible keep. A bed and a half-rusted

washingbasinfilledmostofthespace,aewer

ofsteamingwaterbesideit.

Notexactlyabedroomfitforalord’sson.

Hefoughttheheatthatwarmedhischeeks.

“I was disowned, remember,” Chaol said,

leaning against the shut door, their packs

discardedathisfeet.“Thisbedroomismeant

foraguest.”

“I’m sure your father had it selected just

foryou.”

“I’msurehedid.”

Yrene snarled. “He’s worse than you

portrayed.”

Chaol gave her a tired, small smile. “And

youwerebrilliant.”Utterlybrilliant.

Hisfather,atleast,hadagreedtobeginthe

evacuations for those on the outskirts of the

city,andbythetimethey’dmadetheirwayto

thisroom, the keep had already been abuzz

withreadyingforasiege.Ifhisfatherneeded

help planning it, the man hadn’t let on.

Tomorrow,aftertheyrestedtonight,he’dsee

forhimselfwhathisfatherhadinmind.

But for now, after almost two days of

flyingthroughthefrigidair,heneededtorest.

And his wife, however bold and fearless,

neededtorestaswell,whethersheadmittedit

ornot.

SoChaolpushedoffthedoor,prowlingto

whereYrene paced in front of the bed. “I’m

sorryforwhathesaidtoyou.”

She waved him off. “I’m sorry you ever

had to deal with him for longer than that

conversation.”

Her temper, despite all that loomed,

despite the bastard ruling over this city,

warmed something in him. Enough so that

Chaol closed the distance between them,

halting her pacing by taking her hand. He

brushedhisthumboverherweddingband.

“Iwishyouweremeetingherinstead—my

mother,”hesaidsoftly.

The fierceness in her eyes banked. “I do,

too.”Hermouthquirkedtotheside.“Though

I’m surprised your father cared enough to

sendthemawayatawhisperofathreat.”

“They’re assets to him. I wouldn’t be

surprisedifhe sentthemwithagoodpartof

thetrove.”

Yreneglancedaroundindoubt.

“Anielle is one of the richer territories in

Adarlan,despitewhatthiskeepsuggests.”He

kissed her knuckles, her ring. “There are

chambers full of treasure in the catacombs.

Gold,jewels,armor—rumorhasitthewealth

ofanentirekingdomisdownthere.”

Yrene let out an impressed hum, but said,

“IshouldhavetoldSartaqandNesryntobring

more healers than the fifty we selected.”

Hafiza would remain with the foot soldiers

and cavalry, but Eretia, her second-in-

command, would fly with the ruks and lead

thegroup,Yreneincluded.

“We’llmakedowithwhatwehave.Idoubt

there was a single magically gifted healer in

thiscityuntilanhourago.”

Herthroatbobbed.“Canthiskeepsurvivea

siegelong enough for the terrestrial army to

gethere?Itdoesn’tlooklikeitcanwithstand

another winter, let alone an army at its

doorstep.”

“This keep has stood for well over a

thousand years—it survivedErawan’s second

army,even when theysackedAnielle. Itwill

outlastthisthirdwarofhis,too.”

“Where will the people evacuate to? The

mountainsarealreadycoveredinsnow.”

“There are passes through them—

dangerous, but they could make it to the

Wastesiftheystaytogetherandbringenough

supplies.” Heading north of Anielle was a

deathtrap,withthewitchesholdingtheFerian

Gap,andgoingtoofarsouthwouldtakethem

to Morath’s doorstep. To go east would take

them in the path of the army they sought to

outrun. “They might be able to hide in

Oakwald, along the edge of the Fangs.” He

shook his head. “There are no good options,

notatthistimeofyear.”

“A lot of them won’t make it,” she said

softly.

“They’llstandabetterchanceintheFangs

than here,” he said with equal quiet. They

were still his people, had still shown him

kindness, even when his own father had not.

“I’llseetoitthatmyfathersendssomeofthe

soldierswhoaretoooldtofightwiththem—

they’llremembertheway.”

“IknowI’mnothingmorethantherabble,”

Yrene said, and Chaol snickered, “but those

who do choose to stay, who are let into the

keep … Perhaps while we wait for our own

forces, I could help find room for them.

Supplies. See if there are any healers among

themwhomighthaveaccesstotheherbsand

ingredientsweneed.Getbandagesready.”

He nodded, pride filling his chest to the

pointofpain.Alady.Ifnotbyblood,thenby

nobilityofcharacter.Hiswifewasmoreofa

ladythananyotherhe’dmet,inanycourt.

“Then let us prepare for war, husband,”

Yrenesaid,sorrowanddreadfillinghereyes.

Anditwasthesightofthatkerneloffear,

not for herself but what they were

undoubtedly soon to take part in, to witness,

that had him sweepingher into his arms and

laying her uponthe bed. “Warcan wait until

morning,” he said, and lowered his mouth to

hers.

Dawnbroke,andtheruksarrived.

So many ruks they blotted out the watery

sun,theboomofwingsandrustleoffeathers

fillingtheskies.

People cried out this time, their voices a

heraldofthescreamstocomewhenthatarmy

reachedtheirdoorstep.

Ontheplainbeforethesouthernsideofthe

keep,flowingtothelakeedgeitself,theruks

settled. It had long been kept clear of

settlement, the flat expanse riddled with hot

springsandpronetoannualflooding,thougha

fewstubbornfarmersstilltriedtocoaxcrops

fromthehardsoil.

It had once been part of the lake itself,

beforetheWesternFallstuckedintotheFangs

had been dammed up, their roaring waters

quieted to a trickle that fed the lake. For

centuries, Chaol’s ancestors had debated

breakingthedam,lettingthatragingriverrun

freeoncemore,nowthattheirancientforges

had given way to a few water-powered mills

thatcouldeasilybemovedelsewhere.

Yet the destruction breaking that dam

would cause, even if they gathered every

water-wielderintherealmtocontroltheflow,

wouldbecatastrophic.Theentireplainwould

floodinamatterofminutes,someofthecity

being swept away as well. The waters would

barrel down from the mountains, destroying

everythingintheirpathinamightywavethat

would flow to Oakwald itself. The lowest

levels of the keep, the gate that opened onto

theplain,wouldbewhollysubmerged.

Sothedamhadstayed,andthegrassyplain

withit.

The ruks settled themselves in neat rows,

and Chaol and Yrene watched from the

battlements,othersentriesbreakingfromtheir

poststojointhem,astheridersbegansetting

upcampwithwhateversuppliestheirmounts

hadcarried.Thehealerswouldbebroughtup

later, though a few might remain down in

theircampuntilMorath’slegionarrived.

Twodarkshapes soared overhead,andthe

sentriesfellbacktotheirpostsasNesrynand

Sartaqlandedonthebattlementwall,asmall

falcon alighting beside the former’s ruk.

FalkanEnnar,then.

Nesryn leaped off her ruk in an easy

movement, her face grave as any pocket of

Hellas’s realm. “Morath is three days away,

possiblyfour,”shesaidbreathlessly.

Sartaq came up behind her, the ruks

needing no hitching post. “We kept high

overhead,outofsight,butFalkanwasableto

get closer.” The shifter remained in falcon

formbySalkhi.

Yrene stepped forward. “What did you

see?”

Nesryn shook her head, her normally

golden-brownskinbloodless.“Valgandmen,

mostly.Buttheyalllookfast—vicious.”

Chaol reined in his grimace. “No sign of

thewitches?”

“None,” Sartaq said, running a hand over

his braided hair. “Though they might be

waiting to sweep down from the Ferian Gap

whenthearmyarriveshere.”

“Let’s pray they don’t,” Yrene said,

surveyingtheruksinthevalleybelow.

Athousandruks.Ithadseemedlikeagift

from the gods, seemed like an impossibly

largenumber.Andyetseeingthemassembled

ontheplain…

Even the mighty birds might be swept

awayinthetideofbattle.



CHAPTER20

“Do you know the story of the queen who

walkedthroughworlds?”

Seated on the mossy carpet of an ancient

glen, one hand toying with the small white

flowers strewn across it, Aelin shook her

head.

In the towering oaks that formed a lattice

over the clearing, small stars blinked and

shimmered, as if they’d been snared by the

branches themselves. Beyond them, bathing

theforestwithlightbrightenoughtoseeby,a

full moon had risen. All around them, faint,

lilting singing floated on the warm summer

air.

“Itisasadstory,”herauntsaid,onecorner

of her red-painted mouth curling upward as

she leaned back on her seat carved into a

granite boulder. Her usual place, while they

had these lessons, these long, peaceful chats

deep into the balmysummernights.“And an

oldone.”

Aelin lifted an eyebrow. “Aren’t I a little

old for faerie stories?” She’d indeed just

celebrated her twentieth birthday three days

ago,inanotherclearingnottoofarfromhere.

Half of Doranelle had come, it had seemed,

andyethermatehadfoundawaytosneakher

from the revelry. All the way to a secluded

pool in the forest’s heart. Her face still

warmed to think of that moonlit swim, what

Rowan had made her feel, how he’d

worshippedherinthesun-warmedwater.

Mate. The word was still a surprise.As it

hadbeentoarrivehereatspring’sendandsee

him beside her aunt’s throne and simply

know.Andinthemonthssince,theircourting

…Aelin indeed blushed at the thought of it.

Whatthey’ddoneinthatforestpoolhadbeen

the culmination of those months. And an

unleashing. Themating marks on her neck—

andonRowan’s—provedit.Shewouldnotbe

returning to Terrasen alone when autumn

arrived.

“No one is too old for faerie stories,” her

aunt said, faint smile growing. “And as you

are part faerie yourself, I would think you’d

havesomeinterestinthem.”

Aelinsmiledback,bowingherhead.“Fair

enough,Aunt.”

Aunt wasn’t entirely accurate, not with

generations and millennia separating them,

but it was the only thing the queen had

suggestedAelincallher.

Maeve settled further into her seat. “Long

ago, when the world was new, when there

were nohumankingdoms,whennowars had

marredtheearth,ayoungqueenwasborn.”

Aelin folded her legs beneath her, angling

herhead.

“She did not know she was a queen.

Amongstherpeople,powerwasnotinherited,

but simplyborn. And as she grew, her

strengthrosewithher.Shefoundthelandshe

dwelledintobetoosmallforthatpower.Too

darkandcoldandgrim.Shehadgiftssimilar

tomanywieldedbyherkind,butshehadbeen

g i v e nmore, her power a sharper, more

intricate weapon—enough that she was

different. Her people saw that power and

bowedtoit,andsheruledthem.

“Wordspreadofhergifts,andthreekings

came to seek her hand. To form an alliance

betweentheirthroneandtheoneshehadbuilt

forherself,smallasitmighthavebeen.Fora

time,shethoughtitwouldbethenewness,the

challenge that she had always craved. The

threekingswerebrothers,eachmightyinhis

ownright,theirpowervastandterrifying.She

picked the eldest among them, not for any

particularskillorgrace,butforhiscountless

libraries. What she might learn in his lands,

what she mightdo with her power … It was

that knowledge she craved, not the king

himself.”

Astrangestory.Aelin’sbrowsrose,buther

auntcontinuedon.

“Sothey were wed, andshe left her small

territorytojoinhiminhiscastle.Foratime,

she was contented, both by her husband and

the knowledge his home offered her. He and

his two brothers were conquerors, and spent

much of their time away, leashing new lands

to their shared throne. She did not mind, not

when it gave her freedom to learn as she

would. But her husband’s libraries contained

knowledge even he did not realize was held

within. Lore and wisdom from worlds long

since turned to dust. She learned that there

were indeedother worlds. Not the dark,

blastedrealminwhichtheylived,butworlds

beyondthat,livingatoponeanotherandnever

realizing it. Worlds where the sun was not a

watery trickle through the ash-clouds, but a

goldenstreamofwarmth.Worldswheregreen

existed.Shehadneverheardof sucha color.

Green. Nor had she heard of blue—not the

shadeofskythatwasdescribed.Shecouldnot

somuchaspictureit.”

Aelinfrowned.“Apitifulexistence.”

Maeve nodded grimly. “It was. And the

moreshereadabouttheseotherworlds,where

long-dead wayfarers had once roamed, the

more she wanted to see them. To know the

kiss of the sun on her face. To hear the

morningsongsofsparrows,thecryingofgulls

over the sea. The sea—that, too, was foreign

to her. An endless sprawl of water, with its

ownmoodsandhiddendepths.Alltheyhadin

herlandswereshallow,murkylakesandhalf-

dried streams. So while her husband and his

twobrotherswereoffwagingyetanotherwar,

shebegantoponderhowshemightfindaway

into one of those worlds. How she might

leave.”

“Issuchathingevenpossible?”Something

nagged at her, as if it mightindeed be true,

butperhapsthatwasoneofherownmother’s

tales, or even Marion’s, tugging on her

memory.

Maeve nodded. “It was. Using the very

language of existence itself, doors might be

opened, however briefly, between worlds. It

was forbidden, outlawed long before her

husbandandhisbrotherswereborn.Oncethe

lastoftheancientwayfarershaddiedout,the

paths between realms were sealed, their

methodsofworld-walkinglostwiththem.Or

soallhadthought.Butdeepinherhusband’s

private library, she found the old spells. She

began with small experiments. First, she

openedadoortotherealmofresting,tofind

oneofthosewayfarersandaskherhowitwas

properly done.” A knowing smile. “The

wayfarer refused to tell her. So the queen

began to teach herself. Opening and closing

doors long since forgotten or sealed. Peering

deep into the workings of the cosmos. Her

own world became a cage. She grew tired of

herhusband’swarring,hiscasualcruelty.And

when he went away to war once again, the

queen gathered her closest handmaidens,

openedadoortoanewworld,andlefttheone

she’dbeenborninto.”

“She left?” Aelin blurted. “She—she just

leftherownworld?Permanently?”

“It had never been her world, not really.

Shehadbeenborntoruleothers.”

“Wheredidshego?”

That smile grew a bit. “To a fair, lovely

world.Where therewas nowar,no darkness.

Notlikethatinwhichshehadbeenborn.She

wasmadeaqueenthere,too.Wasabletohide

herselfwithinanewbodysothatnonecould

knowwhatshe was beneath,sothat even her

ownhusbandwouldnotrecognizeher.”

“Didheeverfindheragain?”

“No,thoughhelooked.Foundoutallshe’d

learned, and taught it to himself and his

brothers.Theytoreapartworldafterworldto

find her.And when theyarrived atthe world

where she had made her new home, they did

not know her. Even as they went to war, she

didnotrevealherself.Shewon,andtwoofthe

kings, her husband included, were banished

back to their own world. The third remained

trapped,hispowernearlybroken.Hecrawled

off into the depths of the earth, and the

victorious queen spent her long, long

existence preparing for his return, preparing

herpeopleforit.Forthethreekingshadgone

beyond her methods of world-walking. They

had found a way to permanentlyopen a gate

between worlds, and had made three keys to

doso.Towield thosekeys was tocontrolall

worlds, to have the power of eternity in the

palm ofyour hand. She wished to find them,

only so she might possess the strength to

banish any enemies, banish her husband’s

youngestbrotherbacktohisrealm.Toprotect

her new, lovely world. It was all she ever

wanted:todwellinpeace,withouttheshadow

ofherpasthuntingher.”

From far away, that ghost of memory

pushed.Asifshe’dforgottentodouseaflame

leftburninginherroom.“Anddidthequeen

findthekeys?”

Maeve’s smile turned sad. “Do you think

shedid,Aelin?”

Aelin considered. So many of their chats,

theirlessonsinthisglen,helddeeperpuzzles,

questionsforhertoworkthrough,tohelpher

when she one day took her throne, Rowan at

herside.

As if she’d summoned him, the pine-and-

snowscentof her mate filled theclearing.A

rustleofwings, and there he was, perched in

hawk form on one of the towering oaks. Her

warrior-prince.

She smiled toward him, as she had for

weeks now, when he’d come to escort her

back to her rooms in the river palace. It was

during those walks from forest to mist-

shroudedcitythatshehadcometoknowhim,

love him. More than she had ever loved

anything.

Aelinagainfacedheraunt.“Thequeenwas

clever,andambitious.Iwouldthinkshecould

doanything,evenfindthekeys.”

“So you would believe. And yet they

eludedher.”

“Wheredidtheygo?”

Maeve’sdarkstareunwaveringlyheldhers.

“Wheredoyouthinktheywent?”

Aelinopenedhermouth.“Ithink—”

Sheblinked.Paused.

Maeve’s smile returned, soft and kind.As

her aunt had been to her from the start.

“Wheredoyouthinkthekeysare,Aelin?”

She opened her mouth once more. And

againhalted.

Like an invisible chain yanked her back.

Silencedher.

Chain—a chain. She glanced down at her

hands,herwrists.Asif expecting themtobe

there.

She had never felt a shackle’s bite in her

life.Andyetshestaredattheemptyplaceon

her wrist where she could have sworn there

was a scar. Only smooth, sun-kissed skin

remained.

“If this world were at risk, if those three

terrible kings threatened to destroy it, where

wouldyougotofindthekeys?”

Aelinlookedupatheraunt.

Another world. There was another world.

Likeafragmentofadream,therewasanother

world,andinit,shehadawristwithascaron

it.Hadscarsallover.

Andhermate,perchedoverhead…Hehad

a tattoo down his face and neck and arm in

thatworld.Asadstory—histattootoldasad,

awfulstory.Aboutloss.Losscausedbyadark

queen—

“Wherearethekeyshidden,Aelin?”

That placid, loving smile remained on

Maeve’sface.Andyet…

Andyet.

“No,”Aelinbreathed.

Something slithered in the depths of her

aunt’sstare.“Nowhat?”

This wasn’t her existence, her life. This

place, these blissful months learning in

Doranelle,findinghermate—

Bloodandsandandcrashingwaves.

“No.”

Her voice was a thunderclap through the

peacefulglen.

Aelinbaredherteeth,fingerscurlinginthe

moss.

Maeveletoutasoftlaugh.Rowanflapped

from the branches to land on the queen’s

upraisedarm.

He didn’t so much as fight it when she

wrappedherthinwhitehandsaroundhisneck.

Andsnappedit.

Aelinscreamed.Screamed,clutchingather

chest,attheshreddingmatingbond—

Aelin arched off the altar, and every broken

andtornpartofherbodyscreamedwithher.

Aboveher,Maevewassmiling.“Youliked

thatvision,didn’tyou?”

Not real. That had not been real. Rowan

wasalive,hewasalive—

She tried to move her arm. Red-hot

lightninglashedher,andshescreamedagain.

Onlyabrokenraspcameout.Broken,just

asherarmnowlay—

Nowlay—

Bone gleamed, jutting upward along more

places than she could count. Blood and

twistedskin,and—

Noshacklescars,evenwiththewreckage.

In this world, this place, she did not have

scars,either.

Anotherillusion,anotherspundreamscape

—

She screamed again. Screamed at her

ruined arm, the unscarred skin, screamed at

thelingeringechooftheseveredmatingbond.

“Do you know what pains me most,

Aelin?”Maeve’swordsweresoftasalover’s.

“It’sthatyoubelieveI’mthevillaininthis.”

Aelinsobbedthroughherteethasshetried

and failed to move her arm. Both arms. She

casthergazethroughthespace,thisreal-yet-

notroom.

They’drepairedthebox.Hadweldedanew

slabofironoverthelid.Thenoverthesides.

Thebottom.Lessairtrickledin,thehoursor

days now spent inside in near-suffocating

heat. It had been a relief when she’d finally

beenchainedtothealtar.

Whenever that had been. If it had even

happenedatall.

“IhavenodoubtthatyourmateorElenaor

even Brannon himself filled your head with

liesaboutwhatI’lldowiththekeys.”Maeve

ranahandoverthestonelipofthealtar,right

through her splattered blood and shards of

bone.“ImeantwhatIsaid.Ilikethisworld.I

do not wish to destroy it. Only improve it.

Imaginearealmwherethereisnohunger,no

pain.Isn’tthatwhatyouandyourcohortsare

fightingfor?Abetterworld?”

Thewordswereamockery.Amockeryof

whatshe’dpromised so many. What she had

promisedTerrasen,andstillowedit.

Aelin tried not to shift against the chains,

against her broken arms, against the tight

pressurepushingonherskinfromtheinside.

A rising intensity along her bones, in her

head.Alittlemore,everyday.

Maeve heaved a small sigh. “I know what

you think of me, Fire-Bringer. What you

assume.Buttherearesometruthsthatcannot

beshared.Evenforthekeys.”

Yetthegrowingstraincrackingwithinher,

smotheringthepain…perhapsworse.

Maeve cupped her cheek over the mask.

“The Queen Who Was Promised. I wish to

save you from that sacrifice, offered up by a

headstrong girl.” A soft laugh. “I’d even let

you have Rowan. The two of you here,

together. While you and I work to save this

world.”

The words were lies. She knew it, though

shecouldn’t quiteremember where onetruth

ended and the lie began. If her mate had

belonged to another before her. Been given

away.Orhadthatbeenthenightmare?

Gods,thepressureinherbody.Herblood.

Youdonotyield.

“You can feel it, even now,” Maeve went

on.“Theurgeofyourbodytosayyes.”Aelin

opened her eyes, and confusion must have

glittered there, because Maeve smiled. “Do

youknowwhatbeingencasedinirondoestoa

magic-wielder? You wouldn’t feel it

immediately, but as time goes on … your

magic needs release, Aelin. That pressure is

your magic screaming itwants you to come

free of these chains and release the strain.

Yourverybloodtellsyoutoheedme.”

Truth. Not the submission part, but the

deepeningpressuresheknewwouldbeworse

thananypainfromburnout.She’dfeltitonce,

whenplungingasfarintoherpowerasshe’d

evergone.

Thatwouldbenothingcomparedtothis.

“Iamleavingforafewdays,”Maevesaid.

Aelinstilled.

Maeve shook her head in a mockery of

disappointment. “You are not progressing as

quicklyasIwished,Aelin.”

Acrosstheroom,Fenrysletoutawarning

snarl.Maevedidn’tsomuchasglanceathim.

“It has come to my attention that our

mutualenemyhasbeenspottedagainonthese

shores. One of them, a Valg prince, was

containedafewdays’journeyfromhere,near

thesouthernborder.Itbroughtwithitseveral

collars, no doubt to use on my own people.

Perhapsevenonme.”

No.No—

Maeve brushed a hand overAelin’s neck,

asiftracingalinewherethecollarwouldgo.

“SoIwillgomyselftoretrievethatcollar,to

see what Erawan’s minion might say for

itself. I ripped apart the Valg princes who

encountered me in the first war,” she said

quietly.“Itshallberathereasy,Isuppose,to

insteadbendthemtomywill.Well,bendone

tomywillandwrestitfromErawan’scontrol,

onceIputitscollararoundyourneck.”

No.

The word was a steady chant, a rising

shriekwithinher.

“I don’t know why I didn’t think of it

before,”Maevemused.

No.

Maeve poked Aelin’s shattered wrist, and

Aelin swallowed her scream. “Think on it.

And when I return, let’s discuss my

proposition again. Maybe all that growing

strainwillmakeyouseemoreclearly,too.”

A collar. Maeve was going to retrieve a

Wyrdstonecollar—

Maeve turned, black gown swirling with

her. She crossed the threshold, and her owl

swoopedfromitsperchatoptheopendoorto

land upon her shoulder. “I’m sure Cairn will

findwaystoentertainyouwhileI’maway.”

Shedidn’tknowhowlongshelayonthealtar

after the healers swept in with their sweet-

smelling smoke. They’d put the metal

gauntletsbackonher.

With each hour, the pressure beneath her

skingrew.Eveninthatheavy,druggedsleep.

Asifonceshe’dacknowledgedit,itwouldn’t

beignored.Orcontained.

It would be the least of her problems, if

Maeveputacollararoundherneck.

Fenrys sat by the wall, concern bright in

hiseyesasheblinked.Areyouallright?

Sheblinkedtwice.No.

No,shewasnotanywhereneartoallright.

Maeve had been waiting for this, waiting for

this pressure to begin, worse than anything

Cairn might do. And with the collar Maeve

nowwenttopersonallyretrieve…

She couldn’t let herself contemplate it. A

more horrificform ofslavery, oneshe might

never escape, never be able to fight. Not a

breakingoftheFire-Bringer,butanerasure.

Totakeallshewas,powerandknowledge,

andripitfromher.Tohavehertrappedinside

while she witnessed her own voice yield the

location of the Wyrdkeys. Swear the blood

oathtoMaeve.Whollysubmittoher.

Fenrysblinkedfourtimes.Iamhere,Iam

withyou.

Sheansweredinkind.Iamhere,Iamwith

you.

Her magic surged, seeking a way out,

fillingthegapsbetweenherbreathandbones.

She couldn’t find room for it, couldn’t  do

anythingtosootheit.

Youdonotyield.

Shefocusedonthewords.Onhermother’s

voice.

Perhaps the magic would devour her from

theinsidebeforeMaevereturned.

Butshedidnotknowhowshe’dendureit.

Endureanotherfewdaysofthis,letalonethe

nexthour.Toeasethestrain,justafraction…

She shut down the thoughts that snaked

intohermind.HerownorMaeve’s,shedidn’t

care.

Fenrys blinked again, the same message

overandover.Iamhere,Iamwithyou.

Aelinclosedhereyes,prayingforoblivion.

“Getup.”

Amockeryofwordsshe’donceheard.

Cairnstoodaboveher,asmiletwistinghis

hatefulface.Andthewildlightinhiseyes…

Aelin went still as he began unfastening

herchains.

Guardsstompedin.Fenryssnarled.

The pressure writhed against her skin,

pounding in her head like a brutal hammer.

Worse than the tools of breaking dangling at

Cairn’sside.

“Maeve wants you moved,” he said, that

feverish light growing as he hoisted her up

andcarriedhertothebox.Letherdropintoit

sohardthechainsclankedagainstherbones,

her skull. Her eyes watered, and she lunged

up,butthelidslammedshut.

Darkness, hot and tight, pressed in. The

twintowhatgrewunderherskin.

“With Morath creeping onto these shores

again,shewantsyoumovedsomewheremore

secure until she returns,” Cairn crooned

through the lid. Guards grunted, and the box

lifted,Aelinshifting,bitingherlipagainstthe

movement.“Idon’tgiveashitwhatshedoes

toyouoncesheputsthatdemoncollararound

yourthroat.Butuntilthen …I’ll get you all

tomyself,won’tI?Alastlittleboutoffunfor

you and me, until you find yourself with a

newfriendinsideyou.”

Dread coiled in her stomach, smothering

thepressure.

Moving her to another location—she had

once warned a young healer about that. Had

toldherifanattackertriedtomoveher,they

wouldmostdefinitelykillher,andshewasto

makeafinalstandbeforetheycould.

And that was without the threat of a

Wyrdstone collar traveling closer with each

passingday.

But Cairn wouldn’t kill her, not when

Maeveneededheralive.

Aelinfocusedonherbreathing.Inandout,

outandin.

It didn’t keep the oily, sharp fear from

takinghold.Frommakingherstartshaking.

“You are to join us, Fenrys,” Cairn said,

laughterinhisvoiceasAelinslidagainstthe

metal of the box while they walked up the

stairs. “I wouldn’t want you to miss a

heartbeatofthis.”



CHAPTER21

Rowankneweverypath,traveledandhidden,

intoDoranelle.Boththelushkingdomandthe

sprawlingcityithadbeennamedafter.

So did Gavriel and Lorcan. They’d sold

their horses the night before, Elide bartering

for them. The Fae warriors were too

recognizable,andiftheirfacesweren’tnoted,

the sheer presence of their power would be.

Fewwouldn’tknowwhotheywere.

Unlike the northern border with Wendlyn,

no wild wolves guarded the southern roads

intothekingdom.Butthey’dstillkepthidden,

taking half-forgotten pathways on their trek

northward.

Andwhentheywereafewdaysawayfrom

theouterlimitsofthecity,theyhadlaidtheir

trapforMaeve.

Whatheknewthequeenmightnotbeable

to resist coming to retrieve herself:

Wyrdstonecollars.

Aelinhadnot brokenyet.Heknewit,had

feltit.ItwouldlikelybedrivingMaevemad.

SothetemptationtouseoneoftheWyrdstone

collars, the arrogance he knew Maeve

possessedthatwouldallowhertobelieveshe

mightcontrolthedemonwithin,wrestitaway

from Erawan himself … it would indeed be

toogreatanopportunityforthequeentopass

up.

So they had begun with rumors, fed by

Elide at taverns and markets, at the places

where Rowan knew Maeve’s spies would be

listening.WhispersofaFaegarrisonwhohad

captured a Valg prince—the strange collars

they found on him. The location: an outpost

leagues away. The collars: anyone’s for the

taking.

He didn’t bother to pray to the gods that

Maevefellforit.Thatshedidn’tsendoneof

her spies instead to retrieve the collars or

confirmtheirexistence.Afool’sgamble,but

theonlyonetheycouldmake.

And as they scaled the steep southern

hillocks that would offer them a view of the

night-veiled city at last, Rowan’s heart

thundered in his chest. They might not have

Maeve’s cloaking abilities, but without the

bloodoath,theycouldremainundetected.

Though Maeve’s eyes were everywhere,

her net of power spread far and wide across

thisland.Andsomanyothers.

Their breathing was labored as they half

crawled to the highest of the wooded hills.

There were other ways into the city, yes, but

nonethatofferedaviewoftheterrainbefore

them. Rowan hadn’t risked flying, not when

keen-eyed patrols no doubt searched for a

white-tailed hawk, even under cover of

darkness.

Onlythirtyfeettothesummitnow.

Rowan kept climbing, the others close

behind.

She was here. She’d been here the entire

time.Ifthey’dcomedirectlytoDoranelle—

Hedidn’tlethimselfconsiderit.Notashe

clearedthehilltop.

Underthesliverofamoon,thegray-stoned

city was bathed in white, wreathed in mist

from the surrounding rivers and waterfalls.

Elide,amidherpanting,gasped.

“I—IthoughtitwouldbelikeMorath,”she

admitted.

The serene city lay in the heart of a river

basin. Lanterns still glowed despite the late

hour,andheknewthatinsomesquares,music

wouldbeplaying.

Home. Or it had been. Were its citizens

still his people, when he’d wed a foreign

queen?Whenhe’dfoughtandkilledsomany

of them on Eyllwe’s waters? He didn’t look

fortheblackmourningbannersthatwouldbe

hangingfromsomanywindows.

Beside him, he knew Lorcan and Gavriel

were avoiding counting them, too. For

centuries,theyhadknownthesepeople,lived

amongstthem.Calledthemfriends.

Butwereanyawarewhowasheldintheir

midst?Hadtheyheardherscreams?

“That’s the palace,” Gavriel said to Elide,

pointing toward the cluster of domes and

elegantbuildingssetontheeasternedge,right

alongthelipofthemassivewaterfall.

None of them spoke as they scanned the

column-linedbuildingthathousedthequeen’s

private quarters. And their own suites. No

lightsburnedwithin.

“Itdoesn’tconfirmanything,”Lorcansaid.

“WhetherMaeveleft,orifAelinremains.”

Rowanlistenedtothewind,scentedit,but

feltnothing.“Theonlywaytoconfirmeither

istogointothecity.”

“Are those two bridges the only way in?”

Elide frowned toward the twin stone bridges

on the southern and northern sides of

Doranelle. Both open, both visible for miles

around.

“Yes,”Lorcansaid,hisvoicetight.

Theriverwastoowide,toowild,toswim.

Andifanyotherwaysinexisted,Rowanhad

neverlearnedthem.

“We should make a wide sweep of the

basin,” Lorcan said, studying the city in the

heart of the plain. To the north, the forested

foothills flowed to the towering wall of the

Cambrian Mountains. To the west, theplain

rolledintofarmland,endlessandopen,tothe

sea. And in the east, past the waterfall, the

grassy plain yielded to ancient forests, more

mountainsbeyondthem.

Hismountains.Theplacehe’doncecalled

home, where that mountain house had stood

until it had been burned. Where he’d buried

Lyria and had one day expected to be laidto

resthimself.

“Weneedanexitstrategyaswell,”Rowan

said,thoughhe’dalreadybeenconsideringit.

Where to run afterward. Maeve would send

outherbesttohuntthemdown.

That had once included him. He’d been

senttotrackanddispatchtheFaewhoturned

too monstrous for even Maeve to stomach,

rogue Fae who had no business existing

anymore. He’d trained the hunters Maeve

would now unleash. Had taught them the

veiledpaths,theplacesFaepreferredtohide.

He’dneverconsideredthatwouldsomeday

beusedagainsthim.

“Wetakeaday,”Lorcansaid.

Rowanleveledacoldlookathim.“Aday

ismorethanwecanspare.”

Aelin was down there. In that city. He

knewit,couldfeelit.He’dbeenplunginginto

hispowerforthepasttwodays,readyingfor

the killing he’d unleash, the flight they’d

make.Thestrainofholdingitbackyankedon

him,onanylingeringcontrol.

Lorcansaid,“We’llpayforahastyplanif

we don’t take the time.Your mate will pay,

too.”

His former commander’s control was also

on a knife’s edge. Even Gavriel, calm and

steady,waspacing.Allofthemhaddescended

intotheirpower,drawingitupfromthevery

dregs.

ButLorcanwasright.Rowanwouldsaythe

sameiftheirpositionswerereversed.

Gavriel pointed to arocky outcropping on

the hill face below them. “It’s shielded from

sight. We camp there tonight, make our

assessmentstomorrow.Getsomerest.”

The idea was abhorrent. Sleeping while

Aelinwasmeremilesaway.Hisearsstrained,

as if he might pick up her screams on the

wind.ButRowansaid,“Fine.”

He didn’t need to declare that they

wouldn’t risk a fire. The air was chill, but

mildenoughthattheycouldsurvive.

Rowansteppeddownthehillface,offering

ahandtoElidetohelpherskirtthedangerous,

rockyplunge.Shetookhishandwithshaking

fingers.

Stillshehadn’tbalkedtocomewiththem,

todoanyofthis.

Rowan found another foothold before

turning to assist her. “You don’t need to go

intothecity.We’lldecideontheescaperoute

andyoucanmeetusthere.”

When Elide didn’t answer, Rowan looked

upather.

Her eyes weren’t on him. But on the city

ahead.

Wide with terror. Her scent became

drenchedinit.

Lorcanwasthereinaheartbeat,handather

shoulder.“Whatis—”

Rowantwistedtowardthecity.Thehilltop

hadbeenaborder.

Notofthecitylimits,butofanillusion.A

pretty, idyllic illusion for any scouting its

fringestoreport.Forwhatnowsurroundedthe

city on every side, even on the eastern plain

…

Anarmy.Agreatarmylaycampedthere.

“She’s summoned most of her forces,”

Gavriel breathed, wind whipping his hair

acrosshisface.

Rowancountedthecampfirescoveringthe

darkterrainlikeablanketofstars.He’dnever

seensuch aFaehost assembled.Theones he

and the cadre had led into war didn’t come

close.

Aelin could be anywhere in that force. In

thecamps,orinthecityitself.

They’dhavetobeclever.Cunning.Andif

Maevehadnotfallenfortheirdiversion…

“She brought an army to keep us out?”

Elideasked.

Lorcan glanced at Rowan, his dark eyes

fullofwarning.“OrtokeepAelinin.”

Rowansurveyedtheencampedarmy.What

did those dwelling inDoranelle, who rarely

saw any sort of forces beyond the warriors

who sometimes stalked through their city,

makeofthehost?

“We have allies in the city,” Gavriel

offered.“Wecouldtrytomakecontact.Learn

whereMaeveis,whatthehostralliedhereto

do.Ifthere’sbeenanymentionofAelin.”

Rowan’s uncle, Ellys, the head of their

House, had remained when Maeve’s armada

had sailed.A hard male, a smart male, but a

loyalone.He’dtrainedEndainhisimage,to

be a sharp-minded courtier. But he’d also

trained Rowan when he could, giving him

some of his first lessons in swordplay. He’d

grownupinhisuncle’shousehold,andithad

been the only home he’d known until he’d

found that mountain. But would Ellys’s

loyalty skew toward Maeve or to their own

bloodline,especiallyinthewakeoftheHouse

ofWhitethorn’sbetrayalinEyllwe?

His uncle might already be dead. Maeve

mighthavepunishedhimonbehalfofallthe

cousinswhomRowanhadbeggedtoaidthem.

Or Ellys, seeking to reenter Maeve’s good

gracesaftertheirbetrayal,mightsellthemout

beforetheycouldfindAelin.

And as for the others, the few allies they

mighthave…

“Maeve is capable of worming her way

into a person’s mind,” Rowan said. “She

likely knows who our allies are and might

have already compromised them.” He braced

a hand on Goldryn’s hilt, the warm metal a

comfortingtouch.“Wedon’triskit.”

Lorcangruntedhisagreement.

Elide said, “Maeve doesn’t know me—or

barelydoes.Nooneherewouldrecognizeme,

especially if I can … adjust my appearance.

LikeIdidwithspreadingthoseliesaboutthe

Valg prince. I could try to get into the city

tomorrow and see if there’s anything to

learn.”

“No.”

Lorcan’sreplywasaknifeinthedark.

Elide said to him, cool and unfazed,

“You’renotmycommander.You’renotinmy

court.”

SheturnedtoRowan.Buthewas.

He outranked her. Rowan tried not to

recoil.Aelinhadlaidthisuponhim.

Lorcanhissed, “She doesn’t know the city

layout,doesn’tknowhowtohandletheguards

—”

“Then we teach her,” Gavriel cut in.

“Tonight.Weteachherwhatweknow.”

Lorcanbaredhisteeth.“IfMaeveremains

inDoranelle,shewillsniffherout.”

“Shewon’t,”Elidesaid.

“She found you on that beach,” Lorcan

snapped.

Elideliftedherchin.“Iamgoingintothat

citytomorrow.”

“And what are you going to do? Ask if

Aelin Galathynius has been strutting about

town?AskifMaeve’savailableforhightea?”

Lorcan’ssnarlrippedthroughtheair.

Elide didn’t back down for a heartbeat.

“I’mgoingtoaskafterCairn.”

They all stilled. Rowan wasn’t entirely

certainhe’dheardhercorrectly.

Elide steadily surveyed them. “Surely a

young, mortal woman is allowed to inquire

aboutaFaemalewhojiltedher.”

Lorcanwentpaleasthemoonabovethem.

“Elide.” When she didn’t reply, Lorcan

whirled on Rowan. “We’ll scout, there’s

anotherwayto—”

ElideonlysaidtoRowan,“FindCairn,and

wefindAelin.AndlearnifMaeveremains.”

Fear no longer bloomed in Elide’s eyes.

Notatraceremainedinherscent.

So Rowan nodded, even as Lorcan tensed.

“Goodhunting,Lady.”



CHAPTER22

The snow-crusted plains of Terrasen flowed

southward, right to the rolling foothills that

spreadtothehorizon.

Earlierthissummer,Lysandrahadcrossed

thosefoothillswithhercompanions—withher

queen. Had watched Aelin ascend one, and

stridetothecarvedgranitestonejuttingfrom

its top. The marker of the border between

AdarlanandTerrasen.Herfriendhadtakena

stepbeyondthestone,andhadbeenhome.

Perhaps it made Lysandra a fool, but she

had not realized that the next time she’d see

the foothills again, wearing the feathers of a

bird,itwouldbeinwar.

Or as a scout for an army thousands of

soldiers strong, marching far behind her.

She’dleftAediontofigureouthowtoexplain

Aelin’s sudden disappearance when she’d

departed for this scouting mission. To glean

where they might at last intercept Morath’s

legions—and give the general a lay of the

terrain ahead. Fae scouts in their own avian

forms had flown to the west and east to see

whattheymightlearnaswell.

Her silvery falcon’s wings wrangled the

bitter wind, setting her soaring with a speed

that shot liquid lightning through her heart.

Beyond the ghost leopard, this form had

becomeafavorite.Swift,sleek,vicious—this

bodyhadbeen builttoride the winds, torun

downprey.

The snow had stopped, but the sky

remainedgray,notahintofthesuntowarm

them. The cold was a secondary concern,

madebearablebyherlayersoffeathers.

Forlongmiles,sheflewandflew,scanning

the empty terrain. Villages they had passed

throughduringthesummerhadbeenemptied,

their inhabitants fleeing north. She prayed

they’d found safe harbor before the snows,

that the magic-wielders within those villages

gotfarfromMorath’snets.Therehadbeena

girlinoneofthetownswhohadbeenblessed

with a powerful water gift—had she and her

family been taken in behind Orynth’s thick

walls?

Lysandra caught an updraft and soared

higher, the horizon revealing more of itself.

Thefirstofthefoothillspassedbelow,ridges

of light and shadow under the cloudy sky.

Getting the army over them would not be a

simpletask,buttheBanehadfoughtnearhere

before. They undoubtedly knew the path

through, despite the snowdrifts piled high in

thehollows.

Thewindscreamed,shovingnorthward.As

ifwardingherfromflyingsouth.Beggingher

nottocontinue.

Hills crowned with stones appeared—the

ancientbordermarkings.Shesweptpastthem.

A few hours lingered until darkness fell.

She’d fly until night and cold rendered her

unable,andfindsometreetohunkerdownin

untilshecouldresumescoutingatdawn.

Shesailedfarthersouth,thehorizonbleak

andempty.

Untilitwasn’t.

Until she beheld what marched toward

themandnearlytumbledfromthesky.

Ren had taught her how to count soldiers,

yet she lost trackeachtimeshe attempted to

get a number on the neat lines stomping

across Adarlan’s northern plains. Right

toward the foothills that spanned both

territories.

Thousands. Five, ten, fifteen thousand.

More.

Againandagain,shestumbledoncounting.

Twenty,thirty.

Lysandrarose higher into the sky.Higher,

becausewingedilkenflewwiththem,soaring

low over the black-armored troops,

monitoringallthatpassedbelow.

Forty.Fifty.

Fiftythousandtroops,overseenbyilken.

And amongst them, on horseback, rode

beautiful-faced young men. Black collars at

theirthroats,abovetheirarmor.

Valg princes. Five in total, each

commandingalegion.

Lysandracountedtheforceagain.Thrice.

Fiftythousandtroops.Againstthe twenty-

fivethousandtheyhadgathered.

One of the ilken spotted her and flapped

upward.

Lysandra banked hard and swept back

north,wingsbeatinglikehell.

The two armies met in the snow-covered

fieldsofsouthernTerrasen.

Terrasen’s general-prince had ordered

them to wait, rather than rush to meet

Morath’s legions. To let Erawan’s hordes

exhaust themselves on the foothills, and to

sendanadvanceforceoftheSilentAssassins

topickoffsoldiersstrugglingamidthebumps

andhollows.

Onlysomeoftheassassinsreturned.

Thedarkpowerof the Valg princesswept

ahead,devouringallintheirpath.

Andstill,theFire-Bringerdidnotblastthe

Valg to ash. Did nothing but ride at  her

cousin’sside.

Ilken descended upon their camp in the

night, unleashing chaos and terror, shredding

soldiers with their poison-slick claws before

escapingtotheskies.

Theyrippedtheancientborder-stonesfrom

their grassy hilltops as they passed into

Terrasen.

Barely winded, unfazed by the snow, and

hardlythinnedout,Morath’sarmyleftthelast

ofthefoothills.

They rushed down the hillsides, a black

wave breaking over the land. Right onto the

spears and shields of the Bane, the magic of

theFaesoldierskeepingthepoweroftheValg

princesatbay.

It could not stand against the ilken,

however.Theysweptthroughitlikecobwebs

in a doorway, some spewing their venom to

meltthemagic.

Thentheilkenlanded,orshatteredthrough

their defenses entirely. And even a shape-

shifter in the form of a wyvern armed with

poisonedspikescouldnottakethemalldown.

Even a general-prince with an ancient

sword and Fae instincts could not slice

throughtheirnecksfastenough.

Inthechaos,noonenoticedthattheFire-

Bringerdidnotappear.Thatnotanemberof

herflameglowedinthescreamingnight.

Thenthefootsoldiersreachedthem.

And that cobbled-together army began to

sunder.

The right flank broke first.A Valg prince

unleashed his power, men lying dead in his

wake. It took Ilias of the Silent Assassins

sneaking behind enemy lines to decapitate

himfortheslaughtertostaunch.

TheBane’scenterlinesheld,yettheylost

yardafteryardtoclawsandfangsandsword

andshield.SomanyoftheenemythattheFae

royals and their kin couldn’t choke the air

fromtheirthroatsfastenough,widelyenough.

Whatever advances the Fae’s magic bought

themdidnotslowMorathforlong.

Morath’s beasts pushed them northward

thatfirstday.Andintothenight.

Andatdawnthenextday.

Bynightfallonthesecond,eventheBane’s

linehadbuckled.

StillMorathdidnotstopcoming.



CHAPTER23

Elide had never seen such a place as

Doranelle.

The City of Rivers, they called it. She’d

never imagined that a city could be built in

the heart of several as they met and poured

intoamightybasin.

Shedidn’tlettheaweshowonherfaceas

shestrodethroughthewinding,neatstreets.

Fear was another companion that she kept

at bay. With the Fae’s heightened sense of

smell, they could detect things like emotion.

Andthoughagooddoseoffearwouldaidin

hercover,toomuchwouldspellherdoom.

Yetthisplaceseemedlikeaparadise.Pink

and blue flowers draped from windowsills;

little canals wended between some of the

streets,ferryingpeopleinbright,longboats.

She’d never seen so many Fae, had never

thought they’d be utterly normal. Well, as

normalaspossible,withtheirgraceandthose

ears and canines. Along with the animals

rushing around her, flitting past, somany

forms she couldn’t keep track of them. All

perfectly content to go about their daily

business, buying everything from crusty

loavesofbreadtojugsofsomesortofoilto

vibrantswathsoffabric.

Yetrulingovereverything,squattinginthe

palace on the eastern side of Doranelle, was

Maeve.And this city, Rowan had told Elide,

hadbeenbuiltfromstonetokeepBrannonor

any of his descendants from razing it to the

ground.

Elide fought the limp that grew with each

step farther into the city—farther away from

Gavriel’s magic. She’d left them in the

forested foothills where they’d camped the

night before, and Lorcan had again tried to

argueagainsthergoing.Butshe’drummaged

throughtheir various packsuntilshe’d found

whatsheneeded:berriesGavrielhadgathered

yesterday, a spare belt and dark green cape

from Rowan, a wrinkled white shirt from

Lorcan,andatinymirrorheusedforshaving.

Shehadn’tsaidanythingwhenshe’dfound

the white strips of linen at the bottom of

Lorcan’sbag.Waitingforhernextcycle.She

hadn’t been able to find the words, anyway.

Notwithwhatitwouldcrumpleinherchestto

eventhinkthem.

Elide kept hershoulders loose, thoughher

faceremainedtightasshepausedattheedge

of a pretty little square around a burbling

fountain.Vendorsandshoppersmilledabout,

chatting in the midmorning sunshine. Elide

paused by the square’s arched entrance,

putting her back to it, and fished the little

mirroroutofhercloakpocket,carefulnotto

jostlethekniveshiddenthereaswell.

Sheflickedopenthecompact,frowningat

her reflection—half of the expression not

entirely faked. She’d crushed the berries at

dawn and carefully lined her eyes with the

juices, turning them red-rimmed and

miserable-looking.As if she’d been weeping

forweeks.

Indeed,thefacethatpoutedbackatherwas

ratherwretched.

But it wasn’t the reflection she wanted to

see. But rather the square behind her.

Surveying it outright might raise too many

questions,butifshewasmerelystaringintoa

compact mirror, no more than a self-

conscious girl trying to fix her frazzled

appearance … Elide smoothed some strands

of her hair while monitoring the square

beyond.

Ahubofsorts.Twotavernslineditssides,

judging by the wine barrels that served as

tables out front and the empty glasses atop

them, yet to be collected. Between the two

taverns, one seemed to attract more males,

some in warrior garb. Of the three squares

she’d visited, the taverns she’d spotted, this

wastheonlyonewithsoldiers.

Perfect.

Elide smoothed her hair again, shut the

compact,andturnedbacktothesquare,lifting

herchin.Agirltryingtomustersomedignity.

Let them see what they wanted to see, let

them look at the white shirt she’d donned in

lieu of the leather witches’ jacket, the green

cape draped over herself belted across the

middle, and think her an unfashionable,

unworldly traveler. A girl far out of her

elementinthislovely,well-dressedcity.

She approached the seven Fae lounging

outsidethetavern,sizingupwhotalkedmost,

laughed loudest, who the five males and two

females often turned to. One of the females

wasn’t a warrior, but rather clothed in soft,

feminine pants and a cornflower-blue tunic

thatfitherlushfigurelikeaglove.

Elide marked the onewhotheyseemed to

glance to the most in confirmation and hope

of approval. A broad-shouldered female, her

darkhaircroppedclosetoherhead.Shebore

armoronhershouldersandwrists—finerthan

whattheothermaleswore.Theircommander,

then.

Elide lingered a few feet away, a hand

rising to clutch her cape where it draped

across her heart, the other fiddling with the

golden ring on her finger, the invaluable

heirloom little more than a lover’s keepsake.

Gnawingonherlip,shecastuncertain,darting

eyesonthesoldiers,onthetavern.Sniffleda

little.

Theotherfemale—theoneinthefineblue

clothes—noticedherfirst.

Shewasbeautiful,Eliderealized.Herdark

hair falling in a thick,glossy braid down her

back, her golden-brown skin shone with an

innerlight.Hereyesweresoftwithkindness.

Andconcern.

Elide took that concern as invitation and

stumbled up to them, head bowing. “I—I—

I’m sorryto interrupt,” she blurted, speaking

moretothedark-hairedbeauty.

The stammer had always made people

uncomfortable, had always made them

foolishlyoffguardandeagertogetaway.To

tellherwhatsheneededtoknow.

“Issomethingwrong?”Thefemale’svoice

was husky—lovely. The sort of voice Elide

had always imagined great beauties

possessing, the sort of voice that made men

fall all over themselves. From the way some

of the males around her had been smiling,

Elidehadnodoubtthefemalehadthateffect

onthem,too.

Elidewobbledherlip,chewedonit.“I—I

was looking for someone. He said he’d be

here,but…”Sheglancedtothewarriors,and

toyedwiththeringonherfingeragain.“Is-s-

saw your uniforms and thought y-you might

knowhim.”

The merriment of the little company had

died out, replaced by wariness. And pity—

fromthe beauty. Either at the stutterorwhat

shesoclearlysaw:ayoungwomanpiningfor

aloverwholikelywasnotthere.

“What’s his name?” asked the taller

female,perhapstheother’ssister,judgingby

theirsameduskyskinanddarkhair.

Elide swallowed hard enough to make her

throat bob rather pathetically. “I—I hate to

bother you,” she demurred. “But you all

lookedveryk-k-kind.”

One of the males muttered something

aboutgettinganotherroundofdrinks,andtwo

of his companions decided to join him. The

twomaleswholingeredseemedinclinedtogo

as well, but a sharp look from their

commanderhadthemstaying.

“It’snotabother,”thebeautysaid,waving

amanicuredhand.ShewasasshortasElide,

though she carried herself like a queen.

“Would you like us to fetch you some

refreshments?”

People were easy to flatter, easy to trick,

regardlessofwhethertheyhadpointyearsor

round.

Elide stepped closer. “No, thank you. I

wouldn’twanttotroubley-you.”

Thefemale’snostrilsflaredasElidehalted

close enough to touch them. No doubt

smelling the weeks on the road. But she

politely said nothing, though her eyes roved

overElide’sface.

“Your friend’s name,” the commander

urged, her gruff voice the opposite of her

sister’s.

“Cairn,” Elide whispered. “His name is

Cairn.”

Oneofthemalesswore;theotherscanned

Elidefromheadtotoe.

Butthetwofemaleshadgonestill.

“H-he serves the queen,” Elide said, eyes

leapingfromfacetoface,theportraitofhope.

“Doyouknowhim?”

“Weknowhim,”thecommander  said, her

facedark.“You—youarehislover?”

Elidewilledherfacetoredden,thinkingof

all the mortifying moments on the road: her

cycle, having to explain when she needed to

relieveherself…“Ineedtospeakwithhim,”

was all Elide said. Learning Maeve’s

whereaboutswouldcomelater.

The dark-haired beauty said a shade too

quietly,“Whatisyourname,child?”

“Finnula,” Elide lied, naming her

nursemaid.

“Here’s a bit of advice,” the second male

drawled,sippingfromhisale.“Ifyouescaped

Cairn,don’tgolookingforhimagain.”

Hiscommandershothimalook.“Cairnis

blood-sworntoourqueen.”

“Stillmakeshimaprick,”themalesaid.

Thefemalegrowled,viciouslyenoughthat

themalewiselywenttoseeabouttheirdrinks.

Elide made her shoulders curve inward.

“You—youknowhim,then?”

“Cairn was supposed to meet you here?”

thebeautyaskedinstead.

Elidenodded.

The two females exchanged glances. The

commander said, “We don’t know where he

is.”

Lie. She saw the look between them,

between sisters. The decision to not tell her,

either toprotectthehelplessmortalgirlthey

believed her to be, or out of some loyalty to

him.OrperhapstoallFaewhodecidedtofind

beds in mortal realms and then ignore the

consequences months later. Lorcan had been

theresultofsuchaunion,andthendiscarded

tothemercyofthesestreets.

Thethoughtwasenoughtosethergrinding

herteeth,butElidekeptherjawrelaxed.

Don’tbeangry ,Finnulahadtaughther.Be

smart.

She made note of that. Not to appear too

pathetic at the next tavern. Or like a jilted

loverwhomightbecarryinghischild.

Forshe’dhavetogotoanotherone.Andif

shegotananswerthenexttime,she’dhaveto

gotoanotherafterthattoconfirmit.

“Is—isthequeeninresidence?”Elidesaid,

thatbeseeching,whiningvoicegratingonher

own ears. “He s-s-said he travels with her

now,butifsheisnothere—”

“Her Majesty is not at home,” the

commander said, sharply enough that Elide

knew her patience was wearing thin. Elide

didn’tallowherkneestobuckle,didn’tallow

her shoulders to sag with anything but what

they took to be disappointment. “But where

Cairnis,asIsaid,wedonotknow.”

Maevewasnothere.Theyhadthatintheir

favor,atleast.Whetheritwasluckordueto

theirownscheming,shedidn’tcare.ButCairn

… She’d learn nothing more from these

females.SoElidebowedherhead.“Th-thank

you.”

Shebackedawaybeforethefemalescould

say more, and made a good show of waiting

bythefountainforfiveminutes.Fifteen.The

clock on thesquare struck the hour, and she

knew they were still watching as she did her

best attempt at a dejected walk to the other

entrancetothesquare.

Shekeptitupforafewblocks,wandering

with no direction, until she ducked into a

narrowpass-throughandheavedabreath.

Maeve was not in Doranelle. How long

wouldthatremaintrue?

She had to find Cairn—swiftly. Had to

makehernextperformancecount.

She’dneedtobelesspathetic,lessneedy,

less weepy. Perhaps she’d added too much

rednessaroundhereyes.

Elide fished out the mirror. Swiping her

pinky under one eye, she rubbed at some of

the redstain.Itdidn’t budge.Moisteningthe

tip of her pinky with her tongue, she ran her

finger across her lower lid again. It lessened

—slightly.

She was about to do it again when

movementflashedinthemirror.

Elidewhirled,buttoolate.

The dark-haired beauty from the tavern

wasstandingbehindher.

Lorcanhadneverfelttheweightofthehours

soheavilyuponhim.

While he scouted the southern border of

that army, watching the soldiers on their

rotations, noting the main arteries of the

camp,hekeptoneeyeuponthecity.

His city—or it had been. He’d never

imagined, even during the childhood he’d

spent surviving in its shadows, that it would

become an enemy stronghold. That Maeve,

while she’d whipped and punished him for

any defiance or for her own amusement,

wouldbecomeasgreatafoeasErawan.And

to send Elide into Maeve’s clutches—it had

takenallofhiswilltoletherwalkaway.

IfElidewascaptured,ifshewasfoundout,

hewouldn’thearofit,knowofit.Shehadno

magictowield,saveforthekeeneyesofthe

goddess at her shoulder and an uncanny

ability to remain unnoticed, to play into

expectations. There would be no flash of

power, nosignal toalert him thatshe was in

danger.

Buthestayedaway.Hadwatchedhercross

that bridge earlier, his breath tight in his

chest,andpassunquestionedandunnoticedby

theguardspostedateitherend.WhileMaeve

did not allow demi-Fae or humans to live

within Doranelle’s borders without proving

theirworth,theycouldstillvisit—briefly.

Then he’d gone about scouting. He knew

Whitethorn had ordered him to study the

southern edge, this edge, because it was

preciselywhereshe’demerge.Ifsheemerged.

WhitethornandGavrielhaddividedupthe

othercamps,theprinceclaimingthewestand

north,theLiontakingtheeasterncampabove

thewaterfall’sbasin.

The afternoon sun was sinking toward the

distant sea when they returned to their little

base.

“Anything?”Rowan’squestionrumbledto

them.

Lorcan shook his head. “Not from Elide,

notfrommyscouting.Thesentries’rotations

are strict, but not impenetrable. They posted

scouts in the trees six miles up.” He knew

some of them. Had commanded them. Were

theynowhisenemy?

Gavriel shifted and slumped onto a

boulder, equally out of breath. “They’ve got

aerial patrols on the eastern camp. And

sentriesoutbytheforest’sborder.”

Rowan leaned againstatowering pineand

crossedhisarms.“Whatmannerofbirds?”

“Raptors, mostly,” Gavriel said. Highly

trainedsoldiers,then.They’dalwaysbeenthe

sharpestofthescouts.“Ididn’trecognizeany

fromyourHouse.”

They either had all been in that armada,

now in Terrasen, or Maeve had put them

down.

Rowan ran a hand over his jaw. “The

westernplaincampisastightlyguarded.The

northern one less so, but the wolves in the

passes are likely doing half the work for

them.”

They didn’t bother to discuss what that

armymighthavebeengatheredtodo.Where

itmightbeheaded.IfMaeve’sdefeatoffthe

Eyllwecoastmightbeenoughtoleadherinto

an alliance with Morath—and to bring this

armytocrushTerrasenatlast.

Lorcan gazed down the wooded hillside,

ears straining for any cracking branches or

leaves.

A half hour. He’d wait a half hour before

goingdownthathill.

He forced himself to listen to Whitethorn

and Gavriel lay out entry points and exit

strategies for each camp, forced himself to

join in that debate. Forced himself to also

discussthepossibleentrances and exits from

Doranelle itself, where they might go in the

city,howtheymightgetoverandbackacross

withoutbringingdownthewrathofthatarmy.

An army they’d once overseen and

commanded. None of them mentioned it,

though Gavriel kept glancing to the tattoos

inked on his hands. How many more lives

would he need to add before they were

through? His soldiers not felled by enemy

blows,butbyhisownblade?

The sun inched closer to the horizon.

Lorcanbeganpacing.

Toolong.Ithadtakentoolong.

The others had fallen silent, too. Gazing

downthehill.Waiting.

AslighttremorrockedLorcan’shands,and

heballedthemintofists,squeezinghard.Five

minutes. He’d go in five minutes, Aelin

Galathyniusandtheirplanbedamned.

Aelin had been trained to endure torture.

Elide…Hecouldseethosescarsonherfrom

theshackles.Seehermaimedfootandankle.

Shehadenduredtoomuchsufferingandterror

already.Hecouldn’tallowhertofaceanother

heartbeatofit—

Twigssnappedunderlightfeet,andLorcan

shotupright,ahandgoingtohissword.

Whitethornthumbedfreethehatchetathis

side,aknifeappearinginhisotherhand,and

Gavrieldrewhissword.

But then a two-note whistle echoed, and

Lorcan’s legs wobbled so violently he sat

backontotherockwherehe’dbeenperched.

Gavriel whistled back, and Lorcan was

grateful for it. He wasn’t sure he had the

breath.

Then she was there, panting from the

climb,hercheeksrosyinthecoolnightair.

“Whathappened?”Whitethornasked.

Lorcanscannedherface,herposture.

Shewasfine.Shewasunhurt.Therewasno

enemyonhertail.

Elide’s eyes met his. Wary and uncertain.

“Imetsomeone.”

Elidehadthoughtshewasabouttodie.

Orhadatleastbelievedthatshewasgoing

tobesoldouttoMaevewhenshe’dfacedthe

dark-hairedbeautyintheshadowedalley.

She’dtoldherself,inthoseheartbeats,that

she’ddoherbesttowithstandthetorturesure

to come, to keep her companions’ location

secret even if theybrokeapart her body.But

theprospectofwhatthey’ddotoher…

Thefemaleheldupadelicatehand.“Ionly

wishtotalk.Inprivate.”Shegesturedfarther

down the alley, to a doorstop covered with a

metal awning. To shield them from any eyes

—thoseonthegroundandabove.

Elide followed her, a hand sliding to the

knife in her pocket. The female led the way,

noweaponstobeseen,hergaitunhurried.

But when they halted in the shadows

beneaththeawning,thefemaleheldupahand

oncemore.

Goldenflamedancedbetweenherfingers.

Elide recoiled, and the fire vanished as

quickly as it had appeared.“My name is

Essar,”thefemalesaidsoftly.“Iamafriend

—ofyourfriends,Ibelieve.”

Elidesaidnothing.

“Cairn is a monster,” Essar said, taking a

stepcloser.“Stayfarfromhim.”

“Ineedtofindhim.”

“You played the part of his mistreated

lover well enough. You have to know

somethingabouthim.Whathedoes.”

“Ifyouknowwhereheis,pleasetellme.”

Shewasn’tabovebegging.

EssarrananeyeoverElide.Thenshesaid,

“He was in this cityuntil yesterday. Then he

went out to the eastern camp.” She pointed

with a thumb over a shoulder. “He’s there

now.”

“Howdoyouknow?”

“Becausehe’snotterrorizingthepatronsof

everyfineestablishmentinthistown,glutting

himselfonthecoinMaevegavehimwhenhe

tookthebloodoath.”

Elide blinked. She had hoped some of the

Fae might be opposed to Maeve, especially

after the battle in Eyllwe, but to find such

outrightdistaste…

Essar then added, “And because my sister

—the soldier you spoke with—told me. She

saw him in the camp this morning, smirking

likeacat.”

“WhyshouldIbelieveyou?”

“Because you are wearing Lorcan’s shirt,

andRowanWhitethorn’scloak.Ifyoudonot

believe me, inform them who told you and

theywill.”

Elidecockedherheadtotheside.

Essar said softly, “Lorcan and I were

involvedforatime.”

They were in the midst of war, and had

traveled for thousands of miles to find their

queen, and yet the tightness that coiled in

Elide’s gut at those words somehow found

space. Lorcan’s lover. This delicate beauty

with a bedroom voice had been Lorcan’s

lover.

“I’llbemissedifI’mgonefortoolong,but

tellthemwhoIam.TellthemthatItoldyou.

Ifit’s Cairnthey seek, thatis whereheshall

be. Hispreciselocation,Idon’tknow.”Essar

backed away a step. “Don’t go asking after

Cairnatothertaverns.Heisn’twellregarded,

evenamongstthesoldiers.Andthosewhodo

followhim…Youdonotwishtoattracttheir

interest.”

Essarmadetoturnaway,butElideblurted,

“WheredidMaevego?”

Essar looked over her shoulder. Studied

her. The female’s eyes widened. “She has

AelinoftheWildfire,”Essarbreathed.

Elide said nothing, but Essar murmured,

“That was … that was the power we felt the

other night.” Essar swept back toward Elide.

Grippedherhands.“WhereMaevewentafew

daysago,Idon’tknow.Shedidnotannounce

it,didnottakeanyonewithher.Ioftenserve

her, am asked to … It doesn’t  matter. What

matters is Maeve is not here. But I do not

knowwhenshewillreturn.”

Relief again threatened to send Elide

crumplingtotheground.Thegods,itseemed,

hadnotabandonedthemjustyet.

But if Maeve had taken Aelin to the

outpostwherethey’dliedthattheValgprince

hadbeencontained…

Elide gripped Essar’s hands, finding them

warmanddry.“Doesyoursisterknowwhere

Cairnresidesinthecamp?”

For long minutes, then an hour, they had

talked.EssarleftandreturnedwithDresenda,

hersister.Andinthatalley,theyhadplotted.

Elide finished telling Rowan, Lorcan, and

Gavriel what she’d learned. They sat in

stunnedsilenceforalongminute.

“Just before dawn,” Elide repeated.

“Dresendasaidthewatchontheeasterncamp

isweakestatdawn.Thatshe’dfindawayfor

the guards to be occupied. It’s our only

window.”

Rowan was staring into the trees, as if he

couldseethelayoutofthecamp,asifhewere

plottinghiswayin,wayout.

“Shedidn’tconfirmifAelinwasinCairn’s

tent, though,” Gavriel cautioned. “Maeve is

gone—Aelinmightbewithher,too.”

“It’s a risk we take,” Rowan said.A risk,

perhaps,theyshouldhaveconsidered.

Elide glanced to Lorcan, who had been

silentthroughout.Eventhoughithadbeenhis

loverwhohadhelpedthem,perhapsguidedby

Anneith herself. Or at least had been tipped

offbythescentonElide’sclothes.

“Youthinkwecantrusther?”Elideasked

Lorcan,thoughsheknewtheanswer.

Lorcan’s dark eyes shifted to her. “Yes,

thoughIdon’tseewhyshe’dbother.”

“She’sagoodfemale,that’swhy,” Rowan

said. At Elide’s lifted brow, he explained,

“Essar visited Mistward this spring. She met

Aelin.” He cut a glare toward Lorcan. “And

askedmetotellyouthatshesendsherbest.”

Elidehadn’tseenanythingthatcameclose

to pining in Essar’s face, but gods, she was

beautiful. And smart. And kind. And Lorcan

hadlethergo,somehow.

Gavrielcutin,“Ifwemoveontheeastern

camp,weneedtofigureoutourplannow.Get

intoposition.It’smilesaway.”

Rowan gazed again toward that distant

camp.

“Ifyou’redebatingflyingthererightnow,”

Lorcan growled, “then you’ll deserve

whatever misery comes of your stupidity.”

Rowanflashedhisteeth,butLorcansaid,“We

allgoin.Weallgoout.”

Elide nodded, in agreement for once.

Lorcanseemedtostiffeninsurprise.

Rowan arrived at that conclusion, too,

becausehecrouchedandplungedaknifeinto

themossyearth.“ThisisCairn’stent,”hesaid

of the dagger, and fished for a nearby

pinecone.“Thisisthesouthernentrancetothe

camp.”

Andsotheyplanned.

Rowan had parted from his companions an

hour ago, sending them to take up their

positions.

Theywouldnotallgoin,allgoout.

Rowanwouldbreakintotheeasterncamp,

takingthesouthernmostentrance.Gavrieland

Lorcan would be waiting for his signal near

the east entrance, hidden in the forest just

beyondtherolling,grassyhillsonthatsideof

thecamp.Readytounleashhellwhenhesent

aflareofhismagic,divertingsoldierstotheir

sidewhileRowanmadehisrunforAelin.

Elide would wait for them farther in that

forest.Orflee,ifthingswentbadly.

She’dprotested,butevenGavrielhadtold

herthatshewasmortal.Untrained.Andwhat

she’d done today … Rowan didn’t have the

words to convey his gratitude for what Elide

haddone.Theunexpectedallyshe’dfound.

HetrustedEssar.She’dneverlikedMaeve,

had outright said she did not serve her with

any willingness or pride. But these last few

hours before dawn, when so many things

couldgowrong…

Maeve was not here. That much, at least,

hadgoneright.

Rowanlingeredinthesteephillsabovethe

southern entrance to the camp. He’d easily

kepthiddenfromthesentriesinthetrees,his

windmaskinganytraceofhisscent.

Down below, spread across the grassy

easternplain,thearmycampglittered.

Shehadtobethere.Aelinhadtobethere.

If they had come so close but wound up

beingtheverythingthathadcausedMaeveto

takeAelin away again, to bring her along to

theoutpost…

Rowan pushed against the weight in his

chest. The bond within him lay dark and

slumbering.Noindicationofherproximity.

EssarhadnoideathatAelinwasbeingkept

here until Elide informed her. How many

others hadn’t known? How well had Maeve

hiddenher?

If Aelin wasn’t in that camp tomorrow,

they’d find Cairn, at least. And get some

answers then. Give him a taste of what he’d

done—

Rowan shut out the thought. He didn’t let

himselfthinkofwhathadbeendonetoher.

He’ddothattomorrow,whenhesawCairn.

When he repaid him for every moment of

pain.

Overhead,thestarsshoneclearandbright,

and though Mala had only once appeared to

himatdawn,onthefoothillsacrossthisvery

city, though she might be little more than a

strange,mightybeingfromanotherworld,he

offeredupaprayeranyway.

Then,hehadbeggedMalatoprotectAelin

from Maeve when they entered Doranelle, to

giveherstrengthandguidance,andtolether

walk out alive. Then, he had begged Mala to

let him remain with Aelin, the woman he

loved.Thegoddesshadbeenlittlemorethana

sunbeam in the rising dawn, and yet he had

felthersmileathim.

Tonight,withonlythecoldfireofthestars

forcompany,hebeggedheroncemore.

A curl of wind sent his prayer drifting to

thosestars, tothe waxingmoonsilveringthe

camp,theriver,themountains.

Hehadkilledhiswayacrosstheworld;he

hadgonetowarandbackmoretimesthanhe

caredtoremember.Anddespiteitall,despite

the rage and despair and ice he’d wrapped

aroundhisheart,he’dstillfoundAelin.Every

horizon he’d gazed toward, unable and

unwillingtorestduringthosecenturies,every

mountain and ocean he’d seen and wondered

what lay beyond … It had been her. It had

beenAelin,thesilentcallofthematingbond

drivinghim,evenwhenhecouldnotfeelit.

They’dwalkedthisdarkpathtogetherback

to the light. He would not let the road end

here.



CHAPTER24

The Crochans ignored her. And ignored the

Thirteen.Afewhissedinsultsastheypassed,

but one glance from Manon and theThirteen

kepttheirfistsballedattheirsides.

The Crochans remained in the camp for a

weektotendtotheirwounded,andsoManon

and the Thirteen had remained as well,

ignoredandhated.

“Whatisthisplace?”ManonaskedGlennis

asshefoundthecronepolishingthehandleof

a gold-bound broom beside the fire. Two

otherslayonacloaknearby.Menialworkfor

thewitchinchargeofthiscamp.

“This is an ancient camp—one of the

oldest we claim.” Glennis’s knobbed fingers

flew over the broom handle. “Each of the

seven Great Hearths has a fire here, as do

many others.” Indeed, there were far more

than seven in the camp. “It was a gathering

place for us after the war, and since then, it

had become a place to usher in some of our

younger witches to adulthood. It is a rite

we’ve developed over the years—to send

theminto the deep wilds for a few weeks to

huntandsurvivewithonlytheirbroomsanda

knife.Weremainherewhiletheydoso.”

Manon asked quietly,“Do you know what

ourinitiationriteis?”

Glennis’sfacetightened.“Ido.Wealldo.”

Whichhearthhadthewitchshe’dkilledatage

sixteen belonged to? What had her

grandmother done with the Crochan heart

she’d brought back in a box to Blackbeak

Keep,wearingherenemy’scloakasatrophy?

But Manon asked, “When do you head to

Eyllwe?”

“Tomorrow. Those who were the most

gravelywoundedintheskirmishhavehealed

enough to travel—or survive here on their

own.”

Manon’sguttightened,butsheshutoutthe

regret.

Glennis extended one of the brooms to

Manon, its base bound with ordinary metal

threads.“Doyouflysouthwithus?”

Manon took the broom, the wood zinging

against her hand. The wind whispered at her

ear of the fast, wicked current between the

peaksabove.

She and the Thirteen had already decided

days ago. If south was where the Crochans

went, then south was where they would go.

Evenifeachpassingdaymightspelldoomfor

thoseintheNorth.

“Weflywithyou,”Manonsaid.

Glennisnodded.“Thatbroombelongstoa

black-hairedwitchnamedKarsyn.”Thecrone

jerked her chin toward the tents behind

Manon.“She’sondutybyyourwyverns.”

Doriandecidedhedidn’tneedahiddenplace

topractice.Whichwaslucky,sincetherewas

no such thing as privacy in the Crochans’

camp.Not inside the camp,andcertainly not

around it, not with the sharp eyes of their

sentinelspatrollingdayandnight.

Which is how he wound up sitting before

VestaatGlennis’shearth,thered-hairedwitch

half asleep with boredom. “Learning

shifting,”she groused, yawning for the tenth

timethathour,“seemslikeacolossalwasteof

time.”Sheflickedasnow-white handtoward

themakeshifttrainingringwheretheThirteen

keptuptheirhonedbodiesandinstincts.“You

couldbesparringwithLinrightnow.”

“IjustwatchedLinnearlyknockImogen’s

teethdownherthroat.ForgivemeifI’minno

moodtogetintotheringwithher.”

Vesta arched an auburn brow. “No male

swaggeringfromyou,then.”

“I like my teeth where they are.” He

sighed.“I’mtryingtoconcentrate.”

None of the witches, even Manon, had

questioned why he practiced. He’d only

mentioned,nearlyaweekago,thatthespider

had madehim wonder if hemight be able to

shift, using his raw magic, and they’d

shrugged.

Their focus was on the Crochans. On the

trip to Eyllwe that would likely happen any

daynow.

Hehadn’theardanymentionofawarband

gathering, but if it could divide Morath’s

forces even slightly to venture south to deal

with them, if it distracted Erawan when

DorianwenttotheValgking’sstronghold…

He’dacceptit.

He’d already offered Manon and Glennis

what he knew regarding the kingdom and its

rulers. Nehemia’s parents and two younger

brothers.Adarlan’sempirehaddoneitswork

thoroughly in decimating Eyllwe’s army, so

anyhopeonthatfrontwasimpossible,butif

theymusteredafewthousandsoldierstohead

northward…It’dbeaboonforhisfriends.

Iftheycouldsurvive,itwouldbeenough.

Dorian closed his eyes, and Vesta fell

silent.Fordays,she’dsatwithhimwhenher

training and scouting permitted it, watching

for any of the shifting that he attempted:

changinghishair,hisskin,hiseyes.

Noneofitoccurred.

Hismagichadtouchedthatstolenshifter’s

power—hadlearneditjustenoughbeforehe’d

killedthespider.

It was now a matter of convincing his

magic tobecome like that shifter’s power.

Whetherithadeverbeendonewithrawmagic

before,hedidnotknow.

Bewhatyouwish,Cyrenehadtoldhim.

Nothing.Hewishedtobenothing.

ButDoriankeptpeeringinward.Intoevery

hollow,emptycorner.Heneedonlydoitlong

enough.Tomastertheshifting.Tosneakinto

Morath and find the third key. To then offer

upallhewasandhadbeentotheLockandthe

gate.

And then it would be over. For Erawan,

yes,andforhim.

EvenifitwouldleaveHollinwiththeright

tothethrone.Hollin,whohadbeensiredbya

Valg-infested man as well. Had the demon

passedanytraitstohisbrother?

Theboyhadbeenbeastly—buthadhebeen

human?

Hollinhadnotkilledtheirfather.Shattered

thecastle.LetSorschadie.

Dorian hadn’t dared ask Damaris. Wasn’t

certainwhathe’ddo should the sword reveal

whathewas,deepdown.

So Dorian peered inward, to where his

magicflowedinhim,towhereitcouldmove

betweenflameandwaterandiceandwind.

But no matter how he willed it, how he

pictured brown hair orpaler skinor freckles,

nothinghappened.

She was no messenger, but Manon took the

hint—and the offer. Along with three other

brooms,allforwitchesacrossthecamp.

Itwouldnotbeenoughtoflywiththemto

Eyllwe. No, she’d have tolearn about them.

Eachofthesewitches.

Asterin, who’d been monitoring from

acrossthefire,fellintostepbesideher,taking

uptwoofthebrooms.“Iforgottheyusedthe

redwood,” her Second said, studying the

broomsinherarms.“Ahellofaloteasierto

carvethantheironwood.”

Manoncouldstillfeelhowherownhands

hadachedduringthelongdaysshe’dwhittled

down her first broom from the log of

ironwood she’dfound deep in Oakwald. The

first two ventures had resulted in snapped

shafts,andshe’dresolvedtocarveherbroom

morecarefully.Threetries,oneforeachface

oftheGoddess.

She’d been thirteen, mere weeks past her

first bleeding, which had brought about the

zipping current of power that called to the

wind, that flowed through the brooms and

carriedthemintotheskies.Eachstrokeofthe

chisel, each pound of the hammer that

transformed the block of near-impenetrable

material, had transferred that power into the

emergingbroomitself.

“Where’dyouleaveyours?”Manonasked.

Asterin shrugged. “Somewhere at

BlackbeakKeep.”

Manon nodded. Hers was currently

discardedinthebackofaclosetinherroom

at her grandmother’s seat of power. She’d

thrown it in there after magic had vanished,

the broom little more than a cleaning tool

withoutit.

“I suppose we won’t be retrieving them

now,”Asterinsaid.

“No,wewon’t,”Manonsaid,scanningthe

skies. “We fly with the Crochans to Eyllwe

tomorrow. To rendezvous with whatever

humanwarbandthey’retomeet.”

Asterin’s mouth tightened. “Perhaps we’ll

convince all of them—the Crochans, the

Eyllwewarband—toheadnorth.”

Perhaps.Iftheywereluckyenough.Ifthey

did not squander so much time that Erawan

crushedtheNorthintodust.

They reached the first of the witches

Glennis had indicated, and Asterin said

nothing as Manon motioned her Second to

passoverthebroom.

TheCrochan’snosewrinkledwithdistaste

assheletthebroomdanglefromtwofingers.

“NowI’llneeditcleanedagain.”

Asterin gave her a crooked smile that

meanttroublewasswiftlyapproaching.

SoManonnudgedherSecondintoanother

walk, wending betweenthetentsinsearchof

theotherowners.

“Youreallythink thisis worthour time?”

Asterin muttered when the second, then the

third witch sneered upon receiving their

brooms. “Playing servant to these pampered

princesses?”

“Ihopeso,”Manonmurmuredbackasthey

reached the last of the witches. Karsyn. The

dark-haired Crochan was staring toward the

ring of wyverns, just where Glennis had said

she’dbe.

Asterin cleared her throat, and the witch

turned,herolive-skinnedfacetightening.

Butshedidn’tsneer.Didn’thiss.

Mission done, Asterin turned away. But

Manon said to the Crochan, jerking her chin

towardthewyverns,“It’sdifferentfromusing

thebrooms.Faster,deadlier,butyoualsohave

tofeedandwaterthem.”

Karsyn’s green eyes were wary—but

curious. She glanced again at the wyverns

huddledagainstthecold,Asterin’sbluemare

pressed intoAbraxos’s side, his wing draped

overher.

Manon said, “Erawan made them, using

methods we’re not quite sure of. He took an

ancient template and brought it to life.” For

there had been wyverns in Adarlan before—

long ago. “He meant to breed a host of

thoughtlesskillers,butsomedidnotturnout

assuch.”

Asterinkeptquietforonce.

Karsynspokeatlast.“Yourwyvernseems

likemoreofadogthananything.”

It was not an insult, Manon reminded

herself. The Crochanskept dogs as pets.

Adored them, as humans did. “His name is

Abraxos,”Manonsaid.“Heis…different.”

“Heandtheblueonearemates.”

Asterinstarted.“They’rewhat?”

The Crochan pointed to the blue mare

huddled beside Abraxos. “He is smaller, yet

he dotes on her. Nuzzles her when no one is

looking.”

Manon exchanged a glance with Asterin.

Their mounts incessantly flirted, yes, but to

mate—

“Interesting,”Manonmanagedtosay.

“You didn’t know they did such things?”

Karsyn’sbrowsknotted.

“Weknewtheybred.”Asterinsteppedinat

last.“Butwehaven’twitnesseditbeingfor…

choice.”

“For love,” the Crochan said, and Manon

nearlyrolledher eyes. “Thesebeasts,despite

theirdarkmaster,arecapableoflove.”

Nonsense, yet some kernel in her realized

ittobetrue.Instead,Manonsaid,thoughshe

alreadyknew,“What’syourname?”

ButwarinessagainfloodedKarsyn’seyes,

as if remembering whom she spoke to, that

there were others who might see them

conversing. “Thank you for the broom,” the

witchsaid,andstrodebetweenthetents.

AtleastoneoftheCrochanshadspokento

her. Perhaps this journey to Eyllwe would

offerherthechancetospeaktomore.Evenif

she could feel each passing hour and minute

weighinguponthem.

Hurry northward, the wind sang, day and

night.Hurry,Blackbeak.

When Karsyn was gone,Asterin remained

staringatAbraxosandNarene,scratchingher

hair.“Youreallythinkthey’remated?”

Abraxos lifted his head from where it

rested atop Narene’s back and looked toward

them,asiftosay,Ittookyoulongenoughto

figureitout.

“What am I supposed to be watching for,

exactly?”

Sitting knee to knee in their tiny tent, the

wind howling outside, Manon’s golden eyes

narrowed as she peered into Dorian’s face.

“My eyes,” he said. “Just tell me if they

changecolor.”

Shegrowled.“Thisshape-shiftingisreally

apressingthingtolearn?”

“Indulge me,” he purred, and reached

inward,hismagicflaring.

Brown. You will change from blue to

brown.

Liar—he supposed he was a liar for

keeping his true reasons from her. He didn’t

needDamaristoconfirmit.

She might forbid him from going to

Morath, but there was another possibility,

evenworsethanthat.

Thatshewouldinsistongoingwithhim.

Manon gave him a look that might have

sent a lesser man running. “They’re still

blue.”

Gods above, she was beautiful. He

wondered when it would stop feeling like a

betrayaltothinkso.

Dorian took a long breath, concentrating

again.Ignoringthewhisperingpresenceofthe

two keys in his jacket pocket. “Tell me if it

changesatall.”

“It’sthatdifferentfromyourmagic?”

Dorian sat back, bracing his arms behind

him as he sought the words to explain. “It’s

not like other sorts of magic, where it flows

through my veins, and half a thought has it

changingfromicetoflametowater.”

Shestudiedhim,headangledinawayhe’d

witnessed the wyverns doing. Right before

they devoured a goat whole. “Which do you

likethebest?”

An unusually personal question. Even

though this past week, thanks to the tent’s

relative warmth and privacy, they’d spent

hours tangling in the blankets now beneath

them.

He’d never had anything like her. He

sometimes wondered if she’d never had

anythinglikehim,either.He’dseenhowoften

shefoundherpleasurewhenhetookthereins,

when her body writhed beneath his and she

lostcontrolentirely.

But the hours in this tent hadn’t yielded

anysortofintimacy.Onlyblesseddistraction.

For both of them. He was glad of it, he told

himself. None of this could end well. For

eitherofthem.

“I like the ice best,” Dorian admitted at

last,realizinghe’dletthesilencedripon.“It

wasthefirstelementthatcameoutofme—I

don’tknowwhy.”

“You’renotacoldperson.”

He arched a brow. “Is that your

professionalopinion?”

Manon studied him. “You can descend to

those levels when you are angry, when your

friends are threatened. But you are not cold,

not at heart.I’veseenmen whoare, and you

arenot.”

“Neitherareyou,”hesaidabitquietly.

Thewrongthingtosay.

Manon stiffened, her chin lifting. “I am

one hundred seventeen years old,” she said

flatly.“Ihavespentthemajorityofthattime

killing. Don’t convince yourself that the

events of the past few months have erased

that.”

“Keep telling yourself that.” He doubted

anyone had ever spoken to her that baldly—

relished that he now did, and kept his throat

intact.

She snarled in his face. “You’re a fool if

you believe the fact that I am their queen

wipesawaythetruththatIhavekilledscores

ofCrochans.”

“Thatfactwillalwaysremain.It’showyou

makeitcountnowthatmatters.”

Makeitcount.Aelinhadsaidasmuchback

in those initial days after he’d been freed of

thecollar.Hetriednottowonderwhetherthe

icy bite of Wyrdstone would soon clamp

aroundhisneckoncemore.

“I am not a softhearted Crochan. I will

neverbe,evenifIweartheircrownofstars.”

He’d heard the whispers about that crown

amongst the Crochans this week—about

whether it would be found at last. Rhiannon

Crochan’s crown of stars, stolen from her

dying body by Baba Yellowlegs herself.

Where it had gone afterAelin had killed the

Matron,Dorianhadnotthefaintestidea.Ifit

had stayed with that strange carnival she’d

traveled with, it could be anywhere. Could

havebeensoldforquickcoin.

Manon went on, “If that is what the

Crochans expect me to become before they

joininthiswar,thenIwillletthemventureto

Eyllwetomorrowalone.”

“Isitsobad,tocare?”Thegodsknewhe’d

beenstrugglingtodosohimself.

“Idon’tknowhowto,”shegrowled.

Ridiculous.Anoutrightlie.Perhapsitwas

because of the high likelihood that he’d be

collared again at Morath, perhaps it was

becausehewasakingwho’dlefthiskingdom

inanenemy’sgrip,butDorianfoundhimself

saying, “You do care.You know it,  too. It’s

whatmakesyousodamnscaredofallthis.”

Her golden eyes raged, but she said

nothing.

“Caring doesn’t make you weak,” he

offered.

“Then why don’t you heed your own

advice?”

“Icare.”Histemperrosetomeethers.And

hedecidedtohellwithit—decidedtoletgoof

thatleashhe’dputonhimself.Letgoofthat

restraint. “I care about more than I should. I

evencareaboutyou.”

Anotherwrongthingtosay.

Manon stood—as high as the tent would

allow. “Then you’re a fool.” She shoved on

herbootsandstompedintothefrigidnight.

Ievencareaboutyou.

Manonscowledassheturnedinhersleep,

wedged between Asterin and Sorrel. Only

hoursremaineduntiltheyweretomoveout—

toheadtoEyllweandwhateverforcemightbe

waitingtoallywiththeCrochans.Andinneed

ofhelp.

Caringdoesn’tmakeyouweak.

The king was a fool. Little more than a

boy.Whatdidheknowofanything?

Still the words burrowed under her skin,

herbones.Isitsobad,tocare?

Shedidn’tknow.Didn’twanttoknow.

Dawnwasnottoo faroffwhenawarmbody

slidbesidehis.

Dorian said into the darkness, “Three to a

tentisn’ttoocomfortable,isit?”

“I didn’t come back because I agree with

you.”Manonyankedtheblanketsoverherself.

Doriansmiledslightly,andfellasleeponce

more,lettinghismagicwarmthemboth.

When they awoke, something sharp in his

chesthaddulled—justafraction.

But Manon was frowning down at him.

Dorian sat up, groaning as he stretched his

armsasfarasthetentwouldallow.“Whatis

it?” he asked when her brow remained

furrowed.

Manonpulledonherboots,thenhercape.

“Youreyesarebrown.”

He lifted a hand to his face, but she was

alreadygone.

Dorian stared after her, the camp already

hurryingtobeoff.

Wherethatedgehaddulledinhischest,his

magicnowflowedfreer.Asifit,too,hadbeen

freed from those inner restraints he’d

loosenedslightlylastnight.Whathe’dopened

up, revealed to her. A sort of freedom, that

lettinggo.

The sun was barely in the sky when they

beganthelongflighttoEyllwe.



CHAPTER25

Cairnhadletherrotintheboxforawhile.

It was quieter here, no endless, droning

roaroftheriver.

Nothing but that pressure, building and

building and building under her skin, in her

head. She could not outrun it, even in

oblivion.

But still the irons dug in, chafing against

herskin.Wetnesspooledbeneathherastime

wheeled by. As Maeve undoubtedly brought

thatcollarcloserwitheachhour.

Shecouldn’trememberthelasttimeshe’d

eaten.

Shedrifteddownagain,intoapocketofthe

dark, where she told herself that story—the

story—overandover.

Whoshewas,whatshewas,whatshestood

to destroy should she yield to the near-

airlessnessofthebox,totherisingstrain.

Itwouldn’tmatter,though.Oncethatcollar

wentaroundherneck,howlongwouldittake

until the Valg prince within pried from her

everything Maeve wished to know? Violated

and delved into every inner barrier to mine

thosevitalsecrets?

Cairnwouldbeginagainsoon.Itwouldbe

wretched.And then the healers would return

withtheirsweet-smellingsmoke,astheyhad

comethesemonths,theseyears,howeverlong

ithadbeen.

Butshe’dseenbeyondthem,foraninstant.

Had seen canvas fabric draped overhead,

rushescoveredwithwovenrugsbeneaththeir

sandaledfeet.Brazierssmolderedallaround.

A tent. She was in a tent. Murmuring

sounded outside—not nearby, but close

enoughforherFaehearingtopickup.People

speaking in both her tongue and the Old

Language, someone muttering about the

crampedcampconditions.

Anarmycamp,fullofFae.

A more secure location, Cairn had said.

Maevehadwantedherhere,toguardherfrom

Morath. Until Maeve clamped the cold

Wyrdstonecollararoundherneck.

But then oblivion swept in. When she

awoke,cleanedandwithoutanache,sheknew

Cairnwassoontobegin.Hiscanvashadbeen

wiped bare, ready for him to paint red. His

terrible, grand finale, not to pry information

from her, not with Maeve’s triumph at hand,

butforhisownpleasure.

Aelinwasready,too.

They hadn’t chained her to an altar this

time. But to a metal table, set within the

center ofthelarge tent.He’d hadthem bring

in the comforts of home—or whatever Cairn

mightconsiderhome.

Atallchestofdrawersstoodbyonecanvas

wall.Shedoubteditheldclothes.

Fenrys lay beside it, head on his front

paws,sleeping.Foronce,sleeping.Grieflaid

heavy on him, dulling his coat, dimming his

brighteyes.

Anothertablehadbeenplacedneartheone

on which she lay. A cloth covered three

humpedobjectsonit.Besidetheoneclosest,a

patch of black velvet also had been left out.

Fortheinstrumentshe’duseonher.Theway

amerchantmightdisplayhisfinestjewels.

Two chairs sat facing each other on the

othersideofthesecondtable,beforethelarge

brazier full to the brim with crackling logs.

Thesmokecurledupward,up,up—

A small hole had been cut into the tent’s

ceiling.Andthroughit…

Aelin couldn’t fight the trembling in her

mouth at the night sky, at the pinpricks of

lightshininginit.

Stars. Just two, but there were stars

overhead. The sky itself … it was not the

heaviness of full night, but rather a murky,

grayingblack.

Dawn. Likely an hour or so away, if the

stars remained out. Perhaps she would last

longenoughtoseesunlight.

Fenrys’s eyes shot open, and he lifted his

head,earstwitching.

Aelin took steadying breaths as Cairn

shoved through the tent flaps, offering a

glimpse of fires and lightening darkness

beyond.Nothingelse.

“Enjoyyourrest?”

Aelinsaidnothing.

Cairn ran a hand down the metal table’s

edge.“I’vebeendebatingwhattodowithyou,

you know. How to really savor this, make it

special for us both before our time is

through.”

Fenrys’s snarl rumbled through the tent.

Cairn just swept the cloth from the smaller

table.

Lowmetaldishesonthreelegs,piledwith

unlitlogs.

Aelinstiffenedashehauledoneover,and

set it beneath the foot of the metal table. A

smallerbrazier,itslegscutshortforitsbowl

tohoverbarelyabovetheground.

Hesetthesecondbrazierbelowthetable’s

center.Thethirdatthehead.

“We’ve played with your hands before,”

Cairn said, straightening. Aelin began

shaking, began tugging on the chains

anchoringherarmsaboveherhead.Hissmile

grew. “Let’s see how yourentire bodyreacts

to flame without your special little gift.

Perhapsyou’llburnliketherestofus.”

Aelin yanked uselessly, her feet sliding

againstthestill-coolmetal.

Notlikethis—

Cairnreachedintohispocketandwithdrew

someflint.

This wasn’t just a breaking of her body.

Butabreakingofher—ofthefireshe’dcome

tolove.Todestroythepartofherthatsang.

He’d melt her skin and bones until she

feared the flame, until she hated it, as she

hated those healers who had come again and

againtorepairherbody,tohidewhatwasreal

fromwhathadbeenadream.

Fenrys’ssnarlrolledon,endless.

Cairnsaidmildly,“Youcanscreamallyou

like,ifitpleasesyou.”

Thetablewouldturnred-hot,andthescent

of burning flesh would fill her nose, and she

wouldn’t be able to stop it, stop him; she

would sob in agony, as the burns went so

deep,throughskinandintobone—

Thepressureinherbody,her head, faded.

It became secondary as Cairn fished a rolled

pouch from his other pocket. He set it upon

theswathofblackvelvet,andshecouldmake

out the indents of the slender tools inside.

“Forwhenheatingthetablegrowsboring,”he

said, patting the tool kit. “I want to see how

fartheburnsgoinsideyourskin.”

Bile shot up her throat as he weighed the

flintinhishandsandsteppedcloser.

She began fraying then, who she was and

hadbeenmeltingawayasherownbodywould

soonmeltwhenthistableheated.

Thehandshe’dbeendealt.Itwasthehand

she had been dealt, and she would endure it.

Evenasawordtookformonhertongue.

Please.

She tried to swallow it. Tried to keep it

locked in asCairn crouched beside the table,

flintraised.

Youdonotyield.

“Wait.”

Thewordwasarasp.

Cairn paused. Rose from his crouch.

“Wait?”

Aelinshook,herbreathingragged.“Wait.”

Cairn crossed his arms. “Do you have

somethingyou’dliketosayatlast?”

He’d let her promise anything to him, to

Maeve.Andthenwouldstilllightthosefires.

Maeve would not hear of her yielding for

days.

Aelin made herself meet his stare, her

gauntlet-coveredfingerspressingintotheiron

slabbeneathher.

Onelastchance.

She’d seen the stars overhead. It was as

greatagiftasanyshe’dreceived,greaterthan

the jewels and gowns and art she’d once

covetedandamassedinRifthold.Thelastgift

she would receive, if she played the hand

she’dbeendealt.Ifsheplayedhimright.

To end this, end her. Before Maeve could

puttheWyrdstonecollararoundherneck.

Dawnneared,thestarsdimmingonebyone.

Rowan lurked by the southernmost

entrancetothecamp,hispowerthrumming.

Cairn’stentlayinthe centerof thecamp.

AmileandahalflaybetweenRowanandhis

prey.

When theguardsbegan theirshiftchange,

he’d rip the air from their lungs. Would rip

the airfromthe lungsof everysoldier in his

path. How manywould heknow?How many

hadhetrained?Asmallpartofhimprayedthe

numberwouldbefew.Thatiftheyknewhim,

they’d be wise and stand down. He had no

intentionofstopping,though.

Rowan freed the hatchet from his side, a

longknifealreadyglintingintheother.

A killing calm had settled overhim hours

ago.Daysago.Monthsago.

Onlyafewmoreminutes.

Thesixguardsatthecampentrancestirred

from their watches. The sentries in the trees

behind him, unaware of his presence this

night,wouldspottheactionthemomenttheir

fellowsentrieswentdown.Andcertainlyspot

him the moment he broke from the trees,

crossingthenarrowstripofgrassbetweenthe

forestandcamp.

He’d debated flying in, but the aerial

patrols had circled all night, and if he faced

them, expending more power than he needed

to while also fighting off the arrows and

magic sure to be firing from below … He’d

wastevitalreservesofhisenergy.Soonfoot

itwouldbe,ahard,brutalruntothecenterof

the camp. Then out, either with Aelin or

Cairn.

Still alive. He had to keep Cairn alive for

now. Long enough to clear this camp and

reach a spot where they could slice every

answerfromhim.

Go,aquietvoiceurged.Gonow.

Essar’s sister had advised to wait until

dawn. When the shift was weakest. When

she’d make sure certain guards didn’t arrive

ontime.

Gonow.

Thatvoice,warmandyetinsistent,tugged.

Pushedhimtowardthecamp.

Rowan bared his teeth, his breathing

roughening. Lorcan and Gavriel would be

waiting for the signal, a flare of his magic,

whenhegotfarenoughintothecamp.

Now,Prince.

He knew that voice, had felt its warmth.

AndiftheLadyofLightherselfwhisperedat

hisear…

Rowan didn’t give himself time to

consider, to rage at the goddess who urged

himtoactbutwouldgladlysacrificehismate

totheLock.

SoRowansteeledhimself,willingiceinto

hisveins.

Calm.Precise.Deadly.

Every swing of his blades, every blast of

hispower,hadtocount.

Rowanspearedhismagictowardthecamp

entrance.

Theguardsgrabbedfortheirthroats,feeble

shields wobbling around them. Rowan

shatteredthemwithhalfathought,hismagic

tearingtheairfromtheirlungs,theirblood.

Theywentdownaheartbeatlater.

Sentries shouted from the trees, orders of

“Soundthealarm!”ringingout.

But Rowan was already running. And the

sentriesinthetrees,theirshoutslingeringon

the wind as they gasped for breath, were

alreadydead.

Theskyslowlybledtowarddawn.

Standing at the edge of the forest that

borderedtheeasternsideofthecamp,agood

twomilesofrolling,grassyhillsbetweenhim

and the edge of the army, Lorcan monitored

thestirringtroops.

Gavriel had already shifted, and the

mountain lion now paced near the tree line,

waitingforthesignal.

It was an effort not to peer behind him,

thoughLorcancould not see her. They’d left

Elideafewmilesintotheforest,hiddenina

copseoftreesborderingaglen.Shouldallgo

poorly,she’dfleedeeperintothehillywoods,

up into the ancient mountains. Where far

more deadly and cunning predators than Fae

stillprowled.

She hadn’t offered him a parting word,

though she’d wished them all luck. Lorcan

hadn’t been able to find the right words

anyway, so he’d left without so much as a

lookback.

But he glanced back now. Prayed that if

theydidn’treturn,shewouldn’tcomehunting

forthem.

Gavriel halted his pacing, ears twitching

towardthecamp.

Lorcanstiffened.

A spark of his power awakened and

flickered.

Deathbeckonednearby.

“It’s too soon,” Lorcan said, scanning for

anysignofWhitethorn’ssignal.Nothing.

Gavriel’s ears lay flat against his head.

And still those flutters of the dying trickled

past.



CHAPTER26

Aelinswallowedonce.Twice.Theportraitof

uncertainfearasshelaychainedonthemetal

table,Cairnwaitingforheranswer.

And then she said, her voice cracking,

“When you finish breaking me apart for the

day,howdoesitfeeltoknowthatyouarestill

nothing?”

Cairn grinned. “Some fire left in you, it

seems.Good.”

She smiled back through the mask. “You

were only given the oath for this. For me.

Withoutme,you’renothing.You’llgobackto

being nothing. Less than nothing, from what

I’veheard.”

Cairn’s fingers tightened around the flint.

“Keep talking, bitch. Let’s see where it gets

you.”

A rasping laugh broke from her. “The

guards talk when you’re gone, you know.

TheyforgetI’mFae,too.Canhearlikeyou.”

Cairnsaidnothing.

“Atleasttheyagreewithmeononefront.

You’respineless.Havetotieuppeopletohurt

thembecauseitmakesyoufeellikeamale.”

Aelingaveapointedglancebetweenhislegs.

“Inadequateinthewaysthatcount.”

A tremor went through him. “Would you

likemetoshowyouhowinadequateIam?”

Aelin huffed another laugh, haughty and

cool,andgazedtowardtheceiling,towardthe

lightening sky. The last she’d see, if she

playedthisright.

Therehadalwaysbeenanother,aspare,to

takeherplaceshouldshefail.Thatherdeath

would mean Dorian’s, would send those

hateful gods to demand his life to forge the

Lock … It was no strange thing, to hate

herself for it. She’d failed enough people,

failed Terrasen, that the additional weight

barelylanded.Shewouldn’thavemuchlonger

tofeelitanyway.

So she drawled toward the sky, the stars,

“Oh,Iknowthere’snotmuchworthseeingin

thatregard,Cairn.Andyou’renotenoughofa

male to be able to use it without someone

screaming, are you?” At his silence, she

smirked.“Ithoughtso.Idealtwithplentyof

yourilkattheAssassins’Guild.You’reallthe

same.”

Adeepsnarl.

Aelinonlychuckledandadjustedherbody,

as if getting comfortable. “Go ahead, Cairn.

Doyourworst.”

Fenrysletoutawarningwhine.

Shewaited,waited,maintainingthesmirk,

theloosenessinherlimbs.

Ahandslammedintohergut,hardenough

she bowed around it, the air vanishing from

her.

Then another blow, to her ribs, a cry

raspingfromher.Fenrysbarked.

Locks clicked, unlocking. Hot breath

tickled her earas shewas yankedup, off the

table.“Maeve’sordersmightholdmeatbay,

bitch, but let’s see how much you talk after

this.”

Her chained legs failed to get under her

beforeCairngrippedthebackofherheadand

slammed her face into the edge of the metal

table.

Stars burst, blinding and agonizing, as

metal on metal on bone crackedthrough her.

She stumbled, falling back, her chained feet

sendinghersprawling.

Fenrysbarkedagain,franticandraging.

But Cairn was there, gripping her hair so

tightly her eyes watered, and she cried out

oncemoreashedraggedheracrossthefloor

towardthatgreat,burningbrazier.

He hauled her up by her hair and shoved

hermaskedfaceforward.“Let’sseehowyou

mockmenow.”

The heat instantly singed her, the flames

lickingsoclosetoherskin.Ohgods,ohgods,

theheatofit—

Themask warmed on her face, the chains

alongherbodywithit.

Despiteherself,herplans,sheshovedback,

butCairnheldherfirm.Pushedhertowardthe

fire as her body strained, fighting for any

pocketofcoolair.

“I’mgoingtomeltyourfacesobadlyeven

the healers won’t be able to fix you,” he

breathed in her ear, bearing down, her limbs

starting to wobble, the heat scorching her

skin,thechainsandmask.

Heshovedheraninchclosertotheflame.

Aelin’s foot slid back, between his braced

legs.Now.Ithadtobenow—

“Enjoy the fire-breathing,” he hissed, and

shelethimshoveheranotherinchlower.Let

him get off balance, just a fraction, as she

slammed her bodynotup,butbackintohim,

her foot hooking around his ankle as he

staggered.

Aelin whirled, smashing her shoulder into

hischest.Cairncrashedtotheground.

Sheran—ortriedto.Withthechainsather

feet, on her legs, she could barely walk, but

she stumbled past him, knowing he was

alreadytwisting,alreadyrisingup.

Run—

Cairn’s hands wrapped around her calves

and yanked. She went down, teeth singing as

they slammed against the mask, drawing

bloodfromherlip.

Thenhewasoverher,rainingblowsonher

head,herneck,herchest.

Shecouldn’tdislodgehim,hermusclesso

drained from disuse, despite the healers

keeping the atrophying at bay. Couldn’t flip

him,either,thoughshetried.

Cairn fumbled behind them—for an iron

poker,heatinginthebrazier.

Aelin thrashed, trying to get her hands up

andoverhishead,toloopthosechainsaround

hisneck.Butthey’dbeenhookedtotheirons

athersides,downherback.

Fenrys’s snarling barks rang out. Cairn’s

handfumbledagainforthepoker.Missed.

Cairn glanced behind him to grab the

poker, daring to take his eyes off her for a

heartbeat.

Aelindidn’thesitate.Sherammedherhead

upward and slammed her masked face into

Cairn’shead.

He knocked back, and she lunged toward

thetentflaps.

Hehadmorerestraintthanshe’destimated.

Hewouldn’tkillher,andwhatshe’ddone

justnow,provokinghim—

She’d barely made it out of her crouch

whenCairn’shandsgrippedherhairagain.

When he hurled her with all his strength

againstthechestofdrawers.

Aelin hit it with a crack that echoed

throughherbody.

Something in her side snapped and she

criedout,thesoundsmallandbroken,asshe

collidedwiththefloor.

Fenryshadseenhistwindriveaknifethrough

hisheart.HadwatchedConnallbleedoutonto

thetilesanddie.Andhadthenbeenorderedto

kneel before Maeve in that very blood as

she’dbadehimtoattendher.

He’d sat in a stone room for two months,

witness to what they’d done to a young

queen’s body, her spirit. Had been unable to

help her as she’d screamed and screamed.

He’dneverstophearingthosescreams.

Butitwasthesoundthatcameoutofheras

Cairn hurled her intothe chest of drawers

where Fenrys had watched him arranging his

tools,thesoundshemadeasshehitthefloor,

thatshatteredhimentirely.

Asmallsound.Quiet.Hopeless.

He’dneverhearditfromher,notonce.

Cairn got to his feet and wiped his

bloodied,brokennose.

Aelin Galathynius stirred, trying to rise

ontoherforearms.

Cairn pulled the red-hot poker from the

brazier.Hepointeditatherlikeasword.

Fenrys strained against his invisible

bindings as Aelin glanced at him, toward

where he’d sat for the past two days, in that

samedamnedspotbythetentwall.

Despairshoneinhereyes.

True despair, without light or hope. The

sortofdespairthatwishedfordeath.Thesort

ofdespairthatbegantoerodestrength,toeat

awayatanyresolvetoendure.

Sheblinkedathim.Fourtimes.Iamhere,I

amwithyou.

Fenrys knew it for what it was. The final

message.Notbeforedeath,butbeforethesort

of breaking that no one would walk away

from. Before Maeve returned with the

Wyrdstonecollar.

Cairn rotated the poker in his hands, heat

ripplingoffitspoint.

AndFenryscouldn’tallowit.

Hecouldn’tallowit.Inhisshreddedsoul,

in what was left of him after all he’d been

forcedtoseeanddo,hecouldn’tallowit.

The blood oath kept his limbs planted. A

darkchainthatranintohissoul.

Hewouldnotallowit.Thatfinalbreaking.

Hepushedupwardagainstthebond’sdark

chain,screaming,thoughnosoundcamefrom

hisopenmaw.

He pushed and pushed andpushed against

those invisible chains, against that blood-

swornordertoobey,tostaydown,towatch.

Hedefiedit.Allthatthebloodoathwas.

Pain lanced through him, into his very

core.

He blocked it out as Cairn pointed the

smoldering poker at the young queen with a

heartofwildfire.

Hewouldnotallowit.

Snarling, the male inside him thrashing,

Fenrys bellowed at the dark chain binding

him.

Heshreddedintoit,bitingandtearingwith

everyscrapofdefiancehepossessed.

Let it kill him, wreck him. He would not

serve. Not another heartbeat. He would not

obey.

Hewouldnotobey.

Andslowly,Fenrysgottohisfeet.

Pain shuddered Aelin as she lay sprawled,

panting, arms straining to hold her head and

chestofftheground.

It was not Cairn and the poker she stared

at.

But Fenrys, rising upward, his body

ripplingwithtremorsofpain,snoutwrinkled

inrage.

Even Cairn halted. Looked toward the

whitewolf.“Standdown.”

Fenryssnarled,deepandvicious.Andstill

hestruggledtohisfeet.

Cairn pointed the poker at the rug. “Lie

down.Thatisanorderfromyourqueen.”

Fenrysspasmed,hishackleslifting.Buthe

wasstanding.

Standing.

Despitetheorder,despitethebloodoath’s

commands.

Getup.

Fromfaraway,thewordssounded.

Cairnroared,“Liedown!”

Fenrys’s head thrashed from side to side,

his body bucking against invisible chains.

Againstaninvisibleoath.

HisdarkeyesmetCairn’s.

Blood began running from the wolf’s

nostril.

It’d kill him—to sever the oath. It would

break hissoul.Hisbodywouldgosoonafter

that.

ButFenrysputonepawforward.Hisclaws

dugintotheground.

Cairn’s face paled at that step. That

impossiblestep.

Fenrys’s eyes slid toward hers. Neither

needed the silent code between them for the

word she beheld in his gaze. The order and

plea.

Run.

Cairnreadtheword,too.

Andhehissed,“Notwithashatteredspine,

she can’t,” before he brought the poker

slammingdownforAelin’sback.

Witharoar,Fenrysleaped.

And with it, he snapped the blood oath

completely.



CHAPTER27

Wolf and Fae went tumbling to the carpet,

roaringandtearing.

Fenrys lunged for Cairn’s throat, his

enormous body pinning the male, but Cairn

gothisfeetbetweenthemandkicked.

Aelin lurched upright, willing strength to

her legs as she came into a kneel beside the

chest of drawers. Fenrys slammed into the

side of the metal table, but was instantly

moving,throwinghisbodyagainstCairn.

A low hiss sounded nearby, and Aelin

daredlookawaytofindthepokerlyingtoher

right.

She twisted her feet toward it. Placed the

center of the chains binding her ankles atop

thered-hottip.

Slowly,thelinksinthecenterheated.

WolfandFaeclashedinatangleofclaws

andfistsandteeth,thenleapedapart.

Severingthebloodoath—itwouldkillhim.

These were his last breaths, his last

heartbeats.

“I’ll peel the fur from your bones,” Cairn

panted.

Fenrys breathed heavily, blood leaking

frombetweenhis teethas heplacedonepaw

over the other, circling. His stare did not

break from Cairn’s as they moved, assessing

eachotherforthekillingblow.

Thelinks in the center of the chain began

glowing.

Overhead,theskylightenedtogray.

Fenrys and Cairn circled again, step after

step.

Wearinghimout,wearinghimdown.Cairn

knew the cost of severing the blood oath.

KnewhehadonlytowaititoutbeforeFenrys

wasdead.

Fenrysknewit,too.

He charged, teeth snapping for Cairn’s

throatashispawsswipedforthemale’sshins.

Aelingrabbedthepoker,plantedherheels,

and drove therod upward.It strained against

the heated linksinthe chain, and sheshoved

and shoved her feet downward, her arms

buckling.

Cairn and Fenrys rolled, andAelin gritted

herteeth,bellowing.

Thechainbetweenherlegssnapped.

Itwasallsheneeded.

She scrambled to her feet, but halted.

Fenrys, pinned by Cairn, met her gaze.

Snarledinwarningandcommand.

Run.

Cairnwhippedhisheadtowardher.Toward

the chain hanging free between her ankles.

“You—”

But Fenrys surged up, his jaws clamping

aroundCairn’sshoulder.

Cairn shouted, arching, grabbing for

Fenrys’sback.

Fenrys met her stare again, ripping into

Cairn’s shoulder even as the male shoved

them into the edge of the table. Hammered

Fenrys’s spine into the metal, hard enough

thatbonecracked.

Run.

Aelindidnothesitate.Shesprintedforthe

tentflaps.

Andintothemorningbeyond.

Halfamiletothecenterofthecamp.Tothe

tent.

The soldiers had responded as Rowan

anticipated,andhe’dkilledthemaccordingly.

Birdsofpreydoveforhim,attackingwith

wind and ice from above. He shattered their

magicwithasurgeofhisown,sendingthem

scattering.

Aclusterofwarriorschargedfrombehind

arowoftents.

Some beheld him and ran back the way

they’dcome.Allsoldierswhomhe’dtrained.

Andsomehehadn’t.Yetmanystayedtofight.

Rowanrippedthroughtheirshields,ripped

the air from their lungs. Some found his

hatchetswingingfortheirnecks.

Close. So close to that tent. He would

signalLorcanandGavrielinamoment.When

hewascloseenoughtoneedthediversionfor

thewayout.

Another onslaught of soldiers barreled for

him, and Rowan angled his long knife. His

power blasted away their fired arrows, then

blastedawaythearchers.

Turningthemalltobloodiedsplinters.



CHAPTER28

Aelinran.

Her weakened legs stumbled on the grass,

herstill-boundhandsrestrictingthefullrange

ofmotion,butsheran.Pickedadirection,any

direction but the river mists to her left, and

ran.

Thesunwasrising,andthearmycamp…

Therewasmotionbehindher.Shouting.

Sheblockeditoutandaimedright.Toward

the rising sun, as if it were Mala’s own

welcomingembrace.

She couldn’t get downenough air through

the mask’s thin slit, but she kept moving,

racing past tents, past soldiers who whipped

their heads toward her, as if puzzled. She

clenched the poker in her ironclad hands,

refusing to see what the commotion was, if

Cairnragedbehindher.

Butthensheheardthem.Bellowedorders.

Rushing steps in the grass behind, closing

in.Peopleaheadalertedbytheircries.

Bare feet flying over the ground, her

exhaustedlegsscreamedtostop.

Still Aelin aimed for the eastern horizon.

Toward the trees and mountains, toward the

suncrestingoverthem.

Andwhenthefirstofthesoldiersblocked

herpath,shoutingtostop,sheangledtheiron

pokeranddidnotfalter.

DeathsangtoLorcan.

Fromthebirdsofpreythatspearedfarther

and farther into the camp, he knew

WhitethornwasclosetoCairn’stent.

Soonnow,they’dgetthesignal.

Lorcan and Gavriel steadied their

breathing, readyingtheir power. It thrummed

throughthem,twinwavescresting.

But death began beckoning elsewhere in

thecamp.

Closertothem.Movingfast.

Lorcan scanned the brightening sky, the

line of the first tents. The entrance with the

guards.

“Someone’s making a move this way,”

Lorcan murmured to Gavriel. “But

Whitethorn’sstilloverthere.”

Fenrys. Or Connall, perhaps. Maybe

Essar’s sister, who he’d never liked. But he

wouldn’t give a shit about that if she hadn’t

betrayedthem.

Hepointednorthoftheentrance.“Youtake

thatside.Bereadytostrikefromtheflank.”

Gavriel sped off, a predator ready to

pounceunseenwhenLorcanattackedhead-on.

Death glimmered. Whitethorn was nearly

at the camp’s center. And that force

approachingtheireasternentrance…

Tohellwithwaiting.

Lorcanbrokefromthecoveroftrees,dark

power swirling, primed to meet whatever

brokethroughthelineoftents.

Freeing the sword at his side, he searched

the sky, the camp, the world as death

flickered, as the rising sun gilded the rolling

grassesandsetthedewsteaming.

Nothing.Noindicationofwhat,ofwho—

He’d reached the first of the hollows that

flowedtothecampedge,thedipsnarrowand

steep,whenAelinGalathyniusappeared.

Lorcan didn’t expect the sob in his throat

as she raced between the tents, as he beheld

the iron mask and the chains on her, hands

stillbound.

As he beheld the blood soaking her skin,

theshortwhiteshift,herhair,longerthanhe’d

lastseenandplasteredtoherheadwithgore.

His knees stopped working, and even his

magic faltered at the sight of her wild,

desperateraceforthecamp’sedge.

Soldiersrantowardher.

Lorcan surged into motion, flaring his

magic up and wide. Not to her, but to

Whitethorn,stillchargingforthecenterofthe

camp.

She’s here, she’s here, she’s here , he

signaled.

But Lorcan was too far, the grassy bumps

andhollowsbetweenthemnowendless,asten

soldiers converged on Aelin, blocking her

pathtowardtheopenfield.

One swung his sword, a strike that would

cleaveherskullintwo.

Thefooldidn’trealizewhohefaced.What

hefaced.

Thatitwasn’tafire-breathingqueenbound

inironwhochargedathim,butanassassin.

With a twist, arms lifting,Aelin met that

swordhead-on.

Justasshe’dplanned.

Themale’sswordfellshortofhisintended

target,buthitpreciselywhereshewished.

In the center of the chains that bound her

hands.

Ironsnapped.

Then the male’s sword was in her freed

hands.Thenhisthroatwassprayingblood.

Aelin whirled, slamming into the other

soldierswhostoodbetweenherandfreedom.

Evenasheranforher,Lorcancouldonlygape

atwhatunfolded.

Shestruckbeforetheyknewwheretoturn.

Slash,duck,lunge.

She got her other hand on one of their

daggers.

Then it was over. Then there was nothing

betweenherandthecampentrancebutthesix

guardsdrawingtheirweapons—

Lorcanlashedoutwithhismagic, alethal

netofpowerthathadthoseguardscrashingto

theirknees.Neckssnapped.

Aelin didn’t falter as they wilted to the

ground.Shechargedpast,aimingstraightfor

the field and hills. To where Lorcan ran for

her.

Hesignaledagain.Tome,tome.

Whether Aelin recognized it, or him, she

stillracedhisway.

Whole.Herbodylookedwhole,andyetshe

was so thin, her blood-splattered legs

strainingtokeepherupright.

Arollingfieldofsteepbumpsandhollows

laybetweenthem.Lorcanswore.

Shewouldn’tmakeit,notoverthatterrain,

notdrainedlikethat—

Butshedid.

Aelin vanished into the first dip, and

Lorcan’smagic flaredoverand over. To her,

toWhitethorn.

Andthenshewasup,crestingthehill,and

he could see the slowness taking over, the

sheerexhaustionfromabodyatitslimit.

Arrows twangedfrombows,anda wallof

them shot into the sky. Aiming for her on

thoseexposedhills.

Lorcansentawaveof hispower snapping

themaway.

Still more fired. Single shots this time,

from so many directions he couldn’t trace

their sources. Trained archers, some of

Maeve’sbest.Aelinhadto—

Shealreadywas.

Aelinbeganzagging,deprivingthemofan

easytarget.

Left to right, she darted over the hills,

slowerwitheachbumpshecleared,eachstep

toward Lorcan as he raced to her, a hundred

yardsremainingbetweenthem.

An arrow speared for her back, but Aelin

lungedtotheside,skiddingingrassanddirt.

Shewasupagaininaheartbeat,weaponsstill

in hand, charging for the hills and hollows

betweenthem.

Another arrow aimed for her, and Lorcan

madetosnapitaway.Awallofglitteringgold

gottherefirst.

From the north, leaping over the hollows,

chargedGavriel.Aelindisappearedintoadip

intheearth,andwhensheemerged,theLion

ran at her side, a golden shield around her.

Notclosetoher—butintheairaroundthem.

Unabletofullytouchherwiththeironmask,

the chains draped around her torso. The iron

gauntletsonherhands.

Soldierswerespillingoutofthecamp,and

Lorcansentablackwindwhippingfor them.

Where it touched them, they died.Andthose

who did not found an impenetrable shield

barringthewaytothefield.

He spread it as wide as he could. Blood

oath or no, they were still his people. His

soldiers. He’d prevent their deaths, if he

could.Savethemfromthemselves.

Aelin was stumbling now, and Lorcan

clearedthelastofthehillsbetweenthem.

He opened his mouth, to shout what, he

didn’tknow,butacrypiercedthebluesky.

The sob that came out of Aelin at the

hawk’sbellowoffurycrackedLorcan’schest.

Butshekeptrunningforthetrees,fortheir

cover.LorcanandGavrielfellintostepbeside

her,andwhensheagainstumbled,thosetoo-

thinlegsgivingout,Lorcangrippedherunder

thearmandhauledheralong.

Fast as a shooting star, Rowan dove for

them.Hereachedthemastheypassedthefirst

ofthetrees,shiftingashelanded.Theythrew

themselves into a halt, Aelin sprawling onto

thepine-coveredground.

Rowan was instantly before her, hands

goingtothemaskonherface,thechains,the

bloodcoatingherarms,hertornbody—

Aelinletoutanothersob,andthenmoaned,

“Fenrys.”

It took Lorcan a moment to understand.

Took her pointing behindthem, to the camp,

asshesaidagain,asifspeechwasbeyondher,

“Fenrys.”Herbreath was a wet rasp.Aplea.

Abroken,bloodyplea.

Fenrys remained with Cairn. In the camp.

Aelinpointedagain,sobbing.

Rowanturnedfromhismate.

TherageinRowan’seyescoulddevourthe

world.Andthatragewasabouttoextractthe

sort of vengeance only a mated male could

command.

Rowan’scaninesflashed,buthisvoicewas

deadlysoftashesaidtoLorcan,“Takeherto

the glen.” A jerk of his chin to Gavriel.

“You’rewithme.”

WithafinallooktowardAelin,hisfrozen

rageabrewingstormonthewind,theprince

andtheLionweregone,chargingbacktoward

thechaotic,bloodycamp.



CHAPTER29

With the camp in outright chaos, it was far

easiertoslipin.

Rowan’s power blasted to the western

edge, shattering tent and bone. Any soldiers

lingering between the camp’s eastern edge

andthecenterrantowardit.

Clearing the way. Right to the tent he’d

been so close to reaching when Lorcan’s

powerhadflared.Asignal.

That they’d found her. Or she had found

them,itseemed.

And when Rowan had seen her, first from

theskiesandthenbesideher,whenhesmelled

theblood,bothherownandothers’,whenhe

beheldthechainsandtheironmaskclamped

over her face, when she wassobbing at the

sight of him, terror and despair coating her

scent—

The rage that roiled through him had no

spaceformercy.Noroomforcompassion.

TherewasneitherinhimasheandGavriel

snuckpastthelastclusteroftentstothelarge

onesituatedinaclearedcircleofgrass.Asif

noonecouldstomachbeingnearCairn.

Fenryswaswithher.Orhadbeen.

From the quiet inside, he wondered if the

wolfwasdead.

GavrielshiftedintohisFaeform,andfreed

a knife at his hip. An exchanged glance

conveyedtheorderforsilenceasRowansent

awispofwindfloatingintothetent.

Itsangbacktohimoftwolife-forms.Both

injured. Blood thick in the air. It was all he

needed.

Silent as the breeze in the grass, they

slipped between the tent flaps. Rowan didn’t

knowwheretolookfirst.

Atthe wolfandFae male sprawledonthe

floor.

Orattheironcoffinacrossthetent.

Theironboxthey’dlockedherin.

Had to reinforce, it seemed, from the

sloppyweldingonthethickslabsatopit.

Theboxwassosmall.Sonarrow.

Thesmellofherblood,herfear,saturated

thetent.Emanatedfromthatbox.

Ametaltablelaynearby.

Andbeneathit…

Rowan took in the three unlit braziers set

beneath it, the chain anchors at the head and

footofthetable,andatlastlookedtowardthe

Fae male left bloodied, but still alive, on the

flooracrossfromFenrys.

Fenrys, whom Gavriel was already

crouched over, the golden light of his power

wrappedaroundtheblood-soakedfur.Healing

him. The white wolf did not rise to

consciousness, but his breathing steadied.

Goodenough.

“Heal him,” Rowan said with lethal

softness. The Lion looked up, and found that

Rowan’sgazewasnolongeronthewolf.But

onCairn.

ChunksoffleshhadbeentornfromCairn’s

body.AlumponhistempletoldRowanithad

been the blow that had rendered him

unconscious. As if Fenrys had slammed

Cairn’sskullintothesideofthatmetaltable.

Andthencollapsedhimselfmerefeetaway.

Collapsed, perhaps not from the wounds

themselves, but … Rowan started. What had

happenedhere,whathadbeensoterriblethat

thewolfhadbeenabletodotheimpossibleto

spareAelinfromenduringit?

Gavriel’s tawny eyes flashed with

wariness.RowanpointedatCairnagain.“Heal

him.”

They did not have much time. Not to do

whathewanted.Whatheneeded.

Some of the drawers in the tall chest had

been knocked free. Polished tools glinted

within.

A pouch of them had also been set on a

pieceofblackvelvetbesidethemetaltable.

Herbloodsangtohimofpainanddespair,

ofutterterror.

HisFireheart.

Gavriel’s magic shimmered, golden light

settlingoverCairn.

Rowan surveyed the tools Cairn had laid

out, the ones in the drawer. Carefully,

thoughtfully,heselectedone.

A thin, razor-sharp knife.A healer’s tool,

meantforsleekincisionsandscrapingoutrot.

Cairn groaned as unconsciousness gave

way.BythetimeCairnawoke,chainedtothat

metaltable,Rowanwasready.

Cairnbeheldwhostoodoverhim,thetool

in Rowan’s tattooed hand, the others he had

alsolaidoutonthatpieceofvelvet,andbegan

thrashing.Theironchainsheldfirm.

Then Cairn beheld the frozen rage in

Rowan’s eyes. Understood what he intended

todowiththatsharp,sharpknife.Adarkstain

spreadacrossthefrontofCairn’spants.

Rowanwrappedanice-kissedwindaround

thetent,blockingoutallsound,andbegan.



CHAPTER30

The clash of conflict echoed across the land,

evenfrommilesaway.Deepintheroughhills

of an ancient forest, Elide had waited for

hours. First shivering in the dark, then

watching the sky bleed to gray, then at last

blue.Andwiththatfinaltransition,theclamor

hadstarted.

She’d alternated between pacing through

the mossy glen, weaving amongst the gray

bouldersstrewnbetweenthetrees,andsitting

in the thrumming silence against one of the

towering, wide-trunked trees, making herself

as small and quiet as possible. Gavriel had

sworn none of the strange or fell beasts in

theselandswouldprowlsoclosetoDoranelle,

butshedidn’twanttoriskit.Sosheremained

intheglen,whereshe’dbeentoldtowait.

Wait for them. Or wait for things to go

badly enough that she had to find her own

way.Perhapsshe’dseekoutEssarifitshould

cometothat—

Itwouldn’tcometothat.Shesworeitover

andover.Itcouldn’tcometothat.

The morning sun was beginning to warm

thechilledshadewhenshesawthem.

Sawthem,beforesheheardthem,because

their feet were silent on the forest floor,

thanks to their immortal grace and training.

The breath shuddered out of her as Lorcan

emerged between two moss-crusted trees,

eyes already fixed on her.And a step behind

him,staggeringalong…

Elide didn’t know what to do. With her

body, her hands. Didn’t know what to say as

Aelin stumbled over root and rock, the mask

and the chains clanking, blood soaking her.

Not just blood from her own wounds, but

thoseofothers.

She was thin, her golden hair so much

longer.Toolong,evenwiththetimeapart.It

fell nearly to her navel, most of it dark with

cakedblood.Asifshe’drunthrougharainof

it.

NosignofRowanorGavriel.Butnogrief

on Lorcan’s face, nothing beyond urgency,

given how he monitored the sky, the trees.

Searchingforanypursuit.

Aelin halted at the edge of the clearing.

Her feet were bare, and the thin, short shift

sheworerevealednomajorinjuries.

But there was little recognition inAelin’s

eyes,shadowedwiththemask.

Lorcansaidtothequeen,“We’llwaithere

forthem.”

Aelin,asifherbodydidn’tquitebelongto

her,liftedhershackled,metal-encasedhands.

Thechainlinkingthemhadbeensevered,and

hung in pieces off either manacle. The same

withthoseatherankles.

Shetuggedatoneofthemetalgauntlets.It

didn’tbudge.

She tugged again. The gauntlet didn’t so

muchasshift.

“Takeitoff.”

Hervoicewaslow,gravelly.

Elidedidn’tknowwhichoneofthemshe’d

ordered, but before she could cross the

clearing, Lorcan gripped the queen’s wrist to

examinethelocks.

One corner of his mouth tightened. There

wasnoeasywaytofreethem,then.

Elideapproached,herlimpdeeponcemore

withGavriel’smagicoccupied.

Thegauntletshadbeenlockedatherwrist,

overlapping slightly with the shackle. Both

had small keyholes. Both were made from

iron.

Elide shifted slightly, bracing her weight

on her uninjured leg, to get a view of where

the mask was bound to the back of Aelin’s

head.

That lock was more complicated than the

others,thechainsthickandancient.

Lorcan had fitted the tip of a slender

dagger into the lock of the gauntlet, and was

nowanglingit,tryingtopickthemechanism.

“Take it off.” The queen’s guttural words

wereswallowedbythemoss-crustedtrees.

“I’m trying,” Lorcan said—not gently,

thoughcertainlywithouthisusualcoldness.

The dagger scraped in the lock, but to no

avail.

“Takeitoff.”Thequeenbegantrembling.

“I’m—”

Aelinsnatchedthedaggerfromhim,metal

clickingonmetalasshefittedtheblade’stip

into the lock. The dagger shook in her

ironcladhand.“Takeitoff,”shebreathed,lips

curlingbackfromherteeth.“Takeitoff.”

Lorcan made to grab the dagger, but she

angled away. He snapped, “These locks are

tooclever.Weneedaproperlocksmith.”

Panting through her clenched teeth, Aelin

dugandtwistedthedaggerintothegauntlet’s

lock.Asnapcrackedthroughtheclearing.

But not the lock. Aelin withdrew the

daggertorevealthebroken,chippedpoint.A

shardofmetaltumbledfromthelockandinto

themoss.

Aelin stared at the broken blade, at the

shard in the greenery cushioning her bare,

bloodied feet, her breaths coming faster and

faster.

Thenshedroppedthedaggerintothemoss.

Began clawing at the shackles on her arms,

the gauntlets on her hands, the mask on her

f a c e .“Take it off,” she begged as she

scratched and tugged and yanked. “Take it

off!”

Elide reached a hand for her, to stop her

beforesherippedtheskincleanoffherbones,

butAelindodgedaway,staggeringdeeperinto

theclearing.

The queen dropped to her knees, bowing

overthem,andclawedatthemask.

Itdidn’tsomuchasmove.

Elide glanced to Lorcan. He was frozen,

eyes wide asAelin knelt in the moss, as her

breathingbecameedgedwithsobs.

Hehaddonethis.Ledthemtothis.

ElidesteppedtowardAelin.

The queen’s gauntlets drew blood where

they scraped into her neck, her jaw, as she

heaved against the mask. “Take it off! ” The

pleaturnedintoascream.“Takeitoff!”

Over and over, the queen screamed it.

“Takeitoff,takeitoff,takeitoff!”

She was sobbing amid her screaming, the

sounds shattering through the ancient forest.

Shesaid nootherwords.Pleaded tono gods,

noancestors.

Only those words, again and again and

again.

Takeitoff,takeitoff,takeitoff.

Movement broke through the trees behind

them,andthefactthatLorcandidnot gofor

his weapons told Elide who it was. But any

relief was short-lived as Rowan and Gavriel

emerged, a massive white wolf hauled

between them. The wolf whose jaws had

clamped around Elide’s arm, tearing flesh to

thebone.Fenrys.

He was unconscious, tongue lagging from

his bloodiedmaw. Rowan had barely entered

the clearing before he set down the wolf and

stalkedforAelin.

Theprincewascoveredinblood.Fromhis

unhinderedsteps,Elideknewitwasn’this.

From the blood coating his chin, his neck

…Shedidn’twanttoknow.

Aelinrippedattheimmovablemask,either

unawareoruncaringoftheprincebeforeher.

Herconsort,husband,andmate.

“Aelin.”

Takeitoff,takeitoff,takeitoff.

Her screams were unbearable. Worse than

thosethatdayonthebeachinEyllwe.

Gavriel came to stand beside Elide, his

golden skin pale as he took in the frantic

queen.

Slowly,Rowankneltbeforeher.“Aelin.”

She only tipped her head up to the forest

canopyandsobbed.

Blood ran down her neck from the

scratches she’d dug into her skin, mingling

withwhatalreadycoatedher.

Rowan reached out a trembling hand, the

only sign of the agony Elide had little doubt

wascoursingthroughhim.Gently,helaidhis

hands on her wrists; gently, he closed his

fingers around them. Halting the brutal

clawinganddigging.

Aelinsobbed,herbodyshudderingwiththe

forceofit.“Takeitoff.”

Rowan’s eyes flickered, panic and

heartbreakandlongingshiningthere.“I will.

But you have to be still, Fireheart. Just for a

fewmoments.”

“Takeitoff.”Thesobsebbed,trickinginto

something broken and raw. Rowan ran his

thumbs over her wrists, over those iron

shackles. As if it were nothing but her skin.

Slowly,hershakingeased.

No,noteased,EliderealizedasRowanrose

to his feet and stalked behind the queen. But

contained, turned inward. Tremors rippled

throughAelin’stensebody,butshekeptstill

asRowanexaminedthelock.

Yet somethinglike shock,then horrorand

sorrow, flashedoverhis face, as he surveyed

herback.Itwasgoneassoonasitappeared.

Aglance,andGavrielandLorcandriftedto

hisside,theirstepsslow.Unthreatening.

Acrossthesmallclearing,Fenrysremained

out,hiswhitecoatsoakedwithblood.

ElideonlywalkedtoAelinandtookupthe

spotwhereRowanhadbeen.

Thequeen’seyeswereclosed,asifittook

all her concentration to remain still for

another heartbeat, to allow them to look, to

notclawattheirons.

So Elide said nothing, demanded nothing

fromher,saveforacompanionifsheneeded

one.

Behind Aelin, Rowan’s blood-splattered

face was grim while he studied the lock

fasteningthemask’schainstothebackofher

head. His nostrils flared slightly. Rage—

frustration.

“I’ve never seen a lock like this,” Gavriel

murmured.

Aelinbeganshakingagain.

Elide put a hand on her knee. Aelin had

scraped it raw, mud and grass stuck in her

blood-crustedskin.

Shewaitedforthequeentoshoveherhand

away, but Aelin didn’t move. Kept her eyes

shut,herraggedbreathingholdingsteady.

Rowan gripped one of the chains binding

the mask and nodded to Lorcan. “The other

one.”

Silently, Lorcan grasped the opposite end.

They’dsevertheironiftheyhadto.

Elide held her breath as both males

strained,armsshaking.

Nothing.

Theytriedagain.Aelin’sbreathinghitched.

Elidetightenedherhandonthequeen’sknee.

“She managed to snap the chains on her

anklesandhands,”Gavrielobserved.“They’re

notindestructible.”

Butwiththechainsonthemasksocloseto

herhead,aswipeofaswordwasimpossible.

Orperhapsthemaskhadbeenmadefromfar

strongeriron.

RowanandLorcangruntedastheyheaved

againstthechains.Itwasoflittleuse.

Panting softly, they paused. Red welts

shoneontheirhands.

They’dtriedtousetheirmagictobreakthe

iron.

Silence fell through the clearing. They

couldn’t linger here—not for much longer.

ButtotakeAelininthechains,whenshewas

sofrantictobefreeofthem…

Aelin’seyesopened.

They were empty. Wholly drained. A

warrioracceptingdefeat.

Elide blurted, scrambling for anything to

banishthatemptiness,“Wasthereeverakey?

Didyouseethemusingakey?”

Twoblinks.Asifthatmeantsomething.

RowanandLorcanyankedagain,straining.

But Aelin’s stare fell to the moss, the

stones. Narrowed slightly, as if the question

had settled. Through the small hole in her

mask, Elide could barely see her mouth the

words.Akey.

“I don’t have it—we don’t have them,”

Elide said, sensing the direction of Aelin’s

thoughts.“ManonandDoriando.”

“Quiet,”Lorcanhissed.Notatthelevelof

her voice, but the deadly information Elide

revealed.

Aelinagainblinkedtwicewiththatstrange

intentionality.

Rowansnarledatthechains,heavingagain.

ButAelinstretchedoutahandtothemoss

andtracedashape.

“Whatisthat?”Elideleanedforwardasthe

queen did it again, her hollow face

unreadable.

TheFaemalespausedatherquestion,and

watched Aelin’s finger move through the

green.

“A Wyrdmark,” Rowan said softly. “To

open.”

Aelintraceditagain, muteandstill.Asif

noneofthemstoodthere.

“They work on iron?” Gavriel asked,

trackingAelin’sfinger.

“She unlocked iron doors in Adarlan’s

royal library with that symbol,” Rowan

murmured.“Butsheneeded…”

He let his words hang unfinished as he

picked up the broken knife Aelin had

discarded in the moss nearby and sliced it

acrosshispalm.

Kneeling before her, he extended his

bloodiedhand.“Showme,Fireheart.Showme

again.” He tapped her ankle—the shackle

there.

Silently,hermovementsstiff,Aelinleaned

forward. She sniffed at the blood pooling in

his hand, her nostrils flaring. Her eyes lifted

tohis,likethescentofhisbloodposedsome

question.

“Iamyourmate,”Rowanwhispered,asif

itwastheanswershesought.Andthelovein

his eyes, in the way his voice broke, his

bloodied hand trembling … Elide’s throat

tightened.

Aelin only looked at the blood pooling in

his cupped palm. Her fingers curled, the

gauntlet clicking. As if it were another

answer,too.

“Shecan’tdoitwiththeiron,”Elidesaid.

“If it’s on her hands. It interferes with the

magicintheblood.”

Ablinkfromher,inthatsilentlanguage.

“It’s why she put them on you, isn’t it,”

Elide said, her chest straining. “To be sure

you couldn’t use your own blood with the

Wyrdmarks to free yourself.” As if all the

otherironwasn’talreadyenough.

Anotherblink,herfacestillsohollowand

cold.Tired.

Rowan’s jaw clenched. But he just dipped

his finger into the blood in his palm and

offeredhishandtoher.“Showme,Fireheart,”

hesaidagain.

Elide could havesworn he shuddered, and

not from fear, asAelin’s metal-crusted hand

closedaroundhis.

In halting, small movements, she guided

hisfingertotracethesymbolontotheshackle

aroundherankle.

Asoftflareofgreenishlight,then—

The hiss and sigh of the lock filled the

clearing.Theshackletumbledtothemoss.

Lorcanswore.

Rowan offered his hand, his blood, again.

Theshacklearoundherotherankleyieldedto

theWyrdmark.

Thenthemanaclesaroundherwrists.Then

thebeautiful,horriblegauntletsthuddedtothe

moss.

Aelin lifted her bare hands to her face,

reaching for the lock behind the mask, but

halted.

“I’lldoit,”Rowansaid,hisvoicestillsoft,

still full of that love. Hemoved behind her,

andElidestaredatthehorriblemask,thesuns

and flames carved and embossed along its

ancientsurface.

Aflareoflight,aclickofmetal,andthenit

slidfree.

Her face was pale—so pale, all traces of

thesun-kissedcoloringgone.

Andempty.Aware,andyetnot.

Wary.

Elide kept still, letting the queen survey

her. The males moved to face her, andAelin

lookedupontheminturn.Gavriel,whobowed

hishead.Lorcan,whostaredrightbackather,

hisdarkgazeunreadable.

And Rowan. Rowan, whose breathing

becamejagged,hisswallowaudible.“Aelin?”

The name, it seemed, was an unlocking,

too.

Not of the queen she’d so briefly known,

butthepowerinsideher.

Elide flinched as flame, golden and

blazing, erupted around the queen. The shift

burnedawayintoashes.

Lorcan dragged Elide back, and she

allowedit,evenastheheatvanished.Evenas

the flare of power contracted into an aura

aroundthequeen,ashimmeringsecondskin.

Aelin knelt there, burning, and did not

speak.

The flames flickered around her, though

the moss, the roots, did not burn. Didn’t so

muchassteam.Andthroughthefire,Aelin’s

now-long hair half hiding her nakedness,

Elide got a goodlookat what had been done

toher.

Aside from a bruise along her ribs, there

wasnothing.

Notamark.Notacallus.

Not a single scar. The ones Elide had

marked in those days beforeAelin had been

takenweregone.

Asifsomeonehadwipedthemaway.



CHAPTER31

Theyhadtakenherscars.

Maevehadtakenthemallaway.

IttoldRowanenoughaboutwhathadbeen

done. When he’d seen her back, the smooth

skinwherethescarsofEndovierandthescars

fromCairn’swhippingshouldhavebeen,he’d

suspected.

But kneeling, burning in nothing but her

skin … There were no scars where there

should have been. The almost-necklace of

them from Baba Yellowlegs: gone. The

shacklemarksfromEndovier:gone.Thescar

whereshe’dbeenforcedbyArobynnHamelto

break her own arm: gone.And on her palms

…

It was upon her exposed palms thatAelin

nowgazed.Asifrealizingwhatwasmissing.

The scars across her palms, one from the

momenttheyhadbecomecarranam,theother

from her oath to Nehemia, had disappeared

entirely.

Liketheyhadneverbeen.

Herflamesburnedbrighter.

Healers could remove scars, yes, but the

most likely reason for the lack of them on

Aelin, on all the places where he’d once

tracedthemwithhishands,hismouth…

Itwasnewskin.Allofit.Saveforherface,

sincehedoubtedtheywouldbestupidenough

totakeoffthemask.

Nearly every inch of her was covered in

new skin, unvarnished as fresh snow. The

blood coating her had burned away to reveal

it.

Newskin,becausethey’dneededtoreplace

whathadbeendestroyed.Tohealhersothey

couldbeginagainandagain.

Gavriel and Elide had moved to where

Fenrys lay,the battlefield healing the former

had done onthe warrior likelynotenoughto

keepdeathatbay.

Gavriel said to no one in particular, “He

doesn’thavemuchlonger.”

He’dbrokenthebloodoath.Throughsheer

will, Fenrys had broken it. And would soon

pay the price when his life force bled out

entirely.

Aelin’sgazeshiftedthen.Fromherhands,

her horrifically pristine skin, to the wolf

acrosstheclearing.

Sheblinkedtwice.Andthenslowlyrose.

Unawareoruncaringofhernakedness,she

took an unsteady step. Rowan was instantly

there—orascloseastheflameswouldallow.

He could push through, shielding himself

iniceorsimplybycuttingofftheairthatfed

her flames. But to cross that line, to shove

intoherflameswhensomuch,toomuch,had

beenstolenfromher…Hedidn’tlethimself

think about the distant, wary recognition on

her face when she’d seen him—seen all of

them.Asifshewasn’tentirelycertaintotrust

them.Trustthis.

Aelinmanagedanotherstep,teetering.

Heglimpsedherneckasshepassed.Even

thetwinbitemarks,hismarkofclaiming,had

vanished.

Encasedinflame,AelinwalkedtoFenrys.

Thewhitewolfdidnotstir.

Sorrow softened her face, even with that

quietdistance.Sorrow,andgratitude.

Gavriel and Elide remained on Fenrys’s

other side as she approached. Backed awaya

step. Not from fear, but to give her space in

thismomentoffarewell.

Theyhadtogo.Lingeringhere,despitethe

milesbetweenthemandthecamp,wasfolly.

TheycouldcarryFenrysuntilitwasover,but

…Rowancouldn’tbringhimselftosayit.To

tellAelinthatitmightnotbewisetodrawout

this good-bye the way she needed. They had

minutes,atbest,tosparebeforetheyhadtobe

onthemove.

But if scouts or sentries found them, he’d

make sure they didn’t get close enough to

disturbher.

Gavriel and Lorcan seemed to be having

the same thought, their eyes meeting from

across the clearing. Rowan jerked his chin

toward the western tree line in silent order.

Theystalkedforit.

Aelin knelt beside Fenrys, and her flame

enveloped them both. Thefire gavewayto a

reddish-goldaura,ashieldthatheknewwould

meltthefleshofanyonewhotriedtocross.It

flowed and rippled around them, a bubble of

copperyair,andthroughit,Rowanwatchedas

sheranahanddownthewolf’sbatteredside.

Gavrielhadhealedmostofthewounds,but

thebloodremained.

Aelin made long, gentle strokes over his

fur, her head angled as she spoke too softly

forRowantohear.

Slowly, painfully, Fenrys cracked open an

eye. Agony filled it—agony and yet

somethinglikerelief, andjoy,atthesightof

her bare face. And exhaustion. Such

exhaustionthatRowanknewdeathwouldbea

welcome embrace, a kiss from Silba herself,

goddessofgentleends.

Aelin spoke again, the sound either

contained or swallowed by her shield. No

tears.Onlythatsorrow—andclarity.

A queen’s face, he realized as Lorcan and

Gavrieltookupspotsalongtheglen’sborder.

Itwasaqueen’sfacethatlookeduponFenrys.

A queenwho took his massive paw in her

hands, pushing back folds of fur and skin to

unsheatheacurvedclaw.

Shesliditoverherbareforearm,splitting

skin.Leavingbloodinitswake.

Rowan’sbreathcaught.GavrielandLorcan

whirledtowardthem.

Aelinspokeagain,andFenrysblinkedonce

inanswer.

Shedeemedthatanswerenough.

“Holy gods,” Lorcan breathed as Aelin

extended her bleeding forearm to Fenrys’s

mouth.“Holyruttinggods.”

ForFenrys’sloyalty,forhissacrifice,there

was no greater reward she could offer. To

keephimfromdeath,therewasnootherway

tosavehim.

Onlythis.Onlythebloodoath.

And as Fenrys managed to lap the blood

from her wound, ashe sworea silent vow to

their queen, blinking a few more times,

Rowan’schestbecameunbearablytight.

Severing the blood oath to one queen had

snappedhis lifeforce,his soul.Swearingthe

blood oath to another might very well repair

that cleaving, the ancient magic binding

Fenrys’sfadinglifetoAelin’s.

Three mouthfuls. That’s all Fenrys took

beforehelaidhisheadbackonthemossand

closedhiseyes.

Aelin curled on her side next to him,

flamesencompassingthemboth.

Rowan couldn’t move. None of them

moved.

Aelinmouthedashort,curtword.

Fenrysdidnotrespond.

She spoke again, that queen’s face

unfaltering.

Live.

She’d use the blood oath to force him to

remainonthissideoflife.StillFenrysdidn’t

stir.

Acrossthebubbleofflameandheat,Elide

put a hand over her mouth, eyes shining

bright. She’d read the word on Aelin’s lips,

too.

Aelinspoke athirdtime,teethflashing as

shegaveFenrysherfirstorder.Live.

Rowandidn’tbreatheastheywaited.Long

minutespassed.

ThenFenrys’seyescrackedopen.

Aelin held the wolf’s gaze, nothing in her

facesavethatgrave,unyieldingcommand.

Slowly, Fenrys stirred. His paws shifted

beneathhim,legsstraining.Andherose.

“I don’t believe it,” Lorcan whispered. “I

don’t…”

ButtherewasFenrys,standingbeforetheir

now-kneeling queen. And there was Fenrys,

inclining his head, shoulders dipping with

him, one paw sweeping before the other.

Bowing.

Aghostofasmilegracedhermouth,gone

beforeitevertookform.

Aelin remained kneeling, though. Even as

Fenrys surveyed them, surprise and relief

lightinghisdarkeyes.HisgazemetRowan’s,

andRowansmiled,bowinghishead.

“Welcome to the court, pup,” he said, his

voicethick.

Raw emotion rippled across that lupine

face,andthenFenrysturnedbacktoAelin.

Shewasstaringatnothing.Fenrysnudged

hershoulderwithhisfurryhead.

She ran an idle hand through the wolf’s

whitecoat.Rowan’sheartclenched.

MaevehadcleavedintoRowan’sownmind

totrickhisveryinstincts.

What had she done to her? What had she

donethesemonths?

“We need to go,” Gavriel said, his own

voice thick as he took in Fenrys, standing

proudandwatchfulbesideAelin.“Weneedto

put distance between us and the camp, and

findsomewheretohaltforthenight.”Where

they’d reassess how and where to leave this

kingdom. Headingintothe forest,toward the

mountains, would be their best bet.These

treesofferedplentyofcoverage,andplentyof

cavesinwhichtohide.

“Canyouwalk?”LorcanaskedFenrys.

Fenryssliddark,balefuleyestoLorcan.

Oh,thatfightwouldcome.Thatvengeance.

Thewolfgavehimacurtnod.

Elidereachedforoneofthepacksstashed

nearthebaseofatree.“Whichway?”

ButRowandidn’tgettoanswer.

Silentaswraiths,theyappearedacrossthe

glen. As if they’d simply sparked into

existenceintheshadeofthefoliage.

Little bodies, some pale, some black as

night, some scaled. Mostly concealed, save

forspindlyfingersandwide,unblinkingeyes.

Elidegasped.“TheLittleFolk.”

Elidehadn’tseenawhisperoftheLittleFolk

since the days before Terrasen fell. Then, it

had been flashes and rustling within

Oakwald’s ancient shade. Never so many,

neversoopenly.

Or as open as they would ever allow

themselvestobe.

The half dozen or so who had gathered

acrosstheclearingkeptmostlyhiddenbehind

root and rock and cluster of leaves. None of

themalesmoved,thoughFenrys’searscocked

towardthem.

Amiracle—that’swhathadhappenedwith

thequeenandthewolf.

Though Fenrys seemed drained, his eyes

wereclearastheLittleFolkgathered.

Aelinbarelylookedtowardthem.

A pale, spindly hand rose over a moss-

speckledboulderandcurled.Come.

Rowanasked,voicelikegranite,“Youwish

ustofollowyou?”

Again,thehandmadethemotion.Come.

Gavrielmurmured,“Theyknowthisforest

betterthanevenwedo.”

“Andyoutrustthem?”Lorcandemanded.

Rowan’s eyes settled on Aelin. “They

saved her life once.” That night Erawan’s

assassinhadreturnedforAelin.“Theywilldo

soagainnow.”

Silent and unseen, they passed through the

trees and rocks and streams of the ancient

forest.

Rowan kept a step behind Aelin and

Fenrys,GavrielandElideattheheadoftheir

party,Lorcanattherear,astheyfollowedthe

LittleFolk.

Aelin had said nothing, done nothing

exceptrisewhentheytoldherit wastimeto

go. Rowan had offered her his cloak, and

she’dallowedittopassthroughherbubbleof

golden,clearflametowraparoundhernaked

body.

Sheclutcheditatherchestastheywalked,

mileaftermile,herfeetbare.Ifthestonesand

rootsoftheforesthurther,shedidn’tsomuch

as flinch. She only walked on, Fenrys at her

sidewithinthatsphereoffire,asiftheywere

twoghostsofmemory.

Avisionofold,stridingthroughthetrees,

thequeenandthewolf.

The others spoke rarely as the hours and

miles passed.As the forested hills gave way

to steeper inclines, the boulders larger, the

rocksandtreesbrokeninspots.

“Fromtheancientwarsbetweentheforest-

spirits,” Gavriel whispered to Elide when he

noticedherfrowningatahillsidefulloffelled

trunks and splintered stone. “Some are still

waged by them, wholly unaware and

unconcernedwiththeaffairsofanyrealmbut

this.”

Rowanhadneverseentheraceofethereal

beings far more ancient and secretive than

even the Little Folk. But at his mountain

home, set high in the range that they strode

toward, he’d sometimes heard the shattering

of rocks and trees on dark, moonless nights.

Whentherewasnotawhisperofwindonthe

air,noranystormtocausethem.

So close—only twenty or so miles to the

mountain house he’d built.He’d planned to

take Aelin there one day, though it was

nothingbutlong-vanishedashes.Justtoshow

her where the house had been, where he’d

buriedLyria.Shewasstillupthere,hismate-

who-had-never-been.

And his true mate … She strode

unwaveringthroughthetrees.Nomorethana

wraith.

Still they followed the Little Folk, who

beckonedfromatree,arock,andshrubahead,

and then vanished. Behind Lorcan, a few

others hid their trail with clever hands and

smallmagics.

Heprayedtheyhadaplacetostayforthe

night. A place whereAelin might sleep, and

might remain protected from Maeve’s eyes

oncesherealizedshe’dbeentricked.

They were headed eastward—far from the

coast. Rowan didn’t dare risk telling them

they needed to find a port. He’d see where

theyledthemtonight,andthencrafttheirplan

forreturningtotheirowncontinent.

ButwhentheLittleFolkappearedbeforea

gargantuan boulder, when they then vanished

and reappeared in a sliver cut into the rock

itself, bony hands beckoning from within,

Rowanfoundhimselfbalking.

The creature dwelling in the lake beneath

BaldMountainwasamildthreatcomparedto

the other things that still hunted in dark and

forgottenplaces.

ButtheLittleFolkbeckonedagain.

Lorcanappearedathisside.“Itcouldbea

trap.”

But Elide and Gavriel walked toward it,

unfazed.

Andbehindthem,Aelincontinuedaswell.

So Rowan followed her, as he would follow

heruntilhislastbreath,andbeyondit.

Thecavemouthwastight,butsoonopened

into a larger passage. Aelin illuminated the

space, bathing the black stone walls in a

goldenglowbrightenoughtoseeby.

But her flame was dwarfed when they

entered a massive chamber. The ceiling

stretchedintogloom,butitwasnottheheight

ofthechamberthatmadehimhalt.

Nooks andalcoves hadbeen built into the

sideoftherock,someequippedwithbedrolls,

somewithwhatseemedtobepilesofclothes,

andsomewithfood.Asmallfireburnednear

one, and past it, tucked against the wall, a

natural stone trough gleamed with water,

courtesyofasmallstream.

Butfartherintothecave,ontheotherside

ofthechamber,flowingrightuptotheblack

rock itself, a great lake stretched into the

darkness.

There were countless subterranean lakes

and rivers beneath these mountains—places

sodeepintheearththateventheFaehadnot

botheredordaredtoexplore.

This one, it seemed, the Little Folk had

claimed for themselves, going so far as to

outfitthespacewithsprawlingbirchbranches

againstthewalls.They’dhungsmallgarlands

and wreaths from the white limbs, and

amongst the leaves, little bluish lights

twinkled.

Magic—old, strange magic, those lights.

Likethey’dbeenpluckedfromthenightsky.

Elidewassurveyingthespace,awewritten

over her features. Gavriel and Lorcan,

however, assessed it with a sharper, warier

eye. Rowan did the same. The only exit

seemedtobetheonethey’denteredthrough,

and the lake stretched too far to discern if a

shorelaybeyondit.

Aelindidnotpauseasshestrodeforoneof

the glittering walls. There was none of her

usual caution, no dart of her eyes as she

weighed the exits and pitfalls, potential

weaponstowield.

A trance—it was almost as if she had

slipped into a trance, plunged into some

depthless ocean inside herself and drifted so

far down that they might as well have been

birdssoaringoveritsdistantsurface.

Butshewalkedtowardthatwall,thebirch

branchesartfullydisplayedacrossit.Moreof

the Little Folk within, Rowan realized.

Perchedonthebranches,clingingtothem.

Aelin’s steps were silent on the stone.

Fenryshaltednearby,asiftogiveherprivacy.

Rowan had the vague sense of Lorcan,

Elide, and Gavriel heading for the alcove

across the cave to inspect the goods that had

beenlaidout.

Buthelingeredinthecenterofthespaceas

his mate paused before the shining, living

wall.Therewasnoexpressiononherface,no

tensioninherbody.

YetsheinclinedherheadtotheLittleFolk

half-hiddeninthebranchesandboughsbefore

her. Her jaw moved—speaking. Brief, short

words.

He’d never somuch asheard of the Little

Folk talking. But there was his queen, his

wife,hismate,murmuringwiththem.

At last, she turned away, her face still

blank,herwildfireeyesasflatandcoldasthe

lake. Fenrys fell into step beside her, and

Rowan remained in place asAelin aimed for

thesmallfire.

Safe. The Little Folk must have told her

this cavewas safe, ifshe now moved forthe

fire,herownsphereofitstillburningbright.

The others halted their assessment of the

supplies.

But Aelin paid them no heed, paid the

worldnoheed,asshetookupaspotbetween

the fire and the cave wall, lay upon the bare

stone,andclosedhereyes.



CHAPTER32

Dorian had brown eyes for three days before

he figured out how to change them back to

blue. Asterin and Vesta teased him about it

mercilessly as they’d traveled down through

the spine of the Fangs, dramatically

bemoaning the absence of hispretty bluebell

eyes,andhadsighedtotheheavenswhenthe

sapphirehuehadreturned.

Hismagiccouldleapbetweenoneelement

andanother,yettheabilitytoshiftlaywithin

something else entirely. Lay within a part of

him that had always yearned for one thing

above all others: to let go. To be free. As

Temis, Goddess of Wild Things, was free—

uncaged.As he had once wished to be, when

he had been little more than a reckless,

idealisticprince.

It was the magic’s sole command: let go.

Let go of who and what he’d become since

that collar and emerge into something new,

somethingdifferent.

It was easier realized than enacted. Since

his eyes had returned to blue, like the

unraveling of some thread within him, he’d

beenunabletodoanythingelse.Evenchange

themtobrownagain.

The Crochans and the Thirteen had halted

fortheirmiddaybreakundertheheavycover

ofOakwald,thetreesbarren,yetnotahintof

snow on the earth. Another day, and they’d

reach the rendezvous point. A week after

they’d promised the Eyllwe war leaders, but

theywouldarrive.

He sat on a fallen, moss-covered log,

gnawing on the strip of dried rabbit. His

dinner.

“My head pounds on your behalf, just

watchingyoutrysohard,”Glennissaidfrom

acrosstheclearing.Aroundthem,theThirteen

ate in silence, Manon monitoring all. The

Crochanssatamongstthem,atleast.Quietly,

buttheysatthere.

Which meant they all looked at him now.

Dorian lowered the strip of tough meat and

inclined his head to the crone. “My head is

poundingenoughforbothofus,Ithink.”

“Whatareyoutryingtoturninto,exactly?

Orwho?”

Theoppositeofwhathewas.Theopposite

of the man who’d overlooked Sorscha’s

presenceforyears.Andofferedheronlydeath

intheend.He’dbegladtoletgoofit,ifonly

themagicwouldallowhim.

“Nothing,” he said. Many of the Thirteen

andCrochanswentbacktotheirmeagermeals

athisdullresponse.“Ijustwanttoseeifit’s

possible, for someone with my manner of

magic.Toevenchangesmallfeatures.”Nota

lie,notentirely.

Manon frowned, as if trying to work out

somepuzzleshecouldn’tquitegrasp.

“But were you to succeed,” Glennis

pressed,“whowouldyouwishtobe?”

Hedidn’tknow.Couldn’tconjureanimage

beyondemptydarkness.Damaris,athisside,

wouldhavenoanswer,either.

Dorian peered inward, feeling the sea of

magicthatroiledinsidehim.

He traced its shape with careful, invisible

hands.Followedathreadwithinhimselfnotto

hisgut,buttohisstill-crackedheart.

Whodoyouwishtobe?

There, like the seed of power that Cyrene

hadstolen,itlay—thelittlesnarlinhismagic.

Notasnarl, butaknot—aknot inatapestry.

Onethathemightweave.

Onehemightfashionintosomethingifhe

dared.

Whodoyouwishtobe?heaskedthebarely

woventapestrywithinhimself.Letthethreads

and knots take form, crafting the picture

withinhismind.Startingsmall.

Glennis chuckled. “Your eyes are green

now,king.”

Dorian started, heart thundering. The

others again halted their lunches, gaping,

some leaninginto peer at him more closely.

But he fed his magic into the loom within

himself,addingtotheemergingpicture.

“Och,goldenhairdoesnotsuityouatall.”

Asteringrimaced.“Youlooksickly.”

Who did he wish to be? Anyone but

himself.Butwhathe’dbecome.

His silent answer sent that magical loom

tumblingfromhisinvisiblegrip,andheknew

if he looked, his dark hair and sapphire eyes

wouldhavereturned.Asterinsighedinrelief.

ButManonsmiledgrimly,asifshe’dheard

hisunspokenanswer.Andunderstood.

Night was full overhead, the Crochans’ fires

crackling awaybeneath the lattice ofleafless

trees, whenGlennisasked, “Haveany ofyou

seentheWastes?”

TheThirteenblinkedtowardthecrone.She

didn’tusuallyaddressthemallatonce,orask

suchpersonalquestions.

But at least Glennis spoke to them. Three

days of travel, and Manon was no closer to

winning the Crochans over than she’d been

upon their departure from the Fangs. Though

they spoke to her, and occasionally joined

Glennis’shearthformeals,itwaswithasfew

wordsasnecessary.

Asterin answered for the coven. “No. Not

oneofus,thoughIspentsometimeinaforest

ontheothersideofthemountains.Butnever

thatfar.”Sorrowflickeredinthewitch’sgold-

fleckedblackeyes,asiftherewasmoretothe

talethan that. Indeed,Sorrel and Vesta, even

Manon,lookedwithabitofthatsorrowatthe

witch.

ManonaskedGlennis,the soleCrochan at

thisfireunderthecanopy,“Whydoyouask?”

“Curiosity,” the crone said. “None of us

havebeen,either.Wedonotdare.”

“For fear of us?” Asterin’s golden hair

shiftedassheleanedclosertothefire.She’d

found a strip of leather in the camp to tie

acrossherbrow—nottheblackshe’dwornfor

thepastcentury,butafamiliarsight,atleast.

Onething,itseemed,hadnotentirelyaltered.

“For fear of what it will do to us, to see

whatisleftofouronce-greatcity,ourlands.”

“Nothing but rubble, they say,” Manon

muttered.

“And would you rebuild it, if you could?”

Glennis asked. “Rebuild the city for

yourselves?”

“We never discussed what  we’d do,”

Asterinsaid.“Ifwecouldevergohome.”

“Aplan,perhaps,”Glennismused,“would

bewise.Apowerfulthingtohave.”Herblue

eyes settled on Manon. “Not just for the

Crochans,butyourownpeople.”

Doriannodded,thoughhewasnotapartof

thisconversation.

Who did the Thirteen, the Ironteeth and

Crochans,wishtobe,tobuild,asapeople?

Manonopenedhermouth,buttheShadows

burstintotheringof theirhearth, their faces

tight. The Thirteen were instantly on their

feet.

“We scouted ahead, to the rendezvous

site,”Eddapanted.

Manonbracedherself.Awhisperofpower

flickered through the camp, the only

indication that Dorian’s magic had coiled

aroundtheminanear-impenetrableshield.

“Itreeksofdeath,”Briarfinished.



CHAPTER33

Theyhadbeentoolate.

Notjustbyanhour,oraday.No,judging

by the state of the bodies in the leaf-strewn

clearing twenty miles south, the week they

had been delayed had cost the Eyllwe war

bandeverything.

Morath had left the warriors where they

lay,afewred-capedCrochans—theoneswho

had summoned their northern sisters here—

amongst the fallen. The smell of decay was

enough to make Manon’s eyes water as they

surveyedwhathadbeenleft.

Shehaddonethis.

Brought this about, in delaying the

Crochans through that skirmish. One look at

Dorian, the king lingering at the edge of the

clearing with an arm over his nose to ward

against the reek, and she knew he thought it,

too.Thesharpnessinhiseyesspokeenough.

“Some got away,” Edda announced, the

Shadow’sfacegrim.“Butmostdidn’t.”

“They wanted survivors,” Bronwen said,

loudenoughforalltohear.“Tosowfear.”

Manon studied the shattered trees, the

ancient oaks as broken as the bodies on the

forest floor. Proof of who, exactly, had been

responsibleforthemassacre.

Shehaddonethat,too.

Bronwen said, voice cold and low, “What

mortal band could ever hope to survive an

attack by one of the Ironteeth legions?

Especiallywhenthataeriallegionwastrained

bysuchaskilledWingLeader.”

“Choose your words carefully,” Asterin

warned.

ButUna,thepretty,brown-hairedCrochan

and another of Manon’s cousins, gripped her

silver-bound broom and said, “You trained

them. All of you—you trained the witches

who didthis.” Una pointed to the decaying

bodies, the torn throats, the killing that had

not stopped at quick deaths. Not at all. “And

youexpectustoforgetthat?”

Silence fell. Even from Asterin. Glennis

saidnothing.

Manon’s hands turned frail. Foreign. The

ironwithinthembrittle.

Shehaddonethis.Thesoldiersinthewide

clearingwerenothingandnoonetoher,most

were mere mortals, and yet …A woman lay

nearManon’sboots,hertorsosplitcleanopen

fromnaveltosternum.Herbrowneyesgazed

unseeingly at the shattered canopy overhead,

hermouthstillgapinginpain.

“I can burn them,” Dorian offered no one

inparticular.

Whohadshebeen,thewarriorbeforeher?

Who had she fought for? Not kingdoms or

rulers, but who in her life had been worth

defending?

“We should alert the King and Queen of

Eyllwe,” Bronwen was saying. “Warn their

princes, too. Tell them to lie low. Erawan is

beyondtakingprisoners.”

Manonstaredandstaredattheslaughtered

warrior.Whatshehadoncedelightedin.What

she had once flaunted before the world, and

donewithnotashredofregret.Onlywiththe

wish that her grandmother would approve.

ThattheIronteethwouldapprove.

Thiswas what they wouldberemembered

for.

Whatshewouldberememberedfor.

Erawan’scrownedrider.HisWingLeader.

“Don’tburnthem,”Manonsaid.

Silencefellintheclearing.

But Manon knelt on the festering earth,

unsheathedherironnails,andbegandigging.

Yanking off her gloves, Asterin lowered

herselftothegroundnearby.ThenSorreland

Vesta.ThentherestoftheThirteen.

Thecold,firmearthdidnotyieldeasily.It

toreatManon’sfingers,rootandrockburning

astheyscrapedatherskin.

Across the clearing, Karsyn, the witch

whose broom Manon had returned, made to

kneel as well. But Manon held up a filthy,

already bleeding hand. The witch halted.

“Only the Thirteen,” Manon said. “We will

bury them.” The Crochans stared at her, and

Manon ripped away the ancient soil. “We’ll

buryallofthem.”

For hours, Manon and the Thirteen knelt in

theblood-soakedearthanddugthegrave.

Dorian assisted Bronwen and Glennis in

drafting messages to the King and Queen of

Eyllwe and their two sons. Warning them of

thedanger—andnothingmore.Norequestfor

aid,forarmies.

Just beforedawn, theCrochanmessengers

returned. Their southern kin who had

summoned them here had arrived right after

themassacre,toolatetosavethehumanwar

band or the few witches they’d sent ahead.

They had flown right to Banjali, where their

fourcovensnowaidedtheKingandQueenof

Eyllwe.

NotthattheEyllweroyalsseemedtoneed

it. No, the other Crochan messenger had

returned with a message from the king

himself: the loss of the war band was grave

indeed,butEyllwewasnotbrokenbyit.Their

rebelsandgatheredforces,whilesmall,were

still resisting Morath, stillunbroken. They

would continue to hold the line in theSouth,

andwoulddosountiltheirfinalbreaths.

Dorian gleaned the unwritten words,

though: they did not have a single soldier to

spare for Terrasen. After what he’d seen,

Dorianwasnowinclinedtoagree.

Eyllwehadgiventoomuch,fortoolong.It

wastimefortherestofthemtoshoulderthe

burden.

Dorian wondered if Manon noted the

Crochans who watched her. Not with hatred,

but some small degree of respect. Together,

the Thirteen dug a massive grave, not even

askingtheirwyvernstohaulawaythedirt.

The sun rose, then began its descent.

Slowly,thegravetookform.Largeenoughfor

everyfallenwarrior.

HehadtogotoMorath.Soon.

Before this occurred again. Before one

moremassgravewasdug.Hecouldn’tendure

the thought of it, worse than the thought of

anothercollargoingaroundhisneck.

NightwasfulloverheadbythetimeDorian

managed to slip away. By the time he found

an empty clearing, drew the marks, and

plunged Damaris into earth shining with his

ownblood.

His summons was answered quickly this

time.

Yet it was not Gavin who emerged,

shimmering,fromthenightair.

Dorian’smagicflared,rallyingtostrike,as

thefiguretookform.

AsKaltainRompier,cladinanonyxgown

anddarkhairunbound,smiledsadlyathim.

EverywordvanishedfromDorian’stongue.

But his magic remained swirling about

him,invisiblehandseagertocrackbone.

Not that there was any life to steal from

KaltainRompier.

Yet she still held up a slender hand, her

gauzy dress and silken hair floating on a

phantomwind.“Imeanyounoharm.”

“I didn’t summon you.” It was the only

thinghecouldthinktosay.

Kaltain’s dark eyes slid toward Damaris,

juttingfromthecircleofWyrdmarks.“Didn’t

you?”

Hedidn’twanttocontemplatewhyorhow

theswordhadsomehowcalledher,notGavin.

Whether the sword had a will of its own, or

whether the god who’d blessed it had

orchestrated this meeting. For whatever truth

itdeemednecessarytoshowhim.

“IthoughtyouweredestroyedatMorath,”

herasped.

“Iwas.”Herfacewassofterthanhe’dever

seenitinlife.“Insomanyways,Iwas.”

ManonandElide hadtoldhim whatshe’d

endured.Whatshe’ddoneforthem.Hebowed

hishead.“I’msorry.”

“Whateverfor?”

Thenthewordstumbledout,spillingfrom

wherehe’dkeptthemsincetheStoneMarshes

of Eyllwe. “For not seeing as I should have.

Fornotknowingwheretheytookyou.Fornot

helpingyouwhenIhadthechance.”

“Did you have the chance?” The question

was calm, yet he could have sworn an edge

sharpenedinhervoice.

He opened his mouth to deny it. But he

made himself look back—at who he’d been

long before the collar, before Sorscha. “I

knew you were in the castle dungeon. I was

content to let you rot there. And then

Perrington—Erawan, I mean, took you to

Morath, and I didn’t bother to wonder about

it.” Shame sluiced through him. “I’m sorry,”

herepeated.

A Crown Prince who had not served his

kingdom or his people,not really.Gavin had

beenright.

Kaltain’s edges shimmered. “I was not

whollyblameless,youknow.”

“WhathappenedtoyouinMorathisinno

wayyourfault.”

“No, it wasn’t,” she agreed, a shadow

passingoverherface.“ButImadechoicesof

my own in going to Rifthold last autumn, in

pursuingmyambitionforyou—yourcrown.I

regretsomeofthem.”

His gaze slid to her bare forearm, to the

scar that lingered even in death. “You saved

my friends,” he said, and knelt before her.

“You gave upeverything to save them, and

get the Wyrdkey away from Erawan.” He

would do the same, if he could survive

Morath’shorrors.“Iaminyourdebt.”

Kaltain stared down at where he knelt. “I

neverhadfriendsofmyown.Notasyouhave.

Ialwaysenviedyouforit.You,andAelin.”

Heliftedhishead.“Youknowwhosheis?”

A hint of a smile. “Death has its

advantages.”

Hecouldn’tstophisnextquestion.“Is—is

itbetterthere?Areyouatpeace?”

“Iamnotallowedto say,” Kaltainreplied

softly, her eyes shining with understanding.

“AndIamnotallowedtosaywhodwellshere

withme.”

He nodded, fighting past the tightness in

his chest, the disappointment. But he cocked

his head to the side. “Who forbids you from

doingso?”Ifthetwelvegodsofthislandwere

stranded in Erilea, they certainly didn’t rule

overotherrealms.

Kaltain’s lips curved upward. “I am not

allowed to say, either.” When he opened his

mouth to ask more, she cut him off. “There

are other forces at work. Beyond what is

tangibleandwhatisknown.”

HeglancedtowardDamaris.“Othergods?”

Kaltain’s silence was answer enough. But

—another time. He’d contemplate it another

time.

“I never thought to summon you,” he

admitted. “You, who knew Morath’s true

horrors. Ididn’trealize…” Helet the words

trailoffasherosetohisfeet.

“That there’d be anything left of me to

summon?”shefinished.Hewinced.“Thekey

ateawaymuch—butnoteverything.”

“IsthethirdoneindeedatMorath,then?”

Shenoddedgravely.Herbodyshimmered,

fadingswiftly.“ThoughIdonotknowwhere

he kept it. I wasn’t … ready to receive the

secondonebeforeItookmattersintomyown

hands.” She ran her slender fingers over the

blackscarsnakingdownherarm.

He’dneverspokentoher—notreally.Had

barely given her more than a passing glance,

or grimaced his way through polite

conversationwithher.

And yet here she stood, the woman who

had taken out a third of Morath, who had

devouredaValgprincefromsheerwillalone.

“Howdidyoudoit?”hewhispered.“How

did youbreak free ofitscontrol?” Hehadto

know. If he was walking into hell itself, if it

wasmorethanlikelyhe’dwindupwithanew

collararoundhisthroat,hehadtoknow.

Kaltainstudiedhisneckbeforeshemethis

stare. “Because I raged against it. Because I

didnotfeelthatIdeservedthecollar.”

The truth of her words slammed into him

assurelyasifshe’dshovedhischest.

Kaltain only asked, “You drew the

summoningmarksforareason.Whatisityou

wishtoknow?”

Doriantuckedawaythetruthshe’dthrown

athim,themirrorshehelduptoallhe’donce

beenandhadbecome.Hehadnotbeenatrue

prince—notinspirit,notindeeds.He’dtried

to be, but too late. Hehad acted too late. He

doubted he was doing much better as king.

Certainly not when he’d dismissed Adarlan

out of his own guilt and anger, questioned

whetheritshouldbesaved.

As if there were ever a possibility that it

didn’tdeservetobe.

He asked at last, “Am I ready to go to

Morath?”

She alone would know. Had witnessed

thingsfarworsethananyManonorElidehad

beheld.

Kaltain again glanced to Damaris. “You

knowtheanswer.”

“Youwon’ttrytoconvincemenottogo?”

ButKaltain’smouthtightenedasheronyx

gown began to blend into the gathered night.

“Youknowwhatyouwillfacethere.Itisnot

formetotellyouifyouareready.”

Hismouthwentdry.

Kaltain said, “Everything you have heard

about Morath is true. True, and still there is

morethatisworsethanyoucanimagine.Stay

to the keep. It is Erawan’s stronghold, and

likely the only place he would trust to store

thekey.”

Dorian nodded, his heart beginning to

hammer.“Iwill.”

She took a step toward him, but halted as

her edges rippled further. “Don’t linger  too

long, and don’t attract his attention. He is

arrogant, and wholly self-absorbed, and will

not bother to look too closely at what might

creepthroughhishalls.Bequick,Dorian.”

A tremor went through his hands, but he

balled them into fists. “If I can kill him,

shouldItakethechance?”

“No.”Sheshookherhead.“Youwouldnot

walkawayfromit.Hehasachamberdeepin

thekeep—itiswherehestoresthecollars.He

willbringyouthereifhecatchesyou.”

Hestraightened.“I—”

“Go to Morath, as you have planned.

Retrieve the key, and nothing more. Or you

will find yourself with a collar around your

neckagain.”

Heswallowed.“Icanbarelyshift.”

Kaltain gave him a half smile as she

dissolvedintothemoonlight.“Can’tyou?”

Andthenshewasgone.

Dorianstaredattheplaceshe’dstood,the

Wyrdmarks already vanished. Only Damaris

remainedstandingthere,witnesstothetruthit

hadsomehowsensedheneededtohear.

SoDorianfeltforthattangleinhismagic,

the place where raw power eddied and

emergedaswhateverhewished.

Let go—the shifting magic’s command.

Letgoofeverything.Letgoofthatwallhe’d

built around himself the moment the Valg

prince had invaded him, and look within.At

himself. Perhaps what the sword had asked

himtodoinsummoningKaltaininstead.

Whodoyouwishtobe?

“Someone worthy of my friends,” he said

into the quiet night. “A king worthy of his

kingdom.” For a heartbeat, snow-white hair

and golden eyes flashed into his mind.

“Happy,” he whispered, and wrapped a hand

aroundDamaris’shilt.Letgoofthatlingering

scrapofterror.

The ancient sword warmed in his hand, a

friendlyandswiftheat.

Itflowedupthroughhisfingers,hiswrist.

To that place within himwhere all those

truths had dwelled, where it became warmth

edgedwithsharpestpain.

Andthentheworldgrewandexpanded,the

treesrising,thegroundapproaching—

He made to touch his face, but found he

hadnohands.

Onlysoot-blackwings.Onlyanebonybeak

thatallowednowordspastit.

Araven.A—

A soft inhale of air had him twisting his

neck—far more easily in this form—toward

the trees. Toward Manon, standing in the

shadows of an oak, her bloody, filthy hand

bracedagainstthetrunkasshestaredathim.

Atthetransformation.

Dorian fumbled for the thread of power

that held him in this strange, light form.

Instantly, the world swaying, he grew and

grew,backintohishumanbody,Damariscold

and still at his feet. His clothes somehow

intact. Perhaps through whatever differences

existed between his raw magic and a true

shifter’sgift.

But Manon’s lip curled back from her

teeth. Her golden eyes glowed like embers.

“When,exactly,wereyougoingtoinformme

that you were about to retrieve the third

Wyrdkey?”



CHAPTER34

“We need to retreat,” GalanAshryver panted

toAedionastheystoodbythewatertentdeep

in their army’s ranks, the Crown Prince

splatteredwithbloodbothredandblack.

Three days of fighting in the frigid wind

and snow, three days of being pushed

northward mile by mile. Aedion had the

soldiers on rotation to the front lines, and

thosewhomanagedtocatchafewminutesof

sleepreturnedtothefightingwithheavierand

heavierfeet.

He’d left the front line himself minutes

ago, only after Kyllian had ordered him to,

going so far as to throwAedion behind him,

the Bane roughly passing him along until he

was here, the Crown Prince of Wendlyn

gulpingdownwaterbythefarthestreachesof

their forces. The prince’s olive skin was

ashen, his Ashryver eyes dim as they

monitoredsoldiersrushingortrudgingpast.

“Weretreathere,andwestandtobechased

all the way to Orynth.” Aedion’s raw throat

achedwitheachword.

Hehadneverseenanarmysolarge.Even

atTheralis,allthoseyearsago.

Galan handed Aedion his waterskin, and

Aedion drank deeply. “I will follow you,

cousin, to however this may end, but we

cannot keep this up. Not for another full

night.”

Aedionknewthat.Hadrealizeditafterthe

fighting had continued under cover of

darkness.

When the men had started asking why

AelinoftheWildfiredidnotburnawaytheir

enemies. Did not at least give them light by

whichtofight.

Whyshehadvanishedagain.

Lysandra had donned her wyvern form to

battle the ilken, but she had been forced to

yield, to fall behind their lines. Good for

killing ilken, yes, but also a large target for

Morath’sarchersandspear-throwers.

Ahead,toocloseforcomfort,screamsand

clashing weapons rose toward the sky. Even

theFaeroyals’magicwasbeginningtowaver,

their soldiers with them. Where it failed, the

SilentAssassins lay waiting, shredding apart

Valgandilkenalikewithswiftefficiency.But

therewereonlysomanyofthem.Andstillno

signofAnselofBriarcliff’sadditionalarmy.

Soon, the red-haired queen had promised

with uncharacteristic graveness only hours

ago, the legion with her already dwindling

rapidly.Therestofmyarmywillbeheresoon.

Snarling rose nearby, cutting through the

din of battle. The ghost leopard had not

faltered,hadbarelystoppedtorest.

He had to go back out. Had to eat

something and go back out. Kyllian could

maintain order for a good while, butAedion

was their prince.And withAelin nowhere in

sight…itwasuponhimtokeepthesoldiers

inline.

Though those lines were buckling, like

leaksinadam.

“The Lanis River by Perranth,” Aedion

murmured as Ilias and the Silent Assassins

shot ilken out of the sky, their arrows easily

finding theirmarks. Wings first, they’d

learnedthehardway.Togetthem outof the

air. Then blades to the head, to decapitate

fully.

Or else they’d rise again. And remember

whohadtriedtokillthem.

“Ifweretreatnorthward,”Aedionwenton,

“gettoPerranthandcrosstheriver,wecould

force them to make the crossing, too. Pick

themoffthatway.”

“Isthereabridge?”Galan’sfacetightened

asoneofthetworemainingValgprincessent

a wave of dark power for a cluster of their

soldiers.Menwiltedlikeflowersinafrost.

Ablastofwindandiceanswered—Sellene

or Endymion. Maybe one of their many

cousins.

“No bridge big enough. But the river’s

frozensolid—wemightcrossit,thenmeltit.”

“WithAelin.”Adoubtful,carefulquestion.

Aedion gestured toward the source of that

answering blast of magic, now warring with

the Valg princes’ power. “If the Fae royals

canmakeice,thentheycanunfreezeit.Right

beneathMorath’sfeet.”

Galan’s turquoise eyes flickered, either at

theplanorthefactthatAelinwouldnotbethe

one enacting it. “Morath might see through

us.”

“There’s little other option.” From

Perranth,they’dhaveaccesstomoresupplies,

perhapsfreshtroopsrallyingtothemfromthe

cityitself.Toretreat,though…

Aedionsurveyedthelinesbeingpickedoff

onebyone,thesoldiersontheirlastlegs.

Retreatandlive.Fightanddie.

For this resistance would founder, if they

kept at this. Here, on the southern plains,

they’dbeended.

There was no guarantee Rowan and the

others would find Aelin. That Dorian and

Manonmight retrievethethird Wyrdkeyand

then give them to his queen, should she get

free, should she find them in this mess of a

world. No guarantee how many Crochans

Manonmightrally,ifany.

With the armada spread too thin along

Terasen’scoasttobeofanyuse,onlyAnselof

Briarcliff’sremainingforcescouldoffersome

relief. If they weren’t all clean-picked bones

bythen.Therewaslittlechoicebuttoholdout

untiltheyarrived.Theirlastallies.

BecauseRolfeandtheMycenians…there

was no guarantee that they would come. No

word.

“Order the retreat,” Aedion said to the

prince. “And get word to Endymion and

Sellenethatwe’llneedtheirpowerassoonas

webegintorun.”

To throw all their magic into a mighty

shieldtoguardtheirbackswhiletheytriedto

putasmanymilesbetweenthemandMorath

aspossible.

Galan nodded, shoving his bloody helmet

over his dark hair, and stalked through the

chaoticmassofsoldiers.

A retreat. This soon, this fast. For all his

training, the brutal years of learning and

fighting and leading, this was what it had

cometo.

WouldtheyevenmakeittoPerranth?

The order with which the army had marched

southwardutterlycollapsedontheflightback

north. The Fae troops stayed at their rear,

magic shields buckling,yet holding. Keeping

Morath’s forces at bayby the foothillswhile

theyretreatedtowardPerranth.

The grumbling amongst the limping,

exhausted soldiers trickled past Lysandra as

she trudged between them, wearing the form

of a horse. She’d allowed a young man onto

her back when she’d spied his guts nearly

hangingoutofhisrentarmor.

For long miles, his leaking blood had

warmedhersidesashelaysprawledoverher.

Thewarmtricklehadlongstopped.Frozen.

Sohadhe.

She hadn’t the heart to dislodge him, to

leave his dead body on the field to be

trampled. His blood had frozen him to her

anyway.

Each step was an effort of will, her own

wounds healing faster than the soldiers’

around her. Many fell during the march

towardPerranth.Somewerepickedup,hauled

bytheircompanionsorstrangers.

Somedidnotriseagain.

The resistance was not supposed to break

apartsosoon.

The grumbling worsened the closer to

Perranththeygot,despiteaquickfewhoursof

rest that first night.Where is the queen?

Whereisherfire?

She couldn’t fight as Aelin—not

convincingly, and not well enough to stay

alive.AndwhentheFire-Bringerfoughtwith

noflame…theymightknowthen.

Shehasrunaway.Again.

TwoSilentAssassinsnoticedonthesecond

night that the dead soldier still lay on

Lysandra’sback.

They said nothing as they gathered warm

water to melt the blood and gore that had

boundhimtoher.Thentowashher.

Inherroanmareform,shehadnowordsto

offer them, had no way to ask if they knew

whatshewas.Theytreatedherwithkindness

nonetheless.

No one made to reach for the lone horse

roamingthroughtheramshacklecamp.Some

soldiers had erected tents. Many just slept

besidethefires,undercloaksandjackets.

Her ears were ringing. Had been ringing

sincethefirstclashingofthebattle.

She didn’t know how she found his tent,

but there it was, flaps open to the night to

reveal him standing with Galan, Ansel, and

Ren.

TheLordofAllsbrook’sbrowsroseasshe

entered,herheadnearlyhittingtheceiling.

Ahorse.Shewasstillahorse.

Ren staggered toward her, despite the

exhaustion surely weighing down every inch

ofhim.

Lysandrafumbledforthethreadinsideher,

the thread back to her human body, the

shimmeringlightthatwouldshrinkherintoit.

Thefourofthemonlystaredasshefound

it, foughtfor it.The magicrippedthelast of

the strength from her. By the time she was

againinherownskin,shewasalreadyfalling

tothehay-coveredfloor.

Shedidn’tfeelthecoldslamintoherbare

skin,didn’tcareasshecollapsedtoherknees.

Anselwasalreadythere,slinginghercloak

aroundher.“Wherethehellhaveyoubeen?”

EventheQueenoftheWasteswaspale,her

wine-red hair plastered to her head beneath

thedirtandblood.

Lysandra had no speech left in her. Could

onlykneel,clutchingthecloak.

“We move an hour before dawn,”Aedion

said,theorderacleardismissal.

AnselandGalannodded,peelingoutofthe

tent.Renonlymurmured,“I’llfindyousome

food,Lady,”beforeheexitedthetent.

Boots crunched in hay, and then he was

kneetokneebeforeher.Aedion.

Therewasnothingkindonhisface.Nopity

orwarmth.

Foralongminute,theyonlystaredateach

other.

Thentheprincegrowledsoftly,“Yourplan

wasbullshit.”

She said nothing, and couldn’t stop her

shouldersfromcurvinginward.

“Your plan wasbullshit,” he breathed, his

eyes sparking. “How could you ever be her,

wear herskin, andthinktogetawaywithit?

How could youever think you’d get around

thefactthatourarmiesarecountingonyouto

burntheenemytoashes,andallyoucandois

runawayandemergeassomebeastinstead?”

“You don’t get to pin this retreat on me,”

she rasped. The first words she’d spoken in

daysanddays.

“You agreed to let Aelin go to herdeath,

and leave us here to be slashed to bloody

ribbons.Youtwotoldnooneofthis plan,told

none of us who might have explained the

realitiesofthiswar,andthatwewouldneeda

gods-damned Fire-Bringer and not an

un t r a i ne d ,useless shape-shifter against

Morath.”

Blowafterblow,thewordslandeduponher

wearyheart.“We—”

“If you were so willing to let Aelin die,

then you should have let her do itafter she

incineratedErawan’shordes!”

“It would not have stopped Maeve from

capturingher.”

“If you’d told us, we might have planned

differently, acted differently, and we would

notbehere,damnyou!”

She stared at the muddy hay. “Throw me

outofyourarmy,then.”

“You ruined everything.” His words were

colderthanthewindoutside.“You,andher.”

Lysandraclosedhereyes.

Hayrustled,andsheknewhe’drisentohis

feet,knewitashiswordsspearedfromabove

herbowedhead.“Getoutofmytent.”

Shewasn’tcertainshecouldmoveenough

toobey,thoughshewishedto.Neededto.

Fightback.Sheshouldfightback.Rageat

himashelashedather,needinganoutletfor

hisfearanddespair.

Lysandra opened her eyes, peering up at

him.Attherageonhisface,thehatred.

Shemanagedtostand,herbodybleatingin

pain.Managedtolookhimintheeye,evenas

Aedionsaidagainwithquietcold,“Getout.”

Barefoot in the snow, naked beneath her

cloak.Aedion glanced at her bare legs, as if

realizingit.Andnotcaring.

So Lysandra nodded, clutching Ansel’s

cloaktighter,andstrodeintothefrigidnight.

“Where is she?” Ren asked, a mug of what

smelledlikewaterysoupinonehand,achunk

of bread in the other. The lord scanned the

tentasifhewouldfindherunderthecot,the

hay.

Aedion stared at the precious few logs

burninginthebrazier,andsaidnothing.

“Whathaveyoudone?”Renbreathed.

Everything was about to end. Had been

doomed since Maevehad stolenAelin. Since

his queen and the shifter had struck their

agreement.

So it didn’t matter, what he’d said. He

hadn’tcaredifitwasn’tfair,wasn’ttrue.

Didn’t care if he was so tired he couldn’t

mustershameathispinningonhertheblame

forthe suredefeatthey’d faceinamatter of

daysbeforePerranth’swalls.

He wished she’d smacked him, had

screamedathim.

Butshehadlethimrage.Andhadwalked

outintothesnow,barefoot.

He’d promised to save Terrasen, to hold

thelines.Haddonesoforyears.

And yet this test against Morath, when it

hadcounted…hehadfailed.

He’dmusterthestrengthtofightagain.To

rallyhismen.Hejust…heneededtosleep.

Aedion didn’t notice when Ren left,

undoubtedly in search of the shifter with

whomhewassodamnedenamored.

HeshouldsummonhisBanecommanders.

Seehowtheythoughttomanagethisdisaster.

Buthecouldn’t.Coulddonothingbutstare

intothatfireasthelongnightpassed.



CHAPTER35

She had not trusted this world, this dream.

Thecompanionswhohadwalkedwithher,led

her here. The warrior-prince with pine-green

eyesandwhosmelledofTerrasen.

Him, she had not dared to believe at all.

Notthewordshespoke,butthemerefactthat

he wasthere. She did not trust that he’d

removed the mask, the irons. They had

vanished in other dreams, too—dreams that

hadprovedfalse.

ButtheLittleFolkhadtoldheritwastrue.

Allofthis.Theyhadsaiditwassafe,andshe

wastorest,andtheywouldlookafterher.

And that terrible, relentless pressure

writhing in her veins—it had eased. Just

enough to think, to breathe and act beyond

pureinstinct.

She’d siphoned off as much as she dared,

butnotall.Certainlynotall.

So she had slept. She’d done that, too, in

those other dreams. Had lived through days

and weeks of stories that then washed away

likefootprintsinthesand.

Yet when she opened her eyes, the cave

remained, dimmer now. The thrumming

power had nestled deeper, slumbering. The

acheinherribshadfaded,theslicedownher

forearmhadhealed—butthescabremained.

Theonlymarkonher.

Aelin prodded it with a finger. Dull pain

echoedinresponse.

Smooth—not the scab, but her finger.

Smooth like glass as she rubbed the pads of

herthumbandforefingertogether.

No calluses. Not on her fingers, on her

palms. Utterly blank, wiped of the imprint

from the years of training, or the year in

Endovier.

But this new scab, this faint throbbing

beneathit—thatremained,atleast.

Curled on the rock floor, she took in the

cave.

The white wolf lay at her back, snoring

softly.Theirsphereof transparentflame still

burned around them, easing the strain ember

byember.Butnotwholly.

Aelinswallowed,tastingash.

Hermagicopenedaneyeinresponse.

Aelin sucked in a breath. Not here—not

yet.

Shewhisperedittotheflame.Notyet.

But the flame around her and the wolf

flared and thickened, blotting out the cave.

Sheclenchedherjaw.

Notyet,shepromisedit.Notuntilitcould

bedonesafely.Awayfromthem.

Her magic pushed against her bones, but

sheignoredit.Leashedit.

The bubble of flame shrunk, protesting,

and grew transparent once more. Through it

shecouldmakeoutawater-carvedbasin,the

slumberingformsofherothercompanions.

The warrior-prince slept only a few feet

from the edge of her fire, tucked into an

alcoveinthecavewall.Exhaustionlayheavy

upon him, though he had not disarmed

himself.

A sword hung from his belt, its ruby

smolderinginthelightofherfire.

She knew that sword. An ancient sword,

forgedintheselandsforadeadlywar.

It had been her sword, too. Those erased

calluses had fit its hilt so perfectly.And the

warrior-prince now bearing it had found the

swordfor her.In acave likethisone,fullof

the relics of heroes long since sent to the

Afterworld.

She studied the tattoo snaking down the

side of his face and neck, vanishing into his

darkclothes.

Iamyourmate.

She had wanted to believe him, but this

dream,thisillusionshe’dbeenspun…

Notanillusion.

Hehadcomeforher.

Rowan.

Rowan Whitethorn. Now Rowan

Whitethorn Galathynius, her husband and

king-consort.Hermate.

Shemouthedhisname.

Hehadcomeforher.

Rowan.

Silently, so smoothly that not even the

whitewolfawoke,shesatup,ahandclutching

the cloak that smelled of pine and snow. His

cloak,hisscentwoventhroughthefibers.

She rose to her feet, legs sturdier than

they’d been. A thought had the bubble of

flame expanding as she crossed the few feet

towardthesleepingprince.

Shepeereddownathisface,handsomeand

yetunyielding.

His eyes opened, meeting hers as if he’d

knownwheretofindhereveninsleep.

Anunspokenquestionaroseinthosegreen

eyes.Aelin?

She ignored the silent inquiry, unable to

bearopeningthatsilentchannelbetweenthem

again,andsurveyedthepowerfullinesof his

body,the sheer size of him. A gentle wind

kissedwithice and lightningbrushed against

her wall of flame, an echo of his silent

inquiry.

Her magic flared in answer, a ripple of

powerdancingthroughher.

Asifithadfoundamirrorofitselfinthe

world,asifithadfoundthecountermelodyto

itsownsong.

Notonceinthoseillusionsordreamshadit

donethat.Hadherownflameleapedinjoyat

hisnearness,hispower.

Hewashere.Itwashim,andhe’dcomefor

her.

The flame melted into nothing but cool

caveair.Notmelted,butrathersuckedinside

herself, coiling, a great beast straining at the

leash.

Rowan.PrinceRowan.

He sat up slowly, a stillness settling over

him.

Heknew.He’dsaidittoherearlier,before

she’dletoblivionclaimher.Iamyourmate.

They must have told him, then. Their

companions. Elide and Lorcan and Gavriel.

They’d all been on that beach where

everythinghadgonetohell.

Her magic surged, and she rolled her

shoulders, willing it to sleep, to wait—just a

whilelonger.

Shewashere.Theywerebothhere.

Whatcouldsheeversaytohim,toexplain

it, to make it right? That he’d been used so

foully, had suffered so greatly, because of

her?

There was blood on him. So much blood,

soakingintohisdarkclothes.Fromthesmears

on his neck, the arcs under his fingernails, it

seemed he’d tried to wash some off. But the

scentremained.

Sheknewthatsmell—whoitbelongedto.

Her spine tightened, her limbs tensing.

Working past her clenched jaw, she inhaled

sharply.Forcedalongbreathoutthroughher

teeth.Forcedherselftoworkpastthescentof

Cairn’s blood. What it did to her. Her magic

thrashed,howling.

And she made herself say to him, to her

princewhosmelledofhome,“Ishealive?”

Cold rage flickered across Rowan’s eyes.

“No.”

Dead. Cairnwasdead. Thetautnessin her

body eased—just slightly. Her flame, too,

banked.“How?”

No remorse dimmed his face. “You once

toldmeatMistwardthatifIevertookawhip

to you, then you’d skin me alive.” His eyes

didn’t stray from hers as he said with lethal

quiet, “I took it upon myself to bestow that

fateonCairnonyourbehalf.AndwhenIwas

done,Itookthelibertyofremovinghishead

fromhis body, then burning whatremained.”

Apause,arippleofdoubt.“I’msorryIdidn’t

giveyouthechancetodoityourself.”

Shedidn’thaveitinhertofeelasparkof

surprise, to marvel at the brutality of the

vengeance he’d exacted. Not as the words

sank in. Not as her lungs opened up once

again.

“Icouldn’trisk bringing him here foryou

to kill,” Rowan went on, scanning her face.

“Orriskleavinghimalive,either.”

She lifted her palms, studying the

unmarked,emptyskin.

Cairn had done that. Had shredded her

apart so badly they needed to put her back

together again. Had wiped away all traces of

whoandwhatshe’dbeen,whatshe’dseenand

endured.

She lowered her hands to her sides. “I’m

glad,”shesaid,andthewordsweretrue.

A shudder went through Rowan, and his

headdippedslightly.“Areyou…”Heseemed

to grapple with the right word. “Can I hold

you?”

The stark need in his voice ripped at her,

butshesteppedback.“I…”Shescannedthe

cave,blockingoutthewayhiseyesgutteredat

herretreat.Acrossthechamber,thegreatlake

flowed, smoothandflat asa blackmirror.“I

need to bathe,” she said, her voice low and

raw. Even if there wasn’t a mark on her

beyond dirty feet. “I need to wash it away,”

shetriedagain.

Understanding softened his eyes. He

pointed with a tattooed hand to the trough

nearby.“Thereareafewextraclothsforyou

to wash with.” Dragging a hand through his

silver hair, longer than she’d last seen it—in

this world, this truth, at least—he added, “I

don’tknowhow,buttheyalsofoundsomeof

your old clothes from Mistward and brought

themhere.”

But words were becoming distant again,

dissolvingonhertongue.

Her magic rumbled, pressing against her

blood, squeezing her bones.Out, it howled.

Out.

Soon,shepromised.

Now. It thrashed. Her hands trembled,

curling,asifshecouldkeepitin.

Sosheturnedaway,aimingnottowardthe

troughbutthelakebeyond.

Theairstirredbehindher,andshefelthim

following. When Rowan gleaned where she

intended to bathe, he warned, “That water is

barelyabovefreezing,Aelin.”

She just dropped the cloak onto the black

stonesandsteppedintothewater.

Steam hissed, wafting around her in

billowing clouds. She kept going, embracing

the water’s bite with each step, even if it

failedtopiercetheheatofher.

The water was clear, though the gloom

veiled the bottom that sloped away as she

doveunderthefrigidsurface.

The water was silent. Cool, and welcome,

andcalm.

So Aelin loosened the leash—only a

fraction.

Flame leapt out, devoured by the frigid

water.Consumedbyit.

It pulled away that pressure, that endless

fogofheat.Soothedandchilleduntilthoughts

tookform.

With each stroke beneath the surface, out

into the darkness, she could feel it again.

Herself.Orwhateverwasleftofit.

Aelin.ShewasAelinAshryverWhitethorn

Galathynius,andshewasQueenofTerrasen.

More magic rippled out, but she held her

grip.Notall—notyet.

Shehadbeencapturedby Maeve,tortured

by her. Tortured by Cairn, her sentinel. But

she had escaped, and her mate had come for

her. Had found her, just as they had found

eachotherdespitecenturiesofbloodshedand

lossandwar.

Aelin. She was Aelin, and this was not

someillusion,buttherealworld.

Aelin.

She swam out into the lake, and Rowan

followed the jutting lip of stone along the

shore’sedge.

She dropped beneath the surface, letting

herself sink and sink and sink, toes grasping

only open, cool water, straining for a bottom

thatdidnotarrive.

Downintothedark,thecold.

The ancient, icy water pulled away the

flame and heat and strain. Pulled and sucked

andwaveditoff.

Cooled that burning core of her until she

took form, a blade red-hot from the fire

plungedintowater.

Aelin.That’swhoshewas.

That lake water had never seen sunlight, had

flowed from the dark, cold heart of the

mountains themselves. It would kill even the

most hardened of Fae warriors within

minutes.

Yet there was Aelin, swimming as if it

wereasun-warmedforestpool.

She treaded water, dipping her head back

everynowandthentoscrubatherhair.

Hehadn’trealizedthatshewasburningso

hotly until she’d stepped into the frigid lake

andsteamhadrisen.

Silently,she’ddovein,swimmingbeneath

the surface, the water so clear he could see

everystrokeofherfaintlyglowingbody.Asif

the water had peeled away the skin of the

womanandrevealedtheblazingsoulbeneath.

But that glow faded with each passing

breath she emerged to take, dimming further

eachtimesheplungedbeneaththesurface.

Had she wished for him not to touch her

because of that internal inferno, or simply

because she first wanted to wash away the

stain of Cairn? Perhaps both. At least she’d

begunspeaking,hereyesclearingabit.

Theyremained clearas she treaded water,

theglowstillbarelyclinging,andpeeredupat

where he stood on a sliver of black rock

juttingintothelake.

“Youcouldjoinme,”shesaidatlast.

No heat in her words, yet he felt the

invitation. Not to taste her body the way he

yearned to, needed to in order to know she

was here with him, but rather to bewith her.

“Unlike you,” he said, trying to steady his

voiceastherecognitiononherfacethreatened

tobuckle hisknees,“I don’tthink mymagic

wouldwarmmesowellifIgotin.”

He wanted to, though. Gods, he wanted to

leapin. But hemadehimselfadd,“This lake

is ancient. You should get out.” Before

somethingcamecreepingalong.

Shedidnosuchthing,herarmscontinuing

theirsweepingcirclesinthewater.Aelinonly

stared at him again in that grave, cautious

way. “I didn’t break,” she said quietly. His

heartcrackedatthewords.“Ididn’ttellthem

anything.”

She didn’t say it for praise, to boast. But

rather to tell him, her consort, of where they

stood in this war. What their enemies might

know.

“Iknewyouwouldn’t,”hemanagedtosay.

“She…shetriedtoconvincemethatthis

was the bad dream. When Cairn was done

withme,orduringit,Idon’tknow,she’dtry

towormherwayintomymind.”Sheglanced

aroundthecave,asifshecouldseetheworld

beyondit.“Shespunfantasiesthatfeltsoreal

…” She bobbed under the surface. Perhaps

she’dneededthecoolingwaterofthelaketo

be abletohear her ownvoice again; perhaps

sheneeded the distancebetweenthem so she

could speak these words. She emerged,

slickingbackherhairwithahand.“Theyfelt

likethis.”

Half of him didn’t want to know, but he

asked,“Whatsortofillusions?”

Alongpause.“Itdoesn’tmatternow.”

Toosoontopush—ifever.

Thensheaskedsoftly,“Howlong?”

Ittooktheentiretyofhisthreecenturiesof

trainingtokeepthedevastation,theagonyfor

her, from his face. “Twomonths, three days,

andsevenhours.”

Hermouthtightened,eitheratthelengthof

time, or the fact that he’d counted every

singleoneofthosehoursapart.

She ran her fingers through her hair, its

strandsfloatingaroundherinthewater.Still

toolongfortwomonthstohavepassed.“They

healed me after each … session. So that I

stopped knowing what had been done and

what was in my mind and where the truth

lay.” Erase her scars, and Maeve stood a

better chance at convincing her none of this

wasreal.“Butthehealerscouldn’tremember

how long my hair was, or Maeve wanted to

confusemefurther,sotheygrewitout.”Her

eyesdarkenedatthememoryofwhy,perhaps,

theyhadneededtoregrowherhairinthefirst

place.

“Do you want me to cut it back to the

lengthitwaswhenIlastsawyou?”Hiswords

werenear-guttural.

“No.”Ripplesshiveredaroundher.“Iwant

itsoIcanremember.”

What had been done to her, what she’d

survived and what she had protected. Even

with all he’d done to Cairn, the way he’d

made sure the male was kept alive and

screaming throughout, Rowan wished the

malewerestillbreathing,ifonlysohecould

takelongerkillinghim.

AndwhenhefoundMaeve…

That was not his kill. He’d ended Cairn,

anddidn’tregretit.ButAelin…Maevewas

hers.

Even if the woman treading water before

him didn’t seem to have vengeance on her

mind. Not so much as a hint of the burning

ragethatfueledher.

He didn’t blame her. Knew it would take

time, time and distance, to heal the internal

wounds.Iftheycouldeverreallyhealatall.

But he’d work with her, help in whatever

way he could. And if she never returned to

who she had been before this, he would not

loveheranyless.

Aelin dunked her head, and when she

emerged,shesaid,“Maevewasabouttoputa

Valg collar around my neck. She left to

retrieve it.” The scent of her lingering fear

driftedtowardhim,andRowanlurchedastep

closertothewater’sedge.“It’swhyI—whyI

got away. She had me moved to the army

camp for safekeeping, and I …” Her voice

stalled,yetshemethisstare.Lethimreadthe

words she could not say, in that silent way

they’d always been able to communicate.

Escapewasn’tmyintention.

“No, Fireheart,” he breathed, shaking his

head, horror creeping over him. “There …

therewasnocollar.”

She blinked, head angling. “That was a

dream,too?”

His heart cracked as he struggled for the

words.Madehimselfvoicethem.“No—itwas

real.OrMaevethoughtitwas.Butthecollars,

the Valg presence … It was a lie that we

crafted. To draw Maeve out, hopefully away

fromyouandDoranelle.”

Only the faint lapping of water sounded.

“Therewasnocollar?”

Rowan lowered himself to his knees and

shookhishead.“I—Aelin,ifI’dknownwhat

she’d do with the knowledge, what you’d

decidetodo—”

Hemighthavelosther.NotfromMaeveor

the gods or the Lock, but from his own

damnedchoices.Theliehe’dspun.

Aelindriftedbeneaththesurfaceagain.So

deepthatwhentheflarehappened,itwaslittle

morethanaflutter.

The light burst from her, rippling across

the lake, illumining the stones, the slick

ceilingabove.Asilenteruption.

Hisbreathingturnedragged.Butsheswam

toward the surface again, light streaming off

herbodyliketendrilsofclouds.Ithadnearly

vanishedwhensheemerged.

“I’msorry,”hemanagedtosay.

Again, that angle of the head. “You have

nothingtobesorryfor.”

He did, though. He’d added to her terror,

herdesperation.He’d—

“IfyouhadnotplantedthatlieforMaeve,

ifshe hadnottoldme,I don’tthinkwe’dbe

hererightnow,”shesaid.

He tried to rein in the twisting in his gut,

the urge to reach for her, to beg for her

forgiveness.Triedandtried.

Sheonlyasked,“Whatoftheothers?”

She didn’t know—couldn’t know howand

why and where they’d all parted ways. So

Rowan told her, as succinctly and calmly as

hecould.

Whenhefinished,Aelinwasquietforlong

minutes.

She stared out into the blackness, the

ripplingofhertreadingwatertheonlysound.

Her body had nearly lost that freshly forged

glow.

Thenshepivotedbacktowardhim.“Maeve

said you and the others were in the North.

That you’d been spotted by her spies there.

Didyouplantthatdeceptionforher,too?”

He shook his head. “Lysandra has been

thorough,itseems.”

Aelin’sthroatbobbed.“Ibelievedher.”

Itsoundedlikeaconfession,somehow.

So Rowan found himself saying, “I told

you once that even if death separated us, I

would rip apart every world until I found

you.”Hegaveheraslashofasmile.“Didyou

reallybelievethiswouldstopme?”

She pursed her mouth, and at last, those

agonizing emotions began to surface in her

eyes.“YouweresupposedtosaveTerrasen.”

“Considering that the sun shines, I’d say

Erawan hasn’t won yet. So we’ll save it

together.”

Hedidn’tlethimselfthinkofthefinalcost

of destroying Erawan. And Aelin seemed in

nohurrytodiscussit,either,asshesaid,“You

shouldhavegonetoTerrasen.Itneedsyou.”

“Ineedyoumore.”Hedidn’tbalkfromthe

stark honesty roughening his voice. “And

Terrasen will need you, too. Not Lysandra

masqueradingasyou,butyou.”

Ashallownod. “Maeveraisedherarmy. I

doubtitwas onlytoguard me whileshewas

away.”

He’d put the thought aside, to consider

later. “It might just be to shore up her

defenses,shouldErawanwinacrossthesea.”

“Doyoutrulythinkthat’swhatsheplansto

dowithit?”

“No,”headmitted.“Idon’t.”

AndifMaevemeanttobringthatarmyto

Terrasen, to either unite with Erawan or

simply be another force battering their

kingdom, to strike when they were weakest,

they had to hurry. Had to get back.

Immediately.Hismate’seyesshone with the

sameunderstandinganddread.

Aelin’s throat bobbed as she whispered,

“I’msotired,Rowan.”

His heart strained again. “I know,

Fireheart.”

Heopenedhismouthtosaymore,tocoax

herontolandsohemightatleastholdherif

words couldn’t ease her burden, but that’s

whenhesawit.

Aboat,ancientandeveryinchofitcarved,

driftedoutofthegloom.

“Get back to shore.” The boat wasn’t

drifting—it was being tugged. He could just

barely make out two dark forms slithering

beneaththesurface.

Aelin didn’t hesitate, yet her strokes

remained steady as she swam for him. She

didn’t balk at the hand he extended, and he

wrappedhis cloak around her while the boat

ambledpast.

Black,eel-likecreaturesaboutthesizeofa

mortalmanpulledit.Theirfinsdriftedbehind

them like ebony veils, and with each

propelling sweep of their long tails, he

glimpsedmilky-whiteeyes.Blind.

They led the flat-bottomed vessel large

enoughforfifteenFaemalesrighttotheedge

of the lake. A flash of short, spindly bodies

throughthedimnessandtheLittleFolkhadit

mooredtoanearbystalagmite.

The others must have heard his order to

Aelin, because they emerged, swords out. A

footbehindthem,ElidelingeredwithFenrys,

themalestillinwolfform.

“They can’t mean for us to take that into

thecaves,”Lorcanmurmured.

But Aelin turned toward them, hair

drippingontothestoneatherbarefeet.Halfa

thoughtfromhercouldhavehadherdry,yet

she made no move to do so. “We’re being

hunted.”

“We know that,” Lorcan shot back, and

were it not for the fact that Aelin was

currentlyallowinghimtorestahanduponher

shoulder,Rowanwouldhavethrownthemale

intothelake.

ButAelin’s features didn’t shift from that

graveness,thatunruffledcalm.“Theonlyway

totheseaisthroughthesecaves.”

It was an outrageous claim. They were a

hundredmilesinland,andtherewasnorecord

of these mountains ever connecting to any

cavesystemthatflowedtotheoceanitself.To

do so, they’d have to go northward through

this range, then veer westward at the

Cambrian Mountains, and sail beneath them

righttothecoast.

“And I suppose they told you that?”

Lorcan’sfacewashardasgranite.

“Watchit,” Rowan snarled. Fenrys indeed

baredhisteethatthedark-hairedwarrior,fur

bristling.

But Aelin said simply, “Yes.” Her chin

didn’t dip an inch. “The land above is

crawling with soldiers and spies. Going

beneaththemistheonlyway.”

Elidesteppedforward.“Iwillgo.”Shecut

a cold glance toward Lorcan. “You can take

your chances above, if you’re so

disbelieving.”

Lorcan’sjawtightened,andasmallpartof

Rowan relished seeing the delicate Lady of

Perranth fillet the centuries-hardened warrior

with a few words. “Considering the potential

pitfallsofthesituationiswise.”

“We don’t have time to consider,” Rowan

cut in before Elide could voice the retort on

hertongue.“Weneedtokeepmoving.”

Gavriel stalked forward to study the

moored boat and what seemed to be bundles

ofsuppliesonitssturdyplanks.“Howwillwe

navigateourway,though?”

“We’llbeescorted,”Aelinanswered.

“And if they abandon us?” Lorcan

challenged.

Aelin leveled unfazed eyes upon him.

“Then you’ll have to find a way out, I

suppose.”

A hint—just a spark—of temper belied

thosecalmwords.

Therewasnothingelsetodebateafterthat.

And they had little to pack. The others gave

Aelin privacy to dress by the fire while they

inspected the boat, and when his mate

emerged again, clad in boots, pants, and

various layers beneath her gray surcoat, the

sight of her in clothes from Mistward was

enoughtomakehisgutclench.

No longer a naked, escaped captive. Yet

none of that wickedness, that joy and

uncheckedwildnessilluminatedherface.

Therest oftheirpartywaitedonthe boat,

seated on the benches built into its high-

lipped sides. Fenrys and Elide both sat as

seeminglyfarfromLorcanastheycouldget,

Gavriel a golden, long-suffering buffer

betweenthem.

Rowanlingeredattheshore’sedge,ahand

extended for Aelin while she approached.

Each of her steps seemed considered—as if

she still marveled at being able to move

freely.Asifstilladjustingtoherlegs without

theburdenofchains.

“Why?” Lorcan mused aloud, more to

himself.“Whygototheselengthsforus?”

He got his answer—they all did—a

heartbeatlater.

Aelinhaltedafewfeetawayfromtheboat

and Rowan’s outstretched hand. She turned

back toward the cave itself. The Little Folk

peeked from those birch branches, from the

rocks,frombehindstalagmites.

Slowly,deeply,Aelinbowedtothem.

Rowan could have sworn all those tiny

headsloweredinanswer.

Apairofbonygrayishhandsroseabovea

nearby rock, something glittering held

betweenthem,andsettheobjectonthestone.

Rowan went still. A crown of silver and

pearl and diamond gleamed there, fashioned

intoupsweptswan’swings.

“The Crown of Mab,” Gavriel breathed.

But Fenrys looked away,toward the looming

dark,histailcurlingaroundhim.

Aelinstaggeredastepclosertothecrown.

“It—itfellintotheriver.”

Rowan didn’t want to know how she’d

encountered it, why she’d seen it fall into a

river.Maevehadkepthersisters’twocrowns

underconstantguard,onlybringingthemout

to be displayed in her throne room on state

occasions. In memory of her siblings, she’d

intoned.Rowanhadsometimeswonderedifit

was a reminder that she had outlasted them,

hadkeptthethroneforherselfintheend.

The grayish hand slipped over the rock’s

edge again and nudged the crown in silent

gesture.Takeit.

“You want to know why?” Gavriel softly

asked Lorcan as Aelin strode for the rock.

Nothing but solemn reverence on her face.

“BecausesheisnotonlyBrannon’sHeir,but

Mab’s,too.”

A throwback to her great-great-

grandmother, Maeve had taunted her. Who

had inherited her strength, her immortal

lifespan.

Aelin’s fingers closed around the crown,

lifting it gently. It sparkled like living

moonlightbetweenherhands.

My sister Mab’s line ran true , Elide

claimed Maeve had said on the beach. In

everyway,itseemed.

ButAelinmadenomovetodonthecrown

whilesheapproachedhimoncemore,hergait

steadierthistime.Tryingnottodwellonthe

unbearable smoothness of her hand as it

wrapped around his, Rowan helped her

aboard,thenclimbedinhimselfbeforefreeing

theropestetheringthemtotheshore.

Gavrielwenton,aweineveryword,“And

thatmakeshertheirqueen,too.”

Aelin met Gavriel’s gaze, the crown near-

glowinginherhands.“Yes,”wasallshesaid

astheboatsailedintothedarkness.



CHAPTER36

“How long will it take to reach the coast?”

Elide’s whisper echoed off the river-carved

cavernwalls.

She’dpanickedwhentheboathadventured

beyond the glow of the shore and into a

passageway across the lake, so dark she

couldn’t see her own hands before her face.

To be trapped in such impenetrable dark for

hours,days,possiblylonger…

Had it been like that in the iron coffin?

Aelin gave no indication that the smothering

dark bothered her, and had shown no

inclination to illuminate their way. Hadn’t

evensummonedanember.

But the Little Folk, it seemed, had come

prepared. And within heartbeats of entering

the pitch-black river passage, blue light had

kindledonalanterndanglingoverthecurved

prow.

Not light, not even magic. But small

wormsthatglowedpaleblue,asifthey’deach

swallowedtheheartofastar.

They’dbeengatheredintothelantern,and

their soft light rippledoverthewater-smooth

walls. A gentle, soothing light. At least, for

heritwasso.

The Fae males sat alert, eyes gleaming

with animalistic brightness, using the

illumination to mark the caverns they were

tugged down by those strange, serpentine

beasts.

“We’re not traveling swiftly,”  Rowan

answeredfromwherehesatbesideAelinnear

the back of the boat, Fenrys dozing at the

queen’s feet. It waslargeenoughfor each of

them to lie down amongst the benches, or

gather near the prow to eat the stockpile of

fruits and cheeses. “And we don’t knowhow

directlythesepassagewaysflow.Severaldays

mightbeaconservativeguess.”

“It would take three weeks on foot if we

were above,” Gavriel explained, his golden

hair silvered by the lantern’s light. “Perhaps

longer.”

Elide fiddled with the ring on her finger,

twisting the band around and around. She’d

rathertravelforamonthonfootthanremain

trappedinthesedark,airlesspassages.

But they had no choice. Anneith had not

whisperedinwarning—hadnotsaidanything

at all before they’d climbed into this boat.

BeforeAelinhadbeengivenanancientFaerie

Queen’scrown,herbirthrightandheritage.

ThequeenhadstashedMab’scrowninone

of their packs, as if it were no more than an

extraswordbelt.Shehadn’tspoken,andthey

hadnotaskedheranyquestions,either.

Instead, she’d spent these past few hours

sitting in the back of the boat, studying her

unmarkedhands,occasionallypeeringintothe

blackwatersbeneaththem.Whatsheexpected

to see beyond her own rippling reflection,

Elide didn’t want to know. The fell and

ancient creatures of these lands were too

numerous to count, and most not friendly

towardmortals.

Leaning against their pile of packs, Elide

glanced to her left. Lorcan had positioned

himself there, along the edge of the boat.

Closertoherthanhe’dsatinweeks.

Sensingherattention,hisdarkeyesslidto

her.

Forlongheartbeats,sheletherselflookat

him.

He’dcrawledafter Maeve onthebeach to

saveAelin.And he had found her during her

escape—hadensuredAelinmadeitout.Didit

wipe away what he’d done in summoning

Maeve in the first place? Even if Maeve had

set the trap, even if he hadn’t known what

Maeve intended for Aelin, did it erase his

decisiontocallforher?

The last time they’d spoken as friends, it

hadbeenaboardthatshipinthehoursbefore

Maeve’s armada had arrived. He’d told her

theyneededtotalk,andshe’dassumeditwas

abouttheirfuture,aboutthem.

But perhaps he’d been about to tell her

what he’d done, that he’d been wrong in

acting beforeAelin’s plans played out. Elide

stoppedtwistingthering.

He’d done it for her. She knew it. He’d

summoned Maeve’s armada because he’d

believed they were about to be destroyed by

Melisande’sfleet.He’ddoneitforher,justas

he’ddroppedtheshieldaroundthemthatday

Fenryshadrippedachunkoutofherarm,in

exchangeforGavriel’shealingher.

Butthequeensittingsilentlybehindthem,

no trace of that sharp-edged fire to be seen,

northatwickedgrinshe’d flashedat all who

crossedherpath…Twomonthswithasadist.

Withtwosadists.Thathadbeenthecost,and

the burden thatAelin and all of them would

bear.

Thatsilence,that bankedfirewasbecause

ofhim.Notentirely,butinsomeways.

Lorcan’smouthtightened,asifhereadthe

thoughtsonherface.

Elide looked ahead again, to where the

cavern ceiling dipped so low she could have

touched it if she stood. The space squeezed

tighterandtighter—

“It’s likely a pass-through to a larger

cavern,”Lorcanmurmured,asifhecouldsee

thatfearonherface,too.Orscentit.

Elide didn’t bother responding. But she

couldn’thelptheflickerofgratitude.

They continued on into the ancient, silent

darkness, and no one spoke for a while after

that.

Thecollarhadnotbeenreal.

ButthearmyMaevehadsummonedwas.

And Dorian, Manon with him, was in

pursuitofthefinalWyrdkey.Shouldheattain

it from Erawan himself, wherever the Valg

kingstoredit,shouldhegainpossessionofall

three…

Thelapping of theriver against their boat

wasthe only sound, had beenthe only sound

forawhile.

Gavrielkepthiswatchattheprow,Lorcan

monitoring from the starboard side, his jaw

tight.FenrysandElidedozed,thelady’shead

leaning against his flank, inky black hair

spillingoveracoatofwhitestsnow.

AelinglancedtoRowan,seatedbesideher,

butnottouching.Herfingerscurledinherlap.

Ablinkintothegloomwastheonlyindication

thathewasawareofhereverymovement.

Aelinbreathedinhisscent,letitsstrength

settleintoherabitdeeper.

DorianandManonmightbeanywhere.To

huntforthewitchandkingwouldbeafool’s

errand.Theirpathswouldmeetagain,orthey

wouldnot.Andifhe foundthefinalkeyand

thenbroughtittoher,shewouldpaywhatthe

godsdemanded.WhatsheowedTerrasen,the

world.

Yet if Dorian chose to end it himself, to

forge the Lock … her stomach churned. He

had the power. As much as she did, if not

moreso.

Itwasmeanttobehersacrifice.Herblood

shedtosavethemall.Tolethimclaimit…

She could. She must. With Erawan no

doubt unleashing himself on Terrasen, with

Maeve’s army likely to cause them untold

grief,shecouldletDoriandothis.Shetrusted

him.

Evenifshemightneverforgiveherselffor

it.

Herdebt,itwassupposedtohavebeenher

debt to pay. Perhaps thepunishment for

failingtodosowouldbe having tolive with

herself. Having tolivewithall that hadbeen

donetoherthesemonths,too.

The blackness of the subterranean river

pressed in, wrapped its arms around her and

squeezed.

Different from the blackness of the iron

box.Thedarknessshe’dfoundinsideherself.

Aplaceshemightneverescape,notreally.

Her power stirred, awakening. Aelin

swallowed, refusing to acknowledge it. Heed

it.

Shewouldn’t.Couldn’t.Notyet.Untilshe

wasready.

ShehadseenRowan’sfacewhenshespoke

of what his deception with the collar had

prompted her to do. Had noted the way her

companions looked at her, pity and fear in

theireyes.Atwhathadbeendonetoher,what

she’dbecome.

Anewbody.Aforeign,strangebody,asif

she’d been ripped from one and shoved into

another. Different from moving between her

forms, somehow. She hadn’t tried shifting

intoherhumanbodyyet.Didn’tseethepoint.

Sitting in silence as the boat was pulled

through the gloom, she felt the weight of

thosestares.Theirdread.Feltthemwondering

justhowbrokenshewas.

Youdonotyield.

She knew that had been true—that it had

beenhermother’svoicewhohadspokenand

noneother.

So she would not yield to this. What had

beendone.Whatremained.

Forthecompanionsaroundher,tolifttheir

despair,theirfear,shewouldn’tyield.

She’dfightforit,clawherwaybacktoit,

whoshe’dbeenbefore.Remembertoswagger

and grin and wink. She’d fight against that

lingeringstainon hersoul, fight toignoreit.

Wouldusethisjourneyintothedarktopiece

herselfbacktogether—justenoughtomakeit

convincing.

Even if this fractured darkness now

dwelled within her, even if speech was

difficult, she would show them what they

wishedtosee.

An unbroken Fire-Bringer. Aelin of the

Wildfire.

Shewouldshowtheworldthatlieaswell.

Makethembelieveit.

Maybeshe’donedaybelieveit,too.



CHAPTER37

Daysofnear-silenttravelpassed.

Threedays,ifwhateversensesRowanand

Gavriel possessed proved true. Perhaps the

latter carried a pocket watch. Aelin didn’t

particularlycare.

She used each of those days to consider

what had been done, what lay before her.

Sometimes,theroarofhermagicdrownedout

her thoughts. Sometimes it slumbered. She

neverheededit.

Theysailedthroughthedarkness,theriver

below so black that they might as well have

beendriftingthroughHellas’srealm.

It was near the end of the fourth day

through the dark and rock, their escorts

hauling the boat tirelessly, that Rowan

murmured, “We’re entering barrow-wight

territory.”

Gavrieltwistedfromhisspotbytheprow.

“Howcanyoutell?”

Sprawled beside him, still in wolf form,

Fenryscockedhisearsforward.

Shehadn’taskedhimwhyheremainedin

his wolf’s body. No oneasked her why she

remained in her Fae form, after all. But she

supposed that if he donned his Fae form, he

might feel inclined to talk. To answer

questionsthathewasperhapsnotyetreadyto

discuss. Might begin simply screaming and

screaming atwhathadbeendoneto them,to

Connall.

Rowan pointed with a tattooed finger

toward an alcove in the wall. Shadow veiled

itsrecesses,butasthebluelightofthelantern

touched it, gold glittered along the rocky

floor.Ancientgold.

“What’s a barrow-wight?” Elide

whispered.

“Creaturesofmaliceandthought,”Lorcan

answered, scanning the passageway, a hand

drifting to the hilt of his sword. “They covet

gold and treasure, and infested the ancient

tombs of kings and queens so they might

dwellamongstit.Theyhatelightofanykind.

Hopefully,thiswillkeepthemaway.”

Elidecringed,andAelinfeltinclinedtodo

thesame.

Instead, she dredged up enough speech to

askRowan,“Arethesethesameonesbeneath

theburialmoundswevisited?”

Rowan straightened, eyes sparking at her

question—or at the fact that she’d spoken at

all. He’d kept by her these days, a silent,

steadypresence.Evenwhenthey’dslept,he’d

remained a few feet away,still not touching,

butjustthere.Closeenoughthatthepine-and-

snowscentofhimeasedherintoslumber.

Rowanbracedahandalongtheboat’srim.

“Therearemanybarrow-wightmoundsacross

Wendlyn, but no others between the

Cambrians and Doranelle beyond those we

wentto.Asfarasweknow,” heamended.“I

didn’trealizetheirtombshadbeencarvedso

deep.”

“Thewightsneededsomewayin,withthe

tomb doors likely sealed above,” Gavriel

observed, studying a larger alcove that

appeared on the right ahead. Not an alcove,

butadrycavemouththatflowedtotheedge

oftheriverbeforerisingoutofsight.

“Stoptheboat,”Aelinsaid.

Silenceattheorder,evenfromRowan.

Aelin pointed to the lip of shore by the

cavemouth.“Stoptheboat,”sherepeated.

“I don’t think we can,” Elide murmured.

Indeed,thetwoofthemhadresortedtousing

abuckettoseetotheirneedsthesefewdays,

the males engaging in whatever conversation

theycouldtomakethesilencemorebearable.

But the boat headed for the alcove, its

speed banking. Fenrys eased to his feet,

sniffingtheairastheynearedtheshoreledge.

Rowan and Lorcan leaned out to brace their

hands against the stone to keep them from

collidingtoohard.

Aelin didn’t wait for the boat to cease

rocking before she grabbed a lantern and

leapedontotheriver-smoothground.

Rowan swore, jumping after her. “Stay

here,” he warned whoever remained on the

boat.

Aelin didn’t bother to see who obeyed as

shestrodeintothecave.

ThequeenhadbeenrecklessbeforeCairnand

Maevehadworkedonherfortwomonths,but

itseemedshe’dhadanybitofcommonsense

flayedfromher.

Lorcanrefrainedfromsayingthat,though,

as he found himself and Elide alone in the

boat. Gavriel and Fenrys had gone after

Rowan andAelin, their path marked only by

thefadinggleamofbluelightonthewalls.

Not firelight. She hadn’t shown an ember

sincethey’denteredthecave.

Elideremainedsittingacrossfromhimon

theleftsideoftheboat,herbackrestingalong

the curved edge. She had been silent these

pastfewminutes,watchingthenow-darkcave

mouth.

“Barrow-wights are nothing to fear if

you’re armed with magic,” Lorcan found

himselfsaying.

Her dark eyes slid to him. “Well, I don’t

haveany,soforgivemeifIremainalert.”

No, she’d once told him that while magic

flowedintheLochanbloodline,shehadnone

to speak of. He’d never told her that he’d

always considered her cleverness to be a

mighty magic on its own, regardless of

Anneith’swhisperings.

Elide went on, “It’s not the wights I’m

worriedabout.”

Lorcanassessedthequietriverflowingby,

thecavesaroundthem,beforehesaid,“Itwill

taketimeforhertoreadjust.”

Shestaredathimwiththosedamningeyes.

Hebracedhisforearmsonhisknees.“We

got her back. She’s with us now. What more

do you want?”From me, he didn’t need to

add.

Elide straightened. “I don’t want

anything.”Fromyou.

He clenched his teeth. This was where

they’d have it out, then. “How much longer

amIsupposedtoatone?”

“Areyougrowingboredwithit?”

Hesnarled.

She only glared at him. “I hadn’t realized

youwereevenatoning.”

“Icamehere,didn’tI?”

“Forwhom,exactly?Rowan?Aelin?”

“Forbothofthem.Andforyou.”

There.Letitbelaidbeforethem.

Despite the blue glow of the lantern, he

couldmakeoutthepinkthatspreadacrossher

cheeks.Yet her mouth tightened. “I told you

onthatbeach:Iwantnothingtodowithyou.”

“So one mistake and I am your eternal

enemy?”

“She is myqueen, and you summoned

Maeve,thentoldherwherethekeyswere,and

youstoodtherewhiletheydidthattoher.”

“Youhavenoideawhatthebloodoathcan

do.None.”

“Fenrysbroketheoath.Hefoundaway.”

“AndhadAelinnotbeentheretoofferhim

another, he would havedied.” He let out a

low, joyless laugh. “Perhaps that’s what you

wouldhavepreferred.”

Sheignoredhislastcomment.“Youdidn’t

eventry.”

“I did,” he snarled. “I fought it with

everything I had. And it was not enough. If

she’d ordered me to slit your throat, I would

have.And if I had found a way to break the

oath, I would have died, and she might very

well have killed you or taken you afterward.

On that beach, my only thought was to get

Maevetoforgetaboutyou,toletyougo—”

“Idon’tcareaboutme!Ididn’tcareabout

meonthatbeach!”

“Well, I do.” His growled words echoed

acrossthewaterandstone,andheloweredhis

voice. Worse things than wights might come

sniffingdownhere.“Icaredaboutyouonthat

beach.Andyourqueendid,too.”

Elide shook her head and looked away,

lookedanywhere,itseemed,butathim.

Thiswaswhatcameofopeningthatdoorto

a place inside him that no one had ever

breached. This mess, this hollowness in his

chest that made him keep needing to make

thingsright.

“Resentmeallyoulike,”hesaid,damning

the hoarseness of his words. “I’m sure I’ll

survive.”

Hurt flashed in her eyes. “Fine,” she said,

hervoicebrittle.

He hated that brittleness more than

anything he’d ever encountered. Hated

himself for causing it. But he had limits to

howlowhe’dcrawl.

He’dsaidhispiece.Ifshewantedtowash

herhandsofhimforever,thenhewouldfinda

waytorespectthat.Livewithit.

Somehow.

Thecaveascendedforafewfeet,thenleveled

outandwendedintothestone.Arough-hewn

passage carved not by water or age, Rowan

realized, but by mortal hands. Perhaps the

long-dead kings and lords had taken the

subterraneanrivertodeposittheirdeadbefore

sealing the tombs to sunlight and air above,

theknowledgeofthepathwaysdyingoffwith

theirkingdoms.

AfaintglowpulsedfromthelanternAelin

held, bathing the cavewalls in blue. He’d

quickly caught up to her, and now strode at

her side, Fenrys trotting at her heels and

Gavrieltakinguptherear.

Rowan hadn’t bothered to free his

weapons. Steel was of little use against the

wights.Onlymagicmightdestroythem.

WhyAelinhadneededtostop,whatshe’d

needed to see, he could only guess as the

passageopenedintoasmallcavern,andgold

gleamed.

Goldall around—and a shadowclothedin

tattered black robes lurking by the

sarcophagusinthecenter.

RowansnarledinwarningbutAelindidn’t

strike.

Her hand curled at her side, but she

remained still. The wight hissed. Aelin just

watchedit.

As if she wouldn’t, couldn’t, touch her

power.

Rowan’s chest strained. Then he sent a

whipoficeandwindthroughthecave.

Thewightshriekedonce,andwasgone.

Aelin stared at where it had been for a

heartbeat, and then glanced at him over a

shoulder.Gratitudeshoneinhereyes.

Rowan only gave her a nod.Don’t worry

aboutit.

Yet Aelin turned away, shutting off that

silentconversationasshesurveyedthespace.

Time. It would take time for her to heal.

Even if he knew his Fireheart would pretend

otherwise.

So Rowan looked, too. Across the tomb,

beyond the sarcophagus and treasure, an

archway opened into another chamber.

Perhapsanothertomb,oranexitpassage.

“We don’t have time to find a way out,”

Rowanmurmuredasshestrodeintothetomb.

“Andthecavesremainsaferthanthesurface.”

“I’mnotlookingforawayout,”shesaidin

that calm, unmoved voice. She stooped,

swiping up a fistful of gold coins stamped

withaforgottenking’sface.“We’regoingto

need to fund our travels.And the gods know

whatelse.”

Rowanarchedabrow.

Aelin shrugged and shoved the gold into

the pocket of her cloak. “Unless the pitiful

clinking I heard from your coin pursedidn’t

indicateyouwerelowonfunds.”

That spark of wry humor, the taunting …

She was trying. For his sake, or the others’,

maybeherown,shewastrying.

Hecouldofferhernothingless,too.Rowan

inclinedhishead.“Weareindeedindireneed

ofreplenishingourcoffers.”

Gavrielcoughed. “This doesbelongtothe

dead,youknow.”

Aelinaddedanotherfistfulofcoinstoher

pocket, beginning a circuit around the

treasure-ladentomb.“Thedeaddon’tneedto

buypassageonaship.Orhorses.”

RowangavetheLionaslashinggrin.“You

heardthelady.”

A flash ruptured from where Fenrys had

beensniffingatatrunkofjewels,andthena

male was standing there. His gray clothes

worn, but intact—in better shape than the

hollowed-outlookinhiseyes.

Aelinpausedherlooting.

Fenrys’s throat bobbed, as if trying to

rememberspeech.Thenhesaidhoarsely,“We

neededmorepockets.”Hepattedhisownfor

emphasis.

Aelin’slipscurvedinahintofasmile.She

blinkedatFenrys—threetimes.

Fenrysblinkedonceinanswer.

Acode.They’dmade upsomesilentcode

to communicate when he’d been ordered to

remaininhiswolfform.

Aelin’ssmileremained,justbarely,asshe

walkedtothe golden-haired male, his bronze

skin ashen. She opened her arms in silent

offer.

Tolethimdecideifhewishedforcontact.

Ifhecouldendureit.

Just as Rowan would let her decide if she

wishedtotouchhim.

Asmallsigh brokefromFenrysbeforehe

foldedAelinintohisarms,ashudderrippling

through him. Rowan couldn’t see her face,

perhaps didn’t need to, as her hands gripped

Fenrys’s jacket, so tightly they were white-

knuckled.

A good sign—a small miracle, that either

of them wished,could betouched. Rowan

reminded himself of it, even while some

intrinsic, male part of him tensed at the

contact.A territorial Fae bastard, she’d once

calledhim.He’ddohisbestnottoliveupto

thattitle.

“Thankyou,”Aelinsaid,hervoicesmallin

awaythatmadeRowan’schestcrackfurther.

Fenrysdidn’tanswer,butfromtheanguishon

hisface,Rowanknewnothankswereinorder.

They pulled away, and Fenrys cupped her

cheek.“Whenyouareready,wecantalk.”

Aboutwhatthey’dendured.Tounravelall

thathadhappened.

Aelin nodded, blowing out a breath.

“Likewise.”

Sheresumedshovinggoldintoherpockets,

butglancedbacktoFenrys,hisfacedrawn.“I

gaveyouthebloodoathtosaveyourlife,”she

said.“But ifyoudonotwantit,Fenrys,I …

wecanfindsomewaytofreeyou—”

“I want it,” Fenrys said, no trace of his

usual swaggering humor. He glanced to

Rowan, and bowed his head. “It is my honor

toservethiscourt.Andserveyou,”headded

toAelin.

She waved a hand in dismissal, though

Rowandidn’tfailtonotethesheeninhereyes

asshestoopedtogathermoregold.Givingher

amoment,hestrodetoFenrysandclaspedhis

shoulder. “It’s good to have  you back.” He

added,stumblingabitontheword,“Brother.”

For that’s what they would be. Had never

been before, but what Fenrys had done for

Aelin…Yes, brotherwaswhatRowanwould

callhim.EvenifFenrys’sown—

Fenrys’s dark eyes flickered. “She killed

Connall.Madehimstabhimselfintheheart.”

A pearl-and-ruby necklace scattered from

Gavriel’sfingers.

The temperature in the tomb spiked, but

there was no flash of flame, no swirl of

embers.

AsifAelin’smagichadsurged,onlytobe

leashedagain.

Yet Aelin continued shoving gold and

jewelsintoherpockets.

She’dwitnessedit,too.Thatslaughter.

But it was Gavriel, approaching on silent

feet even with the jewels andgold on the

floor, who clasped Fenrys’s other shoulder.

“We will make sure that debt is paid before

theend.”

The Lion had never uttered such words—

not toward their former queen. But fury

burned in Gavriel’s tawny gaze. Sorrow and

fury.

Fenrystookasteadyingbreathandstepped

away, the loss on his face mingling with

something Rowan couldn’t place. But now

wasn’tthetimetoask,topry.

Theyfilledtheirpocketswithasmuchgold

as they could fit, Fenrys going so far as to

remove his gray jacket to form a makeshift

pack.Whenitwasnearlydroopingtothefloor

with gold, the threads straining, he silently

headed back down the passageway. Gavriel,

still wincing at their shameless looting,

stalkedafterhimamomentlater.

Aelin continued picking her way amongst

the treasure, however. She’d been more

selective than the rest of them, examining

pieces with what Rowan had assumed was a

jeweler’s eye. The gods knew she’d owned

enough finery to tell what would fetch the

highestpriceatmarket.

“Weshouldgo,”hesaid.Hisownpockets

wereneartobursting,hiseverystepweighed

down.

She rose from a rusted metal chest she’d

beenrifflingthrough.

Rowan remained still as she approached,

something clenched in her palm. It was only

when she stopped close enough for him to

touchherthatsheunfurledherfingers.

Twogoldenringslaythere.

“I don’t know the Fae customs,” she said.

The thicker ring held an elegantly cut ruby

within the band itself, while the smaller one

boreasparklingrectangularemeraldmounted

atop,thestoneaslargeasherfingernail.“But

whenhumanswed,ringsareexchanged.”

Her fingers trembled—just slightly. Too

manyunspokenwordslaybetweenthem.

Yet now was not the time for that

conversation,forthathealing.

Not when they had to be on their way as

swiftlyaspossible,andthisoffershe’dmade

him,thisproofthatshestillwantedwhatlay

betweenthem,thevowsthey’dsworn…

“I assume thesparkly emerald is for me,”

Rowansaidwithahalfsmile.

She huffed a laugh. The soft, whispered

soundwasaspreciousastheringsshe’dfound

fortheminthishoard.

She took his hand, and he tried not to

shudderinrelief,triednottofalltohisknees

assheslidtherubyringontohisfinger.Itfit

himperfectly,theringnodoubtforgedforthe

kinglyinginthisbarrow.

Silently,Rowangraspedherownhandand

easedontheemeraldring.“Towhateverend,”

hewhispered.

Silverlinedhereyes.“Towhateverend.”

Areminder—andavow,moresacredthan

theweddingoathsthey’dswornonthatship.

To walk this path together, back from the

darkness of the iron coffin. To face what

waited in Terrasen, ancient promises to the

godsbedamned.

He ran his thumb over the back of her

hand. “I’ll make the tattoo again.” She

swallowed,butnodded.“And,”headded,“I’d

liketoaddanother.Tome—andtoyou.”

Herbrowsflickedup,buthesqueezedher

hand.You’llhavetowaitandsee,Princess.

Another hint of a smile. She didn’t balk

fromthesilentwordsthistime.Typical.

Heopenedhismouthtovoicethequestion

he’d been dying to ask for days now.May I

kissyou?Butshepulledherhandfromhis.

Admiring the wedding band sparkling on

herfinger,hermouthtightenedassheturned

overherpalm.“I’llneedtoretrain.”

Notasinglecallusmarkedherhands.

Aelin frowned at her too-thin body. “And

pack onsomemuscle again.”A slight quiver

graced her words, but she curled her hands

into fists at her sides and smirked at her

clothes—the Mistward clothes. “It’ll be just

likeoldtimes.”

Trying. She was dredging up that swagger

andtrying.Sohewould,too.Untilshedidn’t

needtoanymore.

Rowan gave her a crookedgrin. “Just like

old times,” he said, following her out of the

barrowandbacktowardtheebonyriver,“but

withfarlesssleep.”

He could have sworn the passageway

heated.ButAelinkeptgoing.

Later. That conversation, this unfinished

businessbetweenthem,wouldcomelater.



CHAPTER38

The queen and her consort needed a private

moment, it seemed. Elide had been more

surprised to see Fenrys in his beautiful male

form than the gold that he and Gavriel bore,

near-spillingouttheirpockets.

Lorcan laughed softly as they packed the

treasure into their bags. More than some

people could dream of. “At least she’s

thinkingonestepahead.”

Fenrysstilledwherehecrouchedbeforehis

bag,thegoldinhishandsshimmeringlikehis

hair.Therewasnothingremotelywarminhis

dark eyes. “We’re only in this position

becauseofyou.”

Elide tensed as Lorcan stiffened. Gavriel

halted his packing, a hand drifting to the

daggerathisside.

But the dark-haired warrior inclined his

head.“SoIhavebeenreminded,”hesaid,but

didn’tglancetoElide.

Fenrysbaredhisteeth.“Whenwe’reoutof

this,”hehissed,“youandIwillsettlethings.”

Lorcan’ssmilewasabrutalslashofwhite.

“Itshallbemypleasure.”

Elide knew he meant it. He’d be glad to

take on whatever Fenrys threw his way, to

engageinthatdevastating,bloodyconflict.

Gavriel let out a sigh, his tawny eyes

meeting Elide’s. Nothing could be said or

donetoconvincethemotherwise.

Yet Elide found herself drawing in breath

to suggest that fighting amongst each other,

vengeanceorno,wouldn’tbefulfilling,when

AelinandRowanemergedfromthepassage.

Goldryn hung at the queen’s side,

undoubtedly given back to her by the prince.

Itsglittering rubylookedlike anamethystin

the blue lantern light, bobbing with each of

Aelin’ssteps.

They’dbarelysteppedontotheboatwhena

hissing flitted from the passage they’d

vacated.

Tensing,RowanandGavrielswiftlyshoved

theboatfromtheshore.Thecreaturestugging

themalonglurchedintomotion,pullingthem

fartherintotheriver.

Bladesgleamed, allthe immortalwarriors

deathlystill.

Aelindidn’tdrawGoldryn,though.Didn’t

lift a burning hand. She merely lingered by

Elide,herfacelikestone.

The hissing grew louder. Shadowed,

scabbedhandsclawedatthepassagearchway,

recoilingwherevertheymetthelight.

“Someone’s pissed about the treasure,”

Fenrysmuttered.

“They can get in line,” Aelin said, and

Elide could have sworn that the gold in the

queen’s eyes glowed.A flare of deep-hidden

light,thennothing.

An ice-kissed wind snapped through the

caves.Thehissingstopped.

Shuddering, Elide murmured, “I don’t

thinkIshouldcaretoreturntotheselands.”

Fenrys chuckled, a sensuous laugh that

didn’t meet his eyes. “I agree with you,

Lady.”

They drifted into the blackness for another

day,thentwo.Stilltheseadidnotappear.

Aelin was sleeping, a dreamless, heavy

slumber, when a strong hand clasped her

shoulder. “Look,” Rowan whispered, his

breathbrushingherear.

Sheopenedhereyestopalelight.

Not the ocean, she realized as she sat up,

the others rousing, undoubtedly at Rowan’s

word.

Overhead,clingingtothecavernceilingas

if they were stars trapped beneath the rock,

smallbluelightsglowed.

Glowworms, like those in the lantern.

Thousands of them, made infinite by the

reflectionintheblackwater.Starsaboveand

below.

Fromthecornerofhereye,Aelinglimpsed

Elidepressahandtoherchest.

A sea of stars—that’s what the cave had

become.

Beauty. There was still beauty in this

world.Starscouldstillglow,stillburnbright,

evenburiedundertheearth.

Aelinbreathedinthecoolcaveair,theblue

light.Letitflowthroughher.

Rattlethestars.She’dpromisedtodothat.

Had done so much toward it, yet more

remained. They had to hurry. How many

sufferedatMorath’sclaws?

Beautyremained—andshewouldfightfor

it.Neededtofight.

It was a constant thrum in her blood, her

bones. Right alongside the power that she

shoved down deep and dismissed with each

breath.Fight—onelasttime.

She’d escaped so she might do it. Would

thinkofallthosestilldefyingMorath,defying

Maeve, while she trained. She wouldn’t

hesitate.Didn’tdaretopause.

She’d make this time count. In every way

possible.

The emerald on her marriage band

glistenedwithitsownfire.

Selfish of her, to enforce that bond when

her very blood destined herfor a sacrificial

altar,andyetshehadgottenoutoftheboatto

find them. The rings. Raiding the trove had

been an afterthought. But if she was to have

no scars on her, no reminder of where she’d

been and who she was and what she’d

promised,thenshe’dneededthisonescrapof

proof.

Aelin could have sworn the living stars

overhead sang, a celestial choir that floated

throughthecaves.

Astar-songcarriedalongtherivercurrent,

runningbesidethem,forthelastmilestothe

sea.



CHAPTER39

The enemy’s army arrived not in three days,

orfour,butfive.

Ablessingandacurse,Nesryndecided.A

blessing, for the time it granted them to

prepare,fortherukstocarrysomeofthemost

vulnerable of Anielle’s people to a snow-

blastedcampbeyondtheFangs.

Andacurseforthefearitallowedtofester

in the keep, now teeming with those who

wouldnotorcouldnotmakethejourney.By

sunset on the fourth day, they could see the

black lines marching for them through the

swathsofOakwaldthattheyheweddown.

By dawn on the fifth day, they were near

theoutskirtsofthelake,theplain.

NesrynsatatopSalkhiononeofthekeep’s

spires,BorteonArcasbesideher.

“For a demon army, they march slower

thanmyej’sownmother.”

Nesrynsnorted.“Armieshavesupplytrains

—andthisonehadarivertocrossandaforest

tofell.”

Bortesniffed. “Seemslikean awful lot of

troubleforsuchasmallcity.”

Indeed, the ruk riders had not been

impressed by Anielle, certainly not after

camping in Antica before their passage to

theselands.

“Savethiscity,taketheFerianGaptothe

north of it, and we could clear a path

northward.Itmightbeanuglyplace,butit’s

vital.”

“Oh, the land is beautiful,” Borte said,

gazing toward the lake sparkling under the

winter light, steam from the nearby hot

springs drifting across its surface. “But the

buildings…”Shemadeaface.

Nesrynchuckled.“Youmayberight.”

Forafewmoments,theywatchedthearmy

creepcloser.Peoplewerefleeinginthestreets

now, rushing up thekeep’s endless steps and

battlements.

“I’m surprised Sartaq will let his future

empress fly against them,” Borte said slyly.

The girl had relentlessly teased her these

weeks.

Nesrynscowled.“Where’sYeran?”

Borte stuck out her tongue, despite the

army inching toward them. “Burning in hell,

forallIcare.”

Evenawayfromtheirrespectiveaeriesand

ancient rivalries, the betrothed pair had not

warmedtoeachother.Orperhapsitwaspart

ofthegamethetwoofthemplayed,hadbeen

playing for years now. To feign loathing,

whenitwas so clearthey’d slaughteranyone

whoposedathreattotheother.

Nesrynliftedherbrows,andBortecrossed

herarms,hertwinbraidsblowinginthewind.

“He’s bringing the last two healers to the

keep.” Indeed, a near-black ruk flapped up

fromtheplain.

“No inclination to finally wed before the

battle?”

Borterecoiled.“WhywouldI?”

Nesrynsmirked.“Soyoumight have your

weddingnight?”

Bortebarkedalaugh.“WhosaysIhaven’t

already?”

Nesryngaped.

But Borte only inclined her head, clicked

her tongue at Arcas, and rider and ruk dove

intothebrisksky.

Nesryn stared after Borte until she’d

reached the plain, passing byYeran and his

ruk in a daring maneuver that some might

have interpreted to bea giant, vulgar gesture

tothewarrior.

Yeran’sdarkrukscreechedinoutrage,and

Nesryn smiled, knowing Yeran was likely

doing the same, even with the two healers

ridingwithhim.

Yet Nesryn’s smile proved short-lived as

she again beheld the marching army nearer

and nearer with each minute. An unbroken,

untiringmassofsteelanddeath.

Would they camp until dawn, or attack at

nightfall? Would the siege be quick and

lethal, or long and brutal? She’d seen their

supplytrains.They werepreparedtostay for

aslongasittooktobringthiscitytorubble.

Andwipeouteverysouldwellingwithin.

Thebonedrumsbeganatsundown.

Yrene stood on the highest parapet of the

keep, counting the torchessprawling into the

night,andfoughttokeepherdinnerdown.

It was no different from the other meals

she’deatentoday,shetoldherself.Themeals

she had struggled to consume without

gagging.

The parapet was filled with soldiers and

onlookersalike,allgazingtowardthearmyat

the border of the plain that separated them

from the city’s edge, all listening in hushed

silencetotherelentlessdrumming.

Asteady,horriblebeat.Meanttounnerve,

tobreakone’swill.

She knew they’d continue all night.

Deprive them of rest, make them dread the

dawn.

The keep was as full as it could stand,

hallways crammed with bedrolls. She and

Chaol had yielded their room to a family of

five, the children too young to make the trip

to the Wastes, even on a ruk’s back. In the

frigidair,aninfantmightgobluewithcoldin

minutes.

Yreneranahandoverthewaist-highstone

wall.Thick,ancientstone.Shebeseecheditto

holdout.

Catapults.Therewerecatapultsinthearmy

below. She’d heard Falkan’s latest report at

breakfast. The plain itself was still littered

with enough boulders from the days it had

beenapartofthelakethatMorathwouldhave

noproblemfindingthingstohurlatthem.

The warning had keptYrene busy all day,

relocating families who had taken rooms on

the lake side of the keep or those who slept

too close to windows or outer walls. Last-

minute, and foolish not to consider it before

now,butshe’dbeensofocusedthesepastfive

days on getting everyonein that she hadn’t

thoughtofthingslikecatapultsandshattering

blocksofheavystone.

She’dmovedtheirhealingsupplies,too.To

an inner chamber where it would take the

entire keep collapsing to destroy what was

inside. The Torre healers had brought what

they could from the fleet, but they’d made

morewhentheyarrived.Nottheirbestwork,

notbyanymeans,butEretiahadorderedthat

the salves and tonics need only to function,

notdazzle,andtokeepmixing.

Allwasset.Allwasready.Orasreadyas

theymighteverbe.

So Yrene lingered on the battlements,

listeningtothebonedrumsforawhilelonger.

Chaol told himself it was not his last night

with his wife. He’d still made the best of it,

and they had rested as much as they could

standbeforetheywereup,hoursbeforedawn.

The rest of the keep was awake, too, the

ruks restless on the tower roofs and

battlements, the click and scrape of their

talonsonthestonesechoingineveryhalland

chamber.

Thedrumskeptpounding.Hadpoundedall

night.

He’d kissed Yrene good-bye, and she’d

seemed like she wanted to say more but had

optedtoholdhimforalong,preciousminute

beforetheypartedways.

Itwouldnotbethelasttimehesawher,he

promised himself as heaimed for the

battlements where his father, Sartaq, and

Nesrynhadagreedtomeetatdawn.

TheprinceandNesrynhadnotyetarrived,

but his father stood in armor Chaol had not

glimpsedsincechildhood.Sincehisfatherhad

riddentoserveAdarlan’swishes.Toconquer

thiscontinent.

It still fit him well, the muted metal

scratched and dented. Not the finest piece of

armor from the family arsenal beneath the

keep, but the sturdiest. A sword hung at his

hip, and a shield lay against the battlement

wall.Aroundthem,sentriestriednottowatch,

though their fear-wide eyes tracked every

movement.

Thedrumspoundedon.

Chaol came up beside his father, his own

dark tunic reinforced with armor at his

shoulders,forearms,andshins.

A cane of ironwood had been sheathed

down Chaol’s back, for whenYrene’s magic

begantofade,andhischairwaitedjustinside

the great hall, for when her power depleted

entirely.

WhathisfatherhadmadeofitwhenChaol

had explained yesterday, he hadn’t let on.

Hadn’tsaidasingleword.

Chaol cast a sidelong glance at the man

staring toward the army whose fires began

winkingoutonebyoneundertherisinglight.

“Theyusedthebonedrumsduringthelast

siegeofAnielle,”hisfathersaid,notatremor

inhisvoice.“Legendsaystheybeatthedrums

for three days and three nights before they

attacked, and that the city was so rife with

terror, so mad with sleeplessness, that they

didn’t stand a chance. Erawan’s armies and

beastsshreddedthemapart.”

“Theydidnothaveruksfightingwiththem

then,”Chaolsaid.

“We’llseehowlongtheylast.”

Chaolgrittedhisteeth.“Ifyoudonothave

hope, then your men will not last long,

either.”

Hisfatherstaredtowardtheplain,thearmy

revealedwitheachminute.

“Yourmotherleft,”themansaidatlast.

Chaoldidn’thidehisshock.

His father gripped the stone parapet. “She

tookTerrinandleft.Idon’tknowwherethey

fled. As soon as we realized we’d been

surrounded by enemies, she took her ladies-

in-waiting, their families. Departed in the

dead of night. Only your brother bothered to

leaveanote.”

His mother, after all she’d endured, all

she’d survived in this hellish house, had

finally walked out. To save her other son—

their promise of a future. “What did Terrin

say?”

His father smoothed his hand over the

stone.“Itdoesn’tmatter.”

It clearly did. But nowwasn’t the time to

push,tocare.

Therewasnofearonhisfather’sface.Just

coldresignation.

“If you do not lead these men today,”

Chaolgrowled,“thenIwill.”

His father looked at him at last, his face

grave.“Yourwifeispregnant.”

The shock roiled through Chaol like a

physicalblow.

Yrene—Yrene—

“A skilled healer she might be, but a deft

liar, she is not. Or have you not noticed her

hand frequently resting on her stomach, or

howgreensheturnsatmealtime?”

Such mild, casual words. As if his father

weren’t ripping the ground out from beneath

him.

Chaolopenedhismouth,bodytensing.To

yell at his father, to run to Yrene, he didn’t

know.

Butthenthebonedrumsstopped.

Andthearmybegantoadvance.



CHAPTER40

Manon and the Thirteen had buried each and

every one of the soldiers massacred by the

Ironteeth. Their torn and bleeding hands

throbbed, their backs ached, but they’d done

it.

When the last of the hard earth had been

patted down, she’d found Bronwen lingering

at the clearing edge, the restof the Crochans

havingmovedofftosetupcamp.

The Thirteen had trudged past Manon.

Ghislaine, according to Vesta, had been

invitedtositatthehearthofawitchwithan

equal interest in those mortal, scholarly

pursuits.

Only Asterin remained in the shadows

nearby to guard her back as Manon asked

Bronwen,“Whatisit?”

She should have tried for pleasantries, for

diplomacy,butshedidn’t.Couldn’tmusterit.

Bronwen’sthroatbobbed,asifchokingon

the words. “You and your coven acted

honorably.”

“Youdoubtedit,fromtheWhiteDemon?”

“I did not think the Ironteeth bothered to

careforhumanlives.”

Shedidn’tknowthehalfofit.Manononly

said,“MygrandmotherinformedmethatIam

nolongeranIronteethwitch,soitseemswho

theydoordonotcarefornolongerbearsany

weightwithme.”Shekeptwalkingtowardthe

trees where the Thirteen had vanished, and

Bronwenfellintostepbesideher.“Itwasthe

leastIcoulddo,”Manonadmitted.

Bronwenglancedathersidelong.“Indeed.”

Manon eyed the Crochan. “You lead your

witcheswell.”

“The Ironteeth have long given us an

excusetobehighlytrained.”

Somethinglikeshamewashedthroughher

again.Shewonderedifshe’deverfindaway

toeaseit,toendureit.“Isupposewehave.”

Bronwen didn’t reply before peeling off

towardthesmallfires.

But asManon wentinsearchof Glennis’s

ownhearth,theCrochanslookedherway.

Sometippedtheirheadstowardher.Some

offeredgrimnods.

ShesawtoitthattheThirteenweretending

totheirhands,andfoundherselfunabletosit.

Tolettheweightofthedaycatchuptoher.

Around them, around each fire, Crochans

argued quietly on whether to return home or

head farther south into Eyllwe. Yet if they

wentintoEyllwe,whatwouldtheydo?Manon

barely heard as the debate raged, Glennis

lettingeachofthesevenrulinghearthsarrive

atitsowndecision.

Manon didn’t linger to hear what they

chose. Didn’t bother to ask them to fly

northward.

Asterin stalked to Manon’s side, offering

her a strip of dried rabbit while the Thirteen

ate, the Crochans continuing their quiet

debates. The wind sang through the trees,

hollowandkeening.

“Wheredowegoatdawn?”Asterinasked.

“Dowefollowthem,orheadnorthward?”

Did they cling to this increasingly futile

quest to win them over, or did they abandon

it?

Manonstudiedherbleeding,achinghands,

theironnailscrustedwithdirt.

“IamaCrochan,”she said.“AndIaman

Ironteeth witch.” She flexed her fingers,

willing the stiffness from them. “The

Ironteeth are my people, too. Regardless of

what my grandmother may decree. They are

my people, Blueblood and Yellowlegs and

Blackbeakalike.”

And she would bear the weight of what

she’dcreated,whatshe’dtrained,forever.

Asterin said nothing, though Manon knew

shelistenedtoeveryword.KnewtheThirteen

hadstoppedeatingtolisten,too.

“I wantto bring themhome,” Manon said

tothem,tothewindthatflowedallthewayto

the Wastes. “I want to bring them all home.

Before it is too late—before they become

somethingunworthyofahomeland.”

“So what are you going to do?” Asterin

askedsoftly,butnotweakly.

Manonfinishedthestripofdriedmeat,and

swiggedfromherwaterskin.

Theanswerdidnotlieinpickingoneover

the other, Crochan over Ironteeth. It never

had.

“IftheCrochanswillnotrallyahost,then

I’llfindanother.Onealreadytrained.”

“You cannot go to Morath,” Asterin

breathed. “You won’t get within a hundred

miles.TheIronteethhostmightbealreadytoo

fargonetoevenconsidersidingwithyou.”

“I’mnotgoingtoMorath.”Manonslidher

frozenhandintoherpocket.“I’mgoingtothe

Ferian Gap. To whatever of the host remains

thereunderPetrahBlueblood’scommand.To

askthemtojoinus.”

AsterinandtheThirteenhadbeenstunned

intosilence.Lettingthemdwellonit,Manon

had turned into the trees. Had picked up

Dorian’sscentandfollowedit.

Andseenhimconversingwiththespiritof

KaltainRompier,thewomanhealedandlucid

in death. Freed from her terrible torment.

ShockhadrootedManontothespot.

Then she’d heard of Dorian’s plans to

infiltrateMorath.Morath,wherethethirdand

final Wyrdkey was kept. He’d known, and

hadn’ttoldher.

Kaltainhadvanishedintothenightairand

then Dorian had shifted. Into a beautiful,

proudraven.

He hadn’t been training to entertain

himself.Notatall.

Manon snarled, “When, exactly, were you

going to inform me that you were about to

retrievethethirdWyrdkey?”

Dorianblinkedather,hisfacetheportrait

ofcalmassurance.“WhenIleft.”

“Whenyouflewoffasaravenorawyvern,

rightintoErawan’snet?”

The temperature in the clearing plunged.

“What difference does it make if I told you

weeksagoornow?”

She knew there was nothing kind, nothing

warm on her face. A witch’s face. A

Blackbeak’sface.“Morathissuicide.Erawan

will find you in any form you wear, andyou

willwindupwithacollararoundyourthroat.”

“Idon’thaveanotherchoice.”

“We agreed,” Manon said, pacing a step.

“We agreed thatlooking forthe keyswas no

longerapriority—”

“Iknewbetterthantoarguewithyouabout

it.”His eyes glowed like bluefire. “My path

doesn’timpactyourown.RallytheCrochans,

fly north to Terrasen. My road leads to

Morath.Italwayshas.”

“How can you have looked at Kaltain and

not seen what awaits you?” She held up her

arm and pointed to where Kaltain’s scar had

been. “Erawan willcatch you. You cannot

go.”

“We will lose this war if I do not go,” he

snapped.“Howdoyounotcareaboutthat?”

“Icare,”shehissed.“Icareifwelosethis

war. I care if I fail to rally the Crochans. I

careifyougointoMorathanddonotreturn,

not as something worth living.” He only

blinked. Manon spat on the mossy ground.

“Nowdoyouwishtotellmethatcaringisnot

suchabadthing?Well,thisiswhatcomesof

it.”

“This is why I didn’t say anything,” he

breathed.

Her heart turned raging, its pulse echoing

throughherbody,thoughherwordswerecold

as ice. “You wish to go to Morath?” She

prowled up to him, and he didn’t back down

aninch.“Thenproveit.Proveyouareready.”

“I don’t need to prove anything to you,

witchling.”

Shegavehimabrutal,wickedsmile.“Then

perhaps prove it to yourself. A test.” He’d

deceived her, had lied to her. This man who

she’dbelievedheldnosecretsbetweenthem.

She didn’t know why it made her want to

shredeverything within sight. “We fly tothe

FerianGapwiththedawn.”Hestarted,butshe

wenton,“Joinus.Wewillhaveneedofaspy

on the inside. Someone who can sneak past

the guards to tell us what and who lies

within.” She barely heard herself over the

roaring in her head. “Let’s see how well you

canshape-shiftthen,princeling.”

Manonforcedherselftoholdhisstare.To

letherwordshangbetweenthem.

Thenheturnedonhisheel,aimingforthe

camp.“Fine.Butfindyourselfanothertentto

sleepintonight.”



CHAPTER41

Theyreachedtheseaundercoverofdarkness,

warned of its arrival by the briny scent that

crept into the cave, then the rougher waters

that pushed past, and then finally the roar of

thesurf.

Maeve’seyesmighthavebeeneverywhere,

buttheyweren’tfixedonthecavemouththat

openedontoacovealongWendlyn’swestern

shore. Nor were they on that cove when the

boatlandedonitssandybeach,thenvanished

back into the caves before anyone could so

much as attempt to thank the creatures who

hadhauledthemwithoutrest.

Aelinwatchedtheboatuntilitdisappeared,

trying not to stare too long at the clean,

unstained sand beneath her boots, while the

othersdebatedwheretheymightbealongthe

coastline.

A few hours of hurrying northward, into

Wendlyn’s lands,  and they got their answer:

closeenoughtothenearestport.

Thetidewaswiththem,andwiththegold

they’dpilferedfromthebarrow-wights,itwas

a matter of Rowan and Lorcan simply

crossingtheirarmsbeforeashipwassecured.

With Wendlyn’s armada sailing for

Terrasen’s shores, the rules about border

crossings had been revoked. Gone were the

several boat transfers to reach the continent

acrossthesea,thesecuritymeasures.Nomere

tyrant squatted in Adarlan, but a Valg king

withanaeriallegion.

It made it easier for the messages she

dispatchedtogoout,too.Whethertheletterto

Aedion and Lysandra would reach them was

up to the gods, she supposed, since they

seemed hell-bent on being their puppet

masters. Perhaps they might not bother with

her now, if Dorian was heading for the third

key,ifhemighttakeherplace.

Shedidnotdwellonitforlong.

Theshipwasastepaboveramshackle,all

the finer vessels commandeered for the war,

but it seemed steady enough to make the

weeks-long crossing. For the gold they paid,

the captainyieldedhisown quarters toAelin

and Rowan. If the man knewwhothey were,

whattheywere,hesaidnothing.

Aelin didn’t care. Only that they sailed

with the midnight tide, Rowan’s magic

propellingthemswiftlyouttothemoonlitsea.

FarfromMaeve.Fromhergatheredforces.

From the truth that Aelin might have

glimpsed that day in Maeve’s throne room,

thedarkbloodthathadturnedtored.

She hadn’t told the others. Didn’t know if

that moment had been real, or a trick of the

light. If it had been another dreamscape, or

somefragmentthathadblendedintothevery

realmemoryofConnall’sdeath.

She’d deal with it later, Aelin decided as

she stood by the prow, the others long since

havinggonetotheirownquartersbelowdecks.

Only Rowan remained, perched on the

mainmast as he scanned every horizon for

signsofpursuit.

They’d evaded Maeve. For now. Tonight,

at least, she wouldn’t know where to find

them. Until word spread of the strangers in

that port, of the ship they’d paid a king’s

fortune to take them into war-torn hell. The

messagesAelinhadsent.

At least Maeve didn’t know where the

Wyrdkeys were. They still had that in their

favor.

Though Maeve was likely to bring her

army across the sea to hunt them down. Or

simplyaidinTerrasen’sdemise.

Aelin’s power stirred, a thunderhead

groaning in her blood. She ground her teeth

andpaiditnoattention.

Everything relied upon them reaching the

continent before Maeve and her forces. Or

beforeErawancoulddestroytoomuchofthe

world.

Aelin leaned into the sea breeze, letting it

seep into her skin, her hair, letting it wash

awaythedarkofthecaves,ifthedarkofthe

prior months could not be eased entirely.

Letting it soothe her fire into slumbering

embers.

Theseweeksatseawouldbeendless,even

withRowan’smagicpropellingthem.

She’d use each day to train, to work with

sword and dagger and bow until her hands

were blistered, until new calluses formed.

Untilthethinnessreturnedtomuscle.

She’drebuildit—whatshehadbeen.

Perhaps one last time, perhaps only for a

little while, but she’d do it. If only for

Terrasen.

Rowanswoopedfromthemast,shiftingas

he reached her side at the rail. He surveyed

thenight-blackseabeyondthem.“Youshould

rest.”

Sheslidhimaglance.“I’mnottired.”Not

alie,notinsomeregards.“Wanttospar?”

He frowned. “Training can start

tomorrow.”

“Or tonight.” She held his piercing stare,

matchedhisdominancewithherown.

“Itcanwaitafewhours,Aelin.”

“Everydaycounts.”AgainstErawan,even

adayoftrainingwouldcount.

Rowan’s jaw tightened. “True,” he said at

last.“Butitcanstillwait.Thereare…there

arethingsweneedtodiscuss.”

Thesilent words rose in his animal-bright

eyes.Aboutyouandme.

Hermouthwentdry.ButAelinnodded.

In silence, they strode into their spacious

quarters, its only decoration the wall of

windows that overlooked the churning sea

behind them. A far cry from a queen’s

chamber,oranyshemighthavepurchasedas

Adarlan’sassassin.

At least the bed built into the wall looked

clean enough, the sheets crisp and stainless.

ButAelinheadedfortheoakdeskanchoredto

the floor, and leaned against it while Rowan

shutthedoor.

Inthedimlanternlight,theystaredateach

other.

She’d endured Maeve and Cairn; she’d

enduredEndovierandcountlessotherhorrors

and losses. She could have this conversation

with him. The first step toward rebuilding

herself.

Aelin knew Rowan could hear her

thundering heart as the space between them

went taut. She swallowed once. “Elide and

Lorcan told you … told you everything that

wassaidonthatbeach.”

Acurtnod,warinessfloodinghiseyes.

“EverythingthatMaevesaid.”

Anothernod.

She braced herself. “That I’m—we’re

mates.”

Understanding and something like relief

replacedthatwariness.“Yes.”

“I’myourmate,”shesaid,needingtovoice

it.“Andyouaremine.”

Rowan crossedtheroom,buthalteda few

feet from the desk on which she leaned.

“What of it, Aelin?” His question was low,

rough.

“Don’t you …” She scrubbed at her face.

“You know what she did to you, to …” She

couldn’tsayhername.Lyria.“Becauseofit.”

“Idoknow.”

“And?”

“Andwhatdoyouwishmetosay?”

Shepushedoffthedesk.“Iwishyoutotell

mehowyoufeelaboutit.If…”

“Ifwhat?”

“Ifyouwishitwasn’tso.”

His brows narrowed. “Why would I ever

wishthat?”

Sheshookherhead,unabletoanswer,and

staredoverhershouldertowardthesea.

Itseemedlikehewouldclosethedistance

betweenthem,butheremainedwherehewas.

“Aelin.”Hisvoiceturnedhoarse.“Aelin.”

She looked at him then, at the pain in his

words.

“Do you know what I wish?” He exposed

his palms, one tattooed, the other unmarked.

“I wish that you had told me. When you

realizedit.Iwishyouhadtoldmethen.”

She swallowed against the ache in her

throat.“Ididn’twanttohurtyou.”

“Why would it ever hurt me to know the

truththatwasalreadyinmyheart?ThetruthI

hopedfor?”

“Ididn’tunderstandit.Ididn’tunderstand

how it was possible. I thought maybe …

maybe you might be able to have two mates

withinalifetime,buteventhen,Ijust…”She

blew out a breath. “I didn’t want you to be

distressed.”

His eyes softened. “Do I regret that Lyria

wasdraggedintothis,thatthecostofMaeve’s

gamewasherlife,andthelifeofthechildwe

mighthavehad?Yes.Iregretthat,andIwish

it had never happened.” He would bear the

tattootorememberitfortherestofhisdays.

“Butnoneofthatwasyourfault.Iwillalways

carrysomeoftheburdenofit,alwaysknowI

chosetoleaveherforwarandglory,andthatI

playedrightintoMaeve’shands.”

“Maeve wanted to ensnare you to get to

me,though.”

“Thenitisherchoice,notyours.”

Aelinranahandoverthewornwoodofthe

desk.“Inthoseillusionsshespunforme,she

showedmevariationsononemorethanallthe

others.” The words were strained, but she

forced them out. Forced herself to look at

him. “She spun me one dreamscape that felt

so real I could smell the wind off the

Staghorns.”

“What did she show you?” A breathless

question.

Aelin had to swallow before she could

answer. “She showed me whatmight have

been—if there had been no Erawan, if Elena

haddealtwithhimproperlyandbanishedhim.

If there had beennoLyria, none of that pain

or despair you endured. She showed me

Terrasenasitwouldhavebeentoday,withmy

father as king, and my childhood happy, and

…”Herlipswobbled.“WhenIturnedtwenty,

you came with a delegation of Fae to

Terrasen,tomakeamendsfortheriftbetween

my mother and Maeve. And you and I took

one look at each other in my father’s throne

room,andweknew.”

Shedidn’tfightthestinginginhereyes.“I

wanted to believe that was the true world.

That this was the nightmare from which I’d

awaken. Iwantedto believe that there was a

place where you and I had never known this

suffering andloss, wherewe’dtakeone look

ateachotherandknowweweremates.Maeve

toldmeshecouldmakeitso.IfIgaveherthe

keys,she’dmakeitallpossible.”Shewipedat

her cheek, at the tear that escaped down it.

“Shespunmerealitieswhereyou were dead,

where you’d been killed by Erawan and only

in handing over the keys to her would I be

able to avenge you. But those realities made

me…Istoppedbeingusefultoherwhenshe

toldmeyouweregone.Shecouldn’tgetmeto

talk,tothink.YetintheoneswhereyouandI

met, where things were as they should have

been…thatwaswhenIcametheclosest.”

His swallow was audible. “What stopped

you?”

She wiped at her face again. “The male I

fell in love with was you. It wasyou, who

knewpainas Idid, andwhowalkedwithme

through it, back to the light. Maeve didn’t

understandthat.Thatevenifshecouldcreate

that perfect world, it wouldn’t be you with

me.And I’d never trade that, trade this. Not

foranything.”

He extended his hand. An offer and

invitation.

Aelin laid hers atop his, and his callused

fingers squeezed gently. “I wanted it to be

you,” he breathed, closing his eyes. “For

months and months, even in Wendlyn, I

wondered why you weren’t my mate instead.

Ittoremeup,wonderingit,butIstilldid.”He

opened his eyes, and they burned like green

fire.“Allthistime,Iwantedittobeyou.”

She lowered her gaze, but he hooked a

thumb and forefinger around her chin and

liftedherface.

“I know you are tired, Fireheart. I know

thattheburdenonyourshouldersismorethan

anyone should endure.” He took their joined

hands and laid them on his heart. “But we’ll

facethistogether.Erawan,theLock,allofit.

We’llfaceittogether.Andwhenwearedone,

when you Settle, we will have a thousand

yearstogether.Longer.”

Asmallsoundcameoutofher.“Elenasaid

theLockrequires—”

“We’ll face it together,” he  swore again.

“Andifthecostofittrulyis you,thenwe’ll

payittogether.Asonesoulintwobodies.”

Herheartstrainedtothepointofcleaving.

“Terrasenneedsaking.”

“I have no intention of ruling Terrasen

withoutyou.Aedioncanhavethejob.”

She scanned his face. He meant every

word.

Hebrushedthehairfromherface,hisother

handstillclaspingherstohischest,wherehis

heart pounded a steady, unfaltering rhythm.

“Even if I had my choice of any dream-

realities, any perfect illusions, I would still

chooseyou,too.”

Shefeltthetruthofhiswordsechointothe

unbreakablethingthatboundtheirverysouls,

andtiltedherfaceuptowardhis.Buthemade

nomovebeyondit.

She frowned. “Why aren’t you kissing

me?”

“I thought you might want to be asked

first.”

“Thatneverstoppedyoubefore.”

“Thisfirsttime,Iwantedtomakesureyou

were…ready.”AfterCairnandMaeve.After

monthsofhavingnochoiceswhatsoever.

Shesmileddespitethattruth.“I’mreadyto

bekissedagain,Prince.”

He let out a dark chuckle and muttered,

“Thank the gods,” before he lowered his

mouthtohers.

The kiss was gentle—light. Letting her

decidehowtoguideit.Soshedid.

Sliding her arms around Rowan’s neck,

Aelin pressed herself againsthim, arching

into his touch as hishands roamed alongher

back.Yethismouthremainedfeatherlighton

hers.Sweet,exploratorykisses.He’ddoitall

night,ifthatwaswhatshewished.

Mate.Hewashermate,andshewasfinally

allowedtocallhimsuch,tolethimbesuch—

The thought snapped something. Aelin

nipped at his bottom lip, scraping a canine

againstit.

Thegesturesnappedsomethinginhim,too.

With a growl, Rowan swept her into his

arms,nevertearinghismouthfromhersashe

carriedhertothebedandsetherdowngently.

Off came their boots, their jackets and shirts

and pants. And then he was with her, the

strengthandheatofhimpouringintoherbare

skin.

She couldn’t touch him fast enough,feel

enough of him against her. Even when his

mouthroveddownherneck,lickingoverthat

spotwherehisclaimingmarkshadbeen.Even

when he roamed farther, worshipping her

breasts as she arched up into each lick and

suckle.Evenwhenhekneltbetweenherlegs,

his shoulders spreading her thighs wide, and

tasted her, over and over, until she was

writhingbeneathhim.

Butsomethingprimalinherwentquietand

still as Rowan rose over her again, and their

eyeslocked.

“You’remymate,”hesaid,thewordsnear-

guttural. He nudged at her entrance, and she

shifted her hips to draw him in, but he

remainedwherehewas.Withholdingwhatshe

achedforuntilheheardwhatheneeded.

Aelintippedbackherhead,baringherneck

tohim.“You’remymate.”Herwordswerea

breathlessrush.“AndIamyours.”

Rowanthrustintoherinamightystrokeas

heplungedhisteethintothesideofherneck.

She cried out at the claiming, release

already barreling along her spine, but he

began moving. Moving, while his teeth

remained in her, and she moaned with each

drive of his hips, the sheer size of him a

decadence she would never be able to get

enough of. She dragged her nails down his

muscled back, then lower, feeling every

powerfulstrokeofhimintoher.

Rowan withdrew his teeth from her neck,

andAelinclaimedhismouthinasavagekiss,

herbloodacopperytangonhistongue.

He went wild at that, hoisting her hips to

anglehimselfdeeper,harder.Theworldmight

have been burning around them for all she

cared,allhecared,too.

“Together, Aelin,” he promised,  and she

heardtherestofthewordsineveryplacetheir

bodiesjoined. Together theywould facethis,

togethertheywouldfindaway.

Release crested within her once more, a

shimmeringbrightness.

And just when it broke, Aelin sank her

teethintoRowan’sneck,claiminghimashe’d

claimedher.

Hisblood,powerfulandwind-kissed,filled

her mouth, her soul, and Rowan roared as

releaseshatteredthroughhim,too.

Forlongminutes,theylaytangledineach

other.

Together we’ll find a way, their mingling

breaths, the crashing sea, seemed to echo.

Together.



CHAPTER42

Lorcanwasgiventhelastwatchofthenight,

whichallowedhimtowitnessthesunriseover

thenow-distanthorizon.

Would he ever see it again—Wendlyn,

Doranelle,anyofthateasternland?

Perhaps not, considering what they sailed

tointhewest,andtheimmortalarmyMaeve

hadnodoubtseton theirheels.Perhaps they

werealldoomedtolimitedsunrises.

Theothersroused,venturingontothedeck

to learn what the morning brought. Nothing,

he almost told them from where he stood by

the prow. Water and sun and a whole lot of

nothing.

Fenrys spotted him and bared his teeth.

Lorcangavehimamockingsmile.

Yes, that fight would come later. He’d

welcome it, the chance to ease the tightness

from his bones, to let Fenrys tear into him a

bit.

He wouldn’t kill the wolf, though. Fenrys

mighttrytokillhim,butLorcanwouldn’tdo

it. Not after what Fenrys had endured—what

he’dmanagedtodo.

Elide emerged from belowdecks, hair

braided and smooth. As if she’d been up

before the dawn. She barely looked his way,

though he knew she was well aware of his

location.Lorcanblockedoutthehollowpang

inhischest.

But Aelin spied him, and there was more

clarityinherfacethanthere’dbeenthesepast

few days as she stalked for where he stood.

Moreofthatswaggerinhergait,too.

The sleeves of her white shirt had been

rolled to the elbow, her hair braided back.

Goldrynandalongknifehungfromherbelt.

Ready for training. Primed for it, judging by

thebristlingenergythatbuzzedaroundher.

Lorcan met her halfway, descending the

smallstairs.

Whitethorn lingered nearby, also dressed

for sparring, the wariness in his eyes telling

Lorcan enough: the prince had no idea what

thiswasabout.

Buttheyoungqueencrossedherarms.“Do

youplantosailwithustoTerrasen?”

An unnecessary question for dawn, and in

themiddleofthesea.“Yes.”

“Andyouplantojoinusinthiswar?”

“I’mcertainlynotgoingtheretoenjoythe

weather.”

Amusement glittered in her eyes, though

herfaceremainedgrim.“Thenthisishowit’s

goingtowork.”

Lorcan waited for the list of orders and

demands, but the queen was only watching

him, that amusement fading into something

steel-hardened.

“You were Maeve’s second-in-command,”

she said, and Elide turned their way. “And

now that you aren’t, it leaves you as a

powerful Fae male whose allegiances I don’t

knoworreallytrust.NotwhenMaeve’sarmy

islikelyonthemovetowardthecontinentat

thisverymoment.SoIcan’thaveyouinmy

kingdom, or traveling with us, when you

might very well sell information to get back

intoMaeve’sgoodgraces,canI?”

He opened his mouth, bristling at the

haughty tone, but Aelin went on. “So I’ll

make you an offer, Lorcan Salvaterre.” She

tapped her bare forearm. “Swear the blood

oathtome,andI’llletyouroamwhereveryou

wish.”

Fenrys cursed behind them, but Lorcan

barelyhearditovertheroaringinhishead.

“And what, exactly,” he managed to say,

“doIgetoutofit?”

Aelin’s eyes slid over her shoulder. To

whereElidewatched,mouthagape.Whenthe

queen met Lorcan’s gaze again, a touch of

sympathy had softened the steely arrogance.

“You will be allowed into Terrasen. That is

what you will get. Where you choose to live

within Terrasen’s borders will not be my

decision.”

Not her decision, or his. But that of the

dark-hairedfemalegawkingatthem.

“AndifIrefuse?”Lorcandaredask.

“Thenyouwillneverbeallowedtosetfoot

inmykingdom,ortotravelfurtherwithus—

notwiththekeysinthebalance,andMaeve’s

armyatourbacks.”Thatsympathyremained.

“Ican’ttrustyouenoughtoletyoujoinusany

otherway.”

“Butyou’llletmeswearthebloodoath?”

“I want nothing from you, and you want

nothingfromme.TheonlyorderIshallever

giveyouistheoneIwouldaskofanycitizen

of Terrasen: to protect and defend our

kingdomanditspeople.Youcanliveinahut

intheStaghornsforallIcare.”

She meant it, too. Swear the blood oath,

swear never to harm her kingdom, and she’d

give him freedom. And if he refused … He

wouldneverseeElideagain.

“I don’t have another choice,” Aelin said

quietly,sotheothersmightnothear.“Ican’t

risk Terrasen.” She still held her arm toward

him. “But I would not take something as

preciousawayfromyou.”

“Whatyoudon’trealizeisthatisnolonger

apossibility.”

Again,thathintofasmileandglanceover

her shoulder toward Elide. “It is.” Her

turquoiseeyeswerebrightasshelookedback

athim,andtherewaswisdomonAelin’sface

that he had perhaps never noticed before. A

queen’sface.“Believeme,Lorcan,itis.”

Heshutdownthehopethatfilledhischest,

foreignandunwanted.

“ButTerrasenwillnotsurvivethiswar,she

willnotsurvivethiswar,withoutyou.”

Andevenifthequeenbeforehimgaveher

immortal life to forge the Lock, to stop

Erawan, Lorcan’s blood oath to protect her

kingdomwouldhold.

“It’syourchoice,”shesaidsimply.

Lorcan allowed himself to look to Elide,

foolishasitmightbe.

Shehadahandonherthroat,herdarkeyes

sowide.

It didn’t matter if she still offered him a

homeinPerranth,ifthequeenspoketrue.

But what did matter was that Aelin

Galathynius had meant her promise: he was

too powerful, his allegiances too murky, for

hertoallowhimtoroamwithher,toenterher

kingdom unfettered. She’d let him go, keep

himoutofTerrasen,evenifErawan’shordes

weredescending,justtoavoidtheotherthreat

attheirbacks:Maeve.

AndElidewouldnotsurviveit,thiswar,if

allofthemweredead.

He couldn’t accept it, that possibility.

Foolish and useless as it was, he couldn’t

allow it to pass. To have either Erawan’s

beastsorheruncleVernoncometoclaimher

again.

Fool.Hewasanancient,stupidfool.

Yetthegodathisshoulderdidnottellhim

torun,ortofight.

His choice, then. He wondered what the

goddesswhowhisperedtoElidemadeofthis.

Wondered what the woman herself was

going to make of this as he said to Aelin,

“Fine.”

“Godsspareus,”Fenrysmurmured.

Aelin’slipscurvedinthathintofasmile,

amusedandyetedgedwithatouchofcruelty,

assheglancedtothewolf.“You’llhavetolet

him live, you realize,” she said to Fenrys,

lifting a brow. “No to-the-death dueling. No

vengeance-fighting.Canyoustomachit?”

LorcanbristledasFenryslookedhimover.

Lorcanlethimseeeverybitofdominancein

hisstare.

Fenrys sent all of his raging back. Not as

muchaswhatLorcanpossessed,butenoughto

remindhimthattheWhiteWolfofDoranelle

couldbiteifhewished.Lethally.

Fenrys just turned to the queen. “If I tell

youhe’saprickandamiserablebastardtobe

around,willitchangeyourmind?”

Lorcan snarled, but Aelin snorted. “Isn’t

that why we love Lorcan, though?” She gave

himasmilethattoldLorcansheremembered

every detail of their initial encounters in

Rifthold—when he’d shoved her face-first

intoabrickwall.AelinsaidtoFenrys,“We’ll

onlyinvitehimtoOrynthonholidays.”

“So he can ruin the festivities?” Fenrys

scowled. “I, for one, cherish my holidays. I

don’tneedamisanthroperainingonthem.”

Godsabove.LorcancutRowanalook,but

the warrior-prince was watching his queen

carefully. As if he knew precisely what

mannerofstormbrewedbeneathherskin.

Aelinwavedahand.“Fine,fine.Youwon’t

try to kill Lorcan for what happened in

Eyllwe,andinexchange,wewon’tinvitehim

to anything.” Her grin was nothing short of

wicked.

Thiswasthesortofcourthe’dbejoining—

thiswhirlwindof…Lorcandidn’tknowwhat

thewordwasforit.Hedoubtedanyofhisfive

centurieshadpreparedhimforit,though.

Aelin extended a hand. “You know how

this goes, then. Or are you too old to

remember?”

Lorcan glared and knelt, offering up the

daggerathisside.

Afool.Hewasafool.

Andyethishandsshookslightlyashegave

thequeentheknife.

Aelin weighed the blade, a golden ring

capped with an obscenelylarge emerald

adorning her finger.A wedding band. Likely

from the barrow-wight trove she’d pilfered.

HeglancedtowhereWhitethornstood tothe

side. Sure enough, a golden ring lay on the

warrior’s own finger, a ruby built into the

band. And peeking above the collar of

Rowan’sjacket,twofreshscarslay.

A pair of them now marked the queen’s

ownthroat.

“Done gawking?” Aelin asked Lorcan

coolly.

Hescowled.Evenwiththeholyritualthey

were about to partake in, the queen found a

waytobeirreverent.“Sayit.”

Her lips curved again. “Do you, Lorcan

Salvaterre,swearuponyourbloodandeternal

soul, to be loyal to me, to my crown, and to

Terrasenfortherestofyourlife?”

He blinked. Maeve had intoned a lengthy

list of questions in the Old Language when

he’d sworn her oath. But he said, “I do. I

swearit.”

Aelinslicedthedaggeracrossherforearm,

andherbloodshonebrightastherubyinthe

swordatherside.“Thendrink.”

Hislastchancetobackoutfromthis.

But he glanced toward Elide again. And

sawhope—justaglimmerofit—lightingher

face.

So Lorcan took the queen’s arm in his

handsanddrank.

Thetasteofher—jasmine,lemonverbena,

and crackling embers—filled his mouth.

Filled his soul, as something burned and

settledwithinhim.

An ember of warmth. Like a piece of that

ragingmagichadcometorestinsidehisvery

soul.

Swayingabit,heletgoofherarm.

“Welcome to the court,” Aelin said.

“Here’s your first and only order: protect

Terrasenanditspeople.”

The command settled in him, too, another

littlesparkthatgloweddowndeep.

Then the queen pivoted on her heel and

walkedaway—no,walkeduptoElide.

Lorcantriedandfailedtostand.Hisbody,

itseemed,stillneededamoment.

So he could only watch as Aelin said to

Elide,“Iamnotofferingyouthebloodoath.”

Voworno,hedebatedthrowingthequeen

intotheoceanforthedevastationthatclouded

Elide’sface.ButtheLadyofPerranthkepther

chinhigh.“Why?”

Aelin took Elide’s hand with a gentleness

that cooled Lorcan’s rising temper. “Because

when we return to Terrasen, if I am to be

giventhethrone,thenyoucannotbeboundto

me.” Elide’s brows crossed. “Perranth is the

second-most powerful House in Terrasen,”

Aelin explained. “Four of its lords have

decidedthatIamunfitforthethrone.Ineeda

majoritytowinitback.”

“And if I am sworn to you, it jeopardizes

theintegrityofmyvote,”Elidefinished.

Aelinnodded,andletgoofherhandtoturn

toallofthem.Intherisingsun,thequeenwas

bathed in gold. “Terrasen is over two weeks

away, if the winter storms don’t interfere.

We’llusethistimetotrainandplan.”

“Plan for what?” Fenrys asked, coming

closer.

Amember of this court. Of Lorcan’s own

court. Thethreeof themonceagain bound—

and yet freer than they’d ever been. Lorcan

halfwonderedwhythequeendidn’tofferthe

oathtoGavriel,butshespokeagain.

“Mytaskcannotbecompletedwithoutthe

keys. I assume that their new bearers will

eventually seek me out, if the third is found

and they decide not to finish things

themselves.” She glanced to Rowan, who

nodded. As if they’d already discussed this.

“So rather than waste vital time roaming the

continent in pursuit of them, we will indeed

go to Terrasen. Especially if Maeve is

bringingherarmytoitsshoresaswell.Andif

Iamnotallowedtoleadfrommythrone,then

I shall just have to do so from the

battlefields.”

She meant to fight. The queen—Lorcan’s

queen—meant to fight against Morath. And

Maeve, should the worst happen. And then

she’ddieforthemall.

“ToTerrasen,then,”Fenryssaid.

“ToTerrasen,”Elideechoed.

Aelingazedwestward,towardthekingdom

that was all that stood between Erawan and

conquest. Toward Lorcan’s new home.As if

she could see the dread-lord’s legions

unleashing upon it. And Maeve’s immortal

hostcreepingattheirbacks,ahostLorcanand

hiscompanionshadoncecommanded.

Aelin merely strode to the center of the

deck, the sailors giving them a wide berth.

SheunsheathedGoldrynandherdagger,then

lifted her brows at Whitethorn in silent

challenge.

Thewarrior-princeobeyed,unsheathinghis

blade and hatchet before sinking into a

defensivecrouch.

Training—retrainingherbody.Nowhisper

ofherpowermanifested,yethereyesburned

bright.

Aelin angled her weapons. “To Terrasen,”

shesaidatlast.

Andbegan.



CHAPTER43

Dorianbegansmall.

First,by changinghis eyestoblack. Solid

black,liketheValg.Thenbyturninghisskin

intoanicy,paleshade,thesortthatneversaw

sunlight. His hair, he left dark, but he

managedtomakehisnosemorecrooked,his

mouththinner.

Not a full shift, but one done in pieces.

Weaving the image together in himself,

forming the tapestry of his new face, new

skin,duringthelong,silentflightupthespine

oftheFangs.

He hadn’t told Manon it was likely a

suicidemission,too.He’dbarelytalkedtoher

at all since the forest clearing. They’d left

with the dawn, when she’d announced to

GlennisandtheCrochanswhatsheplannedto

do. They could fly to the Ferian Gap and

returntothathiddencampwithintheFangsin

fourdays,iftheywerelucky.

She’d asked the Crochans to meet them

there. To trust her enough to return to their

mountaincampandwait.

Theyhadsaidyes.Maybeitwasthegrave

theThirteenhaddugallday,buttheCrochans

saidyes.Atentativetrust—justthisonce.

So Dorian had flown with Asterin. Had

used each frigid hour northward to slowly

alterhisbody.

YouwanttogotoMorathsobadly ,Manon

hadhissed againbefore they’d left,thenlet’s

seeifyoucandoit.

Atest.Onehewasgladtoexcelat.Ifonly

tothrowinherface.

Manon knew of a back door that only the

wyverns took into the Northern Fang, along

withanyhumangruntsunluckyenoughtobe

bound to this place. Asterin and Manon had

left the Thirteen farther in the mountains

before approaching, and even then they’d

stoppedfarawayenoughfromanyscoutsthat

they’d spent hours hiking on foot, taking

Asterin’s mare with them. Abraxos had

snarledandtuggedonthereins,butSorrelhad

heldhimfirmly.

ThetwomammothpeaksflankingtheGap

grewlargerwitheach passedmile.Yetas he

approached the southern side of the Fang, he

hadn’t realized how massive, exactly, they

were.

Large enough to hold an aerial host. To

trainandbreedthem.

This was what his father and Erawan had

built.WhatAdarlanhadbecome.

No wyverns circled in the skies, but their

roarsandshrieks echoed from the passas he

strode for the ancient gates that opened into

the mountain itself. Behind him, led by a

chain,Asterin’sbluemarefollowed.

Another trainer bringing back his mount

after a trip for some air. The few guards—

mortalmen—atthegatesbarelyblinkedashe

appearedaroundarockybend.

Dorian’s palms turned sweaty within his

gloves.Heprayedtheshiftingheld.

Hewouldhavenowayofknowing,though

he supposed few here would recognize his

natural face. He’d picked coloring close

enough to his own that should the tapestry

within himself unravel, someone might

dismissthealteringofhisskintone,hiseyes,

asatrickofthelight.

Narene huffed, yanking on the reins. Not

wantingtogonearthisplace.

He didn’t blame her. The reek from the

mountainsethiskneeswobbling.

But he’d spent years schooling his

expression against the headache-inducing

perfumes his mother’s courtiers wore. How

far away that world seemed—that palace of

perfumeandlaceandliltingmusic.Hadthey

notresistedErawan,wouldhehaveallowedit

to still exist? Had they bowedto him, would

Erawan have maintained his ruse as

Perringtonandruledasamortalking?

Dorian’slegsburned,thehoursofwalking

taking their toll. Manon and Asterin lurked

nearby,hiddeninthesnowandstone.Theyno

doubtmarkedhiseverymovewhileheinched

closertothegates.

His parting words with Manon had been

brief.Terse.

He’d dropped the two Wyrdkeys into her

awaitingpalm,theAmuletofOrynthclinking

faintly against her iron nails. Only a fool

would bring them into one of Erawan’s

strongholds. “They might not be your

priority,” Dorian said, “but they remain vital

tooursuccess.”

Manon’s eyes had narrowed as she

pocketed the keys, utterly unfazed at holding

in her jacket a power great enough to level

kingdoms.“YouthinkI’dtossthemawaylike

rubbish?”

Asterin suddenly found the snow to be in

needofhercarefulattention.

Dorian shrugged, and unbuckled Damaris,

theswordtoofineforamerewyverntrainer.

He passed it to Manon, too. An ordinary

dagger would be his only weapon—and the

magicinhisveins.“IfIdon’tcomeback,”he

said while she tied the ancient blade to her

belt, “the keys must go to Terrasen.” It was

the only place he could think of—even if

Aelinwasn’ttheretotakethem.

“You’ll come back,” Manon said. It

soundedlikemoreofathreatthananything.

Dorian smirked. “Would you missme if I

didn’t?”

Manon didn’t reply. He didn’t know why

heexpectedherto.

He’d taken all of a step, when Asterin

claspedhisshoulder.“Inandout,quickasyou

can,”shewarnedhim.“TakecareofNarene.”

Worry indeed shone in the Second’s gold-

fleckedblackeyes.

Dorianbowedhishead.“Withmylife,”he

promised as he approached her mount and

grasped the dangling reins. He didn’t fail to

miss the gratitude that softened Asterin’s

features. Or that Manon had already turned

awayfromhim.

Afooltostartdownthispathwithher.He

shouldhaveknownbetter.

The guards’ faces became clear. Dorian

embraced the portrait of a tired, bored

handler.

Hewaitedforthequestioning,butitnever

came.

They simply waved him through, equally

tiredandbored.Andcold.

Asterin had given him a layout of the

NorthernFangandtheOmegaacrossfromit,

so he knew to turn left upon entering the

toweringhallway.Wyvernbellowsandgrunts

sounded all around, and that rotting scent

stuffeditselfuphisnose.

But he found the stables precisely where

Asterin said they’d be, the blue mare patient

whilehelooselytiedherchainstotheanchor

inthewall.

Dorian left Narene with a soothing pat to

herneck,andwenttoseewhattheFerianGap

mightreveal.

The hours that passed were some of the

longestofManon’sexistence.

From anticipation, she told herself. Of

whatshehadtodo.

Abraxos, unsurprisingly, found them

within an hour, his reins sliced from the

struggle he’d no doubt waged and won with

Sorrel.Hewaited,however,beside Manonin

silence, wholly focused upon the gate where

DorianandNarenehadvanished.

Time dripped by. The king’s sword was a

constantweightatherside.

Shecursedherselfforneedingtoprove—to

him,toherself—thatsherefusedtolethimgo

into Morath for practical, ordinary reasons.

Erawanwasn’tattheFerianGap.It’dbesafer.

Somewhat. But if the Matrons were there

…

That was why he’d gone. To learn if they

were. To see if Petrah truly commanded the

host there, and how many Ironteeth were

present.

Hehadnotbeentrainedasaspy,buthe’d

grown up in a court where people wielded

smiles and clothes like weapons. He knew

howto blend in, how to listen.How to make

peopleseewhattheywishedtosee.

She’d sent Elide into the dungeons of

Morath,Darknessdamnher.SendingtheKing

of Adarlan into the Ferian Gap was no

different.

It didn’t stop her breath from escaping

whenAbraxosstiffened,scanningthesky.As

ifheheardsomethingtheycouldn’t.

And it was the joy that sparked in her

mount’seyesthattoldher.

Momentslater,Narenesailedtowardthem,

making a lazy path over the mountains, a

dark-haired,pale-skinnedrideratopher.He’d

truly been able to change parts of himself.

Hadmadehisfacenearlyunrecognizable.And

keptitthatway.

Asterin rushed toward the mare, and even

ManonblinkedasherSecondthrewherarms

aroundNarene’sneck.Holdinghertight.The

mare only leaned her head against Asterin’s

backandhuffed.

Dorianslidoffthemare,leavingthereins

dangling.

“Well?”Manondemanded.

His eyes—dark as a Valg’s—flashed. She

didn’t try to explain that her knees had been

shaking. Still buckled while she handed him

hissword,thenthetwokeys,hernailsgrazing

hisglovedhand.

Dorian’s eyes lightened to that crushing

sapphire, his skin becoming golden once

more.“TheMatronsarenotthere.OnlyPetrah

Blueblood,andaboutthreehundredIronteeth

from all three clans.” His mouth curved in a

cruel half smile, cold as the peaks around

them.Damning.“Thewayisclear,Majesty.”

The patrols at the Ferian Gap spotted them

milesaway.

The Thirteen were still allowed to land in

theOmega.

Manon had left Dorian in the small pass

where they’d gatheredthe Thirteen. If they

didnotreturnwithinaday,hewastodowhat

he wished. Go to Morath and Erawan’s

awaitingembrace,ifhewasthatreckless.

There had been no good-byes between

them.

Manonkeptherheartbeatsteadyasshesat

atopAbraxosjustinsidethecavernousmouth

leadingintotheOmega,awareofeveryenemy

eye on them, both at their front and back. “I

wish to speak to Petrah Blueblood,” she

declaredtothehall.

Ayoungvoiceanswered“Iassumedso.”

The Blueblood Heir appeared through the

nearest archway, an iron band on her brow,

bluerobesflowing.

Manon inclined her head. “Gather your

hostinthishall.”

Manonhadn’tdwelledlongonwhatshe’dsay.

AndasthethreehundredIronteethwitches

filed into the hall, some coming off their

patrols, Manon half wondered if she should

have.Theywatchedher,watchedtheThirteen,

withawarydisdain.

Their disgraced Wing Leader; their fallen

Heir.

When all were gathered, Petrah, still

standing in the doorway where she’d

appeared, merely said, “My life debt for an

audience,Blackbeak.”

Manon swallowed, her tongue as dry as

paper. Seated atop Abraxos, she could see

every shifting movement in the crowd, the

wideeyesorhandsgrippingswords.

“IwillnottellyoutheparticularsofwhoI

am,”Manonsaidatlast.“ForIthinkyouhave

alreadyheardthem.”

“Crochanbitch,”someonespat.

Manon set her eyes on the Blackbeaks,

stone-faced where the others bristled with

hatred. It was for them she spoke, for them

shehadcomehere.

“All my life,” Manon said, her voice

wavering only slightly, “I have been fed a

lie.”

“We don’t have to listen to this  trash,”

anothersentinelspat.

Asterin snarled at Manon’s side, and the

othersfellsilent.Evendisgraced,theThirteen

weredeadly.

Manonwenton,“Alie,aboutwhoweare,

whatweare.Thatwearemonsters,andproud

tobe.”Sheranafingeroverthescrapofred

fabric binding her braid. “But we weremade

into them. Made,” she repeated. “When we

mightbesomuchmore.”

Silencefell.

Manontookthatasencouragementenough.

“My grandmother does not plan to only

reclaimtheWasteswhenthiswarisdone.She

planstoruletheWastesasHighQueen.Your

onlyqueen.”

A murmur at that. At the words, at the

betrayal Manon made in revealing her

Matron’sprivateplans.

“There will be no Bluebloods, or

Yellowlegs,notasyouarenow.Sheplansto

taketheweaponsyouhavebuilthere,plansto

use our Blackbeak riders, andmake you into

our subjects.And if you do not bend to her,

youwillnotexistatall.”

Manontookabreath.Another.

“We have known only bloodshed and

violenceforfivehundredyears.Wewillknow

itforanotherfivehundredyet.”

“Liar,” someone shouted. “We fly to

glory.”

ButAsterinmoved,unbuttoningherleather

jacket,thenhoistingupherwhiteshirt.Rising

in the stirrups to bare her scarred, brutalized

abdomen.“Shedoesnotlie.”

UNCLEAN

There,thewordremainedstamped.Would

alwaysbestamped.

“How many of you,” Asterin called out,

“have been similarly branded? By your

Matron,byyourcovenleader?How many of

youhavehadyourstillbornwitchlingsburned

beforeyoumightholdthem?”

The silence that fell now was different

frombefore.Shaking—shuddering.

ManonglancedattheThirteentofindtears

inGhislaine’seyesasshetookinthebrandon

Asterin’s womb. Tears in the eyes of all of

them,whohadnotknown.

And it was for those tears, which Manon

hadneverseen,thatshefacedthehostagain.

“Youwillbekilledinthiswar,orafterit.And

youwillneverseeourhomelandagain.”

“What is it that you want, Blackbeak?”

Petrahaskedfromthearchway.

“Ridewithus,”Manonbreathed.“Flywith

us. Against Morath. Against the people who

would keep you from your homeland, your

future.” Murmuring broke out again. Manon

pushed ahead, “An Ironteeth-Crochan

alliance. Perhaps one to break our curse at

last.”

Again, that shuddering silence. Like a

stormabouttobreak.

Asterinsatbackinthesaddle,butkepther

shirtopen.

“The choice of how our people’s future

shallbeshapedisyours,”Manontoldeachof

the witches assembled, all the Blackbeaks

whomightflytowarandneverreturn.“ButI

will tell you this.” Her hands shook, and she

fisted them on her thighs. “There is a better

worldoutthere.AndIhaveseenit.”

EventheThirteenlookedtowardhernow.

“I have seen witch and human and Fae

dwell together in peace. And it is not a

weaknesstodoso,butastrength.Ihavemet

kings and queens whose love for their

kingdoms, their peoples, is so great that the

selfissecondary.Whoselovefortheirpeople

is so strong that even in the face of

unthinkableodds,theydotheimpossible.”

Manonliftedherchin.“Youaremypeople.

Whethermygrandmotherdecreesitsoornot,

youaremypeople,andalwayswillbe.ButI

willflyagainstyou,ifneedbe,toensurethat

thereisafutureforthosewhocannotfightfor

itthemselves.Toolonghavewepreyedonthe

weak, relished doing so. It is time that we

became better than our foremothers.” The

wordsshehadgiventheThirteenmonthsago.

“There is a better world out there,” she said

again. “And I will fight for it.” She turned

Abraxos away, toward the plunge behind

them.“Willyou?”

Manon nodded to Petrah. Eyes bright, the

Heir only nodded back. They would be

permitted to leave as they had arrived:

unharmed.

SoManon nudgedAbraxos, and he leaped

intothesky,theThirteenfollowingsuit.

Notachildofwar.

Butofpeace.



CHAPTER44

“HowshallIcarveyouuptoday,Aelin?”

Cairn’swordswereapushofhotbreathat

her ear as his knife scraped down her bare

thigh.

No.No,itcouldn’thavebeenadream.

Theescape,Rowan,theshiptoTerrasen—

Cairn dug the tip of his dagger into the

fleshaboveherknee,andshegrittedherteeth

as blood swelled and spilled. As he began

twisting the blade, a little deeper with each

rotation.

He had done it so many times now. All

overherbody.

He would only stop when he hit bone.

Whenshewasscreamingandscreaming.

A dream. An illusion. Her escape from

him,fromMaeve,hadbeenanotherillusion.

Had she said it? Had she said where the

keyswerehidden?

Shecouldn’tstopthesobthatrippedfrom

her.

Then a cool, cultured voice purred, “All

that training, and this is what becomes of

you?”

Not real. Arobynn, standing on the other

side of the altar, was not real. Even if he

looked it, his red hair shining, his clothes

impeccable.

Her former master gave her a half smile.

“EvenSamheldoutbetterthanthis.”

Cairn twisted the knife again, slicing

through muscle. She arched, her scream

ringing in her ears. From far away, Fenrys

snarled.

“Youcouldgetoutof these chains,if you

really wanted,” Arobynn said, frowning with

distaste.“Ifyoureallytried.”

No,she couldn’t,andeverythinghadbeen

adream,alie—

“Youlet yourself remaincaptive. Because

the moment you are free …” Arobynn

chuckled.“Thenyoumustofferyourselfup,a

lambtoslaughter.”

She clawed and thrashed against the

shredding in her leg, not hearing Cairn as he

sneered. Only hearing the King of the

Assassins,unseenandunnotedbesideher.

“Deepdown,you’rehopingyou’ll behere

long enough that the young King ofAdarlan

will pay the price. Deep down, you know

you’re hiding here, waiting for him to clear

thepath.”Arobynnleanedagainstthesideof

the altar, cleaning his nails with a dagger.

“Deepdown,youknowit’snotreallyfair,that

thosegodspickedyou.ThatElenapickedyou

instead of him. She bought you time to live,

yes,butyouwerestillchosentopaytheprice.

Herprice.Andthegods’.”

Arobynnranalong-fingeredhanddownthe

side of her face. “Do you see what I tried to

spare you from all these years? What you

might have avoided had you remained

Celaena,remainedwithme?”Hesmiled.“Do

yousee,Aelin?”

Shecouldnotanswer.Hadnovoice.

Cairnhitbone,and—

Aelin lunged upward, hands grasping for her

thigh.

No chains weighed her. No mask

smotheredher.

Nodaggerhadbeentwistedintoherbody.

Breathing hard, the scent of musty sheets

clinging to her nose, the sounds of her

screamingreplacedbythedrowsychirpingof

birds,Aelinscrubbedatherface.

The prince who’d fallen asleep beside her

wasalreadyrunningahanddownherbackin

silent,soothingstrokes.

Beyond the small window of the

ramshackle inn somewhere near Fenharrow

and Adarlan’s border, thick veils of mist

drifted.

Adream.Justadream.

She twisted, setting her feet to the

threadbarecarpetontheunevenwoodfloor.

“Dawnisn’tforanotherhour,”Rowansaid.

Yet Aelin reached for her shirt. “I’ll get

warmedup,then.”Mayberun,asshehadnot

beenabletodoinweeksandweeks.

Rowan sat up, missing nothing. “Training

can wait, Aelin.” They’d been doing it for

weeksnow,asthoroughandgruelingasithad

beenatMistward.

She shoved her legs into her pants, then

buckledonherswordbelt.“No,itcan’t.”

Aelin dodged to the side, Rowan’s blade

sailing past her head, snipping a few strands

fromtheendofherbraid.

She blinked, breathing hard, and barely

brought Goldryn upin time to parry hisnext

attack. Metal reverberated through the

stingingblisterscoatingherhands.

Newblisters—foranewbody.Threeweeks

at sea, and her calluses had barely formed

again. Every day, hours spent training at

swordplay and archery and combat, and her

handswerestillsoft.

Grunting, Aelin crouched low, thighs

burningasshepreparedtospring.

ButRowanhaltedinthedustycourtyardof

theinn,hishatchetandsworddroppingtohis

sides.Inthefirstlightofdawn,theinncould

havepassedforpleasant,theseabreezefrom

thenearbycoastdriftingthroughthelingering

leavesonthehunchedappletreeinthecenter

ofthespace.

A gathering storm to the north had forced

theirshiptofindharborlastnight—andafter

weeks at sea, none of them had hesitated to

spend a few hours on land. To learn what in

hellhadhappenedwhilethey’dbeengone.

Theanswer:war.

Everywhere, war raged. Butwhere the

fighting occurred, the aging innkeeper didn’t

know.Boatsdidn’tstopattheportanymore—

and the great warships just sailed past.

Whethertheywereenemyorfriendly,healso

didn’t know. Knew absolutely nothing, it

seemed.Includinghowtocook.Andcleanhis

inn.

They’dneedtobebackontheseaswithina

dayortwo,iftheyweretomakeittoTerrasen

quickly. There were too many storms in the

North to have risked crossing directly there,

their captain had said. This time of year, it

wassaferto makeittothecontinent’scoast,

then sail up it. Even if that command and

those very storms had landed them here:

somewherebetweenFenharrowandAdarlan’s

border.WithRiftholdafewdaysahead.

WhenRowandidn’tresumetheirsparring,

Aelinscowled.“What.”

It wasn’t so much of a question as a

demand.

His gaze was unfaltering. As it had been

whenshe’dreturnedfromherrunthroughthe

misty fields beyond the inn and found him

leaningagainsttheappletree.“That’senough

fortoday.”

“We’ve hardly started.” She lifted her

blade.

Rowankepthisownlowered.“Youbarely

sleptlastnight.”

Aelin tensed. “Bad dreams.” An

understatement.Sheliftedherchinandthrew

himagrin.“PerhapsI’mstartingtowearyou

downabit.”

Despite the blisters, she’d gained back

weight, at least. Had watchedher arms go

fromthintocutwithmuscle,herthighsfrom

reedstosleekandpowerful.

Rowan didn’t return her smile. “Let’s eat

breakfast.”

“After that dinner last night, I’m in no

hurry.”Shedidn’tgivehimablinkofwarning

before she launched herself at him, swiping

highwithGoldryn andstabbinglowwithher

dagger.

Rowan met her attack, easily deflecting.

Theyclashed,brokeapart,andclashedagain.

Hiscaninesgleamed.“Youneedtoeat.”

“Ineedtotrain.”

She couldn’t stop it—that need to do

something.Tobeinmotion.

Nomatterhowmanytimessheswungher

blade,shecouldfeelthem.Theshackles.And

whenevershepausedtorest,shecouldfeelit,

too—hermagic.Waiting.

Indeed,itseemedtoopenaneyeandyawn.

Sheclenchedherjaw,andattackedagain.

Rowan met each blow, and she knew her

maneuvers were descending into sloppiness.

Knew he let her continue rather than seizing

themanyopeningstoendit.

Shecouldn’tstop.Warragedaroundthem.

People were dying.And she had been locked

in that damned box, had been taken apart

againandagain,unabletodoanything—

Rowanstruck,sofastshecouldn’ttrackit.

Butitwasthefootheslidbeforeherownthat

doomed her, sending her careening into the

dirt.

Her knees barked, skinning beneath her

pants,andherdaggerscatteredfromherhand.

“Iwin,”hepanted.“Let’seat.”

Aelinglaredupathim.“Anotherround.”

Rowan just sheathed his sword. “After

breakfast.”

Shegrowled.Hegrowledrightback.

“Don’tbestupid,”hesaid.“You’llloseall

that muscle if you don’t feed your body. So

eat.And if you still want to train afterward,

I’ll trainwithyou.”Heofferedheratattooed

hand. “Though you’ll likely hurl your guts

up.”

Either from the exertion or from the

innkeeper’ssuspectcooking.

But Aelin said, “People are dying. In

Terrasen. In—everywhere. People are dying,

Rowan.”

“Your eating breakfast isn’t going to

changethat.”Herlipscurledinasnarl,buthe

cutheroff.“Iknowpeoplearedying.Weare

going to help them. Butyou need to have

somestrengthleft,oryouwon’tbeableto.”

Truth. Her mate spoke truth. And yet she

could see them, hear them. Those dying,

frightenedpeople.

Whose screams so often sounded like her

own.

Rowan wriggled his fingers in silent

reminder.Shallwe?

Aelin scowled and took his hand, letting

himhaulhertoherfeet.Sopushy.

Rowan slid an arm around her shoulders.

That’s the most polite thing you’ve ever said

aboutme.

Elide tried not to wince at the grayish gruel

steaming in front of her. Especially with the

innkeeper watchingfromthe shadows behind

his taproom bar. Seated at one of the small,

roundtables thatfilledtheworn space, Elide

caughtGavriel’seyefromwherehepushedat

hisownbowl.

Gavriel raised the spoon to his mouth.

Slowly.

Elide’s eyes widened. Widened further as

heopenedhismouth,andtookabite.

Hisswallowwasaudible.Hiscringebarely

contained.

Elidereinedinhersmileatthepuremisery

thatenteredtheLion’stawnystare.Aelinand

Rowan hadbeen finishingupa similarbattle

whenshe’denteredthetaproomminutesago,

the queen wishing her luck before striding

backintothecourtyard.

Elide hadn’t seen her sit still for longer

thanittooktoeatameal.Orduringthehours

when she’d instructed them in Wyrdmarks,

afterRowanhadrequestedsheteachthem.

It had gotten her out of the chains, the

prince had explained. And if the ilken were

resistant to their magic, then learning the

ancient marks would come in handy with all

they faced ahead. The battles both physical

andmagic.

Such strange, difficult markings. Elide

couldn’t read her own language, hadn’t tried

to in ages. Didn’t suppose she’d be granted

the opportunity anytime soon. But learning

these marks, if it helped her companions in

anyway…shecouldtry.Hadtried,enoughto

knowafewofthemnow.

Gavriel dared another mouthful of the

porridge,offeringtheinnkeeperatightsmile.

ThemanlookedsorelievedthatElidepicked

up her own spoon and choked down a bite.

Bland and a bit sour—had he put salt in it,

ratherthansugar?—but…itwashot.

Gavriel met her stare, and Elide again

restrainedherlaugh.

Shefelt,ratherthansaw,Lorcanenter.The

innkeeper instantly found somewhere else to

be.Themanhadn’tbeensurprisedtoseefive

Fae enter his inn last night, so his vanishing

whenever Lorcan appeared was certainly due

totheglowerthemalehadperfected.

Indeed,Lorcantookonelook atElideand

Gavrielandleftthediningroom.

They’d barely spoken these weeks. Elide

hadn’tknownwhattoevensay.

Amemberofthiscourt.Hercourt.Forever.

He and Aelin certainly hadn’t warmed

toward each other. No, only Rowan and

Gavriel really spoke to him. Fenrys, despite

hispromisetoAelinnottofightwithLorcan,

ignored him most of the time.And Elide …

She’d made herself scarce often enough that

Lorcanhadn’tbotheredtoapproachher.

Good.Itwasgood.Evenifshesometimes

found herself opening her mouth to speak to

him. Watching him as he listened toAelin’s

lessons on the Wyrdmarks. Or while he

trained with the queen, the rare moments

whenthetwoofthemweren’tateachother’s

throats.

Aelin had been returned to them. Was

recoveringasbestshecould.

Elidedidn’ttastehernextbiteofporridge.

Gavriel,thankfully,saidnothing.

And Anneith didn’t speak, either. Not a

whisperofguidance.

Itwasbetterthatway.Tolistentoherself.

BetterthatLorcankepthisdistance,too.

Elideatetherestofherporridgeinsilence.

Rowan was right: she nearly vomited after

breakfast. Five minutes in the courtyard and

she’d had to stop, thatmiserable gruel rising

inherthroat.

Rowanhadchuckledwhenshe’dclappeda

handoverhermouth.Andthenshiftedintohis

hawk form to sail for the nearby coast and

their awaiting ship, to check in with its

captain.

Rolling her shoulders, she’d watched him

vanish into the clouds. He was right, of

course.Aboutlettingherselfrest.

Whether the others knew what propelled

her,theyhadn’tsaidaword.

Aelin sheathed Goldryn and loosed a long

breath.Deepdown,herpowergrumbled.

Sheflexedherfingers.

Maeve’scold,palefaceflashedbeforeher

eyes.

Hermagicwentsilent.

Blowing out another shuddering breath,

shaking the tremor from her hands, Aelin

aimedfortheinn’sopengates.Along,dusty

roadstretchedahead,thefieldsbeyondbarren.

Unimpressive, forgotten land. She’d barely

glimpsedanythingonherrunatdawnbeyond

mistandafewsparrowsbobbingamongstthe

winter-drygrasses.

Fenrys satinwolf formatthe edge ofthe

nearest field, staring out across the expanse.

Preciselywherehe’dbeenbeforedawn.

She let him hear her steps, his ears

twitching. He shifted as she approached, and

leaned against the half-rotted fence

surroundingthefield.

“Who’d you piss off to get the graveyard

shift?”Aelinasked,wipingthesweatfromher

brow.

Fenrys snorted andranahand throughhis

hair. “Would you believe I volunteered for

it?”

Shearchedabrow.Heshrugged,watching

the field again, the mists still clinging to its

farthest reaches. “I don’t sleep well these

days.” He cut her a sidelong glance. “I don’t

supposeI’mtheonlyone.”

Shepickedattheblisteronherrighthand,

hissing.“Wecouldstartasecretsociety—for

peoplewhodon’tsleepwell.”

“AslongasLorcanisn’tinvited,I’min.”

Aelinhuffedalaugh.“Letitgo.”

Hisfaceturnedstony.“IsaidIwould.”

“Youclearlyhaven’t.”

“I’ll let it go when you stop running

yourselfraggedatdawn.”

“I’mnotrunningmyselfragged.Rowanis

overseeingit.”

“Rowan is the only reason you’re not

limpingeverywhere.”

Truth. Aelin curled her aching hands into

fists and slid them into her pockets. Fenrys

saidnothing—didn’taskwhyshedidn’twarm

herfingers.Ortheairaroundthem.

He just turned to her and blinked three

times.Areyouallright?

A gull’s  cry pierced the gray world, and

Aelinblinkedbacktwice.No.

Itwasasmuchasshe’dadmit.Sheblinked

again,thricenow.Areyouallright?

Twoblinksfromhim,too.

No, they were not all right. They might

neverbe.Iftheothersknew,iftheysawpast

theswaggerandtemper,theydidn’tleton.

None of them commented that Fenrys

hadn’t once used his magic to leap between

places. Not that there was anywhere to go in

the middle of the sea. But even when they

sparred,hedidn’twieldit.

Perhaps it had died with Connall. Perhaps

it had been a gift they had both shared, and

touchingitwasunbearable.

She didn’t dare peer inward, to the

churningseainsideher.Couldn’t.

AelinandFenrysstoodbythefieldas the

sunarcedhigher,burningoffthemists.

Afteralongminute,sheasked,“Whenyou

took the oath to Maeve, what did her blood

tastelike?”

His golden brows narrowed. “Like blood.

Andpower.Why?”

Aelin shook her head. Another dream, or

hallucination.“Ifshe’sonourheelswiththis

army,I’mjust…tryingtounderstandit.Her,

Imean.”

“Youplantokillher.”

The gruel in her stomach turned over, but

Aelinshrugged.Evenasshetastedashonher

tongue.“Wouldyouprefertodoit?”

“I’m not sure I’d survive it,” he said

through his teeth. “And you have more of a

reasontoclaimitthanIdo.”

“I’dsaywehaveanequalclaim.”

Hisdarkeyesrovedoverherface.“Connall

was a better male than—than how you saw

himthattime.Thanwhathewasintheend.”

She gripped his hand and squeezed. “I

know.”

The last of the mists vanished. Fenrys

asked quietly, “Do you want me to tell you

aboutit?”

Hedidn’tmeanhisbrother.

Sheshookherhead.“Iknowenough.”She

surveyed her cold, blistered hands. “I know

enough,”sherepeated.

Hestiffened,ahandgoingtotheswordat

hisside.Notatherwords,but—

Rowan dove from the skies, a full-out

plunge.

He shifted a few feet from the ground,

landing with a predator’s grace as he ran the

laststepstowardthem.

Goldryn sang as she unsheathed it.

“What?”

Hermatejustpointedtotheskies.

Towhatflewthere.



CHAPTER45

Rockroaredagainstrock,andYrenebraceda

hand on the shuddering stones of Westfall

Keepasthetowerswayed.Downthehallway,

peoplescreamed,somewailing,somelunging

overfamilymemberstocoverthemwiththeir

bodieswhiledebrisrained.

Dawnhadbarelybroken,andthebattlewas

alreadyraging.

Yrenepressedherselfintothestones,heart

hammering, counting the breaths until the

shakingstopped.Thelastassault,ithadbeen

six.

Shegottothree,mercifully.

Fivedaysofthis.Fivedaysofthisendless

nightmare,withonlytheblackesthoursofthe

nightofferingreprieve.

ShehadbarelyseenChaolformorethana

passingkissandembrace.Thefirsttime,he’d

been sporting a wound to the temple that

she’d healed away. The next, he’d been

leaning heavily on his cane, covered in dirt

andblood,muchofitnothisown.

It was the black blood that had made her

stomach turn. Valg. Therewere Valg out

there. Infesting human hosts. Too many for

hertocure.No,thatpartwouldcomeafterthe

battle.Iftheysurvived.

Soon, too soon, the injured and dying had

begunpouringin.Eretiahadorganizedasick

bay in the great hall, and it was there that

Yrene had spent most of her time. Where

she’d been headed, after managing a few

hoursofdreamlesssleep.

The tower steadied itself, and Yrene

announced to no one in particular, “The ruks

arestillholdingoffthetide.Morathonlyfires

the catapults because they cannot breach the

keepwalls.”

It was only partially true, but the families

crouched in the hall, their bedrolls and

preciousfewbelongingswiththem,seemedto

settle.

Theruks had indeed disabledmany of the

catapults that Morath had hauled here, but a

few remained—just enough to hammer the

keep,thecity.Andwhiletheruksmighthave

beenholdingoffthetide,itwouldnotbefor

long.

Yrene didn’twanttoknow how many had

fallen. She only saw the number of riders in

thegreathallandknewitwouldbetoomany.

Eretiahadorderedtheinjuredrukstotakeup

residence in one of the interior courtyards,

assigning five healers to oversee them, and

the space was so full youcould barely move

throughit.

Yrene hurried onward, mindful of the

debris scattered on the tower stair. She’d

nearlysnappedherneckyesterdayslippingon

apieceoffallenwood.

Thegroansoftheinjuredreachedherlong

before she entered the great hall, the doors

flungopentorevealrowafterrowofsoldiers,

from the khaganate and Anielle alike. The

healers didn’t have cots for all, so many had

beenlaidonbedrolls.Whenthosehadrunout,

cloaksandblanketspiledovercoldstonehad

beenused.

Notenough—notenoughsupplies,andnot

enough healers. They should have brought

morefromtherestofthehost.

Yrenerolleduphersleeves,aimingforthe

wash station near the doors.Several of the

childrenwhosefamiliesshelteredinthekeep

had taken up the task of emptying dirty tubs

and filling them with hot water every few

minutes. Along with the basins by the

wounded.

Yrene had balked to let children witness

suchbloodshedandpain,buttherewasnoone

elsetodoit.Nooneelsesoeagertohelp.

Anielle’s lord might have been a grand

bastard, but its people were a brave, noble-

hearted group. One that had left more of a

markonherhusbandthanhishatefulfather.

Yrene scrubbed her hands, though she’d

washed them before coming down here, and

shook them dry. They couldn’t waste their

preciousfewclothsondryingtheirhands.

Her magic had barely refilled, despite the

sleep she’d gotten. She knew that if she

looked to the battlements, she’d spy Chaol

using his cane, perhaps even atop the battle-

horsethey’doutfittedwithhisbrace.Hislimp

hadbeendeepwhenshe’dlastseenhim,just

yesterdayafternoon.

He hadn’t complained, though—hadn’t

asked her to stop expending her power. He’d

fight whether he was standing or using the

caneorthechairorahorse.

Eretia met Yrene halfway across the hall

floor, her dark skin shining with sweat.

“They’rebringinginarider.Herthroat’sbeen

slashedbytalons,butshe’sstillbreathing.”

Yrene suppressed her shudder. “Poison on

the talons?” So many of the Valg beasts

possessedit.

“Thescoutwho flewbytowarnus ofher

arrivalwasn’tsure.”

Yrene pulled her tool kit from the satchel

at her hip, scanning the hall for a place to

work on the incoming rider. Not much room

—but there, by the washbasins where she’d

just cleaned her hands. Enough space. “I’ll

meetthematthedoors.”Yrenemadetohurry

forthegapingentryway.

ButEretiagrippedYrene’supperarm,her

thin fingers digging gently into her skin.

“You’verestedenough?”

“Have you?” Yrene shot back. Eretia had

stillbeenherewhenYrenehadtrudgedtobed

hours ago, and it seemed Eretia had either

arrived well before Yrene this morning, or

hadn’tleftatall.

Eretia’s brown eyes narrowed. “I am not

theonewhoneedstobecarefulofhowmuchI

pushmyself.”

YreneknewEretiadidn’tmeaninregardto

Chaolandthelinkbetweentheirbodies.

“Iknowmylimits,”Yrenesaidstiffly.

Eretia gave a knowing look to Yrene’s

still-flatabdomen.“Manywouldnotriskitat

all.”

Yrenepaused.“Isthereathreat?”

“No, but any pregnancy, especially in the

early months, is draining. That’s without the

horrors of war, or using your magic to the

brinkeveryday.”

For aheartbeat,Yrenelet the words settle

in.“Howlonghaveyouknown?”

“A few weeks. My magic sensed it on

you.”

Yreneswallowed.“Ihaven’ttoldChaol.”

“I’d think if there were ever a time to do

so,” the healer said, gesturing to the

shuddering keep around them, “it would be

now.”

Yreneknewthat.She’dbeentryingtofind

awaytotellhimforawhile.Butplacingthat

burden on him, that worry for her safety and

the safety of the life growing in her … She

hadn’t wanted to distract him. To add to the

fear she already knew he fought against, just

inhavingherhere,fightingbesidehim.

And for Chaol to know that if he fell, it

wouldnotbeherlifealonethatnowended…

Shecouldn’tbringherselftotellhim.Notyet.

Perhapsitmadeherselfish,perhapsstupid,

but she couldn’t. Even if the moment she’d

realized it in the ship’s bathing chamber,

whenhercyclestillhadnotcomeandshehad

begun counting the days, she had wept with

joy.Andthenrealizedwhat,exactly,carrying

achildduringwarwouldentail.Thatthiswar

mightverywellbestillraging,orinitsfinal,

horribledays,whenshegavebirth.

Yrenehaddecidedthatshe’ddoeverything

inherpowertomakesureitdidnotendwith

herchildbeingbornintoaworldofdarkness.

“I’lltellhimwhenthetimeisright,”Yrene

saidashadesharply.

From the open hall doors, shouts rose to

“Clear the way! Clear the way for the

injured!”

Eretia frowned, but rushed with Yrene to

meet the townsfolk bearing an already-

bloodiedstretcherandthenear-deadrukrider

atopit.

The horse beneath Chaol shifted but stayed

firm where they stood along the lower

battlements of the keep walls. Not as fine a

horse as Farasha, but solid enough. A

braveheartedbeastwhohadtaken welltohis

brace-equipped saddle, which was all he’d

askedfor.

Walking, Chaol knew, would not be an

optionwhenhedismounted.Thestraininhis

spinetoldhimenoughabouthowhardYrene

wasalreadyworking,thesunbarelyrisen.But

he could fight just as well from horseback—

couldleadthesesoldiersallthesame.

Ahead,stretchingtoofarforhimtocount,

Erawan’s army launched at the city for

anotherdayofall-outassaultonthewalls.

The ruks soared, dodging arrows and

spears,snatchingsoldiersfromthegroundand

pullingthemapart.Atopthebirds,therukhin

unleashedtheirowntorrentoffuryincareful,

cleverpassesorganizedbySartaqandNesryn.

But after five days, even the mighty ruks

wereslowing.

AndMorath’ssiegetowers,whichtheyhad

onceeasilyshatteredintoscrapsofmetaland

wood, were now making their way to the

walls.

“Readythemenforimpact,”Chaolordered

the grim-faced captain standing nearby. The

captain shouted the command down thelines

Chaolhadgatheredjustbeforedawn.

A few bands of Morath soldiers had

managedtogetgrapplinghooksintothewalls

thesepasttwodays,hoistingupsiegeladders

and droves of soldiers with them. Chaol had

cut them down, and though the warriorsof

Anielle had been unsure what to do with the

demon-infested men who came to slay them,

they’dobeyedhisbarkedcommands.Quickly

staunchedtheflowofsoldiersoverthewalls,

severingthetiesthatheldtheladderstothem.

But the siege towers that approached …

those would not be so easily dislodged. And

neither would the soldiers who crossed the

metal bridge that would span the tower and

thekeepwalls.

Behind him, levels up, he knew his father

watched. Had already signaled through the

lantern system Sartaq had demonstrated how

to use that they needed ruks to fly back—to

knockthetowersdown.

Buttheruksweremakingapassatthefar

rearofMorath’sarmy,wherethecommanders

had kept the Valg lines in order. It had been

Nesryn’sidealastnight:tostopgoingforthe

endlessfrontlinesandinsteadtakeoutthose

who ordered them. Try to sow chaos and

disarray.

The first siege tower neared, metal

groaning as wyverns—chained to the ground

andwingsclipped—hauleditcloser.Soldiers

already lined up behind it in twin columns,

readytostormupward.

Todaywouldhurt.

Chaol’s horse shifted beneath him again,

and he patted agauntlet-covered hand on the

stallion’sarmoredneck.Thethudofmetalon

metal was swallowed by the din. “Patience,

friend.”

Far out, past the reach of the archers, the

catapult was reloading. They’d launched a

boulder only thirty minutes ago, and Chaol

had ducked beneath an archway, praying the

towerbaseitstruckdidnotcollapse.

PrayingYrenewasn’tnearit.

He’d barely seen her during these days of

bloodshed and exhaustion. Hadn’t had a

chance to tell her what he knew. To tell her

whatwasinhisheart.He’dsettledforadeep

but brief kiss, and then rushed to whatever

partofthebattlementshe’dbeenneededat.

Chaoldrewhissword,thefreshlypolished

metal whining as it came free of the sheath.

Thefingersofhisotherhandtightenedaround

thehandlesofhisshield.Arukrider’sshield,

light and meant for swiftcombat. The brace

that held him in the saddle remained steady,

itsbucklessecure.

The soldiers lining the battlements stirred

atthenearingsiegetower.Thehorrorsinside.

“They were once men,” Chaol called, his

voice carrying over the clamor of the battle

beyondthekeepwalls,“theycanstilldielike

them.”

Afewswordsstoppedquivering.

“You are people of Anielle,” Chaol went

on, hefting his shield and angling his sword.

“Let’sshowthemwhatthatmeans.”

The siege tower slammed into the side of

the keep, and the metal bridge at its

uppermost level snapped down, crushing the

battlementparapetsbeneath.

Chaol’sfocuswentcoldandcalculating.

His wife was in the keep behind him.

Pregnantwiththeirchild.

Hewouldnotfailher.

Asiegetowerhadreachedthekeepwalls,and

now unloaded soldier after soldier right into

theancientcastle.

Despitethedistance,Nesryncouldseethe

chaosonthebattlements.Justbarelymakeout

Chaolatophisgrayhorse,fightinginthethick

ofit.

Soaring over the army hurling arrows and

spears at them, Nesryn banked left, the ruks

behindherfollowingsuit.

Across the battlefield, Borte and Yeran,

leading another faction of rukhin, banked

right,thetwogroupsofrukhinamirrorimage

swooping toward each other, then back to

plowthroughtherearlines.

Just as Sartaq, leading a third group,

slammedfromtheotherdirection.

They’d taken out two commanders, but

three more remained. Not princes, thank the

godshereandthethirty-sixinthekhaganate,

but Valg all the same. Black blood coated

Salkhi’sarmoredfeathers,coatedeveryrukin

theskies.

She’d spent hours cleaning it off Salkhi

last night.All the rukhin had, not willing to

risk the old blood interfering with how their

featherscaughtthewind.

Nesryn nocked an arrow and picked her

target.Again.

TheValgcommanderhadevaded her shot

thelasttime.Buthewouldnotnow.

Salkhisweptlow,takingarrowafterarrow

against his breastplate, in his thick feathers

andskin.Nesrynhadalmostvomitedthefirst

timeanarrowhadfounditsmarkdaysago.A

lifetime ago. She now also spent hours

pickingthemfromhisbodyeachnight—asif

theywerethornsfromapricklyplant.

Sartaqhadspentthattimegoingfromfire

to fire, comforting those whose mounts were

not so fortunate. Or soothing the ruks whose

ridershadn’tlastedtheday.Already,awagon

had been piled high with theirsulde—

awaitingthefinaljourneyhometobeplanted

onArundin’sbarrenslopes.

When Salkhi came close enough to rip

several Valg off their horses and shred them

apart in his talons, Nesryn fired at the

commander.

Shedidn’tseeiftheshotlanded.

Notasahorncutthroughthedin.

A cry rose from the rukhin, all glancing

eastward.Towardthesea.

To where the Darghan cavalry and foot

soldiers charged for the unprotected eastern

flank of Morath’s army, Hasar  atop her

Muniqi horse, leading the khagan’s host

herself.

Two armies clashed on the plain outside an

ancientcity,onedarkandonegolden.

They fought, brutal and bloody, for the

longhoursofthegrayday.

Morath’sarmiesdidn’tbreak,though.And

nomatterhowNesrynand therukhin, led by

SartaqandHasar’sorders,ralliedbehindtheir

freshtroops,theValgkeptfighting.

And still Morath’s host lay between the

khagan’sarmyandthebesiegedcity,anocean

ofdarkness.

When night fell, too black for even the

Valg to fight, the khagan’sarmy pulled back

toassess.Toreadyfortheattackatdawn.

NesrynflewYreneandChaol,bloodiedand

exhausted,downfromtheagain-securedkeep

walls, so they might join in the war council

between the khagan’s royal children. All

around, soldiers groaned and screamed in

agony,healersledbyHafizaherselfrushingto

tendthembeforethenightgavewaytomore

fighting.

But when they reached Princess Hasar’s

battletent,whentheyhadallgatheredaround

amapofAnielle,theyhadonlyafewminutes

ofdiscussionbeforetheywereinterrupted.

BythepersonChaolleastexpectedtowalk

throughtheflaps.



CHAPTER46

Perranth appeared on the horizon, the dark-

stonedcitynestledbetweenacobaltlakeand

a small mountain range that also bore its

name.

Thecastlehadbeenbuiltalongatowering

mountainborderingthecity,itsnarrowtowers

tallenoughtorivalthoseinOrynth.Thegreat

city walls had been torn down by Adarlan’s

army and never restored, the buildings along

itsedgesnowspilling onto the fields beyond

theiced-overLanisRiverthatflowedbetween

thelakeandthedistantsea.

ItwasonthosefieldsthatAediondeemed

they’dmaketheirstand.

Theice held as they crossed the river and

organizedtheirreducedlinesoncemore.

The Whitethorn royals and their warriors

were nearly burnt out, their magic a mere

breeze. But they’d kept Morath a day behind

withtheirshields.

Adaythearmyusedtorest,hewingwood

from whatever trees, barns, or abandoned

farmsteadstheycouldfindtofueltheirfires.

AdaywhenAedionhadorderedNoxOwento

go as his emissary into Perranth, thethief’s

home city, and see if men and women from

the city might come to fill their depleted

ranks.

Not many. Nox returned with a few

hundred even-less-trained warriors. No

magic-wielders.

Buttheydidhavesomeweapons,mostold

and rusted. Fresh arrows, at least. Vernon

Lochan had seen to it that his people had

remained unarmed, fearing their uprising

shouldtheylearnthetrueHeirtoPerranthhad

been held captive in the highest tower of the

castle.

But the people of Perranth already had

enoughoftheirpuppetlord,itseemed.

Andatleasttheyhadblanketsandfoodto

spare. Wagons hauled them in hourly, along

with healers—none magically gifted—to

patch up the wounded. Those who were too

injured to fight were sent on the supply

wagons to the city, some piled atop one

another.

Butawarmblanketandhotmealwouldnot

addtotheirnumbers.OrkeepMorathatbay.

So Aedion planned, keeping his Bane

commanders close. They would make this

count. Every inch of terrain, every weapon

andsoldier.

He didn’t see Lysandra.Aelin made no

appearances,either.

The queen had abandoned them, the

soldiersmuttered.

Aedion made sure to shut down the talk.

Had snarled that the queen had her own

missiontosavetheirasses,andifshewanted

Erawan to know about it, she would have

announced it to them all, since they were so

inclinedtogossip.

Iteasedthediscontent—barely.

Aelinhadnotdefendedthemwithherfire,

hadleftthemtobebutchered.

Some part of him agreed. Wondered if it

wouldhavebeenbettertoignorethekeys,to

use the two they possessed and obliterate

thesearmies,ratherthandestroytheirgreatest

weapontoforgetheLock.

Hell, he would have wept to see Dorian

Havilliard and his considerable power at that

moment.Thekinghadblastedilkenfromthe

sky,hadsnappedtheirneckswithouttouching

them. He’d bow before the man if it saved

them.

It was midday when Morath’s army

reached them once more, their mass spilling

overthehorizon.Astormsweepingacrossthe

fields.

He’dwarnedthepeopleofPerranthtoflee

into Oakwald, if they could. Locking

themselvesinthecastlewouldbeoflittleuse.

It had no supplies to outlast a siege. He’d

debated using it for this battle, but their

advantagelayinthefrozenriver,notinletting

themselves be cornered to endure a slow

death.

No one was coming to save them. There

hadbeennowordfromRolfe,Galan’sforces

were depleted, his ships spread thin on the

coast, and no whisper of the remainder of

AnselofBriarcliff’ssoldiers.

Aedion kept that knowledge from his face

as he rode his stallion down the front lines,

inspectingthesoldiers.

Thetangoftheirfearfoggedthefrostyair,

the weight of their dread a bottomless pit

yawning open in their eyes as they tracked

him.

The Bane began striking their swords

against their shields. A steady heartbeat to

overridethevibrationsoftheMorathsoldiers

marchingtowardthem.

Aedion didn’t look for a shifter in the

ranks. Ilken flew low over Morath’s teeming

mass.She’dundoubtedlygoforthemfirst.

Aedion halted his horse in the center of

their host, the iced-over Lanis almost buried

beneath the snow that had fallen the night

before.Morathknewitexisted,though.Those

Valg princes had likely studied the terrain

thoroughly. Had likely studiedhim

thoroughly, too, his technique and skill. He

knew he’d face one of them before it was

done, perhaps all of them. It wouldn’t end

well.

Yetaslongastheyriskedthecrossing,he

didn’t care. Endymion and Sellene, the only

Fae still left with a whisper of power, were

stationedjustbehindthefirstoftheBane.

The eyes of his own soldiers were a

phantom touch between his shoulder blades,

on his helmeted head. He had not prepared a

speechtorallythem.

A speech would not keep these men from

dyingtoday.

So Aedion drew the Sword of Orynth,

heftedhisshield,andjoinedtheBane’ssteady

beat.

Conveyingallthedefianceandrageinhis

heart,heclashedtheancientswordagainstthe

dented,roundmetal.

Rhoe’sshield.

Aedion had never toldAelin. Had wanted

towaituntiltheyreturnedtoOrynthtoreveal

that the shield he’d carried, had never lost,

had belonged to her father. And so many

othersbeforethat.

Ithadnoname.EvenRhoehadnotknown

itsage.AndwhenAedionhadspiriteditaway

fromRhoe’sroom,theonlythinghegrabbed

whenthenewscamethathisfamilyhadbeen

butchered, he had let the others forget about

it,too.

Even Darrow had not recognized it. Worn

and simple, the shield had gone unnoticed at

Aedion’s side, a reminder of what he’d lost.

Whathe’ddefendtohisfinalbreath.

The soldiers from their allies’ armies

pickedupthebeatasMorathreachedtheedge

oftheriver.Abarkedcommandfromthetwo

Valgprincesonhorsebackhadthefirstofthe

foot soldiers crossing the ice, the ilken

holding back near the center. To strike when

they’dbeenworndown.

RenAllsbrookandtheirremainingarchers

kept hidden behind the lines, picking targets

amongstthosewingedterrors.

On and on,Aedionand theirarmy banged

theirswordsagainsttheirshields.

Closer and closer, Morath’s army spilled

ontothefrozenriver.

Aedion held the beat, their enemy not

realizingthesoundservedanotherpurpose.

To mask the cracking of the ice deep

below.

Morath advanced until they were nearly

acrosstheriver.

EndaandSelleneneedednoshoutedorder.

Awindsweptovertheice,thenslammedinto

it, between the cracks they’d been creating.

Then they shoved the ice apart. Tore it to

shreds.

One heartbeat, Morath was marching

towardthem.

The next, they plunged down, water

splashing, shouts and screams filling the air.

The ilken shot forward to grab soldiers

drowningundertheweightoftheirarmor.

ButRenAllsbrookwaswaiting,andathis

bellowed order, the archers fired upon the

exposed ilken. Blows to the wings sent them

tumbling to the ice, into the water. Going

under, some ilken dragged by their own

thrashingsoldiers.

The Valg princes each lifted a hand, as if

theywereofonemind.Thearmyhaltedatthe

shore. Watching as their brethren drowned.

Watching as Endymion and Sellene kept

ripping the ice apart, forbidding it to freeze

overagain.

Aedion dared to smile at the sight of the

drowningsoldiers.

He found the two Valg princes smiling

back at him from across the river. Oneran a

hand over the black collar at his throat. A

promise and reminder of precisely what

they’ddotohim.

Aedion inclined his head in mocking

invitation.Theycouldcertainlytry.

The Fae royals’ power broke at last,

heralded by the ice that formed over the

drowning soldiers, sealing them beneath the

darkwater.

AgustofblackwindfromtheValgprinces

and their soldiers didn’t so much as look

down as they began marching over the ice,

ignoringthebangingfistsbeneaththeirfeet.

Aedion guided his horse behind the front

line, to where Kyllian and Elgan were

mountedontheirownsteeds.Twothousandof

the enemy had gone into the river at most.

Nonewouldemerge.

Barelyadentintheforcenowadvancing.

Aedion didn’t have words for his

commanders,whohadknownhimformostof

hislife,perhapsbetterthananyone.Theyhad

nowordsforhim,either.

When Morath reached their shore at last,

swordsbrightinthegrayday,Aedionletouta

roarandcharged.

Theilkenhadlearnedthatashape-shifterwas

amongst them, and wore a wyvern’s skin.

Lysandra realized it after she’d swept for

them, leaping from the army’s ranks to slam

intoaclusterofthree.

Three others had been waiting, hiding in

thehordebelow.Anambush.

She’d barely taken out two, snapping off

their heads with her spiked tail, before their

poisoned claws had forced her to flee. So

she’d drawn the ilken back toward her own

lines,rightintotherangeofRen’sarchers.

They’d gotten the ilken down—barely.

Shots to the wings that allowed Lysandra to

riptheirheadsfromtheirbodies.

Asthey’dfallen,she’ddovefortheground,

shifting as she went. She landed as a ghost

leopard, and unleashed herself upon the foot

soldiers already pushing against Terrasen’s

joinedshields.

Theskilled unity ofthe Bane was nothing

againstthesheernumbersforcingthemback.

TheFaewarriors,theSilentAssassins—Ansel

and Galan’s few remaining soldiers spread

between them—neither of those lethal units

couldhaltthem,either.

Sosheclawedandtoreandsundered,black

bile burning her throat. Snow turned to mud

beneath her paws. Corpses piled, men both

humanandValgscreamed.

Aedion’s voice shattered down the lines,

“Holdthatrightflank!”

Shedaredaglancetowardit.Theilkenhad

concentratedtheirforcesthere,slamminginto

themeninaphalanxofdeathandpoison.

Thenanotherorderfromtheprince,“Hold

fastontheleft!”

He’d repositioned the Bane amongst the

right and left flanks to account for their

wobblingonthesouthernplains,yetitwasnot

enough.

Ilkentoreintothecavalry,horsesshrieking

as poisoned talons ripped out their innards,

riderscrushedbeneathfallingbodies.

Aedion galloped toward the left flank,

someofhisBanefollowing.

Lysandra sliced through soldier after

soldier,arrowsflyingfrombotharmies.

StillMorathadvanced.Onwardandharder,

driving the Bane back as if they were little

morethanabranchblockingtheirpath.

Her breath burned in her lungs, her legs

ached,yetshekeptfighting.

There would be nothing left of them by

sundowniftheykeptatitlikethis.

The other men seemed to realize it, too.

Lookedbeyondthedemonstheyfoughttothe

tensofthousandsstillbehindinorderlyrows,

waitingtokillandkillandkill.

Some of their soldiers began to turn.

Fleeingthefrontlines.

Some outright hurled away their shields

andsprintedoutofthepathofMorath.

Morath seized on it. A wave crashing to

shore, they slammed into their front line.

Rightintothecenter,whichhadneverbroken,

evenwhentheothershadwobbled.

Theypunchedaholerightthroughit.

Chaosreigned.

Aedion roared from somewhere, from the

heartofhell,“Re-formthelines!”

Theorderwentignored.

TheBanetriedandfailedtoholdtheline.

Ansel of Briarcliff bellowed to her fleeing

mentogetbacktothefront,GalanAshryver

echoing her commands to his own soldiers.

Renshoutedtohisarcherstoremain,butthey

tooabandonedtheirposts.

Lysandra slashed through the shins of one

Morath soldier, then ripped the throat from

another. None of Terrasen’s warriors

remained a step behind her to decapitate the

fallenbodies.

Nooneatall.

Over.Itwasover.

Useless,Aedionhadcalledher.

Lysandra gazed toward the ilken feasting

on the right flank and knew what she had to

do.



CHAPTER47

Aedion had imagined they’d all be killed

where they stood, battling together until the

end.Notpickedoffonebyoneastheyfled.

He’dbeenforcedfarbehindthelineswhen

Morath plunged through, even the Bane

havingtopeelawayfromthefront.Soon,the

routwouldbecomplete.

Arrows still flew from deep behind their

ranks, Ren having seized some order, if only

tocovertheirretreat.

Not an orderly march to the north. No,

soldiersran,shovingpastoneanother.

Adisgracefulend,unworthyofamention,

unworthyofhiskingdom.

He’d stand—he’d stay here until they cut

himdown.

Thousands of men charged past him, eyes

wide with terror. Morath gave chase, their

Valg princes smiling as they awaited the

feastingsuretocome.

Done. It was done, here on this unnamed

fieldbeforePerranth.

Thenacallwentacrossthebreakinglines.

The fleeing men began to pause. To turn

towardthedirectionofthenews.

Aedion skewered a Morath soldier on his

swordbeforehefullyunderstoodthewords.

The queen has come. The queen is at the

frontline.

Forafoolishheartbeat,hescannedthesky

forablastofflame.

Nonecame.

Dread settled into his heart, fear deeper

thananyhe’dknown.

Thequeenisatthefrontline—attheright

flank.

Lysandra.

LysandrahadtakenonAelin’sskin.

He whirled toward the nonexistent right

flank.

Just as the golden-haired queen in

borrowedarmorfacedtwoilken,aswordand

shieldinherhands.

No.

The word was a punch through his body,

greaterthananyblowhe’dfelt.

Aedionbeganrunning,shovingthroughhis

own men. Toward the too-distant right flank.

Toward the shape-shifter facing those ilken,

no claws or fangs or anything to defend her

beyondthatswordandshield.

No.

He pushed men out of the way, the snow

andmudhinderingeachstepasthetwoilken

pressedclosertotheshifter-queen.

Savoringthekill.

Butthesoldiersslowedtheirfleeing.Some

even re-formed the lines when the call went

outagain.Thequeenishere.Thequeenfights

atthefrontline.

Exactlywhyshehaddoneit.Whyshehad

donnedthedefenseless,humanform.

No.

The ilken towered over her, grinning with

theirhorrible,mangledfaces.

Too far. He was still too damn far to do

anything—

One of the ilken slashed with a long,

clawedarm.

Her scream as poisoned talons ripped

through her thigh sounded above the din of

battle.

She went down, shield rising to cover

herself.

Hetookitback.

Hetookbackeverythinghehadsaidtoher,

everymomentofangerinhisheart.

Aedion shoved through his own men,

unabletobreathe,tothink.

Hetookitback;hehadn’tmeantawordof

it,notreally.

Lysandra tried to rise on her injured leg.

Theilkenlaughed.

“Please,”Aedion bellowed. The word was

devoured by the screams of the dying.

“Please!”

He’d make any bargain, he’d sell his soul

tothedarkgod,iftheysparedher.

He hadn’t meant it. He took it back, all

thosewords.

Useless. He’d called heruseless. Had

thrownherintothesnownaked.

Hetookitback.

Aedionsobbed,flinginghimselftowardher

as Lysandra tried again to rise, using her

shieldtobalanceherweight.

Menralliedbehindher,waitingtoseewhat

the Fire-Bringer would do. How she’d burn

theilken.

There was nothing to see, nothing to

witness.Nothingatall,butherdeath.

Yet Lysandra rose, Aelin’s golden hair

fallinginherfaceassheheftedhershieldand

pointedtheswordbetweenherandtheilken.

The queen has come; the queen fights

alone.

Men ran back to the front line. Turned on

theirheelsandracedforher.

Lysandra held her sword steady, kept it

pointedattheilkenindefianceandrage.

Readyforthedeathsoontocome.

Shehadbeenwillingtogiveitupfromthe

start.HadagreedtoAelin’splans,knowingit

mightcometothis.

One shift, one change into a wyvern’s

form, and she’d destroy the ilken. But she

remained in Aelin’s body. Held that sword,

heronlyweapon,upraised.

Terrasen was her home. And Aelin her

queen.

She’d die to keep this army together. To

keep the lines from breaking. To rally their

soldiersonelasttime.

Her leg leaked blood onto the snow, and

the two ilken sniffed, laughing again. They

knew—what lurked under her skin. That it

wasnotthequeentheyfaced.

Sheheldherground.Didnotyieldoneinch

totheilken,whoadvancedanotherstep.

ForTerrasen,shewoulddothis.ForAelin.

Hetookitback.Hetookitallback.

Aedion was barely a hundred feet away

whentheilkenstruck.

He screamed as the one on the left swept

with its claws, the other on the right lunging

forher,asifitwouldtacklehertothesnow.

Lysandradeflectedtheblowtotheleftwith

her shield, sending the ilken sprawling, and

witharoar,slashedupwardwithherswordon

theright.

Rippingopenthelungingilkenfromnavel

tosternum.

Blackbloodgushed,andtheilkenshrieked,

loudenoughtosetAedion’searsringing.But

itstumbled,fallingintothesnow,scrambling

backasitclutcheditsopenedbelly.

Aedion ran harder, now thirty feet away,

thespacebetweenthemclear.

Theilkenwho’dgonesprawlingontheleft

was not done. Lysandra’s eye on the one

retreating,itlashedforherlegsagain.

Aedion threw the Sword of Orynth with

everything left in him as Lysandra twisted

towardtheattackingilken.

Shebeganfallingback,shieldliftinginher

only defense, still too slow to escape those

reachingclaws.

Thepoison-slicktipsbrushedherlegsjust

ashisswordwentthroughthebeast’sskull.

Lysandra hit the snow, shouting in pain,

and Aedion was there, heaving her up,

yanking his sword from the ilken’s head and

bringingitdownuponthesinewyneck.Once.

Twice.

Theilken’sheadtumbledintothesnowand

mud, the other beast instantly swallowed by

theMorathsoldierswhohadpausedtowatch.

Who now looked upon the queen and her

generalandcharged.

Only to be met by a surge of Terrasen

soldiers racing past Aedion and Lysandra,

battlecriesshatteringfromtheirthroats.

Aedion half-dragged the shifter deeper

behind the re-formed lines, through the

soldierswhohadralliedtotheirqueen.

Hehadtogetthepoisonout,hadtofinda

healerwhocouldextractitimmediately.Only

a few minutes remained until it reached her

heart—

Lysandrastumbled,amoanonherlips.

Aedion swung his shield on his back and

hauled her over a shoulder.A glimpse at her

leg revealed shredded skin, but no greenish

slime.

Perhaps the gods had listened. Perhaps it

was their idea of mercy: that the ilken’s

poison had worn off on other victims before

it’dgottentoher.

Butthebloodlossalone…Aedionpressed

a hand over the shredded, bloody skin to

staunchtheflow.Lysandragroaned.

Aedion scanned the regrouping army for

any hint of the healers’ white banners over

their helmets. None. He whirled toward the

front lines. Perhaps there was a Fae warrior

skilledenoughathealing,withenoughmagic

left—

Aedionhalted.Beheldwhatbrokeoverthe

horizon.

Ironteethwitches.

Severaldozenmountedonwyverns.

But not airborne. The wyverns walked on

land.

Heaving a mammoth, mobile stone tower

behindthem.Noordinarysiegetower.

Awitchtower.

It rose a hundred feet high, the entire

structurebuiltintoaplatformwhosemakehe

could not determine with the angle of the

ground andthe lines of chained wyverns

dragging it across the plain. A dozen more

witchesflewintheairaroundit,guardingit.

Dark stone—Wyrdstone—had been used to

craft it, and window slits had been

interspersedthroughouteverylevel.

Notwindowslits.Portalsthroughwhichto

angle the power of the mirrors lining the

inside, as Manon Blackbeak had described.

Allcapableofbeingadjustedtoanydirection,

anyfocus.

Alltheyneededwasasourceofpowerfor

the mirrors to amplify and fire out into the

world.

Ohgods.

“Fallback!”Aedionscreamed,evenwhile

hismencontinuedtorally.“FALLBACK.”

WithhisFaesight,hecouldjustmakeout

the uppermost level of the tower, more open

totheelementsthantheothers.

Witches in dark robes were gathered

around what seemed to be a curved mirror

angledintothehollowcoreofthetower.

Aedion whirled and began running,

carryingtheshifterwithhim.“FALLBACK!”

The army beheld what approached.

Whether they realized it was no siege tower,

theyunderstoodhisorderclearlyenough.Saw

himsprinting,Aelinoverhisshoulder.

Manon had never known the range of the

tower, how far it might fire the dark magic

ralliedwithinit.

Therewasnowheretohideonthefield.No

dips in the earth where he might throw

himselfandLysandra, praying theblastwent

overthem.Nothingbutopensnowandfrantic

soldiers.

“RETREAT!”Aedion’sthroatstrained.

Heglancedovera shoulder asthewitches

atop the tower parted to let through a small

figureinonyxrobes,herpalehairunbound.

A black light began glowing around the

figure—thewitch.Sheliftedherhandsabove

herhead,thepowerrallying.

TheYielding.

ManonBlackbeakhaddescribedittothem.

Ironteeth witches had nomagicbut that.The

ability to unleash their dark goddess’s power

in an incendiary blast that took out everyone

aroundthem.Includingthewitchherself.

That dark power was still building,

growing around the witch in an unholy aura,

when she simply walked off the lip of the

towerlanding.

Rightintotheholeinthetower’scenter.

Aedionkeptrunning.Hadnochoicebutto

keep moving, as the witch dropped into the

mirror-lined core of the tower and unleashed

thedarkpowerwithinher.

Theworldshuddered.

Aedion threw Lysandra into the mud and

snow and hurled himself over her, as if it

would somehow spare her from the roaring

force that erupted from the tower, right at

theirarmy.

Oneheartbeat,theirleftflankwasfighting

astheyretreatedoncemore.

The next, a wave of black-tinted light

slammedintofourthousandsoldiers.

When it receded, there was only ash and

dentedmetal.



CHAPTER48

The khagan’s forces had dealt enough of a

blow to Morath that the bone drums had

ceased.

Not a sign of sure defeat, but enough to

make Chaol’s heavily limping steps feel

lighter as he entered Princess Hasar’s

sprawling war tent. Hersulde had been

plantedoutside,theroanhorsehairblowingin

thewindoffthelake.Sartaq’sownspearhad

been sunk into the cold mud beside his

sister’s.AndbesidetheHeir’sspear…

Leaning on his cane, Chaol paused at the

ebonyspearthathadalsobeenplanted,itsjet-

black horsehair still shining despite its age.

Not to signify the royals within, a marker of

their Darghan heritage, but to represent the

mantheyserved.Ivoryhorsehairfortimesof

peace;theEbonyfortimesofwar.

He hadn’t realized the khagan had given

hisHeirtheEbonytobringtotheselands.

AtChaol’sside,herdressblood-splattered

but eyes clear, Yrene also halted. They’d

traveled for weeks with the army, yet seeing

the sign oftheir commitment to this war

radiating the centuries of conquest it had

overseen…Itseemedalmostholy,thatsulde.

Itwasholy.

ChaolputahandonYrene’sback,guiding

herthroughthetentflapsandintotheornately

decorated space. For a woman who had

arrivedatAniellenotamomenttoolate,only

Hasar would somehow have managed to get

herroyaltenterectedduringbattle.

Bracing his muddy cane on the raised

woodenplatform,Chaolgrittedhisteethashe

took the step upward. Even the thick, plush

rugsdidn’teasethepainthatlasheddownhis

spine,hislegs.

He stilled, leaning heavily on the cane

whilehebreathed,lettinghisbalancereadjust.

Yrene’s blood-flecked face tightened.

“Let’s get you into a chair,” she murmured,

andChaolnodded.Tositdown,evenforafew

minutes,wouldbeablessedrelief.

Nesryn entered behind them, and

apparently heard Yrene’s suggestion, for she

went immediately to the desk around which

Sartaq and Hasar stood, and pulled out a

carved wooden chair. With a nod of thanks,

Chaoleasedintoit.

“No gold couch?” Princess Hasar teased,

and Yrene blushed, despite the blood on her

golden-brownskin,andwavedoffherfriend.

The couch Chaol had brought with him

fromthesoutherncontinent—thecouchfrom

whichYrene had healed him, from which he

had won her heart—was still safely aboard

theirship.Waiting,shouldtheysurvive,tobe

the first piece of furniture in the home he’d

buildforhiswife.

Forthechildshecarried.

Yrene paused beside his chair, and Chaol

took her slim hand in his, entwining their

fingers. Filthy, both of them, but he didn’t

care.Neitherdid she,judgingby the squeeze

shegavehim.

“We outnumber Morath’s legion,” Sartaq

said,sparingthemfromHasar’staunting,“but

howwechoosetocleavethemwhilewecuta

path to the city still must be carefully

weighed,sowedon’texpendtoomanyforces

here.”

Whentherealfightingstilllayahead.Asif

theseterribledaysofsiegeandbloodshed,as

if the men hewn down today, were just the

start.

Hasarsaid,“Wiseenough.”

Sartaq winced slightly.“It might not have

wound up that way.” Chaol lifted a brow,

Hasar doing the same, and Sartaq said, “Had

younotarrived,sister,Iwashoursawayfrom

unleashingthedamandfloodingtheplain.”

Chaolstarted.“Youwere?”

The prince rubbed his neck. “A desperate

lastmeasure.”

Indeed. A wave of that size would have

wiped out part of the city, the plain and hot

springs,andleaguesbehindit.Anyarmyinits

pathwouldhavedrowned—beensweptaway.

It might have even reached the khaganate’s

army,marchingtosavethem.

“Thenlet’sbegladwedidn’tdoit,”Yrene

said, face paling as she, too, considered the

destruction. How close they had come to a

disaster. That Sartaq had admitted to it told

enough: he might be Heir, but he wished his

sistertoknowhe,too,wasnotabovemaking

mistakes.That they had to think through any

planofaction,howevereasyitmightseem.

Hasar, it seemed, got the point, and

nodded.

A cleared throat cut through the tent, and

they all turned toward the open flaps to find

one of the Darghan captains, hissulde

clenchedinhismud-splatteredhand.Someone

was here to see them, the man stammered.

Neither royal asked who as they waved the

mantoletthemin.

A moment later, Chaol was glad he was

sittingdown.

Nesrynbreathed,“Holygods.”

Chaol was inclined to agree as Aelin

Galathynius, Rowan Whitethorn, and several

othersenteredthetent.

They were mud-splattered, the Queen of

Terrasen’sbraidedhairfarlongerthanChaol

had last seen.And her eyes … Not the soft,

yetfierygaze.Butsomethingolder.Wearier.

Chaolshottohisfeet.“Ithoughtyouwere

in Terrasen,” he blurted. All the reports had

confirmed it.Yet here she  stood, no army in

sight.

Three Fae males—towering warriors as

broad and muscled as Rowan—had entered,

along with a delicate, dark-haired human

woman.

ButAelinwasonlystaringathim.Staring

andstaringathim.

No one spokeas tears began sliding down

herface.

Notathisbeinghere,Chaolrealizedashe

tookuphiscaneandlimpedtowardAelin.

Butathim.Standing.Walking.

Theyoungqueenletoutabrokenlaughof

joyandflungherarmsaroundhisneck.Pain

lanceddownhisspineattheimpact,butChaol

held her right back, every question fading

fromhistongue.

Aelin was shaking as she pulled away. “I

knewyouwould,”shebreathed,gazingdown

his body, to his feet, then up again. “I knew

you’ddoit.”

“Not alone,” he said thickly. Chaol

swallowed, releasingAelin to extend an arm

behind him. To the woman he knew stood

there,ahandoverthelocketatherneck.

Perhaps Aelin would not remember,

perhaps their encounter years ago had meant

nothing to her at all, but Chaol drew Yrene

forward.“Aelin,allowmetointroduce—”

“YreneTowers,”thequeenbreathedashis

wifesteppedtohisside.

Thetwowomenstaredateachother.

Yrene’smouthquiveredassheopenedthe

silverlocketandpulled out a piece of paper.

Handstrembling,sheextendedittothequeen.

Aelin’s own hands shook as she accepted

thescrap.

“Thankyou,”Yrenewhispered.

Chaol supposed it was all that really

neededtobesaid.

Aelinunfoldedthepaper,readingthenote

she’d written, seeing the lines from the

hundredsoffoldingsandrereadingsthesepast

fewyears.

“IwenttotheTorre,”Yrenesaid,hervoice

cracking.“Itookthemoneyyougaveme,and

went to the Torre. And I became the heir

apparent to the Healer on High. And now I

have come back, to do what I can. I taught

every healer I could the lessons you showed

me that night, about self-defense. I didn’t

waste it—not a coin you gave me, or a

momentofthetime,thelifeyouboughtme.”

Tears were rolling and rolling downYrene’s

face.“Ididn’twasteanyofit.”

Aelinclosedhereyes,smilingthroughher

own tears, and when she opened them, she

took Yrene’s shaking hands. “Now it is my

turntothankyou.”ButAelin’sgazefellupon

theweddingbandonYrene’sfinger,andwhen

sheglancedtoChaol,hegrinned.

“No longer Yrene Towers,” Chaol said

softly,“butYreneWestfall.”

Aelin let out one of those choked, joyous

laughs, and Rowan stepped up to her side.

Yrene’s head tilted back to take in the

warrior’s full height, her eyeswidening—not

onlyatRowan’ssize,butatthepointedears,

the slightly elongated canines and tattoo.

Aelinsaid,“Thenletmeintroduceyou,Lady

Westfall, to my own husband, Prince Rowan

WhitethornGalathynius.”

Forthatwasindeedaweddingbandonthe

queen’s finger, the emerald mud-splattered

butbright.OnRowan’sownhand,agold-and-

rubyringgleamed.

“My mate,” Aelin added, fluttering her

lashesattheFaemale.Rowanrolledhiseyes,

yet couldn’t entirely contain his smile as he

inclinedhisheadtoYrene.

Yrene bowed, butAelin snorted. “None of

that, please. It’ll go right to his immortal

head.” Her grin softened as Yrene blushed,

andAelinheldupthescrapofpaper.“MayI

keepthis?”SheeyedYrene’slocket.“Ordoes

itgointhere?”

Yrene folded the queen’s fingers around

the paper. “It is yours, as it always was. A

pieceofyourbraverythathelpedmefindmy

own.”

Aelin shook her head, as if to dismiss the

claim.

But Yrene squeezed Aelin’s closed hand.

“It gave me courage, the words you wrote.

Every mile I traveled, every long hour I

studied and worked, it gave me courage. I

thankyouforthat,too.”

Aelinswallowedhard,andChaoltookthat

asexcuseenoughtositagain,hisbackgiving

agratefultinge.Hesaidtothequeen,“There

is another person responsible for this army

being here.” He gestured toNesryn, the

woman already smiling at the queen. “The

rukhinyousee,thearmygathered,isasmuch

becauseofNesrynasitisbecauseofme.”

A spark litAelin’s eyes, and both women

met halfway in a tight embrace. “I want to

heartheentirestory,”Aelinsaid.“Everyword

ofit.”

Nesryn’s subdued smile widened. “So you

shall. But later.” Aelin clapped her on the

shoulderandturnedtothetworoyalsstillby

thedesk.Tallandregal,butasmud-splattered

asthequeen.

Chaolblurted,“Dorian?”

Rowan answered, “Not with us.” He

glancedtotheroyals.

“Theyknoweverything,”Nesrynsaid.

“He’s with Manon,” Aelin said simply.

Chaol wasn’t entirely sure whether to be

relieved.“Huntingforsomethingimportant.”

Thekeys.Holygods.

Aelin nodded. Later. He’d think on where

Dorian might now be later. Aelin nodded

again.Thefullstorywouldcomethentoo.

Nesrynsaid,“MayIpresentPrincessHasar

andPrinceSartaq.”

Aelin bowed—low. “You have my eternal

gratitude,”Aelinsaid,andthevoicethatcame

outofherwasindeedthatofaqueen.

Any shock Sartaq and Hasar had shown

uponthequeenbowingsolowwashiddenas

theybowedback,theportraitofcourtlygrace.

“My father,” Sartaq said, “remained in the

khaganatetooverseeourlands,alongwithour

siblings Duva and Arghun. But my brother

Kashinsailswiththerestofthearmy.Hewas

nottwoweeksbehinduswhenweleft.”

Aelin glanced to Chaol, and he nodded.

Something glittered in her eyes at the

confirmation,butthequeenjerkedherchinat

Hasar.“Didyougetmyletter?”

TheletterthatAelinhadsentmonthsago,

begging for aid and promising only a better

worldinreturn.

Hasar picked at her nails. “Perhaps. I get

far too many letters from fellow princesses

thesedaystopossiblyrememberoranswerall

ofthem.”

Aelinsmirked,asifthetwoofthemspoke

a language no one else could understand, a

specialcodebetweentwoequallyarrogantand

p r o u dwomen. But she motioned to her

companions,whosteppedforward.“Allowme

to introduce my friends. Lord Gavriel, of

Doranelle.”Anodtowardthetawny-eyedand

golden-haired warrior who bowed. Tattoos

covered his neck, his hands, but his every

motion was graceful. “My uncle, of sorts,”

Aelin added with a smirk at Gavriel. At

Chaol’snarrowedbrows,sheexplained,“He’s

Aedion’sfather.”

“Well,thatexplainsafewthings,”Nesryn

muttered.

The hair, the broad-planed face … yes, it

was the same. But where Aedion was fire,

Gavriel seemed to be stone. Indeed, his eyes

weresolemnashesaid,“Aedionismypride.”

EmotionrippledoverAelin’sface,butshe

gestured to the dark-haired male. Not

someoneChaoleverwantedtotanglewith,he

decided as he surveyed the granite-hewn

features,theblackeyesandunsmilingmouth.

“LorcanSalvaterre,formerlyofDoranelle,

andnowablood-swornmemberofmycourt.”

As if that weren’t a shock enough, Aelin

winkedattheimposingmale.Lorcanscowled.

“We’re still in the adjustment period,” she

loudlywhispered,andYrenechuckled.

Lorcan Salvaterre. Chaol hadn’t met the

malethisspringinRifthold,buthe’dheardall

about him. That he’d been Maeve’s most

trustedcommander,hermostloyalandfierce

warrior.Thathe’dwantedtokillAelin,hated

Aelin.Howthishadcomeabout,whyshewas

not in Terrasen with her army … “You, too,

haveataletotell,”Chaolsaid.

“Indeed I do.” Aelin’s eyes guttered, and

Rowan put a hand on her lower back. Bad—

something terrible had occurred. Chaol

scannedAelinforanyhintofit.

He stopped when he noticed the

smoothness of the skin at her neck. The lack

ofscars.Themissingscarsonherhands,her

palms. “Later,” Aelin said softly. She

straightened her shoulders, and another

golden-haired male came forward. Beautiful.

That was the only way to describe him.

“Fenrys …You know, I don’t actually know

yourfamilyname.”

Fenrys threw a roguishwinkat thequeen.

“Moonbeam.”

“It is not,” Aelin hissed, choking on a

laugh.

Fenrys laid a hand on his heart. “I am

blood-sworntoyou.WouldIlie?”

Another blood-sworn Fae male in her

court. Across the tent, Sartaq cursed in his

own tongue.As if he’d heard of Lorcan, and

Gavriel,andFenrys.

AelingaveFenrysavulgargesturethatset

Hasar chuckling, and faced the royals.

“They’re barely housebroken. Hardly fit for

your fine company.” Even Sartaq smiled at

that.Butitwas tothesmall, delicate woman

that Aelin now gestured. “And the only

civilized member of my court, Lady Elide

LochanofPerranth.”

Perranth. Chaol had combed through the

family trees of Terrasen just this winter, had

seen the lists of so many royal households

crossed out, victim to the conquest ten years

ago.

Elide’s name had been among them.

Another Terrasen royal who had managed to

evadeAdarlan’sbutchers.

The pretty young woman took a limping

step forward, and bobbed a curtsy to the

royals. Her boots concealed any sign of the

source of the injury, but Yrene’s attention

shotrighttoherleg.Herankle.“It’sanhonor

tomeetallofyou,”Elidesaid,hervoicelow

and steady. Her dark eyes swept over them,

cunningandclear.Likeshecouldseebeneath

theirskinandbones,tothesoulsbeneath.

Aelin wiped her hands. “Well, that’s over

anddonewith,”sheannounced,andstrodeto

the desk and map. “Shall we discuss where

youallplantomarchoncewebeattheliving

shitoutofthisarmy?”



CHAPTER49

Rowan had been speaking to the captain of

theirshipwhentherukhadflownpast.

According to her mate, the ruk nearly

slammed right into the ship thanks to the

dense fog on the sea. A scout—from an

armadatothesouth.

A skeleton crew had remained amongst

them, though the scout hadn’t been privy to

the royals’ plans. All she knew was that the

khagan’sarmyhadgonetoAnielle.

Where they would go after that—to

Rifthold,toEyllwe—hadnotbeendecided.

So Aelin would help them decide. Make

surethatwhenthisbusinesswithAniellewas

over, the khagan’s army marched northward.

ToTerrasen.

Andnowhereelse.Whateversheneededto

do to convince them, offer them in exchange

for it, she’d pay it. Even if hauling ass to

Aniellehadmeantdelayingherownreturnto

Terrasen.

She supposed it’d be better to return with

anarmybehindherthanalone.

Yet now, standing in the royals’ war tent,

Aelin still couldn’t quite believe just how

many the khagan had sent. With more to

come,PrinceSartaqhadclaimed.

They’d wended through the neatly

organizedtentsandsoldiers,bothonfootand

the downright awe-inspiring cavalry. The

Darghan, the legendary riders from the

steppes of the khaganate. The royal family’s

mother-people, who had taken the continent

forthemselves.

And then they’d seen the ruks, and even

miserable Lorcan had sworn in awe at the

mighty, beautiful birds adorned with ornate

armor, and the armed riders atop them. The

scout had been one thing. An army of them

hadbeenglorious.

A glance at Rowan told her that shrewd

mindwasalreadycalculatingaplan.

SoAelinaskedcasually,flashingtheroyals

agrin,“Wheredidyouallplanongoingafter

this?”

PrincessHasar,asshrewdasAelin’smate,

returned her smile—a razor-sharp thing of

little beauty. “Doubtless, you’re about to

begin some scheme to convince us to go to

Terrasen.”

The room tensed, but Aelin snorted.

“Begin?WhosaysI’mnotalreadyinthethick

ofit?”

“Gods help us,” Chaol muttered. Rowan

echoedthesentiment.

Hasaropenedhermouth,butPrinceSartaq

cutin,“Wherewemarchwillbedecidedafter

Anielle is secured.” The prince’s face

remained grave, calculating—but not cold.

Aelin had decided within moments that she

liked him.And liked him even more when it

came out that he had just been crowned the

khagan’s Heir. With Nesryn as his potential

bride.

Potential, to Aelin’s amusement, because

Nesryn herself wasn’t so keen on being

empressofthemightiestempireintheworld.

ButwhatSartaqhadsaid—

Elide blurted, “You mean to not go to

Terrasen?”

Aelin kept still, her fingers curling at her

sides.

Prince Sartaq said carefully, “It had been

ourinitialplantogonorth,buttheremightbe

other places like Anielle in need of

liberation.”

“Terrasenneedsaid,”Rowansaid,hisface

theportraitofsteelycalmashesurveyedtheir

newalliesandoldfriends.

“And yet Terrasen has not called for it,”

Hasar countered, utterly unfazed by the wall

ofFaewarriorsgloweringather.Exactly the

sortofpersonAelinhadhopedshe’dbewhen

shewrotetoherallthosemonthsago.

Chaol cleared his throat. Gods above,

Chaol waswalking again. And married to

YreneTowers,whohadhealedhim.

A thread in a tapestry. That’s what it had

feltlikethenightshe’dleftthegoldforYrene

inInnish.Likepullinga threadina tapestry,

andseeingjusthowfarandwideitwent.

All the way to the southern continent, it

seemed.Andithadrippledbackwithanarmy

andahealed,happyfriend.Orashappyasany

ofthemmightbeatthemoment.

Aelin met Chaol’s stare. “Focus on

winningthisbattle,”hesaid,noddingoncein

understandingatthefiresheknewsmoldered

inhereyes,“andthenweshalldecide.”

Princess Hasar smirked at Aelin. “So be

suretoimpressus.”

Again, that tension rippled through the

room.

Aelin held the princess’s stare. Smiled

slightly.Andsaidnothing.

Nesrynshiftedonherfeet,asifwellaware

whatthatsilencecouldmean.

“How solid are the keep walls?” Gavriel

askedChaol,gentlysteeringtheconversation

away.

Chaol rubbed at his jaw. “They’ve

withstoodsiegesbefore,butMorathhasbeen

hammering them for days. The battlements

aresolidenough,butanotherfewblowsfrom

the catapults and towers might start coming

down.”

Rowan crossed his arms. “The walls were

breachedtoday?”

“They were,” Chaol said grimly. “By a

siege tower. The ruks couldn’tarrive in time

to pull it down.” Nesryn cringed, but Sartaq

didnotofferanapology.Chaolwenton,“We

secured the walls, but the Valg soldiers cut

down a number of our men—from Anielle,

thatis.”

Aelin surveyed the map, blocking out the

challengeofthefierce-eyedprincesswhowas

amirrorinsomanyways.“Sohowdoweplay

it?Doweslamthroughthelines,orpickthem

offonebyone?”

Nesrynstabbedafingerontothemap,right

atop the Silver Lake. “What if we pushed

themtothelakeitself?”

Hasarhummed,alltracesoftauntinggone.

“Morath placed itself foolishly in theirgreed

to sack the city. They didn’t estimate being

trampled by the Darghan, or picked apart by

therukhin.”

Aelin glanced sidelong to Rowan. Found

himalreadystaringather.

We’llconvincethemtogotoTerrasen ,her

matesaidsilently.

Chaolleanedforward,backquiveringabit,

andranafingeroverthelake’swesternshore.

“This section of the lake, unfortunately, is

shallowa hundred yards from the shore. The

armymightbeabletowadeoutthere,drawus

intothewater.”

“A few hours in that water,” Yrene

countered, mouth a tight line, “would kill

them. Thehypothermia would set in quickly.

Maybe within minutes, depending on the

wind.”

“That’s if the Valg fall victim to such

things,”Hasarsaid.“Theydon’tdieliketrue

men in most ways, and you claim they hail

from a land of darkness and cold.” So the

royals truly knew about their enemies, then.

“We might push them into the water to find

they don’t care at all. And in doing so, risk

exposing our troops to the elements.” The

princessjabbedthekeepwalls.“We’rebetter

offpushingthemrightintothestone,breaking

themapartagainstit.”

Aelinwasinclinedtoagree.

Lorcanopenedhismouthtosaysomething

nodoubtunpleasant,butfootstepssquelching

in mud outside the tent had them whirling

towardtheentrancelongbeforeapretty,dark-

haired young woman burst in, twin braids

swinging.“Youwouldn’tbelieve—”

She halted upon seeing Aelin. Seeing the

Faemales.HermouthpoppedintoanO.

Nesrynchuckled.“Borte,meet—”

Another set of steps in the mud, heavier

and slower than Borte’s quick movements,

and then a young man stumbled in, his skin

not the gold-kissed brown of Borte or the

royals,butpale.“It’sback,”hepanted,gaping

at Nesryn. “For days now, I swore I felt

something,notedchanges,buttodayitjustall

cameback.”

Nesrynangledherhead,hercurtainofdark

hair sliding over an armored shoulder. “Who

…”

Borte squeezed the young man’s arm.

“Falkan.It’sFalkan,Nesryn.”

Prince Sartaq stalked to Nesryn’s side,

gracefulasanyFaewarrior.“How.”

But the young man had turned toward

Aelin, eyes narrowing. As if trying to place

her.

Then he said, “The assassin from the

marketinXandria.”

Aelinarchedabrow.“Hopefully,thehorse

Istoledidn’tbelongtoyou.”

A cough from Fenrys. Aelin threw the

warrioragrinoverhershoulder.

Theyoungman’seyesdartedoverherface,

then landed on the enormous emerald on her

finger.TheevenbiggerrubyinGoldryn’shilt.

Borte blurted to Nesryn, “One minute, we

were eating dinner at the campfire, then the

next,Falkanclutchedhisstomachlikehewas

goingtopukeuphisgutsallovereveryone”—

a glare from Falkan at Borte—“and then his

facewasyoung.He’syoung.”

“Iwasalwaysyoung,”Falkanmuttered.“I

justdidn’tlookit.”Hisgrayeyesagainfound

Aelin’s.“IgaveyouapieceofSpidersilk.”

For a heartbeat, the then and the now

blended and wobbled. “The merchant,”Aelin

murmured. She’d last seen him in the Red

Desert—looking twenty years older. “You

soldyouryouthtoastygianspider.”

“Youtwoknoweachother?”Nesryngaped.

“The threads of fate weave together in

strange ways,” Falkan said, then smiled at

Aelin.“Inevergotyourname.”

Hasar chuckled from the other side of the

desk.“Youalreadyknowit,shifter.”

Before Falkan could figure it out, Fenrys

steppedforward.“Shifter?”

ButNesrynsaid,“AndLysandra’suncle.”

Aelin slumped into the chair beside

Chaol’s. Rowan laid a hand on her shoulder,

and when she looked up, she found him near

laughter. “What’s so funny, exactly?” she

hissed.

Rowansmirked.“Thatforonce,youarethe

one who gets knocked on your ass by a

surprise.”

Aelinstuckouthertongue. Borte grinned,

andAelinwinkedatthegirl.

But Falkan said to Aelin and her

companions,“Youknowmyniece.”

His brother must have been a great deal

older to have sired Lysandra. There was

nothingofFalkaninherfriend’sface,though

Lysandrahadalsoforgottenheroriginalform.

“Lysandra is my friend, and Lady of

Caraverre,”Aelin said. “She is not with us,”

she added upon Falkan’s hopeful glance

towardthetentflaps.“She’sintheNorth.”

Borte had gone back to studying the Fae

males.Nottheirconsiderablebeauty,buttheir

size, their pointed ears, their weapons and

elongated canines. Aelin whispered

conspiratorially to the girl, “Make them roll

overbeforeyouofferthematreat.”

Lorcanglared,butFenrysshiftedinaflash,

theenormouswhitewolffillingthespace.

Hasar swore, Sartaq backing away a step,

but Borte beamed. “You are all truly Fae,

then.”

Gavriel,everthegallantknight,sketcheda

bow. Lorcan, the bastard, just crossed his

arms.

Yet Rowan smiled at Borte. “Indeed we

are.”

Borte whirled to Aelin. “Then you are

AelinGalathynius.YoulookjusthowNesryn

said.”

Aelin grinned at Nesryn, the woman

leaningagainstSartaq’sside.“Ihopeyouonly

saidhorriblethingsaboutme.”

“Only the worst,” Nesryn said with dead

flatness,thoughhermouthtwitched.

But Falkan whispered, “The queen,” and

felltohisknees.

Hasarlaughed.“Henevershowedthatsort

ofawewhenhemetus.”

Sartaq lifted his brows. “You told him to

turnintoaratandscuttleaway.”

AelinhoistedupFalkanbytheshoulder.“I

can’t have my friend’s unclekneeling on the

ground,canI?”

“Yousaidyouwereanassassin.”Falkan’s

eyes were so wide the whites around them

gleamed. “Youstole horses fromthe Lord of

Xandria—”

“Yes,yes,”Aelinsaid,wavingahand.“It’s

alongstory,andwe’reinthemiddleofawar

council,so…”

“Pissoff?”Falkanfinished.

Aelin laughed, but glanced to Nesryn and

Sartaq.TheformerjerkedherchintoFalkan.

“He’sbecomeourspyofsorts.Hejoinsusin

thesemeetings.”

Aelinnodded,thenwinkedattheshifter.“I

suppose you didn’t need me to slay that

stygianspiderafterall.”

But Falkan tensed, his attention going to

Nesryn and Sartaq, to Borte, still gawking at

theFaemales.“Dotheyknow?”

Aelinhadafeelingshe’dneedtositdown

again. Chaol indeed patted the chair beside

him,earningachucklefromYrene.

Doing herself a favor, Aelin indeed sat,

Rowantakinguphisplacebehindher,bothof

hishandscomingtorestonhershoulders.His

thumb ran along the nape of her neck, then

drifted over the mating marks again scarring

onesidethankstotheseawaterthey’dusedto

sealthem.

But as her muscles soothed beneath that

loving touch, her soul with it, her breath

remainedtight.

Itdidn’t get any better when Nesryn said,

“ThestygianspidersareValg.”

Silence.

“We encountered their kin, thekharankui,

deep in the Dagul Fells. They came into this

world through a temporary crack between

realms, and remained afterward to guard the

entrance,shoulditeverreappear.”

“This cannot end well,” Fenrys muttered.

Elidehummedheragreement.

“Theyfeedondreamsandyearsandlife,”

Falkansaid,ahandonhisownchest.“Asmy

friendshavesaidtheValgdo.”

AelinhadseenValgprincesdrainahuman

of every last drop of youth and vigor and

leave only a dried corpse behind. She

wouldn’t put it past the spiders to have a

similargift.

“Whatdoesthismeanforthewar?”Rowan

asked,histhumbsstillstrokingAelin’sneck.

“Will they join Erawan’s forces is the

better question,” Lorcan challenged with a

facelikestone.

“They do not answer to Erawan,” Nesryn

saidquietly, andAelin knew.Knew fromthe

look Chaol gave her, the sympathy and fear,

knew in her bones before Nesryn even

finished. “The stygianspiders, thekharankui,

answer to their Valg queen. The only Valg

queen.ToMaeve.”



CHAPTER50

Rowan’shandstightenedonAelin’sshoulders

asthewordssettledintoher,hollowandcold.

“MaeveisaValgqueen?”hebreathed.

Aelin said nothing. Couldn’t find the

words.

Herpowerroiled.Shedidn’tfeelit.

Nesryn nodded solemnly. “Yes. The

kharankuitoldustheentirehistory.”

AndsoNesryndidaswell.OfhowMaeve

had somehow found a way into this world,

fleeing or bored with her husband, Orcus.

Erawan’s elder brother. Of how Erawan,

Orcus, and Mantyx had torn apart worlds to

find her, Orcus’s missing wife, and only

halted here because the Fae had risen to

challengethem.FaeledbyMaeve,whomthe

Valg kings did not know or recognize,in the

formshehadtaken.

The life she had crafted for herself. The

mindsofalltheFaewhohadexistedthatshe

had ripped into, convincing them that there

hadbeenthreequeens,nottwo.Includingthe

mindsofMabandMora,thetwosister-queens

who had ruled Doranelle. Including Brannon

himself.

“The spiders claimed,” Nesryn went on,

“thatevenBrannondidn’tknow.Evennow,in

the Afterworld, he doesn’t know. That was

howdeepMaeve’spowerswentintohismind,

into all their minds. She made herself their

truequeen.”

The words, the truth, pelted Aelin, one

afteranother.

Elide’s face was white as death. “But she

fearsthehealers.”AnodtowardYrene.“She

keeps that owl, you said—an enslaved Fae

healer—shouldtheValgeverdiscoverher.”

Forthatwastheotherpieceofit.Theother

thing Nesryn had revealed, Chaol and Yrene

addingintheirownaccounts.

TheValgwereparasites.AndYrene could

curetheirhumanhostsofthem.Haddoneso

for Princess Duva. And might be able to do

with so many others enslaved with rings or

collars.

But what had infested Duva … A Valg

princess.

Aelin leaned back into her chair, her head

resting against the solid wall of Rowan’s

body. His hands shookagainst her shoulders.

Shook as he seemed to realize what, exactly,

had ripped into his mind. Where Maeve’s

power had come from that allowed her to do

so. Why she remained deathless and ageless,

and had outlasted any other. Why Maeve’s

powerwasdarkness.

“Itisalsowhyshefearsfire,”Sartaqsaid,

jerkinghischintoAelin.“Whyshefearsyou

so.”

Andwhyshe’dwantedtobreakher.Tobe

just like that enslaved healer bound in owl

formatherside.

“I thought—I managed to cut her once,”

Aelinsaidatlast.Thatquiet,ancientdarkness

pushed in, dragging her down, down, down

—“I saw her blood flow black. Then it

changed to red.” She blew out a breath,

pulling out of the darkness, the silence that

wanted to devour her whole. Made herself

straighten.PeeratFenrys.“Yousaidthather

bloodtastedordinarytoyouwhenyouswore

theoath.”

The white wolf shifted back into his Fae

body. His bronze skin was ashen, his dark

eyesswimmingwithdread.“Itdid.”

Rowan growled, “It didn’t taste any

differenttome,either.”

“Aglamour—liketheformshemaintains,”

Gavrielmused.

Nesryn nodded. “From what the spiders

said,itseemsentirelypossiblethatshewould

beabletoconvinceyouthatherbloodlooked

andtastedlikeFaeblood.”

Fenrysmadeasoundlikehewasgoingto

besick.Aelinwasinclinedtodothesame.

And from far away—a memory-that-was-

not-a-memory stirred. Of summer nights

spentinaforest glen, Maeve instructingher.

Tellingherastoryaboutaqueenwhowalked

betweenworlds.

Who had not been content in the realm in

which she’d been born, and had found a way

toleaveit,usingthelostknowledgeofancient

wayfarers.World-walkers.

Maeve had told her. Perhaps a skewed,

biasedtale,butshe’dtoldher.Why?Whydo

it at all? Some way to win her—or to make

herhesitate,shoulditevercometothis?

“But Maeve hates the Valg kings,” Elide

said, and even from the silent, drifting place

to which Aelin had gone, she could see the

razor-sharp mind churning behind Elide’s

eyes. “She’s hidden for this long. Surely she

wouldn’tallywiththem.”

“SheranatthechancetogetholdofaValg

collar,” Fenrys said darkly. “Seemed

convinced that she could control the prince

insideit.”

Not only through Maeve’s power, but

becauseshewasademonqueen.

Aelinforcedherselftotakeanotherbreath.

Another. Her fingers curled, gripping an

invisibleweapon.

Lorcan had not uttered a word. Had done

nothingbutstandthere,paleandsilent.Asif

he’dstoppedbeinginhisbody,too.

“We don’t know her plans,” Nesryn said.

“ T h ekharankui have not seen her for

millennia, and only hear whisperings carried

by lesser spiders. But they still worship her,

andwaitforherreturn.”

Chaol met Aelin’s stare, his gaze

questioning.

Aelinsaidquietly,“IwasMaeve’sprisoner

fortwomonths.”

Utter silence in the tent. Then she

explained—all of it. Why she was not in

Terrasen,whonowfoughtthere,whereDorian

andManonhadgone.

Aelin swallowed as she finished, leaning

into Rowan’s touch. “Maeve wished me to

reveal the location of the two Wyrdkeys.

Wantedmetohandthemover,butImanaged

to get them away before she took me. To

Doranelle.Shewantedtobreakmetoherwill.

To use me to conquer the world, I thought.

But it perhaps now seems she wanted to use

me asa shield againsttheValg,toguard her

always.” The words tumbled out, heavy and

sharp.“Iwashercaptiveuntilnearlyamonth

ago.” She nodded toward her court. “When I

gotfree,theyfoundmeagain.”

Silencefellagain,hernewcompanionsata

loss.Shedidn’tblamethem.

Then Hasar hissed, “We’ll make the bitch

payforthat,too,won’twe?”

Aelin met the princess’s dark stare. “Yes,

wewill.”

The truth had slammed into Rowan like a

physicalblow.

MaevewasValg.

A Valg queen. Whose estranged husband

hadonceinvadedthisworldand,ifChaolwas

correct, wished to enter it again, should

ErawansucceedinopeningtheWyrdgate.

He knew his cadre, orwhatever they were

now called, was in shock. Knew he himself

hadfallenintosomesortofstupor.

The female they’d served, bowed to …

Valg.

Theyhadbeensothoroughlydeceivedthey

hadnoteventasteditinherblood.

Fenrys looked likehe was going to empty

thecontentsofhisstomachontothetentfloor.

For him, the truth would be the most

horrendous.

Lorcan’s face remained cold and blank.

Gavriel kept rubbing his jaw, his eyes

swimmingwithdismay.

Rowanloosedalongbreath.

AValgqueen.

That’s who had held his Fireheart. What

sortofpowerhadtriedtobreakintohermind.

What powerhad broken into Rowan’s

mind. All their minds, if she could glamour

herbloodtolookandtasteordinary.

HefeltthetensionrisinginAelin,araging

stormthatnearlyhummedintohishandsashe

grippedhershoulders.

Yet her flames madenoappearance.They

hadn’t shown so much as an ember these

weeks,despitehowhardthey’dtrained.

Occasionally, he’d spy Goldryn’s ruby

gleamingwhilesheheldit,asiffireglowedin

theheartofthestone.Butnothingmore.

Notevenwhenthey’dtangledintheirbed

on the ship, when his teeth had found that

markonherneck.

Elide surveyedthem all,theirsilence,and

said to their new companions, “Perhaps we

should determine a plan of action regarding

tomorrow’sbattle.”Andgivethemtime,later

tonight,tosortthroughthiscolossalmess.

Chaol nodded. “We brought a trunk of

books with us,” he said to Aelin. “From the

Torre.They’re allfull ofWyrdmarks.”Aelin

didn’t so much as blink, but Chaol finished,

“Ifwegetthroughthisbattle,they’reyoursto

peruse. In case there’s anything in them that

mighthelp.”AgainstErawan,againstMaeve,

againsthismate’sterriblefate.

Aelinjustvaguelynodded.

So Rowan forced himself to shove away

theshockanddisgustandfear,andfocusupon

the plan ahead. Only Gavriel seemed able to

dothesame,Fenrysstayingwherehewas,and

Lorcanjuststaringandstaringatnothing.

Aelin remained in her chair, simmering.

Roiling.

They planned it quickly and efficiently:

theywouldreturnwithChaolandYrenetothe

keep,tohelpwiththefightingtomorrow.The

khaganate royals would push from here,

Nesryn and Prince Sartaq leading the ruks,

and Princess Hasar commanding the foot

soldiersandDarghancavalry.

A brilliantly trained, lethal group. Rowan

hadalreadymarkedtheDarghansoldiers,with

their fine horses and armor, their spears and

crested helmets, while they’d strode for this

tent,andbreathedasighofreliefattheirskill.

Perhapsthelastsighofreliefhe’dhaveinthis

war. Certainly if the khagan’s forces hadn’t

yet decidedwhere they would take this army

afterward.

He supposed it was fair—so many

territories were now in Morath’s path—but

when this battle was over, he’d make damn

suretheymarchednorthward.ToTerrasen.

But tomorrow—tomorrow they’d hammer

Morath’slegionagainstthekeepwalls,Chaol

and Rowan leading the men from inside,

pickingoffenemysoldiers.

Aelin didn’t volunteer to do anything.

Didn’tindicatethatshe’dheardthem.

And when they’d all deemed the plan

sound,alongwithacontingencyplanshouldit

go awry, Nesryn only said, “We’ll find you

ruks to carry you back to the keep,” before

Aelin stormed into the frigid night, Rowan

barelykeepingupwithher.

No embers trailed her. Mud did not hiss

beneathherboots.

Therewasnofireatall.Notaspark.

As if Maeve had snuffed out that flame.

Madeherfearit.

Hateit.

Aelin cut through the neatly organized

tents, past horses and their armored riders,

past foot soldiers around campfires, past the

ruk riders and their mighty birds, who filled

himwithsuchawehehadnowordsforit.All

the way to the eastern edge of the camp and

the plains that stretched past, the space wide

andhollowaftertheclosenessofthearmy.

Shedidn’t stop untilshe reachedastream

they’d crossed only hours ago. It was nearly

frozenover, but a stomp of her boot had the

ice cracking. Breaking free to reveal dark

waterkissedwithsilverystarlight.

Thenshefelltoherkneesanddrank.

Drankanddrank,cuppingthewatertoher

mouth. It had to be coldenough to burn, but

shekeptatituntilshebracedherhandsonher

kneesandsaid,“Ican’tdothis.”

Rowansanktoaknee,theshieldhe’dkept

aroundherwhileshestalkedheresealingout

thecoldwindofftheopenplain.

“ I — Ican’t—” She took a shuddering

breath, and covered her face with her wet

hands.

Gently, Rowan gripped her wrists and

loweredthem.“Youdonotfacethisalone.”

Anguish and terror filled those beautiful

eyes, and his chest tightened to the point of

painasshesaid,“Itwasafool’sshotagainst

Erawan. But against himand Maeve? She

gathered an army to her. Is likely bringing

that army to Terrasen right now. And if

Erawan summons his two brothers, if the

otherkingsreturn—”

“Heneedsthetwootherkeystodothat.He

doesn’thavethem.”

Herfingerscurled, digging into her palms

hard enough that the tang of her blood filled

the air. “I should have gone after the keys.

Rightaway.Notcomehere.Notdonethis.”

“ItisDorian’stasknow,notyours.Hewill

notfailatit.”

“Itismytask,andalwayshasbeen—”

“Wemadethechoicetocomehere,andwe

will stick to that decision,” he snarled, not

bothering to temper his tone. “If Maeve is

indeedbringingherarmytoTerrasen,thenit

only confirms that we were right to come

here. That we must convince the khagan’s

forcestogonorthwardafterthis.Itistheonly

chancewestandofsucceeding.”

Aelin ran her hands through her hair.

Streams of blood stained the gold. “I cannot

win against them. Against a Valg king and

queen.” Her voice turned to a rasp. “They

havealreadywon.”

“Theyhavenot.”AndthoughRowanhated

each word, he growled, “And you survived

two months against Maeve with no magic to

protect you. Two months of a Valg queen

tryingtobreakintoyourhead,Aelin.Tobreak

you.”

Aelinshook.“Shedid,though.”

Rowanwaitedforit.

Aelin whispered, “Iwanted to die by the

end, before she ever threatened me with the

collar.Andevennow,Ifeellikesomeonehas

ripped me from myself. Like I’m at the

bottomofthesea,andwhoIam,whoIwas,is

farupatthesurface,andIwillnevergetback

thereagain.”

He didn’t know what to say, what to do

otherthantogentlypullherfingersfromher

palms.

“Didyoubuytheswagger,thearrogance?”

she demanded, voice breaking. “Did the

others?BecauseI’vebeentryingto.I’vebeen

trying like hell to convince myself that it’s

real,remindingmyselfIonlyneedtopretend

tobehowIwasjustlongenough.”

LongenoughtoforgetheLockanddie.

Hesaidsoftly,“Iknow,Aelin.”He hadn’t

boughtthewinksandsmirksforaheartbeat.

Aelinletoutasobthatcrackedsomething

inhim.“Ican’tfeelme—myselfanymore.It’s

like she snuffed it out. Ripped me from it.

She, and Cairn, and everything theydid to

me.” She gulped down air, and Rowan

wrapped her in his arms and pulled her onto

hislap.“Iamsotired,”shewept.“Iamso,so

tired,Rowan.”

“Iknow.”Hestrokedherhair.“Iknow.”It

wasalltherereallywastosay.

Rowan held her until her weeping eased

andshelaystill,nestledagainsthischest.

“Idon’tknowwhattodo,”shewhispered.

“You fight,” he said simply. “We fight.

Untilwecan’tanymore.Wefight.”

Shesatup,butremainedonhislap,staring

into his face with a rawness that destroyed

him.

Rowanlaidahandonherchest,rightover

thatburningheart.“Fireheart.”

Achallengeandasummons.

Sheplacedherhandatophis,warmdespite

the frigid night. As if thatfire had not yet

goneoutentirely.Butsheonlygazedupatthe

stars. To the Lord of the North, standing

watch.“Wefight,”shebreathed.

AelinfoundFenrysbyaquietfire,gazinginto

thecracklingflames.

She sat on the log beside him, raw and

open and trembling, but … the salt of her

tears had washed away some of it. Steadied

her.Rowanhadsteadiedher,andstilldid,as

he kept watch from the shadows beyond the

fire.

Fenrys lifted his head, his eyes as hollow

assheknewhershadbeen.

“Wheneveryouneed totalk about it,”she

said,hervoicestillhoarse,“I’mhere.”

Fenrys nodded, his mouth a tight line.

“Thankyou.”

Thecampwasreadyingfortheirdeparture,

butAelinscootedcloser,andsatbesidehimin

silenceforlongminutes.

Two healers, marked only by the white

bands around their biceps, hurried past, arms

fullofbandages.

Aelintensed.Focusedonherbreathing.

Fenrys marked her line of sight. “They

were horrified, you know,” he said quietly.

“Every time she brought them in to … fix

you.”

The two healers vanished around a tent.

Aelinflexedherfingers,shakingthelightness

from them. “It didn’t stop them from doing

it.”

“Theydidn’thaveachoice.”

She met his dark stare. Fenrys’s mouth

tightened. “No one would have left you in

thosestates.Noone.”

Brokenandbloodyandburned—

ShegrippedGoldryn’shilt.Helpless.

“Theydefiedherintheirownway,”Fenrys

went on. “Sometimes, she’d order them to

bring you back to consciousness. Often, they

claimed they couldn’t, that you’d fallen too

deeply into oblivion. But I knew—I think

Maeve did,too—that they put you there. For

aslongaspossible.Tobuyyoutime.”

Sheswallowed.“Didshepunishthem?”

“I don’t know. It was never the same

healers.”

Maeve likely had. Had likely ripped their

mindsapartfortheirdefiance.

Aelin’sgrip tightened on thesword at her

side.

Helpless. She had been helpless. As so

many in this city, in Terrasen, in this

continent,werehelpless.

Goldryn’shiltwarmedinherhand.

She wouldn’t be that way again. For

whatevertimeshehadleft.

Gavriel padded up beside Rowan, took one

lookatthequeenandFenrys,andmurmured,

“Notthenewsweneededtohear.”

Rowanclosedhiseyesforaheartbeat.“No,

itwasnot.”

Gavriel settled a hand on Rowan’s

shoulder.“Itchangesnothing,insomeways.”

“How.”

“Weservedher.Shewas…notwhatAelin

is. What a queen should be. We  knew that

longbeforeweknewthetruth.IfMaevewants

to use what she is against us, to ally with

Morath,thenitchangesthings.Butthepastis

over. Done with, Rowan. Knowing Maeve is

Valgorjustawretchedpersondoesn’tchange

whathappened.”

“Knowing a Valg queen wants to enslave

my mate, and nearly did so, changes a great

deal.”

“But weknow whatMaevefears,why she

fears it,” Gavriel countered, his tawny eyes

bright.“Fire,andthehealers.IfMaevecomes

with that army of hers, we are not

defenseless.”

It was true. Rowan could have cursed

himselffornotthinkingofitalready.Another

questionformed,though.“Herarmy,”Rowan

said.“It’smadeupofFae.”

“Sowasherarmada,”Gavrielsaidwarily.

Rowan ran a hand through his hair. “Will

youbeabletolivewithit—fightingourown

people?”Killingthem.

“Willyou?”Gavrielcountered.

Rowandidn’tanswer.

Gavrielaskedafteramoment,“Whydidn’t

Aelinoffermethebloodoath?”

The male hadn’t asked these weeks. And

Rowanwasn’tsurewhyGavrielinquirednow,

buthegavehimthetruth.“Becauseshewon’t

doituntilAedionhastakentheoathfirst.To

offer it to you before him … she wants

Aediontotakeitfirst.”

“Incasehedoesn’twishmetobenearhis

kingdom.”

“So that Aedion knows she placed his

needsbeforeherown.”

Gavrielbowedhishead.“Iwouldsayyes,

ifsheoffered.”

“Iknow.”Rowanclappedhisoldestfriend

ontheback.“Sheknows,too.”

The Lion gazed northward. “Do you think

…wehaven’theardanynewsfromTerrasen.”

“If it had fallen, ifAedion had fallen, we

wouldknow.Peopleherewouldknow.”

Gavrielrubbedathischest.“We’vebeento

war.He’sbeentowar.Foughtonbattlefields

as achild, gods be damned.” Rage flickered

over Gavriel’s face. Not at whatAedion had

done, but what he’d been madetodo by fate

and misfortune. What Gavriel had not been

there to prevent. “But I still dread every day

thatpassesandwehearnothing.Dreadevery

messengerwesee.”

AterrorRowanhadneverknown,different

fromhisfearforhismate,hisqueen.Thefear

ofafatherforhischild.

He didn’t allow himself to look toward

Aelin.Torememberhisdreamswhilehunting

for her. The family he’d seen. The family

they’dmaketogether.

“Wemustconvincethekhaganateroyalsto

march northward when this battle is over,”

Gavrielsworesoftly.

Rowannodded.“Ifwecansmashthisarmy

tomorrow, and convince the royals that

Terrasenistheonlycourseofaction,thenwe

coul dindeed be heading north soon. You

might be fighting at Aedion’s side by

Yulemas.”

Gavriel’s hands clenched at his sides,

tattoos spreading over his knuckles. “If he

willallowmethathonor.”

RowanwouldmakeAedionallowit.Buthe

onlysaid,“GatherElideandLorcan.Theruks

arealmostreadytodepart.”



CHAPTER51

Lorcan lingered by the edge of the ruk

encampment,barelytakinginthemagnificent

birds or their armored riders as they settled

downforthenight.Afew,heknew,wouldnot

yet find their rest, instead bearing them and

needed supplies back to the keep towering

overthecityandplain.

He didn’t care, didn’t marvel that he was

soontobeairborneononeofthoseincredible

beasts.Didn’tcarethattomorrow,theywould

alltakeonthedarkarmygatheredbeyond.

He’d fought in more battles, more wars,

thanhecaredtoremember.Tomorrowwould

belittledifferent,saveforthedemonsthey’d

slay,ratherthanmenorFae.

Demonslikehisformerqueen,apparently.

Hehadoffered himselftoher,hadwanted

her, or believed he did.And shehadlaughed

athim.Hedidn’tknowwhatitmeant.About

her,abouthimself.

He’d thought his darkness, Hellas’s gifts,

had been drawn to her, that they’d been

matched.

Perhaps the dark god had wanted him not

to swear fealty to Maeve, but to kill her. To

getcloseenoughtodoso.

Lorcan didn’t adjust his cape against the

gust offrigid air off thedistant lake. Rather,

he leaned into the cold, into the ice on the

wind.Asifitmightripawaythetruth.

“We’releaving.”

Elide’s low voice cut through the roaring

silenceofhisthoughts.

“Theruksareready,”sheadded.

Therewas nofear orpity onherface, her

black hair gilded by the torches and

campfires.Ofallofthem,she’dmasteredthe

news with little difficulty, stepping upto the

deskasifshe’dbeenbornonabattlefield.

“Ididn’tknow,”hesaid,voicestrained.

Elide knew what he meant. “We have

biggerthingstoworryaboutanyway.”

Hetookasteptowardher.“Ididn’tknow,”

hesaidagain.

Shetippedherheadbacktostudyhisface

andpursedhermouth,amuscletickinginher

jaw.“Doyouwantmetogiveyousomesort

ofabsolutionforit?”

“Iservedherfornearlyfivehundredyears.

Five hundredyears, and I just thought her to

beimmortalandcold.”

“That sounds like the definition of a Valg

tome.”

Hebaredhisteeth.“Youliveforeonsand

seewhatitdoestoyou,Lady.”

“I don’t see why you’re so shocked. Even

with her being immortal and cold, youloved

her. You must have accepted those traits.

What difference does it make what we call

her,then?”

“Ididn’tloveher.”

“Youcertainlyactedlikeyoudid.”

Lorcansnarled,“Whyisthatthepointyou

keep returning to, Elide? Why is it the one

thingyoucannotletgoof?”

“Because I’m trying to understand. How

youcouldcometoloveamonster.”

“Why?” He pushed into her space. She

didn’tbalkonestep.

Indeed, her eyes were blazing as she

hissed, “Because it will help me understand

howIdidthesame.”

Her voice snagged on the last words, and

Lorcanstilledastheysettledintothem.He’d

never…he’dneverhadanyonewho—

“Is it a sickness?” she demanded. “Is it

somethingbrokenwithinyou?”

“Elide.” Her name was a rasp on his lips.

Lorcandaredreachahandforher.

But she pulled out of reach. “If you think

that because you swore the blood oath to

Aelin, it meansanything for you and me,

you’re sorely mistaken. You’re immortal—

I’mhuman. Let us not forgetthat little fact,

either.”

Lorcan nearly recoiled at the words, their

horribletruth.Hewasfivehundredyearsold.

He should walk away—he shouldn’t be so

damned bothered by any of this. And yet

Lorcan snarled, “You’re jealous. That’s what

trulyeatsawayatyou.”

Elidebarkedalaughthathe’dneverheard

before, cruel and sharp. “Jealous? Jealous of

what? That demon you served?” She squared

her shoulders, a wave cresting before it

smashedintotheshore.“TheonlythingthatI

am jealous of, Lorcan, is thatshe is rid of

you.”

Lorcan hated that the words landed like a

blow.Thathehadnodefensesleftwhereshe

wasconcerned.“I’msorry,”he said.“For all

ofit,Elide.”

There, he’d said it, and laid it out before

her.“I’msorry,”herepeated.

But Elide’s face did not warm. “I don’t

care,” she said, turning on her heel. “And I

don’t care if you walk off that battlefield

tomorrow.”

Jealous. The idea of it, of being jealous of

MaeveforcommandingLorcan’saffectionfor

centuries. Elide limped toward the readying

party of ruks, grinding her teeth so hard her

jawached.

She was almost to the first of the saddled

birds when a voice said behind her, “You

shouldhaveignoredhim.”

Elide halted, finding Gavriel following.

“Pardonme?”

TheLion’susuallywarmfacewasgrave—

disapproving.“Youmightaswellhavekicked

amalealreadydown.”

Elide hadn’t uttered a cross word to

Gavriel in allthe time she’d known him,but

shesaid,“Idon’tseehowthisisanyofyour

business.”

“I have never heard Lorcan apologize for

anything.EvenwhenMaevewhippedhimfor

amistake,hedidnotapologizetoher.”

“And that means he earns my

forgiveness?”

“No.Butyouhavetorealizethatheswore

the blood oath to Aelin for you. For no one

else. So he could remain near you. Even

knowing well enough that you will have a

mortallifespan.”

The birds shifted on their feet, rustling

theirwingsinanticipationofflight.

Sheknew.Had knownitthe momenthe’d

knelt beforeAelin. Weekslater, Elide hadn’t

knownwhattodowithit,theknowledgethat

Lorcan had done this for her. The longing to

talk to him, to work with him as they had.

She’d hated herself for it. For not trying to

holdontoherangerlonger.

It was why she’d gone after him tonight.

Not to punish him, but herself. To remind

herself of who he’d sold their queen to, how

profoundlymistakenshehadbeen.

Andherpartinglinetohim…itwasalie.

Adisgusting,hatefullie.

ElideturnedtoGavrielagain.“Idon’t—”

TheLionwasgone.Andforthecoldflight

over the army, then over the sea of darkness

spread between it and the ancient city, even

that wise voice who had whispered for the

entiretyofherlifehadgonequiet.

Nesryn lingered by Salkhi, a hand on her

mount’sfeatheredside,andwatchedtheparty

soar into the skies. The twenty ruks hadn’t

just been bearing Aelin Galathynius and her

companions, Chaol and Yrene included, but

alsomorehealers,supplies,andafewhorses,

hooded and corralled into wooden pens that

the birds could carry. Including Chaol’s own

horse,Farasha.

“IwishIcouldgowiththem,”Bortesighed

fromwhereshewasrubbingdownArcas.“To

fightalongsidetheFae.”

Nesryn gave her an amused, sidelong

glance. “You’ll get that opportunity soon

enough,ifwemarchtoTerrasenafterthis.”

Nearby,adistinctlymalesnortofderision

sounded.

“Go eavesdrop on someone else, Yeran,”

Bortesnappedtowardherbetrothed.

ButtheBerladcaptainonlyansweredback,

“Afinecommanderyouare,mooningoverthe

Faelikeadoe-eyedgirl.”

Borterolledhereyes.“Whentheyteachme

theirkillingtechniquesandIusethemtowipe

you off the map at our next Gathering, you

cantellmeallaboutmymooning.”

The handsome captain stormed over from

his own ruk, and Nesryn ducked her head to

hide her smile, finding herself immensely

interested in brushing Salkhi’s brown

feathers. “You’ll be my wife then, according

to your bargain with my hearth-mother,” he

said,crossinghisarms.“Itwouldbeunseemly

for you to kill your own husband in the

Gathering.”

Borte smiled with poisoned sweetness at

herbetrothed.“I’lljusthavetokillyousome

othertime,then.”

Yerangrinnedback,theportraitofwicked

amusement. “Some other time, then,” he

promised.

Nesryn didn’t fail to note the light that

gleamed in the captain’s eyes. Or the way

Borte bit her lip, just barely, her breath

hitching.

Yeran leaned in to whisper something in

Borte’s ear that made the girl’s eyes widen.

Andapparentlystunnedherenoughthatwhen

Yeran prowled to his ruk, the portrait of

swaggering arrogance, Borte blushed

furiouslyandreturnedtocleaningherruk.

“Don’task,”shemuttered.

Nesryn held up her hands. “I wouldn’t

dreamofit.”

Borte’s blush remained for minutes

afterward,hercleaningnear-frantic.

Easy, graceful steps sounded in the snow,

and Nesryn knew who approached before the

rukhin even straightened to attention. Not at

the fact that Sartaq was prince and Heir, but

thathewastheircaptain.Ofalltherukhinin

thiswar,notjusttheEridunaerie.

Hewavedthemoff,scanningthenightsky

and ruks still soaring, shielded by Rowan

Whitethorn from any enemy arrows that

mightfindtheirmark.Sartaqhadbarelycome

up beside Nesryn when Borte patted Arcas,

tossed her brush into her supply pack, and

walkedintothenight.

Nottogivethemprivacy,Nesrynrealized.

Not whenYeran prowled from hisownruk’s

side aheartbeat later, trailing Borteatalazy

pace.Thegirllookedoverhershoulderonce,

andtherewasanythingbutannoyanceonher

faceasshenotedYeranatherheels.

Sartaq chuckled. “At least they’re a little

moreclearaboutitnow.”

Nesrynsnorted,brushglidingoverSalkhi’s

feathers.“I’masconfusedasever.”

“Theriderswhosetentslieoneithersideof

Borte’saren’t.”

Nesryn’s brows rose, but she smiled.

“Good. Not about the riders, but—about

them.”

“Wardoesstrangethingstopeople.Makes

everythingmoreurgent.”Heranahanddown

thebackofherhead,hisfingerstwininginher

hairbeforehemurmuredinherear,“Cometo

bed.”

Heat flared through her body. “We’ve a

battletolaunchtomorrow.Again.”

“Andadayofdeathhasmademewantto

hold you,” the prince said, giving her that

disarming grin she had no defenses against.

Especiallyas headded, “Anddo other things

withyou.”

Nesryn’s toes curled in her boots. “Then

helpmefinishcleaningSalkhi.”

The prince lunged so fast for the brush

BortehaddiscardedthatNesrynlaughed.



CHAPTER52

The Crochans had returned to their camp in

theFangsandwaited.

Manon and the Thirteen dismounted from

the wyverns. Something churned in her gut

witheachsteptowardGlennis’sfire.Thestrip

ofredfabricattheendofherbraidbecamea

millstone,weighingherheaddown.

TheywerealmosttoGlennis’shearthwhen

BronwenfellintostepbesideManon.

AsterinandSorrel,trailingbehind,tensed,

but neither interfered. Especially not as

Bronwenasked,“Whathappened?”

Manon glanced sidelong at her cousin. “I

asked them to consider their position in this

war.”

Bronwen frowned at the sky, as if

expecting to see the Ironteeth trailing them.

“And?”

“Andwe’llsee,Isuppose.”

“Ithoughtyouwenttheretorallythem.”

“Iwent,”Manonsaid,baringherteeth,“to

makethemcontemplatewhotheywishtobe.”

“I didn’t think Ironteeth were capable of

suchthings.”

Asterinsnarled.“Careful,witch.”

Bronwenthrewheramockingsmileovera

shoulder, then said to Manon, “They let you

walkoutalive?”

“Theydidindeed.”

“Willtheyfight—willtheyturnonMorath

andtheotherIronteeth?”

“I don’t know.” She didn’t. She truly

didn’t.

Bronwenfellsilentforafewsteps.Manon

had just entered the ring of Glennis’s hearth

when the witch said, “We shouldn’t have

botheredtohope,then.”

Manonhadnoanswer,soshewalkedaway,

the Thirteen not giving Bronwen a passing

glance.

Manon found Glennis stirring the coals of

herhearth,thesacredfireinitscenterabright

lickofflamethatneedednowoodtoburn.A

gift from Brannon—a piece of Terrasen’s

queenhere.

Glennis said, “We must move out by

midmorningtomorrow.Itwasdecided:weare

toreturntoourhome-hearths.”

Manon only sat on the rock nearest the

crone, leaving the Thirteen to scrounge up

whatever food they could find. Dorian had

remained back with the wyverns. The last

she’d seen of him minutes ago, a few

Crochans had been approaching him. Either

for pleasure or information, Manon didn’t

know. She doubted he’d share her bed again

anytimesoon.Especiallyifheremainedhell-

bentongoingtoMorath.

Thethoughtdidn’tsitentirelywell.

Manon said to Glennis, “Do you think the

Ironteetharecapableofchange?”

“Youwouldknowthatanswerbest.”

Shedid,andshewasn’twhollycertainshe

liked the conclusion she reached. “Did

Rhiannonthinkwecouldbe?”DidshethinkI

couldbe?

Glennis’s eyes softened, a hint of sorrow

gracingthem asshe added anotherlog tothe

flame.“Yourhalfsisterwasyouropposite,in

so many ways.And like your father in many

regards.Shewasopen,andhonest,andspoke

her feelings, regardless of the consequences.

Brash,somecalledher.Youmightnotknowit

from how they act now,” the crone said,

smirking a bit, “but there were more than a

fewaroundthesevarioushearthswhodisliked

her. Who didn’t want to hear her lectures on

our failing people, on how a better solution

existed. How our peoples might find peace.

Every day, she spoke loudly and to anyone

who might listen about the possibility of a

united Witch Kingdom. The possibility of a

future where we did not need to hide, or be

spread so thin. Many called her a fool.

Thought her a fool especially when she went

tolookforyou.Toseeifyouagreedwithher,

despitewhatyourbloodyhistorysuggested.”

She’d died for that dream, that possibility

ofafuture.Manonhadkilledherforit.

Glennis said, “So did Rhiannon think the

Ironteeth capable ofchange? She might have

beentheonlywitchintheCrochanswhodid,

but she believed it with every shred of her

being.” Her sagging throat bobbed. “She

believed you two could rule it together—the

Witch Kingdom. You would lead the

Ironteeth,andshetheCrochans,andtogether

youwouldrebuildwhatfracturedlongago.”

“Andnowthereisjustme.”Jugglingboth.

“Nowitisjustyou.”Glennis’sstareturned

direct,unforgiving.“Abridgebetweenus.”

Manon accepted the plate of foodAsterin

handedherbeforetheSecondsatbesideher.

Asterin said, “The Ironteeth will turn.

You’llsee.”

Sorrel grunted from the nearest rock,

disagreementwrittenacrossherface.

Asterin gave Manon’s Third a vulgar

gesture.“They’llturn.Iswearit.”

Glennis offered a small smile, but Manon

saidnothingasshedugintoherfood.

Hope, she had told Elide all those months

ago.

Butperhapstherewouldbenoneforthem

afterall.

Dorianlingeredbythewyvernstoanswerthe

questions of the Crochanswhoeitherdid not

wanttoorwereperhapstooskittishtoaskthe

ThirteenwhathadoccurredintheFerianGap.

No, a host was not rallying behind them.

No,noonehadtrackedthem.Yes,Manonhad

spoken to the Ironteeth and asked them to

join. Yes, they had gotten in and out alive.

Yes, she had spoken as both Ironteeth and

Crochan.

At least, Asterin had told him so on the

long flight back here. Speaking to Manon,

discussing their next steps … He didn’t

bother.Notyet.

And whenAsterin herself had gone quiet,

he’dfallendeepintothought.Mulledoverall

he’dseenintheFerianGap,everytwistedhall

and chamber and pit that reeked of pain and

fear.

WhathisfatherandErawanhadbuilt.The

sortofkingdomhe’dinherited.

The Wyrdkeys stirred, whispering. Dorian

ignored them and ran a hand over Damaris’s

hilt. The gold remained warm despite the

bittercold.

Aswordoftruth,yes,butalsoreminderof

what Adarlan had once been. What it might

becomeagain.

Ifhedidnotfalter.Didnotdoubthimself.

Forwhatevertimehehadleft.

Hecouldmakeitright.Allofit.Hecould

makeitright.

Damaris heated in silent comfort and

confirmation.

Dorian left the small crowd of Crochans

and strode to a sliver of land overlooking a

deadly plunge to a snow-and-rock-strewn

chasm.

Brutal mountains rippled away in every

direction,buthecasthisgazetothesoutheast.

ToMorath,loomingfarbeyondsight.

He’d been able to shift into a raven that

night in the Eyllwe forest. Now he supposed

heonlyneededtolearnhowtofly.

He reached inward, to that eddy of raw

power. Warmth bloomed in him, bones

groaning,theworldwidening.

He opened his beak, and a throaty caw

crackedfromhim.

Stretching out his sooty wings, Dorian

begantopractice.



CHAPTER53

Someonehadsetfiretoherthigh.

NotAelin,becauseAelinwasgone,sealed

in an iron sarcophagus and taken across the

sea.

But someone had burned her down to the

bone, so thoroughly that the slightest of

movements on wherever she lay—a bed? A

cot?—sentagonysearingthroughher.

Lysandra cracked open her eyes, a low

groanworkingitswayupherparchedthroat.

“Easy,”adeepvoicerumbled.

Sheknewthatvoice.Knewthescent—like

aclearbrookandnewgrass.Aedion.

She dragged her eyes, heavy and burning,

towardthesound.

His shining hair hung limp, matted with

blood. And those turquoise eyes were

smudged with purple beneath—and utterly

bleak.Empty.

A rough tent stood around them, the sole

light provided by a lantern swinging in the

bitter wind that crept in through the flaps.

She’d beenpiled high with blankets, though

he sat on an overturned bucket, still in his

armor,withnothingtowarmhim.

Lysandrapeeledhertongueofftheroofof

her mouth and listened to the world beyond

thedimtent.

Chaos.Shouting.Somemenscreaming.

“We yielded Perranth,” Aedion said

hoarsely.“We’vebeenontherunfortwodays

now. Another three days, and we’ll  reach

Orynth.”

Her brows narrowed slightly. She’d been

unconsciousforthatlong?

“We had to put you in a wagon with the

other wounded. Tonight’s the first we’ve

dared to stop.” The strong column of his

throat bobbed. “A storm struck to the south.

It’sslowedMorathdown—justenough.”

Shetriedtoswallowagainstthedrynessin

her throat. The last she remembered, she’d

beenfacingthoseilken,neversoawareofthe

limitations of a mortal body, of how even

Aelin, who seemed so tall as she swaggered

through the world, was dwarfed by the

creatures. Then those claws had ripped into

herleg.Andshe’dmanagedtomakeaperfect

swing.Totakeoneofthemdown.

“You rallied our army,” he said. “We lost

thebattle,buttheydidn’truninshame.”

Lysandra managed to pull a hand from

beneaththeblankets,andstrainedforthejug

of water set beside the bed. Aedion was

instantlyinmotion,fillingacup.

But as her fingers closed around it, she

notedtheircolor,theirshape.

Herownhands.Herownarm.

“You … shifted,”Aedion said, noting her

widened eyes. “While the healer was sewing

up your leg. I think the pain …You shifted

backintothisbody.”

Horror, roaring and nauseating, roiled

through her. “How many saw?” Her first

words,eachasroughanddryassandpaper.

“Don’tworryaboutit.”

She gulped down the water. “They all

know?”

Asolemnnod.

“Whatdidyoutellthem—aboutAelin?”

“Thatshehasbeenoffonavitalquestwith

Rowanandtheothers.Andthatitissosecret

wedonotdarespeakofit.”

“Arethesoldiers—”

“Don’t worry about it,” he repeated. But

shecouldseeitinhisface.Thestrain.

They had rallied to their queen, only to

realizeithadbeenanillusion.Thatthemight

oftheFire-Bringerwasnotwiththem.Would

not shield them against the army at their

heels.

“I’msorry,”shebreathed.

Aediontooktheemptycupofwaterbefore

hegrippedherhand,squeezinggently.“I am

sorry, Lysandra. For all of it.” His throat

bobbedagain.“WhenIsawtheilken,whenI

sawyouagainstthem…”

Useless. Lying bitch. The words he’d

thrown at her, raged at her, dragged her

further from the haze of pain. Sharpened her

focus.

“You did this,” he said, voice lowering,

“forTerrasen.ForAelin.Youwerewillingto

dieforit,godsabove.”

“Iwas.”Herwordscameoutcoldassteel.

Aedion blinked as she withdrew her hand

fromhis.Herlegachedandthrobbed,butshe

managedtositup.Tomeethisstare.“Ihave

been degraded and humiliated in so many

ways, for so many years,” she said, voice

shaking. Not from fear, but from the tidal

wave that swept up everything inside her,

burningalongsidethewoundinherleg.“ButI

havenever felt as humiliated as I did when

youthrewmeintothesnow.Whenyoucalled

me a lying bitch in front of our friends and

allies.Never.” She hated the angry tears that

stung her eyes. “I was once forced to crawl

beforemen.Andgodsabove,Inearlycrawled

for you these months. And yet it takes me

nearly dying for you to realize that you’ve

beenanass?Ittakesmenearlydyingforyou

toseemeashumanagain?”

He didn’t hide the regret in his eyes. She

had spent years reading men and knew that

every agonized emotion in his face was

genuine. But it didn’t erase what had been

said,anddone.

Lysandra put a hand on her chest, right

over her own shredded heart. “I wanted it to

beyou,”shesaid.“After Wesley,after allof

it,Iwantedittobeyou.WhatAelinaskedme

todohadnobearingonthat.Whatsheasked

me to do never felt like a burden, because I

wanted it to beyou in the end anyway.” She

didn’twipe awaythe tearsthat slipped down

her cheeks. “And you threw me into the

snow.”

Aedion slid to his knees. Reached for her

hand. “I will never stop regretting it.

Lysandra, I will never forget a second of it,

never stop hating myself for it.And I am so

—”

“Don’t.” She snatched back her hand.

“Don’t kneel. Don’t bother.” She pointed to

thetentflaps.“There’snothingIhaveleftto

saytoyou.Oryoutome.”

Agony again rippled across his face, but

sheshutoutwhatitdidtoher.Whatitdidto

her to see Aedion rise to his feet, groaning

softly at some unspecified ache in his

powerful body. For a few breaths, he just

stareddownather.

Then he said, “I meant every promise I

madetoyouonthatbeachinSkull’sBay.”

Andthenhewasgone.

Aedion had spent a good portion of his life

hating himself for the various things he’d

done.

But seeing the tears on Lysandra’s face

becauseofhim…He’dneverfeltlikemoreof

abastard.

He barely heard the soldiers around him,

tense and skittish in the snow that blew

between their quickly erected tents. How

manymorewoundedwoulddietonight?

He’d already pulled rank to get Lysandra

carefrom the best healers they had left.And

still it was not good enough, the healers not

gifted magically. And despite Lysandra’s

quicker healing abilities, they’d still had to

stitch up her leg. And now changed the

bandages every fewhours. The wound had

sealed,mercifully,likelyfastenoughtoavoid

infection.

Many of the injured amongst them could

not say the same. The rotting wounds, the

festering blood within their veins … Every

morning,moreandmorebodieshadbeenleft

behindinthesnow,thegroundtoofrozenand

withnotimetoburnthem.

Food for Erawan’s beasts, the soldiers

murmured when they’d moved out. They

mightaswelloffertheenemyafreemeal.

Aedionshutdownthattalk,alongwithany

sort of hissing about their flight and defeat.

By the time they’d camped tonight, a good

third of the soldiers, members of the Bane

included, had been assigned various tasks to

keepthembusy.Tomakethemsotiredaftera

day’sfleeingthattheydidn’thavetheenergy

togrumble.

Aedion aimed for his own tent, set just

outside the healers’ ring of tents where

Lysandra lay. Giving her a private tent had

been another privilege he’d used his rank to

acquire.

He’d almost reached the small tent—no

use in building his full war tent when they’d

be running again in a few hours—when he

spottedthefigureshuddledbythefireoutside.

Heslowedhisstepstoastalkinggait.

Renrosetohisfeet,hisfacetightbeneath

hisheavyhood.

Yet it was the man beside Ren who made

Aedion’s temper honeitself into a dangerous

thing.

“Darrow,” he said. “I would have thought

you’dbeinOrynthbynow.”

The lord bundled in furs did not smile. “I

cametodeliverthemessagemyself.Sincemy

most trusted courier seems inclined to select

anotherallegiance.”

The old bastard knew, then. About

Lysandra’s masquerading asAelin.And Nox

Owen’s role in moving their army out of his

grasp.

“Let’sgetitoverwith,then,”Aedionsaid.

Rentensed,butsaidnothing.

Darrow’sthinlipscurvedinacruelsmile.

“For your acts of recklessrebellion, for your

failure to heed our command and take your

troopswheretheywereordered,foryourutter

defeat at the border and the loss of Perranth,

youarestrippedofyourrank.”

Aedionbarelyheardthewords.

“Consider yourself now a soldier in the

Bane, if they’ll have you. And as for the

imposter you’ve paraded around …”A sneer

towardthehealers’tents.

Aedionsnarled.

Darrow’s eyes narrowed. “If she is again

caught pretending to be Princess Aelin”—

Aedion almost ripped out his throat at that

wor d,Princess—“then we will have little

choicebuttosignherexecutionorder.”

“I’dliketoseeyoutry.”

“I’dliketoseeyoustopus.”

Aedion smirked. “Oh, it’s not me who

you’dbedealingwith.Goodlucktoanyman

whotriestoharmashifterthatpowerful.”

Darrowignoredthepromiseandheldouta

hand.“TheSwordofOrynth,ifyouwill.”

Ren started. “You’re out of your mind,

Darrow.”

Aedion just stared. The ancient lord said,

“That sword belongs to a true general of

Terrasen,toitsprince-commander.Asyouare

no longer the bearer of that title, the sword

shall return to Orynth. Until a new,

appropriatebearercanbedetermined.”

Ren growled, “That sword is in our

possession, Darrow, because of Aedion. Had

henotwonitback,itwouldstillberustingin

Adarlan’strove.”

“Hewillalwayshaveourgratitudeforit.If

onlyinthatregard,atleast.”

AdullroarfilledAedion’shead.Darrow’s

handremainedextended.

He deserved this, he supposed. For his

failure on these battlefields, his failure to

defend the land he’d promised Aelin he’d

save. For what he’d done to the shifter who

had held his heart from the moment she’d

shredded into those Valg soldiers in the

sewersofRifthold.

Aedion unbuckled the ancient sword from

hisbelt.Renletoutasoundofprotest.

But he ignored the lord and tossed the

SwordofOrynthtoDarrow.

The lightness where that sword had been

threwoffhisbalance.

The old man stared at the sword in his

hands.Evenwentsofarastorunafingerover

the bone pommel, the hateful bastard unable

tocontainhisawe.

Aedionjustsaid,“TheSwordofOrynthis

onlyapieceofmetalandbone.Italwayshas

been. It’s what the sword inspires in the

bearer that matters. The true heart of

Terrasen.”

“Poetic of you, Aedion,” was Darrow’s

replybeforeheturnedonhisheel,aimingfor

whereverhisescortwaitedbeyondthecamp’s

edge. “Your commander, Kyllian, is now

general of the Bane. Report to him for

orders.”

The swirling snows devoured the old lord

withinafewsteps.

Rensnarled,“Likehellyouaren’tgeneral.”

“TheLordsofTerrasendecreeit,andsoit

shallbe.”

“Whyaren’tyoufightingthis?”Ren’seyes

blazed.“Youjusthandedoverthatsword—”

“Idon’tgiveashit.”Aediondidn’tbother

to keep his exhaustion, his disappointment

andanger,fromhisvoice.“Lethimhavethe

sword,andthearmy.Idon’tgiveashit.”

Rendidn’tstophimasAedionduckedinto

histentanddidn’temergeuntildawn.

The Lords of Terrasen had stripped General

Ashryverofhissword.

The word spread from campfire to

campfire,ripplingthroughtheranks.

ThesoldierwasnewtotheBane,hadbeen

accepted into their ranks only this summer.

An honor, even with war upon them. An

honor,thoughthesoldier’sfamilyhadweptto

seehimdepart.

To fight for Prince Aedion, to fight for

Terrasen—it had been worthit,theweightof

leaving his farmstead home behind. Leaving

behind that sweet-faced farmer’s daughter

whom he’d never gotten the chance to so

muchaskiss.

Ithadbeenworthitthen.Butnotnow.

The friends he’d made in the months of

trainingandfightingweredead.

Huddled around the too-small campfire,

the soldier was the last of them, the fresh-

faced recruits who’d been so eager to test

themselves against the Valg at the start of

summer.

Inthe dead heart ofwinter,henow called

himselfafool.Ifhebotheredtospeakatall.

Words had become unnecessary, foreign.

As foreign as his half-frozen body, which

neverwarmed,thoughhesleptasclosetothe

fireashedared.Ifsleepfoundhim,withthe

screaming of the wounded and dying. The

knowledgeofwhathuntedthemnorthward.

There was no one left to help them. Save

them.Thequeenthey’dthoughtamongstthem

had been a lie. A shape-shifter’s deception.

Where Aelin Galathynius now fought, what

shehaddeemedmoreimportantthanthem,he

didn’tknow.

The frigid night pressed in, threatening to

devourthesmallfirebeforehim.Thesoldier

inchedclosertotheflame,shudderingbeneath

his worn cloak, every ache and scrape from

thedaythrobbing.

He wouldn’t abandon this army, though.

Not as some of the others were murmuring.

EvenwithPrinceAedionstrippedofhistitle,

even with their queen gone, he wouldn’t

abandonthisarmy.

He had sworn anoath to protect Terrasen.

Toprotecthisfamily.He’dholdtoit.

Evenifhenow knewhe’dneverseethem

again.

Snow was still falling when they renewed

theirflight.

Itfellforthenexttwodays,chasingthem

northwardforeachlongmile.

Darrow’sdecreehadlittlebearing.Kyllian

outright refused to make any calls without

Aedion’s approval. Refused to don armor

fitting of his rank. Refused to take the war

tent.

Aedionknewhe’dearnedthatloyaltylong

ago. Just as the Bane had earned his. But it

didn’tstophimfromhatingit,justabit.From

wishingKyllianwouldtakeoverinfull.

Lysandra’sleg was healed enoughto ride,

buthesawlittleofher.ShekepttoRen’sside,

the two of them traveling near the healers,

should her stitches pull. When Aedion did

glimpse her, she often staredhim down until

hewantedtovomit.

Bythethirdday,thescoutswererushingto

them. Reporting that Morath had gained, and

wasclosinginbehind—fast.

Aedionknewhowthiswouldgo.Sawevery

trudging step and hunger-tight face around

him.

Orynth was half a day off. Were it over

easy terrain, they might stand a chance of

getting behind its ancient walls. But between

them and the city lay the Florine River. Too

wide to cross without boats. The nearest

bridgetoofarsouthtorisk.

At this time of the year, it still might not

yethavefrozen.Andevenso,withtheriverso

wide and deep, the layer of ice that often

coated it only went so far. For their army to

cross,they’dhavetorisktheicecollapsing.

There were other ways to Orynth. To go

straightnorthintotheStaghorns,andcutback

southtothecitynestledattheirfoot.Buteach

hour delayed allowed Morath’s host to gain

ground.

Aedion was riding beside Kyllian when

Elgangallopedupbesidethem,horsepuffing

curlsofhotairintothesnow-thickday.“The

riveristenmilesstraightahead,”Elgansaid.

“Wehavetomakeourdecisionnow.”

Toriskthebridgetothesouth,orthetime

it’d take to go to the long route northward.

Ren,spottingtheirgathering,urgedhishorse

closer.

Kyllianwaitedfortheorder.Aedionarched

abrow.“You’rethegeneral.”

“Horseshit,”Kyllianspat.

AediononlyturnedtoElgan.“Anywordon

thestatusoftheice?”

Elgan shook his head. “No word on it, or

thebridge.”

Endless, whirling snow lay ahead.Aedion

didn’t dare glance behind at the trudging,

stoopinglinesofsoldiers.

Ren,assilentlyashe’dcome,pulledback

towhereherodeatLysandra’sside.

Wings fluttered through the wind and

snow, and then a falcon was shooting

skyward, one leg awkwardly straight beneath

it.

“Keep riding,” was allAedion said to his

companions.

Lysandra returned within an hour. She

addressed Ren and Ren alone, and then the

young lord was galloping to Aedion’s side,

whereKyllianandElganstillrode.

Ren’sfacehadgoneashen.“There’snoice

on the Florine. And Morath scouts snuck

aheadandrazedthesouthernbridge.”

“They’re herding us northward,” Elgan

murmured.

Ren nodded. “They’ll be upon us by

tomorrowmorning.”

They would not have time to consider

making a run for the northern entrance to

Orynth. And with the Florine mere miles

ahead, too wide and deep to cross, too frigid

to dare swim, and Morath closing in from

behind,theywereutterlytrapped.



CHAPTER54

Chaol hand-fed an apple to Farasha, the

beautiful black mare skittish after her

unprecedentedflight.

It seemed even Hellas’s horse could be

frightened, though Chaol supposed any wise

person would find dangling hundreds of feet

intheairtobeunnerving.

“Someone else could do that for you.”

Leaning against the stable wall of the keep,

Yrene watched him work, monitoring each

deeplylimpingstep.“Youshouldrest.”

Chaol shook his head. “She doesn’t know

what the hell is happening. I’d like to try to

calmherbeforeshebedsdown.”

Before battle tomorrow—before they

might stand a chance of actually saving

Anielle.

He was still working through all that had

transpired these months he’d been gone. The

battles and losses. Where Dorian had gone

with Manon and the Thirteen. Chaol could

onlyprayhisfriendwassuccessful—andthat

he didn’t take it upon himself to forge the

Lock.

Needing to unravel all he’d learned, he’d

leftAelinandtheothersneartheGreatHallto

find whatever food they could, immediately

bringingFarashadownherewithhim.Mostly

forthesafetyofeveryonearoundtheMuniqi

horse,sinceFarashahadtriedtotakeachunk

outofthesoldiernearestherthemomenther

hood had come off. Even the hood hadn’t

concealed from her what, exactly, was

happening to the oversized crate they’d

buckledherinto.

But Farasha hadn’t bitten off his hand

before she nibbled at the apple, so Chaol

prayedshe’dforgivehimfortheroughflight.

Part of him half wondered if the mare knew

that his back ached, that he needed his cane,

butthathechosetobehere.

Heranahanddownherebonymane,then

patted her strong neck. “Ready to trample

someValggruntstomorrow,myfriend?”

Farasha huffed, angling a dark eye at him

asiftosay,Areyou?

Chaolsmiled,andYrenelaughedsoftly.“I

should head back to the hall,” his wife said.

“Seewhoneedshelp.”Butshelingered.

Their eyes met over Farasha’s powerful

back.

Hecamearoundthehorse,stillmindfulof

herbiting.“Iknow,”hesaidquietly.

Yreneangledherhead.“Knowwhat?”

Chaol interlaced their fingers. And then

laidtheirhandsatopherstill-flatabdomen.

“Oh,” was all Yrene said, her mouth

poppingopen.“I—How?”

Chaol’sheartthundered.“It’strue,then.”

Hergoldeneyesscannedhis.“Doyouwant

ittobe?”

Chaolslidahandagainsthercheek.“More

thanIeverrealized.”

Yrene’ssmilewaswideandlovelyenough

tofracturehisheart.“It’strue,”shebreathed.

“Howfaralong?”

“Almosttwomonths.”

He studied her stomach, the place that

would soon swell with the child growing

inside her. Their child. “You didn’t tell me,

I’massuming,becauseyoudidn’twantmeto

worry.”

Yrenebitherlip.“Somethinglikethat.”

Hesnorted.“Andwhenyouwerewaddling

around,bellynearbursting?”

Yrenewhackedhisarm.“I’mnotgoingto

waddle.”

Chaol laughed, and tugged her into his

arms.“You’ll waddlebeautifully,was whatI

meant to say.”Yrene’s laughter reverberated

intohim,andChaolkissedthetopofherhead,

her temple. “We’re having a child,” he

murmuredontoherhair.

Herarmscamearoundhim.“Weare,”she

whispered.“Buthowdidyouknow?”

“My father,” Chaol grumbled, “apparently

possesses better observational skills than I

do.”

Hefelt,morethansaw,hercringe.“You’re

notangryIdidn’ttellyou?”

“No. I would have appreciated hearing it

fromyourlipsfirst,butIunderstandwhyyou

didn’t want to say anything yet. Stupid as it

mightbe,”headded,nippingatherear.Yrene

jabbedhimintheribs,andhelaughedagain.

Laughed,eventhougheverydaythey’dfought

inthisbattle,everyopponenthe’dfaced,he’d

dreaded making a fatal mistake. Had been

unable to forget that should he fall, he’d be

takingthembothwithhim.

Herarmstightenedaroundhim,andYrene

nestledherheadagainsthischest.“You’llbe

abrilliantfather,”she saidsoftly. “Themost

brilliantonetoeverexist.”

“High praise indeed, coming from a

woman who wanted to toss me from the

highest window of the Torre a few months

ago.”

“A healer would never be so

unprofessional.”

Chaol grinned, and breathed in her scent

before he pulled backand brushedhismouth

against hers. “I am happier than I can ever

express, Yrene, to share this with you.

Anythingyouneed,Iamyourstocommand.”

Her lips twitched upward. “Dangerous

words.”

ButChaolranhisthumboverherwedding

band.“I’llhavetowinthiswarquickly,then,

soIcanhaveourhousebuiltbythesummer.”

She rolled her eyes. “A noble reason to

defeatErawan.”

Chaol stole another kiss from her. “As

much as I would like to show you just how

muchIamatyourcommand,”hesaidagainst

hermouth,“Ihaveanothermattertodealwith

beforebed.”

Yrene’sbrowsrose.

Hegrimaced.“IneedtointroduceAelinto

my father. Before they run into each other.”

The man hadn’t been near the hall when

they’d arrived, and Chaol had been too

worried for Farasha’s well-being to bother

huntinghimdown.

Yrenecringed,thoughamusementsparked

in her eyes. “Is it bad if I want to join you?

Andbringsnacks?”

Chaol slung an arm around her shoulders,

giving Farasha a farewell stroke before they

left.Despitethecane,eachstepwaslimping,

andthepaininhisbacklanceddownhislegs,

but it was secondary. All of it, even the

damned war, was secondary to the woman at

hisside.

Tothefuturethey’dbuildtogether.

As well as Yrene’s conversation with Chaol

had gone, that’s how badly things went

betweenAelinGalathyniusandhisfather.

Yrene didn’t bring snacks, but that was

only because by the time they reached the

Great Hall, they had intercepted his father.

Storming toward the room where Aelin and

hercompanionshadgoneforareprieve.

“Father,” Chaol said, falling into step

besidehim.

Yrene said nothing, monitoring Chaol’s

movements. The pain in his back had to be

great, if he was limping this deeply, even

while her magic refilled. She had no idea

where he’d left his chair—if it had been

crushedunderfallingdebris.Sheprayedithad

not.

His father snapped, “You fail to wake me

when the Queen of Terrasen arrives at my

castle?”

“It wasn’t a priority.” Chaol halted before

the door that opened into the small chamber

that had been vacated for the queen and

knocked.

A grunt was the only confirmation before

Yrene’s husband shouldered open the door

enoughtopokehishead inside. “Myfather,”

Chaolsaidtowhoeverwasinside,presumably

thequeen,“wouldliketoseeyou.”

Silence, then the rustling of clothes and

steps.

Yrene kept back as Aelin Galathynius

appeared, her face and hands clean, but

clothes still dirty. At her side stood that

towering, silver-haired Fae warrior—Rowan

Whitethorn. Whom the royals had spoken of

withsuchfearandrespectmonthsago.Inthe

room, Lady Elide sat against the far wall, a

tray of food beside her, and the giant white

wolf lay sprawled on the ground, monitoring

withhalf-liddedeyes.

A shock to see the shift, to realize these

Fae might be powerful and ancient, but they

still had one foot in the forest. The queen, it

seemed, preferred the form as well, her

delicately pointed ears half-hidden by her

unboundhair.Behindher,therewasnosignof

the golden-haired, melancholy warrior,

Gavriel, or the utterly terrifying Lorcan.

ThankSilbaforthat,atleast.

Aelin left the door open, though their two

court members remained seated. Bored,

almost.

“Well,now,” wasallthequeensaidasshe

steppedintothehall.

Chaol’s father looked over the warrior-

prince at her side. Then he turned his head

towardChaolandsaid,“Iassumetheymetin

Wendlyn.Afteryousentherthere.”

Yrene tensed at the taunting in the man’s

voice.Bastard.Horriblebastard.

Aelin clicked her tongue. “Yes, yes, let’s

get all that out of the way. Though I don’t

think your son really regrets it, does he?”

Aelin’seyesshiftedtoYrene,andYrenetried

not to flinch under that turquoise-and-gold

stare.Differentfromthefireshe’dbeheldthat

night in Innish, but still full of that razor-

sharp awareness. Different—they were both

different from the girls they’d been.A smile

curved the queen’s mouth. “I think he made

out rather well for himself.” She frowned up

ather consort. “Yrene,at least, doesn’t seem

likethesorttohog theblanketsand snorein

one’searallnight.”

Yrene coughed as Prince Rowan only

smiled at the queen. “I don’t mind your

snoring,”hesaidmildly.

Aelin’smouthtwitchedwhensheturnedto

Chaol’s father.Yrene’s own laughter died at

thelackoflightontheman’sface.Chaolwas

tense asa drawnbowstringasthequeensaid

to his father, “Don’t waste your breath on

taunts.I’mtired,andhungry,anditwon’tend

wellforyou.”

“Thisismykeep.”

Aelin made a good show of gaping at the

ceiling,thewalls,thefloors.“Isitreally?”

Yrene had to duck her head to hide her

grin.SodidChaol.

But Aelin said to the Lord of Anielle, “I

trustyou’renotgoingtogetinourway.”

Alineinthesand.Yrene’sbreathcaught in

herthroat.

Chaol’s fathersaid simply,“Last I looked

youwerenotQueenofAdarlan.”

“No, but your son is Hand to the King,

which means he outranks you.”Aelin smiled

with horrific sweetness at Chaol. “Haven’t

youtoldhimthat?”

Yrene and Aelin were no longer the girls

they’d been in Innish, yes, but that wildfire

still remained in the queen’s spirit. Wildfire

touchedwithinsanity.

Chaol shrugged. “I figured I’d tell him

whenthetimearose.”

Hisfatherglowered.

Prince Rowan, however, said to the man,

“You’ve defended and prepared your people

admirably.Wehavenoplanstotakethatfrom

you.”

“I don’t need the approval of Fae brutes,”

thelordsneered.

Aelin clapped Rowan on the shoulder.

“Brute. I like that. Better than ‘buzzard,’

right?”

Yrene had no idea what the queen was

talking about, but she held in her laugh

anyway.

AelinsketchedamockingbowtotheLord

ofAnielle.“Onthatlovelypartingnote,we’re

going to finish up our dinners. Enjoy your

evening, we’ll see you on the battlements

tomorrow,andpleasedorotinhell.”

Then Aelin was turning away, a hand

guidingherhusbandinside.Butnotbeforethe

queenthrewagrinoverhershouldertoYrene

andChaolandsaid,eyesbright—withjoyand

warmththistime,“Congratulations.”

Howsheknew,Yrenehadnoidea.Butthe

Faepossessedapreternaturalsenseofsmell.

Yrenesmiledallthesameasshebowedher

head—justbeforeAelinslammedthedoorin

theLordofAnielle’sface.

Chaol turned to his father, any hint of

amusement expertly hidden. “Well, you saw

her.”

Chaol’s father shook with what Yrene

supposed was a combination of rage and

humiliation, and stalked away. It was one of

thefinestsightsYrenehadeverseen.

FromChaol’ssmile,sheknewherhusband

feltthesame.

“Whatahorribleman.”Elidefinishedoffher

chicken leg before handing the other to

Fenrys, who had shifted back into his Fae

form. He tore into it with a growl of

appreciation.“PoorLordChaol.”

Aelin,herachinglegsstretchedoutbefore

herassheleanedagainstthewall,finishedoff

her own portion of chicken, then dug into a

hunk of dark bread. “Poor Chaol, poor his

mother, poor his brother. Poor everyone who

hastodealwithhim.”

At the lone, narrow window of the room,

monitoring the dark army hundreds of feet

below, Rowan snorted. “You were in rare

formtonight.”

Aelinsaluted him with herhunkofhearty

oaten bread. “Anyone who interrupts my

dinnerriskspayingtheprice.”

Rowan rolled his eyes, but smiled. Just as

Aelin had seen him smile when they’d both

scentedwhatwasonYrene.Thechildinher.

She was happy forYrene—for them both.

Chaol deserved that joy, perhaps more than

anyone.Asmuchasherownmate.

Aelindidn’tletthethoughtstravelfurther.

Notasshefinishedherbreadandcametothe

window,leaningagainstRowan’sside.Heslid

anarmaroundhershoulders,casualandeasy.

NoneofthemmentionedMaeve.

Elide and Fenrys continued eating in

silence, giving them what privacythey could

in the small, bare room they’d be sharing,

sleeping on bedrolls. The Lord ofAnielle, it

seemed, did not share her appreciation for

luxury.Orbasiccomfortsforhisguests.Like

hotbaths.Orbeds.

“The men are terrified,” Rowan said,

gazing out at the levels of the keep below.

“Youcansmellit.”

“They’veheldthiskeepfordaysnow.They

knowwhat’swaitingforthematdawn.”

“Their fear,” Rowan said, his jaw

tightening, “is proof they do not trust our

allies. Proof they don’t trust the khagan’s

army to actually save them. It will make for

sloppy fighters. Could create a weakness

wherethereshouldn’tbeone.”

“Perhaps you should have told Chaol,”

Aelin said. “He could give them some

motivationalspeech.”

“I have a feeling Chaol has given them

plenty.Thissortoffearrotsthesoul.”

“What’stobedoneforit,then?”

Rowanshookhishead.“Idon’tknow.”

Butshesensedhedidknow.Sensedthathe

wantedtosaysomethingelse,andeithertheir

current company or some sort of hesitation

barredhim.

So Aelin didn’t push, and surveyed the

battlements with theirpatrolling soldiers, the

sprawling, dark army beyond. Baying cries

andhowlsrentthenight,thesoundsunearthly

enoughthattheydraggedashudderdownher

spine.

“Isalandbattleeasierorworsethanoneat

sea?” Aelin asked her husband, her mate,

peeringathistattooedface.

She’donlyfaced the ships inSkull’sBay,

and even that had been overrelatively

quickly.Andagainsttheilkenwho’dswarmed

themintheStoneMarshes,ithadbeenmore

an extermination than anything. Not what

awaitedthemtomorrow.Notwhatherfriends

had fought on the Narrow Sea while she and

Manon had been in the mirror, then with

Maeveonthebeach.

Rowanconsidered.“They’rejustasmessy,

butindifferentways.”

“I’d rather fight on land,” Fenrys

grumbled.

“Because no one likes the smell of wet

dog?”Aelinaskedoverhershoulder.

Fenryslaughed.“Exactlybecauseofthat.”

Atleasthewassmilingagain.

Rowan’smouthtwitched,buthiseyeswere

hard as he surveyed the enemy army.

“Tomorrow’sbattlewillbejustasbrutal,”he

said.“Buttheplanissound.”

They’d be on the battlements with Chaol,

readyingforanydesperatemaneuversMorath

might attempt when they found themselves

being herded and crushed by the khagan’s

army. Elide would be with Yrene and the

other healers in the Great Hall, helping the

injured.

WhereLorcanandGavrielwouldbe,Aelin

couldonlyassume.Bothhadpeeledoffupon

arriving, the latter taking watch somewhere,

and the former likely brooding. But they’d

probablybefightingrightalongsidethem.

As if her thoughts had summoned him,

Gavriel slipped into the room. “The army

looks quiet enough,” he said by way of

greeting,thenunceremoniouslydroppedtothe

floor beside Fenrys and hauled the platter of

chicken toward him. “The men are rife with

fear, though. Days of defending these walls

havewornonthem.”

Rowan nodded, not bothering to tell the

Lion they’d just discussed this as Gavriel

rippedintothefood.“We’llhavetomakesure

theydon’tbalktomorrow,then.”

Indeed.

“I was wondering,” Elide said to none of

them in particular after a moment. “Since

Maeve is an imposter, who would rule

Doranelle if she was banished with all the

otherValg?”

“Orburnedtoacrisp,”Fenrysmuttered.

Aelin might have smiled grimly, but

Elide’squestionsettledintoher.

Gavrielslowlysetdownthechicken.

Rowan’s arm dropped from Aelin’s

shoulders. His pine-green eyes were wide.

“You.”

Aelin blinked. “There are others from

Mab’sline.Galan,orAedion—”

“The throne passes through the maternal

line—to a female only. Or it should have,”

Rowan said. “You’re the sole female with a

direct,undilutedclaimtoMab’sbloodline.”

“And your household, Rowan,” Gavriel

said.“Someoneinyourhouseholdwouldhave

aclaimonMora’shalfofthethrone.”

“Sellene. It would go to her.” Even as a

prince,Rowan’sownheritageconnectinghim

to Mora’s bloodline had thinned to the point

ofbeinginnameonly.Aelinwasmoreclosely

related to Elide, probably to Chaol, too, than

she was to Rowan, despite their distant

ancestry.

“Well, Sellene can have it,” Aelin said,

wiping her hands of dust that was not there.

“Doranelle’shers.”

She wouldn’t set foot in that city again,

Maeveorno.Shewasn’tsureifthatmadeher

a coward. She didn’t dare reach for her

magic’scomfortingrumble.

“The Little Folk truly knew,” Fenrys

mused,rubbinghisjaw.“Whatyouwere.”

They had always known her, the Little

Folk. Had saved her life ten years ago, and

saved their lives these past few weeks. They

hadknownher,andleftgiftsforher.Tribute,

she’dthought,toBrannon’sHeir.Notto…

Gavriel murmured, “The Faerie Queen of

theWest.”

Silence.

Aelinblurted,“Isthatanactualtitle?”

“It is now,” Fenrys muttered. Aelin shot

himalook.

“With Sellene as the Fae Queen of the

East,”Rowanmused.

Noonespokeforagoodminute.

Aelin sighed up at the ceiling. “What’s

anotherfancytitle,Isuppose?”

Theydidn’tanswer,andAelintriednotto

let the weight of that title settle too heavily.

All it implied. That she might not only look

aftertheLittleFolkonthiscontinent,butwith

thecadre,beginanewhomelandforanyFae

who might wishto join them. For any of the

Fae who had survived the slaughter in

Terrasen ten years ago and might wish to

return.

Afool’sdream.Onethatshewouldlikely

notcometosee.Tocreate.

“The Faerie Queen of the West,” Aelin

said,tastingthewordsonhertongue.

Wondering how long she’d get to call

herselfsuch.

From the heavy quiet, she knew her

companions were contemplating the same.

Andfrom the pain inRowan’s eyes,the rage

and determination, she knew he was already

calculating if it might somehow spare her

fromthesacrificialaltar.

Butthatwouldcomelater.Aftertomorrow.

Iftheysurvived.

Therewas agate, andeternitylaybeyondits

blackarchway.

But not for her. No, there would be no

Afterworldforher.

Thegodshadbuiltanothercoffin,thistime

craftingitofthatdark,glimmeringstone.

Stone her fire could never melt. Never

pierce.Theonlywaytoescapewastobecome

it—dissolveintoitlikesea-foamonabeach.

Everybreathwasthinnerthantheprevious

one.Theyhadnotputanyholesinthiscoffin.

Beyond her confines, she knew a second

coffin sat beside hers. Knew, because the

muffledscreamswithinstillreachedherhere.

Twoprincesses,onegoldenandonesilver.

One youngand one ancient. Both the cost of

sealingthatgatetoeternity.

Theairwouldrunoutsoon.She’dalready

lost too much of it in her frantic clawing at

the stone. Her fingertips pulsed where she’d

brokennailsandskin.

Thosefemalescreamsbecamequieter.

She should accept it, embrace it. Only

whenshedidwouldthelidopen.

Theairwassohot,soprecious.Shecould

notgetout,couldnotgetout—

Aelin hauled herself into waking. The room

remained dark, her companions’ deep

breathingholdingsteady.

Open, fresh air. The stars just visible

throughthenarrowwindow.

No Wyrdstone coffin. No gate poised to

devourherwhole.

But she knew they were watching,

somehow. Those wretched gods. Even here,

theywerewatching.Waiting.

Asacrifice.That’sallshewastothem.

Nausea churned in her gut, but Aelin

ignored it, ignored the tremors rippling

throughher.Theheatunderherskin.

Aelin turned onto her side, nestling closer

into Rowan’s solid warmth, Elena’s muffled

screamsstillringinginherears.

No,shewouldnotbehelplessagain.



CHAPTER55

Being in a female form wasn’t entirely what

Dorianhadexpected.

Thewayhewalked,thewayhemovedhis

hips and legs—strange. So disconcertingly

strange.IfanyoftheCrochanshadnoticeda

young witch amongst them pacing in circles,

crouchingandstretchingherlegs,theydidn’t

halt their work as they readied the camp to

depart.

Then there was the matter of his breasts,

which he’d never imagined to be so …

cumbersome.Notunpleasant,buttheshockof

bumping his arms into them, the need to

adjusthisposturetoaccommodatetheirslight

weight,wasstillfreshafterafewhours.

He’d kept the transformation as simple as

he could: he’d picked a young Crochan the

night before, one of the novices who might

not be needed at all hours or noticed very

often,andstudiedheruntilshelikelydeemed

himaletch.

This morning, the image of her face and

form still planted in his mind, he’d come to

theedgeofthecamp,andsimplywilledit.

Well, perhaps not simply. The shift

remained not an entirely enjoyablesensation

while bones adjusted, his scalp tingling with

the long brown hair that grew out in shining

waves,noseticklingasitwasreshapedintoa

delicatecurve.

Forlongminutes,he’donlystareddownat

himself. At the delicate hands, the smaller

wrists.Amazing, howmuch strength the tiny

bones contained. A few subtle pats between

his legs had told him enough about the

changesthere.

And so he’d been here for the past two

hours, learning how the female body moved

and operated. Whollydifferent fromlearning

howaravenflew—howitwrangledthewind.

He’dthoughthe’dknowneverythingabout

thefemalebody.Howtomakeawomanpurr

with pleasure. He was half-tempted to find a

tent and learn firsthand what certain things

feltlike.

Not an effective useof his time. Not with

thecampreadyingfortravel.

TheThirteenwereonedge.Theyhadn’tyet

decidedwheretogo.Andhadn’tbeeninvited

to travel with the Crochans to any of their

home-hearths.EvenGlennis’s.

None of them, however, had looked his

way when they’d prowled past. None had

recognizedhim.

Dorianhadjustcompletedanotherwalking

circuitinhislittletrainingareawhenManon

stalkedby,silverhairflowing.Hepaused,no

more than a wary Crochan sentinel, and

watched her storm through snow and mud as

ifshewereabladethroughtheworld.

Manonhadnearlypassedhistrainingarea

whenshewentrigid.

Slowly,sheturned,nostrilsflaring.

Those golden eyes swept over him, swift

andcutting.

Her brows twitched toward each other.

Dorianonlygaveheralazygrininreturn.

Then she prowled toward him. “I’m

surprisedyou’renotgropingyourself.”

“WhosaysIhaven’talready?”

Another assessing stare. “I would have

thoughtyou’dpickaprettierform.”

Hefrowneddownathimself.“Ithinkshe’s

prettyenough.”

Manon’s mouth tightened. “I suppose this

meansyou’reabouttogotoMorath.”

“DidIsayanythingofthesort?”Hedidn’t

bothersoundingpleasant.

Manon took a step toward him, her teeth

flashing. In this body, he stood shorter than

her. He hated the thrill that shot through his

blood as she leaned down to growl at him.

“We have enough to deal with today,

princeling.”

“DoIlookasifI’mstandinginyourway?”

Sheopenedhermouth,thenshutit.

Dorianletoutalowlaughandmadetoturn

away.Aniron-tippedhandgrippedhisarm.

Strange, for that hand to feel large on his

body.Large,andnottheslender,deadlything

he’dbecomeaccustomedto.

Her golden eyes blazed. “If you want a

softhearted woman who will weep over hard

choices and ultimately balk from them, then

you’reinthewrongbed.”

“I’mnotinanyone’sbedrightnow.”

He hadn’t gone to her tent any of these

nights.NotsincethatconversationinEyllwe.

She took the retort without so much as a

flinch.“Youropiniondoesn’tmattertome.”

“Thenwhyareyoustandinghere?”

Again, she opened and closed her mouth.

Thensnarled,“Changeoutofthatform.”

Dorian smiled again. “Don’t you have

betterthingstodorightnow,YourMajesty?”

He honestly thought she might unsheathe

thoseironteethandripouthisthroat.Halfof

himwantedhertotry.Heevenwentsofaras

to runone of those phantom hands along her

jaw. “You think I don’t know whyyou don’t

wantmetogotoMorath?”

He could have sworn she trembled. Could

have sworn she arched her neck, just a little

bit,leaningintothatphantomtouch.

Dorianranthoseinvisiblefingersdownher

neck,trailingthemalonghercollarbones.

“Tell me to stay,” he said, and the words

hadnowarmth,nokindness.“Tellmetostay

with you, if that’s what you want.” His

invisiblefingersgrewtalonsandscrapedover

her skin. Manon’s throat bobbed. “But you

won’t say that, will you, Manon?” Her

breathing turned jagged. He continued to

strokeherneck,herjaw,herthroat,caressing

skinhe’dtastedoverandover.“Doyouknow

why?”

Whenshedidn’tanswer,Dorianletoneof

thosephantomtalonsdigin,justslightly.

Sheswallowed,anditwasnotfromfear.

Dorian leaned in close, tipping his head

back to stare into her eyes as he purred,

“Becausewhileyoumightbeolder,mightbe

deadly in a thousand different ways, deep

down, you’re afraid. You don’t know how to

ask me to stay, because you’re afraid of

admittingtoyourselfthatyouwantit.You’re

afraid. Of yourself more than anyone else in

theworld.You’reafraid.”

For several heartbeats, she just stared at

him.

Then she snarled, “You don’t know what

you’retalkingabout,”andstalkedaway.

His low laugh ripped after her. Her spine

stiffened.

ButManondidnotturnback.

Afraid. Of admitting thatshe felt any sortof

attachment.

Itwaspreposterous.

Anditwas,perhaps,true.

Butitwasnotherproblem.Notrightnow.

Manonstormedthroughthereadyingcamp

where tents were being taken down and

folded, hearths being packed. The Thirteen

were with the wyverns, supplies stowed in

saddlebags.

Some of the Crochans had frowned her

way. Not with anger, but something like

disappointment. Discontent. As if they

thoughtpartingwayswasapooridea.

Manon refrained from saying she agreed.

Even if the Thirteen followed, the Crochans

would find a way to lose them. Use their

power to bind the wyverns long enough to

disappear.

Andshewouldnotlowerherself,lowerthe

Thirteen, to become dogs chasing after their

masters. They might be desperate for aid,

mighthavepromisedittotheirallies,butshe

wouldnotdebaseherselfanyfurther.

Manon halted at Glennis’s camp, the only

hearth with a fire still burning. A fire that

wouldalwaysremainkindled.

A reminder of the promise she’d made to

honor the Queen of Terrasen. A single,

solitaryflameagainstthecold.

Manon rubbed at her face as she slumped

ontooneoftherocksliningthehearth.

A hand rested on her shoulder, warm and

slight.Shedidn’tbothertoslapitaway.

Glennis said, “We’re departing in a few

minutes.IthoughtI’dsaygood-bye.”

Manonpeeredupattheancientwitch.“Fly

well.”

It was really all there was left to say.

Manon’s failure was not due to Glennis, not

duetoanyonebutherself,shesupposed.

You’reafraid.

It was true. She had tried, but not really

triedtowintheCrochans.Toletthemseeany

partofherthatmeantsomething.Toletthem

seewhatithaddonetoher,tolearnshehada

sister and that she had killed her. She didn’t

knowhow,andhadneverbotheredtolearn.

You’reafraid.

Yes,shewas.Ofeverything.

Glennis lowered her hand from Manon’s

shoulder. “May your path carry you safely

throughwarandbackhomeatlast.”

Shedidn’t feellike telling the crone there

wasnohomeforher,ortheThirteen.

Glennis turned her face toward the sky,

sighingonce.

Then her white brows narrowed. Her

nostrilsflared.

Manonleapttoherfeet.

“Run,”Glennisbreathed.“Runnow.”

ManondrewWind-Cleaveranddidnosuch

thing.“Whatisit.”

“They’re here.” How Glennis had scented

themonthewind,Manondidn’tcare.

Not as three wyverns broke from the

clouds,spearingfortheircamp.

Sheknewthosewyverns,almostaswellas

she knew the three riders who sent the

Crochansintoafrenzyofmotion.

TheMatronsof the Ironteeth Witch-Clans

had found them. And come to finish what

ManonhadstartedthatdayinMorath.



CHAPTER56

ThethreeHighWitcheshadcomealone.

It didn’t stop the Crochans from rallying,

brooms swiftly airborne—a few of them

trembling with what could only be

recognition.

Manon’s grip on Wind-Cleaver tightened

at the slight tremor in her hand as the three

witches landed at the edge of Glennis’s fire,

theirwyvernscrushingtentsbeneaththem.

Asterin and Sorrel were instantly beside

her, her Second’s murmur swallowed by the

crack of breaking tents. “The Shadows are

airborne,buttheysignalednosignofanother

unit.”

“Noneoftheircovens?”

“No.AndnosignofIskraorPetrah.”

Manon swallowed. The Matrons truly had

come alone. Had flown in from wherever

they’d been gathered, and somehow found

them.

Ortrackedthem.

Manon didn’t let the thought settle. That

she may have led the threeMatrons right to

this camp. The soft snarls of the Crochans

aroundher,pointedatManon,saidenoughof

theiropinion.

Thewyvernssettled,theirlongtailscurling

aroundthem,thosedeadlypoison-slickspikes

readytoinflictdeath.

Rushing steps crunched through the icy

snow,haltingatManon’ssidejustasDorian’s

scentwrappedaroundher.“Isthat—”

“Yes,”shesaidquietly,heartthunderingas

the Matrons dismounted and did not raise

their hands in request for parley. No, they

only stalked closer to the hearth, to the

preciousflame still burning.“Don’t engage,”

Manonwarnedhimandtheothers,andstrode

tomeetthem.

Itwasnottheking’sbattle,nomatterwhat

powerdwelledinhisveins.

Glennis was already armed, an ancient

swordinherwitheredhands.Thewomanwas

asoldastheYellowlegsMatron,yetshestood

tall,facingthethreeHighWitches.

Cresseida Blueblood spoke first, her eyes

ascoldastheiron-spikedcrowndigginginto

her freckled brow. “It has been an age,

Glennis.”

But Glennis’s stare, Manon realized, was

not on the Blueblood Matron. Or even on

Manon’s own grandmother, her black robes

billowingasshesneeredatManon.

ItwasontheYellowlegsMatron,hunched

and hateful between them. On the crown of

starsatopthecrone’sthinnedwhitehair.

Glennis’sswordshookslightly.Andjustas

Manon realized what the Matron had worn

here,BronwenappearedatGlennis’ssideand

breathed,“Rhiannon’scrown.”

Worn by the Yellowlegs Matron to mock

thesewitches.Tospitonthem.

AdullroaringbeganinManon’sears.

“What company you keep these days,

granddaughter,” said Manon’s grandmother,

her silver-streaked dark hair braided back

fromherface.

A sign enough of their intentions, if her

grandmother’shairwasinthatplait.

Battle.Annihilation.

The weight of the three High Witches’

attention pressed upon her. The Crochans

gatheredbehindhershiftedastheywaitedfor

herresponse.

YetitwasGlenniswhosnarled,inavoice

Manonhadnotyetheard,“Whatisitthatyou

want?”

Manon’s grandmother smiled, revealing

rust-flecked iron teeth. The true sign of her

age. “You made a grave error, Manon Kin-

Slayer, when you sought to turn our forces

against us. When you sowed such lies

amongst our sentinels regarding our plans—

myplans.”

Manon kept her chin high. “I spoke only

truth.Anditmusthavefrightenedyouenough

thatyougatheredthesetwotohuntmedown

andproveyourinnocenceinschemingagainst

them.”

The other two Matrons didn’t so much as

blink. Her grandmother’s claws had to have

sunkdeep,then.Ortheysimplydidnotcare.

“We came,” Cresseida seethed, the

oppositeinsomanywaysofthedaughterwho

had given Manon the chance to speak, “to at

lastridusofathorninoursides.”

Had Petrah been punished for letting

ManonwalkoutoftheOmegaalive?Didthe

Blueblood Heir still breathe? Cresseida had

once screamed in a mother’s terror and pain

whenPetrahhadnearlyplungedtoherdeath.

Didthatlove,soforeignandstrange,stillhold

true?Orhaddutyandancienthatredwonout?

The thought was enough to steel Manon’s

spine.“Youcamebecauseweposeathreat.”

Because of the threat you pose to that

monsteryoucallgrandmother.

“You came,” Manon went on, Wind-

Cleaver rising a fraction, “because you are

afraid.”

Manon took a step beyond Glennis, her

swordliftingfarther.

“You came,” Manon said, “because you

havenotruepowerbeyondwhatwegiveyou.

Andyouarescaredtodeaththatwe’reabout

totakeitaway.”ManonflippedWind-Cleaver

inherhand,anglingthesworddownward,and

drew a line in the snow between them. “You

came alonefor that fear. That others might

seewhatwearecapableof.Thetruththatyou

havealwayssoughttohide.”

Her grandmother tutted. “Listen to you.

Sounding just like a Crochan with that

preachynonsense.”

Manon ignored her. Ignored her and

pointed Wind-Cleaver directly at the

Yellowlegs Matron as she snarled, “That is

notyourcrown.”

Something like hesitation rippled over

Cresseida Blueblood’s face. But the

Yellowlegs Matron beckoned to Manon with

iron nails so long they curved downward.

“Thencomeandfetchitfromme,traitor.”

Manon stepped beyond the line she’d

drawninthesnow.

Noonespokebehindher.Shewonderedif

anyofthemwerebreathing.

Shehadnotwonagainsther grandmother.

Hadbarelysurvived,andonlythankstoluck.

Thatfight,shehadbeenreadytomeether

end.Tosayfarewell.

Manon angled Wind-Cleaver upward, her

heartasteady,ragingbeat.

She would not greet the Darkness’s

embracetoday.

Buttheywould.

“This seems familiar,” her grandmother

drawled,legsshiftingintoattackingposition.

TheothertwoMatronsdidthesame.“Thelast

CrochanQueen.Holdingthelineagainstus.”

Manon cracked her jaw, and iron teeth

descended.Aflexofherfingershadheriron

nailsunsheathing.“NotjustaCrochanQueen

thistime.”

There was doubt in Cresseida’s blue eyes.

As if she’d realized what the other two

Matronshadnot.

There—it was there that Manon would

strike first. The one who now wondered if

they had somehow made a grave mistake in

cominghere.

Amistakethatwouldcostthemwhatthey

hadcometoprotect.

Amistakethatwouldcostthemthiswar.

Andtheirlives.

For Cresseida saw the steadiness of

Manon’s breathing. Saw the clearconviction

inhereyes. Saw the lackoffearinherheart

asManonadvancedanotherstep.

ManonsmiledattheBluebloodMatronas

iftosayyes.

“Youdidnotkillmethen,”Manonsaidto

her grandmother. “I do not think you will be

abletonow.”

“We’ll see about that,” her grandmother

hissed,andcharged.

Manonwasready.

AnupwardswingofWind-Cleavermether

grandmother’s first two blows, and Manon

ducked the third. Turning right into the

onslaught of the Yellowlegs Matron, who

swept up with unnatural speed, feet almost

flyingoverthesnow,andslashedforManon’s

exposedback.

Manon deflected the crone’s assault,

sending the witch darting back. Just as

CresseidalaunchedherselfatManon.

Cresseidawasnotatrainedfighter.Notas

the BlackbeakandYellowlegs Matronswere.

Too many years spent reading entrails and

scanning the stars for the answers to the

Three-FacedGoddess’sriddles.

A duck to the left had Manon easily

evadingthesweepofCresseida’snails,anda

countermove had Manon driving her elbow

intotheBluebloodMatron’snose.

Cresseida stumbled. The Yellowlegs

Matronandhergrandmotherattackedagain.

Sofast. Their three assaults had happened

inthespanofafewblinks.

Manonkeptherfeetunderher.Sawwhere

one Matron moved and the other left a

dangerousgapexposed.

Shewasnotabroken-spiritedWingLeader

unsureofherplaceintheworld.

She was not ashamed of the truth before

her.

Shewasnotafraid.

Manon’s grandmother led the attack, her

maneuversthedeadliest.

It was from her that the first sliceof pain

appeared.AripofironnailsthroughManon’s

shoulder.

But Manon swung her sword, again and

again,irononsteelringingoutacrosstheicy

peaks.

No,shewasnotafraidatall.

Dorian had never seen fighting like what

unfoldedbeforehim.Hadneverseenanything

thatfast,thatlethal.

HadneverseenanyonemovelikeManon,a

whirlwindofsteelandiron.

Threeagainstone—theoddsweren’tinher

favor.Notwhenstandingagainstoneofthem

had left Manon on death’s threshold months

earlier.

Yet where they struck, she was already

gone.Alreadyparrying.

She did not land many blows, but rather

keptthematbay.

Yettheydidnotlandmany,either.

Dorian’smagicwrithed,seekingawayout,

tostopthis.Butshehadorderedhimtostand

down.Andhe’dobey.

Aroundhim, the Crochansthrummedwith

fear anddread. Either for the fight unfolding

orthethreeMatronswhohadfoundthem.

But Glennis did not tremble. At her side

Bronwen hummed with the energy of one

eagertoleapintothefight.

ManonandtheHighWitchessprangapart,

breathing heavily. Blue blood leaked down

Manon’s shoulder, and small slices peppered

thethreeMatrons.

Manonstillremainedonthefarsideofthe

lineshe’ddrawn.Stillheldit.

Thedark-hairedwitchinvoluminousblack

robesspatbluebloodontothesnow.Manon’s

grandmother. “Pathetic. As pathetic as your

mother.”A sneer toward Glennis. “And your

father.”

ThesnarlthatrippedfromManon’sthroat

rangacrossthemountainsthemselves.

Hergrandmotherletoutacrow’scawofa

laugh.“Isthatallyoucando,then?Snarllike

adogandswingyourswordlikesomehuman

filth?We will wear you down eventually.

Bettertokneelnowanddiewithsomehonor

intact.”

Manon only flung out an iron-tipped hand

behindher,fingerssplayingindemandasher

eyesremainedfixedontheMatrons.

Dorian reached for Damaris, but Bronwen

movedfirst.

The Crochan tossed her sword, steel

flashingoversnowandsun.

Manon’s fingers closed on the hilt, the

bladesingingasshewhippeditaroundtoface

the High Witches again. “Rhiannon Crochan

heldthegatesforthreedaysandthreenights,

andshedidnotkneelbeforeyou,evenatthe

end.”Aslashofasmile.“IthinkIshalldothe

same.”

Dorian could haveswornthe sacred flame

burning to their left flared brighter. Could

have sworn Glennis sucked in a breath. That

everyCrochanwatchingdidthesame.

Manon’skneesbent,swordsrising.“Letus

finishwhatwasstartedthen,too.”

She attacked, blades flashing. Her

grandmother conceded step after step, the

other two Matrons failing to break past her

defenses.

Gone was the witch who had slept and

wishedfordeath.Gonewasthewitchwhohad

ragedatthetruththathadtornhertoshreds.

Andinherplace,fightingasifshewerethe

very wind, unfaltering against the Matrons,

stoodsomeoneDorianhadnotyetmet.

Stoodaqueenoftwopeoples.

The Yellowlegs Matron launched an

offensivethathadManonyieldingastep,then

another, swords rising against each slashing

blow.

Yieldingonlythosefewsteps,andnothing

more.

Because Manon with conviction in her

heart,withutterfearlessnessinhereyes,was

whollyunstoppable.

The Yellowlegs Matron pushed Manon

closeenoughtothelinethatherheelsnearly

touched it. The other two witches had fallen

back,asifwaitingtoseewhatmighthappen.

Forahunchedcrone,theYellowlegswitch

was the portrait of nightmares. Worse than

Baba Yellowlegs had ever been. Her feet

barely seemedto touch the ground, and her

curved iron nails drew blood wherever they

slashed.

Manon’s swords blocked blow after blow,

but she made no move to advance. To push

back,thoughDoriansawseveralchancestodo

so.

Manontooktheslashingsthatleftherarm

andsidebleeding.Butsheyieldedno further

ground.Awall against which theYellowlegs

Matroncouldnotadvance.Thecroneletouta

snarl,attackingagainandagain,senselessand

raging.

Dorian saw the trap the moment it

happened.

SawthesidethatManonleftopen,thebait

laidonasilverplatter.

Workedintoafury,theYellowlegsMatron

didn’t think twice before she lunged, claws

out.

Manonwaswaiting.

Lost in her bloodlust, the Yellowlegs

Matron’shorriblefacelitwithtriumphasshe

went fortheeasykilling blowthatwould rip

outManon’sheart.

The Blackbeak Matron barked in warning,

butManonwasalreadymoving.

Just as those curved claws tore through

leather and skin, Manon twisted to the side

and brought down Wind-Cleaver upon the

YellowlegsMatron’soutstretchedneck.

Bluebloodsprayeduponthesnow.

Dorian did not look away this time at the

head that tumbled to the ground. At the

brown-robedbodythatfellwithit.

The two remaining Matrons halted. None

of the Crochans behind Dorian so much as

spokeas Manonstareddown pitilesslyatthe

bleedingtorsooftheYellowlegsMatron.

NooneseemedtobreatheatallasManon

plunged Bronwen’s sword into the icy earth

beneath and bent to take the crown of stars

fromtheYellowlegswitch’sfallenhead.

Hehadneverseenacrownlikeit.

Aliving,glowingthingthatglitteredinher

hand.As if nine starshadbeenpluckedfrom

theheavensandsettoshinealongthesimple

silverband.

The crown’s light danced over Manon’s

faceasshelifteditaboveherheadandsetit

uponherunboundwhitehair.

Eventhemountainwindstopped.

Yetaphantombreezeshiftedthestrandsof

Manon’shairasthecrownglowedbright,the

white stars shining with cores of cobalt and

rubyandamethyst.

As if it had been asleep for a long, long

time.Andnowawoke.

ThatphantomwindpulledManon’shairto

the side, silver strands brushing across her

face.

And beside him, around him, the Thirteen

touched two fingers to their brow in

deference.

Inallegiancetothequeenwhostareddown

thetworemainingHighWitches.

TheCrochanQueen,crownedanew.

Thesacredfireleapedanddanced,asifin

joyouswelcome.

Manon scooped up Bronwen’s sword,

lifting it and Wind-Cleaver, and said to the

BluebloodMatron,thewitchappearingbarely

afewyearsolderthanManonherself,“Go.”

The Blueblood witch blinked, eyes wide

withwhatcouldonlybefearanddread.

Manon jerked her chin toward the wyvern

waitingbehindthewitch.“Tellyourdaughter

all debts between us are paid. And she may

decide what to do with you. Take that other

wyvernoutofhere.”

Manon’s grandmother bristled, iron teeth

flashing as if she’d bark a counter-command

to the Blueblood Matron, but the witch was

alreadyrunningforherwyvern.

SparedbytheCrochanQueenonbehalfof

thedaughterwhohadgivenManonthegiftof

speakingtotheIronteeth.

Withinseconds,theBluebloodMatronwas

in the skies, the Yellowlegs witch’s wyvern

soaringbesideher.

Leaving Manon’s grandmother alone.

Leaving Manon with swords raised and a

crownofstarsglowinguponherbrow.

Manonwasglowing,asifthestarsatopher

head pulsed through her body. A wondrous

andmightybeauty,likenootherintheworld.

Likenoonehadeverbeen,orwouldbeagain.

And slowly, as if savoring each step,

Manonstalkedtowardhergrandmother.

Manon’slipscurvedintoasmallsmilewhile

sheadvancedonhergrandmother.

Warm,dancinglightflowedthroughher,as

unfalteringaswhathadpouredintoherheart

thesepastfewbloodyminutes.

Shedidnotbalk.Didnotfear.

Thecrown’sweight was slight, likeithad

been crafted of moonlight. Yet its joyous

strength was a song, undimming before the

soleHighWitchleftstanding.

SoManonkeptwalking.

SheleftBronwen’sswordafewfeetaway.

LeftWind-Cleaverseveralfeetpastthat.

Iron nails out, teeth ready, Manon paused

barelyfivestepsfromhergrandmother.

Ahateful,wastedscrapofexistence.That’s

whathergrandmotherwas.

She had never realized how much shorter

the Matron stood. How narrow her shoulders

were, or how the years of rage and hate had

witheredher.

Manon’s smile grew.And she could have

sworn she felt two people standing at her

shoulder.

She knew no one would be there if she

looked. Knew no one else could see them,

sense them, standing with her. Standing with

their daughter against the witch who had

destroyedthem.

Her grandmother spat on the ground,

baringherrustedteeth.

Thisdeath,though…

Itwasnotherdeathtoclaim.

It did not belong to the parents whose

spirits lingered at her side, who might have

been there all along, leading her toward this.

Who had not left her, even with death

separatingthem.

No,itdidnotbelongtothem,either.

Shelookedbehindher.TowardtheSecond

waitingbesideDorian.

TearssliddownAsterin’sface.Ofpride—

prideandrelief.

Manon beckoned to Asterin with an iron-

tippedhand.

Snow crunched, and Manon whirled,

anglingtotakethebruntoftheattack.

Buthergrandmotherhadnotcharged.Not

ather.

No,theBlackbeakMatronsprintedforher

wyvern.Fleeing.

The Crochans tensed, fear giving way to

wrath as hergrandmother hauled herself into

thesaddle.

Manonraisedahand.“Lethergo.”

A snap of the reins, and her grandmother

was airborne, the great wyvern’s wings

blastingthemwithfoulwind.

Manonwatchedas the wyvernrose higher

andhigher.

Hergrandmotherdidnotlookback before

shevanishedintotheskies.

When there was no trace of the Matrons

left but blue blood and a headless corpse

staining the snow, Manon turned toward the

Crochans.

Their eyes were wide, but they made no

move.

The Thirteen remained where they were,

Dorianwiththem.

Manonscoopedup both swords,sheathing

Wind-Cleaver across her back, and stalked

toward where Glennis and Bronwen stood,

monitoringhereverybreath.

Wordlessly, Manon handed Bronwen her

sword,noddinginthanks.

Then she removed the crown of stars and

extended it toward Glennis. “This belongs to

you,”shesaid,hervoicelow.

TheCrochansmurmured,shifting.

Glennis took the crown, and the stars

dimmed. A small smile graced the crone’s

face.“No,”shesaid,“itdoesnot.”

Manon didn’t move as Glennis lifted the

crownandsetitagainonManon’shead.

Then the ancient witch knelt in the snow.

“Whatwasstolenhasbeenrestored;whatwas

losthascomehomeagain.Ihailthee,Manon

Crochan,QueenofWitches.”

Manon stood fast against the tremor that

threatenedtobuckleherlegs.

StoodfastastheotherCrochans,Bronwen

with them, dropped to a knee. Dorian,

standing amongst them, smiled, brighter and

freerthanshe’deverseen.

And then the Thirteen knelt, two fingers

going to their brows as they bowed their

heads,fiercepridelightingtheirfaces.

“Queen of Witches,” Crochan and

Blackbeakdeclaredasonevoice.

Asonepeople.



CHAPTER57

Anhourbeforedawn,thekeepandtwoarmies

beyonditwerestirring.

Rowan had barely slept, and instead lain

awakebesideAelin,listeningtoherbreathing.

Thattherestofthemslumberedsoundlywas

testament to their exhaustion, though Lorcan

hadnotfoundthemagain.Rowanwaswilling

tobetitwasbychoice.

Itwasnotfearoranticipationofbattlethat

had kept Rowan up—no, he’d slept well

enoughduringotherwars.Butratherthefact

that his mind would not stop looping him

fromthoughttothoughttothought.

He’d seen the numbers camped outside.

Valg, human men loyal to Erawan,some fell

beasts, yet nothing like the ilken or the

Wyrdhounds,oreventhewitches.

Aelincouldwipethemawaybeforethesun

hadfullyrisen.Afewblastsofherpower,and

thatarmywouldbegone.

Yetshehadnotpresenteditasanoptionin

theirplanninglastnight.

He’d seen the hope shining in the eyes of

thepeopleinthekeep,theaweofthechildren

as she’d passed.The Fire-Bringer, they’d

whispered.AelinoftheWildfire.

How soon would that awe and hope

crumble today when not a spark of that fire

was unleashed? How soon would the men’s

fearturnrankwhentheQueenofTerrasendid

notwipeawayMorath’slegions?

He hadn’t been able to ask her. Had told

himselfto,hadroaredathimselftoaskthese

past few weeks, when even their training

hadn’tsummonedanember.

But he couldn’t bring himself to demand

why she wouldn’t or couldn’t use her power,

why they had seen or felt nothing of it after

those initial few days of freedom. Couldn’t

ask what Maeve and Cairn had done to

possibly make her fear or hate her magic

enoughthatshedidn’ttouchit.

Worry and dread gnawing at him, Rowan

slippedfromtheroom,thedinofpreparations

greetinghimthemomentheenteredthehall.

Aheartbeatlater,thedooropenedbehindhim,

and steps fell into sync with his own, along

withafamiliar,wickedscent.

“Theyburnedher.”

Rowan glanced sidelong at Fenrys.

“What?”

But Fenrys nodded to a passing healer.

“Cairn—andMaeve,throughherorders.”

“Why are you telling me this?” Fenrys,

bloodoathorno,whathe’ddoneforAelinor

no,wasnotprivytothesematters.No,itwas

betweenhimandhismate,andnooneelse.

Fenrys threw him a grin that didn’t meet

his eyes. “You were staring at her half the

night. I could see it on your face.You’re all

thinking it—why doesn’t she just burn the

enemytohell?”

Rowanaimedforthewashingstationdown

the hall. A few soldiers and healers stood

along the metal trough, scrubbing their faces

toshakethesleepornerves.

Fenrys said, “He put her in those metal

gauntlets.Andonetime,heheatedthemover

an open brazier. There …” He stumbled for

words, and Rowan could barely breathe. “It

tookthehealerstwoweekstofixwhathedid

to her hands and wrists.And when she woke

up, there was nothing but healed skin. She

couldn’ttellwhathadbeendoneandwhatwas

anightmare.”

Rowan reached for one of the ewers that

some of the children refilled every few

moments and dumped it over his head. Icy

water bit into his skin, drowning out the

roaringinhisears.

“Cairn did many things like that.” Fenrys

took up a ewer himself, and splashed some

into his hands before rubbing them over his

face.Rowan’shandsshookashewatchedthe

waterfunneltowardthebasinsetbeneaththe

trough. “Your claiming marks, though.”

Fenryswipedhisfaceagain.“Nomatterwhat

they did to her, they remained. Longer than

anyotherscar,theystayed.”

Yet her neck had been smooth when he’d

foundher.

Reading that thought, Fenrys said, “The

last time they healed her, right before she

escaped. That’s when they vanished. When

Maeve told her that you had gone to

Terrasen.”

The words hit like a blow. When she had

losthopethathewascomingforher.Eventhe

greatesthealersintheworldhadn’tbeenable

totakethatfromheruntilthen.

Rowan wiped his face on the arm of his

jacket. “Why are you telling me this?” he

repeated.

Fenrys rose from the trough, drying his

facewiththesamelackofceremony.“Soyou

canstopwonderingwhathappened.Focuson

somethingelsetoday.”Thewarriorkeptpace

beside him as they headed for where they’d

been told a meager breakfast would be laid

out. “And let her come to you when she’s

ready.”

“She’s my mate,” Rowan growled. “You

thinkIdon’tknowthat?”Fenryscouldshove

hissnoutintosomeoneelse’sbusiness.

Fenrys held up his hands. “You can be

brutal,whenyouwantsomething.”

“I’dneverforcehertotellmeanythingshe

wasn’treadytosay.”Ithadbeentheirbargain

fromthestart.Partofwhyhe’dfalleninlove

withher.

He should have known then, during those

days in Mistward, when he found himself

sharingpartsofhimself,hishistory,thathe’d

never told anyone. When he found himself

needing to tell her, in fragments and pieces,

yes,but he’dwanted hertoknow.AndAelin

hadwantedtohearit.Allofit.

TheydiscoveredAelinandElidealreadyat

the buffet table, grim-faced as they plucked

uppiecesofbreadandcheeseanddriedfruit.

NosignofGavrielorLorcan.

Rowan came up behind his mate and

pressedakisstoherneck.Righttowherehis

newclaimingmarkslay.

Shehummed,andofferedhimabiteofthe

bread she’d already dug into while gathering

the rest of her food. He obliged, the bread

thickandhearty,thensaid,“Youwereasleep

when I left a few minutes ago, yet you

somehow beat me to the breakfast table.”

Another kiss to her neck. “Why am I not

surprised?”

Elide laughed beside Aelin, piling food

ontoherownplate.Aelinonlyelbowedhimas

hefellintolinebesideher.

Thefourofthematequickly,refilledtheir

waterskins at the fountain in an interior

courtyard,andsetaboutfindingarmor.There

waslittleon theupperlevels that was fitfor

wearing, so they descended into the keep,

deeper and deeper, until they came across a

lockedroom.

“Should we, or is it rude?” Aelin mused,

peeringatthewoodendoor.

Rowansentaspearofhiswindaimingfor

thelockandsplintereditapart.“Lookslikeit

wasalreadyopenwhenwegothere,”hesaid

mildly.

Aelin gave him a wicked grin, and Fenrys

pulled a torch off its bracket in the narrow

stonehallwaytoilluminatetheroombeyond.

“Well, now we know why the rest of the

keepisapieceofshit,”Aelinsaid,surveying

the trove. “He’s kept all the gold and fun

thingsdownhere.”

Indeed, his mate’s idea of fun things was

the same as Rowan’s: armor and swords,

spearsandancientmaces.

“He couldn’t have distributed this?” Elide

frownedattheracksofswordsanddaggers.

“It’s all heirlooms,” said Fenrys,

approaching one such rack andstudying the

hilt of a sword. “Ancient, but still good.

Reallygood,”headded,pullingabladefrom

its sheath. He glanced at Rowan. “This was

forgedbyanAsterionblacksmith.”

“From a different age,” Rowan mused,

marveling at the flawless blade, its

impeccablecondition.“WhenFaewerenotso

feared.”

“Arewejustgoingtotakeit?Withouteven

Chaol’spermission?”Elidechewedonherlip.

Aelin snickered. “Let’s consider ourselves

swords-for-hire. And as such, we have fees

that need to be paid.” She hefted a round,

golden shield, its edges beautifully engraved

with a motif of waves. Also Asterion-made,

judging by the craftsmanship. Likely for the

LordofAnielle—theLordoftheSilverLake.

“So, we’ll take what we’re owed for today’s

battle, and spare His Lordship the task of

havingtocomedownherehimself.”

Gods,helovedher.

FenryswinkedatElide.“Iwon’ttellifyou

don’t,Lady.”

Elide blushed, then waved them onward.

“Collectyourearnings,then.”

Rowan did. He and Fenrys found armor

that could fit them—in certain areas. They

hadtoforgotheentiresuit,buttookpiecesto

enforce their shoulders, forearms, and shins.

Rowanhadjustfinishedstrappinggreaveson

his legs when Fenrys said, “We should bring

someofthisupforLorcanandGavriel.”

Indeed they should. Rowan eyed other

pieces,andbegancollectingextradaggersand

blades, then sections from another suit that

might fit Lorcan, Fenrys doing the same for

Gavriel.

“You must charge a great deal for your

services,” Elide muttered. Even while the

Lady of Perranth tied a few daggers to her

ownbelt.

“Ineedsomewaytopayformyexpensive

tastes, don’t I?” Aelin drawled, weighing a

daggerinherhands.

But she hadn’t donned any armoryet, and

when Rowan gave her an inquiring glance,

Aelin jerked her chin toward him. “Head

upstairs—trackdownLorcanandGavriel.I’ll

findyousoon.”

Herfacewasunreadableforonce.Perhaps

shewantedamomentalonebeforebattle.And

when Rowan tried to find any words in her

eyes, Aelin turned toward the shield she’d

claimed.Asifcontemplatingit.

So Rowan and Fenrys headed upstairs,

Elidehelpingtohaultheirstolengear.Noone

stopped them. Not with the sky turning to

gray,andsoldiersrushingtotheirpositionson

thebattlements.

Rowan and Fenrys didn’t have far to go.

They’dbestationedbythegatesatthelower

level, where the battering rams might come

flying through if Morath got desperate

enough.

Onthelevelabovethem,Chaolsatastride

hismagnificentblackhorse,themare’sbreath

curlingfromhernostrils.Rowanliftedahand

in greeting, and Chaol saluted back before

gazingtowardtheenemyarmy.

The khaganate would make the first

maneuver, the initial push to get Morath

moving.

“I always forget how much I hate this

part,”Fenrysmuttered.“Thewaitingbeforeit

begins.”

Rowangruntedhisagreement.

Gavrielprowleduptothem,Lorcanadark

storm behind him. Rowan wordlessly handed

the latter the armor he’d gathered. “Courtesy

oftheLordofAnielle.”

Lorcangavehimalookthatsaidheknew

Rowan was full of shit, but began efficiently

donning the armor, Gavriel doing the same.

Whetherthesoldiersaroundthemmarkedthat

armor, whether Chaol recognized it, no one

saidaword.

Far out, the gray sky lightening further,

Morath stirred to discover the khaganate’s

goldenarmyalreadyinplace.

Andas alone rukscreeched itschallenge,

thekhaganateadvanced.

Foot soldiers in perfect lines marched,

spears out, shields locked rim to rim. The

Darghancavalryflankedeitherside,aforceof

nature ready to herd Morath to where they

wanted them. And above, flapping into the

skies, the rukhin readied their bows and

markedtheirtargets.

“Readynow,”Chaolcalledouttothemen

ofhiskeep.

Armor clanked as men shifted, their fear

stuffingitselfupRowan’snose.

This would be it—today. Whether that

hoperemainedorfractured.

Already, the awakening sky revealed two

siegetowersbeinghauledtowardthem.Right

to the wall. Far closer than Rowan had last

noted when flying overhead last night.

Morath, it seemed, had not been sleeping,

either.

Therukswouldremainbackwiththeirown

army, driving Morath to the keep. To be

pickedoffhere,onebyone.

“We have minutes until that first tower

makes contact with the wall,” Gavriel

observed.

Ascanofthebattlements,thesoldiersatop

them,revealednosignofAelin.

Lorcan indeed muttered, “Someone better

tellhertostopprimpingandgethere.”

Rowansnarledinwarning.

Theclashofarmoredfeetandshieldswas

asfamiliarasanysong.Morath’sfootsoldiers

aimedforthekeepwalls,spearsattheready.

At the other end of the host, soldiers faced

away,spearsandpikesangledtointerceptthe

khaganate’sarmy.

Ahornblastedfromdeepinthekhaganate

ranks,andarrowsflew.

The mass of Morath soldiers didn’t so

much as flinch or look behind to see what

becameoftheirrearlines.

“Ladders,” Fenrys murmured, pointing

with his chin toward the ripple through the

lines.Massivesiegeladdersofironpartedthe

crowd.

“They’re making this their all-out assault,

then,” Lorcan said with equal quiet. All of

them careful not to let the nearby men hear.

“They’lltrytobreakintothekeepbeforethe

khaganatecanbreakthem.”

“Archers!” Chaol’s bellow rang out.

Behind them, down the battlements, bows

groaned.

Fenrysunslungthebowacrosshisbackand

nockedanarrowintoplace.

Rowan kept his own bow strapped across

his back, the quiver untouched, Gavriel and

Lorcan doing the same. No need to waste

them on a fewsoldierswhentheiraimmight

beneeded with far worse targets later in the

day.

But one of them had to be noted felling

soldiers. For whatever it would do to rally

theirspirits.AndFenrys,asfineanarcheras

Rowan,he’dadmit,woulddojustfine.

Rowan followed the line of Fenrys’s

arrowhead to where he’d marked one of the

bearers of a siege ladder. “Make it

impressive,”hemuttered.

“Mind your own business,” Fenrys

mutteredback,trackinghistargetwiththetip

ofhisarrowasheawaitedChaol’sorder.

If Aelin didn’t arrive within another

moment,he’dhavetoleavethebattlementsto

findher.Whatinhellhadheldherup?

Lorcan drew his ancient blade, which

Rowan had witnessed felling soldiers in

kingdoms far from here, in wars far longer

than this one. “They’ll head for the gates

when that siege tower docks,” Lorcan said,

glancing from the battlements to the gate a

levelbelow,thesmallbastionofmeninfront

of it. Trees had been felled to prop up the

metaldoors,butshouldasolidenoughgroup

of enemy soldiers swarm it, they might get

those supports and the heavy locks down

within minutes. And open the gates to the

hordesbeyond.

“We don’t let them get that far,” Rowan

said, eyeing up the massive tower lumbering

closer. Soldiers teemed behind it, waiting to

scale its interior. “Chaol brought the tower

down the other day without our help. It can

happenagain.”

“Volley!” Chaol’s roar echoed off the

stones,andarrowssang.

Like a swarm of locusts, they swept upon

the soldiers marching below. Fenrys’s arrow

founditsmarkwithlethalprecision.

Withinaheartbeat,anotherwasonitstail.

Asecondsoldieratthesiegeladderfell.

WherethehellwasAelin—

Morathdidn’thalt.Marchedrightoverthe

soldierswhofellontheirfrontlines.

The pulse of human fear down the

battlementsrippledagainsthisskin.Thecadre

would have to strike fast, and strike well, to

shakeitaway.

The siege tower lumbered closer. One

glance from Rowan had him and his friends

moving toward the spot it would now

undeniablystrikeuponthebattlements.Close

enoughtothestairsdowntothegate.Morath

hadchosenthelocationwell.

Some of the soldiers they passed were

praying, a shuddering push of words into the

frigidmorningair.

Lorcan said to one of them, “Save your

breathforthebattle,notthegods.”

Rowan shot him a look, but the man,

gapingatLorcan,quieted.

Chaol ordered another volley, and arrows

flew,Fenrysfiringashewalked.Asifhewere

barelybothered.

Still, the whispered prayers continued

down the line, swords shaking along with

them.

Up byChaol, the soldiers held firm, faces

solid.

But here, on this level of the battlements

…thosefaceswerepale.Wide-eyed.

“Someonebettersaysomethinginspiring,”

Fenrys said through gritted teeth, firing

anotherarrow.“Orthesemenaregoingtopiss

themselvesinaminute.”

For a minute was all they had left, as the

firstsiegetowerinchedcloser.

“You’ve got the pretty face,” Lorcan

retorted.“You’ddoabetterjobofit.”

“It’s too late for speeches,” Rowan cut in

before Fenrys could reply. “Better to show

themwhatwecando.”

They positioned themselves on the wall.

Rightinthepathofthebridgethatwouldsnap

downoverthebattlement.

He drew his sword, then thumbed free the

hatchet at his side. Gavriel unsheathed twin

blades from across his back, falling into

flanking position at Rowan’s right. Lorcan

planted himself on his left. Fenrys took the

rear,tocatchanywhogotthroughtheirnet.

The mortal men clustered behind them.

The gates shuddered under the impact of

Morathatlast.

Rowansteadiedhisbreathing,readyinghis

magic to rip through Valg lungs. He’d fell a

fewwithhisbladesfirst.Toshowhoweasily

it could be done, that Morath was desperate

and victorywould be near. The magic would

comelater.

The siege tower groaned as it slowed to a

stop.

Justasthewallunderthemshudderedatits

impact,Fenryswhispered,“Holygods.”

Not at the bridge that snapped down,

soldiersteeminginthedarkdepthsinside.

Butatwhoemergedfromthekeeparchway

behindthem.Whatemerged.

Rowan didn’t know where to look.At the

soldiers pouring out of the siege tower,

leapingontothebattlements,oratAelin.

AttheQueenofTerrasen.

She’d found armor below the keep.

Beautiful,palegoldarmorthatgleamedlikea

summerdawn.Holdingbackherbraidedhair,

a diadem lay flush against her head. Not a

diadem, but a piece of armor. Part of some

ancientsetforaladylongsinceburied.

A crown for war, a crown to wear into

battle.Acrowntoleadarmies.

Therewasnofearonherface,nodoubt,as

Aelin hefted her shield, flipping Goldryn in

her hand once before the first of Morath’s

soldierswasuponher.

Aswift,upwardstrikecleavedtheMorath

grunt from navel to chin. His black blood

sprayed,butshewasalreadymoving,flowing

likeastreamaroundarock.

Rowanlaunchedintomovement,hisblades

findingtheirmarks,butstillhewatchedher.

Aelin slammed her shield against an

oncoming warrior, Goldryn slicing through

anotherbeforesheplungedthebladeintothe

soldiershe’ddeflected.

Shediditagain,andagain.

Allwhileheadingtowardthatsiegetower.

Unhindered.Unleashed.

A call went down the line.The queen has

come.

Soldiers waiting their turn whirled toward

them.

Aelin took on three Valg soldiers and left

themdyingonthestones.

Sheplantedherlinebeforethegapingmaw

ofthatsiegetower,rightinthepathofthose

teeminghordes.Everymomentofthetraining

she’ddoneontheshiphere,ontheroad,every

new blister and callus—all to rebuild herself

forthis.

Thequeenhascome.

Goldryn unfaltering, her shield an

extension of her arm, Aelin glowed like the

sunthatnowbrokeoverthekhagan’sarmyas

sheengagedeachsoldierthathurtledherway.

Five, ten—she moved and moved and

moved, ducking and swiping, shoving and

flipping, black blood spraying, her face the

portraitofgrim,unbreakingwill.

“The queen!” the men shouted. “To the

queen!”

And as Rowan fought his way closer, as

that cry went down the battlements and

Anielle men ran to aid her, he realized that

Aelin did not need an ounce of flame to

inspire men to follow. That she had been

waiting,yankingatthebit,toshowthemwhat

she,withoutmagic,withoutanygodlypower,

mightdo.

He’d never seen such a glorious sight. In

every land, every battle, he had never seen

anythingasgloriousasAelinbeforethethroat

ofthesiegetower,holdingtheline.

Dawnbreakingaroundthem,Rowanloosed

abattlecryandtoreintoMorath.

Thisfirstbattlewouldsetthetone.

Itwouldsetthetone,andsendamessage.

NottoMorath.

Impressus,Hasarhadsaid.

So she would. So she’d picked the golden

armorandherbattle-crown.Andwaiteduntil

dawn,untilthatsiegetowerslammedintothe

battlements,beforeunleashingherself.

To keep the men here from breaking, to

wipeawaythefearfesteringintheireyes.

To convince the khaganate royals of what

shemightdo,whatshecoulddo.Notathreat,

butareminder.

She was no helpless princess. She had

neverbeen.

Goldrynsangwitheachswipe,hermindas

coolandsharpasthebladewhilesheassessed

each enemy soldier, their weapons, and took

themdownaccordingly.Shedimlyknewthat

Rowanfoughtatherside,GavrielandFenrys

battlingnearherleftflank.

But she was keenly aware of the mortal

men who leaped into the fray with cries of

defiance.They’dmadeitthisfar.Theywould

survive today, too.And the khaganate royals

wouldknowit.

Galloping hooves drowned out the battle,

and then Chaol was there, sword flashing,

driving into the unending tide that rushed

fromthetower’sentrance.

“ToLordChaol!Tothequeen!”

How far they both were from Rifthold.

Fromtheassassinandthecaptain.

Arrows rose from the army beyond the

wall, but a wave of icy wind snapped them

into splinters before they could find any

marks.

Adarkblurplungedpast,andthenLorcan

was at the siege tower’s mouth, his sword

swingingsofastAelincouldbarelyfollowit.

Hebattledhiswayacrossthemetalbridgeof

thetower,intothestairwellbeyond.Likehe’d

fight his way down the ramps and onto the

battlefielditself.

Below, aboombegan.Morathhadbrought

intheirbatteringram.

Aelinsmiled grimly. She’dbringthemall

down. Then Erawan.And then she’d unleash

herselfuponMaeve.

At the opposite end of the field, the

khagan’s army pushed, gaining the field step

bystep.

Nothelpless.Notcontained.Neveragain.

Deathbecameamelodyinherblood,every

movement a dance as the tide of soldiers

pouring from thetower slowed.As if Lorcan

wasindeedforcinghiswaydowntheinterior.

Those who got past him met her blade, or

Rowan’s. A flash of gold, and Gavriel had

slaughtered his way into the siege tower as

well,twinbladesawhirlwind.

What Lorcan and the Lion would do upon

reachingthebottom,howthey’ddislodgethe

tower,shedidn’tknow.Didn’tthinkaboutit.

Not from this place of killing and

movement,ofbreathandblood.Offreedom.

Death had been her curse and her gift and

herfriendfortheselong,longyears.Shewas

happy to greet it again under the golden

morningsun.



CHAPTER58

Elidewasn’tevenonthebattlements,andshe

already wished to never endure another war

again.

The soldiers who were hauled in, their

injuries … She didn’t know how the healers

weresocalm.HowYreneWestfallworkedso

steadily while a man was screaming,

screaming, screaming as his internal organs

pokedthroughthegashinhisbelly.

The keep shook every now and then, and

Elide hated herself for being glad she didn’t

knowwhatitmeant.Evenasitateawayather

notknowinghowhercompanionsfared.Ifthe

khagan’s army was close enough so that this

nightmarecouldendsoon.

It would be hours yet, the dark-skinned,

sharp-eyed healer named Eretia had claimed

when Elide had vomited upon seeing a man

whose shinbone stuck clean through his leg.

Hours yet until it was over, the terse healer

hadchided,soshe’dbetterfinishheavingand

getbacktowork.

Not that there was much Elide could do.

Despite the generous gift of power that ran

through the Lochan bloodline, she possessed

nomagic,nogiftsbeyondreadingpeopleand

lying. But she helped the healers pin down

thrashing men. Rushed to get bandages, hot

water, and whatever salves or herbs the

healerscalmlyrequested.

None of them shouted. They only raised

their voices, magic glowing bright around

them,ifasoldierwasshriekingtooloudlyfor

theirwordstobeheard.

The sun was barely over the horizon,

judgingbythelightatthewindowssethighin

the Great Hall, and so many already lay

injured.Somany.

Still they kept coming, and Elide kept

moving, her limp becoming a dull, then a

sharp ache.A minor pain, compared to what

the soldiers endured. Compared to what they

facedonthebattlements.

She didn’t let herself think of her friends.

Didn’t let herself think of Lorcan, who had

not come to the chamber last night and had

not sought them out this morning. As if he

didn’t want to be near her. As if he’d taken

everyhatefulwordshe’dspokentoheart.

SoElideaidedtheclear-eyedhealers,held

down screaming, pleading men, and did not

stop.

FarashadidnotbalkfromtheMorathsoldiers

who made it onto the battlements. From the

ones who emerged from the second siege

towerthatdockeddownthewall,orthosewho

madeituptheladders.

No,thatmagnificenthorsetrampledthem,

fearless and wicked, just as Chaol had

predicted. A horse whose name meant

butterfly—stomping all over Valg foot

soldiers.

Hadhisbreathnotbeenaraspinhischest,

Chaol might have smiled. Had men not been

cutdownaroundhim,hemighthavelaughed

abit,too.

But Morath was launching itself at the

wallsand gateswithafurortheyhadnot yet

witnessed. Perhaps they knew who had come

toAnielle and now hewed them down.Aelin

and Rowan fought back-to-back, and Fenrys

had plowed his way down the battlements to

joinChaolbythesecondsiegetower.

Chaol’sswordarmdidn’tfalter,despitethe

exhaustionthatbegantocreepupasanhour,

thentwopassed.Faracrosstheseaofenemy

soldiers, the rukhin and Darghan armies

herded and smashed Morath between their

forces,drivingthemtowardthekeepwalls.

Morath, it seemed, did not think to

surrender.Onlytoinflictdestruction,tobreak

into the keep and slaughter as many as they

couldbeforemeetingtheirend.

Hisshieldbloodiedanddented,hishorsea

ragingdemonherselfbeneathhim,Chaolkept

swinging his sword. His wife lay within the

keepbehindhim.Hewouldnotfailher.

Nesrynranoutofarrowstoosoon.

Morathdidnotflee,evenwiththemightof

theDarghanridersandthefootsoldiersupon

them. So they slowly advanced, leaving

bodiescladinblackaswellasgoldarmorin

their wake. More Morath soldiers than their

own, but it was hard—near-unbearable—to

see so many go down. To see the beautiful

horses of the Darghan riderless. Or felled

themselves.

The rukhin took losses, but not as many.

Notnowthatanarmyfoughtbeneaththem.

Sartaq led the center, and from where

Nesryncommandedtheleftflank,shekeptan

eyeonhimandKadara.AneyeonBorteand

Yeran, leading the right flank to the far

westernsideofthebattle,FalkanEnnarinruk

formwiththem.Perhapssheimaginedit,but

Nesryn could have sworn the shifter fought

withrenewedvigor.Asiftheyearsreturnedto

himaidedhisstrength.

Nesryn nudged Salkhi, and they dove

again, the riders behind her following suit.

Arrows and spears rose to meet them, some

Morath soldiers fleeing. Nesryn and Salkhi

rose back into the air coated in more black

blood.

High overhead, twin rukhin scout patrols

monitored the battle. AsNesryn wiped the

black blood from her face, one rider dove—

rightforSartaq.

Sartaqwassoaringawayaheartbeatlater.

Nesryn knew he’d kick her ass for it, but

she shouted to the rukhin captain behind her

toholdformation,andsteeredSalkhiafterthe

prince.

“Getbackinline,”Sartaqorderedoverthe

wind,hisskinunusuallyashen.

“What’s wrong?” she called. Salkhi

flapped harder, falling into line with the

prince’sruk.

Sartaq pointed ahead. To the wall of

mountainsjustbeyondthelakeandcity.

Tothedamthathe’dsocasuallymentioned

breakingtowipeawayMorath’sarmy.

With each flap of Salkhi’s wings, it

becameclearer.Whathadsenthimintoamad

dash.

A group of Morath soldiers had taken the

night not to rest, but to sneak through the

abandoned city. To scale the foothills, then

themountainwall.Tothedamitself.

Where they now, with battering rams and

wickedcunning,soughttounleashit.

Salkhisweptcloser.Nesrynreachedforan

arrow.Herfingerscurledaroundair.

Sartaq, however, had two arrows left, and

fired both upon the thirty or so Morath

soldiers heaving a mammoth battering ram

into the center of the dam. Wood, and stone,

and iron, ancient and foreboding. A few

cracks,anditwouldcomedown.

And then the upper lake and river penned

upbehinditwouldrageacrosstheplain.

Morathdidnotcareifitsownforceswere

washedaway.Theywouldlosetodayanyway.

Theywouldnotallowthekhagan’sarmyto

walkofftheplain,either.

BothofSartaq’sarrowsfoundtheirmarks,

but the two soldiers whowent down did not

cause the others to drop the battering ram.

Again,theyheavedtheramback—andswung

itforward.

Theboom of wood on wood echoed up to

them.

They soared near enough that the iron

enforcements at the tip of the battering ram

becameclear.Thickironcasing,cappedwith

spikes meant to shred and pierce. If Salkhi

and Kadara could reach it, they could rip the

ramfromtheirhands—

Metal groaned and clanked, and Sartaq’s

warningcryshatteredacrosstheair.

Salkhi banked on instinct, spying the

massive iron bolt before Nesryn did. A bolt

fired from a heavy-looking device they must

haverolleduphere.Tokeepruksaway.

Theboltwentwide,slammingthroughthe

mountainrock.

It would have pierced Salkhi’s chest,

straightintohisheart.

Stomachchurning,Nesrynsoaredupagain,

assessingthesoldiersbelow.

Sartaq signaled from nearby,Weave in

through two different directions. Meet in the

center.

Thewindsscreamedinherears,butNesryn

tugged on the reins, and Salkhi banked in a

wide arc. Sartaq turned Kadara, the mirror

imagetoNesryn’smaneuver.

“Fastas youcan, Salkhi!”Nesryn shouted

toherruk.

Gainingonthedam,onthesoldiers,Salkhi

andKadarasoaredtowardeachother,crossed

paths,andarcedoutwardagain.Weavingfast

asthewinditself.Denyingthearchersaneasy

target.

An iron bolt fired for Sartaq and ripped

through air above him, nearly grazing his

head.

Thebattering ram slammed into thewood

again.

A splintering crack sounded this time. A

deep groan, like some terrible beast

awakeningfromalongslumber.

Another iron bolt shot for them and

missed. Nesryn and Sartaq wove past each

other, flying so fast her eyes streamed. The

windsang,fullofthevoicesofthedyingand

injured.

And then they were there, Salkhi’s talons

outstretched as he slammed into the iron

machinethathadlaunchedthosebolts,ripping

itapart.Soldiersscreamedastherukfellupon

them,too.

Those at the battering ram got in another

thunderingboom against the dam before

Sartaq and Kadara slashed into them. Men

went flying, some hitting the dam. Some

landinginpieces.

Kadara hurled the battering ram onto the

nearby mountain face, wood splintering with

the impact. It rolled away into the rocks and

vanished.

Heart thundering, the battle on the plain

below still raging, Nesryn wheeled Salkhi

aroundandtookstockofthedamwall,Sartaq

doingthesamebesideher.

Whattheysawmadethemsoarbacktothe

keepasswiftlyasthewindscouldcarrythem.

Lorcan had battled his way down the first

siege tower’s dim, cramped interior,

slaughtering the soldiers in his path. Gavriel

followed behind him, soon catching up as

Lorcanfoundhimselfholdingtheentranceto

thetoweragainstthecountlesssoldierstrying

togetin.

Thetwoofthemstemmedthetide,evenas

a few of the Morath grunts got past their

swords. Whitethorn and the queen would be

waitingtopickthemoff.

Lorcan lost track of how long he and

Gavrielheldtheentrancetothesiegetower—

howlongittookuntiltheirforceswereableto

dislodgeit.

Their magic would be useless. The entire

damnthingwasbuiltofiron.Theladders,too.

AsifMorathhadanticipatedtheirpresence.

Only the groaning of collapsing metal

warnedthemthetowerwascomingdown,and

sentthemracingontothebattlefield.

Wherethey’dfoundthemselvesoutsidethe

gates.FenrysandLordChaolhadappearedat

thebattlementwallswitharchers,andfiredat

the soldiers who’d rushed for Lorcan and

Gavriel.

But he and the Lion had already marked

their next target: the batteringram still

slamming into those ever-weakening gates.

And with the archers covering from above,

they’dbegunslaughteringtheirwaytoit.And

then slaughtering their way along the ram

itself,untilitthuddedtotheground,thenwas

forgotteninthewaveofMorathsoldierswho

cameforthem.

Lorcan’s breath had been a steady beat, a

grounding force as the bodies piled around

them.

Theyneedonly holdthegate longenough

for the khagan’s army to overrun the Morath

host.

From above, a swift, brutal wind added to

the dance of death, ripping the air from the

lungsofsoldierschargingatthem,evenashe

knew Whitethorn kept fighting on the

battlements.

Lorcan again lost track of time. Only

vaguely knew the sun was arcing across the

sky.

But the khagan’s army was gaining the

field,inchbyinch.

Enoughsothattherukswrenchedthesiege

ladders from the keep walls. Enough so that

LordChaolshouteddowntohimandGavriel

toscaleasiegeladderandgetthehellbackup

here.

Gavriel obeyed, spotting the iron ladder

clearedofMorathsoldiers,beingheldinplace

onlylongenoughforthemtoclimbbackupto

thebattlements.

But the khagan’s forces were near.And a

nudge at Lorcan’s shoulder told him not to

run,buttofight.

So Lorcan listened. He didn’t bother to

shout to Gavriel, now half up the ladder,

beforeheplungedintothefray.

He’d been bred for battle. Regardless of

whatqueenheserved,whethershewasFaeor

Valg or human, this was what he had been

trainedtodo.Whatsomepartofhimsangto

do.

Lorcan plowed his own path toward the

advancingkhaganlines,someMorathsoldiers

fleeing in his wake. Some falling before he

reached them, his magic snapping their lives

away.

Soon now. They’d win the field soon, and

thesonginhisbloodwouldquiet.

Part of him didn’t want it to end, even as

hisbodybegantoscreamtorest.

Yetwhenthebattlewasdone,whatwould

remain?

Nothing.Elidehadmadethatclearenough.

Shelovedhim,butshehatedherselfforit.

Hehadn’tdeservedheranyway.

Shedeservedalifeofpeace,ofhappiness.

Hedidn’tknowsuchthings.Hadthoughthe’d

glimpsed them during the months they’d

traveled together, before everything went to

hell, but now he knew he was not meant for

anythinglikeit.

Butthisbattlefield,thisdeath-songaround

him … This, he could do. This, he could

savor.

The golden helmets of the khagan’s army

became clear, their fiery horses unfaltering.

Finer than any host he’d fought beside in a

mortalkingdom.Inmanyimmortalkingdoms,

too.

Obeying the death-song in his blood,

Lorcanlethisshieldsdrop.Hedidnotwishit

to be easy. He wanted tofeel each blow, see

hisenemy’slifedrainoutbeneathhissword.

He didn’t care what came of it. No one

would care if he made it back to the keep

anyway.Hedidn’tbalkasheengagedtheten

soldierswhochargedforhim.

Perhaps he deserved what happened next.

Deserved it for his pathetic thoughts, or his

arroganceinloweringhisshields.

One moment, he was handily sending the

Morathgrunts back to their dark maker. One

moment, he was grinning, even as he tasted

theirvilebloodsprayingtheair.

A flash of metal at his back. Lorcan

whirled,swordrising,buttoolate.

The Valg soldier’s blade swept upward.

Lorcan arched, bellowing as flesh tore along

hisspine.Noarmor—therehadbeennoarmor

tofitthemacrosstheirtorsos.

The Morath soldier moved again, more

adept than the others. Perhapsthe man he’d

infested had some skill on the battlefield,

something the demon wielded to its

advantage.

Lorcan could barely lift his sword before

thesoldierplungedhisownintoLorcan’sgut.

Lorcan fell, sword clattering. Icy mud

suckedathisface,asifitwouldswallowhim

whole.Pullhimdownintothedarkdepthsof

Hellas’srealm,wherehedeservedtobe.

The earth shook beneath thundering

hooves,andarrowsscreamedoverhead.

Then there was roaring. And then

blackness.



CHAPTER59

Thekhagan’sarmytooknoprisoners.

AfewofMorath’ssoldierstriedtoescape

into the city. Standing beside Aelin on the

keep battlements, Rowan watched the ruks

pickthemoffwithlethalefficiency.

Hisearsstillrangwiththedinofbattle,his

breath a rasping beat echoed by Aelin.

Already,thesmallwoundsonhimhadbegun

to heal, a tingling itch beneath his stained

clothes. The gash he’d taken to his leg,

however,wouldneedlonger.

Across the plain, stretching toward the

horizon, the khagan’s army made sure their

kills stayeddown.Swordsandspearsflashed

in the afternoon light as they rose and fell,

severing heads. Rowan had always

rememberedthechaosandrushofbattle,but

this—the dazed, weary aftermath—this, he’d

forgotten.

Healers already made their way over the

battlefield, their white banners stark against

the seaof blackandgold. Those who needed

more intensive help were carried off by ruks

and brought right to the chaos of the Great

Hall.

Atop the blood-slick battlements, their

allies and companions around them, Rowan

wordlessly passed Aelin the waterskin. She

drankdeeply,thenhandedittoFenrys.

Anunleashingandrelease.That’swhatthe

battlehadbeenforhismate.

“Minimal losses,” Princess Hasar was

saying,ahandbracedonasmallsectionofthe

battlement wall that was not coated in black

orredgore.“Thefootsoldiersgothithardest;

theDarghanremainmostlyintact.”

Rowan nodded. Impressive—more than

impressive. The khagan’s army had been a

beautifully coordinated force, moving across

the plain as if they were farmers reaping

wheat. Had he not been swept into the dance

ofbattle,hemighthavestoppedtomarvelat

them.

The princess turned to Chaol, seated in a

wheeledchair,hisfacegrim.“Onyourend?”

Chaol glanced to his father, whoobserved

the battlefield with crossed arms. His father

said without looking at them, “Many. We’ll

leaveitatthat.”

Pain seemed to flicker in the bastard’s

eyes,buthesaidnothingmore.

ChaolgaveHasaranapologeticfrown,his

hands tightening on the chair’s arms. The

soldiers of Anielle, however bravely they’d

fought,werenotatrainedunit.Manyofthose

who had survived were seasoned warriors

who’d fought the wild men up in the Fangs,

Chaol had told Rowan earlier. Most of the

deadhadnot.

Hasar at last looked Aelin over. “I heard

youputonashowtoday.”

Rowanbracedhimself.

Aelin turned from the battlefield and

inclined her head. “You look as if you did,

too.”

Indeed, Hasar’s ornate armor was

splatteredwithblackblood.She’dbeeninthe

thick of it, atop her Muniqi horse, and had

ridden right up to the gates. But the princess

madenofurthercomment.

Irritation, deep and nearly hidden, flashed

inAelin’seyes.Yetshe didn’tspeakagain—

didn’tpushtheprincessabouttheirnextsteps.

She just watched the battlefield once more,

chewingonherlip.

She’d barely stopped during the battle,

halting only when there had been no more

Valglefttokill.Andintheminutessincethe

wallshad been cleared, she’d remained quiet

—distant.Asifshe was still climbing out of

that calm, calculating place she’d descended

into while fighting. She hadn’t bothered to

remove any of her armor. The bronze battle-

crownwas cakedwithblood,herhairmatted

withit.

Chaol’s father had taken one look at her

armor,atRowan’s,andgonewhitewithrage.

YetChaolhadmerelywheeledhischairtohis

father’s side, snarling something too soft for

Rowantohear,andthemanbackedoff.

For now. They had bigger things to

consider.Thingsthatdrovehismatetognaw

onherlip.WhenPrinceKashin’sarmymight

arrive,iftheywouldindeedheadnorthwardto

Terrasen. If today had been enough to win

themover.

Two shapes took form in the sky. Kadara

andSalkhi,soaringfor the keep at analmost

uncheckedspeed.

People scrambled out of the ruks’ way as

SartaqandNesrynlandedonthebattlements,

slidingofftheirsaddlesandstalkingrightup

tothem.

“We have a problem,” Nesryn said, her

faceashen.

Indeed, Sartaq’s lips were bloodless. Both

oftheirscentsweredrenchedinfear.

The wheels of Chaol’s chair splashed

throughpuddledblood.“Whatisit?”

Aelin straightened, Gavriel and Fenrys

goingstill.

Nesrynpointedacrossthecity,tothewall

of mountains. “We intercepted a group of

Morathsoldierstowardtheendofthebattle—

tryingtobringthatdamdown.”

Rowanswore,andChaolechoedit.

“I’m assuming they didn’t succeed thanks

to you,” Aelin said, gazing toward that too-

neardam,theragingwatersoftheupperlake

andriveritheldatbay.

“Partially,” Sartaq said, a muscle

feathering in his jaw. “But we arrived after

muchdamagehadalreadybeendone.”

“Outwithit,”Hasarhissed.

Sartaq’s dark eyes flashed. “We need to

evacuateourarmyofftheplain.Rightnow.”

“It’s going to break?” Chaol’s father

demanded.

Nesrynwinced.“Itlikelywill.”

“It could burst at any moment.” Sartaq

gestured to the khagan’s army on the plain.

“Weneedtogetthemout.”

“There’snowhereforthemtogo,”Chaol’s

fathersaid.“Thewaterwillroarformiles,and

thiskeepcannotholdallyourforces.”

Indeed, Rowan realized, the keep, despite

its high position, couldn’t fit the size of the

army on the plain. Not even close. And the

keep,toweringhighabove,wouldbetheonly

thing that could withstand the tidal wave of

freezing water that would sweep from the

mountains and across the plain. Obliterating

everythinginitspath.

Hasar fixed her burning stare on Chaol.

“Wheredowetellthemtorun?”

“Summon the ruks,” Chaol said. “Have

themgatherupasmanyastheycan,flythem

out to this peak behind us.” He motioned to

the small mountain into which the keep had

been built. “Put them on the rocks, put them

anywhere.”

“Andthosethatdon’tmakeittotheruks?”

the princess pressed, something like panic

crackingthroughherfierceface.

Rowan’s own heart thundered. They had

wonthebattle,only fortheenemytogetthe

finalsayintheirvictory.

Morathwouldnotallowthekhagan’sarmy

towalkofftheplain.

It would destroy this army, this shred of

hope,inasimple,brutalblow.

“Wasitatrapallalong?”Chaolrubbedat

his jaw. “Erawan knew I was bringing an

army. Did he pickAniellefor this? Knowing

I’d come, and he’d use the dam to wipe our

hostaway?”

“Thinkonitlater,”Aelinwarned,herface

as grave as Rowan’s. She scanned the plain.

“Tell them to run. If they cannot get a ruk,

thenrun. If they make it to Oakwald’s edge,

they might stand a chance if they can climb

intoatree.”

His mate didn’t mention that with a wave

thatsize,thosetreeswouldbesubmerged.Or

rippedfromtheirroots.

Gavriel asked, “There’s no way to fix the

damagedone?”

“Wechecked,”Sartaqsaid,throatbobbing.

“Morathknewwheretostrike.”

“What of your magic?” Fenrys asked

Rowan.“Couldyoufreezeit—theriver?”

He’d already thought of it. Rowan shook

his head. “It’s too deep and its current too

strong.”Perhapsifhehadallhiscousins,but

EndaandSellenewereupnorth,theirsiblings

andkinwiththem.

“Openthekeepgates,”Chaolsaidquietly.

“Any nearby are to run here. Those farthest

outwillhavetofleefortheforest.”

RowanmetAelin’sstare.

Herhandsbeganshaking.

This cannot end here, she seemed to say.

Panic—panic indeed flared in her eyes.

Rowan gripped her trembling hand and

squeezed.

But there was no truth or lie that might

sootheher.

No truth or lie to save the army on the

plain.

Elide found her companions and their allies

not in a council room, but gathered on the

battlements.As if bodies and gore didn’t lie

aroundthem.

She cringed at each step through blood

both black and red, trying not to meet the

sightless eyes of fallen soldiers. She’d been

sent by Yrene to see how Chaol fared—a

panting,fearfulquestionfromawifewhohad

notheardanythingofhisfatesincethebattle

began.

After hours helping the healers, Elide had

beendesperatetoescapetheroomthatreeked

ofbloodandrefuse.Yetanyreliefatthefresh

air, at the ended battle, had been short-lived

when she saw the bloody battlements. When

she noted her companions’ pale faces, their

tensewords.Allofthemweregazingbetween

themountainsandthebattlefield.

Something had gone wrong. Something

waswrong.

The battlefield stretched into the distance,

healersdartingamongstthefelledbodieswith

whitebannershightoindicatetheirlocations.

Somany.Somanydeadandwounded.Asea

ofthem.

Elide reached Chaol’s side just as Nesryn

Faliqleapedatopherbeautifulruk,launching

intoadiveforthearmybelow.No—theother

ruks.

ElidelaidahandonLordChaol’sshoulder,

drawinghisattentionfromwherehewatched

Nesryn fly off. Blood-splattered, but his

bronzeeyeswereclear.

Andfullofterror.

Any message that Yrene had given Elide

fadedfromhermemory.“What’swrong?”

It was Aelin who answered, her bloodied

armor strange and ancient. A vision of old.

“The dam is going to break,” the queen said

hoarsely. “And wipe away anyone on the

plain.”

Ohgods.Ohgods.

Elideglancedbetweenthem,andknewthe

answer to her next question:What can be

done?

Nothing.

Ruks took to the skies, flapping toward

them, soldiers in their talons and clinging to

theirbacks.

“Has anyone warned the healers?” Elide

pointedtothewhitebannerswavingsofarout

into the plain.“TheHealer onHigh?” Hafiza

wasdownthere,Yrenehadsaid.

Silence. Then Prince Sartaq swore in his

own tongue, and sprinted for his golden ruk.

He was spearing for the battlefield within

seconds,hisshoutsringingout.Kadaradipped

everyfewmoments,andwhensheroseagain,

another small figure was in her talons.

Healers. Grabbing as many of them as he

could.

Elide whirled to her companions as

soldiersbeganrunningforthekeep,trampling

corpse and injured alike. Orders went out in

the language of the southern continent, and

more soldiers on the battlefield leaped into

action.

“What else—what else can we do?” Elide

demanded. Aelin and Rowan only stared

toward the battlefield, watching with Fenrys

andGavrielastheruksracedtosaveasmany

as they could. Behind them, Princess Hasar

paced, and Chaol and his father murmured

about where they might fit everyone in the

keep.Thosewhosurvived.

Elide looked at them again. Looked at all

ofthem.

And then asked quietly, “Where is

Lorcan?”

Noneofthemturned.

Elideasked,louder,“WhereisLorcan?”

Gavriel’s tawny eyes scanned hers,

confusion dancing there. “He … he went out

ontothebattlefieldduringthefighting.Isaw

him just before the khagan’s troops reached

him.”

“Whereishe?”Elide’svoicebroke.Fenrys

faced her now.Then Rowan andAelin. Elide

begged,voicebreaking,“WhereisLorcan?”

Fromtheirstunnedsilence, sheknewthey

hadn’tsomuchaswondered.

Elide whirled to the battlefield. To that

endless stretch of fallen bodies. Soldiers

fleeing. Many of the wounded being

abandonedwheretheylay.

So many bodies. So, so many soldiers

downthere.

“Where.” No one answered. Elide pointed

toward the battlefield and snarled at Gavriel,

“Where did you see him join with the

khagan’sforces?”

“Nearly on the other side of the field,”

Gavrielanswered,voicestrained,andpointed

across the plain. “I—I didn’t see him after

that.”

“Shit,”Fenrysbreathed.

Rowansaidtohim,“Useyourmagic.Jump

tothefield,findhim,andbringhimback.”

ReliefcrumpledElide’schest.

UntilFenryssaid,“Ican’t.”

“Youdidn’tuseitonceduringthebattle,”

Rowan challenged. “You should be fully

primedtodoit.”

Fenrys blanched beneath the blood on his

face, and cast pleading eyes to Elide. “I

can’t.”

Silencefellonthebattlements.

Then Rowan growled, “You won’t.” He

pointedwithabloodyfingertothebattlefield.

“You’d let him die, and for what? Aelin

forgave him.” His tattoo scrunched as he

snarledagain.“Savehim.”

Fenrys swallowed. ButAelin said, “Leave

it,Rowan.”

Rowansnarledathertoo.

Shesnarledrightback.“Leaveit.”

Some unspoken conversation passed

betweenthem,andthehopeflaringinElide’s

chest went out asRowan backed down. Gave

Fenrysanapologeticnod.Fenrys,lookinglike

he was going to be sick, just faced the

battlefieldagain.

Elidebackedawayastep.Thenanother.

Lorcancouldn’tbedead.

She would know if he were dead. She

wouldknow it, in her heart, her soul, if he

weregone.

Hewasdownthere.Hewasdownthere,in

thatarmy,perhapsinjuredandbleedingout—

No one stopped her as Elide raced inside

the keep. Each step limped, pain cracking

throughherleg,butshedidn’tfalterasshehit

the interior stairwell and plunged into the

chaos.

Shehadmadehimapromise.

She had sworn him an oath, all those

monthsago.

Iwillalwaysfindyou.

Soldiers and healers fled up the stairs,

shoving past Elide. The shouting was near-

deafening, bouncing off the ancient stones.

She battled her way down, sobbing through

herteeth.

Iwillalwaysfindyou.

Pushing,elbowing,bellowingatthefrantic

peoplewhoranpasther,Elidefoughtforeach

stepdownward.Towardthegates.

People screamed, a never-ending flood

surging up the stairs. Still Elide pushed her

way down, losing a step here, another there.

They did not even look at her, even try to

clear a way as they flowed upward. It was

only whenElide lost another step that she

roaredintothestairwell,“Clearapathforthe

queen!”

No one listened, so she did it again. She

filled her voice with command, with every

ounceofpowerthatshe’dseentheFaemales

use to intimidate their opponents. “Clear a

pathforthequeen!”

Thistime,peoplepressedagainstthewalls.

Elide took the small opening, and screamed

herorderagainandagain,anklebarkingwith

everystepdown.

But she made it. Made it to the chaotic

lower level, to the open gates teeming with

soldiers. Beyond them, bodies stretched into

the horizon. Warriors and healers and those

bearing the wounded rushed toward any

stairwelltheycouldfind.

Elide managed all of five limping steps

towardtheopengatebeforesheknewitwould

beimpossible.Tocrossthefield,tofindhim

ontheendlessplain,beforethatdamburstand

he was swept away. Before he was gone

forever.

Hewasnotdead.

Iwillalwaysfindyou.

Elide scanned the gates, the skies for any

sign of a ruk that might carry her. But they

soared to the upper levels, crawling with

soldiers and healers, some even depositing

their charges onto the mountain face itself.

And at ground level, none would hear her

criesforhelp.

Nosoldierswouldstop,either.

Elide scanned the other end of the gates’

entryway.

Beheldthehorsesbeingledoutfromtheir

stablesbyfrantichandlers,thebeastsbucking

atthepanicaroundthemastheywerehauled

towardtheteemingramps.

A black mare reared, her cry a sharp

warning before sheslashedher hoovesat the

handler. Lord Chaol’s horse. The handler

shrieked and fell back, barely grasping the

reinsasthehorsestomped,herearsflattoher

head.

Elidedidnotthink.Didnotreconsider.She

limpedforthehorsesandthestables.

Shesaidtothefrantichandler,stillbacking

awayfromthehalf-wildhorse,“I’llgether.”

Theman,white-faced,threwherthereins.

“Goodluck.”Thenhe,too,ran.

The mare—Farasha—yanked so hard on

the reins that Elide was nearly hurled across

the stones. But she planted her feet, leg

screaming,andsaidtothehorse,“Ihaveneed

ofyou,fierce-heart.”ShemetFarasha’sdark,

raging eyes. “I have need of you.” Her voice

broke.“Please.”

Andgodsabove,thathorsestilled.Blinked.

Horses and handlers streamed past them,

but Elide held firm. Waited until Farasha

loweredherhead,asifinpermission.

The stirrups were low enough thanks to

LordChaol’slonglegsthatElidecouldreach

them. She still bit down on her shout as her

weightsettledonherbadankle,asshepushed,

andheavedherselfintoFarasha’sfinesaddle.

A small mercy, that they had not even had

timetounsaddlethehorsesafterbattle.Aset

of what seemed to be braces hung from its

sides, surely to keep Lord Chaol stabilized,

and Elide unhooked them. Any weight,

anythingtoslowher,hadtobediscarded.

Elide gathered the reins. “To the

battlefield,Farasha.”

With a whinnying cry, Farasha plunged

intothefray.

Soldiers leaped from their path, and Elide

did not stop to apologize, did not stop for

anyone, as she and the black mare charged

towardthegates.Thenthroughthem.

Andontotheplain.



CHAPTER60

Rowan knew his magic would merely delay

theinevitable.He’ddebatedflyingtothedam,

to see ifhemight hold the structure in place

for just long enough, if he could not halt the

riverentirely,buttheforceofthethingonthe

otherside…itcouldnotbestopped.

Soldiersandhealersracedforthekeep,the

ruks darting across the battlefield to bear

those first in the water’s path to safety. But

notfastenough.Even without knowing when

the dam would break, it would not be fast

enough.

Was Lorcan currently amongst those

running,orhadhemanagedtogetontoaruk?

“The power,” Fenrys said quietly to him,

gripping the gore-slick wall. “It was the one

thingConnallandIshared.”

“I know,” Rowan said. He shouldn’t have

pushed.“I’msorry.”

Fenrysjustnodded.“Ihaven’tbeenableto

stomachitsincethen.I—I’mnotevencertain

Icanuseitagain,”hesaid,andrepeated,“I’m

sorry.”

Rowan clapped him on the shoulder.

Anotherthinghe’dmakeMaevepayfor.“You

mightnothaveevenfoundhim,anyway.”

Fenrys’s jaw tightened. “He could be

anywhere.”

“He could be dead,” murmured Princess

Hasar.

“Orinjured,”Chaolcutin,wheelingtothe

wall’s edge to survey the battlefield below

anddistantdambeyondit.

Aelin,afewfeetaway,gazedtowarditas

well,herblood-soakedhairrippingfreeofits

braidintheharshwind.Flowingtowardthose

mountains,thedestructionthatwouldsoonbe

unleashed.

She said nothing. Had done nothing since

Nesryn and Sartaq brought the news. Her

exact sort of nightmare, he realized, to be

unable to help, to be forced to watch while

otherssuffered.Nowords couldcomfort her,

nowordscouldfixthis.Stopthis.

“Icouldtrytotrackhim,”Gavrieloffered.

Rowan shook off his creeping dread. “I’ll

flyout,trytopinpointhim,andsignalbackto

you—”

“Don’t bother,” said Princess Hasar, and

Rowanwasabouttosnarlhisretortwhenshe

pointed to the battlefield. “She’s already

aheadofyou.”

Rowanwhirled,theothersfollowingsuit.

“No,”Fenrysbreathed.

There, galloping across the plain on a

familiarblackhorse,wasElide.

“Farasha,”Chaolmurmured.

“She’llbekilled,”saidGavriel,tensingas

if he might jump off the battlements and

chaseafterher.“She’llbe—”

Farashaleapedoverfallenbodies,weaving

between the injured and dead, Elide twisting

thiswayandthatinthesaddle.Andfromthe

distance, Rowan could make out her mouth

moving, shouting one word, one name, over

andover.Lorcan.

“If any of you go down there,” Hasar

warned,“you’llbekilled,too.”

It went against every instinct, against the

centuries of training and fighting he’d done

with Lorcan, but the princess was right. To

lose onelife was better than several.

Especially when he would need his cadre so

badlyduringtherestofthiswar.

Lorcanwouldagree—hadtaughtRowanto

makethosesortsofhardcalls.

Still Aelin remained silent, as if she’d

descended deep within herself, and gazed at

thebattlefield.

At the small rider and the mighty horse

racingacrossit.

Farasha was a tempest beneath her, but the

mare did not seek to unseat Elide as they

thunderedacrossthebody-strewnplain.

“Lorcan!”

Her shout was swallowed by the wind, by

thescreamsoffleeingsoldiersandpeople,by

theshriekoftheruksabove.“Lorcan!”

Shesearchedeverycorpseshepassedfora

hintofthatshiningblackhair,thatharshface.

So many. The field of the dead stretched on

forever,bodiespiledseveraldeep.

Farasha leaped over them, cutting sharp

turns as Elide pivoted to look and look and

look.

Darghan horses and riders ran past. Some

to the keep, some to the distant forest along

the horizon. Farasha wove between them,

bitingatthoseinherpath.

“Lorcan!”Howsmallhercrysounded,how

feeble.

Stillthedamheld.

Iwillalwaysfindyou.

Andherwords,herstupid,hatefulwordsto

him…Hadshedonethis?Broughtthisupon

him?Askedsomegodtodothis?

Herwordshadallmeltedawaythemoment

she’drealizedhewasnotonthebattlements.

The past few months had melted away

entirely.

“Lorcan!”

Unfaltering, Farasha kept moving, her

blackmanestreaminginthewind.

The dam had to hold. Itwould hold. Until

shebroughthimbacktothekeep.

SoElidedidnotstop,didnotlooktoward

thedoomthatlurked,waitingtobeunleashed.

Sherode,androde,androde.

Atopthebattlement,Chaoldidn’tknowwhat

to watch: the dam, the people fleeing its

oncoming destruction, or the young Lady of

Perranth,racingacrossthebattlefieldatophis

horse.

A warm hand settled on his shoulder, and

heknewitwasYrenewithoutturning.“Ijust

heard about the dam. I’d sent Elide to see if

you were …” His wife’s words trailed off as

shebeheldtheloneriderchargingawayfrom

themassesthunderingforthekeep.

“Silbasaveher,”Yrenewhispered.

“Lorcan’sdownthere,”wasallChaolsaid

bywayofexplanation.

The Fae males were taut as bowstrings

whiletheyoungwomancrossedthebattlefield

bitbybit.TheoddsofherfindingLorcan,let

alonebeforethedamburst…

Still Elide kept riding. Racing against

deathitself.

Princess Hasar said quietly, “The girl is a

fool. The bravest I’ve ever seen, but a fool

nonetheless.”

Aelin said nothing, her eyes distant. Like

she’d retreated into herself at the realization

thatthissliverofhopewasabouttobewashed

away.Herfriendswithit.

“HellasguardsLorcan,”Fenrysmurmured.

“And Anneith, his consort, watches over

Elide.Perhapstheywillfindeachother.”

“Hellas’shorse,”Chaolsaid.

They turned toward him, dragging their

eyesfromthefield.

Chaol shook his head and gestured to the

field,tothe blackmare and her rider.“Icall

FarashaHellas’shorse.I’vedonesofromthe

momentImether.”

Asifmeetingthathorse,bringingherhere,

wasnotasmuchforhimasitwasforthis.For

this desperate race across an endless

battlefield.

Yrene clasped his hand, like she

understood,too.

Silence fell along their section of the

battlement.Therewerenowordslefttosay.

“Lorcan!”

Elide’s voice broke on the cry. She’d lost

count of how many times she’d shouted it

now.

Nosignofhim.

Sheaimedforthelake.Closertothedam.

He would have chosen the lake for its

defensiveadvantages.

Bodies were a blur beneath, around them.

So many Valg lying on the field. Some

reached pale hands for Farasha.As if they’d

grabher,ripherapart,begherforhelp.

The mare trampled them into the mud,

bonesnappingandskullscracking.

He had to be out here. Had to be

somewhere.Alive—hurt,butalive.

Sheknewit.

The lake was a gray sprawl to her left, a

mockery of the hell to be unleashed at any

moment.

“Lorcan!”

They’dreachedtheheartofthebattlefield,

and Elide slowed Farasha enough to stand in

the stirrups, biting downon the agony in her

ankle. She had never felt so small, so

inconsequential. A speck of nothing in this

doomedsea.

Elidedroppedbackintothesaddle,nudged

the horse with her heels, and tugged Farasha

farther toward the glittering silver expanse.

Hehadtohavegonetothelake.

The horse plunged into motion, her chest

heavinglikeamightybellows.

Onandon,blackandgoldenarmor,blood

andsnowandmud.Thedamstillheld.

Butthere—

Elide yanked on the reins, slowing the

charginghorse.

There, not too far from the water’s edge,

layapatchoffelledMorathsoldiers.Aswath

of them. Not a single set of golden armor.

Even where the khagan’s army had swept

through, they had lost soldiers. The

distribution across the battlefield had by no

means been even, but therehad been corpses

ingoldenarmoramongstthemassofblack.

Yet here, there were none. No arrows or

spears,either,toaccountforthefellingofso

many.

A veritable road of Valg demons flowed

ahead.

Elide followed it. Scanned every corpse,

everyhelmetedface,hermouthgoingdry.On

andon,thewakeofhisdestructionwent.

Somany.Hehadkilledsomany.

Her breath rasped in her throat as they

neared the end of that trail of death, where

goldenbodiesagainbegantoappear.

Nothing.ElidehaltedFarasha.Gavrielhad

said he’d last seen him right here. Had he

plunged behind their ally’s lines and moved

onfromthere?

He might have walked off this field, she

realized.Mightcurrentlybebackatthekeep,

or in Oakwald, and she would have ridden

herefornothing—

“Lorcan!”Shescreamedit,solouditwasa

wonderherthroatdidn’tbleed.“Lorcan!”

The dam remained intact. Which of her

breathswouldbeherlast?

“LORCAN!”

Apainedgroanansweredfrombehind.

Elidetwistedinthesaddleandscannedthe

pathofValgdeadbehindher.

A broad, tannedhand rosefrom beneath a

thickpileofthem,andfoughtforpurchaseon

asoldier’sbreastplate.Nottwentyfeetaway.

A sob cracked from her, and Farasha

canteredtowardthatstraining,bloodiedhand.

Thehorseskiddedtoahalt,goreflyingfrom

her hooves. Elide threw herself from the

saddlebeforescramblingtowardhim.

Armor and blades sliced into her, dead

flesh slapping against her skin asshe shoved

awaydemoncorpses,gruntingattheirweight.

Lorcan met her halfway, that hand becoming

an arm, then two—pushing off the bodies

piledatophim.

Elidereachedhimjustashe’dmanagedto

dislodgeasoldiersprawledoverhim.

Elide took one look at the injury to

Lorcan’s middle and tried not to fall to her

knees.

His blood leaked everywhere, the wound

notclosed—notinthewaythatFaeshouldbe

able to heal themselves. The injury that had

felledhimwouldhavebeencatastrophic,ifit

hadtakenallhispowertohealhimthislittle.

But she did not say that. Did not say

anything other than, “The dam is about to

break.”

BlackbloodsplatteredLorcan’sashenface,

his dark eyes fogged with pain. Elide braced

her feet, swallowing her scream of pain, and

grippedhimundertheshoulders.“Weneedto

getyououtofhere.”

Hisbreathingwasawetraspasshetriedto

lift him. He might as well have been a

boulder, might as well have been as

immovableasthekeepitself.

“Lorcan,”shebegged,voicebreaking.“We

havetogetyououtofhere.”

His legs shifted, drawing an agonized

groan. She had never heard him so much as

whimper.Hadneverseenhimunabletorise.

“Getup,”shesaid.“Getup.”

Lorcan’s hands gripped her waist, and

Elide couldn’t stop her cry of pain at the

weightheplacedonher,thebonesinherfoot

andanklegrindingtogether.Hislegsnoteven

kneelingbeneathhim,hepaused.

“Doit,”shebeggedhim.“Getup.”

Buthisdarkeyesshiftedtothehorse.

Farasha approached, steps unsteady over

thecorpses.Shedidnotsomuchasflinchas

Lorcan grasped the bottom straps of the

saddle,hisotherhandonElide’sshoulder,and

movedhislegsunderhimagain.

His breathing turned jagged. Fresh blood

dribbled from his stomach, flowing over the

crustedremainsonhisjacketandpants.

As he began to rise, Elide beheld the

woundslicinguptheleftsideofhisback.

Fleshlayopen—bonepeekingthrough.

Ohgods.Ohgods.

Elide ducked further under him, until his

arm was slung across her shoulders. Thighs

burning,ankleshrieking,Elidepushedup.

Lorcan pulled at the same time, Farasha

holding steady. He groaned again, his body

teetering—

“Don’t stop,”  Elide hissed.“Don’t you

darestop.”

His breath came in shallow gasps, but

Lorcan got his feet under him, inch by inch.

Slipping his arm from Elide’s shoulder, he

lurchedtogripthesaddle.Toclingtoit.

He panted and panted, fresh blood sliding

fromhisback,too.

Thisridewouldbeagony.Buttheyhadno

choice.Noneatall.

“Now up.” She didn’t let him hear her

terroranddespair.“Getintothatsaddle.”

HeleanedhisbrowagainstFarasha’sdark

side. Swaying enough that Elide wrapped a

carefularmaroundhiswaist.

“You didn’t rutting die,” she snapped.

“Andyou’renotdeadyet.We’renotdeadyet.

Sogetinthatsaddle.”

When Lorcan did nothing other than

breathe and breathe and breathe, Elide spoke

again.

“Ipromisedtoalwaysfindyou.Ipromised

you, and you promised me. I came for you

because of it; I am here because of it. I am

here foryou, do you understand? And if we

don’tgetontothathorsenow,wewon’tstand

achanceagainstthatdam.Wewilldie.”

Lorcan panted for another heartbeat. Then

another.Andthen,grittinghisteeth,hishands

white-knuckledonthesaddle,heliftedhisleg

enoughtoslideonefootintothestirrup.

Now would be the true test: that mighty

push upward, the swinging of his leg over

Farasha’sbody,totheothersideofthesaddle.

Elide positioned herself at his back, so

careful of the terrible slash down his body.

Her feet sank ankle-deep into freezing mud.

Shedidn’tdarelooktowardthedam.Notyet.

“Get up.” Her command barked over the

panickedcriesofthefleeingsoldiers.“Getin

thatsaddlenow.”

Lorcandidn’tmove,hisbodytrembling.

Elidescreamed,“Getupnow!”Andshoved

himupward.

Lorcan let out a bellow that rang in her

ears. The saddle groaned at his weight, and

blood gushed from his wounds, but then he

was rising into the air, toward the horse’s

back.

Elide threw her weight into him, and

something cracked in her ankle, so violently

that pain burst through her, blinding and

breathless.Shestumbled,losinghergrip.But

Lorcanwasup,hislegovertheotherside of

the horse. He slouched over it, an arm

cradling his abdomen, dark hair hanging low

enoughtobrushFarasha’sback.

Clenching her jaw against the pain in her

ankle, Elide straightened, and eyed the

distance.

Along,bloodiedarmdroppedintoherline

ofsight.Anofferup.

She ignored it. She’d gotten him into the

saddle. She wasn’t about to send him flying

offitagain.

Elidebackedastep,limping.

Not allowing herself to register the pain,

ElideranthefewstepstoFarashaandleaped.

Lorcan’s hand gripped the back of her

jacket, the breath going from her as her

stomachhittheunforgivinglipofthesaddle,

andElideclawedforpurchase.

ThestrengthinLorcan’sarmdidn’twaver

ashepulled her almostacross his lap.As he

gruntedinpainwhilesherightedherself.

Butshemadeit.Gotherlegsoneitherside

of the horse, and took up the reins. Lorcan

looped his arm around her waist, his

brutalizedbodyasolidmassatherback.

Elideatlastdaredtolookatthedam.Aruk

soared from it, frantically waving a golden

banner.

Soon.Itwouldbreaksoon.

Elide gathered Farasha’s reins. “To the

keep,friend,”shesaid,diggingherheelsinto

thehorse’sside.“Fasterthanthewind.”

Farasha obeyed. Elide rocked back into

Lorcan as the mare launched into a gallop,

earning another groan of pain. But he

remained in the saddle, despite the pounding

stepsthatdrewagonizedbreathsfromhim.

“Faster, Farasha!” Elide called to the

horseas she steered her toward thekeep, the

mountainithadbeenbuiltinto.

Nothinghadeverseemedsodistant.

Far enough that she could not see if the

keep’s lower gate was still open. If anyone

heldit,waitedforthem.

Holdthegate.

EverythunderousbeatofFarasha’shooves,

overthecorpsesofthefallen,echoedElide’s

silentprayerasthey racedacross the endless

plain.

Holdthegate.



CHAPTER61

Agony was a song in Lorcan’s blood, his

bones,hisbreath.

Every step of the horse, every leap she

made over body and debris, sent it ringing

afresh.Therewasnoend,nomercyfromit.It

was all he could do to keep in the saddle, to

clingtoconsciousness.

TokeephisarmaroundElide.

She had come for him. Had found him,

somehow,onthisendlessbattlefield.

Hisnameonherlipshadbeenasummons

he could never deny, even when death had

held him so gently, nestled beneath all those

he’dfelled,andwaitedforhislastbreaths.

Andnow, charging toward thattoo-distant

keep,sofarbehindthedrovesofsoldiersand

riders racing for the gates, he wondered if

theseminuteswouldbehislast.Herlast.

Shehadcomeforhim.

Lorcanmanagedtoglancetowardthedam

ontheirright.Towardtherukridersignaling

that it was only a matter of minutes until it

unleashedhellovertheplain.

He didn’t know how it had become

weakened.Didn’tcare.

FarashaleapedoverapileofValgbodies,

and Lorcan couldn’t stop his moan as warm

blooddribbleddownhisfrontandback.

Still Elide kept urging the horse onward,

kept them on as straight a path toward the

distantkeepaspossible.

Norukwouldcometosweepthemup.No,

hisluckhadbeenspentinsurvivingthislong,

in her finding him. His power would do

nothingagainstthatwater.

The farthest lines of panicked soldiers

appeared,andFarashachargedpastthem.

Elideletoutasob,andhefollowedtheline

ofhersight.

Tothekeepgate,stillopen.

“Faster,Farasha!”Shedidn’thidetheraw

terrorinhervoice,thedesperation.

Oncethedambroke,itwouldtakelessthan

aminuteforthetidalwavetoreachthem.

Shehadcomeforhim.Shehadfoundhim.

Theworldwentquiet.Thepaininhisbody

fadedintonothing.Intosomethingsecondary.

Lorcan slid his other arm around Elide,

bringinghismouthclosetoherearashesaid,

“Youhavetoletmego.”

Eachwordwasgravelly,hisvoicestrained

nearlytothepointofuselessness.

Elide didn’t shift her focus from the keep

ahead.“No.”

That gentle quiet flowed around him,

clearingthefogofpainandbattle.“Youhave

to. You have to, Elide. I’m too heavy—and

withoutmyweight,youmightmakeittothe

keepintime.”

“No.”Thesaltofhertearsfilledhisnose.

Lorcan brushed his mouth over her damp

cheek,ignoring the roaring pain in his body.

The horse galloped and galloped, as if she

mightoutracedeathitself.

“I love you,” he whispered in Elide’s ear.

“I have loved you from themoment you

pickedupthataxetoslaytheilken.”Hertears

flowed past him in the wind. “And I will be

with you …” His voice broke, but he made

himselfsaythewords,thetruthinhisheart.“I

willbewithyoualways.”

Hewasnotfrightenedofwhatwouldcome

forhimoncehetumbledoffthehorse.Hewas

notfrightenedatall, ifitmeantherreaching

thekeep.

So Lorcan kissed Elide’s cheek again,

allowed himself to breathe in her scent one

lasttime.“Iloveyou,”herepeated,andbegan

towithdrawhisarmsfromaroundherwaist.

Elideslappedahandontohisforearm.Dug

in her nails, right into his skin, fierce as any

ruk.

“No.”

There were no tears in her voice. Nothing

butsolid,unwaveringsteel.

“No,”shesaidagain.ThevoiceoftheLady

ofPerranth.

Lorcantriedtomovehisarm,buthergrip

wouldnotbedislodged.

If he tumbled off the horse, she would go

withhim.

Together.Theywouldeitheroutrunthisor

dietogether.

“Elide—”

But Elide slammed her heels into the

horse’ssides.

Slammedherheelsintothedarkflankand

screamed,“FLY,FARASHA.”Shecrackedthe

reins.“FLY,FLY,FLY!”

Andgodshelpher,thathorsedid.

Asifthegodthathadcraftedherfilledthe

mare’s lungs with his own breath, Farasha

gaveasurgeofspeed.

Fasterthanthewind.Fasterthandeath.

Farasha cleared the first of the fleeing

Darghancavalry.Passeddesperatehorsesand

ridersatanall-outgallopforthegates.

Hermightyheartdidnotfalter,evenwhen

Lorcan knew it was raging to the point of

bursting.

Less than a mile stood between them and

thekeep.

But a thunderous, groaning crack cleaved

theworld,echoingoffthelake,themountains.

There was nothing he could do, nothing

that brave, unfaltering horse could do, as the

damruptured.

Rowan began praying for those on the plain,

for the army about to be wiped away, as the

dambroke.

Standing a few feet away, Yrene was

whispering her prayers, too. To Silba, the

goddessofgentledeaths.Mayitbequick,may

itbepainless.

Awallofwater,largeasamountain,broke

free. And rushed toward the city, the plain,

with the wrath of a thousand years of

confinement.

“They’re not going to make it,” Fenrys

hissed, eyes on Lorcan and Elide, galloping

towardthem.Soclose—soclose,andyetthat

wavewouldarriveinamatterofseconds.

Rowanmadehimselfstandthere,towatch

thelastmomentsoftheLadyofPerranthand

his former commander. It was all he could

offer:witnessingtheirdeaths,sohemighttell

the story to those he encountered. So they

wouldnotbeforgotten.

Theroaringoftheoncomingwavebecame

deafening,evenfrommilesaway.

Still Elide and Lorcan raced, Farasha

passinghorseafterhorseafterhorse.

Even up here, would they escape the

wave’s reach? Rowan dared to survey the

battlements, to assess if he neededtoget the

others,neededtogetAelin,tohigherground.

ButAelinwasnotathisside.

Shewasnotonthebattlementatall.

Rowan’s heart halted. Simply stopped

beating as a ruddy-brown ruk dropped from

theskies,spearingforthecenteroftheplain.

Arcas,Borte’sruk.Agolden-hairedwoman

danglingfromhistalons.

Aelin.Aelinwas—

Arcas neared the earth, talons splaying.

Aelinhittheground,rolling,rolling,untilshe

uncoiledtoherfeet.

Rightinthepathofthatwave.

“Oh gods,” Fenrys breathed, seeing her,

too.

Theyallsawher.

Thequeenontheplain.

Theendlesswallofwatersurgingforher.

Thekeepstones beganshuddering.Rowan

threw out a hand to brace himself, fear like

nothinghehadknownrippingthroughhimas

Aelinliftedherarmsaboveherhead.

A pillar of fire shot up around her, lifting

herhairwithit.

Thewaveroaredandroaredforher,forthe

armybehindher.

The shaking in the keep was not from the

wave.

Itwasnotfromthatwallofwateratall.

Cracks formed in the earth, splintering

acrossit.SpiderwebbingfromAelin.

“The hot springs,” Chaol breathed. “The

valley floor is full of veins into the earth

itself.”

Intotheburningheartoftheworld.

Thekeepshook,moreviolentlythistime.

The pillar of fire sucked back into Aelin.

Sheheldoutahandbeforeher,herfistclosed.

Asifitwouldhaltthewaveinitstracks.

He knew then. Either as her mate or

carranam,heknew.

“Threemonths,”Rowanbreathed.

Theothersstilled.

“Three months,” he said again, his knees

wobbling. “She’s been making the descent

intoherpowerforthreemonths.”

EverydayshehadbeenwithMaeve,bound

iniron,shehadgonedeeper.Andshehadnot

tapped too far into that power since they’d

freed her because she hadkept making the

plunge.

To gather up the full might of her magic.

NotfortheLock,notforErawan.

ButforMaeve’sdeathblow.

A few weeks of descent had taken her

powerstodevastatinglevels.Threemonthsof

it…

Holygods.Holyruttinggods.

Andwhenherfirehitthewallofwaternow

toweringoverher,whentheycollided—

“GETDOWN!” Rowan bellowed, over the

screamingwaters.“GETDOWNNOW!”

Hiscompanionsdroppedtothestones,any

withinearshotdoingthesame.

Rowan plummeted into his power.

Plummeted into it fast and hard, ripping out

anyremainingshredofmagic.

ElideandLorcanwerestilltoofarfromthe

gates.Thousandsofsoldierswerestilltoofar

from the gates as the wave crested above

them.

AsAelinopenedherhandtowardit.

Fireerupted.

Cobaltfire.Theragingsoulofaflame.

Atidalwaveofit.

Taller than the raging waters, it blasted

fromher,flaringwide.

The wave slammed into it. And where

water met a wall of fire, where a thousand

years of confinement met three monthsof it,

theworldexploded.

Blistering steam, capable of melting flesh

frombone,shotacrosstheplain.

Witharoar,Rowanthrewallthatremained

ofhismagictowardtheonslaughtofsteam,a

wall of wind that shoved it toward the lake,

themountains.

Stillthewaterscame,breakingagainstthe

flamesthatdidnotsomuchasyieldaninch.

Maeve’s death blow. Spent here, to save

the army that might mean Terrasen’s

salvation.Tosparethelivesontheplain.

Rowangrittedhisteeth,pantingagainsthis

frayingpower.Aburnoutlurked,deadlyclose.

Theragingwavethrewitselfoverandover

andoverintothewallofflame.

Rowandidn’tseeifElideandLorcanmade

itintothekeep.Iftheothersoldiersandriders

ontheplainstoppedtogape.

Princess Hasar said, rising beside him,

“Thatpowerisnoblessing.”

“Tellthattoyoursoldiers,”Fenryssnarled,

standing,too.

“I did not mean it that way,” Hasar

snipped,andawewasindeedstarkonherface.

Rowan leaned against the battlements,

panting hard as he fought to keep the lethal

steam from flowing toward the army. As he

cooledandsentitwhiskingaway.

Solid hands slid under his arms, and then

Fenrys and Gavriel were there,propping him

upbetweenthem.

Aminutepassed.Thenanother.

The wave began to lower. Still the fire

burned.

Rowan’s head pounded, his mouth going

dry.

Time slipped from him. A coppery tang

filledhismouth.

The wave lowered farther, raging waters

quieting.

Thenroaringturnedtolapping,rapidsinto

eddies.

Untilthewallofflamebegantolower,too.

Tracking the waters down and down and

down.Lettingthemseepintothecracksofthe

earth.

Rowan’s knees buckled, but he held on to

hismagiclongenoughforthesteamtolessen.

Forit,too,tobecalmed.

It filled the plain, turning the world into

driftingmist.Blockingtheviewofthequeen

initscenter.

Thensilence.Uttersilence.

Fire flickered through the mist, blue

turning to gold and red. A muted, throbbing

glow.

Rowan spat blood onto the battlement

stones, his breath like shards of glass in his

throat.

Theglowingflamesshrank,steamrippling

past.Untiltherewasonlyaslimpillaroffire,

veiledinthemist-shroudedplain.

Notapillaroffire.

ButAelin.

Glowing white-hot. As if she had given

herself so wholly to the flame that she had

becomefireherself.

TheFire-Bringersomeonewhispereddown

thebattlements.

Themistrippledandbillowed,castingher

intonothingbutaglowingeffigy.

Thesilenceturnedreverent.

Agentlewindfromthenorthsweptdown.

The veil of mist pulled back, and there she

was.

She glowed from within. Glowed golden,

tendrils of her hair floating on a phantom

wind.

“Mala’sHeir,”Yrenebreathed.

Down on the plain, Elide and Lorcan had

halted.

Thewindpushedawaymoreofthedrifting

mist,clearingthelandbeyondAelin.

And where that mighty, lethal wave had

loomed, where death had charged toward

them,nothingremainedatall.

For three months, she had sung to the

darkness and the flame, and they had sung

back.

For three months, she had burrowed so

deepinsideherpowerthatshehadplundered

undiscovereddepths.WhileMaeveandCairn

had worked on her, she had delved. Never

letting them know what she mined, what she

gatheredtoher,daybydaybyday.

A death blow. One to wipe a dark queen

fromtheearthforever.

She’d kept that power coiled in herself

even after she’d been freed from the irons.

Had struggled to keep it down these weeks,

the strain enormous. Some days, it had been

easiertobarelyspeak.Somedays,swaggering

arrogancehadbeenherkeytoignoringit.

Yetwhenshehadseenthatwave,whenshe

had seen Elide and Lorcanchoosing death

together, when she had seen the army that

mightsaveTerrasen,she’dknown.She’dfelt

the fire sleeping under this city, and knew

theyhadcomehereforareason.

Shehadcomehereforthisreason.

Ariverstillflowedfromthedam,harmless

andsmall,wendingtowardthelake.

Nothingmore.

Aelin lifted a glowing hand before her as

blessed,coolingemptinessfilledheratlast.

Slowly, starting from her fingertips, the

glowfaded.

As if she were forged anew, forged back

intoherbody.

BackintoAelin.

Clarity, sharp and crystal clear, filled its

wake.Asifshecouldseeagain,breatheagain.

Inch by inch, the golden glow faded into

skinandbone.Intoawomanoncemore.

Already, a white-tailed hawk launched

skyward.

But as the last of the glow faded,

disappearing out through her toes,Aelin fell

toherknees.

Felltoherkneesintheuttersilenceofthe

world,andcurledontoherside.

Shehadthevaguesenseofstrong,familiar

armsscoopingherup.Ofbeingcarriedontoa

broadfeatheryback,stillinthosearms.

Ofsoaringthroughtheskies,thelastofthe

mistripplingawayintotheafternoonsun.

Andthensweetdarkness.



CHAPTER62

TheCrochansdidnotscattertothewinds.

Asone,theThirteenandtheCrochansflew

to the southwest, toward the outer reaches of

the Fangs. To another secret camp, since the

location of the other was well and truly

compromised. Farther from Terrasen, but

closertoMorath,atleast.

A small comfort, Dorian thought, when

they found a secure place to camp for the

night. The wyverns might have been able to

keepgoing,buttheCrochansontheirbrooms

could not fly for so long. They’d flownuntil

darknesshadnearlyblindedthemall,landing

only after the Shadows and Crochans had

agreedonasecureplacetostay.

Watches were set, both on the ground and

inthesky.IfthetwosurvivingMatronswere

to retaliate for their humiliating defeat, it

wouldbenow.TheCrochansandAsterinhad

spent much of their time today laying

misleadingtracks,butonlytimewouldtellif

they’descaped.

Thenightwasfrigidenoughthattheytook

the time to erect tents, the wyverns huddling

together against one of the rocky overhangs.

And thoughno fires would have been wiser,

thecoldthreatenedtobesolethalthatGlennis

hadtakenthesacredflamefromtheglassorb

whereitwasheldwhiletravelingandignited

her fire. Others had followed suit, and while

glamourswouldbeinplacetohidethecamp,

the fires, from enemy eyes, Dorian couldn’t

entirelyforgetthattheIronteethMatronshad

foundthemregardless.

They hadn’t spoken of where they were

goingnext.Whattheywoulddo.Iftheywould

part ways at last, or remain as one united

group.

Manon had not asked or pushed them for

analliance,togotowar.Hadn’tdemandedto

know where they flew, such was their dire

needtogetfarfromtheircampthismorning.

But tomorrow, Dorian thought as he slid

under the blankets of his bedroll, a lick of

flameofhisownmakingwarmingthespace,

tomorrowwouldforcethemtoconfrontafew

things.

Bone-tired, chilled despite the magic that

warmedhim,Dorianslumpedhisheadagainst

therollofsuppliesheusedforapillow.

Sleephadalmostdraggedhimunderwhen

a burst of cold slithered into the tent, then

vanished. Heknewwho itwas before shesat

beside his bedroll, and when he opened his

eyes, he found Manon with her knees drawn

up,armsbracedatopthem.

Shestaredintothedimnessofhistent,the

space illumined with silvery light from the

glowingstarsonherbrow.

“Youdon’thavetowearitallthetime,”he

said.“We’reallowedtotakethemoff.”

Golden eyes slid toward him. “I’ve never

seenyouwearacrown.”

“The past few months haven’t provided

much access to the royal collection.” He sat

up. “And I hate wearing them anyway. They

digmercilesslyintomyhead.”

Ahintofasmile.“Thisisnotsoheavy.”

“Since it seems made of light itself, I’d

imaginenot.”Thoughthatcrownwouldweigh

heavilyinotherways,heknew.

“So you’re talking to me,” she said, not

botheringtoseguegracefully.

“Italkedtoyoubefore.”

“IsitbecauseIamnowqueen?”

“Youwerequeenpriortotoday.”

Her golden eyes narrowed, scanning him

fortheanswershesought.Dorianletherdoit,

and returned the favor. Her breathing was

steady,herpostureateaseforonce.

“Ithoughtitwouldbemoresatisfying.To

see her run.” Her grandmother. “When you

killedyourfather,whatdidyoufeel?”

“Rage.Hate.”Hedidn’tbalkfromthetruth

inhiswords,theugliness.

She chewed on her lower lip, no sign of

those iron teeth. A rare, silent admission of

doubt. “Do you think I should have killed

her?”

“Somemightsayyes. But humiliating her

like that,” he said, considering, “might

weakenherandtheIronteethforcesmorethan

her death. Killing her might have rallied the

Ironteethagainstyou.”

“IkilledtheYellowlegsMatron.”

“You killed her, spared the Blueblood

witch, and your grandmother fled. That’s a

demoralizingdefeat.Hadyoukilledthemall,

even killed just your grandmother and the

YellowlegsMatron,itcouldhaveturnedtheir

deaths into noble sacrifices on behalf of the

IronteethClans.”

She nodded, her golden eyes settling on

him again with that preternatural clarity and

stillness. “I am sorry,” she said. “For how I

spoke when I learned of your plans to go to

Morath.”

He was stunned enough that he just

blinked. Stunned enough that humor was his

only shield as he said, “Seems like that

Crochando-gooderbehaviorisrubbingoffon

you,Manon.”

Ahalfsmileatthat. “MotherhelpmeifI

everbecomesodull.”

But Dorian’s amusement faded away. “I

accept your apology.” He held her gaze,

lettingherseethetruthinit.

Itseemed answer enoughfor her.Answer,

and somehow the final clue to what she

sought.

Her golden eyes guttered. “You’re

leaving,”shebreathed.“Tomorrow.”

Hedidn’tbothertolie.“Yes.”

It was time. She had faced her

grandmother, had challenged what she’d

created. It was time for him to do the same.

Hedidn’tneedDamaris’sconfirmingwarmth

orthespiritsofthedeadtotellhimthat.

“How?”

“You witches have brooms and wyverns.

I’velearnedtomakemyownwings.”

For a few breaths, she said nothing. Then

she lowered her knees, twisting to face him

fully.“Morathisadeathtrap.”

“Itis.”

“I—wecannotgowithyou.”

“Iknow.”

Hecouldhaveswornfearenteredhereyes.

Yet she didn’t rage at him, roar at him—

didn’t so much as snarl. She only asked,

“You’renotafraidtogoalone?”

“Of course I’m afraid. Anyone in their

right mind would be. But my task is more

importantthanfear,Ithink.”

Anger flickered over her face, her

shoulderstensing.

Then it faded and was replaced by

something he had seen only earlier today—

thatqueen’sface.Steadyandwise,edgedwith

sorrow and bright with clarity. Her eyes

dipped to the bedroll, then lifted to meet his

own.“AndifIaskedyoutostay?”

Thequestionalsotookhimbysurprise.He

carefully thought through his answer. “I’d

needaveryconvincingreason,Isuppose.”

Herfingerswenttothebucklesandbuttons

of her leathers, and began to loosen them.

“BecauseIdon’twantyoutogo,”wasallshe

said.

His heart thundered as she revealed inch

afterinchofbare,silkenskin.Notaseductive

removal of her clothing, but rather an offer

laidbare.

Her fingers began to shake, and Dorian

moved at last, helping her to remove her

boots,then her sword belt.Heleft her jacket

open, the swells of her breasts just visible

between the lapels. They rose and fell in an

uneven rhythm that only turned more

unsteady as she reached between them and

begantoremovehisownjacket.

Dorian let her. Let her peeloffhis jacket,

thentheshirtbeneath.

Outside,thewindhowled.

And when they kneeled before each other,

bare from the waist up, that crown of stars

still atop her head, Manon said softly, “We

couldmakeanalliance.BetweenAdarlan,and

the Crochans. And any Ironteeth who might

followme.”

It was her answer, he realized. To his

requestforaconvincingreasontoremain.

She took his hand, and interlaced their

fingers.

Itwas more intimate than anythingthey’d

shared, more vulnerable than she’d ever

allowedherselftobe.“Analliance,”shesaid,

throatbobbing,“betweenyouandme.”

Her golden eyes lifted to his, the offer

gleamingthere.

To marry. To unite their peoples in the

strongest,mostunbreakableofterms.

“You don’t want that,” he said with equal

quiet.“Youwould neverwanttobeshackled

toanymanlikethat.”

He could see the truth there, in her

beautifulface.Thatsheagreedwithhim.But

she shook her head, the starlight dancing on

her hair. “The Crochans have not offered to

flytowar.Ihavenotyetdaredaskthem.But

if I had the strength of Adarlan beside me,

perhapstheymightbeconvincedatlast.”

Iftheyhadnotbeenconvincedby today’s

triumph, then nothing would change their

minds. Even their queen offering up the

freedomshecravedsobadly.

ThatManonwouldevenconsiderit,though

…

Dorian twined a wave of her silver hair

aroundhisfinger.Foraheartbeat,heallowed

himselftodrinkherin.

Shewouldbehiswife,hisqueen.Shewas

alreadyhisequal,hismatch,hismirrorinso

many ways. And with their union, the world

wouldknowit.

But he could see the bars of the cage that

would creep closer, tighter, every day. And

either break her wholly, or turn her into

somethingneitherofthemwishedhertoever

be.

“Youwouldmarryme,allsowecouldaid

Terraseninthiswar?”

“Aeliniswillingtodietoendthisconflict.

Whyshouldshebearthebruntofsacrifice?”

And there it was, her answer, though he

knewshedidn’trealizeit.

Sacrifice.

Dorian’sotherhandwenttothebuttonsof

her pants, and freed them with a few, deft

maneuvers. Revealing the long, thick scar

acrossherabdomen.

Would he have shown the restraint that

Manon did today, had he faced her

grandmother?

Absolutelynot.

He ran his fingers over the scar. Over it,

andthenupherstomach.Upandup,herskin

pebbling beneath his touch, until he halted

justoverherheart.Untilhelaidhispalmflat

against it, the curve of her breast rising to

meet his hand with each unsteady breath she

took.

“You were right,” she said quietly. “I am

afraid.” Manon laidherhandoverhis. “I am

afraidthatyouwillgointoMorathandreturn

assomethingIdonotknow.SomethingIshall

havetokill.”

“I know.” Those same fears haunted his

steps.

Her fingers tightened on his, pressing

harder. As if she were trying to imprint his

hand upon the heart racing beneath. “Would

youstayhere,ifwehadthisalliancebetween

us?”

Heheardeverywordleftunspoken.

SoDorianbrushedhismouthagainsthers.

Manonletoutasmallsound.

Dorian kissed her again, and her tongue

methis,hungryandsearching.Thenherhands

were plunging into his hair, both of them

risingontotheirkneestomeethalfway.

She moaned, her hands sliding from his

hair down his chest, down to his pants. She

strokedhimthroughthematerial,andDorian

groanedintohermouth.

Timespunout,andtherewasonlyManon,

alivingbladeinhisarms.Theirpantsjoined

their shirts and jackets on the ground, and

thenhewaslayingheruponhisbedroll.

Manondrewherhandsfromhimtoremove

the glittering crown atop her head, but he

haltedherwithaphantomtouch.“Don’t,”he

said,voicenear-guttural.“Leaveiton.”

Her eyes turned to molten gold, going

heavy-liddedasshewrithed,tippingherhead

back.

His mouth went dry at the beauty that

threatened to undo him, the temptation that

his every instinct roared to claim. Not the

body,butwhatshehadoffered.

Healmostsaidyes,then.

Wasalmostselfishenough,greedyenough

forher,thathenearlysaidyes.Yes,hewould

takeherashisqueen.Sohemightneverhave

to say farewell to this, so that this

magnificent,fiercewitchmightremainbyhis

sideforallhisdays.

Manon reached for him, fingers digging

into his shoulders, and Dorian rose over her,

findinghermouthinaplunderingkiss.

Ashiftofherhips,andhewasburied,the

heatedsilkofherenoughtomakehimforget

that they had a camp around them, or

kingdomstoprotect.

He did not bother with phantom touches.

Hewantedherallforhimself,skintoskin.

Every thrust into her, Manon answered

with a rolling, demanding movement of her

own.Stay.Thewordechoedineachbreath.

Dorian took one of her legs and hefted it

higher,anglinghimcloser.Hegroanedatthe

perfection of it, and Manon swallowed the

soundwithakissofherown,ahandclamping

onhisbacksidetopropelhimharder,faster.

DoriangaveManonwhatshewanted.Gave

himself what he wanted. Over and over and

over.

Asifthismightlastforever.

Manon’sbreathingwasasraggedasDorian’s

whentheypulledapartatlast.

She could barely move her limbs, barely

get down enough air as she gazed at the tent

ceiling.Dorian,asspentasshe,didn’tbother

totrytospeak.

Whatwaslefttobesaidanyway?

She’d laid out what she wanted. Had

spoken as much of the truth as she dared

voice.

In its wake, a sated sort of clarity shone.

Suchasshehadnotfeltinalong,longtime.

Hissapphireeyeslingeredonherface,and

Manon turned toward him. Slowly removed

hercrownofstarsandsetitaside.

Thenshedrewuptheblanketsaroundthem

both.

Hedidn’tsomuchasflinchasshescooted

closer,intothesolidmuscleofhisbody.

No, Dorian only draped an arm over her,

andpulledhertightlyagainsthim.

Manon was still listening to his breathing

whenshefellasleep,warminhisarms.

Sheawokeatdawntoacoldbed.

Manon took one look at the empty place

where the king had been, at the lack of

suppliesandthatancientsword,andknew.

DorianhadgonetoMorath.Andhadtaken

thetwoWyrdkeyswithhim.



CHAPTER63

Aedion and Kyllian kept their panicking

troopsinlineastheymarched,allthewayto

thebanksoftheFlorine.

There was no use running northward. Not

when the bone drums began pounding. And

grew louder with every passing minute that

Aedionorderedtheirlegionintoformation.

Stalking for the front lines, his armor so

heavy it could have been made of stone, the

lackoftheancientswordathissidelikesome

phantom limb, Aedion said to Ren, “I need

youtodomeafavor.”

Ren, buckling on his quiver, didn’t bother

tolookup.“Don’ttellmetorun.”

“Never.” Close—they were so close to

Theralis.Howfittingitwouldhavebeentoat

lastdieonthefieldwhereTerrasenhadfallen

adecadeago.Tohavehisbloodsoakintothe

earth where so many of the court he’d loved

had died, for his bones to join theirs,

unmarkedontheplain.

“Ineedyoutocallforaid.”

Ren looked up then. His scarred face was

leanerthanithadbeenweeksago.Whenwas

thelasttimeanyofthemhadapropermeal?

Or a full night’s rest? Where Lysandra was,

whatformshewore,Aediondidn’tknow.He

hadnotsoughtheroutlastnight,andshehad

stayedawayfromhimentirely.

“I’mnoonenow,”Aedionsaid,thelinesof

soldierspartingforthem.BaneandFae,Silent

AssassinandWendlynianandWastes-hailing

soldieralike.“ButyouareLordofAllsbrook.

Send out messengers. Send out Nox Owen.

Callforaid.Dispatchthemtoeverydirection,

to anyone they might find. Tell Nox and the

otherstobegiftheyhaveto,buttellthemto

saythatTerrasencallsforaid.”

Only Aelin had the authority to do so, or

Darrow and his council, but Aedion didn’t

care.

Ren halted, and Aedion paused with him,

well aware of the soldiers within earshot. Of

the Fae hearing many possessed. Endymion

andSellenealreadystoodbythefrontlineof

the leftflank,their faces grave andweary.A

home—that was what they’d lost, what they

nowfoughttogain.Ifanyshouldsurvivethis.

What would his father make of his son,

fightingalongsidehispeopleatlast?

“Willanyonecome?”Renasked,awareof

those listening ears, too. Aware of the grim

faces that remained with them, despite the

deaththatmarchedattheirbacks.

Aedionfittedhishelmetontohishead,the

metal bitingly cold. “None came ten years

ago. But maybe someone will bother this

time.”

Ren gripped his arm, tugging him close.

“There might be nothing left to defend,

Aedion.”

“Send out thecall anyway.” He jerkedhis

chin to the lines they’d passed through. Ilias

waspolishinghisbladesamongstaclusterof

hisfather’sassassins,hisattentionpinnedon

the enemy ahead. Preparing to make a final

stand on this snowy plain so far from his

warm desert. “You insist I’m still your

general?Thenhere’smyfinalorder.Callfor

aid.”

A muscle feathered in Ren’s jaw. But he

said,“Consideritdone.”Thenhewasgone.

They didn’t bother with good-byes. Their

luckwasbadenough.

So Aedion continued, alone, to the front

lines. Two Bane soldiers stepped aside to

makeroom,andAedion heftedup hisshield,

seamlessly fitting it between their unified

front. The metal wall against which Morath

wouldstrikefirst,andhardest.

The snows swirled, veiling all beyond a

hundredorsofeet.

Yet the bone drums pounded louder. Soon

theearthshookbeneathmarchingfeet.

Theirfinalstand,hereonanunnamedfield

beforetheFlorine.Howhaditcometothis?

Aedion drew his sword, the other soldiers

followingsuit,thecryofringingmetalcutting

throughthehowlingwind.

Morath appeared, a line of solid black

emergingfromthesnow.

Each foot they gained, more appeared

behind. How far back was that witch tower?

Howsoonwoulditspowerbeunleashed?

Heprayed,forthesakeofhissoldiers,that

it would be quick, and relatively painless.

That they would not know much fear before

theywereblastedintoashes.

TheBanedidn’tclashtheirswordsontheir

shieldsthistime.

There was only the marching of Morath,

andthedrums.

Had they gone to Orynth when Darrow

demanded,theywouldhavemadeit.Hadtime

tocrossthebridge,ortakethenorthernroute.

This defeat, these deaths, rested upon his

shouldersalone.

Downtheline,motioncaughthiseye—just

as a fuzzy, massive head poked between

Prince Galan and one of his remaining

soldiers.Aghostleopard.

Green eyes slid toward him, drained and

bleak.

Aedion looked away first. This would be

bad enough without knowing she was here.

That Lysandra would undoubtedly stay until

she,too,fell.

He prayed he went first. So he wouldn’t

witnessit.

MorathdrewcloseenoughthatRen’sorder

tothearchersrangout.

Arrowsflew,fadingintothesnows.

Morath sent an answering volley that

blottedoutthewaterylight.

Aedion angled his shield, crouching low.

Everyimpactreverberatedthroughhisbones.

Gruntsandscreamsfilledtheirsideofthe

battlefield. When the volley stopped, when

they straightened again, many men did not

risewiththem.

Itwasnotarrowsalonethathadbeenfired,

andnowpepperedthesnow.

But heads. Human heads, many still in

their helmets. Bearing Ansel of Briarcliff’s

roaringwolfinsignia.

The rest of the army that she’d promised.

Thatthey’dbeenwaitingfor.

They must have intercepted Morath—and

beenobliterated.

Shouts rose from the army behind him as

therealizationrippledthroughtheranks.One

femalevoiceinparticularcarriedoverthedin,

her mournful cry echoing through Aedion’s

helmet.

The milky, wide eyes of the decapitated

head that had landed near his boots stared

skyward, themouth still open in a screamof

terror.

How many had Ansel known? How many

friendshadbeenamongstthem?

It wasn’t the time to seek out the young

queen, to offer his condolences. Not when

neitherofthemwouldlikelysurvivetheday.

Not when it might be the heads of his own

soldiersthatwerelaunchedatOrynth’swalls.

Renorderedanothervolley,theirarrowsso

few compared to what had been unleashed

secondsbefore.Aspatteringofraincompared

to a downpour. Many found their marks,

soldiers in dark armor going down. But they

were replaced by those behind them, mere

cogsinsometerriblemachine.

“Wefightasone,”Aedioncalleddownthe

line, forcing himself to ignore the scattered

heads.“Wedieasone.”

Ahornblaredfromdeepwithintheenemy

ranks. Morath began its all-out run on their

frontline.

Aedion’s boots dug into the mud as he

braced his shield arm. Like it could possibly

holdbackthetidestretchingintothehorizon.

Hecountedhisbreaths,knowingtheywere

limited.A ghost leopard’s snarl ripped down

theline,achallengetothechargingarmy.

Fifty feet. Ren’s archers still fired fewer

andfewerarrows.Forty.Thirty.

Theswordinhishandwasnoequaltothe

ancientblade he’dworn with suchpride.But

he’dmakeitwork.Twenty.Ten.

Aedion sucked in a breath. The black,

depthlesseyesoftheMorathsoldiersbecame

clearbeneaththeirhelmets.

Morath’s front line angled their swords,

theirspears—

Roaringfireblastedfromtheleftflank.

Hisleftflank.

Aedion didn’t dare take his focus off  the

enemy upon him, but several of the Morath

soldiersdid.

He slaughtered them for it. Slaughtered

theirstunnedcompanions,too,astheywhirled

towardanotherblastofflame.

Aelin.Aelin—

Soldiers behind him shouted. In triumph

andrelief.

“Close the gap,” Aedion growled to the

warriors on either side of him, and pulled

back enough to see the source of their

salvation,freeandsafeatlast—

It was notAelin who unleashed fire upon

theleftflank.

It was not Aelin at all who had crept up

throughthesnow-veiledriver.

ShipsfilledtheFlorine,near-ghostsinthe

swirling snows. Some bore the banners of

theirunitedfleet.

Butmany,somanyhecouldn’tcount,bore

acobaltflagadornedwithagreenseadragon.

Rolfe’sfleet.TheMycenians.

Yet there was no sign of the ancient  sea

dragons who had once gone into battle with

them. Only human soldiers marched across

the snow, each bearing a familiar-looking

contraption,scarvesovertheirmouths.

Firelances.

Ahornblastedfromtheriver.Andthenthe

firelances unleashed white-hot flame into

Morath’s ranks, as if they were plumes from

hell.Dragons,all ofthem,spewing fire upon

theirenemy.

Flamemeltedarmorandflesh.Andburned

thedemonsthatdreadedheatandlight.

As if they were farmers burning their

reaped fields for the winter, Rolfe’s

Mycenians marched onward, firelances

spewing, until they formed a line between

Aedionandtheirenemy.

Morathturnedandran.

Outrightsprinted,theirwarningcriesrising

abovethebellowingflames.TheFire-Bringer

hasarmedthem!Herpowerburnsanew!

Thefoolsdidnotrealizethattherewasno

magic—none beyond pure luck and good

timing.

Then a familiar voice rang out. “Quickly!

Onboard,allofyou!”Rolfe.

For the ships in the river had pulled up,

gangwaysloweredandrowboatsalreadyatthe

shore.

Aedion wasted no time. “To the river! To

thefleet!”

Their soldiers didn’t hesitate. They

sprinted for the awaiting armada, onto any

ship they could reach, leaping into the

longboats. Chaotic and messy, but with

Morathonretreatforonlythegodsknewhow

long,hedidn’tcare.

Aedion kept his position at the front line,

ensuringnosoldierlaggedbehind.

Downtheline,PrinceGalanandaspotted,

furryformdidthesame.Besidethem,redhair

waving in the wind,Ansel of Briarcliff held

her sword pointed at their enemy. Tears slid

down her freckled cheeks. The heads of her

menlayscatteredinthesnowaroundher.

Andaheadofthem,stillunleashingflame,

Rolfe’s Mycenians bought them the time to

retreat.

Each second dripped by, but slowly,those

boatsfilled.Slowly,theirarmylefttheshore,

every boat that departed was replaced by

another. Many Fae shifted, birds of prey

filling the gray sky as they soared over the

river.

And when there were none left but a few

boats, among them a beautiful ship with a

mast carved after an attacking sea dragon,

Rolferoaredfromthehelm,“Fallback,allof

you!”

TheMyceniansandtheirfirelancesmadea

quick retreat, hurrying for the longboats

returningtoshore.

Lysandra and Ansel ran with them, and

Aedionfollowedsuit.Itwasthelongestsprint

ofhislife.

ButthenhewasatthegangplankofRolfe’s

ship, the river deep enough that they’d been

able to pull up close to the shore. Lysandra,

Galan, andAnsel were already past him, and

Aedion hadbarely clearedthedeckwhenthe

gangway was lifted. Below, around, the

Mycenians leaped into their longboats and

rowed like hell. Not a single soldier left

behind.Onlythedead.

Light flashed, andAedion whirled toward

the ship’shelmintimeto seeLysandrashift

from ghost leopard to woman, naked as the

dayshewasborn.

Rolfe, to his credit, only looked mildly

surprised as she flung her arms around his

neck.And tohis credit once more,thePirate

Lordwrappedhiscloak aroundherbeforehe

grippedherback.

Aedion reached them, panting and so

relieved he might vomit upon the shining

planks.

Rolfe let go of Lysandra, offering her his

cloak completely. As the shifter wrapped it

aroundherself,hesaid,“Youlookedlikeyou

wereinneedofarescue.”

Aedion only embraced the man, then

nodded toward Rolfe’s gloved hands. “I

assumewehavethatmapofyourstothank.”

“Turns out it’s good for something other

than plundering.” Rolfe smirked. “Ravi and

Sol of Suria intercepted us near the northern

border,” he admitted. “They thought you

might be in trouble—and sent us this way.”

Heranahandthroughhishair.“Theyremain

with what’s left of yourfleet, guarding the

coast. If Morath attacks from the sea, they

won’t have enoughshipstostanda chance.I

told them that, and they still ordered me

here.” The Pirate Lord’s tan face tightened.

“SohereIam.”

Aedion hardly noticed the sailors and

soldiersmakingthequicksailingtotheother

side of the river. “Thank you,” he breathed.

AndthankthegodsforRaviandSol.

Rolfe shook his head, gazing toward the

mass ofMorath soldiers still retreating. “We

surprisedthem,butitwon’tholdthemofffor

long.”

Lysandra stepped to Rolfe’s side. Aedion

triednottocringeatthesightofherbarefeet

and legs, her uncovered shoulders, as the

bitterwindofftheriverbitatthem.“Weonly

need to get to Orynth and behind its walls.

Fromthere,wecanregroup.”

“Ican’tcarryyourentirearmytoOrynth,”

Rolfesaid,gesturingtothesoldiersmassedon

thefarshore.“ButIcanbearyoutherenow,if

you would like to arrive in advance to

prepare.”ThePirateLordstudiedtheshore,as

if looking for someone. “She’s not here, is

she.”

Lysandrashookherhead.“No.”

“Thenwe’ll makedo,” wasall Rolfe said,

the portrait of cool command. His sea-green

eyesslidtowhereAnselofBriarcliffstoodat

the ship’s rail, staring toward the field of

headsleftinthesnow.

None of them spoke as the young queen

slidtoherknees,armorthunkingonthedeck,

andbowedherhead.

Aedion murmured, “Let me send word to

ourtroopstomarchtoOrynth,andthenwe’ll

sailforthecity.”

“I’ll do it,” Lysandra said, not looking at

him. She didn’t bother to say anything else.

Cloakfallingtotheplanks,sheshiftedintoa

falcon and aimed for where Kyllian now

climbed out of a longboat. They exchanged

only a few words before Kyllian turned

towardAedionandliftedahandinfarewell.

Aedion raised one in answer, and then

Lysandra shifted again. When she landed on

the ship, returning to her human form and

snatching up the cloak, it was to Ansel that

shewalked.

In silence, the shifter laid a hand on the

queen’s armored shoulder. Ansel didn’t so

muchasglanceup.

Aedion asked Rolfe, “How many of those

firelancesdoyouhave?”

ThePirateLorddrewhisgazefromAnsel

to the black mass fading behind them. His

mouth tightened. “Not enough to outlast a

siege.”

Andeventhefirelanceswoulddonothing,

absolutely nothing, once the witch towers

reachedOrynth’swalls.



CHAPTER64

Hourslater,Yrenewasstillshaking.

Atthedisasterthey’dnarrowlyavoided,at

the deaths she’d witnessed before that wave

had struck, at the power of the queen on the

plain. The power of the prince who had

prevented the ensuing steam from boiling

aliveanycaughtinitspath.

Yrenehadthrownherselfbackintohealing

duringthechaossince.Hadlefttheroyalsand

their commanders to oversee the aftermath,

and had returned to the Great Hall. Healers

drifted onto the battlefield, searching for

thoseinneedofhelp.

All of them, every single person in the

keep or the skies or on the battlefield, kept

glancing toward the now-empty gap between

two mountain peaks. Toward the flooded,

decimated city, and the demarcation line

betweenlifeanddeath.Wateranddebris had

destroyed most of Anielle, the former now

tricklingtowardtheSilverLake.

A vision of what would have been left of

them,wereitnotforAelinGalathynius.

Yrene kneltoverarukrider, the woman’s

chest slashed open from a sword blow, and

heldoutherbloodied,glowinghands.

Magic, clean and bright, flowed from her

into the woman, mending torn skin and

muscle. The blood loss would take time to

recoverfrom—butthewomanhadnotlostso

much of it that Yrene needed to expend her

energyonrefillingitslevels.

Sheneededtorestsoon.Forafewhours.

She’d been asked to inspect the queen

when she’d been carried in to a private

chamber by Prince Rowan, the two of them

borne off the plain by Nesryn. Yrene hadn’t

been able to stop her hands from shaking as

she’dhoveredthemoverAelin’sunconscious

body.

There had been no sign of harm beyond a

few already-healing cuts and slices from the

battleitself.Nothingatallbeyondasleeping,

tiredwoman.

Who held the might of a god within her

veins.

Yrene had then inspected Prince Rowan,

wholookedinfarworseshape,asizablegash

snaking down his thigh. But he’d waved her

off, claiming he’d come too near a burnout,

andjustneededtorestaswell.

So Yrene had left them, only to tend to

another.

To Lorcan, whose injuries … Yrene had

needed to summon Hafiza to help her with

some of it. To lendherpower,sinceYrene’s

hadbeensodepleted.

The unconscious warrior, who had

apparentlytumbledrightoffFarashaasheand

Elide had passed through thegates, didn’t so

muchasstirwhiletheyworkedonhim.

Thathadbeenhoursago.Daysago,itfelt.

Yes,sheneededtorest.

Yrene aimed for the water station in the

backofthehall,hermouthdryaspaper.Some

water, some food, and perhaps a nap. Then

she’dbereadytoworkagain.

But a horn, clear and bright, blared from

outside.

Everyone halted—then rushed to the

windows. Yrene’s smile grew as she, too,

foundaplacetopeekoutoverthebattlefield.

To where the rest of the khagan’s army,

Prince Kashin at its front, marched toward

them.

Thank the gods. Everyone in the hall

mutteredsimilarwords.

Fromthekeep,anansweringhornsangits

welcome.

Not just one army had been spared here

today,Yrenerealizedassheturnedbacktothe

waterstation.IfthatwavehadreachedKashin

…

Lucky.Theyhadallbeenso,soverylucky.

Yet Yrene  wondered how long that luck

wouldlast.

If it would see them through the brutal

march northward, and to the walls of Orynth

itself.

Lorcanletoutalowgroanashesurfacedfrom

thewarm,heavyembraceofdarkness.

“Youareoneluckybastard.”

Too soon. Too damn soon after  hovering

neardeathtohearFenrys’sdrawl.

Lorcan cracked open an eye, finding

himselflyingonacotinanarrowchamber.A

lonecandleilluminatedthespace,dancingin

thegoldenhairoftheFaewarriorwhosatina

woodenchairatthefootofhisbed.

Fenrys’s smirk was a slash of white.

“You’ve been out for a day. I drewthe short

stickandhadtolookafteryou.”

A lie. For whatever reason, Fenrys had

chosentobehere.

Lorcanshiftedhisbody—slightly.

No hint of pain beyond a dull throb down

hisbackandtightpullacrosshisstomach.He

managed to lift his head enough to rip away

the heavy wool blanket covering his naked

body.Wherehe’dbeenabletoseehisinsides,

onlyathickredscarremained.

Lorcan thumped his head back on the

pillow. “Elide.” Her name was a rasp on his

tongue.

The last he remembered, they’d ridden

throughthegates,AelinGalathynius’sunholy

powerspent.Thenoblivionhadsweptin.

“Helping with the healing in the Great

Hall,” Fenrys said, stretching out his legs

beforehim.

Lorcanclosedhiseyes,somethingtightin

hischesteasing.

“Well, since you’re not dead,” Fenrys

began,butLorcanwasalreadyasleep.

Lorcan awoke later. Hours, days, he didn’t

know.

Thecandlewasstillburningonthenarrow

windowsill, down to its base. Hours, then.

Unlesshe’dsleptsolongthey’dreplacedthe

candlealtogether.

He didn’t care. Not when the dim light

revealed the delicate woman lying facedown

on the end of his cot, the lower half of her

bodystill on the wooden chair where Fenrys

had been. Her arms cradled her head, one

outstretched toward him. Reaching for his

hand,mereinchesfromhers.

Elide.

Her dark hair spilled across the blanket,

acrosshisshins,veilingmuchofherface.

Wincingatthelingeringacheinhisbody,

Lorcanstretchedhisarmjustenoughtotouch

herfingers.

Theywerecold,theirtipssomuchsmaller

thanhis.Theycontracted,pullingawayasshe

suckedinasharp,awakeningbreath.

Lorcan savored every feature as she

grimacedatacrickinherneck.Buthereyes

settledonhim.

She went still as she found him staring at

her, awake and utterly in awe of the woman

whohadriddenthroughhelltofindhim…

Tired. She looked spent, yet her chin

remainedunbowed.

Lorcan had no words. He’d given her

everythingonthebackofthathorseanyway.

ButElideasked,“Howdoyoufeel?”

Aching. Exhausted.Yetfinding her sitting

athisbedside…“Alive,”hesaid,andmeant

it.

Herfaceremainedunreadable,evenasher

eyesdippedtohisbody.Theblankethadslid

down enough to reveal most of his torso,

though it still hid the scarred-over wound in

his abdomen. Yet he’d never felt so keenly

naked.

It was an effort to keep his breathing

steady beneath her sharp-eyed gaze. “Yrene

said you would have died, if they hadn’t

gottentoyouwhentheydid.”

“I would have died,” he said, voice like

gravel,“ifyouhadn’tbravedhelltofindme.”

Her gaze lifted to his. “I made you a

promise.”

“Soyousaid.”

Wasthatahintofcolorstealingacrossher

pale cheeks? But she didn’t balk. “You said

someinterestingthings,too.”

Lorcantriedtositup,buthisbodygavea

burstofpaininprotest.

Elide explained, “Yrene warned that

thoughthewoundsarehealed,somesoreness

willlinger.”

Lorcan gritted his teeth around the sharp

stabinhisback,hisstomach.Hemanagedto

getontohiselbows,anddeemedthatprogress

enough. “It’s been a while since I was so

gravely injured. I’d forgotten what an

inconvenienceitis.”

Afaintsmiletuggedonhermouth.

His heart halted. The first smile she had

given him in months and months. Since that

day onthe ship, whenhe’dtouched her hand

asthey’dswayedintheirhammocks.

Her smile faded, but the color on her

cheekslingered.“Didyoumeanit?Whatyou

said.”

He held her stare. Let some inner wall

within him come crumbling down. Only for

her. For this sharp-eyed, cunning little liar

who had slipped through every defense and

ironclad rulehe’d ever made for himself. He

letherseethatinhisface.Letherseeallofit,

asnoonehadeverdonebefore.“Yes.”

Her mouth tightened, but not in

displeasure.

So Lorcan said softly, “I meant every

word.”Hisheartthundered,sowildlyitwasa

wondershecouldn’thearit.“AndIwilluntil

thedayIfadeintotheAfterworld.”

Lorcan didn’t breathe as Elide gently

reached out her hand. And interlaced their

fingers.“Iloveyou,”shewhispered.

Hewasgladhewaslyingdown.Thewords

would have knocked him to his knees. Even

now, he was half inclined to bow before her,

thetrueownerofhisancient,wickedheart.

“Ihavelovedyou,”shewenton,“fromthe

moment you came to fight for me against

Vernon and the ilken.” The light in her eyes

stolehisbreath.“AndwhenIheardyouwere

somewhereonthatbattlefield,theonlythingI

wantedwastobeabletotellyouthat.Itwas

theonlythingthatmattered.”

Once,hemighthavescoffed.Declaredthat

far bigger things mattered, in this war

especially.And yet the hand grasping his …

He’dneverknownanythingmoreprecious.

Lorcanranhisthumboverthebackofher

hand.“Iamsorry,Elide.Forallofit.”

“Iknow,”shesaidsoftly,andnoregretor

hurtdimmedherface.Onlyclear,unwavering

calmshonethere.Thefaceofthemightylady

she was growing into, and had already

become, and who would rule Perranth with

wisdom in one hand and compassion in the

other.

Theystaredateachotherforminutes.Fora

blessedeternity.

ThenElideuntangledtheirhandsandrose.

“IshouldreturntohelpYrene.”

Lorcancaughtherhandagain.“Stay.”

Shearchedadarkbrow.“I’monlygoingto

theGreatHall.”

Lorcancaressedhisthumboverthebackof

herhandoncemore.“Stay,”hebreathed.

For a heartbeat, he thought she’d say no,

andwaspreparedtobefinewithit,toaccept

theselastfewminutes asmoreof a gift than

he’ddeserved.

But then Elide sat on the edge of his cot,

right beside his shoulder, and ran a hand

through his hair. Lorcan closed his eyes,

leaningintothetouch,unabletostopthedeep

purrthatrolledthroughhischest.

She made a low noise of wonder, perhaps

something more, and her fingers stroked

again.

“Say it,” she whispered,fingers stilling in

hishair.

Lorcan opened his eyes, finding her gaze.

“Iloveyou.”

Sheswallowedhard,andLorcangrittedhis

teeth as he sat up fully. This close, he had

forgotten how much he towered over her.

Atop that horse, she had been a force of

nature, a defiant storm. His blanket slipped

dangerously low, but he let it lie where it

pooledinhislap.

Hedidn’tmissthedipofherstare.Orthe

long,upwarddragofhereyesalonghistorso.

He could almost feel it, lingering on every

muscleandscar.

A soft groan came out of him as she

continued to look her fill. Asking for things

that he sure as hell was in no shape to give

her. And that she might not yet be ready to

givehim,declarationsaside.

He was immediately challenged to prove

his resolve as Elide ran slightly shaking

fingersacrossthenewscaronhisabdomen.

“Yrene said you might always have this,”

shesaid,herhandmercifullyfallingaway.

“Thenit willbethe scar I treasuremost.”

Fenryswouldlaughuntilhecriedtohearhim

speakthisway,butLorcandidn’tcare.Tohell

withtherestofthem.

Another one of those small smiles curved

her lips, and Lorcan’s hands tightened in the

sheetswiththeeffortittooknottotastethat

smile,toworshipitwithhisownmouth.

But this new, fragile thing humming

betweenthem …He wouldnotriskitfor all

theworld.

Elide,thankthegods,hadnosuchworries.

Noneatall,itseemed,assheliftedahandto

his cheek and ran her thumb along it. Every

breathwasaneffortofcontrol.

Lorcanheldabsolutelystillasshebrought

her mouth to his. Brushed her lips acrosshis

own.

Shepulledback.“Rest,Lorcan.I’llbehere

againwhenyouwake.”

Anything she asked, he’d give her.

Anythingatall.

Too shaken by that soft, beautiful kiss to

botherwithwords,helaybackdown.

Shesmiledathisutterobedience,and,asif

she couldn’t help herself, leaned in once

more.

This kiss lingered. Her mouth traced his,

and at the slight pressure of her lips, the

gentlerequest,heansweredwithhisown.

The taste of her threatened to undo him

entirely,andthetentativebrushofhertongue

against his own drew another rolling purr

from deep in his chest. But Lorcan let Elide

explore him, slowly and sweetly, giving her

whateversheasked.

And when her mouth became more

insistent, when her breathing turned ragged,

heslippedahandaroundhernecktocupher

nape. She opened for him, and at her low

moan,Lorcanthoughthe’dflyoutofhisskin.

His hand slipped from her nape to run

down her back, savoring the warm,

unbreakable body beneath the layers of

clothes. Elide arched into the touch, another

ofthosesmallnoisescomingfromher.Asif

she’dbeenjustasstarvedforhim.

ButLorcanmadehimselfpullaway.Made

himself withdraw his hand from her lower

back.Pantingslightly,sharingbreath,hesaid

ontohermouth,“Later.Gohelptheothers.”

Dark eyes glazed with desire met his, and

Lorcan adjusted the fall of the blanket over

hislap.“Gohelptheothers,”herepeated.“I’ll

beherewhenyou’rereadytosleep.”

The unspoken request lingered, and Elide

pulledback,studyinghimoncemore.

“Sleeponly,”Lorcansaid,notbotheringto

hidetheheatrisinginhisstare.“Fornow.”

Until she was ready. Until she told him,

showed him, she wished to share everything

withhim.Thatfinalclaiming.

But until then, he wanted her here.

Sleeping at his side, where he might watch

overher.Asshehadwatchedoverhim.

Elide’s face was flushed as she rose, her

hands shaking. Not from fear, but from the

same effort that it now took Lorcan not to

reachforher.

He’d very much enjoy driving her out of

her mind. Slowly teaching her all he knew

about pleasure, about wanting. He had little

doubt he’d be learning a good number of

thingsfromher,too.

Elide seemedto read thatonhis face,and

hercheeksreddenedfurther.“Later,then,”she

breathed,limpingtothedoor.

Lorcansentaflickerofhispowertowrap

aroundherankle.Thelimpvanished.

Ahandontheknob,shegavehimasmall,

gratefulnod.“Imissedthat.”

He heard the unspoken words as she

disappearedintothebusyhall.

Imissedyou.

Lorcanallowedhimselfararesmile.



CHAPTER65

DorianhadgonetoMorath.

Hadflownfromthecamp onwings ofhis

ownmaking.Hewouldhavechosensomesort

of small, ordinary bird, Manon knew.

Something even the Thirteen would not have

noted.

Manon stood at the edge of the outlook,

gazingeastward.

Crunching snow told her Asterin

approached.“Heleft,didn’the.”

Shenodded,unabletofindwords.Shehad

offeredhimeverything,andhadthoughthe’d

meanttoacceptit.Hadthoughthedidaccept

it,withwhatthey’ddoneafterward.

Yet it had been a farewell. One last

coupling before he ventured into the jaws of

death. He would not cage her, would not

acceptwhatshe’dgiven.

As if he knew her better than she knew

herself.

“Dowegoafterhim?”

In the breaking light of dawn, the camp

wasstirring.Today—todaytheywoulddecide

where to go. Today, she’d dare ask the

Crochanstofollow.Wouldtheyheedher?

But to head to Morath, where they would

berecognizedlongbeforetheyapproached,to

headbackintohell…

Thesunrose,fullandgolden,asifitwere

thesolitarynoteofasongfillingtheworld.

Manonopenedhermouth.

“Terrasen calls for aid!” A young

Crochan’svoicerangthroughthecamp.

Manon and Asterin whirled, others

following suit as the witch sprinted for

Glennis’s tent. The crone emerged as the

witch skidded to a halt. A scout, no doubt,

breathlessandhairwind-tossed.

“Terrasen calls for aid,” the scout panted,

bracing her hands on her knees as she bent

over to gulp down breaths. “Morath routed

them at the border, then at Perranth, and

advances on Orynth as we speak. They will

sackthecitywithinaweek.”

Worse news than Manon had anticipated.

Evenifshe’dneededit,waitedforit.

The Thirteen closed in, Bronwen a step

behind, and Manon didn’t dare breathe as

Glennis stared toward the immortal flame

burning in the fire pit mere feet away. The

FlameofWar.

ThensheturnedtowardManon.“Whatsay

you,QueenofWitches?”

Achallengeandadare.

Manon lifted her chin at the two paths

beforeher.

One to the east, to Morath. The other

northward,toTerrasenandbattle.

The wind sang, and in it, she heard the

answer.

“I shall answer Terrasen’s call,” Manon

said.

Asterinsteppedtoherside,fearlessasshe

surveyedtheassembledcamp.“AsshallI.”

SorrelflankedManon’sright.“Soshallthe

Thirteen.”

Manon waited, hardly daring to

acknowledge the thing that began burning in

herchest.

Then Bronwen stepped up, her dark hair

blowinginthechillwind.“TheVanorahearth

shallflynorth.”

Another witch squared her shoulders. “So

shalltheSilian.”

Andsoitwent.

Until the leaders of all seven of the Great

Hearthsstoodgatheredthere.

Until Glennis said to Manon, “Long ago,

Rhiannon Crochan rode at King Brannon’s

side into battle. So has her likeness been

reborn, so shall the old alliances be forged

anew.” She gestured to the eternal flame.

“Light the Flame of War, Queen of Witches,

andrallyyourhost.”

Manon’sheartraced,sowildlyitpulsedin

her palms, but she picked up a birch branch

setamongstthekindling.

No one spoke as she plunged it into the

eternalflame.

Red and gold and blue leaped upon the

wood, devouring it. Manon withdrew the

branchonlywhenithadcaught,deepandtrue.

Even the wind did not jostle the flame as

Manonliftedit,atorchinthenewday.

The Crochan crowd parted, revealing a

straight path toward Bronwen’s hearth. The

witchwasalreadywaiting,hercovengathered

aroundher.

Each step was a drumbeat of war. An

answertoaquestionposedlongago.

Bronwen’s eyes were bright as Manon

stopped.

Manon only said, “Your queen summons

youtowar.”

And touched her flame to that in

Bronwen’shearth.

Lightflared,brightanddancing.

Bronwenpickedupabranchofherown,a

longlogburninginthefire.“TheVanorawill

fly.”

She withdrew the wood and stalked to the

next clan’s hearth, where she plunged that

kernel of the sacred fire into their pit.Again

the light flared, just as Bronwen declared,

loud and clear as the breaking day around

them,“Yourqueensummonsyoutowar.The

Vanoraflywithher.Willyou?”

Thehearthleaderonlysaid,“TheRedbriar

will fly,” and ignited her own torch before

hurryingtothenextclan’sfire.

Hearth to hearth. Until all seven in the

camphadacceptedandignitedthefire.

Then, and only then, did the young scout

from the final clan take her burning torch,

grab her broom, and leap into the skies. To

find the next clan, to tell them the call had

goneout.

Manon and the Thirteen, the Crochans

around them, watched until the scout was

nothing but a smoldering speck against the

sky,thennothingatall.

Manonofferedasilentprayeronthewind

that the sacred flame the young scout bore

wouldburnsteadfastoverthelong,dangerous

miles.

All the way to the killing fields of

Terrasen.

Hearthtohearth,theFlameofWarwent.

Oversnow-blastedmountainsandamongst

the trees of tangled forests, hiding from the

enemiesthatprowledtheskies.Throughlong,

bitterlycoldnightswherethewindhowledas

ittriedtowipeoutanytraceofthatflame.

But the wind did not succeed, not against

theflameofthequeen.

Sohearthtohearth,itwent.

Toremotevillageswherepeoplescreamed

and scattered as a young-faced woman

descendedfromtheskiesonabroom,waving

hertorchhigh.

Nottosignalthem,butthefewwomenwho

didnotrun.Whowalkedtowardtheflame,the

rider,asshecalledout,“Yourqueensummons

youtowar.Willyoufly?”

Trunkshiddeninatticswerethrownopen.

Foldedswathsofredclothpulledfromwithin.

Brooms left in closets, beside doorways,

tuckedunderbeds,werebroughtout,boundin

goldorsilverortwine.

And swords—ancient and beautiful—were

drawn from beneath floorboards, or hauled

down from haylofts, their metal shining as

bright and fresh as the day they had been

forgedinacitynowlyinginruin.

Witches, the townsfolk whispered,

husbands wide-eyed and disbelieving as the

womentooktotheskies,redcloaksbillowing.

Witchesamongstusallthistime.

Village to village, where hearths that had

never once gone fully darkblazed in answer.

Always one rider going out, to find the next

hearth,thenextbastionoftheirpeople.

Witches, here amongst us. Witches, now

goingtowar.

A rising tide of witches, who took to the

skies in their red cloaks, swords strapped to

their backs, brooms shedding years of dust

witheachmilenorthward.

Witches who bade their families farewell,

offering no explanation before they kissed

their sleeping babes and vanished into the

starrynight.

Mile after mile, across the darkening

world, the call went out, ceaseless and

unending as the eternal flame that passed

fromhearthtohearth.

“Fly,fly,fly!”theyshouted.“Tothequeen!

Towar!”

Farandwide,throughsnowandstormand

peril,theCrochansflew.



CHAPTER66

Aelin awoke to the scent of pine and snow,

andknewshewashome.

Not in Terrasen, not yet, but in the sense

shewouldalwaysbehome,ifRowanwaswith

her.

His steady breaths filled her right ear, the

sound of the well and truly asleep, and the

arm he’d draped across her middle was a

solid, warm weight. Silvery light glazed the

ancientstonesoftheceiling.

Morning—or a cloudy day. The halls

beyondtheroomofferedshardsofsoundthat

she sorted through, piece by piece, as if she

were assembling a broken mirror that might

revealtheworldbeyond.

Apparently,ithadbeenthreedayssincethe

battle.Andtherestofthekhagan’sarmy,led

by Prince Kashin, his third-eldest son, had

arrived.

Itwasthattidbitthathadherrisingfullyto

consciousness,ahandslidingtoRowan’sarm.

Acaressofatouch,justtoseehowdeeplythe

rejuvenating sleep held him. Three days,

they’d slept here, unaware of the world. A

dangerous, vulnerable time for any magic-

wielder, whentheir bodies demanded a deep

sleep to recover from expending so much

power.

That was another sliver she’d picked up:

Gavriel sat outside their door. In mountain

lion form. People drew quiet when they

approached,notrealizingthatassoonasthey

passed him, their whispers ofThat strange,

terrifyingcatcouldbedetectedbyFaeears.

Aelin ran a finger over the seam of

Rowan’s sleeve, feeling the corded muscle

beneath.Clear—herhead,herbodyfeltclear.

Likethefirsticybreathinhaledonawinter’s

morning.

Duringthedaysthey’dslept,nonightmare

had shaken her awake, hunted her. A small,

mercifulreprieve.

Aelinswallowed,herthroatdry.Whathad

beenreal,whatMaevehadtriedtoplantinher

mind—did it matter, whether the pain had

beentrueorimagined?

She had gotten out, gotten away from

Maeve and Cairn. Facing the broken bits

insideherwouldcomelater.

Fornow,itwasenoughtohavethisclarity

back. Even though releasing her power,

expending that mighty blow here, had not

beenherplan.

Aelin slid her gaze toward Rowan, his

harsh face softened into handsomeness by

sleep.Andclean—thegorethathadsplattered

them both was gone. Someone must have

washeditawaywhiletheyslept.

As if he sensed her attention, or just felt

the lingering hand on his arm, Rowan’s eyes

cracked open. He scanned her from head to

toe,deemedeverythingallright,andmether

stare.

“Show-off,”hemuttered.

Aelinpattedhisarm.“Youputonapretty

fancydisplayyourself,Prince.”

He smiled, his tattoo crinkling. “Will that

display be the last of your surprises, or are

theremorecoming?”

She debated it—telling him, revealing it.

Maybe.

Rowan sat up, the blanket sliding from

him.Is this the sort of surprise thatwillend

withmyheartstoppingdeadinmychest?

She snorted, propping her head with a fist

as she traced idle marks over the scratchy

blanket.“Isentaletter—whenwewereatthat

portinWendlyn.”

Rowannodded.“ToAedion.”

“ToAedion,”shesaid,quietlyenoughthat

Gavriel couldn’t hear from his spot outside

thedoor.“Andtoyouruncle.AndtoEssar.”

Rowan’sbrowsrose.“Sayingwhat?”

Shehummedtoherself.“SayingthatIwas

indeedimprisonedbyMaeve,andthatwhileI

was her captive, she laid out some rather

nefariousplans.”

Her mate went still. “With what goal in

mind?”

Aelin sat up, and picked at her nails.

“Convincingthemtodisbandherarmy.Starta

revolt in Doranelle. Kick Maeve off the

throne.Youknow,smallthings.”

Rowanjustlookedather.Thenscrubbedat

hisface.“Youthinkalettercoulddothat?”

“Itwasstronglyworded.”

He gaped a bit. “What sort of nefarious

plansdidyoumention?”

“Desiretoconquertheworld,hercomplete

lackofinterestinsparingFaelivesinawar,

herinterestinValgthings.”Sheswallowed.“I

might have mentioned that she’s possibly

Valg.”

Rowanstarted.

Aelinshrugged.“Itwasaluckyguess.The

bestliesarealwaysmixedwithtruth.”

“Suggesting Maeve is Valg is a fairly

outlandishlie,evenforyou.Evenifitturned

outtobetrue.”

She waved a hand. “We’ll see if anything

comesofit.”

“If it works, if they somehow revolt and

the army turns against her …” He shook his

head, laughing softly. “It’d be a boon in this

war.”

“Ischemeandliesograndly,andthat’sall

thecreditIget?”

Rowanflickedhernose.“You’llgetcredit

if her army doesn’t show up. Until then, we

prepareasiftheyare.Whichishighlylikely.”

At herfrown, he said, “Essar doesn’t wield

muchpower,andmyuncledoesn’ttakemany

risks.NotlikeEndaandSellene.Forthemto

overthrowMaeve…itwouldbemonumental.

Iftheyevensurvivedit.”

Her stomach churned. “It’s their choice,

what they do. I only laid out the facts.”

Carefully worded facts and half guesses. An

absolutegamble,ifshewasbeinghonest.

Rowan smirked. “And other than

attemptingtooverthrowMaeve’sthrone?Any

othersurprisesIshouldknowabout?”

Her smile faded as she lay back down,

Rowandoingthesamebesideher.“Thereare

no more.”At his raised brows, she added, “I

swear it on my throne. There are no more

left.”

The amusement in his eyes guttered. “I

don’tknowwhethertoberelieved.”

“Everything I know, you know. All the

cardsareonthetablenow.”

Withthevariousarmiesthathadgathered,

withtheLock,withallofit.

“Do you think you could do it again?” he

asked.“Drawupthatmuchpower?”

“Idon’tknow.Idon’tthinkso.Itrequired

being…contained.Withtheirons.”

Ashadowdarkenedhisface,andherolled

onto his side, propping up his head. “I’ve

neverseenanythinglikeit.”

“Youneverwillagain.”Itwasthetruth.

“Ifthecostofthatmuchpoweriswhatyou

endured,thenI’llbegladnotto.”

Aelin ran a hand down the powerful

muscles of his thigh, fingers snagging in the

ripoffabricjustabovehisknee.“Ididn’tfeel

yougetthiswoundthroughthematingbond,”

she said, grazing the thick ridge of the new

scar. A trophy from the battle. She made

herself meet his piercing stare.Did Maeve

somehow break that part of it? That part of

us?

“No,” he breathed, and stroked the hair

from her brow. “I’ve realized that the bond

onlyconveysthepainofthegravestwounds.”

Shetouchedthespotonhisshoulderwhere

AsterinBlackbeak’sarrowhadpiercedhimall

those months ago. The moment she’d known

whathewastoher.

“It was why I didn’t know what was

happening to you on the beach,” Rowan said

roughly. Because the whipping, brutal and

unbearableasithadbeen,hadn’tbroughther

tothebrinkofdeath.Onlyintoanironcoffin.

She scowled. “If you’re about to tell me

thatyoufeelguiltyforit—”

“We both have things to grapple with—

aboutwhathappenedthesemonths.”

Aglanceathim,andsheknewhewaswell

awareofwhatstillcloudedhersoul.

And because he was the only person who

saweverythingshewasanddidnotwalkaway

from it,Aelin said, “I wanted that fire to be

forMaeve.”

“I know.” Such simple words, and yet it

meanteverything—thatunderstanding.

“Iwantedittomakethings…better.”She

loosed a long breath. “To wipe it all away.”

Everymemoryandnightmareandlie.

“It will take a while, Aelin. To face it,

workthroughit.”

“Idon’thaveawhile.”

Hisjawtensed.“Thatremainstobeseen.”

She didn’t bother arguing. Not as she

admitted,“Iwantittobeover.”

He went wholly still, but granted her the

spacetothink,tospeak.

“I want it to be over and done with,” she

said hoarsely. “This war, the gods and the

WyrdgateandtheLock.Allofit.”Sherubbed

her temples, pushing past the weight, the

lingering stain that no fire might cleanse. “I

want to go to Terrasen, to fight, and then I

wantittobeover.”

She’d wanted it to be over since she’d

learned the true cost of forging the Lock

anew. Had wanted it to be over with each of

Cairn’slashesonthebeachinEyllwe.Andall

he’ddonetoherafterward.Whateveritmight

bringabout,howeveritmightend,shewanted

ittobeover.

Shedidn’tknowwhoandwhatitmadeher.

Rowanremainedsilentforalongmoment

before he said, “Then we will make sure the

khagan’shostgoesnorth.Thenwewillreturn

to Terrasenand crush Erawan’s armies.” He

brought her hands to his mouth for a swift

kiss.“Andthen,afterallthat,we’llseeabout

this damned Lock.” Uncompromising will

filledhiseverybreath,theairaroundthem.

She let it be enough for both of them.

Tucked away his words, his vow, all those

promises between them and extended her

palmintheairbetweenthem.

She summoned the magic—the drop of

water her mother’s bloodline had given her.

Mab’sbloodline.

Atinyballofwatertookforminherhand.

Overthecallusesshe’dsocarefullyrebuilt.

She let the gentle, cooling power trickle

overher.Letitsmooththejaggedbitsinside

herself and sing them to sleep. Her mother’s

gift.

Youdonotyield.

When the Lock took everything, would it

claim this part as well? This most precious

partofherpower?

Shetuckedawaythosethoughts,too.

Concentrating, gritting her teeth, Aelin

commandedtheball ofwatertorotate inher

palm.

Awobblewasallshegotinanswer.

She snorted. “Faerie Queen of the West

indeed.”

Rowan huffed a quiet laugh. “Keep

practicing. In a thousand years, you might

actuallybeabletodosomethingwithit.”

Shewhackedhisarm,thedropletofwater

soaking into the sleeve of his shirt. “It’s a

wonderIlearnedanythingfromyouwiththat

sort of encouragement.” She shook the

wetnessfromherhand.Rightintohisface.

Rowan nipped at her nose. “I do keep a

tally,Princess. Of all the horrible things that

comeoutofyourmouth.”

Her toes curled, and she dragged her

fingers through his hair, luxuriating in the

silkenstrands.“HowshallIpayforthisone?”

On the other side of the door, she could

have sworn that cat-soft feet quickly padded

away.

Rowan smirked, as if sensing Gavriel’s

swiftexit,too.Thenhishandflattenedonher

abdomen,hismouthgrazingtheundersideof

herjaw.“I’vebeenthinkingofsomeways.”

But the hand he’d set on her belly pushed

downjustenoughthatAelinletoutanoomph.

And realizedthat she’d beenasleepfor three

days—and had the bladder to go with it. She

winced,shootingtoherfeet.Sheswayed,and

hewasinstantlythere,steadyingher.“Before

youravishmewholly,”shedeclared,“Ineed

tofindabathingroom.”

Rowan laughed, stooping to gather his

sword belt, left neatly by the wall alongside

hers.OnlyGavrielwouldhavearrangedthem

with such care. “That need indeed trumps

whatIhadplanned.”

Peoplegawkedin the halls, some whispering

astheypassed.

The queen and her consort. Where do you

thinkthey’vebeenthesepastfewdays?

I heard they went into the mountains and

broughtthewildmenbackwiththem.

Iheardthey’vebeenweavingspellsaround

thecity,toprotectitagainstMorath.

Rowan was still smirking when Aelin

emerged from the communal ladies’ bathing

room.

“See?”Shefellintostepbesidehimasthey

aimednotfortheirroomandravishment,but

forthehallwaywherefoodhadbeenlaidout.

“You’restartingtolikethenotoriety.”

Rowan arched a brow. “You think that

everywhere I’ve gone for the past three

hundred years, whispers haven’t followed

me?” She rolled her eyes, but he chuckled.

“This is far better thanCold-hearted bastard

orIheardhekilledsomeonewithatableleg.”

“Youdidkillsomeonewithatableleg.”

Rowan’ssmirkgrew.

“And youare a cold-hearted bastard,” she

threwin.

Rowan snorted. “I never said those

whisperswerelies.”

Aelin looped her arm through his. “I’m

going to start a rumor about you, then.

Somethingtrulygrotesque.”

He groaned. “I dread the thought of what

youmightcomeupwith.”

Sheadoptedaharshwhisperastheypassed

a group of human soldiers. “You flew back

ontothebattlefieldtopeckouttheeyesofour

enemies?”Hergaspechoedofftherock.“And

atethoseeyes?”

One of the soldiers tripped, the others

whippingtheirheadstothem.

Rowan pinched her shoulder. “Thank you

forthat.”

She inclined her head. “You’re very

welcome.”

Aelinkeptsmilingastheyfoundfoodand

ate a quick lunch—it was midday, they’d

learned—sittingsidebysideinadusty,half-

forgottenstairwell.Muchlikethedaysthey’d

spentinMistward,kneetokneeandshoulder

to shoulder in the kitchen while listening to

Emrys’sstories.

Though unlike those months this spring,

when Aelin set down her plate between her

feet, she slid her arms around Rowan’s neck

andhismouthinstantlymethers.

No, it was certainly not at all like their

timeatMistwardasshecrawledintoRowan’s

lap, not entirely caring that anyone might

stride up or down the stairs, and kissed him

silly.

They halted, breathless and wild-eyed,

beforeshecoulddecidethatitreallywouldn’t

beabadideatounfastenhispantsrightthere,

orthathishand,discreetlyandlazilyrubbing

that damned spot between her thighs, should

beinsideher.

IfAelinwasbeinghonestwithherself,she

wasstilldebatinghaulinghimintothenearest

closet when they set off to find their

companions at last. One glance at Rowan’s

glazedeyesandsheknewhewasdebatingthe

same.

Yet even the desire heating her blood

cooled when they entered the ancient study

near the top of the keep and beheld the

gathered group. Fenrys and Gavriel were

already there, Chaol with them, no sign of

ElideorLorcan.

But Chaol’s father, unfortunately, was

present. And glowered as theyentered the

meeting that seemed well under way. Aelin

gavehimamockingsmileandsaunteredupto

thelargedesk.

A tall, broad-shouldered man stood with

Nesryn, Sartaq, and Hasar, handsome and

brimmingwithasortofimpatientenergy.His

brown eyes were welcoming, his smile easy.

Shelikedhimimmediately.

“My brother,” Hasar said, waving a hand

withoutlookingupfromthemap.“Kashin.”

Theprincesketchedagracefulbow.

Aelin offered one back, Rowan doing the

same.“Anhonor,”Aelinsaid.“Thankyoufor

coming.”

“Youcanactuallythankmyfatherforthat.

And Yrene,” said Kashin, his use of their

languageasflawlessashissiblings’.

Indeed,Aelinhadmuchtothankthehealer

for.

Nesryn’s sharp eyes scanned Aelin from

headtotoe.“You’refeelingallright?”

“Justneededtorest.”Aelinjerkedherchin

at Rowan. “He requires frequent naps in his

oldage.”

Sartaq coughed,keepinghis headdown as

hecontinuedstudyingthemap.

Fenrys, however, laughed. “Back to your

goodspirits,Isee.”

Aelin smirked at Chaol’s straight-backed

father.“We’llseehowlongitlasts.”

Themansaidnothing.

Rowanmotionedtothedeskandaskedthe

royals, “Have you decided—where you shall

marchnow?”

Suchacasual,calmquestion.Asifthefate

ofTerrasendidnotrestuponit.

Hasaropenedhermouth,butSartaqcuther

off. “North. We shall indeed go north with

you.Ifonlytorepayyouforsavingourarmy

—ourpeople.”

Aelintriednottolooktoorelieved.

“Gratitudeaside,”Hasarsaid,notsounding

very grateful at all, “Kashin’sscouts have

confirmed that Terrasen is where Morath is

concentratingitsefforts.Soitistherethatwe

shallgo.”

Aelinwishedshehadnoteatensuchalarge

lunch.“Howbadisit?”

Nesryn shook her head, answering for

Prince Kashin, “The details were murky.All

weknowisthathordeswerespottedmarching

northward, leaving a trail of destruction in

theirwake.”

Aelin kept her fists at her sides, avoiding

theurgetorubatherface.

Chaol’s father said, “I hope that power of

yourscanbesummonedagain.”

Aelin let an ember of that power smolder

in her eyes. “Thank you for the armor,” she

crooned.

“Consider it an early coronation gift,” the

Lord of Anielle countered with a mocking

smile.

Sartaqclearedhisthroat.“Ifyouandyour

companions are recovered, then we’ll press

northward as soon as we are able.” No

objectionsfromHasaratthat.

“Andmarchalongthemountains?”Rowan

asked, scanning the map. Aelin traced the

route they’d follow. “We’d have to pass

directly before the Ferian Gap. We’ll barely

cleartheotherendofthislakebeforewe’rein

anotherbattle.”

“Sowedrawthemout,”Hasarsaid.“Trick

them into emptying whatever forces wait in

theGap,thensneakuponthemfrombehind.”

“AdarlancontrolstheentireAvery,”Chaol

said, drawing an invisible line inland from

Rifthold.“Topassnorth,wehavetocrossthat

river anyway. In picking the Gap as our

battleground,we’llavoidthemessthatwould

come with fighting in the midst of Oakwald.

The ruks, at least, would be able to provide

aerialcoverage.Notsowiththetrees.”

Rowan nodded. “We’d need to march the

majority of the host up into the mountains,

then—tocome at the Gapfromwherethey’d

least expect it. It’s rough terrain, though.

We’llneedtopickourroutecarefully.”

Chaol’s father grumbled. Aelin lifted her

brows, but his son answered, “I sent out

emissaries the day after the battle—into the

Fangs. To contactthe wild men who live

there, if they might know of secret ways

throughthemountainstotheGap.”

Ancientenemiesofthiscity.“And?”

“Theydo.Butatacost.”

“One that shall not be paid,” the Lord of

Aniellesnapped.

“Letmeguess:territory,”Aelinsaid.

Chaol nodded. Hence the tension in this

room.

ShetappedafootasshesurveyedtheLord

ofAnielle.“Andyouwon’tgiveonesliverof

landtothem?”

Hejustglared.

“Apparentlynot,”Fenrysmuttered.

Aelin shrugged, and turned to Chaol.

“Well,it’ssettled,then.”

“Whatissettled?”hisfathergroundout.

Aelin ignored him, and winked at her

friend. “You’re the Hand to the King of

Adarlan.Yououtrankhim.You’reauthorized

toactonDorian’sbehalf.”Shegesturedtothe

map.“ThelandmightbeapartofAnielle,but

itbelongstoAdarlan.Goaheadandbarterit.”

Hisfatherstarted.“You—”

“We are going north,” Aelin said. “You

willnotstandinourway.”Sheagainletsome

of her fire kindle in hereyes, set the gold in

them burning. “I halted that wave. Consider

thisalliancewiththewildmenawaytorepay

thefavor.”

“That wave destroyed half my city,” the

mansnarled.

Fenrys let out a low, disbelieving laugh.

Rowansnarledsoftly.

Chaol growled at his father, “You’re a

bastard.”

“Watchyourtongue,boy.”

Aelinnoddedsympathetically to Chaol.“I

seewhyyouleft.”

Chaol,tohiscredit,wincedandreturnedto

the map. “If we can get past the Ferian Gap,

thenwecontinuenorthward.”

Past Endovier. That path would take them

right past Endovier. Aelin’s stomach

tightened.Rowan’shandgrazedherown.

“Wehavetodecidesoon,”Sartaqdeclared.

“Right now, we sit betweenthe Ferian Gap

andMorath.ItwouldbeveryeasyforErawan

tosendhoststocrushusbetweenthem.”

HasarturnedtoChaol.“IsYreneanywhere

neardone?”

Heleanedanelbowagainstthearmofhis

wheeled chair. “Evenwith the few survivors,

there are too many of them. We’d be here

weeks.”

“Howmanyinjured?”Rowanasked.

Chaol shook his head. “Not injured.” His

jawtightened.“Valg.”

Aelin frowned. “Yrene’s healing the

Valg?”

Hasargrinned.“Inamannerofspeaking.”

Aelinwavedheroff.“CanIsee?”

TheyfoundYrenenotinthekeep,butinatent

on the remnants of the battlefield, leaning

over a human manthrashing uponacot. The

man had been restrained to anchors in the

floorathiswristsandankles.

Aelintookonelookatthosechainsandhad

toswallow.

Rowanlaidahandonherlowerback,and

Fenryssteppedclosertoherside.

Yrenepaused,herhandswreathedinwhite

light.Borte,swordout,lingerednearby.

“Is something wrong?” Yrene asked, the

glow in her hands fading. The man sagged,

going boneless as the healer’s assault on the

demoninsidehimhalted.

Chaol steered his chair closer to her, the

wheels equipped for rougher terrain. “Aelin

andhercompanionswantademonstration.If

you’reupforit.”

Yrene smoothed back the hair that had

escaped her braid. “It’s not really anything

thatyoucansee.Whathappensisbeneaththe

skin—mindtomind.”

“YougoupagainstValgdemonsdirectly,”

Fenryssaidwithnosmallamountofawe.

“They’re hateful, cowardly wretches.”

Yrene crossed her arms andscowled at the

man tied to the cot. “Utterly pathetic,” she

spattowardhim—thedemoninsidehim.

The man hissed. Yrene only smiled. The

man—thedemon—whimpered.

Aelin blinked, unsure whether to laugh or

falltoherknees.“Showme.Dowhateveritis

youdo,butshowme.”

So the healer did. Hands shining, she laid

them atop the man’s chest. He screamed and

screamedandscreamed.

Yrene panted, brows scrunching. For long

minutes,theshriekingcontinued.

Borte said, “It’s not very exciting with

themtieddown,isit?”

Sartaqthrewheranexasperatedglare.Asif

this were a conversation they’d already had

manytimes.“Youcanbeonmuckingduty,if

you’dprefer.”

Borterolledher eyes, but turned toAelin,

looking her over with a frankness thatAelin

could only appreciate. “Any other missions

forme?”

Aelingrinned.“Notyet.Soon,perhaps.”

Borte grinned right back. “Please.Please

sparemefromthetediumofthis.”

Aelin glanced toward the healer radiant

with light. “How many does this make

today?”

“Ten,”Bortegrumbled.

Aelin asked Chaol, “And how many can

shedoeveryday?”

“Fifteen, at most. Some require more

energythanotherstoexpel,sothosedaysit’s

less.”

Aelin tried to do the math on how many

infested soldiers were left on the field. “And

once they’re cured? What do you do with

themthen?”

“We interrogate them,” Chaol said,

frowning. “See what their stories are, how

they wound up captured. Where their

allegianceslie.”

“Andyoubelievethem?”Fenrysasked.

Hasar patted the hilt of her fine sword.

“Ourinterrogatorsareskilledatretrievingthe

truth.”

Aelinignoredtheroilinginherstomach.

“Soyoufreethem,”Gavrielsaid,silentfor

minutesnow,“andthentorturethem?”

“This is war,” Hasar said simply. “We

leave them able to function. But we will not

risk sparing their lives only to find a new

armyatourbacks.”

“Some willingly joined Erawan,” Chaol

said quietly. “Some willingly took the ring.

Yrene can tell, when she’s in there, who

wanted it or not. She doesn’t bother to save

thosewhogladlyknelt. Somostof thoseshe

doessavewereeitherfoolsortakenforcibly.”

“Some want to fight for us,” Sartaq said.

“Those who pass our vetting process are

allowed to begin training with the foot

soldiers.Notmanyofthem,butafew.”

Fine.Fine,andfine.

Yrene gasped, her light flaring bright

enoughthatAelinsquinted.

The man bound to the cot coughed,

arching.

Black,noxiousvomitsprayed.

Borte grimaced, waving away the smell.

Then the black smoke that rippled from his

mouth.

Yreneslumpedback,Chaolshootingoutan

armtobraceher.Thehealeronlytookaperch

onthearmofhischair,ahandonherheaving

chest.

Aelin gave her a moment to catch her

breath. To manage such a feat was

remarkable.Todoitwhilepregnant…Aelin

shookherheadinwonder.

Yrene said to no one in particular, “That

demondidn’twanttogo.”

“Butit’sgonenow?”Aelinasked.

Yrene pointed to the man on the cot, now

opening his eyes. Brown, not black, gazed

upward.

“Thank you,” was all the man said, his

voiceraw.

Andhuman.Utterlyhuman.



CHAPTER67

Rowan followed Aelin as she meandered

acrossthebattlefield,totheedgeoftheSilver

Lake.Shestoppedonlynowandthentopick

up any worthwhile enemy weapons. There

werefew.

Theothershaddispersed,Gavriellingering

to learn how Yrene healed the Valg, Fenrys

heading off with Chaol to meet with

emissaries from the wild men, and the

khaganateroyalsseeingtotheirtroops.

They would leave in two days, if the

weatherheld.Twodays,andthenthey’dbegin

thepushnorth.

Thankthegods.Eventhoughtheywerethe

lastbeingsRowanwishedtothank.

Aelin halted at the rocky shore, peering

across the mirror-flat expanse now choked

withdebris.SherestedahandatopGoldryn’s

hilt, flame dancing at her fingers, seemingly

intotheredstoneitself.

“It would take years,” she observed, “to

healeveryoneinfectedbytheValg.”

“Each of those soldiers has a family,

friendswhowouldwantustotry.”

“Iknow.”Thechillwindwhippedherhair

acrossherface,blowingnorthward.

“Thenwhythewalkouthere?”She’dgone

contemplative during their meeting in the

tent,herbrowfurrowing.

“Could Yrene healthem? Erawan and

Maeve?Idon’tknowwhyIdidn’tthinkofit.”

“IsErawan’sbodymadebyhim,orstolen?

Is Maeve’s?” Rowan shook his head. “They

mightbewhollydifferent.”

“I don’t seehow Ican askYrenetodo it.

Ask it ofChaol.”Aelin swallowed.“To even

putYrenenearErawanorMaeve…Ican’tdo

it.”

Rowanwouldn’tbeableto,either.Notfor

athousanddifferentreasons.

“But is it a mistake to putYrene’s safety

abovethatofthisentireworld?”Aelinmused,

examining one of the enemy daggers she’d

pilfered.Anunusuallyfineblade,likelystolen

in the first place. “She’s the greatest weapon

we have, if the keys are not in play.Are we

foolsnottopushtouseit?”

Itwasn’thischoice,hiscall.Buthecould

offerherasoundingboard.“Willyoubeable

tolivewithyourselfifsomethinghappensto

Yrene,toherunbornchild?”

“No.Buttherestoftheworldwilllive,at

least.Myguiltwouldbesecondarytothat.”

“And if you don’t push Yrene to try to

destroy them, and Erawan or Maeve wins—

whatthen?”

“ThereisstilltheLock.There’sstillme.”

Rowan swallowed. Saw the reason she’d

neededtobeawayfromtheothers,neededto

walk.“Yreneisarayofhopeforyou.Forus.

ThatyoumightnotneedtoforgetheLockat

all.You,orDorian.”

“Thegodsdemandit.”

“Thegodscangotohell.”

Aelin chucked away the dagger. “I hate

this.Ireallydo.”

Heslidanarmaroundhershoulders.Itwas

allhecouldofferher.

Over—she’dsaidshewantedittobeover.

He’ddoallhecouldtomakeitso.

Aelinleanedherheadagainsthischest,and

they stared across the cold lake in silence.

“Wouldyouletmedoit,ifIwereYrene?IfI

werecarryingourchild?”

He failed to block out the image of that

dream—of Aelin, heavily pregnant, their

children around her. “I don’tlet you do

anything.”

She waved a hand. “You know what I

mean.”

Hetookamomenttoanswer.“No.Evenif

theworldendedbecauseofit,Icouldn’tbear

it.”

And with that Lock, he might very well

havetomakethatdecision,too.

Rowan ran his fingers over the claiming

marksonherneck.“Itoldyouthatlovewasa

weakness. It would be far easier if we all

hatedeachother.”

She snorted. “Give it a few weeks on the

road with this army, in those mountains, and

we might not be such pleasant allies

anymore.”

Rowan kissed the top of her head. “Gods

helpus.”

But Aelin pulled away at the words, the

phrase that dropped off his tongue. She

frownedtowardthecampedarmy.

“What?”heasked.

“I want to see those Wyrdmark books

ChaolandYrenebroughtwiththem.”

“What does this say?” Aelin asked Borte,

tappingafingeronascribbledlineoftextin

Halha,thetongueofthesoutherncontinent.

Seated beside her at the desk in Prince

Sartaq’s war tent, the ruk rider craned her

neck to study the handwritten note beside a

longcolumnofWyrdmarks.“Agoodspellfor

encouragingyourherbbedstogrow.”

Across the desk, Rowan snorted. A book

lay open before him, his progress through it

farslowerthanAelin’s.

Most of the tomes were wholly written in

Wyrdmarks, but annotationsscribbled in the

marginshaddrivenhertoseekouttheyoung

rukhin. Borte, thoroughly bored with helping

Yrene,hadleapedatthechancetoassistthem,

passing Valg duty onto her scowling

betrothed.

ButforthetwohoursthatAelinandRowan

had perused the collection Chaol and Yrene

had brought from Hafiza’s forbidden library

atoptheTorre,nothinghadproveduseful.

Aelin sighed at the canvas ceiling of the

prince’s large tent. Fortunate that Sartaq had

brought these trunks with him, rather than

leaving them with their armada, but …

exhaustionnippedather,foggingtheintricate

latticeofsymbolsontheyellowedpages.

Rowan straightened. “This one opens

something,”hesaid,flippingthebooktoface

her.“Idon’tknowtheothersymbols,butthat

one says ‘open.’ ” Even with the hours of

instruction on the journey back to this

continent, Rowan and the others had not

wholly mastered the language of the half-

forgotten marks. But her mate remembered

most—asifthey’dbeenplantedinhismind.

Aelincarefullystudiedthelineofsymbols

acrossthepage.Read throughthem asecond

time. “It’s not what we’re looking for.” She

pulled on her bottom lip. “It’s a spell for

opening a portal between locations—just in

thisworld.”

“LikewhatMaevecando?”Borteasked.

Aelinshrugged. “Yes,butthisisfor close

traveling.MorelikewhatFenryscando.”Or

had once been able to do, before Maeve had

brokenitfromhim.

Borte’smouthquirkedtotheside.“What’s

thepointofit,then?”

“Entertaining people at parties?” Aelin

handedthebookbacktoRowan.

Borte chuckled, and leaned back in her

seat,toyingwiththeendofalongbraid.“Do

youthinkthespellexists—tofindanalternate

waytosealtheWyrdgate?”Thequestionwas

barely more than a whisper, and yet Rowan

shotthegirlawarninglook.Bortejustwaved

himoff.

No.Elenawouldhavetoldher,orBrannon,

ifsuchathinghadexisted.

Aelinranahandoverthedry,ancientpage,

thesymbolsblurring.“It’sworthalook,isn’t

it?”

Rowan indeed resumed his careful

browsing and decoding. He’d sit here for

hours, she knew. And if they found nothing,

sheknewhe’dsithereandrereadthemalljust

tobesure.

Awayout—analternatepath.Forher,for

Dorian.Forwhicheverofthemwouldpaythe

price to forge the Lock and seal the gate. A

desperate,foolishhope.

The hours passed, the stacks of books

dwindling. Fenrys joined them after a time,

unusually solemn as they searched and

searched.Andfoundnothing.

Whentherewerenobooksleftinthetrunk,

when Borte was nodding off and Rowan was

pacing through the tent,Aelin did them all a

favorandorderedthemtoreturntothekeep.

It had been worth a look, she told herself.

Even if the leaden weight in her gut said

otherwise.

Chaol found his father where he’d left him,

seethinginhisstudy.

“You cannot give a single acre of this

territorytothewildmen,”hisfatherhissedas

Chaol wheeled into the room and shut the

door.

Chaol crossed his arms, not bothering to

lookplacating.“Ican,andIwill.”

His father shot to his feet and braced his

hands on his desk. “You would spit on the

livesofallthemenofAniellewhofoughtand

died to keep this territory from their filthy

hands?”

“Ifofferingthemasmallpieceoflandwill

mean that future generations of Anielle men

andwomenwon’thavetofightordie,thenI’d

thinkourancestorswouldbepleased.”

“Theyarebeasts,barelyfittobetheirown

masters.”

Chaolsighed,slumpingbackinhischair.A

lifetime of this—that’s what Dorian had laid

upon him. As Hand, he’d have to deal with

lordsand rulers just like his father. If they

survived.IfDoriansurvived,too.Thethought

was enough for Chaol to say, “Everyone in

this war is making sacrifices. Most far, far

greater than a few miles of land. Be grateful

that’sallwe’reaskingofyou.”

The man sneered. “And what if I was to

bargainwithyou?”

Chaol rolledhiseyes, reaching to turn his

chairbacktowardthedoor.

His father lifted a piece of paper. “Don’t

youwishtoknowwhatyourbrotherwroteto

me?”

“Not enough to stop this alliance,” Chaol

said,pivotinghischairaway.

Hisfather unfolded the letteranyway,and

read,“IhopeAnielleburnstotheground.And

you with it.” A small, hateful smile. “That’s

allyourbrothersaid.Myheir—that’showhe

feels about this place. If he will not protect

Anielle,thenwhatshallbecomeofitwithout

you?”

Another approach, to guilt him into

relenting.Chaolsaid,“I’dwagerthatTerrin’s

regard for Anielle is tied to his feelings for

you.”

The aging lord lowered himself into his

seat once more. “I wish you to know what

Aniellewillface,shouldyoufailtoprotectit.

I am willing to bargain, boy.” He chuckled.

“Though I know how well you hold up your

endofthings.”

Chaoltooktheblow.“Iamarichman,and

neednothingyoucouldofferme.”

“Nothing?”Hisfatherpointedtoatrunkby

the window. “What about something more

pricelessthangold?”

WhenChaoldidn’tspeak,hisfatherstrode

forthetrunk,unlockeditwithakeyfromhis

pocket, and flipped back the heavy lid.

Wheelingcloser,Chaolpeeredatitscontents.

Letters. The entire trunk was filled with

lettersbearinghisnameinanelegantscript.

“Shediscoveredthetrunk.Rightbeforewe

got word of Morath marching on us,” his

father said, his smile mocking and cold. “I

shoul dhave burned them, of course, but

somethingpromptedmetosavetheminstead.

Forthisexactmoment,Ithink.”

Thetrunk was piledthick with letters.All

written by his mother. To him. “How long,”

hesaidtooquietly.

“Fromthedayyouleft.”Hisfather’ssneer

lingered.

Years.Years of letters, from a mother he

had not heard from, had believed hadn’t

wanted to speak to him, had yielded to his

father’swishes.

“You let her believe I didn’t write back,”

Chaol said, surprised to find his voice still

calm. “You never sent them, and let her

believeIdidn’twriteback.”

His father shut the trunk and locked it

again.“Itwouldappearso.”

“Why.” It was the only question that

mattered.

His father frowned. “I couldn’t allow you

to walk away from your birthright, from

Anielle,withoutconsequences,couldI?”

Chaol clamped onto the arms of his chair

to keep from wrapping his hands around the

man’s throat. “You think showing me this

trunk of her letters will make me want to

bargainwithyou?”

His father snorted. “You’re a sentimental

man. Watching you with that wife of yours

onlyprovesit.I’dthinkyou’dbargainquitea

bittobeabletoreadtheseletters.”

Chaolonlystaredathim.Blinkedonce,as

if it would quell the roaring in his head, his

heart.

Hismotherhadneverforgottenhim.Never

stoppedwritingtohim.

Chaolsmiledslightly.

“Keep the letters,” he said, steering his

chair back to the doors. “Now that she’s left

you, it might be your only way to remember

her.” He opened the study door and looked

overhisshoulder.

His fatherremained beside the trunk, stiff

asasword.

“I don’t make bargains with bastards,”

Chaol said, smiling again as he entered the

hallbeyond.“I’mcertainlynotgoingtostart

withyou.”

ChaolgavethewildmenoftheFangsasmall

chunkofterritoryinSouthAnielle.Hisfather

hadraged,refusingtoacknowledgethetrade,

butnoonehadheededhim,toAelin’seternal

amusement.

Twodays later, a small unit of those men

arrived at the city’s westernmost edge, near

thegapingholewherethedamhadbeen,and

beckonedtheway.

Each of the bearded men rode a shaggy

mountain pony, and though their heavy furs

hidmuchoftheirbulkybodies,theirweapons

were on sharp display: axes, swords, knives

allgleamedinthegraylight.

Cain’s people—or they had been. Aelin

decidednottomentionhimduringtheirbrief

introduction. And Chaol, wisely, refrained

fromadmittingthathe’dkilledtheman.

Anotherlifetime.Anotherworld.

SeatedatopafineMuniqihorseHasarhad

lent her, Aelin rode at the front of the

company, as it marched fromAnielle, Chaol

on Farasha to her left, Rowan on his own

Muniqi horse to her right. Their companions

were scattered behind, Lorcan healed enough

toberiding,Elidebesidehim.

And behind them, snaking into the

distance,thearmyofthekhaganmoved.

Part of it, at least. Half the ruks and

Darghan riders would march under Kashin’s

bannerontheeasternsideofthemountains,to

drawouttheforcesfromtheFerianGapinto

open battle in the valley. While they snuck

behind,rightthroughtheirbackdoor.

SnowlayheavyontheFangs,thegraysky

threatening more, but the rukhin scouts and

wild men had assessed that no bad weather

wouldhitthemforawhileyet—notuntilthey

reachedtheGap,atleast.

Five days’ trek, with the army and

mountains.Itwouldbethreeforthearmythat

marchedalongthelake’sedgeandriver.

Aelintippedherfacetowardthatcoldsky

as they began the endless series of

switchbacksupthemountainsides.Therukhin

could carry muchof the heavier equipment,

thank the gods, but the climb into the

mountainswouldbethefirsttest.

The khagan’s armies had crossed every

terrain, though. Mountains and deserts and

seas.Theydidnotbalknow.

So Aelin supposed she would not, either.

For whatever time she had left, until it was

over.

This final push north, homeward … She

smiled grimly at the looming mountains, at

thearmystretchingawaybehindthem.

And just because she could, just because

they were headed to Terrasen at last, Aelin

unleashedaflickerofherpower.Someofthe

standard-bearers behind them murmured in

surprise,butRowanonlysmiled.Smiledwith

thatfiercehope,thatbrutaldeterminationthat

flaredinherownheart,asshebegantoburn.

Shelettheflameencompassher,agolden

glowthatsheknewcouldbespiedevenfrom

the farthest lines of the army, from the city

andkeeptheyleftbehind.

Abeaconglowingbrightintheshadowsof

the mountains, in the shadows of the forces

thatawaitedthem,Aelinlitthewaynorth.



PARTTWO

GodsandGates



CHAPTER68

The black towers of Morath rose above the

smoking forges and campfires of the valley

below like a cluster of dark swords raised to

thesky.

They jutted into the low clouds, some

broken and chipped, some still standing

proud. The wrath and final act of Kaltain

Rompierwrittenalloverthem.

Spreading his soot-colored wings wide,

Doriancaughtawindthatreekedofironand

carrion and banked around the fortress. He’d

learned to harness winds during these long

daysoftravel,andthoughhe’dcoveredmuch

ofthejourneyasaswift,red-tailedhawk,he’d

shiftedthismorningintoanordinarycrow.

Flocks ofthem circled Morath, their caws

as plentiful as the ringing of hammers on

anvils throughout the valley. Even with hell

unleashed in the north, there was still more

camped down here. More troops, more

witches.

Dorian followed the example of the other

crows and gave the wyvernsa wide berth,

flying low as coven after coven went about

their scouting or reporting or training. So

manyIronteeth.Allwaiting.

He circled Morath’s uppermost towers,

scanningthekeep,thearmyinthevalley,the

wyverns in their lofty aeries. With each flap

ofhis wings,the weight of what he’d hidden

in a rocky outcropping ten miles north grew

heavier.

It would have been madness to bring the

two keys here. So he had buried them in the

shale rock, not evendaring to mark thespot.

Hecouldonlyprayitwasfarenoughawayto

avoidErawan’sdetection.

Atthesideofatower,twoservantsbearing

armloads of laundry emerged from a small

doorandbeganwindinguptheexteriorstair,

heads bowed as if trying to ignore the army

thatrippledfarbelow.Orthewyvernswhose

bellowsechoedofftheblackrock.

There.Thatdoor.

Dorianflappedtowardit,willinghisheart

to calm, his scent—the one thing that might

doomhim—toremainunmarked.Butnoneof

the Ironteeth flying overhead noticed the

crow-that-did-not-smell-like-a-crow. And the

two laundresses winding up the tower stairs

didn’tcalloutashelandedonthesmallstone

railingandfoldedhiswingsneatly.

Ahop,andhewasonthestones.

Ashift,musclesandbonesburning,andthe

worldhadbecomesmaller,infinitelydeadlier.

Andinfinitelylessawareofhispresence.

Dorian’s whiskers twitched, his oversized

earscocking.Theroarofthewyvernsrocked

throughhissmall,furredbody,andhegritted

his teeth—large, almost too big for his little

mouth.Thereekgrewnear-nauseating.

He could smell … everything. The

lingering freshness of the laundry that had

passed by. The gamey musk of some sort of

broth clinging to the laundresses after their

lunch. He’d never thought mice to be

extraordinary,yetevensoaringasahawk,he

hadnotfelt thisalertness, thislevelof being

awake.

In a world designed to kill them, he

supposed mice needed such sharpness to

survive.

Dorian allowed himself one long breath

beforehesqueezedbeneaththeshutdoor.And

intoMorathitself.

His senses might have been sharper, but he

hadneverrealizedhowdauntingasetofstairs

trulywaswithouthumanlegs.

He kept to the shadows, willing himself

into dust and gloom with every pair of feet

that strode by. Some were armored, some

were booted, some in worn shoes. All the

wearerspaleandmiserable.

No witches, thank the gods. And no Valg

princesortheirgrunts.

CertainlynosignofErawan.

The tower he’d entered was a servants’

stair, one Manon had laid out during one of

her various explanations to Aelin. It was

thankstoherthathefollowed amental map,

confirmed by his circling overhead for the

pastfewhours.

Erawan’s tower—that’s where he’d begin.

AndiftheValgkingwasthere…he’dfigure

itout.WhetherhemightrepayErawanforall

he’ddone,regardlessofKaltain’swarning.

His breathing ragged, Dorian reached the

bottomofthewindingsteps,curlinghislong

tail around him as he peered to the dim

hallwayahead.

From here, he’d need to cross the entire

level, take another staircase up, another hall,

and then, if he was lucky, Erawan’s tower

wouldbethere.

Manonhadnevergainedaccesstoit.Never

knownwhatwaitedupthere.Onlythatitwas

guardedbyValgatallhours.Agoodenough

placetobeginhishunt.

His ears twitched. No approaching steps.

Nocats,mercifully.

Dorianturnedthecorner,hisgrayishbrown

furblendingintotherock,andscuttledalong

the groove where the wall met the floor. A

guard stood on watch at the end of the hall,

staring at nothing. He loomed, large as a

mountain,asDorianapproached.

Dorian had nearly reached the guard and

thecrossroadshemonitoredwhenhefeltit—

thestir,andthenthesilence.

Even the guard straightened, glancing to

theslitofawindowbehindhim.

Dorian halted, tucking himself into a

shadow.

Nothing.Nocriesorshouts,yet…

Theguardreturnedtohispost,butscanned

thehall.

Dorian remained still and quiet, waiting.

Hadtheydiscoveredhispresence?Sentouta

call?

It couldn’t have been as easy as it had

seemed. Erawan no doubt had traps to alert

himofanyenemypresence—

Rushing, light steps sounded around the

corner, and the guard turned toward them.

“Whatisit?”themandemanded.

The approaching servant didn’t check his

pace. “Who knows these days with the

company we keep? I’m not lingering to find

out.” Then the man hurried on, rushing past

Dorian.

Notrushingtowardsomething,butaway.

Dorian’swhiskersflickedashescentedthe

air.Nothing.

Waiting in a hallway would do no good.

But to plunge ahead, to seek out whatever

mightbehappening…Notwise,either.

There was one place he might hear

something. Where people were always

gossiping,evenatMorath.

So Dorian ventured back down the hall.

Down another set of stairs, his little legs

barely able to move fast enough. Toward the

kitchens, hot and bright with the light of the

greathearth.

Lady Elide had worked here—had known

thesepeople.NotValg,butpeopleconscripted

into service. People who would undoubtedly

talk about the comings and goings of this

keep. Just as they had at the palace in

Rifthold.

The various servants and cooks were

indeed waiting. Staring toward the stairs on

theoppositesideofthecavernouskitchen.As

wasthelean,green-eyedtabbycatacrossthe

room.

Dorianmadehimselfassmallaspossible.

But the beast paidhimnomind, itsattention

fixedonthestairs.Asifitknew,too.

And then steps—quick and hushed. Two

women entered, empty trays in their hands.

Bothwanandtrembling.

Amanwhohadtobetheheadcookasked

thewomen,“Didyouseeanything?”

One of the women shook her head. “They

weren’t in the council room yet. Thank the

gods.”

Her partner’s hands wobbled as she set

downhertray.“Theywillbesoon,though.”

“Lucky you got out before they came,”

someone said. “Or you might have found

yourselfpartoflunch,too.”

Lucky, indeed. Dorian lingered, but the

kitchenresumeditsrhythms,satisfiedtwoof

itsownhadmadeitbacksafely.

The council room—perhaps the same

Manon had described. Where Erawan

preferredtohavehismeetings.AndifErawan

himselfwasheadedthere…

Dorian scuttled out, heeding that mental

map Manon had crafted.A fool—only a fool

wouldwillinglygotoseeErawan.Riskit.

Perhaps he had a death wish. Perhaps he

truly was a fool. But he wanted to see him.

Hadtoseehim,thiscreaturewhohadruined

so many things. Who stood poised to devour

theirworld.

He had to look at him, thisthing who had

ordered him enslaved, who had butchered

Sorscha. And if he was fortunate—maybe

he’dkillhim.

He could remain in this form and strike.

But it would be so much more satisfying to

returntohisownbody,todrawDamaris,and

end him. To let Erawan see the pale band

around his throat and know who killed him,

thathehadn’tbrokenhimyet.

AndthenDorianwouldfindthatkey.

The silence showed him the way, perhaps

moresothanthementalmaphe’dmemorized.

Halls emptied out. The air became thick,

cold. As if Erawan’s corruption leaked from

him.

There were no guards, human or Valg,

standingwatchbeforetheopendoors.

No one to mark the hooded figure who

strodein,blackcapeflowing.

Dorian hurried, skittering after that figure

justasthedoorsshut.Hismagicswelled,and

hewilledittocalm,tocoil,anasppoisedto

strike.

One blow to get Erawan down, then he’d

shiftanddrawDamaris.

The figure halted, cloak swaying, and

Doriandashedforthenearestshadow—bythe

crackbetweenthedoorandfloor.

Thechamberwasordinary,saveforatable

of black glass in its center.And the golden-

haired,golden-eyedmanseatedatit.

Manon had not lied: Erawan had indeed

shed Perrington’s skin for something far

fairer.

Though still dressed in finery, Dorian

realizedastheValgkingrose,hisgrayjacket

andpantsimmaculatelytailored.Noweapons

layathisside.NohintoftheWyrdkey.

But he couldfeel Erawan’s power, the

wrongness leaking from him. Could feel it,

andrememberit,thewaythatpowerhadfelt

insidehim,curdlinghissoul.

Icecrackedinhisveins.Quick—hehadto

bequick.Strikenow.

“This is an unexpected delight,” Erawan

said,hisvoiceyoungandyetnot.Hegestured

tothespreadoffood—fruitsandcuredmeats.

“Shallwe?”

Dorian’smagicfalteredastwomoon-pale,

slenderhandsrosefromthefoldsoftheblack

cloakandpushedbackthecowl.

Thewomanbeneathwasnotbeautiful,not

in the classical way. Yet with her jet-black

hair, her dark eyes, her red lips … She was

striking.Mesmerizing.

Those red lips curved, revealing bone-

whiteteeth.

Cold licked down Dorian’s spine at the

pointed, delicate ears peeking above the

curtainofdarkhair.Fae.Thewoman—female

wasFae.

Sheremovedhercloaktorevealaflowing

gown of deepest purple before she settled

herself across the table from Erawan. Not an

ounce ofhesitation or fear checked her

graceful movements. “You know why I have

come,then.”

Erawan smiled as he sat, pouring a goblet

ofwineforthefemale,thenforhimself.And

allthoughtsofkillingvanishedfromDorian’s

head as the Valg king asked, “Is there any

otherreasonyouwoulddeigntovisitMorath,

Maeve?”



CHAPTER69

Orynth had not been this quiet since the day

Aedion and the remnants of Terrasen’s court

hadmarchedtoTheralis.

Even then, there had been a hum to the

ancientcityerectedbetweenthemouthofthe

Florine and the edge of the Staghorns,

Oakwaldarippleofwoodtothewest.

Then, the white walls had still been

shining.

Nowtheylaystainedandgrayish,asbleak

asthesky,whileAedion,Lysandra,andtheir

alliesstrodethroughthetoweringmetaldoors

of the western gate. Here, the walls were six

feet thick, the blocks of stone so heavy that

legend claimed Brannon had conscripted

giantsfromtheStaghornstoheavetheminto

place.

Aedionwouldgiveanythingforthoselong-

forgotten giants to find their way to the city

now. For the ancient Wolf Tribes to come

racing down the towering peaks behind the

city, the lost Fae of Terrasen with them. For

any of the old myths to emerge from the

shadowsoftime,asRolfeandhisMycenians

haddone.

Butheknewtheirluckhadrunout.

Theircompanionsknewit,too.EvenAnsel

ofBriarcliffhadgoneassilentasIliasandhis

assassins,hershouldersbowed.Shehadbeen

that way since the heads of her warriors had

landedamongsttheirranks,herwine-redhair

dull,herstepsheavy.Heknewherhorror,her

guilt.Wishedhehadamomenttocomfortthe

young queen beyond a swift apology. But

Ilias, it seemed,had takenitupon himself to

do just that, riding beside Ansel in steady,

quietcompany.

The city had been laid at the feet of the

towering, near-mythic castle built atop a

jutting piece of rock. A castle that  rose so

high its uppermost turrets seemed to pierce

the sky. Once, that castle had glowed, roses

and creeping plants draped along its sun-

warmed stones, the song of a thousand

fountainssingingineveryhallandcourtyard.

Once, proud banners had flapped from those

impossibly high towers, standing watch over

the mountains and forest and river and Plain

ofTheralisbelow.

Ithadbecomeamausoleum.

Noonespokeastheytrudgedupthesteep,

winding streets. Grim-faced people either

stopped to stare or continued rushing to

prepareforthesiege.

Therewasnowaytooutrunit.Notwiththe

Staghornsattheirbacks,Oakwaldtothewest,

andthearmyadvancingfromthesouth.Yes,

theymightfleeeastwardacrosstheplains,but

towhere?ToSuria,whereitwouldonlybea

matteroftimebeforetheywerefound?Tothe

hinterlands beyond the mountains, where the

wintersweresobrutaltheyclaimednomortal

could survive?Thepeople ofOrynth were as

trappedastheirarmy.

Aedion knew he should square his

shoulders. Should grin at these people—his

people—andofferthemashredofcourage.

Yet he couldn’t. Couldn’t stop himself

from wondering how many had lost family,

friends,inthebattlebytheriver.Intheweeks

of fighting before that. How many were still

praying that the streaming lines of soldiers

makingtheirwaytowardthecitywouldreveal

alovedone.

His fault, his burden. His choices had led

them here. His choices had left so many

bodies in the snow, a veritable path of them

from the southern border, all the way to the

Florine.

Thewhitecastleloomed,largerwithevery

hilltheyascended.Atleasttheyhadthat—the

advantageofhigherground.

Atleasttheyhadthat.

Darrowandtheotherlordswerewaiting.

Notinthethroneroom,butinthespacious

council chamber on the other side of the

palace.

ThelasttimeAedionhadbeenintheroom,

apreeningAdarlanianprickhadpresidedover

the meeting. The Viceroy of Terrasen, he’d

calledhimself.

It seemed the man had taken his finery,

chairsandwallhangingsincluded,andrunoff

themomentthekinghadbeenkilled.

So an ancient worktable now served as

their war desk, an assortment of half-rotting

chairsfromvariousroomsinthecastlearound

it. Currently occupied by Darrow, Sloane,

Gunnar,andIronwood.Murtaugh,toAedion’s

surprise,wasamongstthem.

They rose as Aedion and his companions

entered.NotoutofanyrespecttoAedion,but

fortheroyalswithhim.

Ansel of Briarcliff surveyed the piss-poor

space, as she’d done for the entirety of the

walk through the dim and dreary castle, and

let out a low whistle. “You weren’t kidding

when you saidAdarlan raided your coffers.”

Herfirstwordsinhours.Days.

Aediongrunted.“Tothecopper.”Hehalted

beforethetable.

Darrowdemanded,“WhereisKyllian?”

Aediongavehimasmilethatdidn’treach

his eyes. Ren tensed, reading the warning in

thatsmile.“Hebademetogoaheadwhilehe

ledthearmyhere.”Lie.

Darrow rolled his eyes, then fixed them

upon Rolfe, who was stillfrowning at the

shabbycastle.“Wehaveyoutothankforthe

luckyretreat,Itakeit.”

Rolfe fixed his sea-green stare upon the

man.“Thatyoudo.”

Darrowsatagain,theotherlordsfollowing

suit.“Andyouare?”

“PrivateerRolfe,”thepiratesaidsmoothly.

“Commander in Her Majesty’sArmada.And

HeirtotheMycenianpeople.”

The other lords straightened. “The

Myceniansvanishedanageago,”LordSloane

said.But the man notedthe sword at Rolfe’s

side, the sea dragon pommel. Had no doubt

spiedthefleetcreepinguptheFlorine.

“Vanished, but did not die out,” Rolfe

countered. “And we have come to fulfill an

olddebt.”

Darrowrubbedathistemple.Old—Darrow

truly looked his age as he leaned against the

table edge. “Well,wehavethegodstothank

forthat.”

Lysandrasaid,simmeringwithrage,“You

haveAelintothankforthat.”

The man narrowed his eyes, andAedion’s

temperhoneditselfintosomethinglethal.But

Darrow’s voice was exhausted—heavy, as he

asked,“Notpretendingtoday,Lady?”

LysandraonlypointedtoRolfe,thenAnsel,

thenGalan.Sweptherarmtothewindows,to

where the Fae royals and Ilias of the Silent

Assassins tended to their own on the castle

grounds.“Allofthem.Allofthemcamehere

because ofAelin. Not you. So before you

sneerthatthereisnoHerMajesty’sArmada,

allowmetotellyouthatthereis.Andyouare

notapartofit.”

Darrow let out a long sigh, rubbing his

temple again. “You are dismissed from this

room.”

“Likehellsheis,”Aediongrowled.

But Murtaugh cut in, “There is someone,

Lady, who would like to see you.” Lysandra

raisedherbrows,andtheoldmanwinced.“I

did not wish to risk leaving her inAllsbrook

alone.Evangelineisinthenortherntower—in

my former granddaughter’s bedroom. She

spottedyourapproachfromthewindowandit

wasallIcoulddotoconvincehertowait.”

Apolite,cleverwaytodefusethebrewing

storm. Aedion debatedtelling Lysandra that

she could stay, but Lysandra was already

moving,darkhairflowingbehindher.

When she’d left, Aedion said, “She’s

fought on the front lines at every battle.

Nearlydied againstour enemies. Ididn’tsee

anyofyoubotheringtodothesame.”

The group of old lords frowned with

distaste.YetitwasDarrowwhoshiftedinhis

seat—slightly.AsifAedionhadstruckupona

festering wound. “To be too old to fight,”

Darrowsaidquietly,“whileyoungermenand

womendieisnotaseasyasyouwouldthink,

Aedion.” He glanced down, to the nameless

swordatAedion’sside.“Itisnoteasyatall.”

Aedion debated telling him to ask the

peoplewho’ddiedifthatwasn’teasy,either,

but Prince Galan cleared his throat. “What

preparationsareunderwayforasiege?”

The Terrasen lords didn’t seem to

appreciate being questioned, but they opened

theirhatefulmouthsandspoke.

Anhourlater,theothersseentotheirrooms,

then to baths and hot meals, Aedion found

himselffollowingherscent.

Shehadgonenottothenorthtowerandthe

wardwhoawaitedher,buttothethroneroom.

The towering oak doors were cracked, the

tworearingstagscarvedonthemstaringhim

down. Once, gold filigree had covered the

immortal flame shining between their proud

antlers.

During the past decade, someone had

peeled off the gold. Either for spite or quick

coin.

Aedion slipped through the doors, the

cavernous chamber like the ghost of an old

friend.

How many times had he bemoaned being

forcedtodressinhisfineryandstandbeside

thethronesatopthedaisatthefarbackofthe

pillar-lined room? How many times had he

caught Aelin nodding off during an endless

dayofpageantry?

Then, the banners of all the Terrasen

territories had hung from the ceiling. Then,

thepalemarblefloorshadbeensopolishedhe

couldseehisreflectioninthem.

Then, an antler throne had sat upon the

dais,toweringandprimal.Builtfromtheshed

hornsoftheimmortalstagsofOakwald.

Stags now butchered and burned, as the

antler throne had been after the battle of

Theralis. The king had ordered it done right

onthebattlefield.

ItwasbeforethatemptydaisthatLysandra

stood. Staring at the white marble as if she

couldseethethronethathadoncebeenthere.

See the other, smaller thrones that had sat

besideit.

“I hadn’t realized that Adarlan wrecked

this place so thoroughly,” she said, either

scentinghimorrecognizingthecadenceofhis

footsteps.

“The bones of it are still intact,” Aedion

said. “For how much longer that will remain

true,Idon’tknow.”

Lysandra’s green eyes slid toward him,

dim with exhaustion and sorrow. “Deep

down,” she said quietly, “some part of me

thought I’d live to see her sitting here.” She

pointedtothedais,towheretheantlerthrone

had once been. “Deep down, I thought we

might actually make it somehow. Even with

Morath,andtheLock,andallofit.”

Therewasnohopeinherface.

It was perhaps because of it that she

botheredtospeaktohim.

“Ithoughtso,too,”Aedionsaidwithequal

quiet, though the words echoed in the vast,

emptychamber.“Ithoughtso,too.”



CHAPTER70

TheQueenoftheFaehadcometoMorath.

Dorian forced his heartbeat to calm, his

breathingtosteadyasMaevesippedfromher

wine.

“You do not know me, then,” the Fae

Queensaid,studyingtheValgking.

Erawan paused, goblet half-raised to his

lips. “Are you not Maeve, Queen of

Doranelle?”

Aelin. Had Maeve broughtAelinhere?To

besoldtoErawan?

Gods,gods—

Maeve tipped back her head and laughed.

“Millenniaapart,andyouhaveforgotteneven

yourownsister-in-law.”

Dorian was glad he was small and quiet

and unmarked. He might have very well

swayed.

Erawanwentstill.“You.”

Maevesmiled.“Me.”

Those golden eyes roved over the Fae

Queen.“InaFaeskin.Allthistime.”

“I’m disappointed you did not figure it

out.”

ThepulseofErawan’spowerslitheredover

Dorian.Sosimilar—soterriblysimilartothe

oilypowerofthatValgprince.“Doyouknow

what you have—” The Valg king silenced

himself.Straightenedhisshoulders.

“I suppose I should thank you, then,”

Erawansaid,masteringhimself.“Withoutyou

betraying my brother, I would not have

discovered this delightful world. And would

not stand primed to conquer it.” He sipped

from his goblet. “But the question remains:

Why come here? Why reveal yourself now?

My ancient enemy—perhaps enemy no

longer.”

“Iwasneveryourenemy,”Maevesaid,her

voice unruffled. “Your brothers, however,

weremine.”

“And yet you married Orcus knowing full

wellwhatheislike.”

“Perhaps I should have married you when

you offered.” A small smile—coy and

horrible. “But I was so young then. Easily

misled.”

Erawan let out a low laugh that made

Dorian’sstomachturn.“Youwereneverthose

things.Andnowhereweare.”

IfAelinwashere,ifDoriancouldfindher,

perhapstheycouldtakeontheValgqueenand

king…

“Hereweare,”Maevesaid.“You,poisedto

sweepthiscontinent.Andme,willingtohelp

you.”

Erawan crossed an ankle over a knee.

“Again:Why?”

Maeve’s fingers smoothed over the facets

of her goblet. “Mypeople have betrayed me.

After all I have done for them, all I have

protectedthem,theyroseupagainstme.The

army I had gathered refused to march. My

nobles, my servants, refused to kneel. I am

QueenofDoranellenolonger.”

“I can guess who might be behind such a

thing,”Erawansaid.

Darkness flickered in the room, terrible

and cold. “I had Aelin of the Wildfire

contained. I had hoped to bring her here to

youwhenshewas…ready.ButthesentinelI

assigned to oversee her care made a grave

error.ImyselfwilladmitthatIwasdeceived.

And now she is again free.And took it upon

herself to dispatch letters to some influential

individualsinDoranelle.Sheislikelyalready

onthiscontinent.”

Reliefshudderedthroughhim.

Erawan waved a hand. “In Anielle.

Expendingherpowercarelessly.”

Maeve’s eyes glowed. “She cost me my

kingdom, my throne. My circle of trusted

warriors.Any neutrality I might have had in

this war, any mercy I might have offered,

vanishedthemomentsheandhermateleft.”

They’dfoundher.Somehow,they’dfound

her. And Anielle—did he dare hope Chaol

mightalsobethere?

Dorian might have roared his victory. But

Maeve continued, “Aelin Galathynius will

comeforme,ifshesurvivesyou.Idonotplan

toallowherthechancetodoso.”

Erawan’ssmilegrew.“Soyouthinktoally

withme.”

“Only together can we ensure Brannon’s

bloodline is toppled forever. Never to rise

again.”

“Thenwhynotkillher,whenyouhadher?”

“Wouldyouhavedoneso,brother?Would

younothavetriedtoturnher?”

Erawan’ssilencewasconfirmationenough.

Then the Valg king asked, “You lay a great

deal before me, sister. Do you expect me to

believeyousoreadily?”

“Ianticipatedthat.”Herlipscurved.“After

all,Ihavenothingleftbutmyownpowers.”

Erawan said nothing, as if well aware of

thedancethequeenledhimin.

She extended a moon-white hand toward

the center of the room. “There is something

else I might bring to the table, should it

interestyou.”

A flick of her slender fingers, and a hole

simplyappearedintheheartofthechamber.

Dorianstarted,curlinghimselffartherinto

shadow and dust. Notbothering to hide his

tremblingasahorroronlytruedarknesscould

craft appeared on the other side of that hole.

Theportal.

“Ihadforgottenyou’dmasteredthatgift,”

Erawan said, his golden eyes flaring at the

thing that now bowed to them, its pincers

clicking.

Thespider.

“And I’d forgotten that they still bothered

toanswertoyou,”Erawanwenton.

“WhentheFaecastmeaside,”Maevesaid,

smiling faintly at the enormous spider, “I

returnedtothosewhohavealwaysbeenloyal

tome.”

“The stygian spiders have become their

owncreatures,”Erawancountered.“Yourlist

ofalliesremainsshort.”

Maeve shook her head, dark hair shining.

“Thesearenotthestygianspiders.”

Throughtheportal,Doriancouldmakeout

jagged,ashenrock.Mountains.

“These are thekharankui,asthepeopleof

the southern continent call them. My most

loyalhandmaidens.”

Dorian’s heart thundered as the spider

bowedagain.

Erawan’s face turned cool and bored.

“What use would I have for them?” He

gesturedtothewindowsbeyond,thehellscape

he’dcrafted.“Ihavecreatedarmiesofbeasts

loyal to me. I do not need a few hundred

spiders.”

Maeve didn’t so much as falter. “My

handmaidensareresourceful,theirwebslong-

reaching. They speak to me of the goings-on

intheworld.Andspoketomeofthenext…

phaseofyourgrandplans.”

Dorianbracedhimself.Erawanstiffened.

Maevedrawled.“TheValgprincessesneed

hosts. You have had difficulty in securing

ones powerful enough to hold them. The

khaganate princess managed to survive the

oneyouplantedinher,andismistressofher

ownbodyoncemore.”

Valgprincesses.Inthesoutherncontinent.

Chaol—

“I’mlistening,”Erawansaid.

Maevepointedtothespiderstillbowingat

the portal—the portal to the southern

continent, opened as easily as a window.

“Why bother with human hosts for the six

remaining princesses when you might create

onesfarmorepowerful?Andwilling.”

Erawan’sgoldeyesslidtothespider.“You

and your kin would allow this?” His first

wordstothecreature.

The spider’s pincers clicked, her horrible

eyesblinking.“Itwouldbeourhonortoprove

ourloyaltytoourqueen.”

Maeve smiled at the spider. Dorian

shuddered.

“Immortal,powerfulhosts,”Maevepurred

to the Valg king. “With their innate gifts,

imagine how the princesses might thrive

within them. Both spider and princess

becomingmore.”

Becomingahorrorbeyondallreckoning.

Erawan said nothing, and Maeve flicked

her fingers, the portal and spider vanishing.

Sherose,gracefulasashadow.“Ishallletyou

considerthisalliance,ifthatiswhatyouwish.

ThekharankuiwilldoasIbidthem—andwill

happilymarchunderyourbanner.”

“YetwhatshallIsaytomybrother,whenI

seehimagain?”

Maeve angled her head. “Do you plan to

seeOrcusagain?”

“Why do you think I have spent so long

buildingthisarmy,preparingthisworld,ifnot

to greet my brothers once more? If not to

impressthemwithwhatIhavemadehere?”

ErawanwouldbringtheValgkingsbackto

Erilea,ifgiventhechance.Andifhedid—

Maevestudiedtheseatedking.“TellOrcus

thatIgrewboredofwaitingforhimtocome

home from his conquests.”A spider’s smile.

“Iwouldmuchratherhavejoinedhim.”

Erawan blinked, the only sign of his

surprise.Thenhewavedaneleganthand,and

thedoorsopenedonaphantomwind.“Ishall

think on this, sister. For your brazenness in

approaching me, I will allow you to stay as

myguestuntilIdecide.”Twoguardsappeared

in the hall, and Dorian braced himself, paws

tensingonthestones.“Theywillshowyouto

yourroom.”

To remain in this chamber for too long

might lead to his exposure, but he had not

sensed the key on the Valg king. Later—he

couldkeeplookinglater.Contemplatethebest

way to kill the king, too. If he was foolish

enoughtoriskit.Fornow…

Maeve gathered her cloak, sweeping it

around her, and Dorian rushed forward,

duckingintoitsshadowsoncemoreastheFae

Queenprowledout.

The guards led her down a hall, up a

winding stair, and into a tower adjacent to

Erawan’s. It was well-appointed in polished

oak furniture and crisp linensheets. Likely a

remnant of the years this had been a human

strongholdandnotahomeofhorrors.

AsthedoorshutbehindMaeve,sheleaned

intotheiron-studdedwoodandsighed.

“Doyouplantohideinthatpatheticform

allday?”

Dorianlungedforthegapbetweenthedoor

and the floor, but her black-booted foot

slammeddownuponhistail.

Pain speared through his bones, but her

foot remained in place. His magic surged,

lashing, but a dark wind wrapped talons

aroundit,choking.Stifling.

TheFaeQueensmileddownathim.“You

arenotaveryskilledspy,KingofAdarlan.”



CHAPTER71

Dorian’smagicstruggled,roaringasherdark

powerheldhiminitsnet.Ifhecouldturninto

awyvernandripherheadoff…

ButMaevesmiled,wearyandamused,and

lifted her foot from his poor tail. Then

releasedhergriponhismagic.

He shuddered at the dark, festering power

asitcaressedtalonsdownhismagic,brushed

theshimmering,rawcore,andvanished.

Itwasaneffortnottogag,nottotouchthe

pale band on his neck just to be sure it was

gone.

Maeve’ssmileremainedonherredmouth,

his magic still shivering as the feel of her

power lingered. The power to break into

minds,toripapartthepsyche.Adifferentsort

of enemy. One that would require another

route. A reckless, fool’s route. A courtier’s

route.

Soheshifted,furbecomingskin,pawsinto

hands. When he at last stood before the Fae

Queen,manoncemore,hersmilegrew.“How

handsomeyouare.”

Dorian sketched a bow. He didn’t dare

reach for Damaris at his side. “How did you

know?”

“YoudidnotthinkIbeheldyou,yourscent

and the feel of your power, in Aelin’s

memories?”Sheangledherhead.“Thoughmy

spydidnotreportyourinterestinshifting.”

Cyrene.Horrorcreptthroughhim.

Maevestrodedeeperintothechamberand

tookupaseatonthebenchbeforethefootof

the bed, as regally as if she sat upon her

throne.“HowdoyouthinktheMatronsknew

wheretofindyou?”

“Cyrene was only at the camp for a day,”

hemanagedtosay.

“Do you truly believe that there are no

otherspiders,upthereinthemountains?They

allanswertoher,andtome.Sheneededonly

whisper once, to the right ones, and they

found me. And found the Ironteeth.” Maeve

ran a hand along the lap of her gown.

“WhetherErawanknowsofyourgiftsremains

to be seen. Before you killed her, Cyrene

certainly informed me that you were …

different.”

Hedidnotregretkillingheronebit.

“Butthatisneitherherenorthere.Cyrene

isdead,andyouarealongwayfromthearms

ofManonBlackbeak.”

DorianbracedahandonDamaris’shilt.

Maeve smiled at the ancient sword. “It

seemstheQueenofTerrasenlearnedtoshare.

She’s acquired quite the trove, hasn’t she?”

Dorian started. If Maeve knew everything

Aelinpossessed—

“I know that, too,” Maeve said, her dark

eyes depthless. Damaris warmed in his grip.

“And know the spider did not guess at that

truth,atleast.”Shescannedhim.“Whereare

theynow,DorianHavilliard?”

Something slithering and sharp slid along

hismind.Tryingtogetin—

Dorian’s magic roared. A sheet of ice

slammed into those mental talons. Blasted

themaway.

Maeve chuckled, and Dorian blinked,

finding the room also coated with frost. “A

dramatic,buteffectivemethod.”

Doriansmirkedather,“YouthinkIwould

be foolish enough to allow you into my

mind?” Still keeping one hand on the sword,

heslidtheotherintoapocket,ifonlytohide

its shaking. “Or to tell you where they are

hidden?”

“Itwasworththeattempt,”Maevesaid.

“Why not sound the alarm?” was his only

reply.

Maeve leaned back, studying him again.

“You want what I want. Erawan has it. Does

thatnotmakeyouandIalliesofasort?”

“You must be mad, to think I would ever

giveyouthekeys.”

“Am I? What would you do with them,

Dorian?Destroythem?”

“Whatwouldyoudo?Conquertheworld?”

Maeve laughed. “Oh, nothing so common

asthat.IwouldmakesurethatErawanandhis

brotherscanneverreturn.”Damarisremained

warminhishand.Thequeenspokethetruth.

Orsomepartofit.

“You’ll admit so easily that you plan to

betrayErawan?”

“Why do you think I came here?” Maeve

asked. “My people have cast me out, and I

guessed you would seek out Morath soon

enough.”

Damaris’s warmth did not falter, yet

Dorian said, “You cannot think I’d believe

you came here to win my allegiance. Not

whenIsawthatyouplantoofferErawanyour

spiders to assist his princesses.” He didn’t

wanttoknowwhattheValgprincessescould

do. Why Erawan had delayed his unleashing

ofthem.

“A small sacrifice on my part to win his

trust.” Damaris held warm. “We are not so

different, you and I. And I have nothing to

losenow,thankstoyourfriend.”

Truth,truth,truth.

And there it was—the opening he’d been

waitingfor.

Keeping his mind encased in that wall of

ice, his magic sizing up the enemy before

them, Dorian let his hand slide from

Damaris’s hilt. Let her see his thawing

distrustashesaid,“Aelinseemstobeskilled

at wrecking the kingdoms of other people

whileprotectingherown.”

“Andatlettingotherspayherdebts.”

Dorianstilled,thoughhismagiccontinued

its vigil, monitoring her dark power as it

pacedthebarriertohismind.

“Isn’t that why you are here?” Maeve

asked.“TobethesacrificesothatAelinneed

notdestroyherself?” She clicked her tongue.

“Such a terrible waste—for either of you to

paythepriceforElena’sfoolishness.”

“Itis.”Truth.

“CanItellyouwhatAelinrevealedtome,

duringthosemomentsIwasabletopeerinto

hermind?”

Dorian didn’t dare reach for Damaris

again. “You enslaved her,” he growled. “I

don’twanttohearadamnthingaboutit.”

Maeve brushed her curtain of hair over a

shoulder, humming. “Aelin is glad it’s you,”

she merely said. “She’s hoping she’ll be too

lateinreturning.Thatyou’llaccomplishwhat

you’ve set out to do and spare her from a

terriblechoice.”

“She has a mate and a kingdom. I don’t

blameher.”Thesharpnessinhiswordswasn’t

entirelyfaked.

“Don’tyou?Don’tyouhaveakingdomto

look after, one no less powerful and noble

than Terrasen?” When he didn’t answer,

Maeve said,“Aelin hasbeen freedfor weeks

now.Andshehasnotcometofindyou.”

“Thecontinentisabigplace.”

A knowing smile. “She could find you, if

shewished.AndyetshewenttoAnielle.”

Heknewwhatmannerofgamesheplayed.

Hismagicslippedafraction.Anopening.

Maeve’s own lashed for it, seeking a way

in.She’dbarelycrossedthethresholdwhenhe

grittedhisteethandthrewherfromhismind

again,thewalloficecollidingwithher.

“If you want me to ally with you, you’re

pickingonehellofawaytoshowit.”

Maevelaughedsoftly.“Canyoublameme

fortrying?”

Doriandidn’tanswer,andstaredatherfor

a long minute. Made ashow of considering.

Everybitofcourtlyintrigueandtrainingkept

hisfaceunreadable.“YouthinkI’dbetraymy

friendsthateasily?”

“Isitbetrayal?”Maevemused.“Tofindan

alternative to you and Aelin Galathynius

paying the ultimate price? It was what I

intended for her all along: to keep her from

beingasacrificetounfeelinggods.”

“Thosegodsarepowerfulbeings.”

“Then where are they now?” She gestured

to the room, the keep. Silence answered.

“They are afraid. Of me, of Erawan. Of the

keys.”Shegavehimaserpent’ssmile.“They

areafraidofyou.You,andAelinFire-Bringer.

Powerful enough to send them home—or to

damnthem.”

He didn’t answer. She wasn’t entirely

wrong.

“Why not defy them? Why bow to their

wishes?Whathavetheyeverdoneforyou?”

Sorscha’s pained face flashed before his

eyes.

“There is no other way,” he said at last.

“Toendthis.”

“Thekeyscouldendit.”

Towieldthem,ratherthansealthemback

intothegate.

“Theycoulddoanything,”Maevewenton.

“Destroy Erawan, banish those gods back to

their home if that’s what they want.” She

angledherhead.“Openanotherdoortorealms

ofpeaceandresting.”

To the woman who would undoubtedly be

there.

The dark, predatory power stalking his

mindfadedaway,pulledbacktoitsmistress.

Aelin had done it once. Opened a door to

seeNehemia.Itwaspossible.Theencounters

withGavinandKaltainonlyconfirmedit.

“Whatifyoudidn’tonlyallywithme,”he

askedatlast,“butwithAdarlanitself?”

Maeve didn’t answer. As if she were

surprisedbytheoffer.

“A bigger alliance than merely working

together to find the key,” Dorian mused, and

shrugged.“Youhavenokingdom,andclearly

want another. Why not lend your gifts to

Adarlan, to me? Bring your spiders to our

side.”

“A breath ago, you were livid that I

enslavedyourfriend.”

“Oh, I still am.Yet I am not so proud to

refusetoconsiderthepossibility.Youwanta

kingdom?Thenjoinmine.Allywithme,work

with me to get what we need from Erawan,

and I shall make you queen. Of a far bigger

territory, with a people who will not rise up

againstyou.Anewstart,Isuppose.”

Whenshestilldidnotspeak,Dorianleaned

against the door. The portrait of courtly

nonchalance. “You think I’m trying to trick

you.PerhapsIam.”

“And Manon Blackbeak? What of your

promisestoher?”

“I have made her no promises regarding

my throne, and she wants nothing to dowith

them, anyway.” He didn’t hide the bitterness

as he shrugged again. “Marriages have been

built on far more volatile foundations than

thisone.”

“Aelin of the Wildfire might very well

markyouasanenemy,shouldwemakeatrue

union.”

“Aelin will not risk killing an ally—not

right now. And she will discover that she is

nottheonlyonecapableofsavingthisworld.

Perhapsshe’llevencometothankme,ifshe’s

as eager to avoid being sacrificed as you

claim.”

Maeve’s red mouth curved upward. “You

areyoung,andbrash.”

Dorian sketched a bow again. “I am also

exceedinglyhandsomeandwillingtoofferup

mythroneinagestureofgoodfaith.”

“IcouldsellyoutoErawanrightnowand

hewouldrewardmehandsomely.”

“Reward you—as if you are a hound

bringing back a pheasant to its master.”

Dorianlaughed,andhereyesflashed.“Itwas

you who just posed this alliance between us,

notme.Butconsiderthis:Shallyoukneel,or

shall you rule, Maeve?” He tapped his neck,

right over the pale band across it. “I have

knelt,andfoundIhavenointerestindoingso

again. Not for Erawan, or for Aelin, or

anyone.”Anothershrug.“ThewomanIloveis

dead. My kingdom is in pieces. What do I

havetolose?”Heletsomeoftheoldice,the

hollownessinhischest,risetohisface.“I’m

willingtoplaythisgame.Areyou?”

Maevefellsilentagain.Andslowly,those

phantom hands crept into the corners of his

mind.

Helethersee.Seethetruthshesought.

Hewithstoodit,thatprobingtouch.

Atlast,Maeveloosedabreaththroughher

nose.“YoucametoMorathforakeyandwill

leavewithabride.”

Henearlysaggedwithrelief.“Iwillleave

withboth.Andquickly.”

“And how do you propose we are to find

whatweseek?”

DoriansmiledattheFaeQueen.TheValg

Queen.“Leavethattome.”

Atop Morath’s highest tower hours later,

Dorianpeeredatthearmycampfireslittering

thevalleyfloor,hisraven’sfeathers ruffledin

thefrozenwindoffthesurroundingpeaks.

The screams and snarling had quieted, at

least. As if even Morath’s dungeon-masters

maintained ordinary hours of working. He

mighthavefoundtheideadarklyfunny,ifhe

didn’tknow what mannerof thing was being

brokenandbredhere.

Hiscousin,Roland,hadwounduphere.He

knewit,thoughnoonehadeverconfirmedit.

HadhesurvivedthetransitiontoValgprince,

or had he merely been a meal for one of the

terrorswhoprowledthisplace?

Heliftedhishead,scanningthecloudysky.

The moon was a pale blur behind them, a

trickle of light that seemed keen to remain

hiddenfromMorath’swatchfuleyes.

A dangerous game. He was playing one

hellofadangerousgame.

DidGavinwatchhimnow,fromwherever

he rested? Had he learned what manner of

monsterDorianhadalliedhimselfwith?

He didn’t dare to summon the king here.

NotwithErawansoclose.

Close enough that Dorian might have

attacked. Perhaps he’d been a fool not to.

Perhapshe’dbeafooltoattemptit,asKaltain

had warned,when it might reveal their

mission. When Erawan had those collars on

hand.

Doriancastaglancetotheadjacenttower,

where Maeve slept. A dangerous, dangerous

game.

The dark tower beyond hers seemed to

throbwithpower.Thecouncilroomdownthe

hallfromitwasstilllit,however.Andinthe

hall—motion.Peoplestridingpastthetorches.

Hurrying.

Stupid. Utterly stupid, and yet he found

himself flapping into the frigid night. Found

himself banking, then swooping to a cracked

windowalongthehallway.

He pushed the window open a bit farther

withhisbeak,andlistened.

“Months I’ve been here, and now he

refuses my counsel?” A tall, thin man

stompeddownthehall.AwayfromErawan’s

council room. Toward the tower door at the

end of the hall and the blank-faced guards

stationedthere.

At his side, two shorter men struggled to

keepup.Oneofthemsaid,“Erawan’smotives

aremysteriousindeed,LordVernon.Hedoes

nothingwithoutreason.Havefaithinhim.”

Dorianfroze.

VernonLochan.Elide’suncle.

His magic surged, ice cracking over the

windowsill.

Dorian tracked the lanky lord while he

stormedpast,hisdarkfurcapedroopingtothe

stones.“Ihavehadfaithinhimbeyondwhat

couldbeexpected,”Vernonsnapped.

The lord and his lackeys gave the tower

doorawideberthastheypassedit,turnedthe

corner,andvanished,theirvoicesfadingwith

them.

Dorian surveyed the empty hall. The

council room at the far end. The door still

ajar.

He didn’t hesitate. Didn’t give himself

timetoreconsiderashecraftedhisplan.And

waited.

Erawanemergedanhourlater.

Dorian’s heartthunderedthroughhim, but

he kept his position in the hall, kept his

shouldersstraightandhandsbehindhisback.

Precisely how he’d appeared to the guards

when he’d rounded the corner, having flown

offtoaquiethallbeforeshiftingandstriding

here.

TheValgkingsurveyedhimonce,andhis

mouthtightened.“IthoughtI’ddismissedyou

forthenight,Vernon.”

Dorian bowed his head, willing his

breathingsteadywitheachstepErawanmade

toward him. His magic stirred, recoiling in

terror at the creature whoapproached,but he

forceditdowndeep.ToaplacewhereErawan

wouldnotdetectit.

As he had not detected Dorian earlier.

Perhapstherawmagicinhimalsoerasedany

traceablescent.

Dorian bowedhis head. “Ihadreturned to

mychambers,butIrealizedIhadalingering

question,milord.”

He prayed Erawan didn’t notice the

differentclothes.Theswordthathekepthalf-

hidden beneath his cloak. Prayed Erawan

decided that Vernon had gone back to his

room,changed,andreturned.Andprayedthat

hespoke enoughlike the Lord ofPerranthto

beconvincing.

A sniveling, groveling man—the sort

who’dsellhisownniecetoademonking.

“Whatisit.”Erawanstalkeddownthehall

to his tower, a nightmare wrapped in a

beautifulbody.

Strikehimnow.Killhim.

AndyetDorianknewhehadn’tcomehere

forthat.Notatall.

Hekepthisheaddown,voicelow.“Why?”

Erawan slid golden, glowing eyes toward

him.Manon’seyes.“Whywhat?”

“You might have made yourself lord of a

dozenotherterritories,andyetyougracedus

withthisone.Ihavelongwonderedwhy.”

Erawan’s eyes narrowed to slits, and

Doriankepthisfacetheportraitofgroveling

curiosity.HadVernonaskedthisbefore?

A stupid gamble. If Erawan noticed the

swordathisside—

“MybrothersandIplannedtoconquerthis

world,toaddittothetrovethatwe’dalready

taken.”Erawan’sgoldenhairdancedwiththe

lightofthetorchesashewalkedthelonghall.

Dorian had a feeling that when they reached

the tower at the far end, the conversation

would be through. “We arrived at this one,

encounteredasurprisingamountofresistance,

and they were banished back. I could do

nothinglesswhiletrappedherethantorepay

thisworldfortheblowtheydealtus.SoIwill

makethisworldintoamirrorofourhomeland

—tohonormybrothers,andtoprepareitfor

theirreturn.”

Doriansiftedthroughcountlesslessonson

the royal houses of their lands and said, “I,

too, know what it is to have a brotherly

rivalry.”Hegavethekingasimperingsmile.

“You killed yours,” Erawan said, bored

already.“Ilovemybrothersdearly.”

Theideawaslaughable.

Half the hallway remained until the tower

door. “Will you truly decimate this world,

then?Allwhodwellinit?”

“Thosewhodonotkneel.”

Maeve, at least, wished to preserve it. To

rule,buttopreserveit.

“Wouldtheyreceivecollarsandrings,ora

cleandeath?”

Erawansurveyedhimsidelong.“Youhave

never wondered for the sake of your people.

Not even the sake of your niece, failure that

shewas.”

Dorianmadehimselfcringe,andbowedhis

head.“Iapologizeagainforthat,milord.She

isaclevergirl.”

“Soclever,itseems,thatoneconfrontation

withyouandyouwerescaredaway.”

Dorian again bowed his head. “I will go

huntforher,ifthatiswhatyouwish.”

“IamawarethatshenolongerhaswhatI

seek, and it is now lost to me. A loss you

brought about.” The Wyrdkey Elide had

carried,giventoherbyKaltain.

Dorian wondered if Vernon had indeed

beenlyinglowformonthsnow—avoidingthis

conversation.Hecringedagain.“Tellmehow

torectifyit,milord,anditwillbedone.”

Erawan halted, and Dorian’s mouth went

dry.Hismagiccoiledwithinhim,bracing.

But he made himself look the king in the

face. Meet the eyes of the creature who had

broughtaboutsomuchsuffering.

“Your bloodline proved useless to me,

Vernon,” Erawan said a shade too softly.

“Shall I find another use for you here at

Morath?”

Dorianknewpreciselywhatsortofusesthe

manwouldhave.Heliftedsupplicatinghands.

“Iamyourservant,milord.”

Erawan stared at him for long heartbeats.

Thenhesaid,“Go.”

Dorianstraightened,lettingErawanstridea

few more feet toward the tower. The blank-

faced guards posted at its door stepped aside

asheapproached.

“Doyoutrulyhatethem?”Dorianblurted.

Erawanhalf-turnedtowardhim.

Dorian asked, “The humans. Aelin

Galathynius. Dorian Havilliard. All of them.

Doyoutrulyhatethem?”Whydoyoumakeus

suffersogreatly?

Erawan’s golden eyes guttered. “They

wouldkeepmefrommybrothers,”hesaid.“I

will let nothing stand in the way of my

reunionwiththem.”

“Surely there might be another way to

reuniteyou.Withoutsuchagreatwar.”

Erawan’sstaresweptoverhim,andDorian

held still, willing his scent to remain

unremarkable, the shift to keep its form.

“Where would the fun be in that?” the Valg

kingasked,andturnedbacktowardthehall.

“DidtheformerKingofAdarlanasksuch

questions?”Thewordsbrokefromhim.

Erawan again paused. “He was not so

faithful a servant as you might believe.And

lookwhatitcosthim.”

“Hefoughtyou.”Notquiteaquestion.

“Heneverbowed.Notcompletely.”Dorian

wasstunnedenoughthatheopenedhismouth.

But Erawan began walking again and said

without looking back, “You ask many

questions,Vernon.Agreat manyquestions.I

findthemtiresome.”

Dorianbowed,evenwithErawan’sbackto

him.ButtheValgkingcontinuedon,opening

the tower door to reveal a lightless interior,

andshutitbehindhim.

A clock chimed midnight, off-kilter and

odious,andDorianstrodebackdownthehall,

findinganotherroutetoMaeve’schambers.A

quick shift in a shadowed alcove had him

scuttling along the floor again, his mouse’s

eyesseeingwellenoughinthedark.

Only embers remained in the fireplace

whenheslidbeneaththedoor.

Inthedark,Maevesaidfromthebed,“You

areafool.”

Dorian shifted again, back into his own

body.“Forwhat?”

“Iknowwhereyouwent.Whoyousought.”

Her voice slithered through the darkness.

“You are a fool.” When he didn’t reply, she

asked,“Didyouplantokillhim?”

“Idon’tknow.”

“You couldn’t face him and live.” Casual,

stark words. Dorian didn’t need to touch

Damaris to know they were true. “He would

haveputanothercollararoundyourthroat.”

“I know.” Perhaps he should have learned

wheretheValgkingkeptthemanddestroyed

thecache.

“This alliance shall not work if you are

sneaking off and acting like a reckless boy,”

Maevehissed.

“Iknow,”herepeated,thewordshollow.

Maeve sighed when he didn’t say more.

“Did you at least find what you were

seeking?”

Dorianlaydownbeforethefire,curlingan

armbeneathhishead.“No.”



CHAPTER72

Fromadistance,theFerianGapdidnotlook

like the outpost for a good number of

Morath’saeriallegion.

Nordiditlook,Nesryndecided,likeithad

beenbreedingwyvernsforyears.

Shesupposedthat the lackof anyobvious

signs of a Valg king’s presence was part of

whyithadremainedsecretforsolong.

Sailing closer to the towering twin peaks

that flanked either side—the Northern Fang

on one, the Omega on the other—and

separated the White Fangs from the Ruhnn

Mountains,Nesryncouldbarelymakeoutthe

structures built into either one. Like the

Eridun aerie, andyetnotatall. TheEridun’s

mountain home was full of motion and life.

WhathadbeenbuiltintheGap,connectedby

a stone bridge near its top, was silent. Cold

andbleak.

Snow half blinded Nesryn, but Salkhi

swept toward the peaks, staying high. Borte

andArcascameinfromthenorth,littlemore

thandarkshadowsamidthewhippingwhite.

Far behind them, out in the valley plain

beyondtheGap,onehalfoftheirarmywaited,

the ruks with them. Waited for Nesryn and

Borte, along with the other scouts who had

goneout,toreportbackthatthetimewasripe

to attack. They’d made the river crossing

under cover of darkness last night, and those

therukscouldnotcarryhadbeenbroughtover

onboats.

Aprecariouspositiontobein,onthatplain

before the Gap. The Avery forked at their

backs,effectivelyhemmingthemin.Muchof

ithadbeenfrozen,butnotnearlythickenough

toriskcrossingonfoot.Shouldthisbattlego

poorly,therewouldbenowheretorun.

Nesryn nudged Salkhi, coming around the

Northern Fang from the southern side. Far

below, the whirling snows cleared enough to

revealwhatseemedtobeabackgateintothe

mountain.Nosignofsentriesoranywyverns.

Perhaps the weather had driven them all

inside.

Sheglancedsouthward,intotheFangs.But

there was no sign of the second half of their

army, marching north through the peaks

themselves to come at the Gap from the

western entrance. A far more treacherous

journeythantheonethey’dmade.

Butiftheytimeditright,iftheydrewout

thehostintheGapontotheplainjustbefore

the others arrived from the west, they might

crushMorath’sforcesbetweenthem.Andthat

was without the unleashed power of Aelin

Galathynius.Andherconsortandcourt.

Salkhi arced around the Northern Fang.

Distantly,NesryncouldmakeoutBortedoing

thesamearoundtheOmega.Buttherewasno

signoftheirenemy.

And when Nesryn and Borte did another

passthroughtheFerianGap,evengoingsofar

asto soarbetweenthetwopeaks,theyfound

nosign,either.

Asiftheenemyhadvanished.

TheWhiteFangswereutterlyunforgiving.

The wild men who led them kept the

mountains from being fatal, knowing which

passes might be wiped out by snow, which

mighthaveanunsteadyiceshelf,whichwere

too open to any eyes flying overhead. Even

withthearmytrailingbehind,Chaolmarveled

atthespeedoftheirtravel,athow,afterthree

days, they cleared the mountains themselves

and stepped onto the flat, snow-blasted

westernplainsbeyond.

He’dneversetfootintheterritory,though

it was technically his. The official border of

AdarlanclaimedtheplainspasttheFangsfor

a good distance before they yielded to the

unnamedterritoriesoftheWastes.Butitstill

felt like the Wastes, eerily quiet and

sprawling, a strange expanse that stretched,

unbreaking,tothehorizon.

Even the stoic khaganate warriors did not

look too long toward the Wastes at their left

astheyrodenorthward.Atnight,theyhuddled

closertotheirfires.

Allofthemdid.Yreneclungabittighterat

night,whisperingaboutthestrangenessofthe

land, its hollow silence.As if the land itself

does not sing, she’d said a few times now,

shudderingasshedid.

A far better place, Chaol thought as they

rodenorthward,skirtingtheedgeoftheFangs

ontheirright,forErawantomakehisempire.

Hell,theymighthavegivenittohimifhe’d

setuphisfortressdeepontheplainandkept

toit.

“We’readayoutfromtheGap,”oneofthe

wild men—Kai—said to Chaol as they rode

through an unusually sunny morning. “We’ll

campsouthoftheNorthernFangtonight,and

tomorrow morning’s march will take us into

theGapitself.”

Therewasanotherreasonthewildmenhad

allied with them, beyond the territory they

stood to gain. Witches had hunted their kind

this spring—entire clans and camps left in

bloody ribbons. Many had been reduced to

cinders, and the fewsurvivorshadwhispered

of a dark-haired woman with unholy power.

Chaolwas willingtobetithadbeenKaltain,

but had not told the wild men that particular

threat, at least, had been erased. Or had

incineratedherselfintheend.

Itwouldn’tmattertothemanyway.Ofthe

two hundred or so wild men who had joined

their army since they’d left Anielle, all had

come to the Ferian Gap to extract vengeance

on the witches. On Morath. Chaol refrained

from mentioning that he himself had killed

oneoftheirkindalmostayearago.

It might as well have been a decade ago,

for all that had happened since he’d killed

CainduringhisduelwithAelin.Yulemaswas

still weeks away—if they survived long

enoughtocelebrateit.

Chaol said to the slim, bearded man, who

made up for his lack of his clansmen’s

traditionalbulkwithquickwitandsharpeyes,

“Isthereaplacethatmighthideanarmythis

largetonight?”

Kai shook his head. “Not this close.

Tonightwillbethegreatestrisk.”

Chaol glanced to the distant healers’

wagons where Yrene rode, working on any

soldiers who had fallen ill or injured on the

trek.Hehadn’tseenhersincethey’dawoken,

but he’d known she’d spent their ride today

healing—thetightnessinhisspinegrewwith

eachmile.

“We’ll just have to pray,” said Chaol,

turningtothetoweringmountaintakingshape

beforethem.

“Thegodsdon’tcometotheselands,”was

allKaisaidbeforehefellbackwithagroupof

hisownpeople.

A horse eased up beside his own, and he

found Aelin bundled in a fur-lined cloak, a

hand on Goldryn’s hilt. Gavriel rode behind

her,Fenrysathisside.Theformerkeptaneye

uponthewesternplains;thelattermonitoring

thewallofpeaksto theirright. Both golden-

hairedFaemalesremainedsilent,however,as

Aelin frowned at Kai’s disappearing form.

“That man has a flair for the dramatic that

should have earned him a place on some of

Rifthold’sfineststages.”

“Finepraiseindeed,comingfromyou.”

She winked, patting Goldryn’s ruby

pommel. The stone seemed to flare in

response.“IknowakindredspiritwhenIsee

one.”

Despitethebattlethatwaitedahead,Chaol

chuckled.

ButthenAelinsaid,“Rowanandthecadre

have been tunneling into their power for the

pastfewdays.”Shenoddedoverhershoulder

to Fenrys and Gavriel, then to where Rowan

rode at the head of the company, the Fae

Prince’ssilverhairbrightasthesun-on-snow

around them. “So have I. We’ll make sure

nothingharmsthisarmytonight.”Aknowing

glance toward the healers’ wagons. “Certain

areaswillbeespeciallyguarded.”

Chaol nodded his thanks. Having Aelin

able to use her powers, having her

companions wielding them, too, would make

the battle far, far easier. Wyverns might not

evenbeabletogetcloseenoughtotouchtheir

soldiers if Aelin could blast them from the

skies,orRowancouldsnaptheirwingswitha

gust of wind. Or just rip the air from their

lungs.

He’d seen enough of Fenrys’s and

Gavriel’s fighting in Anielle to know that

evenwithoutasmuchmagic,they’dbelethal.

And Lorcan … Chaol didn’t look over his

shouldertowhereLorcanandEliderode.The

darkwarrior’spowersweren’tanythingChaol

everwishedtoface.

With an answering nod, Aelin trotted to

Rowan’sside,therubyinGoldryn’shiltlikea

small sun. Fenrys followed, guarding the

queen’sbackevenamongstallies.YetGavriel

remained, guiding his horse beside Farasha.

The black mare eyed the warrior’s roan

gelding,butmadenomovetobitehim.Thank

thegods.

The Lion gave him a slight smile. “I did

not have the chance to congratulate you on

yourhappynews.”

Anoddthingfor the warriortosay,given

thatthey’dbarelyspokenbeyondcouncils,but

Chaolbowedhishead.“Thankyou.”

Gavriel stared toward the snow and

mountains—toward the distant north. “I was

not granted the opportunity you have, to be

present from the start. To see my son grow

intoaman.”

Chaolthoughtofit—ofthelifegrowingin

Yrene’s womb, of the childthey’d raise.

ThoughtofwhatGavrielhadnotexperienced.

“I’m sorry.” It was the only thing, really, to

say.

Gavriel shook his head, tawny eyes

glowing golden, flecks of emerald emerging

in the blinding sun. “I did not tell you for

sympathy.” The Lion looked at him, and

Chaol felt the weight of every one of

Gavriel’s centuries weighing upon him. “But

rather to tell you what you perhaps already

know:tosavoreverymomentofit.”

“Yes.”Iftheysurvivedthiswar,hewould.

Everydamnsecond.

Gavriel angled the reins, as if to lead his

horsebacktohiscompanions,butChaolsaid,

“I’m guessing that Aedion has not made it

easyforyoutoappearinhislife.”

Gavriel’s grave face tightened. “He has

everyreasonnotto.”

And though Aedion was Gavriel’s son,

Chaol said, “I’m sure you already know this,

but Aedion is as stubborn and hotheaded as

theycome.”HejerkedhischintowardAelin,

ridingahead,sayingsomethingtoFenrysthat

made Rowan snicker—and Fenrys bark a

laugh. “Aelin and Aedion might as well be

twins.” That Gavriel didn’t stop him told

Chaol he’d read the lingering wound in the

Lion’s eyes well enough. “Both of them will

oftensayonething,butmeansomethingelse

entirely. And then deny it until their last

breath.” Chaol shook his head. “GiveAedion

time.WhenwereachOrynth,Ihaveafeeling

thatAedionwillbehappiertoseeyouthanhe

letson.”

“I am bringing back his queen, and riding

withanarmy.Ithinkhe’dbehappytoseehis

most hated enemy, if they did that for him.”

Worry paled the Lion’s tanned features. Not

forthereunion,butforwhathissonmightbe

facingintheNorth.

Chaolconsidered.“Myfatherisabastard,”

hesaidquietly.“Hehasbeeninmylifefrom

myconception.Yetheneveroncebotheredto

ask the questions you pose,” Chaol said. “He

never once cared enough to do so. He never

onceworried.Thatwillbethedifference.”

“IfAedionchoosestoforgiveme.”

“He will,” Chaol said. He’d makeAedion

doit.

“Whyareyousocertain?”

Chaol considered his words carefully

before he again met Gavriel’s striking gaze.

“Becauseyouarehisfather,”hesaid.“Andno

matter what might lie between you, Aedion

will alwayswant to forgive you.” There it

was, his own secret shame, still warring

withinhimafterallhisfatherhaddone.Even

after the trunk full of his mother’s letters.

“AndAedionwillrealize,inhisownway,that

you went to save Aelin not for her sake or

Rowan’s,butforhis.Andthatyoustayedwith

them, and march in this army, for his sake,

too.”

TheLiongazednorthward,eyesflickering.

“Ihopeyouareright.”Noattemptatdenial—

that all Gavriel had done and would do was

forAedionalone.Thathewasmarchingnorth,

intosurehell,forAedion.

The warrior began to edge his horse past

himagain,butChaolfoundhimselfsaying,“I

wish—IwishIhadbeensoluckytohaveyou

asmyfather.”

Surprise and something far deeper passed

across Gavriel’s face. His tattooed throat

bobbed.“Thankyou.Perhapsitisourlot—to

never have the fathers we wish, but to still

hopetheymightsurpasswhattheyare,flaws

andall.”

Chaol refrained from telling Gavriel he

wasalreadymorethanenough.

Gavrielsaidquietly,“Ishallendeavortobe

worthyofmyson.”

ChaolwasabouttomutterthatAedionhad

betterdeemtheLionworthywhentwoforms

took shape in the skies high above. Large,

dark,andmovingfast.

Chaolgrabbedforthebowstrappedacross

his back as soldiers cried out, Gavriel’s own

bow already aimed skyward, but Rowan

shouted above the fray, “Hold your fire!”

Galloping hooves thundered toward them,

thenAelinandtheFaePrincewerethere,the

latterannouncing,“It’sNesrynandBorte.”

Within minutes, the two women had

descended, their ruks crusted with ice from

theairhighabovethepeaks.

“How bad is it?”Aelin asked, now joined

byFenrys,Lorcan,andElide.

Bortewinced.“Itmakesnosense.Noneof

it.”

Nesryn explained before Chaol could tell

the girl to get to the point, “We’ve gone

through the Gap thrice now. Even landed in

the Omega.” She shook her head. “It’s

empty.”

“Empty?”Chaolasked.“Notasoulthere?”

TheFaewarriorsglancedtooneanotherat

that.

“Afewofthefurnaceswerestillgoing,so

someone must be there,” Borte said, “but

there wasn’t one witch or wyvern. Whoever

remains behind is minimal—likely no more

thantrainersorbreeders.”

The Ferian Gap was empty. The Ironteeth

legiongone.

Rowanscanned the peak ahead. “We need

tolearnwhattheyknow,then.”

Nesryn’s nod was grim. “Sartaq already

haspeopleonit.”



CHAPTER73

Dorian hunted through Morath in a hundred

differentskins.

On the silent feet of a cat, or scuttling

along the floors as a cockroach, or hanging

fromarafterasabat,hespentthebetterpart

ofaweeklistening.Looking.

Erawan still remained unaware of his

presence.Perhapsthenatureofhisrawmagic

indeed provided him with anonymity—and

Maevehadonlyknowntorecognizeitthanks

towhatevershe’dpriedfromAelin’smind.

Atnight,DorianreturnedtoMaeve’stower

chamber,wheretheywouldgooverallhehad

seen. What she did during the day to keep

Erawan from noticing the small, ever-

changing presence hunting through his halls,

shedidnotreveal.

She’d brought the spiders, though. Dorian

had heard the servants’ terrified whispers

about the fleeting portal that the queen had

openedtoallowinsixofthecreaturestothe

catacombs.Wherethey,throughsometerrible

magic,allowedintheValgprincesses.

Dorian couldn’t decide whether it was a

relief that he had not encountered these

hybrids yet. Though he’d seen the emaciated

human bodies,mere husks, that were

occasionally hauled down the corridors.

Dinner, the guards carrying them had hissed

tothepetrifiedservants.Tofeedabottomless

hunger.Toprimethemforbattle.

What the spider-princess creations could

do, what theywould do to his friends in the

North…Doriancouldn’t stoprecallingwhat

Maeve had said to Erawan. That the Valg

princesses had been held here for the second

phaseofwhateverhewasplanning.Perhapsto

ensurethattheywerewellandtrulydestroyed

oncethebulkofhisarmiescamethrough.

Ithonedhisfocusashehunted.Pushedand

nudged him onward, even when reason and

instinct told him to flee this place. But he

wouldnot.Couldnot.Notwithoutthekey.

Sometimes,hecouldhaveswornhefeltit.

Thekey.Thehorrible,otherworldlypresence.

But when he’d chase after that wretched

power down stairwells and along ancient

corridors,onlydustandshadowswouldgreet

him.

Often, it led him back to Erawan’s tower.

To the locked iron door and Valg guards

posted outside. One of the few remaining

places he had not dared to search. Though

otherpossibilitiesdidstillremain.

The reek from the subterranean chamber

reached Dorian long before he soared down

the winding stair, the dim passageway

cavernous and looming to his fly’s senses. It

had been the safest form for the day. The

kitchencathadbeenontheprowlearlier,and

the Ironteeth witches hurried about the keep,

readying for what he could only assume was

anordertomarchnorth.

He’dbeenhuntingforthekeysincedawn,

Maeve occupying Erawan’s attention in the

western catacombs across the keep. Where

those spider-princesses tested their new

bodies.

He’d never gone so deep under the keep.

Beneath the storage rooms. Beneath the

dungeons. He’d only found the stair by the

smell that had leaked from behind the

ordinarydooratitstop,thescentdetectedby

the fly’s remarkable sense of smell. He’d

passed the door so many times now on his

fruitless hunting, deeming it a mere supply

closet—untilchancehadintervenedtoday.

Dorian rounded the last turn of the spiral

stairs, andnearly tumbledfromtheairasthe

smellfullyhithim.Athousandtimesworsein

thisform,withthesesenses.

Areekofdeath,ofrot,ofhateanddespair.

ThescentthatonlytheValgcouldsummon.

He’dneverforgetit.Hadneverquiteleftit

behind.

Turn back. The warning was a whisper

throughhismind.Turnback.

The lower hall was lit with only a few

torches in rusted iron brackets. No guards

were posted along its length, or by the lone

irondooratitsfarend.

The reek pulsed along the corridor,

emanatingfromthatdoor.Beckoning.

WouldErawanleavethekeysounguarded?

Dorian sent his magic skittering along the

hall,testingforanyhiddentraps.

Itfoundnone.Andwhenitreachedtheiron

door,itrecoiled.Itfled.

He spooled his power back into himself,

tuckingitcloser.

The iron door was dented and scratched

with age.Nine locks lay alongitsedge, each

more complicated than the last. Ancient,

strangelocks.

Hedidn’thesitate.Heaimedfortheslight

gapbetweenthestonesandtheirondoor,and

shifted.Theflyshrankintoagnat,sosmallit

was nearly a dust mote. He flew beneath the

door, blocking out the smell, the terrible

pulsingagainsthisblood.

It took him a moment to understand what

he looked at in the rough-hewn chamber,

illuminated byasmall lanterndangling from

the arched ceiling. A lick of greenish flame

dancedwithin.Notaflameofthisworld.

Itslightslidovertheheapofblackstonein

the center of the room. Pieces of a

sarcophagus.

Andallaroundit,builtintoshelvescarved

fromthemountainitself,gleamedWyrdstone

collars.

Only the instincts of his small,

inconsequential body kept Dorian in the air.

Kept him circling the lightless chamber. The

rubbleinthecenterofthespace.

Erawan’s tomb—directly beneath Morath.

Thesite where Elena andGavintrappedhim,

and then built the keep atop the sarcophagus

thatcouldnotbemoved.

Where all this mess had begun. Where,

centurieslater,hisfatherhadclaimedheand

Perrington ventured in their youth, using the

Wyrdkey to unlock both door and

sarcophagus,andunwittinglyfreedErawan.

The demon king had seized the duke’s

body.Hisfather…

Dorian’s heart raced as he passed collar

after collar, around and around the room.

Erawan hadn’t needed one to contain his

father,notwhenthemanpossessednomagic

inhisveins.

Yet Erawan had said that the man hadn’t

bowed—not wholly. Had fought him for

decades.

He hadn’t let himself think on it this past

week. On whether his father’s final words

atop the glass castle had indeed been true.

How he’d killed him, without the excuse of

thecollartojustifyit.

Hisheadpoundedashecontinuedtocircle

the tomb. The collars leaked their unholy

stenchintotheworld,pulsingintimewithhis

blood.

Theyseemedtosleep.Seemedtowait.

Didaprincelurkwithineachone?Orwere

theseshells,readytobefilled?

Kaltain had warned him of this chamber.

This place where Erawan would bring him,

shouldhebecaught.WhyErawanhadchosen

this place to store his collars … Perhaps it

wasasanctuary,ifsuchathingcouldexistfor

a Valg king. Where Erawan might come to

gaze upon the method of his own

imprisonment, and remind himself that he

would not be contained again. That he’d use

these collars to enslave those who’d attempt

tosealhimbackintothesarcophagus.

Dorian’s magic thrashed, impatient and

frantic.Wasthereacollarinhere designated

forhim?ForAelin?

Around and around, he flew past the

sarcophagus and the collars. No sign of the

key.

Heknewhowthecollarswouldfeelagainst

hisskin.TheicybiteoftheWyrdstone.

Kaltainhadfoughtit.Destroyedthedemon

within.

Hecouldstillfeeltheweightofhisfather’s

kneediggingintohischestashe’dpinnedhim

to the marble floor in a glass castle that no

longerexisted.Stillfeeltheslickstoneofthe

collar against his neck as it sealed. Still see

Sorscha’s limp hand as he tried to reach for

heronelasttime.

The room spun and spun, his blood

throbbingwithit.

Notaprince,notaking.

Thecollarsreachedforhimwithinvisible,

clawingfingers.

Hewasnobetterthanthem.Hadlearnedto

enjoy what the Valg prince had shown him.

Had shredded apart good men, and let the

demonfeedoffhishate,hisrage.

The room began to eddy, spiraling,

dragginghimintoitsdepths.

Not human—not entirely. Perhaps he

didn’t want to be. Perhaps he would stay in

another form forever, perhaps he’d just

submit—

A dark wind snapped through the room.

Snatchedhiminitsgapingmawanddragged

him.

Hethrashed,screamingsilently.

He wouldn’t be taken. Not like this, not

again—

But it hauled him away from the collars.

Underthedoorandoutoftheroom.

Into the palm of a pale hand. Dark,

depthless eyes peered down at him. An

enormous red mouth parted to reveal bone-

whiteteeth.

“Stupid boy,” Maeve hissed. The words

wereathunderclap.

He panted, the gnat’s body shaking from

wingtip to wingtip. One press of her finger

andhe’dbegone.

Hebracedhimself,waitingforit.

ButMaevekeptherpalmopen.Andasshe

began to walk down the hall, away from the

sealed chamber, she said, “What you felt in

there—that is why I left their world.” She

gazed ahead, a shadow darkening her face.

“Everyday,thatwaswhatIfelt.”

KneelingonthefloorinacornerofMaeve’s

chamber, Dorian hurled the contents of his

stomachintothewoodenbucket.

Maevewatchedfromthechairbythefire,

cruelamusementonherredlips.

“Yousawthehorrorsofthedungeonsand

did not fall ill,” she said when he vomited

again. The unspoken question shone in her

eyes.Whytoday?

Dorianliftedhishead,wipinghismouthon

theshoulderofhisjacket.“Thosecollars…”

Heranahandoverhisneck.“Ididn’tthinkit

wouldaffectmelikethat.Toseethemagain.”

“You were reckless in entering that

chamber.”

“WouldIhavebeenabletogetout,ifyou

hadn’t found me?” He didn’t ask how she’d

done so, how she’d sensed the peril. That

power of hers no doubt kept track of him

whereverhewent.

“Thecollarscandonothingwithout being

attachedtoahost.Butthatroomisaplaceof

hatredandpain,thememoryofitetchedinto

the stones.” She examined her long nails. “It

snaredyou.Youletyourselfbesnared.”

Hadn’t Kaltain said nearly the same thing

regarding the collars? “It took me by

surprise.”

Maeveletoutahum,wellawareofhislie.

Butshesaid,“Thecollarsareoneofhismore

brilliantcreations.Neitherofhisbrotherswas

cleverenoughtocomeupwithit.ButErawan

—healwayshadagiftforideas.”Sheleaned

backinthechair,crossingherlegs.“Butthat

gift also made him arrogant.” She nodded to

him.“ThatheletyouremaininRiftholdwith

your father, rather than bring you here, only

proves it. He thought he could control you

bothfromafar.Hadhebeenmorecautious,he

would have brought you to Morath

immediately.Begunworkonyou.”

Thecollarsflashedbeforehiseyes,leaking

their poisoned, oily scent into the world,

beckoning,waitingforhim—

Dorianheavedagain.

Maeveletoutalowlaughthatrakedtalons

downhisspine.Histemper.

Dorian mastered himself and twisted

toward her. “Yougaveoverthosespiders for

his princesses, knowing what they’d endure,

knowinghowitwouldfeeltobetrappedlike

that, albeit in a different manner.”How, he

didn’t say.How could you do that, when you

knewthatsortofterror?

Maeve fell silent for a moment, and he

could have sworn somethinglike regret

passedoverherface.“Iwouldnothavedone

it, unless my need to prove my loyalty

compelledme.”Herattentiondriftedtowhere

Damarishungathisside.“Youdonotwishto

verifymyclaim?”

Dorian didn’t touch the golden hilt. “Do

youwantmeto?”

Sheclickedhertongue.“Youaredifferent

indeed.IwonderifsomeoftheValgdidcross

overwhenyourfatherbredyourmother.”

Doriancringed.Hestillhadn’tdaredtoask

Damaris about it—whether he was human.

Whetheritmatterednow.

“Why?” he asked, gesturing to the keep

around them. “Why does Erawan do any of

this?”Aweekafterhe’daskedtheValgking

himself, Dorian still wanted to—needed to

know.

“Becausehecan.BecauseErawandelights

insuchthings.”

“You made it sound as if he was the

mildestofallthreebrothers.”

“He is.” She ran a hand over her throat.

“Orcus and Mantyx are the ones who taught

him all he knows. Should they return here,

what Erawan creates in these mountains will

seemlikelambs.”

He’dheededthatwarningfromKaltain,at

least.Hehadn’tdaredventureintothecaverns

beyondthevalley.Tothestonealtarsandthe

monstrositiesErawancrafteduponthem.

He asked, “You never had children? With

Orcus?”

“Does my future husband truly wish to

know?”

Doriansettledbackonhisheels.“Iwishto

understandmyenemy.”

Sheweighedhiswords.“Ididnotallowmy

body to ripen, to ready for children.A small

rebellion,andmyfirst,againstOrcus.”

“Are the Valg princes and princesses the

offspringoftheotherkings?”

“Some are, some are not. No worthy heir

hassteppedforward.Thoughwhoknowswhat

has occurred in their world in these

millennia.” Their world. Not her own. “The

princes Erawan summoned have not been

strong—not as they were. I am certain it

annoysErawantonoend.”

“Which is why he has brought over the

princesses?”

Anod.“Thefemalesarethedeadliest.But

hardertocontainwithinahost.”

Thewhitebandofskinonhisneckseemed

to burn, but he kept his stomach down: this

time.“Whydidyouleaveyourworld?”

Sheblinkedathim,asifsurprised.

“What?”heasked.

She angled her head. “It has been a long,

long time since I conversed with someone

who knows me for what I am. And with

someone whose mind remained wholly their

own.”

“EvenAelin?”

Amuscleinherslimjawfeathered.“Even

AelinoftheWildfire.Icouldnotinfiltrateher

mind entirely, but little things … those, I

couldconvincehertosee.”

“Why did you capture and torture her?”

Such a simple way of describing what had

happenedinEyllweandafterit.

“Because she would never agree to work

withme.Andshewouldneverhaveprotected

mefromErawanortheValg.”

“You’restrong—whynotprotectyourself?

Usethosespiderstoyouradvantage?”

“Becauseourkindonlyfearscertaingifts.

Mine, alas, are not those things.” She toyed

withastrandofherblackhair.“Iusuallykeep

another Fae female with me. One who has

powers that work against the Valg. Different

from those Aelin Galathynius possesses.”

That she didn’t specify what those powers

were told Dorian not to waste his breath in

asking her. “She swore the blood oath to me

long ago, and has rarely left my side since.

But I did not dare bring her to Morath. To

have her here would not have convinced

ErawanthatIcameingoodfaith.”Shetwirled

thestrandofhairaroundafinger.“Soyousee,

IamasdefenselessagainstErawanasyou.”

Dorian highly doubted that, but he rose to

his feet at last, aiming for the table where

water and food had been laid out. A fine

spread,forademonking’scastleinthedead

ofwinter.Hepouredhimselfaglassofwater

and gulped down the contents. “Is this

Erawan’strueform?”

“Inamannerofspeaking.Wearenotlike

the human and Fae, whereyour souls are

invisible, unseen. Our souls have a shape to

them. We have bodies that we can fashion

around them—adorn them, like jewelry. The

form you see on Erawan was always his

preferreddecoration.”

“Whatdoyoursoulslooklikebeneath?”

“Youwouldfindthemdispleasing.”

Hesuppressedashudder.

“I suppose that makes us shape-shifters,

too,” Maeve mused as Dorian aimed for the

chair beside hers. He’d spent his nights

sleeping onthe floor beforethe fire, one eye

watching the queen dozing in the canopied

bedbehindhim.Butshehadmadenomoveto

harmhim.Notone.

“DoyoufeelValg,orFae?”

“IamwhatIam.”Foraheartbeat,hecould

almost glimpse the weight of her eons of

existenceinhereyes.

“But who do you wish to be?” A careful

question.

“NotlikeErawan. Or hisbrothers.I never

have.”

“That’snotexactlyananswer.”

“Do you know who and what you wish to

be?”Achallenge—andgenuinequestion.

“I’m figuring it out,” he said. Strange. So

strange, to have this conversation. Sparing

them both for the time being, Dorian rubbed

athisface.“Thekeyisinhistower.I’msure

ofit.”

Maeve’smouthtightened.

Doriansaid,“Thereisnowayin—notwith

the guards. And I’ve flown the exterior

enough to know there are no windows, no

cracksformetoevencreepthrough.”Heheld

herotherworldlystare.Didnotshrinkfromit.

“Weneedtogetin.Ifonlytoconfirmthatit’s

there.” She’d once held the keys—she knew

what they felt like. That she had come so

closethen…

“AndIsupposeyouexpectmetodothat?”

Hecrossedhisarms.“Icanthinkofnoone

elsethatErawanwouldadmitinside.”

Maeve’ssolitaryblinkwasheronlysignof

surprise. “To seduce and betray a king—one

oftheoldesttricksinthebook,asyouhumans

say.”

“CanErawanbeseducedbyanyone?”

He could have sworn disgust flitted over

herpalefacebeforeshesaid,“Hecan.”

Theydidnotwastetime.Didnotwait.

And even Dorian found himself unable to

lookawayasMaeveflickedahandatherself

andherpurplegownmeltedaway,replacedby

asheer,flowingblackdress.Littlemorethan

arobe.Goldenthreadhadbeenwoventhrough

it, artfully concealing the parts of her that

onlytheonewhoremovedthegarmentwould

see,andwhensheturnedfromthemirror,her

facewasgrave.

“You will not like what you are about to

witness.”Thensheslunghercloakaroundher,

hiding that lush body and sinful gown, and

sweptoutthedoor.

He shifted into a slithering insect, swift

and flexible, and trailed her, lingering at her

heels as Maeve wound through the halls. To

thebaseofthattower.

Hetuckedintoacrackintheblackwallas

Maeve said to the Valg posted outside, “You

know who I am. What Iam. Tell him I have

come.”

He could have sworn Maeve’s hands

trembledslightly.

But one of the guards—whom Dorian had

never onceseen so much asblink—turnedto

thedoor,knockedonce,andstrodeinside.

He emerged moments later, resumed his

post,andsaidnothing.

Maeve waited. Then strolling footsteps

soundedfromthetowerinterior.

Andwhenthedooropenedagain,theputrid

windandswirlingdarknesswithinthreatened

tosendhimrunning.Erawan,stillcladinhis

clothesdespitethelatehour,liftedhisbrows.

“Wehaveameetingtomorrow,sister.”

Maevetookastepcloser.“Ididnotcome

todiscusswar.”

Erawanstilled.Andthensaidtotheguards,

“Leaveus.”



CHAPTER74

As one, the guards outside Erawan’s tower

walkedaway.

Alone,theValgkingblockingthedoorway

to his tower, Maeve said, “Does that mean I

am welcome?” She loosened her grip on her

cloak,thefrontfoldsfallingopentorevealthe

sheergown.

Erawan’sgoldeneyessurveyedeveryinch.

Then her face. “Thoughyou may not believe

so,youaremybrother’swife.”

Dorianblinkedatthat.Atthehonorofthe

demonwithinthemalebody.

“I do not have to be,” Maeve murmured,

and Dorian knew, then, why she had warned

himbeforethey’dleft.

A shake of her head, and her thick black

hair turned golden. Her moon-white skin

darkened slightly, to a sun-kissed tan. The

angular face rounded slightly, dark eyes

lightening to turquoise and gold. “We could

playlikethis,ifyou’dprefer.”

EventhevoicebelongedtoAelin.

Erawan’seyesflared,hischestrisinginan

unevenbreath.

“Wouldthatappealtoyou?”Maevegavea

half-smile that Dorian had only seen on the

QueenofTerrasen’sface.

Disgustandhorrorroiledthroughhim.He

knew—knew there was no true lust in

Erawan’s eyes for Aelin. No true desire

beyondtheclaiming,thepain.

Maeve’s glamour changed again. Golden

hairpaledtowhite,turquoiseeyesburningto

gold.

Icy rage, pure and undiluted, tore through

Dorian as Manon now stood before the Valg

king. “Or maybe this form, beautiful beyond

all reckoning.” She peered down at herself,

smiling.“Wassheyourintendedqueenwhen

this war was over, the Wing Leader? Or

merelyaprizebreedingmare?”

Erawan’s nostrils flared, and Dorian

focused upon his breathing, on the stones

beneathhim,anythingtokeephismagicfrom

erupting at the desire—true desire—that

tightenedErawan’sface.

ButifitgotMaeveinsidethattower—

Erawan blinked, and that desire winked

out.“Youaremybrother’swife,”hesaid.“No

matterwhoseskinyouwear.Shouldyouneed

release,I’llsendsomeonetoyourchambers.”

With that, he shut the door. And did not

emergeagain.

MaevebroughtDoriantohermeetingthenext

morning.

In her cloak pocket, as a field mouse,

Doriankeptstillandlistened.

“Afterallthatfusslastnight,”Erawanwas

saying,“youturnedawaywhatIsentyou.”

Indeed, not fifteen minutes after they’d

returned to Maeve’s tower, a knock had

sounded.Ablank-facedyoungmanhadstood

there, beautiful and cold. Not a prince—not

with the ring he wore. Just an enslaved

human.Maevehadsenthimaway,thoughnot

fromanykindness.

No,Dorianknewthemanhadbeenspared

his duties because of his presence, and

nothing more. Maeve had told him as much

beforefallingasleep.

“I had hoped for wine,” Maeve said

smoothly,“notwatered-downale.”

Erawan chuckled, and paper rustled. “I

have been considering further details of this

alliance, sister.” Thetitlewasabarb,a taunt

of last night’s rejection. “And I have been

wondering: what else shall you bring to it?

You stand to gain more than I do, after all.

And offering up six of your spiders is

relatively little, even if they have been

receptivehoststotheprincesses.”

Dorian’s ears strained as he waited for

Maeve’sreply.Shesaidquietly,moretensely

thanhe’dheardherspeakbefore,“Whatisit

thatyouwant,brother?”

“Bring the rest of thekharankui. Open a

portalandtransportthemhere.”

“Notallwillbesuchwillinghosts.”

“Nothosts.Soldiers.Idonotintendtotake

chances.Therewillbenosecondphase.”

Dorian’s stomach twisted. Maeve

hesitated. “Thereisa chance, you know,that

even with all of this, even if I summon the

kharankui, you might faceAelin Galathynius

and fail.” A pause. “Anielle has confirmed

yourdarkestfears.Iheardwhatoccurred.The

power she summoned to halt that river.”

Maevehummed.“Thatwasmeantforme,you

know. The blast. But should she summon it

again,let’ssayagainstyouonafieldofbattle

…Wouldyoubeabletowalkaway,brother?”

“That is why this press northward with

your spiders shall be vital,” was Erawan’s

onlyreply.

“Perhaps,” Maeve countered. “But do not

forget that you and I together could win.

Without the spiders. Without the princesses.

Even Aelin Galathynius could not stand

againstusboth.WecangototheNorth, and

obliterateher.Keepthespidersinreservefor

otherkingdoms.Othertimes.”

She did not wish to sacrifice them. As if

she held some fondness for the beings who

hadremainedloyalformillennia.

“And beyond that,” Maeve went on, “You

know much about walking between worlds.

But not everything.” Her hand slid into the

pocket, andDorian braced himself as her

fingersranoverhisback.Asiftellinghimto

listen.

“And I suppose I will only find out when

youandIhavewonthiswar,”Erawansaidat

last.

“Yes, though I am willing to give you a

display. Tomorrow, once I have prepared.”

Again, that horrible silence. Maeve said,

“They are too strong, too mighty, for me to

open a portal between realms to allow them

through.Theywoulddestabilizemymagictoo

greatlyintheefforttobringallthat they are

intothisworld.ButIcouldshowthemtoyou

—just for a moment. I could show you your

brothers.OrcusandMantyx.”



CHAPTER75

DarrowandtheotherTerrasenlordshadspent

theirtimewiselythesepastfewmonths,thank

thegods,andOrynthwaswellstockedagainst

the siege marching closer with each passing

hour.

Food,weapons,healingsupplies,plansfor

where the citizens might sleep should they

flee into the castle, reinforcements at the

places along the city and castle walls where

theancientstonehadweakened—Aedionhad

foundlittleatfault.

Yet after a fitful night’s sleep in his old

room in the castle—awful and strange and

cold—he was prowling one of the lower

turretsasdawnbroke.Uphere,thewindwas

somuchwilder,icier.

Stalking, steady footsteps sounded from

the archway behind him. “I spotted you up

hereonthewaydowntobreakfast,”Rensaid

by way of greeting. The Allsbrook court’s

quartershadalwaysbeeninthetoweradjacent

to Aedion’s—when they’d been boys, they’d

once spent a summer devising a signaling

systemtoeachother’sroomsusingalantern.

It was the last summer they had spent in

friendship,onceithadstartedtobecomeclear

to Ren’s father that Aedion was favored to

takethebloodoath.Andthentherivalryhad

begun.

Onesummer:thickasthievesandaswild.

Thenext:endlesspissingcontests,everything

from footraces through the courtyards to

shovinginthestairwellstooutrightbrawling

intheGreatHall.Rhoehadtriedtodefuseit,

but Rhoe had never been a comfortable liar.

Had refused to deny to Ren’s father that

Aedion was the one who’d swear that oath.

And by the end of that summer, even the

CrownPrincehadbeguntolooktheotherway

when the two boys launched into yet another

fightinthedirt.Notthatitmatterednow.

Wouldhisownfather,wouldGavriel,have

encouragedtherivalry?Hesupposeditdidn’t

matter, either. But for a heartbeat, Aedion

tried to picture it—Gavriel here, presiding

over his training. His father and Rhoe,

teaching him together. And he knew that

Gavriel would havefound somewayto calm

thecompetition,muchinthewayheheldthe

peace in the cadre. What manner of man

would he have become, had the Lion been

here? Gavriel likely would have been

butcheredwiththerestofthecourt,but…he

wouldhavebeenhere.

A fool’s path, to wander down that road.

Aedionwaswhohewas,andmostofthetime,

didn’t mind that one bit. Rhoe had been his

fatherinthewaysthatcounted.Evenifthere

had been times when Aedion had looked at

RhoeandEvalinandAelinandstillfeltlikea

guest.

Aedion shook the thought from his head.

Being here, in this castle, had addled him.

Draggedhimintoarealmofghosts.

“Don’t expect Darrow to put out a

breakfast spread like the ones we used to

have,” Aedion said. Not that he expected or

wanted one. He ate only because his body

demanded he do so, ate because it was

strength, and he would need it, his people

wouldneedit,beforelong.

Ren surveyed the city, then the Plain of

Theralisbeyond.Thestill-emptyhorizon.“I’ll

get the archers sorted today.And ensure the

soldiers at the gates know how to wield that

boilingoil.”

“Doyou know how to wield it?” Aedion

archedabrow.

Rensnorted.“What’stolearn?Youdumpa

giant cauldron over the side of the walls.

Damagedone.”

It certainly required a bit more skill than

that, but it was better than nothing. At least

Darrowhadmadesuretheyhadsuchsupplies.

Aedionprayedthey’dgetthechancetouse

them. With Morath’s witch towers, the odds

werethatthey’dbeblastedintorubblebefore

theenemyhostevenreachedeitherofthetwo

gatesintothecity.

“What we could really use is some

hellfire,” Ren muttered. “That’d keep them

fromthegates.”

And potentially melt everyone around

them,too.

Aedionopenedhismouthtoagreewhenhis

browsnarrowed.

Hesurveyedtheplain,thehorizon.

“Outwithit,”Rensaid.

AedionsteeredRenbacktowardthetower

entrance.“WeneedtotalktoRolfe.”

Notabouthellfireatthesouthernandwestern

gates.Notatall.

Theywaiteduntilcoverofdarkness,when

Morath’sspiesmightnotspotthesmallband

ofthemwhocrept,mileaftermile,acrossthe

PlainofTheralis.

Clad in battle-black, they moved over the

fieldthatwouldoncemorebecomebathedin

blood.Whentheyreachedthelandmarksthat

AedionandRenhadusedthedaylighthoursto

planout,Aedionheldupahand.

TheSilentAssassinsliveduptotheirname

as Ilias signaled back and they spread out.

Amongst them moved Rolfe’s Mycenians,

bearingtheirheavyloads.

But it was the shape-shifter who began to

workfirst.Turningherselfintoagiantbadger,

bigger than a horse, who scooped out the

frozenearthwithskilled,strongpaws.

The scent of her blood filled the air, but

Lysandradidn’tstopdigging.

And when she’d finished the first pit, she

moved on to the next, leaving the group of

Silent Assassins and Mycenians to lay their

trap,thenburyitoncemore.

The brutal wind moaned past them. Yet

they worked through the night, used every

minute given to them. And when they were

done,theyvanishedbacktothecity,invisible

oncemore.

Morathappearedonthehorizonadaylater.

From the castle’s highest towers and

walkways, every marching line could be

counted.Oneafteranotherafteranother.

Herhandsstillbruisedandbandagedfrom

digging through frozen earth, Lysandra stood

with an assortment of their allies on one of

thosewalkways,Evangelineclingingtoher.

“That’s fifteen thousand,” Ansel of

Briarcliff announced as yet another line

emerged.Noonesaidanything.“Twenty.”

“Morath must be empty to now have so

manyhere,”PrinceGalanmurmured.

Evangelinetrembled,notentirelyfromthe

cold, and Lysandra tightened her arm around

the girl. Down the wall of the walkway,

Darrow and the other Terrasen lords spoke

quietly. As if sensing Lysandra’s attention,

Darrowthrew anarrowglanceherway—that

then dipped to the pale-faced, shaking

Evangeline. Darrow said nothing, and

Lysandra didn’t bother to look pleasant,

beforeheturnedbacktohiscompanions.

“That’sthirty,”Anselsaid.

“Wecancount,”Rolfesnipped.

Ansel lifted a wine-red brow. “Can you

really?”

Despite the army marching on them,

Lysandra’smouthtwitchedupward.

Rolfejustrolledhiseyesandwentbackto

watchingtheapproachingarmy.

“They won’t arrive until dawn at the

earliest,”Aedionobserved,hisfacegrim.

Shehadnotyetdecidedwhatformtotake.

Where to fight. If ilken still flew in their

ranks,thenitwouldbeawyvern,butifcloser

quarters were required, then … she hadn’t

decided.Noonehadaskedhertobeanywhere

in particular, though Aedion’s request  the

other night to assist in their wild plan had

been a rare reprieve from these days of

waitinganddreading.

She’dgladlytakedaysofpacinginsteadof

whatapproachedthem.

“Fifty thousand,” Ansel said, throwing a

wryglancetoRolfe.

Lysandra swallowed against the tightness

inherthroat.Evangelinepressedherfaceinto

Lysandra’sside.

Andthenthewitchtowerstookform.

Like massive lances jutting from the

horizon, they appeared through the gray

morning light. Three of them, spread out

equallyamidthearmythatcontinuedtoflow

behindthem.

EvenAnselstoppedcountingnow.

“I did not think it would be so terrible,”

Evangeline whispered, hands digging into

Lysandra’s heavy cloak. “I did not think it

wouldbesowretched.”

Lysandra pressed a kiss to the top of her

red-goldhair.“Noharmshallcometoyou.”

“I am not afraid for myself,” Evangeline

said.“Butformyfriends.”

Thosecitrineeyesindeedshonewithtears

of terror, and Lysandra brushed one away

before watching the advancing witch towers

creep toward them. She had no words to

comfortthegirl.

“Anyminutenow,”Aedionmurmured,and

Lysandraglanceddowntothesnowyplain.

To the figures that emerged from beneath

the snow, clad in white. Flaming arrows

nocked in their bows. Morath’s front lines

were nearly upon them, but those soldiers

werenottheirtarget.

Down the wall, Murtaugh gripped the

ancient stones as a figure that had to be Ren

gave the order. Flaming arrows arched and

flew, Morath soldiers ducking under their

shields.

They did not bother to look beneath their

feet.

Neitherdidthewitchesleadingtheirthree

towers.

The flaming arrows struck the earth with

deadly accuracy, thanks to the Silent

Assassinswhowieldedthosebows.

Right atop the fuse lines that flowed

directly into the pits they’d dug. Just as the

witchtowerspassedoverthem.

Blinding flashes broke apart the black sea

ofthearmy.Thenthemightyboom.

And then a rain of stone, all Morath’s

forces whirling to see. Providing the right

distraction as Ren, Ilias, and the Silent

Assassins raced on foot to the white horses

hiddenbehindasnowdrift.

When the flash cleared, when the smoke

was gone, a sigh of relief went down the

walkway.

Two of those witch towers had been

directlyoverthepits.Pitsthattheyhadfilled

with the chemical reactors and powders that

fueled Rolfe’s firelances, then concealed

beneath the earth—waiting for a spark to

ignitethem.

Thosetwotowersnowlayinscatteredruin,

their wyverns broken beneath them, soldiers

squashedunderfallingstone.

Yet one still stood, the pit it had been

closest to exploding too soon. One of the

wyverns who had pulled it had been hit by

debris from another tower—and lay either

deadorinjured.

And that third remaining tower had

stopped.

A wicked, low horn sounded from the

enemyhost,andthearmyhalted,too.

“Thanktheruttinggods,”Rolfesaid,head

bowing.

ButAedionwasstillstaringattheplain—

at the figures on horseback galloping to

Orynth’swalls.Makingsuretheyallreturned.

“How long will that stop them?”

Evangelineasked.

Everyone, Darrow included, turned to the

girl.Noonehadananswer.Nolietooffer.

So they again faced the army gathered on

theplain,itsfarthestreachesnowvisible.

“One hundred thousand,” Ansel of

Briarcliffannouncedsoftly.



CHAPTER76

“It’s possible—toshow a different world?”

DorianaskedMaevewhentheywereagainin

theirtowerroom.

Maeve slid into a chair, her face distant.

“Usingmirrors,yes.”

Dorianliftedabrow.

“You have seen yourself the power of

witch mirrors. What it did to Aelin

Galathynius and Manon Blackbeak. Who do

youthinktaughtthewitchessuchpower?Not

the Fae.” A small laugh. “And how do you

think Ihave been able toseeso far, hear the

voices of my eyes, all the way from

Doranelle?Therearemirrorstospy,totravel,

tokill.Evennow,Erawanwieldsthemtohis

advantagewiththeIronteeth.”Withthewitch

towers.

Maevelounged,aqueenwithnocrown.“I

canshowhimwhathewishestosee.”

Dorian opened his mouth, then considered

thewords.

“An illusion.You don’t  plan to show him

OrcusorMantyxatall.”

Shecuthimacoolstare.“Asleightofhand

—whileyouenterthetower.”

“Ican’tgetin.”

“Iamaworld-walker,”Maevesaid.“Ihave

traveled between universes. Do you think

movingbetweenroomswillbesohard?”

“Something kept you from going to

Terrasenalltheseyears.”

Maeve’s jaw tightened. “Brannon

Galathynius was aware of my gifts to move

between places. The wards around his

kingdompreventmefromdoingso.”

“So you could not transport Erawan’s

armiesthereforhim.”

“No.Icanonlyenteronfoot.Therearetoo

many of them, anyway, for me to hold the

portalthatlong.”

“Erawan is aware of your gift, so he’ll

likely have taken steps to guard his own

room.”

“Yes,andIhavespentmytimehereslowly

unraveling them. He is not so skilled a

spellworkerashethinks.”Asmug,triumphant

smile.

Yet Dorian asked, “Why not do this from

thestart?”

“Because I had not yet decided it was

worththerisk.Becausehehadnotyetpushed

metobringmyhandmaidenshere,tobemere

footsoldiers.”

“Youcareaboutthem—thespiders.”

“Youwillfind,YourMajesty,thataloyal

friend isa rare thingindeed. Theyarenot so

easytosacrifice.”

“You offered up six of them to those

princesses.”

“AndIshallrememberthatforaslongasI

live,” Maeve said, and some kernel of

emotion indeed danced over her face. “They

went willingly. I tell myself that whenever I

look upon them now and see nothing of the

creatures I knew. They wished to help me.”

Hereyesmethis.“NotallValgareevil.”

“Erawanis.”

“Yes,” she said, and her eyes darkened.

“Heandhisbrothers…theyaretheworstof

ourkind.Theirrulewasthroughfearandpain.

Theydelightinsuchthings.”

“Andyoudonot?”

Maeve twirled an inky strand around a

finger.Anddidn’tanswer.

Fine.Dorianwenton, “Soyoushall break

past Erawan’s wards on his room, open the

portal for me, and I’ll slip in while you

distract him with an illusion about his

brothers.”Hefrowned.“AssoonasIfindthe

key, he’ll know you’ve deceived him. We’ll

havetoleavequickly.”

Her mouth curved. “We will. And go to

whereveryouhavehiddentheothers.”

Dorian kept every expression off his face.

“You’re certain he won’t know he’s being

tricked?”

“Orcus is his brother. But Orcus was also

my husband. The illusion will be real

enough.”

Dorian considered. “What time do we

makeourmove?”

Nightfall.

That was when Maeve had told Erawan to

meet. That liminal space between light and

dark, when one force yielded to another.

When she would open the portal for Dorian

fromroomsaway.

Asthesunset—notthatDoriancouldseeit

with the clouds and gloom of Morath—he

found himself staring at the wall of Maeve’s

chamber.

She had left minutes ago, with nothing

more than a farewell glance. Their escape

routehadbeenplotted,analternativewithit.

Allshouldgoaccordingtoplan.

Andthebodyhenowwore,thegoldenhair

andgoldeneyes…ShouldanyonebutErawan

himself stumble into the tower, they would

finditoccupiedbytheirmaster.

He did not have room in himself for fear,

for doubt. Did not think of the Wyrdstone

collars beneath the fortress, or every twisted

room and dungeon he’d passed through.

Darknessfellbeyondtheroom.

Dorian stepped back as the stones turned

dark,dark,dark—thenvanished.

Thestenchofdeath,ofrot,ofhateflowed

out. Far more putrid than the tomb levels

below.

It threatened to buckle his knees, but

Dorian drew Damaris. Rallied his power and

lifted his left hand, a faint golden light

shiningfromhisfingers.Fire.

With a prayer to whatever gods might

bother to help him, Dorian stepped through

theportal.



CHAPTER77

Dorian didn’t know what he had expected

from a Valg king’s chamber, but the four-

poster bed of carved black wood, the

washstandanddesk,wouldhavebeenlowon

hislistofguesses.

Nothing extraordinary.No trove of stolen,

ancient weapons or heirlooms, no bubbling

potions or spellbooks, no snarling beasts in

the corner. No additional of Wyrdstone

collars.

Abedroomandnothingmore.

He scanned the circular room, even going

sofarastopeerdownthestairwell.Astraight

shot to the iron door and guards posted

outside.Noclosets.Notrapdoors.

He opened the armoire to find row after

row of clean clothes. None of the drawers

containedanything—andtherewerenohidden

compartments.

But he felt it. That otherworldly, terrible

presence.Couldfeelitallaroundhim—

Asmallnoisehadhimwhirling.

Dorian looked at the bedthen.At what he

had missed, left lying between obsidian

sheets, which nearly swallowed her frail,

smallbody.

The young woman. Her face was hollow,

vacant. Yet she stared at him. As if she’d

awoken.

A pretty, dark-haired girl. No older than

twenty.Anear-twintoKaltain.

Bile burned his throat.And as the girl sat

upfarther,thesheetsfallingawaytoreveala

wasted, naked body, to reveal a too-thin arm

andthehideouspurplishscarnearthewrist…

He knew why he had felt the key’s presence

throughout the keep. Moving about.

Vanishing.

It had been walking. Trailing its master.

Herenslaver.

A collar of black stone had been clamped

aroundherthroat.

Andyetshesatthereinthatrumpledbed.

Staringathim.

Hollowandvacant—andinpain.

He had no words. There was only ringing

silence.

Kaltain had destroyed the Valg prince

inside her, but the Wyrdkey had driven her

mad.Hadgivenherterriblepower,butripped

aparthermind.

Dorian slowly, carefully, took one step

closer to the bed. “You’re awake,” he said,

willing his voice to the drawl of the Valg

king.Knowingitwashercaptorshesaw.

Ablink.

Dorian had witnessed Erawan’s

experiments,thehorrorsofhisdungeons.Yet

thisyoung woman, so starved,thebruises on

her skin, the unholy thing in her arm, the

unholythinghe’dknown hadsharedthisbed

withher…

Hedaredtounspoolathreadofhispower.

Itnearedherarmandrecoiled.

Yes,thekeywasthere.

Heprowledcloser,willinghernot tolook

towardtheportalinthewall.

Theyoungwomantrembled—justslightly.

He willed himself not to vomit. Not to do

anything but look at her with cool command

ashesaid,“Givemeyourarm.”

Her brown eyes scanned his face, but she

heldoutherarm.

He nearly staggered back at the festering

wound, the black veins running up from it.

Leaking its poison into her. What Kaltain’s

woundhadnodoubtlookedlike,andwhythe

scarremained,evenindeath.

ButhesheathedDamarisandtookherarm

inhishands.

Ice. Herskin was likeice.“Liedown,”he

toldher.

Sheshook,butobeyed.Bracingherself.For

him.

Kaltain. Oh gods, Kaltain. What she’d

endured—

Dorianfreedtheknifeathisside—theone

Sorrelhadgiftedhim—andangleditoverher

arm. Kaltain had done the same to free it,

Manonhadsaid.

But Dorian sent a flicker of his healing

magic to her arm. To numb and soothe. She

thrashed,butheheldfirm.Lethismagicflare

throughher.She gasped, arching,andDorian

took advantage of her sudden stillness to

plungeintheknife,fastanddeft.

Three movements, his healing magic still

working through her, soothing her as best he

could, and the bloodied shard was in his

fingers. Pulsing its hollow, sickening power

throughhim.

ThefinalWyrdkey.

He dropped her arm, sliding the Wyrdkey

intohispocket,andturnedfortheportal.

Butahandwrappedaroundhis,feebleand

shaking.

He whirled, a hand going to Damaris, and

found her staring up at him. Tears slid down

herface.

“Kill me,” she breathed. Dorian blinked.

“You—youpushed it back.”Notthekey, but

the demon inside her, he realized. Somehow,

withthathealingmagic—“Killme,”shesaid,

andbegansobbing.“Killme,please.”

Damaris warmed in his hand. Truth. He

gapedatherinhorror.“I—Ican’t.”

Shebeganclawingatthecollararoundher

throat. As if she’d rip it free. “Please,” she

sobbed.“Please.”

Hedidnothavetime.Tofindawaytoget

that collar off. Wasn’t even certain itcould

comeoff, withoutthatgolden ringAelin had

usedonhim.“Ican’t.”

Despair and agony flooded her eyes.

“Please,”wasallshesaid.“Please.”

Damaris remained warm. Truth. The

pleadingwasnothingbuttruth.

Buthehadtogo—hadtogonow.Hecould

nottakeherwithhim.Knewthatthinginside

her, however his magic had pushed it back,

would emerge again. And scream to Erawan

wherehewas.Whathe’dstolen.

She wept, hands ripping at her brutalized

body.“Please.”

Woulditbeamercy—tokillher?Wouldit

be a worse crime to leave her here, with

Erawan?EnslavedtohimandtheValgdemon

insideher?

Damaris did not answer his silent

questions.

And he let his hand fall away from the

blade entirely as he stared down at the

weepinggirl.

Manon would have ended it. Freed her in

theonlywayleft.Chaolwouldhavetakenher

withhimanddamnedtheconsequences.Aelin

…Hedidn’tknowwhatshewouldhavedone.

Whodoyouwishtobe?

He was not anyof them. He was—he was

nothingbuthimself.

Amanwhohadknownlossandpain,yes.

Butamanwhohadknownfriendshipandjoy.

The loss and pain—they had not broken

him wholly. Without them, would the

moments of happiness be as bright? Without

them,wouldhefight so hard toensureit did

nothappenagain?

Whodoyouwishtobe?

A king worthy of his crown. A king who

would rebuild what had been shattered, both

withinhimselfandinhislands.

The girl sobbed and sobbed, and Dorian’s

handdriftedtowardDamaris’shilt.

Thenacracksounded.Bonesnapping.

One moment, the girl was weeping. The

next, her head twisted to the side, eyes

unseeing.

Dorianwhirled,acryonhislipsasMaeve

steppedintotheroom.“Consideritawedding

gift, Majesty,”she said,herlipscurling. “To

spareyoufromthatdecision.”

And it was the smile on her face, the

predatorygaitofherstepsthathadhismagic

rallying.

Maeve nodded toward his pocket. “Well

done.”

Herdarkpowerleaptuponhismind.

He didn’t have the chance to grab for

Damaris before he was snared in her dark

web.



CHAPTER78

HewasinErawan’sroom,andyetnot.

Maeve purred to him, “The key, if you

will.”

Dorian’s hand slid into his pocket. To the

sliverinside.

“Andthenweshallretrievetheothers,”she

continued,andbeckonedtotheportalthrough

which they had both come. He followed her,

pulling the shard from his pocket. “Such

thingsIhaveplannedforus,Majesty.Forour

union. With the keys, I could keep you

eternallyyoung.Andwithyourpower,second

tonone,notevenAelinGalathynius,youwill

shieldusfromanywhomighttrytoreturnto

thisworldagain.”

Theyemergedintotheirroom,andaswipe

of Maeve’s hand had the portal fading.

“Quicklynow,”sheorderedhim.“Wedepart.

Thewyvernawaits.”

Dorian halted in the middle of the

chamber. “Don’t you think it’s rude  to leave

withoutanote?”

Maevetwistedtowardhim,buttoolate.

Too damn late, as the claws she’d hooked

into his mind became mired in it.As flame,

white-hotandsizzling,closedupon thepiece

ofhershe’dunwittinglylaidbareintryingto

traphim.

A trap within a trap. One he had formed

fromthemomenthe’dseenher.Ithadbeena

simple trick. Toshift hismind, asif he were

shifting his body. Tomake her see one thing

whensheglimpsedinsideit.

To make her see what she wished to

believe:hisjealousyandresentmentofAelin;

hisdesperation;hisnaivefoolishness.Hehad

lethismindbecomesuchthings,letitlureher

in.Andeverytimeshehadcomeclose,falling

for those slips in his power, his magic had

studied her own. Just as it had studied

Cyrene’s stolen kernel of shape-shifting, so

had it learned Maeve’s ability to creep into

themind,seizeit.

Ithadonlybeenamatterofwaitingforher

tomakehermove,toletherlaythetrapshe’d

closetosealhimtoherforever.

“You—” A smile from him, and Maeve

stoppedbeingabletospeak.

Dorian said into the dark chasm of her

mind,I was a slave once. You didn’t really

thinkI’dallowmyselftobesoonceagain,did

you?

Shethrashed,butheheldherfirm.Youwill

freeme,shehissed,andthevoicewasnotthat

of a beautiful queen, but something vicious

andcold.Starvedandhateful.

You’re old as the earth, and yet you

thought I would truly fall for your offer. He

chuckled, letting a wisp of his fire burn her.

Maeve shrieked, silent and endless in their

minds.I’msurprisedyoufellformytrap.

Iwillkillyouforthis.

Not if I kill you first. His fire became a

livingthing,wrappingaroundherpalethroat.

In the real world, in the place where their

bodiesexisted.

You hurt my friend, he said with lethal

calm.Itwillnotbesoverydifficulttoendyou

forit.

Isthisthekingyouwishtobe?Torturinga

helplessfemale?

He laughed again.You are not helpless.

AndifIcould,Iwouldsealyouinanironbox

for eternity. Dorian glanced to the windows.

To the night beyond. He had to go—quickly.

But he still said,ThekingI wishtobeis the

opposite of what you are. He gave Maeve a

smile.Andthereisonlyonewitchwhowillbe

myqueen.

A groan rumbled through the mountain

beneaththem.Morathshuddered.

Maeve’seyeswidenedfurther.

A crack louder than thunder echoed

throughthestones.Thetowerswayed.

Dorian’smouthcurvedupward.Youdidn’t

thinkIspentallthosehoursmerelysearching,

didyou?

Hewouldn’tallowittoexistanotherday—

that chamber with the collars. Not one more

day.

So he’d bring down the entire damn keep

atopit.

It had not been hard. Little bits of magic,

ofcoldestice,thatwormedthroughthecracks

ofMorath’sfoundation. That ate away at the

ancientstone.Bit by bit, a web of instability

growingwitheachhallandroomhesearched.

Until the entire eastern half of the keep was

balanceduponhiswillalone.

Until now. Until half a thought had his

magic expanding through those cracks,

bearingdownuponthem.

AndsoMorathbegantocrumble.

Smiling at Maeve, Dorian pulled out.

Pulledaway,evenasheheldhermind.

Thetowershudderedagain.Maeve’sbreath

hitched.You can’t leave me like this. He’ll

findme,he’lltakeme—

As you would have taken me? Dorian

shiftedintoa crow,flappingin the airof the

chamber.

Morathgroanedagain,andaboveitrosea

screechofrage,sopiercingandunearthlythat

hisbonesquailed.

Tell Erawan, Dorian said, halting on the

windowsill,thatIdiditforAdarlan.

For Sorscha and Kaltain and all those

destroyed by it. As Adarlan itself had been

destroyed.

Butfromutterruin,itmightbebuiltagain.

Ifnotbyhim,thenbyothers.

Perhaps that would be his first and only

gift to Adarlan as its king: a clean slate,

shouldtheysurvivethiswar.

Screaming filled the halls. He’d marked

wherethehumanservantsworked,wherethey

dwelled. They would find, as they fled, that

their passageways remained stable. Until

everylastoneofthemwasout.

Please, Maeve begged, staggering to her

kneesasthetowerswayedagain.Please.

HeshouldletErawanfindher.Doomherto

thelifeshe’dintendedforhim.ForAelin.

Maevecurledoverherknees,hermindand

power contained. Waiting in despair for the

darkkingwhomshe’dtriedsohardtoescape.

Or for the shuddering fortress to collapse

aroundher.

He knew he would regret it. Knew he

should kill her. But to condemn her to what

he’dendured…

Hewouldnotwishituponanyone.Evenif

itcostthemthiswar.

Hedidnotthinkitmadehimweak.Notat

all.

Beyond the window, Ironteeth shot to the

skies, wyverns shrieking as Morath’s stones

began to give way. In the valley below, the

army halted topeer at the mountain looming

highabovethem.Theshakingtowerbuiltatop

it.

Please, Maeve said again. Levels beneath

them, another bellow of rage thundered from

Erawan—closernow.

SoDoriansoaredintothechaoticnight.

Maeve’s silent cry of despair followed on

his heels. All the way to the peaks

overlooking Morath and that rocky

outcropping—to the two Wyrdkeys buried

undertheshale.

He could barely remember his own name

as he slid them into his other pocket.As all

threeoftheWyrdkeysnowlayuponhim.

Then he reached back into the mind still

tetheredtohis.

It was simple as an incision. To sever the

link between their minds—and to sever

anotherpartofher.

Totieoffthegiftthatallowedhertojump

betweenplaces.Toopenthoseportals.

World-walkernolonger,hesaidashisraw

magic shifted her own. Changed its very

essence.Isuggestyouinvestinagoodpairof

shoes.

ThenheletgoofMaeve’smind.

A hateful, unending scream was the only

response.

Dorian shifted again, becoming large and

vicious, no more than a pack wyvern flying

northward to bring supplies to the aerial

legion.

A king—he could be a king toAdarlan in

these last days that remained for him. Wipe

awaythestainandrotofwhatithadbecome.

Soitmightstartanew.Becomewhoitwished

tobe.

Dorian caught a swift wind, sailing hard

andfast.

And when he looked behind him, at the

mountain and valley that reeked of death, at

the place where so many terrible things had

begun, Dorian smiled and brought Morath’s

towerscrashingdown.



CHAPTER79

Yrene hated the Ferian Gap. Hated the tight

air between the two gargantuan peaks, hated

the bones and wyvern refuse littering the

rockyfloor,hatedthereekthatslitheredfrom

whatever openings had been carved into the

mountains.

Atleastitwasempty.Thoughtheyhadnot

yetdecidedifthatwasablessing.

ThetwoarmiesnowfilledtheGap,Hasar’s

soldiers already preparing to make the

crossing back over theAvery into the tangle

ofOakwald.Thattrekwouldtakeanage,even

with the rukhin carrying the wagons and

heaviersupplies.Andthenthepushnorthward

throughtheforest,takingtheancientroadthat

layalongtheAvery’snorthernbranch.

“Pass me that knife there,” Yrene said to

Lady Elide, pointing with her chin to her

supplykit.Spreadonablanketonthebottom

of the covered wagon, a Darghan soldier lay

unconscious,coldsweatbeadinghisbrow.He

hadn’tseenahealeraftergettingaslicetothe

thigh at the battleforAnielle,andwhenhe’d

fallen clean off his horse this morning, he’d

beenhauledinhere.

Elide’s hands remained steady as she

plucked up the thin knife and passed it to

Yrene.

“Willitwakehim?”sheaskedwhileYrene

bent over the unconscious warrior and

examined the infected wound that was

gruesomeenoughtoturnmoststomachs.

“Mymagichashiminadeepsleep.”Yrene

angledtheknife.“He’llstayoutuntilIwake

him.”

Elide, to her credit, didn’t retch asYrene

began toclean out the wound, scrapingaway

thedead,infectedbits.

“No sign of blood poisoning, thank the

gods,” Yrene announced as the cloth beside

themanbecamecoveredinthediscardedrot.

“Butwe’llneedtoputhimonaspecialbrew

tomakesure.”

“Yourmagiccan’tjustdoasweepthrough

him?” Elide tossed the soiled cloth into the

nearbywastebucket,andlaiddownanother.

“Itcan,andIwill,”Yrenesaid,fightingher

gagasthereekfromthewoundstuffeditself

uphernostrils,“butthatmightnotbeenough,

if the infection truly wishes to make an

appearance.”

“You talk about illnesses as if they were

livingcreatures.”

“They are, to some degree,” Yrene said.

“With their own secrets and temperaments.

Yousometimeshavetooutsmartthem,justas

youwouldanyfoe.”

Yrene took the mirrored lantern from

beside the bed and adjusted the plates within

toshineabeamoflightontheinfectedslice.

Whenthebrightnessrevealednofurthersigns

ofrottingskin,shesetdownbothlanternand

knife.“Thatwasn’tasbadasI’dfeared,”she

admitted, and held out her hands over the

bloodywound.

Warmth and light rose within her, like a

memory of the summer in this frigid

mountain pass, and as her hands glowed,

Yrene’s magic guided her within the man’s

body. It flowed along blood and sinew and

bone, knitting and mending, listening to the

aches and fever now running rampant.

Soothing them, calming them. Wiping them

away.

Shewaspantingwhenshefinished,butthe

man’s breathing had eased. The sweat on his

browhaddried.

“Remarkable,” Elide whispered, gaping at

thenow-smoothlegofthewarrior.

Yrene justturned herheadtothe sideand

vomitedintothewastebucket.

Elideleapttoherfeet.

But Yrene held up a hand, wiping her

mouth with the other. “As joyful as it is to

knowIshallsoonbeamother,therealitiesof

thefirstfewmonthsare…notsojoyous.”

Elidelimpedtotheewerofdrinkingwater

and poured a cup. “Here. Is there anything I

can get you? Can—canyou heal your own

sickness,ordoyouneedsomeoneelseto?”

Yrene sipped at the water, letting it wash

away the bitter bile. “The vomiting is a sign

that things are progressing with the babe.”A

hand drifted to her middle. “It’s not

somethingthatcanreallybecured,notunless

Ihadahealeratmysidedayandnight,easing

thenausea.”

“It’sbecomethatbad?”Elidefrowned.

“Terrible timing, I know.” Yrene sighed.

“The best options are ginger—anything

ginger. Which I would rather save for the

upset stomachs of our soldiers. Peppermint

can help, too.” She gestured toward her

satchel. “I have some dried leaves in there.

Justputsomeinacupwiththehotwaterand

I’ll be fine.” Behind them, a small brazier

held a steaming kettle, used for disinfecting

suppliesratherthanmakingtea.

Elide was instantly moving, and Yrene

watchedinsilencewhiletheladypreparedthe

tea.

“Icouldhealyourleg,youknow.”

Elidestilled,ahandreachingforthekettle.

“Really?”

Yrene waited until the lady had pressed a

cup of the peppermint tea into her hands

beforeshenoddedtothelady’sboots.“CanI

seetheinjury?”

Elide hesitated, but took her seat on the

stool beside Yrene and tugged off her boot,

thenthesockbeneath.

Yrene surveyed the scarring, the twisted

bone.Elidehadtoldherdaysagowhyshehad

theinjury.

“You’re lucky you didn’t get an infection

yourself.”Yrenesippedfromhertea,deemed

itstilltoohot,andsetitasidebeforepatting

her lap. Elide obeyed, putting her foot on

Yrene’s thigh. Carefully, Yrene touched the

scarsandmangledbones,hermagicdoingthe

same.

The brutality of the injury was enough to

take Yrene’s breath away. And to make her

grindherteeth,knowinghowyoungElidehad

been, how unbearably painful it was—

knowing that her very unclehaddonethisto

her.

“What’swrong?”Elidebreathed.

“Nothing—I mean, beyond what you

alreadyknow.”

Such cruelty. Such terrible, unforgivable

cruelty.

Yrene coiled her magic back into herself,

but kept her hands on Elide’s ankle. “This

injurywouldrequireweeksofworktorepair,

and with our current circumstances, I don’t

think either of us can undergo it.” Elide

nodded.“Butifwesurvivethiswar,Icanhelp

you,ifyouwish.”

“Whatwoulditentail?”

“There are two roads,”Yrene said, letting

some of her magic seep into Elide’s leg,

soothing the achingmuscles, the spots where

bonegroundagainstbonewithnobuffer.The

ladysighed.“Thefirstisthehardest.Itwould

requiremetocompletelyrestructureyourfoot

and ankle. Meaning, I would have to break

apart the bone, take out the parts that healed

or fused incorrectly, and then regrow them.

You could not walk while I did it, and even

withthehelpIcouldgiveyouforthepain,the

recovery would be agonizing.” There was no

way around that truth. “I’d need three weeks

to take apart your bones and put them back

together, but you’d need at least a month of

restingandlearningtowalkonitagain.”

Elide’sfacehadgonepale.“Andtheother

option?”

“The other option would be to not do the

healing, but to give you salve—like the one

you said Lorcan gave you—to help with the

aches.ButIwillwarnyou:thepainwillnever

entirely leave you. With the wayyour bones

grind together here”—she gently touched the

spot on Elide’s upper foot, then a spot down

by her toes—“arthritis is already setting in.

As the bones continue to grind together, the

arthritis, that pain you feel when you walk,

willonlyworsen.Theremaycomeapointina

few years—maybe five, maybe ten, it’s hard

to tell—when you find the pain to be so bad

thatnosalvecanhelpyou.”

“So I would need the healing then,

regardless.”

“It’s up to you whether you want the

healingatall.Ionlywantyoutohaveabetter

idea of the road ahead.” She smiled at the

lady.“It’sup to youtodecidehow youwish

tofaceit.”

Yrene tapped Elide’s foot, and the lady

lowereditbacktothefloorbeforeputtingher

sock back on, then her boot. Efficient, easy

motions.

Yrene sipped from her tea, cool enough

now to drink. The fresh verve of the

peppermint zapped through her, clearing her

mindandcalmingherstomach.

Elidesaid,“Idon’tknowifIcanfacethat

painagain.”

Yrenenodded.“Withthatsortofinjury,it

would require facing a great many things

insideyourself.”Shesmiledtowardthewagon

entrance. “My husband and I just went

throughonesuchjourneytogether.”

“Wasithard?”

“Incredibly.Buthedidit.Wedidit.”

Elide considered, then shrugged. “We’d

havetosurvivethiswarfirst,Isuppose.Ifwe

live…thenwecantalkaboutit.”

“Fairenough.”

Elide frowned at the wagon’s ceiling. “I

wonderwhatthey’velearnedupthere.”

UpintheOmegaandNorthernFang,where

Chaol and the others were now meeting with

thebreedersandwranglerswhohadbeenleft

behind.

Yrenedidn’twanttoknowmorethanthat,

and Chaol had not offered any other insight

into how they’d be extracting information

fromthemen.

“Hopefully something worth our visit to

this awful place,” Yrene muttered, then

drained the rest of her tea. The sooner they

left,thebetter.

Itwasasifthegodswerelaughingather—

atthemboth.Aknockonthewagondoorshad

Elide limpingtowardthem,justbefore Borte

appeared. Her face uncharacteristically

solemn.

Yrene braced herself, but it was Elide

whomtherukrideraddressed.

“You’re to come with me,” Borte said

breathlessly.Behind thegirl,Arcas waited, a

sparrowperchedonthesaddle.FalkanEnnar.

Not a companion, Yrene realized, but an

additionalguard.

Elideasked,“What’swrong?”

Borte shifted, with impatience or nerves,

Yrene couldn’t tell. “They found someone in

the mountain. They want you up there—to

decidewhattodowithhim.”

Elidehadgonestill.Utterlystill.

Yreneasked,“Who?”

Borte’smouthtightened.“Heruncle.”

Elide wondered if the rukhin would shun her

foreverifshevomitedalloverArcas.Indeed,

duringtheswift,steepflightuptothebridge

spanning the Omega and Northern Fang, it

wasallshecoulddonottohurlthecontentsof

herstomachalloverthebird’sfeathers.

“They found him hiding in the Northern

Fang,” Borte had said before she’d hauled

Elideintothesaddle,Falkanalreadyflyingup

thesheerfaceofthepass.“Tryingtopretend

to be a wyvern trainer. But one of the other

trainerssold him out.QueenAelin called for

you as soon as they had him secure. Your

uncle,notthetrainer,Imean.”

Elide hadn’t been able to respond. Had

onlynodded.

Vernon was here. At the Gap. Not in

Morathwithhismaster,buthere.

Gavriel and Fenrys were waiting when

Arcas landed in the cavernous opening into

the Northern Fang. The rough-hewn rock

loomed like a gaping maw, the reek of what

lay within making her stomach turn again.

Like rotting meat and worse. Valg,

undoubtedly, but also a smell of hate and

crueltyandtight,airlesscorridors.

The two Fae males silently fell into step

besideherastheyentered.NosignofLorcan,

orAelin.Orheruncle.

Menlaydeadinsomeofthedimhallways

thatFenrysandGavrielledherthrough,killed

bytherukhinwhenthey’dsweptin. None of

them leaked black blood, but they still had

thatreektothem.Likethisplacehadinfected

theirverysouls.

“They’rejustuphere,”Gavrielsaidquietly

—gently.

Elide’s hands began shaking, and Fenrys

placedoneofhisownonhershoulder.“He’s

wellrestrained.”

She knew not with mere ropes or chains.

Likely with fire and ice and perhaps even

Lorcan’sowndarkpower.

Butitdidnotstopherfromshaking,from

how small and brittle she became as they

turnedacornerandbeheldAelin,Rowan,and

Lorcan standing before a shut door. Farther

downthehall,NesrynandSartaq,LordChaol

with them, waited. Letting them decide what

todo.

LettingElidedecide.

Lorcan’s grave face was frozen with rage,

his depthless eyes like frigid pools of night.

He said quietly, “You don’t  need to go in

there.”

“Wehadyoubroughthere,”Aelinsaid,her

ownfacetheportraitofrestrainedwrath,“so

youcouldchoosewhattodowithhim.Ifyou

wishtospeaktohimbeforewedo.”

One look at the knives at Rowan’s and

Lorcan’ssides,atthewaythequeen’sfingers

curled, and Elide knew what their sort of

talking would include. “You mean to torture

him for information?” She didn’t dare meet

Aelin’seyes.

“Before he receives what is due to him,”

Lorcangrowled.

Elide glanced between the male she loved

and the queen she served.And her limp had

never felt so pronounced, so obvious, as she

tookastepcloser.“Whyishehere?”

“He has yet to reveal that,” Rowan said.

“Andthoughwehavenotconfirmedthatyou

are here, he suspects.” A glance toward

Lorcan.“Thecallisyours,Lady.”

“Youwillkillhimregardless?”

Lorcan asked, “Do you wish us to?”

Monthsago,shehadtoldhimto.AndLorcan

had agreed to do it. That had been before

Vernonandtheilkenhadcometoabducther

—beforethenightwhenshehadbeenwilling

to embrace death rather than go with him to

Morath.

Elide peered inward. They gave her the

courtesyofsilence.“Iwouldliketospeakto

himbeforewedecidehisfate.”

A bow of Lorcan’s head was his only

answerbeforeheopenedthedoorbehindhim.

Torchesflickered,thechamberemptysave

foraworktableagainstonewall.

Andheruncle,boundinthickirons,seated

onawoodenchair.

His finery was worn, his dark hair

unkempt, as if he’d struggled while they’d

bound him. Indeed, blood crusted one of his

nostrils,hisnoseswollen.

Shattered.

A glance to her right confirmed the blood

onLorcan’sknuckles.

Vernon straightened as Elide stopped

several feet away, the door shutting, Lorcan

and Aelin mere steps behind. The others

remainedinthehall.

“What mighty company you keep these

days,Elide,”Vernonsaid.

Thatvoice.Evenwiththebrokennose,that

silky, horrible voice raked talons along her

skin.

But Elide kept her chin up. Kept her eyes

uponheruncle.“Whyareyouhere?”

“First you let the brute at me,” Vernon

drawled,noddingtoLorcan,“thenyousendin

the sweet-faced girl to coax answers?” A

smile toward Aelin. “A technique of yours,

Majesty?”

Aelin leaned against thestone wall, hands

slidingintoherpockets.Nothinghumaninher

face.ThoughElidemarkedthewayherhands,

evenwithintheirconfines,shifted.

Boundinirons.Battered.

Only weeks ago, it had been the queen

herselfinVernon’splace.Andnowitseemed

shestoodherethroughsheerwill.Stoodhere,

readytoprytheinformationfromVernon,for

Elide’ssake.

It strengthened Elide enough that she said

to her uncle, “Your breaths are limited. I

wouldsuggestyouusethemwisely.”

“Ruthless.” Vernon smirked. “The witch-

bloodinyourveinsrantrueafterall.”

She couldn’t stand it. To be in this room

withhim.Tobreathethesameairastheman

who had smiled while her father had been

executed, smiled while he locked her in that

tower for ten years. Smiled while he’d

touchedKaltain,donefarworseperhaps,then

tried to sell Elide to Erawan for breeding.

“Why?”sheasked.

It was the only question she could really

thinkof,thatreallymattered.“Whydoanyof

it?”

“Since my breaths are limited,” Vernon

said,“IsupposeitmakesnodifferencewhatI

tell you.” A small smile curled his lips.

“Because I could,” her uncle said. Lorcan

growled. “Because my brother, your father,

was an insufferable brute, whose only

qualificationtorulewastheorderofourbirth.

A warrior-brute,” Vernon spat, sneering

towardLorcan.ThenatElide.“Yourmother’s

preferenceseemstohavepassedtoyou,too.”

Ahatefulshakeofthehead.“Suchapity.She

wasararebeauty,youknow.Suchapitythat

shewaskilled,defendingHerMajesty.”Heat

flared across the room, but Aelin’s face

remainedunmoved.“Theremighthavebeena

placeforherinPerranthhadshenot—”

“Enough,” Elide said softly, but not

weakly. She took another step toward him.

“Soyouwerejealous.Ofmyfather.Jealousof

his strength, his talent. Of his wife.” Vernon

opened his mouth, but Elide lifted a hand. “I

amnotdoneyet.”

Vernonblinked.

Elide kept her breathing steady, shoulders

back.“Idonotcarewhyyouarehere.Idonot

carewhattheyplantodowithyou.ButIwant

youtoknowthatonceIwalkfromthisroom,

I will never think of you again. Your name

will be erased from Perranth, from Terrasen,

fromAdarlan. There will never be a whisper

of you, nor any reminder. You will be

forgotten.”

Vernon paled—just slightly. Then he

smiled. “Erased from Perranth?You say that

asifyoudonotknow,LadyElide.”Heleaned

forward as much as his chains would allow.

“Perranth now lies in the hands of Morath.

Yourcityhasbeensacked.”

Thewordsrippledthroughherlikeablow,

andevenLorcansuckedinabreath.

Vernon leaned back, smug as a cat. “Go

aheadanderaseme,then.Withtherubble,it

willnotbehardtodo.”

Perranth had been captured by Morath.

Elidedidn’tneedtoglanceoverashoulderto

know that Aelin’s eyes were near-glowing.

Bad—this was far worse than they’d

anticipated.Theyhadtomovequickly.Getto

theNorthasfastastheycould.

So Elide turned toward the door, Lorcan

stalkingaheadtoopenitforher.

“That’sit?”Vernondemanded.

Elide paused. Slowly turned. “What else

couldIhavetosaytoyou?”

“Youdidnotask me fordetails.”Another

snake’ssmile.“Youstillhavenotlearnedhow

toplaythegame,Elide.”

Elide returned his smile with one of her

own. “There is nothing more that I care to

hear from you.” She glanced toward Lorcan

andAelin, toward their companions gathered

inthehall.“Buttheystillhavequestions.”

Vernon’s face went the color of spoiled

milk. “You mean to leave me in their hands,

utterlydefenseless?”

“I was defenseless when you let my leg

remain unhealed,” she said, a steady sort of

calmsettlingoverher.“Iwasachildthen,and

Isurvived.You’reagrownman.”Shelether

lips curl in another smile. “We’ll see if you

do,too.”

She didn’t try to hide her limp as she

strode out. As she caught Lorcan’s eye and

beheldthepridegleamingthere.

Notawhisper—notonewhisperfromthat

voicewhohadguidedher.Notfromfear,but

…PerhapsshedidnotneedAnneith,Ladyof

WiseThings.Perhapsthegoddesshadknown

sheherselfwasnotneeded.

Notanymore.

Aelin knew that one word from her, and

Lorcan would rip out Vernon’s throat. Or

perhapsbeginwithsnappingbones.

Orskinhimalive,asRowanhaddonewith

Cairn.

As she followed Elide, the Lady of

Perranth’s head still high, Aelin forced her

own breathing to remain steady. To brace

herself for what was to come. She could get

throughit.Pushpasttheshakinginherhands,

the cold sweat down her back. Tolearn what

they needed, she could find some way to

endurethisnexttask.

Elide halted in the hall, Gavriel, Rowan,

and Fenrys taking a step closer. No sign of

Nesryn, Chaol, or Sartaq, though one shout

would likely summon them in this festering

warren.

Gods, the stench of this place. Thefeel of

it.

She’d been debating for the past hour

whether it was worth it to her sanity and

stomachtoshiftbackintoherhumanform—

totheblessedlessersenseofsmellitoffered.

Elidesaidtononeoftheminparticular,“I

don’tcarewhatyoudowithhim.”

“Do you care if he walks out alive?”

Lorcansaidwithdeadlycalm.

Elide studied the male whose heart she

held. “No.”Good, Aelin almost said. Elide

added, “But make it quick.” Lorcan opened

his mouth. Elide shook her head. “My father

wouldwishitso.”

Punish them all, Kaltain had made Aelin

once promise.And Vernon, from what Elide

hadtoldAelin,seemedlikelytohavebeenat

thetopofKaltain’slist.

“We need to question him first,” Rowan

said.“Seewhatheknows.”

“Then do it,” Elide said. “But when it’s

time,makeitquick.”

“Quick,”Fenrysmused,“butnotpainless?”

Elide’s face was cold, unyielding. “You

candecide.”

Lorcan’s brutal smile told Aelin enough.

Sodidthehatchet,twintoRowan’s,gleaming

athisside.

Her palms turned sweaty. Had been

sweatingsincethey’dboundupVernon,since

she’dseentheironchains.

Aelinreachedforhermagic.Nottheraging

flame, but the cooling droplet of water. She

listened to its silent song, letting it wash

through her.And in its wake, she knew what

shewishedtodo.

Lorcan took a step toward the chamber

door, but Aelin blocked his path. She said,

“Torturewon’tgetanythingoutofhim.”

EvenElideblinkedatthat.

Aelin said, “Vernon likes to play games.

ThenI’llplay.”

Rowan’seyesguttered.Asifhecouldscent

the sweat on her hands, as if he knew that

doing it the old-fashioned way … it’d send

her puking her guts up over the edge of the

NorthernFang.

“Never underestimate the power of

breakingafewbones,”Lorcancountered.

“Seewhatyoucangetoutofhim,”Rowan

said to her instead. Lorcan whirled, mouth

opening,butRowansnarled,“Wecandecide,

hereandnow,whatwewishtobeasacourt.

Do we act like our enemies? Or do we find

alternativemethodstobreakthem?”

Her mate met her stare, understanding

shiningthere.

Lorcanstillseemedreadytoargue.

Above thephantom sting of chainson her

wrists,theweightofamaskonherface,Aelin

said,“Wedoitmywayfirst.Youcanstillkill

him, but we try my way first.”When Lorcan

didn’tobject,shesaid,“Weneedsomeale.”

Aelinslidthetankardofchilledaleacrossthe

table to where Vernon now sat, chains

loosenedenoughforhimtousehishands.

One false move, and her fire would melt

him.

Only the Lion and Fenrys stood in the

chamber,stationedbythedoors.

RowanandLorcanhadsnarledatherorder

tostayinthehall,butAelinhaddeclaredthat

theywouldonlyhinderhereffortshere.

Aelin sipped from her own tankard and

hummed. “An odd day, when one has to

complimenttheirenemy’sgoodtasteinale.”

Vernonfrownedatthetankard.

“It’snotpoisoned,”Aelinsaid.“It’ddefeat

thepurposeifitwas.”

Vernon took a small sip. “I suppose you

think plying me with ale and talking like

we’resteadfastfriendswillgetyouwhatyou

wanttoknow.”

“Would you prefer the alternative?” She

smiledslightly.“Icertainlydon’t.”

“The methods may differ, but the end

resultwillbethesame.”

“Tell me something interesting, Vernon,

andmaybeitwillchange.”

His eyes swept over her. “Had I known

you’dgrowintosuchaqueen,perhapsIwould

nothavebotheredtokneelforAdarlan.”Asly

smile. “So different from your parents. Did

yourfatherevertortureaman?”

Ignoring the taunt, Aelin drank, swishing

thealeinhermouth,asifitcouldwashaway

thetaintofthisplace.“Youtriedandfailedto

win power for yourself. First by stealing it

from Elide, then by trying to sell her to

Erawan. Morath has sacked Perranth, and no

doubtmarchesonOrynth,andyetwefindyou

here. Hiding.” She drank again. “One might

thinkErawan’sfavorhadshiftedelsewhere.”

“Perhapshestationedmehereforareason,

Majesty.”

Her magic had already felt him out. To

makesurenoheartofironorWyrdstonebeat

inhischest.

“I think you were cast aside,” she said,

leaning back and crossing her arms. “I think

yououtlivedyourusefulness,especiallyafter

you failed to recapture Elide, and Erawan

didn’t feel like entirely ridding himself of a

lackey, but also didn’t want you skulking

about.Sohereyouare.”Shewavedahandto

the chamber, the mountainabove them.“The

lovelyFerianGap.”

“It’sbeautifulinthespring,”Vernonsaid.

Aelin smiled. “Again, tell me something

interesting,andperhapsyou’lllivetoseeit.”

“Do you swear it? On your throne? That

you shall not kill me?” A glance toward

Fenrys and Gavriel, stone-faced behind her.

“Noranyofyourcompanions?”

Aelin snorted. “I was hoping you’d hold

out longer before showing your hand.” She

drained the rest of her ale. “But yes. I swear

that neither me nor any of my companions

willkillyouifyoutelluswhatyouknow.”

Fenrys started. All the confirmation

Vernon needed that she meant it—that they

hadnotplannedit.

Vernon drank deeply from his ale. Then

said,“MaevehascometoMorath.”

Aelin was glad she was sitting. She kept

herfacebored,bland.“ToseeErawan?”

“Tounitewithhim.”



CHAPTER80

The room was spinning slightly. Even the

dropletofhermother’smagiccouldn’tsteady

her.

Worse. Worse than anything Aelin had

imaginedhearingfromVernon’slips.

“Did Maeve bring her army?” Her cool,

unruffledvoicesoundedfar,faraway.

“Shebroughtnoonebutherself.”

“Noarmy—noneatall?”

Vernondrankagain.“NotthatIsawbefore

Erawan packed me off on a wyvern in the

deadofnight.ClaimedIhadaskedtoomany

questions and I wasbetter suited to be

stationedhere.”

Erawan or Maeve had to have known.

Somehow. That they’d wind up here, and

plantedVernonintheirpath.Totellthemthis.

“Did she say where her army was?” Not

Terrasen—ifithadgoneaheadtoTerrasen…

“Shedidnot,butIassumedherforceshad

been left near the coast, to await orders on

wheretosail.”

Aelinshovedasideherrisingnausea.“Did

you learn what Maeve and Erawan plan to

do?”

“Faceyou,I’dwager.”

Shemadeherselfleanbackinherseat,her

face bored, casual. “Do you know where

ErawankeepsthethirdWyrdkey?”

“What’sthat?”

Not a misleading question. “A sliver of

black stone—like the one planted in Kaltain

Rompier’sarm.”

Vernon’seyesshuttered.“She hadthefire

gift, too, you know. I tremble to think what

might happen if Erawan put the stone within

yourarm.”

Sheignoredhim.“Well?”

Vernonfinishedhisale.“Idon’tknowifhe

had another beyond what was in Kaltain’s

arm.”

“Hedid.Hedoes.”

“ThenIdon’tknowwhereitis,doI?Ionly

knew of the one my cunning little niece

stole.”

Aelin refrained from grinding her teeth.

Maeve and Erawan—united. And not a

whisper of where Dorian and Manon were

withthetwootherkeys.

She didn’t acknowledge the walls that

beganpressingin,thecoldsweatagainsliding

down her back. “Why did Maeve ally with

Erawan?”

“I was not privy to that discussion. I was

dispatched here quickly.” A flash of

annoyance. “But Maeve somehow has …

influenceoverErawan.”

“WhathappenedtotheIronteeth stationed

hereattheGap?”

“Callednorthward.ToTerrasen.Theywere

givenorderstojoinwiththelegionalreadyon

its way after routing the army at the border,

thenatPerranth.”

Oh gods. It took all her training to think

pasttheroaringinherhead.

“One hundred thousand soldiers march on

Orynth,” Vernon said, chuckling. “Will that

fireofyoursbeenoughtostopthem?”

Aelin put a hand on Goldryn’s hilt, her

heartthundering.“Howfararetheyfromthe

city?”

Vernon shrugged. “They were already

within a few days’ march whenthe Ironteeth

legionlefthere.”

Aelin calculated the distance, the terrain,

the size of their own army. They were two

weeks away at best—if the weather didn’t

hinderthem.Twoweeksthroughdenseforest

andenemyterritory.

They’dnevermakeitintime.

“DoMaeveandErawangotojointhem?”

“I’dassumeso.Notwiththeinitialgroup,

forreasonsIwasnottold,buttheywillgoto

Orynth.Andfaceyouthere.”

Hermouthturneddry.Aelinrose.

Vernonfrownedather.“Don’tyouwishto

askifIknowofErawan’sweaknesses,orany

surprisesinstoreforyou?”

“I have everything I need to know.” She

jerkedherchintoFenrysandGavrielandthe

formerpeeledawayfromthewalltoopenthe

door. The latter, however, began tightening

Vernon’schainsoncemore.Anchoringhimto

thechair,bindinghishandstothearms.

“Aren’tyougoingtounchainme?”Vernon

demanded.“Igaveyouwhatyouwished.”

Aelin took a step into the hall, noting the

furyonLorcan’sface.He’dheardeveryword

—including her oath not to let him slaughter

Vernon.

Aelin threw Vernon a crooked smile over

hershoulder.“Isaidnothingaboutunchaining

you.”

Vernonwentstill.

Aelin shrugged. “I said none ofus would

killyou.It’snotourfaultifyoucan’tgetout

ofthosechains,isit?”

TheblooddrainedfromVernon’sface.

Aelin said quietly, “You chained and

locked my friend in a tower for ten years.

Let’sseehowyouenjoytheexperience.”She

let her smile turn vicious. “Though, oncethe

trainersherearedealtwith,Idon’tthinkthere

willbeanyonelefttofeedyou.Orbringyou

water. Or even hear yourscreaming. So I

doubt you’ll make it to ten years before the

end claims you, but two days? Three? I can

acceptthat,Ithink.”

“Please,” Vernon said as Gavriel reached

forthedoorhandle—tosealthemaninside.

“Marion saved my life,” Aelin said,

holding the man’s gaze. “And you gleefully

bowed to the man who killed her. Perhaps

even told the King ofAdarlan where to find

us.Allofus.”

“Please!”Vernonshrieked.

“You should have conserved that tankard

ofale,”wasallAelinsaidbeforeshenodded

toGavriel.

Vernon began screaming as the door shut.

AndAelinturnedthekey.

Silencefilledthehall.

AelinmetElide’s wide-eyed stare,Lorcan

savagelysatisfiedatherside.

“It won’t be quick this way,” Aelin said,

extending the key to Elide. The rest of the

questionhungthere.

Vernon kept screaming, pleading forthem

tocomeback,tounchainhim.

Elide studied the sealed door. The

desperatemanbehindit.

TheLadyofPerranthtooktheoutstretched

key.Pocketedit.“Weshouldfindabetterway

tosealthatroom.”

“Ourworstfearshavebeenconfirmed,”Aelin

saidtoRowan,leaningoverarailingofoneof

theNorthernFang’sbalconies,peeringtothe

army gathered on the Gap floor. To where

their companions now headed, the task of

permanently sealing the chamber in which

Vernon sat chained completed. Where they

should be headed, too. But she had paused

here.Takenamoment.

Rowan laid a hand on her shoulder. “We

willfacethemtogether.MaeveandErawan.”

“And the hundred thousand soldiers

marchingonOrynth?”

“Together,Fireheart,”wasallhesaid.

She found only centuries of training and

cool calculation within his face. That

unbreakablewill.

She rested her head against his shoulder,

hertemplediggingintothelightarmor.“Will

we make it? Will there be anything left at

all?”

He brushed the hair from her face. “We

will try. That is the best we can do.” The

words of a commander who had walked on

andoffkillingfieldsforcenturies.

He joined their hands, and together they

gazed at the army below. The shred of

salvationitoffered.

Hadshebeenafool,toexpendthosethree

hard-wonmonthsofdescentintoherpoweron

that army, rather than Maeve? Maeveand

Erawan? Evenifshe began now,it wouldn’t,

couldnever,bethesame.

“Don’tburdenyourselfwiththewhat-ifs,”

Rowansaid,readingthewordsonherface.

Idon’tknowwhattodo,shesaidsilently.

Hekissedthetopofherhead.Together.

Andasthewindhowledthroughthepeaks,

Aelinrealizedthathermate,perhaps,didnot

haveasolution,either.



CHAPTER81

“One hundred thousand,” Ren breathed,

warming his hands before the roaring fire in

theGreatHall.TheyhadlosttwooftheSilent

Assassins to Morath archers seeking

retaliation for the destruction of the witch

towers,butnomorethanthat,mercifully.

Still, the evening meal had been somber.

No one had really eaten, not when darkness

had fallen and the enemy campfires ignited.

Morethantheycouldcount.

Aedion had lingered here after everyone

elsehadtrudgedtotheirownbeds.OnlyRen

had remained, Lysandra escorting a still-

trembling Evangeline up to their chamber.

Whatthemorningwouldbring,onlythegods

knew.

Perhaps the gods had abandoned them

again,nowthattheironlywaytoreturnhome

hadbeenlockedupinanironbox.Orfocused

theireffortsentirelyonDorianHavilliard.

Ren heaved out a long breath. “This is it,

isn’t it. There’s no one left to come to our

aid.”

“It won’t be a pretty end,” Aedion

admitted, leaning against the mantel.

“Especially once they get that third tower

operationalagain.”

They wouldn’t have another chance to

surpriseMorathnow.

Hejerkedhischinattheyounglord.“You

shouldgetsomerest.”

“Andyou?”

Aedionjuststaredintotheflame.

“It would have been an honor,” Ren said.

“Toserveinthiscourt.Withyou.”

Aedionshuthiseyes,swallowinghard.“It

wouldhavebeenanhonorindeed.”

Renclappedhimontheshoulder.Thenhis

departingfootstepsscuffedthroughthehall.

Aedion remained alone in the guttering

firelight for another few minutes before he

madehiswaytowardbedandwhateversleep

hemightfind.

He’d nearly reached the entrance to the

easterntowerwhenhespiedher.

Lysandra halted, a cup of what seemed to

be steaming milk in her hands. “For

Evangeline,”shesaid.“Shecan’tsleep.”

The girl had been shaking all day. Had

lookedlikeshe’dvomitrightatthetable.

Aediononlyasked,“CanIspeaktoher?”

Lysandraopenedhermouthasifshe’dsay

no,andhewas willing to let it drop, but she

inclinedherhead.

They walked in silence the entire way to

the north tower, then up and up and up. To

Rose’s old room. Ren must have seen to it

once again. The door was cracked open,

goldenlightspillingontothelanding.

“I brought you some milk,” Lysandra

announced, barely winded from the climb.

“Andsomecompany,”sheaddedtothegirlas

Aedion stepped into the cozy room. Despite

the years of neglect, Rose’s chamber in the

royal castle remained unharmed—one of the

fewroomstoclaimsuchathing.

Evangeline’s eyes widened at the sight of

him, and Aedion offered the girl a smile

beforeheperchedonthesideofherbed.She

took the milkthat Lysandra offered as the

shifter sat on the other edge of the mattress,

andsippedonce,handswhite-knuckledaround

thecup.

“Beforemyfirstbattle,”Aedionsaidtothe

girl,“Ispenttheentirenightintheprivy.”

Evangelinesqueaked,“You?”

Aedion smirked. “Oh yes. Quinn, the old

Captain of the Guard, said it was a wonder I

hadanythingleftinsidemebythetimedawn

broke.” An old ache filledAedion’s chest at

thementionofhismentorandfriend,theman

he’d admired so greatly. Who had made his

final stand, as Aedion would, on the plain

beyondthiscity.

Evangeline let out a little laugh. “That’s

disgusting.”

“It certainly was,”Aedion said, and could

have sworn Lysandra was smiling a bit. “So

you’realreadymuchbraverthanIeverwas.”

“Ithrewupearlier,”Evangelinewhispered.

Aedion said in a conspiratorial whisper,

“Betterthanshittingyourpants,sweetheart.”

Evangelineletoutabellylaughthatmade

herclutchthecuptokeepfromspilling.

Aedion grinned, and ruffled her red-gold

hair. “The battle won’t be pretty,” he said as

Evangeline sipped her milk. “And you will

likelythrowupagain.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.” He pointed to the

frost-covered windows. “Those bastards out

there on the plain? They have none of that.”

Helaidhishandonhersandsqueezedgently.

“Theyhavenothingtofightfor.Andwhilewe

might not have their numbers,we do have

something worth defending. And because of

that,wecanovercomeourfear.Wecanfight

againstthem,totheveryend.Forourfriends,

for our family …” He squeezed her hand

againatthat.“Forthosewelove…”Hedared

tolookupatLysandra,whosegreeneyeswere

linedwithsilver. “Forthose welove,wecan

rise above that fear. Remember that

tomorrow. Evenif youthrowup, even ifyou

spendthewholenightintheprivy.Remember

thatwehavesomethingtofightfor,anditwill

alwaystriumph.”

Evangelinenodded.“Iwill.”

Aedion ruffled her hair once more and

walkedtothedoor,pausingonthethreshold.

He met Lysandra’s stare, her eyes emerald-

bright. “I lost my family ten years ago.

Tomorrow I will fight for the new one I’ve

made.”

Not only for Terrasen and its court and

people. But also for the two ladies in this

room.

Iwantedittobeyouintheend.

He almost spoke her words then. Almost

saidthembacktoLysandraassomethinglike

sorrowandlongingenteredherface.

But Aedion ducked out of the room,

shuttingthedoorbehindhim.

Lysandra barely slept. Every time she closed

hereyes,shesawtheexpressiononAedion’s

face,heardhiswords.

He didn’t expect to survive this battle.

Didn’texpectanyofthemto.

Sheshouldhavegoneafterhim.Rundown

thetowerstairsafterhim.

Andyetshedidn’t.

Dawn broke, a bright day with it. So they

mightseethesizeofthehostwaitingforthem

allthemoreclearly.

Lysandra braided Evangeline’s hair, the

girl more straight-backed than she’d been

yesterday. She could thank Aedion for that.

For the words that had allowed the girl to

sleeplastnight.

They walked in silence, Evangeline’s chin

high, down to the Great Hall for what might

verywellbetheirlastbreakfast.

Theywere nearlythere whenan old voice

said,“Iwouldlikeaword.”

Darrow.

EvangelineturnedbeforeLysandradid.

The ancient lord stood in the doorway of

what seemed to be a study, and beckoned

them inside. “It will not take long,” he said

upon noting the displeasure still on

Lysandra’sface.

She was done making herself appearnice

for men whom she had no interest in being

niceto.

Evangelinepeeredatherinsilentquestion,

but Lysandra jerked her chin toward the old

man.“Verywell.”

The study was crammed with stacks of

books—piles and piles against the walls,

alongthefloors.Welloverathousand.Many

half-crumblingwithage.

“The last of the sacred texts from the

Library of Orynth,” Darrow said, aiming

toward the desk piled with papers before a

narrow glass window. “All that the Master

Scholarsmanagedtosavetenyearsago.”

So few. So few compared to what Aelin

had said once existed in that near-mythic

library.

“Ihadthembroughtoutofhidingafterthe

king’s demise,” Darrow said, seating himself

behind the desk. “A fool’s optimism, I

suppose.”

Lysandrastrodetooneofthepiles,peering

atatitle.Inalanguageshedidnotrecognize.

“Theremainsofaonce-greatcivilization,”

Darrowsaidthickly.

Anditwastheslightcatchinhisvoicethat

madeLysandraturn.Sheopenedhermouthto

demand what he wanted, but glimpsed what

satbesidehisrighthand.

Encasedincrystalnolargerthanaplaying

card, the red-and-orange flower within

seemed to glow—just like the power of its

namesake.

“The kingsflame,” she breathed, unable to

stopherselfassheapproached.

Aelin and Aedion had told her of the

legendary flower, which had bloomed across

themountainsandfieldsthedayBrannonhad

set foot on this continent, proof of the peace

hebroughtwithhim.

And since those ancient days, only single

blossoms had been spotted, so rare that their

appearance was deemed a sign that the land

had blessed whatever ruler sat on Terrasen’s

throne.Thatthekingdomwastrulyatpeace.

The one entombed in crystal on Darrow’s

desk, Aelin had said, had appeared during

Orlon’sreign.Orlon,Darrow’slifelonglove.

“The Master Scholars grabbed the books

whenAdarlaninvaded,”Darrowsaid,smiling

sadlyatthekingsflame.“Igrabbedthis.”

The antler throne, the crown—all of it

destroyed.Saveforthisonetreasure,asgreat

as any belonging to the Galathynius

household.

“It’s very beautiful,” Evangeline said,

cominguptothedesk.“Butverysmall.”

Lysandra could have sworn the old man’s

lips twitched toward a smile. “It is indeed,”

Darrowsaid.“Andsoareyou.”

She didn’t expect the softening of his

voice, the kindness. And didn’t expect his

nextwords,either.

“Battle will be upon us before midday,”

DarrowsaidtoEvangeline.“IfindthatIwill

have need for someone of quick wit and

quicker feet to assist me here. To run

messages to our commanders in this castle,

andfetchmesuppliesasneeded.”

Evangelineangledherhead.“Youwishme

tohelp?”

“You have trained with warriors during

yourtravelswiththem,Itakeit.”

Evangeline glanced up at Lysandra in

question, and she nodded to her ward. They

had all overseen Evangeline learning the

basicsofswordplayandarcherywhileonthe

road.

The girl nodded to the old lord. “I have

someability,butnotlikeAedion.”

“Fewdo,”Darrowsaidwryly.“ButIshall

needsomeonewithafearlessheartandsteady

handtohelpme.Areyouthatperson?”

Evangeline didn’t look up to Lysandra

again.“Iam,”shesaid,chinlifting.

Darrow smiled slightly. “Then head down

to the Great Hall. Eat your breakfast, and

when you return here, there shall be armor

waitingforyou.”

Evangeline’s eyes widened at the mention

of armor, no trace of fear dimming them at

all.

Lysandra murmured to her, “Go. I’ll be

downwithyouinaminute.”

Evangelinedashedout,braidflyingbehind

her.

Only when Lysandra was certain shehad

gonedownstairsdidshesay,“Why?”

“I assume that question means you are

allowingmetocommandeeryourward.”

“Why.”

Darrow picked up the kingsflame crystal.

“Nox Owen is of no use to me now that his

allegiance has been made clear, and

apparently has vanished to the gods know

where,likelyatAedion’srequest.”Heturned

the crystal over in his thin fingers. “But

beyondthat,nochildshouldhavetowatchas

her friends are cut down. Keeping her busy,

giving her a purpose and some small power

will be better than locking her in the north

tower,scaredoutofherwitsateveryhorrible

soundanddeath.”

Lysandra did not smile, did not bow her

head. “You would do this for the ward of a

whore?”

Darrowsetdownthecrystal.“It’sthefaces

ofthechildrenthatIrememberthemostfrom

ten years ago. Even more than Orlon’s.And

Evangeline’sfaceyesterdayasshelookedout

at that army—it was the same despair I saw

back then. Soyoumay think me a champion

bastard,asAedionwouldsay,butIamnotso

heartless as you might believe.” He nodded

towardtheopendoorway.“Iwillkeepaneye

onher.”

She wasn’t entirely certain what to say. If

sheshouldspitinhisfaceandtellhimtohell

withhisoffer.

Yet the brightness in Evangeline’s eyes,

the way she’d run out of here … Purpose.

Darrowhadofferedherpurposeandguidance.

So she turned from the room, from the

precioustrove,theancientbooksworthmore

than gold. Darrow’s silent, mournful

companions.“Thankyou.”

Darrow waved her off, and went back to

studyingwhateverpaperswereonhisdesk—

thoughhiseyesdidnotmovealongthepages.

The battlement walls of the city were lined

with soldiers. Each stone-faced at what

marchedcloser.

Thewitch towerwas still down, thank the

gods. But even from the distance, Aedion

could spy soldiers toiling to repair its

damaged wheel. Yet without another wyvern

to replace the one felled yesterday, it would

notbemovingsoon.

Itwouldn’tmaketodayanyeasier,though.

No,todaywouldhurt.

“They’ll be within the archers’ range in

about an hour,” Elgan reported. Darrow’s

orders be damned. Kyllian was still general,

yes, but every report his friend received,

Aediongotaswell.

“Remind them to make their shots count.

Picktargets.”

The Bane knew that without being told.

The others—they had proved their mettle in

thesebattles,butareminderneverhurt.

Elgan aimed for the sections of the city

wallsthatRenandtheFaenobleshaddeemed

thebestadvantagefortheirarchers.Againsta

hundred thousand troops, they might only

stand to thin the lines, but to let the enemy

charge unchallenged at the walls would be

utter folly. And break the spirit of these

peoplebeforetheymettheirend.

“Whatisthat?”Renmurmured.Pointingto

thehorizon.

Sharp—Ren’s eyes had to be sharper than

mosthumans,sinceitwasstilljustasmudge

onthehorizontoAedion.

Abreathpassed.Thedarksmudgebeganto

takeform,risingintothebluesky.

Flyingtowardthem.

“Ilken?” Ren squinted as he shielded his

eyesagainsttheglare.

“Toobig,”Aedionbreathed.

Closer,themass flying abovetheteeming

armybecameclearer.Larger.

“Wyverns,”Aedionsaid,dreadcurdlingin

hisstomach.

The Ironteeth aerial legion had been

unleashedatlast.

“Ohgods,”Renwhispered.

Against a terrestrial siege, Orynth might

haveheldout—afewdaysorweeks,butthey

couldhavelasted.

But with the thousand or so Ironteeth

witches who soared toward them on those

wyverns … They would not need their

infernaltowerstodestroythiscity,thecastle.

Toripopenthecitygatesandwallsandletin

Morath’shordes.

The soldiers began to spot the wyverns.

Peoplecriedout,alongthebattlements.Upin

thecastleloomingbehindthem.

Thissiegewouldnotevengetthechanceto

beasiege.

Itwouldendtoday.Withinafewhours.

Racing feet skidded to a halt, and then

Lysandrawasthere,panting.“Tellmewhatto

do,wheretogo.”Heremeraldeyeswerewide

with terror—helpless terror and despair. “I

canchangeintoawyvern,trytokeepthem—”

“There are over a thousand Ironteeth,”

Aedionsaid,hisvoicehollowinhisears.Her

fear whetted something sharp and dangerous

inhim,butherefrainedfromreachingforher.

“Thereisnothingyouorwecando.”

A few dozen of the Ironteeth had sacked

Riftholdinamatterofhours.

Thishost…

Aedion focused on his breathing, on

keeping his head high as soldiers began to

step away from their positions along the

walls.

Unacceptable.

“STAY WHERE YOU ARE,” he bellowed.

“HOLDTHELINE,ANDDONOTBALK.”

The roared command halted those who’d

looked prone to bolt, at least. But it didn’t

stop the shaking swords, the stench of their

risingfear.

Aedion turned to Lysandra and Ren. “Get

Rolfe’sfirelancesuponthehighertowersand

buildings. See if they can burn the Ironteeth

fromthesky.”

When Ren hesitated, Aedion snarled, “Do

itnow.”

Then Ren was racing toward where the

PirateLordstoodwithhisMyceniansoldiers.

“It won’t do anything, will it?” Lysandra

saidsoftly.

Aedionjustsaid,“TakeEvangelineandgo.

Thereisasmalltunnelinthebottomlevelof

thecastlethatleadsintothemountains.Take

herandgo.”

Sheshookherhead.“Towhatend?Morath

willfindusallanyway.”

His commanders were sprinting toward

him, and for the first time since he’d known

them,therewastruedreadshiningintheeyes

oftheBane.InElgan’seyes.

But Aedion kept his attention fixed on

Lysandra. “Please. I am begging you. I am

beggingyou,Lysandra,togo.”

Her chin lifted. “You are not asking our

otheralliestorun.”

“Because I am not in love with our other

allies.”

Foraheartbeat,sheblinkedathim.

Then her face crumpled, andAedion only

stared at her, unafraid of the words he’d

spoken. Only afraid of the dark mass that

swept toward them, staying within formation

above that endless army.Afraid of what that

legionwoulddotoher,toEvangeline.

“I should have told you,” Aedion said,

voicebreaking.“EverydayafterIrealizedit,

allthesemonths.Ishouldhavetoldyouevery

day.”

Lysandra began to cry, and he brushed

awayhertears.

His commanders reached him, ashen and

panting.“Orders,General?”

Hedidn’tbothertotellthemthathewasn’t

theirgeneral.Itwouldn’tmatterwhatthehell

hewascalledinafewhoursanyway.

Yet Lysandra remained at his side. Made

nomovetorun.

“Please,”hesaidtoher.

Lysandra only linked her fingers through

hisinsilentanswer.Andchallenge.

His heart cracked at that refusal. At the

hand,shakingandcold,thatclungtohis.

Hesqueezedherfingerstightly,anddidnot

letgoashefacedhiscommanders.“We—”

“Wyvernsfromthenorth!”

The screamed warning shattered down the

battlements,andAedionandLysandraducked

as they whirled toward the attack coming at

theirbacks.

Thirteen wyverns raced from the

Staghorns,plungingtowardthecitywalls.

And as they shot toward Orynth, people

and soldiers screaming and fleeing before

them, the sun hit the smaller wyvern leading

theattack.

Lightingupwingslikelivingsilver.

Aedionknewthatwyvern.Knewthewhite-

hairedrideratopit.

“HOLDFIRE,”hebelloweddownthelines.

Hiscommandersechoedtheorder,andallthe

arrows that had been pointed upward now

halted.

“It’s …,” Lysandra breathed, her hand

droppingfromhiswhileshewalkedforwarda

step,asifinadaze.“It…”

Soldiers still fell back from the citywalls

asManonBlackbeakandherThirteenlanded

along them, right before Aedion and

Lysandra.

It was not the witch hehad last seen on a

beachinEyllwe.

No,therewasnothingofthatcold,strange

creatureinthefacethatsmiledgrimlyathim.

Nothing of her in that remarkable crown of

starsatopherbrow.

Acrownofstars.

ForthelastCrochanQueen.

Panting, rasping breaths neared, and

AedionglancedawayfromManonBlackbeak

to see Darrow hurry onto the city walls,

gapingatthewitchandherwyvern,atAedion

for not firing at her—her, whom Darrow

believed to be an enemy come to parley

beforetheirslaughter.

“Wewillnotsurrender,”Darrowspat.

AsterinBlackbeak,herbluewyvernbeside

Manon’s,letoutalowlaugh.

Indeed, Manon’s lips curved in cool

amusement as she said to Darrow, “We have

cometoensurethatyoudon’t,mortal.”

Darrowhissed,“Thenwhyhasyourmaster

sentyoutospeakwithus?”

Asterinlaughedagain.

“We have no master,” Manon Blackbeak

said, and it was indeed a queen’s voice that

she spoke with, her golden eyes bright. “We

cometohonorafriend.”

There was no sign of Dorian amongst the

Thirteen,butAedionwasreelingenoughthat

hedidn’thavethewordstoask.

“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.”

Darrowtookastepback.Asifdisbelieving

what stood before him, in defiance of the

legionthatswepttowardtheircity.

Manon only looked to Aedion, that smile

lingering. “Long ago, the Crochans fought

beside Terrasen, to honor the great debt we

owedtheFaeKingBrannonforgrantingusa

homeland.Forcenturies,wewereyourclosest

alliesandfriends.”Thatcrownofstarsblazed

brightuponherhead.“Weheardyourcallfor

aid.”Lysandrabeganweeping.“Andwehave

cometoanswerit.”

“How many,” Aedion breathed, scanning

theskies,themountains.“Howmany?”

Pride and awe filled the Witch-Queen’s

face,andevenhergoldeneyeswerelinedwith

silver as she pointed toward the Staghorns.

“Seeforyourself.”

And then, breaking from between the

peaks,theyappeared.

Redcloaksflowingonthewind,theyfilled

the northern skies. So many he could not

count them, nor the swords and bows and

weapons they bore upon their backs, their

broomsflyingstraightandunwavering.

Thousands. Thousands of them descended

upon Orynth. Thousands of them now swept

over the city, his soldiers gaping upward at

the stream of fluttering red, undaunted and

untroubledby theenemy force darkening the

horizon.Onebyonebyone,theyalituponthe

emptycastlebattlements.

AnaeriallegiontochallengetheIronteeth.

TheCrochanshadreturnedatlast.



CHAPTER82

Every Crochan who could fly and wield a

swordhadcome.

For days, they had raced northward,

keeping deep to the mountains, then cutting

low over Oakwald before making a wide

circuittoavoidMorath’sdetection.

Indeed,asManonandtheThirteenperched

on the city walls, the Crochans streaming

overhead while they made their way to

whateverlandingplacetheymightfindonthe

castlebattlements,itwasstillhardtobelieve

theyhadmadeit.

Andwithoutanhourtospare.

Thefarthernorththeyhadflown,themore

Crochans had fallen into the lines. As if the

crown of stars Manon wore was a lodestone,

summoningthemtoher.

Every mile, more appeared from the

clouds, the mountains, the forest.Young and

old,wise-eyedorfresh-faced,theycame.

Until five thousand trailed behind Manon

andtheThirteen.

“They’ve completely stopped,” breathed

the shape-shifter beside Aedion, pointing

towardthebattlefield.

Farout,Morath’shosthadhalted.

Utterlyhalted.Asifindoubtandshock.

“Your grandmother iswiththem,”Asterin

murmuredtoManon.“Icanfeelit.”

“I know.” Manon turned to the young

general-prince. “We shall handle the

Ironteeth.”

His turquoise eyes were bright as the day

abovethemashegesturedtotheplain.“Byall

means,gorightahead.”

Manon’s mouth quirked to the side, then

shejerkedherchintotheThirteen.“Weshall

beonyourcastle’sbattlements.Ileaveoneof

my sentinels here with you, should you need

to send word.” A nod to Vesta, and the red-

haired witch made no move to fly as the

others peeled off toward the great, towering

palace. Manon had never seen its like—even

the former glass castle in Rifthold had been

nothingcomparedtoit.

Manon smiled at the old man who had

hissed at her, showing all her teeth. “You’re

welcome,” she said, and with a snap of the

reins,wasairborne.

Morathhadhaltedcompletely.

Asifreassessingtheirstrategynowthatthe

Crochans had appeared from the mists of

legend. Not hunted nearly as close to

extinctionasthey’dbelieved,itseemed.

ItleftManonandthearmyshe’draisedthe

chancetocatchtheirbreath,atleast.

Andanighttosleep,iffitfully.She’dmet

withthemortalleadersduringdinner,whenit

became apparent that Morath would not be

finishingthemofftoday.

FivethousandCrochanswouldnotwinthis

war.Theywouldnotstopahundredthousand

soldiers. But they could keep the Ironteeth

legions at bay—keep them from sacking the

cityandlettinginthedemonhordes.

Long enough for whatever small miracle,

Manondidn’tknow.Shehadn’tdaredask,and

none of the mortals had posed the question,

either.

Could the city outlast a hundred thousand

soldiers hammering its walls and gates?

Perhaps.

But not with the witch tower still

operational on the plain. She had little doubt

that it was currently being repaired, a new

wyvern being hitched up. Perhaps that was

whytheyhadhalted—togivethemselvestime

to get that tower up again. And blast the

Crochansintooblivion.

Only the dawn would reveal what the

Ironteeth chose to do. What they’d

accomplished.

Manon and the Thirteen, Bronwen and

Glenniswiththem,spenthoursorganizingthe

Crochans.Assigningthemtocertainflanksof

theIronteethbasedonManon’sknowledgeof

theirenemy’sformations.

She’d created those formations. Had

plannedtoleadthem.

Andwhenthatwasdone,whenthemeeting

with the mortal rulers was over, all of them

still grim-faced but not quite so near panic,

Manon and the Thirteen found a chamber in

whichtosleep.

Afewcandlesburnedinthespaciousroom,

but no furniture filled it. Nothing save the

bedrolls they brought in. Manon tried not to

look too long at hers, to mark the scent that

hadfadedwitheverymilenorthward.

Where Dorian was, what he was doing—

shedidn’tletherselfthinkabout.

If only because doing so would send her

flyingsouthwardagain,allthewaytoMorath.

Inthedimroom,Manonsatonherbedroll,

theThirteenseatedaroundher,andlistenedto

thechaosofthecastle.

Theplacewaslittlemorethanatomb,the

ghostsofitsricheshauntingeverycorner.She

wondered what this room had once been—a

meeting room, a place to sleep, a study …

Therewerenoindicators.

Manon leaned her head back against the

coldstonesofthewallbehindher,hercrown

discardedbyherboots.

Asterin spoke first, cutting through the

silence of the coven. “We know their every

move, every weapon.And now the Crochans

do,too.TheMatronsarelikelyinapanic.”

She’d never seen her grandmother in a

panic, but Manon huffed a dark laugh. “We

shallseetomorrow,Isuppose.”Shesurveyed

her Thirteen. “You have come with me this

far, but tomorrow it will be your own kind

that we face.You may be fighting friends or

loversorfamilymembers.”Sheswallowed.“I

willnotblameyouifyoucannotdoit.”

“We have come this far,” Sorrel said,

“because we are all prepared for what

tomorrowwillbring.”

Indeed, the Thirteen nodded.Asterin said,

“Wearenotafraid.”

No, they were not. Looking at the clear

eyes around her, Manon could see that for

herself.

“I’d expected at leastsome,” Vesta

groused,“fromtheFerianGaptojoinus.”

“They don’t understand,” Ghislaine said.

“Whatweevenofferedthem.”

Freedom—freedomfromtheMatronswho

hadforgedthemintotoolsofdestruction.

“A waste,” Asterin grumbled. Even the

green-eyeddemontwinsnodded.

Silencefellagain.Despitetheircleareyes,

her Thirteen were well aware of the

limitationsoffivethousandCrochansagainst

theIronteeth,andthearmybeneathit.

So Manon said, looking them each in the

eye,“Iwouldratherflywithyouthanwithten

thousand Ironteeth at my side.” She smiled

slightly. “Tomorrow, we will show them

why.”

Hercovengrinned,wickedanddefiant,and

touched two fingers to their brows in

deference.

Manon returned the gesture, bowing her

head as she did. “We are the Thirteen,” she

said. “From now until the Darkness claims

us.”

Evangeline had decided that she no longer

wishedtobepagetoLordDarrow,butrathera

Crochanwitch.

One of the women even went so far as to

give the wide-eyed girl an extra red cloak,

which Evangeline was still wearing when

Lysandra tucked her into bed. She’d help

Darrow tomorrow, Evangeline promised as

she nodded off. After she made sure the

Crochanshadallthehelptheyneeded.

Lysandra had smiled at that, despite the

odds still stacked so high against them.

ManonBlackbeak—nowManonCrochan,she

supposed—hadbeen blunt in her assessment.

TheCrochanscouldkeeptheIronteethatbay,

perhapsdefeatthemiftheyweretrulylucky,

but the hosts of Morath were still there to

contend with. Once the army marched again,

their plans to defend the walls would remain

thesame.

Unableandunwilling tofall asleepon the

cot beside Evangeline’s bed, Lysandra found

herself wandering the halls of the rambling,

ancient castle. What a home it would have

madeforherandEvangeline.Whatacourt.

Perhaps she’d unconsciously followed his

scent, but Lysandra wasn’t at all surprised

when she entered the Great Hall and found

Aedionbeforethedyingfire.

He stood alone, and she had little doubt

he’dbeenthatwayforawhilenow.

He turned before she’d barely made it

throughthedoorway.Watchedhereverystep.

Because I am not in love with our other

allies.Howthewordschangedeverythingand

yetnothing.“Youshouldbeasleep.”

Aedion gave her a half smile. “So should

you.”

Silencefellbetweenthemastheystaredat

eachother.

She could have spent all night like that.

Had spent many nights like that, in another

beast’sskin.Justwatchinghim,takinginthe

powerful lines of his body, the unbreakable

willinhiseyes.

“Ithoughtweweregoingtodietoday,”she

said.

“Wewere.”

“I’m still angry with you,” she blurted.

“But…”

His brows rose, light she had not seen for

sometimeshiningfromhisface.“But?”

Shescowled.“ButIshallthinkaboutwhat

yousaidtome.That’sall.”

A familiar, wicked grin graced his lips.

“You’llthinkaboutit?”

Lysandraliftedherchin,lookingdownher

nose at him as much as she could while he

towered over her. “Yes, I will think about it.

WhatIplantodo.”

“AboutthefactthatIaminlovewithyou.”

“Och.” He knew that the swaggering

arrogance would knock her off-kilter. “If

that’swhatyouwanttocallit.”

“Is there something else I’m supposed to

call it?” He took a single step toward her,

lettingherdecideifshe’dallowit.Shedid.

“Just …” Lysandra pressed her lips

together. “Don’t die tomorrow. That’s all I

ask.”

“Soyoucanhavetimetothinkaboutwhat

youplantodowithmydeclaration.”

“Precisely.”

Aedion’sgrinturnedpredatory.“MayIask

somethingofyou,then?”

“Idon’tthinkyou’reinapositiontomake

requests,butfine.”

That wolfish grin remained as he

whisperedinherear,“IfIdon’tdietomorrow,

mayIkissyouwhenthedayisdone?”

Lysandra’sfaceheatedasshepulledback,

yielding a step. She was a trained courtesan,

gods above.Highly trained. And yet the

simplerequestreducedherkneestowobbling.

She mastered herself, squaring her

shoulders. “If you don’t die tomorrow,

Aedion, then we’ll talk.And see what comes

ofit.”

Aedion’s wolfish grin didn’t so much as

falter.“Untiltomorrownight,then.”

Hell waited for them tomorrow. Perhaps

their doom. But she wouldn’t kiss him, not

now. Wouldn’t give that sort of promise or

farewell.

So Lysandra walked from the hall, heart

racing.“Untiltomorrow.”



CHAPTER83

Dorian flewandflew.Along thespineof the

Fangs, Oakwald a winter-bare sprawl to his

right,hesoarednorthwardfornearlytwodays

beforehedaredtostop.

Pickingaclearingamidatangleofancient

trees,hecrashedthroughthebranches,hardly

registering the sting through his thick

wyvern’shide.Heshiftedassoonashehitthe

snow, his magic instantly thawing the frozen

streamwendingthroughthespace.

Thenhefelltohiskneesanddrank.Deep,

pantinggulpsofwater.

Finding food was an easier endeavor than

he’danticipated.Hehadnoneedofasnareor

arrows to catch the lean rabbit that cowered

nearby.Noneedofknivestoskinit.Oraspit.

Whenhisthirstandhungerhadbeensated,

when a glance at the sky told him no enemy

approached,Doriandrew the marks. Just one

moretime.

Hehadtobeonhiswaysoon.Butforthis,

he could delay his flight northward a little

whilelonger.Damaris,itseemed,alsoagreed.

Itsummonedwhohewishedthistime.

Gavin appeared in the circle of bloody

Wyrdmarks,palerandmurkierinthemorning

light.

“Youfoundit,then,”theancientkingsaid

bywayofgreeting.“AndleftErawanwithone

hellofamesstocleanup.”

“I did.” Dorian put a hand to his jacket

pocket. To the terrible power thrumming

there. It had taken every ounce of his

concentration during his mad flight from

Morathtoblockoutitswhispering.Hisshiver

wasnotfromthefrigidairalone.

“Thenwhysummonme?”

Dorian met the man’s gaze. King to king.

“IwantedtotellyouthatIattainedit—soyou

might have a chance to say goodbye. To

Elena,Imean.BeforetheLockisforged.”

Gavin stilled. Dorian didn’t shy from the

king’sassessingstare.

Afteramoment,Gavinsaidashadesoftly,

“ThenIsupposeIwillalsobesayingfarewell

toyou.”

Doriannodded.Hewasready.Hadnoother

choicebuttobeready.

Gavin asked, “Have you decided on it,

then?Thatyouwillbetheonesacrificed?”

“Aelinisinthenorth,”Doriansaid.“When

Ifindher,Isupposewe’lldecidewhattodo.”

Who would be the one who joined the three

keys.And did not walk away from it. “But,”

he admitted, “I am hoping she might have

comeupwithanothersolution.OneforElena,

too.”

AelinhadescapedMaeve.Perhapsshe’dbe

asluckyinfindingawaytoescapetheirfate.

A phantom wind blew the strands of

Gavin’s long hair across his face. “Thank

you,”hesaidhoarsely.“Forevenconsidering

it.” But grief shone in the king’s eyes. He

knewpreciselyhowimpossibleitwouldbe.

So Dorian said, “I’m sorry. For what

success with the Lock will mean for both of

you.”

Gavin’sthroatbobbed.“Mymatemadeher

choice long ago. She was always prepared to

facetheconsequences,evenifIwasnot.”

JustasSorschahadmadeherownchoices.

Followedherownpath.

And for once, the memory of her did not

ache.Rather,itgleamed,ashiningchallenge.

Tomakeitcount.Forher,andsomanyothers.

Forhimself,too.

“Do not give up on life so easily,” Gavin

said.“ItisthelifeIhadwithElenathatallows

metoevenconsiderpartingfromhernow.A

goodlife—asgoodasanythatcouldbehoped

for.” He inclined his head. “I wish the same

foryou.”

Before Dorian could voice what surged in

hisheartatthewords,Gavinglancedskyward.

His dark brows narrowed. “You need to go.”

For the booming of wings filled the air.

Thousandsofwings.

The Ironteeth legion at Morath had still

rallied after the keep’s collapse, it seemed.

And now made its long flight northward to

Orynth, likely infinitely more eager to tear

intohisfriends.

HeprayedMaevewasnotinthathost.That

she remained licking her wounds in Morath

with Erawan. Until the rest of their horrors

marched,thespider-princesseswiththem.

But despite the approaching army, Dorian

touched Damaris’s hilt and said, “I will take

care of it. Of Adarlan. For whatever time I

haveleft.Iwillnotabandonit.”

Theswordglowedwarm.

AndGavin,despitethelossthatloomedfor

him,smiledslightly.Asifhefeltthewarmth

of the sword, too. “I know,” he said. “I have

alwaysknownthat.”

Damaris’swarmthheldsteady.

Dorian swallowed against the tightness in

histhroat.“WhentheWyrdgateissealed,will

I be able to open this sort of portal again?”

WillIbeabletoseeyou,seekyourcounsel?

Gavin faded. “I don’t know.” He added

quietly,“ButIhopeso.”

Dorianputahandoverhisheartandbowed

deeply.

And as Gavin disappeared into the snow

and sun, Dorian could have sworn the king

bowedback.

Minutes later, when wings blotted out the

sun,noonenoticedthelonewyvernthatrose

from Oakwald and fell into line with the

teeminghost.



CHAPTER84

There was no armor left in the castle’s

depleted arsenal. And none would have fit

wyvernsanyway.

WhathadsurvivedAdarlan’soccupationor

been acquired since its fall had been

distributed, and though Prince Aedion had

offered to have a blacksmith weld sheets of

metal to form breastplates, Manon had taken

one look at the repurposed doors they’d use

andknowntheywouldbetoo heavy.Against

the Ironteeth legion, speed and agility would

betheirgreatestallies.

So they would head into battle as they

always had: with nothing but their blades,

theirironteethandnails,andtheircunning.

Standing on a large balcony atop the

uppermost tower of the castle of Orynth,

Morath’s army spread far below, Manon

watchedtherisingsunandknewitcouldvery

wellbeherlast.

But the Thirteen, many of them leaning

against the balcony rail, did not look

eastward.

No, their attention was on the enemy,

stirring in the rising light. Or onthe two

Crochans who stood with Manon, brooms in

handandswordsalreadystrappedacrosstheir

backs.

It had not been a shock to see Bronwen

arrive this morning dressed for battle. But

Manon had paused when Glennis emerged

withasword,hairbraidedback.

They had already gone over the details.

Andhaddonesothricelastnight.Andnow,in

the light of the breaking day, they lingered

atoptheancienttower.

Farout,deepinMorath’steemingranks,a

hornrangout.

Slowly, a great beast awakening from a

deepsleep,Morath’shostbegantomove.

“It’s about time,”Asterin muttered beside

Manon,herbraidedhairboundwithastripof

leatheracrossherbrow.

Ironteeth wyverns became airborne,

lumberingagainsttheweightoftheirarmor.

It wouldn’t win the day, though. No, the

Ironteeth, after a heavy start, soon filled the

skies.A thousand at least. Where the Ferian

Gap host was, Manon didn’t want to know.

Notyet.

Onthetowersofthecastle,ontheroofsof

the city and along the battlement walls, the

Crochan army straightened their brooms at

theirsides,readyforthesignaltofly.

A signal from Bronwen, from the carved

horn at her side. The horn was cracked and

brownedwithage,thesymbolscarvedintoit

soworntheywerebarelyvisible.

Noting Manon’s stare, Bronwen said, “A

relic from the old kingdom. It belonged to

TelynVanora,ayoung,untriedwarriorduring

the last days of the war, who was near the

gates when Rhiannon fell.My ancestor.” She

ranahandoverthehorn.“Sheblewthishorn

to warn our people that Rhiannon had been

killed, and to flee the city. Just after she got

out the warning call, the Blueblood Matron

slaughteredher.Butitgaveourpeopleenough

time to run. To survive.” Silver lined

Bronwen’sdarkeyes.“Itismyhonortoblow

thishornagaintoday.Nottowarnourpeople,

buttorallythem.”

None of the Thirteen looked Bronwen’s

way,butManonknewtheyheardeachword.

Bronwen put a hand on her leather

breastplate.“Telynisheretoday.Inthehearts

of every Crochan who got out, who made it

thisfar.Allofthemwhofellinthewitchwars

arewithus,evenifwecannotseethem.”

Manon thought of those two presences

she’d felt while fighting the Matrons and

knewBronwen’swordstobetrue.

“It is for them that we fight,” Bronwen

said, her stare falling to the approaching

army.“Andforthefuturewestandtogain.”

“A future we all stand to gain,” Manon

said,andmettheeyesoftheThirteen.Though

they did not smile, the fierceness in their

facesspokeenough.

Manon turned to Glennis. “You truly

intendtofight?”

Glennisnodded,firmandunyielding.“Five

hundred years ago, my mother chose the

future of the royal bloodline over fighting

beside her loved ones.And though she never

regretted her choice, the weight of what she

left behind wore on her. I have carried her

burdenmyentirelife.”Thecronegesturedto

Bronwen,thentoAsterin.“Allofuswhofight

here today do so with someone standing

invisiblebehindus.”

Asterin’sgold-fleckedblackeyessoftened

abit.“Yes,”wasallManon’sSecondsaidas

herhanddriftedtoherabdomen.

Notinmemoryofthehatefulwordbranded

there,ofwhathadbeendonetoher.

In memory of the stillborn witchling who

had been thrown by Manon’s grandmother

into the fire before Asterin had a chance to

holdher.

InmemoryofthehunterwhomAsterinhad

loved, as no Ironteeth ever had loved a man,

and had never gone back to, for shame and

fear. The hunter who had never stopped

waitingforhertoreturn,evenwhenhewasan

oldman.

For them, for the family she had lost,

Manon knew her Second would fight today.

Soitmightneverhappenagain.

Manon would fight today to make sure it

neverdid,too.

“So we come to it after five hundred

years,”saidGlennis,hervoiceunwaveringyet

distant, as if pulled into the depths of

memory. The rising sun bathed the white

walls of Orynth in gold. “The final stand of

theCrochans.”

As if the words themselves were a signal,

Bronwen lifted the horn of Telyn Vanora to

herlipsandblew.

MostbelievedtheFlorineRiverfloweddown

from the Staghorns, right past the western

edge of Orynth before cutting across the

lowlands.

Butmostdidn’tknowthattheancientFae

Kinghadbuilthiscitywisely,diggingsewers

and subterranean streams that carried the

fresh mountain water directly into the city

itself.Allthewaybeneaththecastle.

A torch lifted high, Lysandra peered into

oneofthoseundergroundwaterways,thedark

water eddying as it flowed through the stone

tunnel and out the city walls. Her breath

curledinfrontofherasshesaidtothegroup

of Bane soldiers who’d accompanied her,

“LockthegrateonceI’mout.”

Agruntwasheronlyconfirmation.

Lysandra frowned at the heavy iron grate

acrossthesubterraneanriver,themetalbands

as thick as her forearm. It had been Lord

Murtaugh who’d suggested this particular

route of attack, his knowledge of the

waterwaysbeneaththecityandcastlebeyond

evenAedion’sawareness.

Lysandra braced herself for the plunge,

knowing the water would be cold. Beyond

cold.

ButMorathwasmoving,andifshedidnot

getintopositionsoon,shemightverywellbe

toolate.

“Gods be with you,” one of the Bane

soldierssaid.

Lysandragavethemanatightsmile.“And

withyouall.”

She didn’t let herself reconsider. She just

walkedrightoffthestoneledge.

Theplungewasswift,bottomless.Thecold

ripped the air from her lungs, but she was

already shifting, light and heat filling her

body as her bones warped, as skin vanished.

Her magic pulsed, draining quickly at the

expenditure making this body required, but

thenitwasdone.

Distantly, above the surface, the Bane

swore. Whether in fear or awe, she didn’t

care.

Surfacing enough to gulp down a breath,

Lysandrasubmergedagain.Eveninthisform,

thecoldtoreather,thewatermurkyanddim,

butsheswamwiththecurrent,lettingitguide

heronitswayoutoftheancienttunnel.

Beneath the city walls. Into the wider

Florine, where the cold grew nearly

unbearable. Thick blocks of ice drifted

overhead,veilingherfromenemyeyes.

She swam down the river, right along the

easternflankofMorath’shost,andwaitedfor

hersignal.

TheCrochanstooktotheskies,awaveofred

thatsweptoverthecityanditswalls.

Atopthesouthernsectionofthewall,Ren

athisside,Aediontippedhisheadbackashe

watched them soar into the air above the

plain.

“You really think they can fight against

that?” Ren nodded toward the oncoming sea

ofIronteethwitchesandwyverns.

“Ithinkwedon’thaveanyotherchoicebut

tohopetheycan,”Aedionsaid,unslinginghis

bowfromacrosshisback.Rendidthesame.

At the silent signal, archers down the city

wallstookuptheirbows.

Scattered amongst them, Rolfe’s

Mycenianspositionedtheirfirelances,bracing

themetalcontraptionsonthewallitself.

Morathmarched.Therewouldbenomore

delays, no more surprises. This battle would

unfold.

Aedion glanced toward the curve of the

Florine, the ice sheets glaringly bright in the

morning sun. He shut out the dread in his

heart. They weretoo desperate, too

outnumbered, for him to deny Lysandra the

taskshe’dtakenontoday.

A look over his shoulder had Aedion

confirming that Bane soldiers had the

catapultsprimedatopthebattlements,theFae

royals ready to use their depleted magic to

levitate the enormous blocks of river-stone

intoplace.Andonthecitywalls,Faearchers

remained watchful as they waited for their

ownsignal.

Aedionnockedanarrowintohisbow,arm

strainingashepulledbackthestring.

Asone,thearmygatheredonthecitywalls

didthesame.

“Let’smakethisafightworthyofasong,”

Aedionsaid.



CHAPTER85

ManonandtheThirteenshotintotheskiesas

the Crochan army flowed below, a red tide

rushingtowardtheseaofblackahead.

Forcing the Ironteeth legion to choose:

theirancientenemiesortheirnewones.

Itwasatest,andoneManonhadwantedto

makeearly.ToseehowmanyoftheIronteeth

would heed the command to plow forward,

andhowmanymightbreakfromtheirorders,

the temptation of battling the Thirteen too

muchtobear.Andatest,shesupposed,forthe

MatronsandtheHeirswholedtheirlegion—

would they fall for it? Split their forces to

swarmtheIronteeth,orcontinuetheirassault

ontheCrochans?

Higherandhigher,ManonandtheThirteen

rose,thetwoarmiesnearingeachother.

The Crochans didn’t hesitate as their

swordsglintedinthesun,pointingtowardthe

oncomingwyverns.

The Ironteeth had not trained against an

enemy able to fight back. An enemy who

could be airborne, smaller and faster, and

strike where theywere weakest: the riders.

That was the Crochans’ goal—to bring down

theriders,notthebeasts.

But to do so, they’d need to brave the

snapping jaws and spiked tails, the poison

coating them. And if they could navigate

around the wyverns, then the matter would

remain of facing the flying arrows, and the

trained warriorsatopthebeasts.Itwould not

beeasy,anditwouldnotbequick.

The Thirteen rose so high that the air

became thin. High enough that Manon could

see to the very back of the host, where the

horrific, unmistakable bulk of Iskra

Yellowlegs’swyvernflew.

A challenge and a promise of a

confrontation to come. Manon knew, despite

thedistance,thatIskrahadmarkedher.

NosignofPetrah.Orofthetworemaining

Matrons. Who had replaced the Yellowlegs

crone to become High Witch, Manon didn’t

know. Or care. Perhaps her grandmother had

convincedthemnottoappointIskraoranew

one just yet—to clear the way for her own

pathtoqueendom.

Just as Manon’s head turned light at the

altitude,fiftyorsowyvernspeeledawayfrom

the enemy’s host. Flying upward—racing for

them,beastsfreedoftheirtether.Hungryfor

the glory and bragging rights that killing the

Thirteenwouldwin.

Manonsmiled.

Thetwoarmiesslammedintoeachother.

Loosing a breath, Manon yanked once on

Abraxos’sreins.

Her fierce-hearted wyvern flung out his

wingsashearched—andplummeted.

The world tilted while they twisted and

plunged down, down, down, the Thirteen

fallingwiththem.Theytorethroughwispsof

cloud, the clashing army blurring, the castle

andcityloomingbelow.

AndwhentheIronteethwerecloseenough

that Manon could see they were Yellowlegs

and Bluebloods, Abraxos banked sharply to

onesideandacurrentlaunchedhimrightinto

theheartofthem.

The Thirteen snapped into formation

behind her, a battering ram that smashed

throughtheIronteeth.

Manon’sbowsangasshefiredarrowafter

arrow.

Atthefirstsprayofblueblood,somepart

ofherslippedaway.

But she kept firing. And Abraxos kept

flying,rippingapartwingandthroatwithhis

tailandteeth.

Andsoitbegan.

Evenintheriver,thethunderofmarchingfeet

rumbledpastLysandra.

They didn’t see the large white snout that

periodically broke through the ice floes to

huff down a breath. The sky was dark now,

thick with the clashing of wyverns and

Crochans.

Bodiesoccasionallyplungedintotheriver,

IronteethandCrochanalike.

TheCrochanswhothrashed,whowerestill

alive, Lysandra covertly carried to the far

shore.Whattheymadeofher,theydidn’tsay.

Shedidn’tlingerlongenoughtoletthem.

The Ironteeth who fell into the river were

draggedtothebottomandpinnedtotherocks.

She’dhadtolookaway eachtimeshe did

it.

Lysandra’s snout broke the surface as a

sharp horn shattered over the din, right from

the city walls. Not a warning call, but an

unleashing.

Lysandra dove to the bottom. Dove and

then pushedup, mighty tail thrashing to

launchhertowardthesurface.

She broke from the ice and the water,

arcingthroughtheair,andslammedrightinto

Morath’seasternflank.

Soldiersscreamedassheunleashedherself

in a whirlwind of teeth and claws and a

massive,snappingtail.

Where the white sea dragon moved, black

bloodsprayed.

And just when the soldiers mastered their

terror enough to launch arrows and spears at

the opalescent scales enforced with

Spidersilk, she twisted and flipped back into

the deep river, vanishing beneath the ice.

Spears plunged into the turquoise waters,

missingtheirmark,butLysandrawasalready

racingpast.

The sea dragon’s body—river dragon, she

supposed—didn’t slow. She pushed it to its

limit,thegreatlungsworkinglikeabellows.

The river curved, and she used it to her

advantageassheleapedfromthewateragain.

The soldiers, so focused on the damage

she’ddoneupahead,didn’tlookherwayuntil

shewasuponthem.

She had all of a glance to the city walls,

where a wave of black now crashed against

them, siege ladders rising and arrows flying,

burstsofflameamiditall,beforeshereturned

totheriver’sicydepths.

Blackbloodstreamedfromhermaw,from

her tails and claws, as she doubled back, the

shadowofthewitcheswarringoverheadupon

theiceaboveher.

So she fought, the ice floes her shield.

Attacking, then moving; destabilizing the

easternflankwitheveryassault,forcingthem

to flee from the river’s edge to crowd the

centerranks.

Slowly,theturquoisewatersoftheFlorine

cloudedblueandblack.

Still,Lysandrakeptrippingbitesfromthe

sideofthebehemoththatlauncheditselfupon

Orynth.

TheheatoffthefirelancesscorchedAedion’s

cheek, warming his helmet to near-

discomfort.

A small price, as the bursts of flame sent

theValgfootsoldiersat thewallsscrambling

back. Where their archers felled the enemy,

more came.And where the firelances melted

them away, only scorched earth and melted

armor remained. But therewas notenough—

notevenclose.

Above,beyondthewalls,theIronteethand

Crochansclashed.

So violently, so quickly, that a blue mist

hungintheskiesfromthebloodshed.

He couldn’t determine who had the upper

hand.TheThirteenfoughtamongstthem,and

where they plunged into the fray, Ironteeth

andtheirmountstumbled.CrushingValgfoot

soldiersbeneaththem.

Iron siege ladders rose again, aiming for

the city walls. Answering blasts from the

firelances sent those already on them to the

ground as charred corpses. But more Valg

scrambledup,thefearofflamenotenoughto

deterthem.

Sprinting to the nearest ladder, Aedion

nocked arrow after arrow, firing at the

soldiers creeping up its rungs. Clean shots

throughthegapsinthedarkarmor.

Thearchersaround him didthesame, and

the Bane soldiers behind him settled into

fightingstances,waitingforthefirsttobreach

thewalls.

Atthecitygates,flameblastedandraged.

He’d concentrated many of theMycenians at

eitherofthetwogatesintoOrynth,theirmost

vulnerableweaknessalongthewalls.

Thatthefirekeptflaringasitdidtoldhim

enough:Morathwasmakingitspushthere.

Rolfe’sordertoConservefire!setapitof

dreadforminginhisgut,butAedionfocused

on the siege ladder. His bow twanged, and

anothersoldiertumbledaway.Thenanother.

Downthewall,Renhadtakenontheother

nearbysiegeladder,thelord’sbowsinging.

Aedion dared a glance to the army ahead.

Theyhadamassedcloseenoughnow.

Falling back, letting an archer take his

place,heliftedhissword,signalingtheBane

at the catapults, the Fae royals and archers

nearthem.“Now!”

Wood snapped and groaned. Boulders as

large as wagons soared over the walls. Each

hadbeenoiled,andgleamedinthesunwhile

theyrose.

Andwhenthebouldersreachedtheirpeak,

just as they began to plummet toward the

enemy, the Fae archers unleashed their

flamingarrows.

They struck the oil-slick boulders right

beforethestonesslammedintotheearth.

Flameerupted,flowingrightintotheholes

thatAedionhadordereddrilledintotherock,

right into the nest of the explosive powders

they’dagaintakenfromthepreciousreserves

ofRolfe’sfirelances.

Thebouldersblastedapartinballsofflame

andstone.

Along the city walls, soldiers cheered at

the carnage that the smoking ruins revealed.

Nothing but melted, squashed, or shattered

Valggrunts.Everyplacethesixcatapultshad

fired upon now had a ring of charred ground

aroundit.

“Reposition!” Aedion roared. The Bane

were already heaving against the wheels that

would rotate the catapults on their wooden

stands. Within seconds, they had aimed at

another spot; within seconds, the Fae royals

were lifting more oiled boulders from the

stockpileDarrowhadacquiredoverweeksand

weeks.

Hedidn’tgiveMorathachancetorecover.

“Fire!”

Boulderssoared,flamingarrowsfollowing.

Theexplosionsonthebattlefieldshookthe

citywallsthistime.

Another cheer went up, and Aedion

motionedtheBaneandFaeroyalstohalt.Let

Morath think that their stock was depleted,

that they only had a few lucky shots in their

arsenal.

Aedion turned back to the siege ladder as

thefirstoftheValggruntsclearedthewalls.

Themanwaskilledbeforehisfeetfinished

touching the ground, courtesy of a waiting

Banesoldier.

Aedion unstrapped the shield from across

hisbackandangledhisswordasthewaveof

soldierscrestedthewalls.

But it was not a Valg foot soldier who

appeared next, climbing over the ladder with

ease.

The young man’s face was cold as death,

hisblackeyeslitwithunholyhunger.

A black collar was clasped around his

throat.

AValgprincehadcome.



CHAPTER86

“Focus on the ladder,”Aedion snarled to the

soldiers shrinking fromthe handsome demon

princewhosteppedontothecitywallsasifhe

weremerelyenteringaroom.

He wore no armor. Nothing but a black

tuniccuttohislithebody.

The Valg prince smiled. “PrinceAedion,”

purred the thing inside it, drawing a sword

from a dark sheath at his side. “We’ve been

waitingforyou.”

Aedionstruck.

He did not have magic, did not have

anything to combat the dark power in the

prince’s veins, but he had speed. He had

strength.

Aedion feinted with his sword, that

ordinary, nameless sword, and the prince

swung with his own blade—just as Aedion

slammedhisshieldintotheman’sside.

Driving him back. Not toward the ladder,

buttotheMycenianwhowieldedthefirelance

—

TheMycenianwasdead.

The prince chuckled, and a whip of dark

powerlashedforAedion.

Aedionducked,shieldrising.Asifitwould

doanythingagainstthatpower.

Darkness struck metal, and Aedion’s arm

sangwiththereverberations.

But the pain, the life-draining agony, did

notoccur.

Aedion instantly parried, a slash upward

thattheValgprincedodgedwithahoptothe

side.

Thedemon’seyeswerewideashetookin

theshield.ThenAedion.

ThentheValgprincehissed,“Faebastard.”

Aedion didn’t know what it meant, didn’t

careashetookanotherblastuponhisshield,

thebattlementsalreadyslickwithbloodboth

black and red. If the Mycenian nearby was

dead, then there was another down by Ren’s

ladder—

TheValgprinceunleashedblastafterblast

ofpower.

Aedion took each one upon his shield, the

prince’s power bouncing off as if it were a

sprayofwateruponstone.Andforeveryburst

of power sent his way, Aedion swung his

sword.

Steel met steel; darkness clashed with

ancientmetal.Aedionhadthevaguesenseof

soldiers Valg and human alike halting as he

andthedemonprincebattledtheirwayacross

thecitywall.

Hekepthisfeetbeneathhim,asRhoehad

taughthim.AsQuinnhadtaughthim,andCal

Lochan. As all his mentors and the warriors

he’dadmiredaboveallothershadtaughthim.

Forthismoment,whenhewouldbecalledto

defendOrynth’sverywalls.

It was for them he swung his sword, for

themhetookblowafterblow.

TheValgprincehissedwitheveryblast,as

ifenragedthathispowercouldnotbreakthat

shield.

Rhoe’sshield.

There was no magic in it. Brannon had

neverborneit.Butoneofthemhadforgedit,

oneoftheunbrokenlineofkingsandqueens

whohadcomeafterhim,whohadlovedtheir

kingdommorethantheirownlives.Whohad

carried this shield into battle, into war, to

defendTerrasen.

AndasAedionandtheValgprincefought

alongthewalls,asthatancientshieldrefused

toyield,hewonderediftherewasadifferent

sortofpowerinthemetal.OnethattheValg

couldneverandwouldneverunderstand.Not

truemagic,notasBrannonandAelinhad.But

somethingjustasstrong—stronger.

ThattheValgmightneverbreak,nomatter

howtheytried.

Aedion’s sword sang, and the Valg prince

roared as Aedion connected with his arm,

slashingdeep.

Black blood sprayed. Aedion leaped upon

the advantage, shoving with the shield and

stabbingwithhisblade.

Buttheprincehadbeenwaiting.

Hadsetatrap,hisownbodyasthebait.

And as Aedion slammed into the Valg

prince, the demon drew a dagger from his

sword belt and struck. Right whereAedion’s

armor exposed just a sliver near his armpit,

vulnerable with the outstretched position of

hisarm.

The knife plunged in, rending flesh and

muscleandbone.

Pain,white-hotandblinding,threatenedto

make him splay his hand, to drop his sword.

Only Aedion’s training, only those years of

work, kept his feet under him as he leaped

back,wrenchingfreeoftheknife.

TheValgprincechuckled,andAedionwas

dimly aware of the fighting along the walls,

the shouting and dying and flares of fire, as

the prince smiled down at the bloodied

dagger.

Bringingittohissensualmouth,theprince

dragged his tongue along the blade. Licked

Aedion’s blood clean off. “Exquisite,” the

demonbreathed,shudderingwithpleasure.

Aedionbackedawayanotherstep,hisarm

burning and burning and burning, blood

poolinginsidehisarmor.

Theprincestalkedafterhim.

AwhipofdarkpowerlaunchedforAedion,

andheagaintookitonhisshield.Letitsend

himtumblingtotheground,landingatopthe

ironcladbodyofoneoftheBane.

His breath turned sharp as the knife that

hadstabbedhim.

The prince paused before Aedion.

“Feastingonyouwillbeadelight.”

Aedion hefted his shield over himself,

bracingfortheblow.

Theprincemadetoliftthebloodieddagger

to his mouth again, eyes rolling back in his

head.

Those eyes went wide as an arrow broke

theskinofhisthroat.Rightabovethecollar.

The prince gagged, whirling toward the

arrow that had come not from Aedion, but

from behind. Right into the path of Ren

Allsbrook and the firelance he bore in his

arms.

Ren slammed his hand into the release

hatch,andflameerupted.

Aedion ducked, coiling his body beneath

hisshieldastheflamethreatenedtomelthis

ownbones.

The world was heat and light. Then

nothing. Only the shouts of battle and dying

men.

Aedionmanagedtolowerhisshield.

WheretheValgprince hadbeen,apile of

ashesandablackWyrdstonecollarremained.

Aedion panted, a hand going to his

bleedingside.“Ihadhim.”

Renonlyshookhishead,andpivotedona

boot,unleashingthefirelanceuponthenearest

Valgsoldiers.

TheLordofAllsbrookturnedbacktohim,

mouth open to say something. But Aedion’s

headswam,hisbodyplungingintoacoldness

he’dneverknown.Thentherewasnothing.

The battle was so much worse than

Evangelinehadimagined.

The sound alone made her quake in her

bones, and only delivering messages to Lord

Darrow where he stood on one of the higher

castlebalconiessavedherfromcurlingintoa

ball.

Her breath was a ragged, dry thing as she

racedbackontothebalcony,towhereDarrow

stoodbythestonerailing,twootherTerrasen

lordsbesidehim.“FromKyllian,”Evangeline

managedtosay,bobbingacurtsy,asshehad

eachtimeshe’ddeliveredamessage.

Battles were no place for manners, she

knew—Aelin certainly would have said that.

But she kept doing it, the curtsying, even

whenherlegstrembled.Couldn’tstopherself.

Kyllian’s messenger had met her at the

castle stairs, and now waited for Darrow’s

reply.Itwasasclosetothefightingasshe’d

gotten.Notthatbeingupherewasanybetter.

Pressing herself against the stones of the

tower wall, Evangeline let Darrow read the

letter. The Crochans and wyverns were so

much closer uphere.Thishigh, shestoodon

theirlevel,theworldablurbelow.Evangeline

laidherpalmsflatagainsttheicystones,asif

shecoulddrawsomestrengthfromthem.

Even with the roar of battle, she heard

Darrowdeclaretotheotherlords,“Aedionhas

beenwounded.”

Evangeline’s stomach dropped, nausea—

oilyandthick—surging.“Isheallright?”

The two other lords ignored her, but

Darrow looked her way. “He has lost

consciousness,andtheyhavemovedhiminto

abuildingnearthewall.Healersareworking

onhimaswespeak.Theywillmovehimhere

assoonasheiscapableofwithstandingit.”

Evangelinestaggeredtothebalconyrail,as

ifshemightseethatbuildingamidtheseaof

chaosbythecitywalls.

She had never had a brother, or a father.

She hadn’t yet decided which one she would

like Aedion to be. And if he was so injured

thatitwarrantedamessagetoDarrow—

She pressed a hand to her stomach, trying

tocontainthebilethatburnedherthroat.

Murmuring sounded, and then there was a

hand on her shoulder. “Lord Gunnar will see

to delivering my reply,” Darrow said. “You

willremainherewith me. I might have need

ofyou.”

Thewordswerestern,butthehandonher

shoulderwaskind.

Evangeline only nodded, sick and

miserable,andclungtothebalconyrail,asif

hergripmightsomehowkeepAediononthis

sideoflife.

“Hot refreshments, Sloane,” Darrow

ordered, his voice brooking no room for

argument.

The other lord peeled away. Evangeline

didn’tknowhowlongpassedafterthat. How

longittookuntilthelordarrived,andDarrow

pressed a scalding mug into her fingers.

“Drink.”

Evangelineobeyed,findingittobebrothof

somesort.Beef,maybe.Shedidn’tcare.

Her friends were down there. Her family,

theoneshe’dmade.

Farout,neartheriver,ablurofmotionwas

heronlyindicationthatLysandrastilllived.

NowordarrivedaboutAedion’sfate.

So Evangeline lingered on the tower,

Darrowsilentbesideher,andprayed.



CHAPTER87

Even moving as fast as they could, the

khagan’s army was too slow. Too slow, and

toolarge,toreachTerrasenintime.

In the week that they’d been pushing

northward,AelinbeggingOakwald,theLittle

Folk, and Brannon for forgiveness as she

razedapaththroughtheforest,theywereonly

just now nearing Endovier, and the border

meremilesbeyondit.Fromthere,iftheywere

lucky,it’dbeanothertendaystoOrynth.And

wouldlikelybecomeadisasterifMorathhad

kept forces stationed at Perranth after the

city’scapture.

So they’d chosen to skirt the city on its

western flank, going around the Perranth

Mountainsratherthancuttingtothelowlands

for the easier trek across the land. With

Oakwaldastheircover,theymightbeableto

sneakuponMorathatOrynth.

IftherewasanythingleftofOrynthbythe

time they arrived. They were still too far for

the rukriders todo anysortof scouting, and

no messengers had crossed their paths. Even

thewildmenoftheFangs,whohadremained

withthemandnowsworetomarchtoOrynth

to avenge their kin did not know of a faster

path.

Aelin tried not to think of it. Or about

Maeve and Erawan, wherever they might be.

Whatevertheymighthaveplanned.

Endovier, the only outpost of civilization

they’d seen in a week, would be their first

newssinceleavingtheFerianGap.

Shetriednottothinkofthat,either.Ofthe

fact that they would be passing through

Endovier tomorrow, or the day after. That

she’d see those gray mountains that had

housedthesaltmines.

Lying on her stomach atop her cot—no

pointinmakinganyonesetuparoyalbedfor

herandRowanwhentheywouldbemarching

withinafewhours—Aelinwincedagainstthe

stingingburnalongherback.

TheclinkofRowan’stoolsandthecrackle

of the braziers were the only sounds in their

tent.

“Willitbedonetonight?”sheaskedashe

paused to dip his needle in the pot of salt-

lacedink.

“Ifyoustoptalking,”washisdryreply.

Aelinhuffed,risingontoherelbowstopeer

overashoulderathim.Shecouldn’tseewhat

he inked, but knew the design. A replica of

whathe’dwrittenonherbackthisspring,the

stories of her loved ones and their deaths,

written right where her scars had been.

Exactly where they’d been, asif hehadtheir

memoryetchedinhismind.

But another tattoo lay there now.A tattoo

thatsprawledacross her shoulder bones as if

it were a pair of spread wings. Or so he’d

sketchedforher.

Thestoryofthem.RowanandAelin.

Astorythathadbeguninrageandsorrow

andbecomesomethingentirelydifferent.

She was glad to have him leave it at that.

Atthehappiness.

Aelin rested her chin atop her hands.

“We’llbenearEndoviersoon.”

Rowan resumed working, but she knew

he’dlistened to every word, thought through

hisresponse.“Whatdoyouwanttodoabout

it?”

She winced at the sting of a particularly

sensitivespotnearherspine.

“Burnittotheground.Blastthemountains

intorubble.”

“Good.I’llhelpyou.”

Asmallsmilecurvedherlips.“Thefabled

warrior-prince wouldn’t tell me to avoid

carelesslyexpendingmystrength?”

“The fabled warrior-prince would tell you

tostaythecourse,butifdestroyingEndovier

willhelp,thenhe’llberighttherewithyou.”

Aelin fell silent while Rowan continued

workingforanotherfewminutes.

“I don’t remember the tattoo taking this

longthelasttime.”

“I’ve made improvements. And you’re

gettingawholenewmarking.”

She hummed, but said nothing more for a

time.

Rowankeptatit,wipingawaybloodwhen

necessary.

“I don’t think I can,” Aelin breathed. “I

don’t think I can stand to even look at

Endovier,letalonedestroyit.”

“Do you want me to?” A calm, warrior’s

question. He would, she knew. If she asked

him,he’dflytoEndovierandturnitintodust.

“No,” she admitted. “The overseers and

slavesareallgoneanyway.There’snooneto

destroy,andnoonetosave.Ijustwanttopass

itandneverthinkofitagain.Doesthatmake

meacoward?”

“I’d say it makes you human.” A pause.

“Or whatever a similar saying might be for

theFae.”

She frowned at her interlaced fingers

beneath her chin. “It seems I’m more Fae

these days than anything. I even forget

sometimes—whenthelasttimewasthatIwas

inmyhumanbody.”

“Is that a good or bad thing?” His hands

didn’tfalter.

“I don’t know. Iam human, deep down,

Faerie Queen nonsense aside. I had human

parents, and their parents were human,

mostly,andevenwithMab’slinerunningtrue

… I’m a human who can turn into Fae. A

human who wears a Fae body.” She didn’t

mention the immortal life span. Not with all

theyhadaheadofthem.

“On the other hand,” Rowan countered,

“I’dsayyouwereahumanwithFaeinstincts.

Perhapsmoreofthemthanhumanones.”She

felt him smirk. “Territorial, dominant,

aggressive…”

“Your skills when it comes to

complimentingwomenareunparalleled.”

Hislaughwasabrushofhotairalongher

spine. “Why can’t you be both human and

Fae?Whychooseatall?”

“Because people always seem to demand

thatyoubeonethingoranother.”

“You’ve never bothered to give a damn

whatotherpeopledemand.”

Shesmiledslightly.“True.”

She gritted her teeth ashis needlepierced

along her spine. “I’m glad you’re here—that

I’llseeEndovieragainforthefirsttimewith

youhere.”

Tofacethatpartofherpast,thatsuffering

and torment, if she couldn’t yet look too

closelyatthelastseveralmonths.

His tools, the numbing pain, halted. Then

his lips brushed the top of her spine, right

above the start of the new tattoo. The same

tattoo he’dhadGavriel and Fenrys inkingon

his own back these past few days, whenever

they stopped for the night. “I’m glad to be

here,too,Fireheart.”

For however much longer the gods would

allowit.

Elideslumpedontohercot,groaningsoftlyas

shebenttountiethelacesofherboots.Aday

of helping Yrene in the wagon was no easy

task, and the prospect of rubbing salve into

her ankle and foot seemed nothing short of

divine.Thework,atleast,kepttheswarming

thoughts at bay: what she’d done to Vernon,

what had befallen Perranth, what awaited

them at Orynth, and whatthey couldever do

todefeatit.

From the cot opposite hers, Lorcan only

watched, an apple half peeled in his hands.

“Youshouldrestmoreoften.”

Elide waved him off, yanking away her

boot,thenhersock. “Yreneispregnant—and

throwing up every hour or so. If she doesn’t

rest,I’mnotgoingto.”

“I’m not entirely certain Yrene is fully

human.” Though the voice was gruff, humor

sparkedinLorcan’seyes.

Elide fished the tin of salve from her

pocket.Eucalyptus,Yrenehadsaid,naminga

plant Elide had never heard of, but whose

smell—sharp andyet soothing—she very

much enjoyed. Beneath the pungent herb lay

lavender,rosemary,andsomethingelsemixed

inwiththeopaque,paleliniment.

A rustle of clothing, and then Lorcan was

kneelingbeforeher,Elide’sfootinhishands.

Nearlyswallowedbyhishands,actually.“Let

me,”heoffered.

Elide was stunned enough that she indeed

lethimtakethetinfromhergrip,andwatched

in silence as Lorcan dipped his fingers into

the ointment. Then began rubbing it into her

ankle.

Histhumbmetthespotonheranklewhere

bone ground against bone. Elide let out a

groan. He carefully, with near-reverence it

seemed,beganeasingtheacheaway.

These hands had slaughtered their way

acrosskingdoms.Borethefaintscarstoprove

it. And yet he held her foot as if it were a

smallbird,asifitweresomething…holy.

Theyhadnotsharedabed—notwhenthese

cots were too small, and Elide often passed

out after dinner. But they shared this tent.

He’d been careful, perhaps too careful, she

sometimes thought, togiveherprivacywhen

changingandbathing.

Indeed,atubsteamedawayinthecornerof

the tent, kept warm courtesy ofAelin. Many

ofthecampbathswerewarmthankstoher,to

theeternalgratitudeofroyalandfootsoldier

alike.

Alternatinglongstrokeswithsmallcircles,

Lorcanslowlycoaxedthepainfromherfoot.

Seemed content to do just that all night,

shouldshewishit.

Butshewasnothalf-asleep.Foronce.And

eachbrushof hisfingers onherfoot had her

sittingup,somethingwarminginhercore.

His thumb pushed along the arch of her

foot, and Elide indeed let out a small noise.

Notatthepain,but—

Heatflaredinhercheeks.Grewwarmeras

Lorcanlookedupatherbeneathhislashes,a

sparkofmischieflightinghisdarkeyes.

Elide gaped a bit. Then smacked his

shoulder.Rock-hardmusclegreetedher.“You

didthatonpurpose.”

Still holding her gaze, Lorcan’s only

answerwastorepeatthemotion.

Good—itfeltsodamnedgood—

Elide snatched her foot from his grip.

Closedherlegs.Tightly.

Lorcangaveherahalfsmilethatmadeher

toescurl.

But then he said, “You are well and truly

LadyofPerranthnow.”

Sheknew.She’dthoughtaboutitendlessly

duringtheseharddaysoftravel.“Thisiswhat

youreallywishtotalkabout?”

His fingers didn’t halt their miraculous,

sinfulwork.“Wehaven’tspokenofit.About

Vernon.”

“What of it?” she said, trying and failing

fornonchalance.Buthelookedupatherfrom

beneath his thick lashes. Well aware of her

evasion. Elide loosed a breath, peering up at

the tent’s peaked ceiling. “Does it make me

any better than Vernon—how I chose to

punishhimintheend?”

Shehadn’tregretteditthefirstday.Orthe

second.Buttheselongmiles,asithadbecome

clear that Vernon was likely dead, she’d

wondered.

“Onlyyoucandecidethat,Ithink,”Lorcan

said.Yethisfingerspausedonherfoot.“For

what it’s worth, he deserved it.” His dark

powerrumbledthroughtheroom.

“Ofcourseyou’dsaythat.”

He shrugged, not bothering to deny it.

“Perranthwillrecover,youknow,”heoffered.

“FromMorath’ssacking.And allVernondid

toitbeforenow.”

That had been the other thought that

weighed heavily with each mile northward.

That her city, her father and mother’s city,

had been decimated. That Finnula, her

nursemaid, might be among the dead. That

anyofitspeoplemightbesuffering.

“That’sifwewinthiswar,”Elidesaid.

Lorcan resumed his soothing strokes.

“Perranth will be rebuilt,” was all he said.

“We’llseethatitis.”

“Haveyoueverdoneit?Rebuiltacity?”

“No,”headmitted,histhumbscoaxingthe

pain from her aching bones. “I have only

destroyed them.” His eyes lifted to hers,

searchingandopen.“ButIshouldliketotry.

Withyou.”

Shesawtheotherofferthere—tonotonly

buildacity,butalife.Together.

Heat rose to her cheeks as she nodded.

“Yes,” she whispered. “For however long we

have.”

Foriftheysurvivedthiswar,therewasstill

thatbetweenthem:hisimmortality.

Something shuttered in Lorcan’s eyes at

that, and she thought he’d say more, but his

head dipped. Then he began to unlace her

otherboot.

“What are you doing?” Her words were a

breathlessrush.

His deft fingers—gods above, those

fingers—madequickworkofherlaces.“You

shouldsoakthatfoot.Andsoakingeneral.As

Isaid,youworktoohard.”

“YousaidIshouldrestmore.”

“Because you work too hard.” He jerked

his chin toward the bath as he pulled off the

boot and helped her rise. “I’ll go find some

food.”

“Ialreadyate—”

“Youshouldeatmore.”

Giving her privacy without the

awkwardness of her needing to ask for it.

That’swhathewastryingtodo.

Barefootbeforehim,Elidepeeredintohis

granite-hewnface.Shruggedoutofhercloak,

thenjacket.Lorcan’sthroatbobbed.

She knew he could hear her heart as it

began racing. Could likely scent every

emotion on her. But she said, “I need help.

Gettingintothebath.”

“Do you, now.” His voice was near-

guttural.

Elide bit her lip, her breasts becoming

heavy,tingling.“Imightslip.”

His eyes drifted down her body, but he

made no move. “A dangerous time, bath

time.”

Elidefounditinherselftowalktowardthe

copper tub. He trailed a few feet behind,

givingherspace.Lettinghersteerthis.

Elide haltedbeside the tub, steam wafting

past.Shetuggedthehemofhershirtfromher

pants.

Lorcan watched every move. She wasn’t

entirelycertainhewasbreathing.

But—her hands stalled. Uncertain. Not of

him,butthisrite,thispath.

“Showmewhattodo,”shebreathed.

“You’re doing just fine,” Lorcan ground

out.

But she gave him a helpless look, and he

prowled closer. His fingers found the loose

hemofhershirt.“MayI?”heaskedquietly.

Elidewhispered,“Yes.”

Lorcanstillstudiedhereyes,asifreading

thesincerityofthatword.Deemingittrue.

Gently,hepulledthefabricfromher.Cool

air kissed her skin, pebbling it. The flexible

band around her breasts remained, but

Lorcan’sgazeremainedonherown.“Tellme

whatyouwantnext,”hesaidroughly.

Hand shaking, Elide grazed a finger over

theband.

Lorcan’s own hands shook as he unbound

it.Asherevealedhertotheair,tohim.

Hiseyesseemed togowhollyblack as he

took in her breasts, her uneven breathing.

“Beautiful,”hemurmured.

Elide’s mouth curled as the word settled

withinher.Gaveherenoughcouragethatshe

lifted her hands to his jacket and began

unbuckling, unbuttoning. Until Lorcan’s own

chest was bare, and she ran her fingers over

thesmatteringofdarkhairacrossthesculpted

planes.“Beautiful,”shesaid.

Lorcan trembled—with restraint, with

emotion,shedidn’tknow.Thatdarlingpurrof

hisrumbledintoherasshepressedhermouth

againsthispectoral.

His hand drifted to her hair, each stroke

unbinding her braid. “We only go as far and

long as you want,” he said.Yet she dared to

glancedownhisbody—towhatstrainedunder

hispants.

Her mouth went dry. “I—I don’t know

whatI’mdoing.”

“Anythingyoudowillbeenough,”hesaid.

She lifted her head, scanning his face.

“Enoughforwhat?”

Anotherhalfsmile.“Enoughtopleaseme.”

She scoffed at the arrogance, but Lorcan

brushedhismouthagainstherneck.Hishands

bracketed her waist, his thumbs grazing her

ribs.Butnohigher.

Elidearchedintothetouch,asmallsound

escaping her as his lips brushed just beneath

herear.Andthenhismouthfoundhers,gentle

andthorough.

Her hands twined around his neck, and

Lorcanliftedher,carryinghernottothebath,

but to the cot behind them, his lips never

leavinghers.

Home. This, with him. This was home, as

she had never had. For however long they

mightshareit.

And when Lorcan laid her out on the cot,

his breathing as uneven as her own,whenhe

paused,lettingherdecidewhattodo,whereto

take this, Elide kissed him again and

whispered,“Showmeeverything.”

SoLorcandid.

Therewasagate,andacoffin.

Shehadchosenneither.

She stood in a place that was not a place,

mist wreathing her, and stared at them. Her

choices.

A thumping pounded from within the

coffin, muffled female screams and pleading

rising.

Andthegate,theblackarchintoeternity—

bloodrandownitssides,seepingintothedark

stone. When the gate had finished with the

youngking,thisbloodwasallthatremained.

“You’renobetterthanme,”Cairnsaid.

She turned to him, but it was not the

warriorwhohadtormentedherstandinginthe

mists.

Twelveofthemlurkedthere,formlessand

yet present, ancient and cold. As one they

spoke.“Liar.Traitor.Coward.”

The blood on the gate soaked into the

stone, asif the gateitselfdevouredeventhis

last piece of him. The one who had gone in

herplace.Theoneshe’dletgoinherplace.

Thethumpingfromwithinthecoffindidn’t

cease.

“Thatboxwillneveropen,”theysaid.

Sheblinked,andshewasinsidethatbox—

thestonesocold,theairstifling.Blinked,and

she was pounding on the lid, screaming and

screaming.Blinked,andtherewerechainson

her,amaskclampedoverherface—

Aelinawoketodimbraziersandthepine-and-

snow scent of her mate wrapped around her.

Outside their tent, the wind howled, setting

thecanvaswallsswayingandswelling.

Tired.Shewasso,sotired.

Aelin stared into the dark for long hours

anddidnotsleepagain.

Even with the cover of Oakwald, despite the

wider path that Aelin incinerated on either

side of the ancient road running up through

the continent like a withered vein, she could

feelEndovier looming.Couldfeel the Ruhnn

Mountainsjuttingtowardthem,awallagainst

thehorizon.

Sherodenearthefrontofthecompany,not

saying much as the morning, then the

afternoon passed. Rowan stayed by her side,

alwaysremainingonherleft—asifhemight

beashieldbetweenherandEndovier—while

she sent out plumes of flame that melted

ancienttreesahead.Rowan’swindstifledany

smoke from alerting the enemy of their

approach.

He’d finished the tattoos the night before.

Had taken a small hand mirror to show her

what he’d done. The tattoo he’d made for

them.

She’dtakenonelookatthespreadwings—

a hawk’s wings—across her back and kissed

him. Kissed him until his own clothes were

gone, and she was astride him, neither

bothering with words, or capable of finding

them.

Herbackhadhealedbymorning,thoughit

remained tender in a few spots along her

spine, and in the hours that they’d ridden

closer to Endovier, she’d found the invisible

weightoftheinktobesteadying.

She’dgottenout.She’dsurvived.

FromEndovier—andMaeve.

And now it was upon her to ride like hell

fortheNorth,totrytosaveherpeoplebefore

Morath wiped them away forever. Before

ErawanandMaevearrivedtodojustthat.

But it did not stop the heaviness, that tug

towardthewest.Tolooktotheplacethatshe

hadtaken so longtoescape, even aftershe’d

beenphysicallyfreed.

After lunch, she found Elide on her right,

ridinginsilenceunderthetrees.Ridingtaller

thanshe’dseenthegirlbefore.Ablushonher

cheeks.

Aelinhadafeelingsheknewpreciselywhy

that blush bloomed there, that if she looked

behind to where Lorcan rode, she’d find him

withasatisfied,purelymalesmile.

ButElide’swordswereanythingbutthose

ofalovesickmaiden.

“I didn’t think I’d really get to see

Terrasen again, once Vernon took me out of

Perranth.”

Aelin blinked. And even the blush on

Elide’sfacefaded,hermouthtightening.

Ofallofthem,onlyElidehadseenMorath.

Livedthere.Survivedit.

Aelin said, “There was a time when I

thoughtI’dneverseeitagain,too.”

Elide’s face grew contemplative. “When

you were an assassin, or when you were a

slave?”

“Both.”AndmaybeElidehadcometoher

side just to get her to talk, but Aelin

explained, “It was a torture of another kind,

when I was at Endovier, to know that home

wasonlymilesaway.AndthatIwouldnotbe

abletoseeitonelasttimebeforeIdied.”

Elide’s dark eyes shone with

understanding. “I thought I’d die in that

tower,andnoonewouldrememberthatIhad

existed.”

Theyhad bothbeen captives, slaves—ofa

sort. They had both worn shackles.And bore

thescarsofthem.

Or, Elide did. The lack of them on Aelin

stillrippedather,anabsencethatshe’dnever

thoughtshe’dregret.

“Wemadeitoutintheend,though,”Aelin

said.

Elide reached over to squeeze Aelin’s

hand.“Yes,wedid.”

Even if she now wished for it to be over.

Allofit.Hereverybreathfeltweigheddown

byit,thatwish.

They continued on after that, and just as

Aelin spied the fork in the road—the

crossroads that would take them to the salt

mines themselves—a warning cry went up

from the rukhin, soaring along the edge

betweentheforestandmountains.

AelininstantlyhadGoldryndrawn.Rowan

armedhimselfbesideher,andtheentirearmy

pausingastheyscannedthewoods,theskies.

Sheheardthewarningjustasadarkshape

shotpast,solargeitblottedoutthesunabove

theforestcanopy.

Wyvern.

Bowsgroaned,andtherukswereracingby,

chasing after that wyvern. If an Ironteeth

scoutspottedthem—

Aelin readied her magic. The wyvern

banked toward them, barely visible through

thelatticeworkofbranches.

But light flared then. Blasted back the

rukhin—harmlessly.

Not light. But ice, flickering and flashing

beforeitturnedtoflame.

Rowanrecognizedit,too.Roaredtheorder

toholdtheirfire.

It was not Abraxos who landed at the

crossroads.And there was no sign of Manon

Blackbeak.

Light flashed again. And then Dorian

Havilliard stood there, his jacket and cape

stainedandworn.

Aelingallopeddowntheroadtowardhim,

RowanandElidebesideher,theothersattheir

backs.

Dorian lifted a hand, his face grave as

death,evenashiseyeswidenedatthesightof

her.

ButAelinsenseditthen.

WhatDoriancarried.

TheWyrdkeys.

Allthreeofthem.



CHAPTER88

Aedion’sarmandribswereonfire.

Worse than the searing heat of the

firelances, worse than any level of Hellas’s

burningrealm.

He’d regained consciousness as the healer

beganherfirststitches.Hadclampeddownon

theleatherbitshe’dofferedandroaredaround

thepainwhileshesewedhimup.

By the time she’d finished, he’d fainted

again.Hewokeminuteslater,accordingtothe

soldiers assigned to make sure he didn’t die,

and found the pain somewhat eased, but still

sharpenoughthatusinghisswordarmwould

be nearly impossible. At least until his Fae

heritagehealedhim—fasterthanmortalmen.

Thathehadn’tdiedofbloodlossandcould

attempt to move his arm as he ordered his

armorstrappedbackonhimandstumbledinto

the city streets, aiming for the wall, was

thankstothatFaeheritage.Hismother’s,yes,

butmostlyfromhisfather.

Had Gavriel heard, across the sea or

wherever theirhunt forAelin had taken him,

that Terrasen was about to fall? Would he

care?

Itdidn’tmatter.Evenifpartofhimwished

the Lion were there. Rowan and the others

certainly, but the steady presence of Gavriel

wouldhavebeenabalmtothesemen.Perhaps

tohim.

Aedion gritted his teeth, swaying as he

scaledtheblood-slickstairstothecitywalls,

dodgingbodiesbothhumanandValg.Anhour

—he’dbeendownforanhour.

Nothing had changed. Valg still swarmed

the walls and both the southern and western

gates;butTerrasen’sforcesheldthemoff.In

the skies, the number of Crochans and

Ironteeth had thinned, but barely. The

Thirteen were a distant, vicious cluster,

rippingapartwhoeverflewintheirpath.

Anddownattheriver…redbloodstained

thesnowybanks.Toomuchredblood.

He stumbled a step, losing sight of the

river for amoment while soldiers dispatched

the Valg grunts before him. When they

passed, Aedion could scarcely breathe while

he scanned the bloodied banks. Soldiers lay

deadallaround,but—there.Closertothecity

wallsthanhe’drealized.

White against the snow and ice, she still

fought. Blood leaking down her sides. Red

blood.

But she didn’t retreat intothe water. Held

herground.

It was foolish—unnecessary. Ambushing

themhadbeenfarmoreeffective.

Yet Lysandra fought, tail snapping spines

andgiantmawrippingoffheads,rightwhere

the river curved past the city. He knew

somethingwaswrongthen.Beyondtheblood

onher.

KnewLysandrahadlearnedsomethingthat

theyhadnot.Andinholdingherground,tried

tosignalthemonthewalls.

Hisheadspinning,armandribsthrobbing,

Aedion scanned the battlefield. A group of

soldiers charged at her. A whack of her tail

had the spears snapped, their bearers along

withthem.

But another group of soldiers tried to

chargepasther,ontheriverside.

Aedionsawwhattheybore,whattheytried

to carry, and swore. Lysandra smashed apart

onelongboatwithhertail,butcouldn’treach

the second cluster of soldiers—bearing

another.

They reached the icy waters, boat

splashing, and Lysandralunged. Right as she

wasswarmedbyanothergroupofsoldiers,so

manyspearsandlancesthatshehadnochoice

but to face them.Allowing the boat, and the

soldierscarryingit,toslippast.

Aedion noted where those soldiers were

headed, and began shouting his orders. His

headswamwitheachcommand.

In Lysandra sneaking to the river through

thetunnels,she’dhadtheelementofsurprise.

But it had also revealed to Morath that

another path existed into the city. One right

belowtheirfeet.

And if they got through the grate, if they

couldgetinsidethewalls…

Fighting against the fuzziness growing in

hishead,Aedionbegansignaling.Firsttothe

shifterholdingtheline,tryingsovaliantlyto

keepthoseforcesatbay.ThentotheThirteen,

perilouslyhighintheskies,togetbacktothe

walls—to stop Morath’s creeping before it

wastoolate.

High up, the cries of the wind bleeding into

thoseofthedyingandinjured,Manonsawthe

general’s signal, the careful pattern of light

thathe’dshownherthenightbefore.

A command to hurry to the walls—

immediately.JustherandtheThirteen.

TheCrochansheldthetideoftheIronteeth

atbay,buttofallback,toleave—

Prince Aedion signaled again.Now. Now.

Now.

Somethingwaswrong.Verywrong.

River,hesignaled.Enemy.

Manoncasthergazetotheearthfarbelow.

And saw what Morath was covertly trying to

do.

“Tothewalls!”she calledtothe Thirteen,

still a hammer behind her,and made to steer

Abraxostowardthecity,tuggingonthereins

tohavehimflyhighabovethefray.

Asterin’s warning cry reached her a

heartbeattoolate.

Shooting from below, a predator

ambushingprey,themassivebullaimedright

forAbraxos.

Manonknewtheriderasthebullslammed

intoAbraxos,clawsandteethdiggingdeep.

IskraYellowlegswasalreadysmiling.

The world tilted and spun, but Abraxos,

roaringinpain,keptintheair,keptflapping.

EvenasIskra’sbullpulledbackhishead—

only to close his jaws around Abraxos’s

throat.



CHAPTER89

Iskra’s bull gripped him by the neck, but

Abraxoskeptthemintheair.

Atthesightofthosepowerfuljawsaround

Abraxos’sthroat,thefearandpaininhiseyes

—

Manon couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t think

around the terror rushing through her, so

blinding and sickening that for a few

heartbeats,shewasfrozen.Whollyfrozen.

Abraxos,Abraxos—

Hers.Hewashers,andshewashis,andthe

Darknesshadchosenthemtobetogether.

Shehadnosenseoftime,nosenseofhow

long had passed between that bite and when

sheagainmoved.Itcouldhavebeenasecond,

itcouldhavebeenaminute.

But then she was drawing an arrow from

her nearly depleted quiver. The wind

threatened to rip it from her fingers, but she

nocked it to her bow, the world spinning-

spinning-spinning, the wind roaring, and

aimed.

Iskra’s bull bucked as her arrowlanded—

justahairsbreadthfromhiseye.

Buthedidnotletgo.

He didn’t have the deep grip to rip out

Abraxos’s throat, but if he crunched down

long enough, if he cut off her mount’s air

supply—

Manonunleashedanotherarrow.Thewind

shifted it enough that she struck the beast’s

jaw,barelyembeddinginthethickhide.

Iskra was laughing. Laughing as Abraxos

foughtandcouldnotgetfree—

Manonlookedfor anyof the Thirteen,for

anyonetosavethem.Savehim.

He who mattered more than any other,

whom she would trade places with if the

Three-Faced Goddess allowed it, to have her

ownthroatgrippedinthoseterriblejaws—

ButtheThirteenhadbeenscattered,Iskra’s

coven plowing their ranks apart.Asterin and

Iskra’s Second were claw-to-claw as their

wyvernslockedtalonsandplungedtowardthe

battlefield.

ManongaugedthedistancetoIskra’sbull,

to the jaws around the neck. Weighed the

strengthofthestrapsonthereins.Ifshecould

swing down, if she was lucky, she might be

able to slash at the bull’s throat, just enough

topryhimoff—

But Abraxos’s wings faltered. His tail,

tryingsovaliantlytostrikethebull,beganto

slow.

No.

Notlikethis.Anythingbutthis.

Manonslung herbowoverherback,half-

frozen fingers fumbling with the straps and

bucklesofthesaddle.

Shecouldn’tbearit.Wouldn’tbearit,this

death,hispainandfearbeforeit.

She might have been sobbing. Might have

been screaming as his wingbeats faltered

again.

She’d leap across the gods-damned wind,

rip that bitch from the saddle, and slit her

mount’sthroat—

Abraxosbegantofall.

Notfall.Butdive—tryingtogetlower.To

reachtheground,haulingthatbullwithhim.

SoManonmightsurvive.

“PLEASE.” Her scream to Iskra carried

across the battlefield, across the world.

“PLEASE.”

She would beg, she would crawl, if it

boughthimthechancetolive.

Herwarrior-heartedmount.Whohadsaved

herfarmorethanshehadeversavedhim.

Who had saved her in the ways that

countedmost.

“PLEASE.” She screamed it—screamed it

witheveryscrapofhershreddedsoul.

Iskraonlylaughed.Andthebulldidnotlet

go, even as Abraxos tried and tried to get

themclosertotheground.

Her tears ripped away in the wind, and

Manon freed the last of the buckles on her

saddle. The gap between the wyverns was

impossible,butshehadbeenluckybefore.

She didn’t care about any of it. The

Wastes, the Crochans and Ironteeth, her

crown. She didn’t care about any of it, if

Abraxoswasnottherewithher.

Abraxos’s wings strained, fighting with

thatmighty,lovinghearttoreachlowerair.

Manon sized up the distance to the bull’s

flank, ripping off her gloves to free her iron

nails.Asstrongasanygrapplinghook.

Manon rose in the saddle, sliding a leg

under her, body tensing to make the jump

ahead.AndshesaidtoAbraxos,touchinghis

spine,“Iloveyou.”

It was the only thing that mattered in the

end.Theonlythingthatmatterednow.

Abraxos thrashed. As if he’d try to stop

her.

Manon willed strength to her legs, to her

arms,andsuckedinabreath,perhapsherlast

—

Shooting from the heavens, faster than a

star racing across the sky, a roaring form

careenedintoIskra’sbull.

Those jaws came free of Abraxos’s neck,

andthentheywerefalling,twisting.

Manon had enough sense to grab onto the

saddle,toclingwitheverythingshehadasthe

windthreatenedtotearherfromhim.

Hisbloodstreamedupwardastheyfell,but

then his wings spread wide, and he was

banking,flappingup.Hesteadiedenoughthat

Manon swung into the saddle, strapping

herself in as she whirled to see what had

occurredbehindher.Whohadsavedthem.

ItwasnotAsterin.

ItwasnotanyoftheThirteen.

ButPetrahBlueblood.

And behind the Heir to the Blueblood

Witch-Clan, now slamming into Morath’s

aeriallegionfromwherethey’dcreptontothe

battlefield from high above the clouds, were

theIronteeth.

Hundredsofthem.

Hundreds of Ironteeth witches and their

wyvernscrashedintotheirown.

Petrah and Iskra pulled apart, the

BluebloodHeirflappingtowardManonwhile

Abraxosfoughttostayupright.

Evenwiththewind,thebattle,Manonstill

heardPetrahastheBluebloodHeirsaidtoher,

“Abetterworld.”

Manon had no words. None, other than to

look toward the city wall, to the force trying

to enter through the river grates. “The walls

—”

“Go.” Then Petrah pointed to where Iskra

had paused in midair to gape at what

unfolded.Attheactofdefianceandrebellion

so unthinkable that many of the Morath

Ironteeth were equally stunned. Petrah bared

herteeth,revealingironglintinginthewatery

sunlight.“She’smine.”

Manonglancedbetweenthecitywallsand

Iskra, turning toward them once more. Two

againstone,andtheywouldsurelysmashher

tobits—

“Go,” Petrah snarled. And when Manon

again hesitated, Petrah only said, “For

Keelie.”

For the wyvern Petrah had loved—as

Manon loved Abraxos. Who had fought for

Petrah to her last breath, while Iskra’s bull

slaughteredher.

So Manon nodded. “Darkness embrace

you.”

Abraxos began soaring for the wall, his

wingbeatsunsteady,hisbreathingshallow.

Heneededtorest,neededtoseeahealer—

Manon glanced behind her just as Petrah

slammedintoIskra.

The two Heirs went tumbling toward the

earth,clashingagain,wyvernsstriking.

Manoncouldn’tturnawayifshewished.

Not as the wyverns peeled apart and then

banked, executing perfect, razor-sharp turns

that had them meeting once more, rising up

into the sky, tails snapping as they locked

talons.

Upandup,IskraandPetrahflew.Wyverns

slashing and biting, claws locking, jaws

snapping.Upthroughthelevelsoffightingin

theskies,upthroughCrochansandIronteeth,

upthroughthewispsofclouds.

A race, a mockery of the mating dance of

thewyverns,torisetothehighestpointofthe

sky and then plummet down to the earth as

one.

Ironteeth halted their fighting. Crochans

stilled in midair. Even on the battlefield,

Morathsoldierslookedup.

The two Heirs shot higher and higher and

higher.Andwhentheyreachedaplacewhere

even the wyverns could not draw enough air

into their lungs, they tucked in their wings,

locked claws, and plunged headfirst toward

theearth.

ManonsawthetrapbeforeIskradid.

Saw it the moment Petrah broke free,

golden hair streaming as she drew her sword

andherwyvernbegantocircle.

Tight,precisecirclesaroundIskraandher

bullastheyplummeted.

So tight that Iskra’s bull did not have the

space to open its wings. And when it tried,

Petrah’s wyvern was there, tail or jaws

snapping. When it tried, Petrah’s sword was

there,slashingribbonsintothebeast.

Iskrarealizeditthen.

Realized it as they fell and fell and fell,

and Petrah circled them, so fast that Manon

wondered if the Blueblood Heir had been

practicingthesemonths,trainingforthisvery

moment.

ForthevengeanceowedtoherandKeelie.

Theveryworldseemedtopause.

Petrahandherwyverncircledandcircled,

blood from Iskra’s wyvern raining upward,

the beast more frantic with every foot closer

totheearth.

But Petrah had not opened her wyvern’s

wings, either. Had not pulled on the reins to

bankhermount.

“Pullout,”Manonbreathed.“Banknow.”

Petrah did not. Two wyverns dropped

toward the earth, dark stars falling from the

sky.

“Stop,”Iskrabarked.

Petrahdidn’tdeigntorespond.

Theycouldn’tbankatthatspeed.Andsoon

Petrahwouldn’tbeabletobankatall.Would

break herself on the ground, right alongside

Iskra.

“Stop!” Fear turned Iskra’s order into a

sharpcry.

NopityforherkindledinManon.Noneat

all.

Thegroundneared,brutalandunyielding.

“Youmadbitch,Isaidstop!”

Two hundred feet to the earth. Then a

hundred.Manoncouldn’tgetdownabreath.

Fiftyfeet.

And as the ground seemed to rise to meet

them, Manon heard Petrah’s only words to

Iskraliketheyhadbeencarriedonthewind.

“ForKeelie.”

Petrah’s wyvern flung out its wings,

banking sharper than any wyvern Manon had

ever witnessed. Rising up, wing tip grazing

the icy ground before it shot back into the

skies.

Leaving Iskra and her bull to splatter on

theearth.

TheboomrumbledpastManon,thundering

throughtheworld.

Iskraandherbulldidnotriseagain.

Abraxos gave a groan of pain, and Manon

twistedinthesaddle,herheartraging.

Iskra was dead. TheYellowlegs Heir was

dead.

Itdidn’tfillherwiththejoyitshouldhave.

Notwiththatvulnerablegrateonthecitywall

underattack.

So she snapped the reins, and Abraxos

soaredforthecitywalls,andthenSorreland

Vestawerebesideher,Asterincominginfast

from behind. They flew low, beneath the

IronteethnowfightingIronteeth,theIronteeth

still fighting Crochans.Aiming for the spots

wheretheriverflowedrightuptotheirsides.

Already, a longboat had reached them.

Already, arrows were flying from the small

grate—guards frantic to keep the enemy at

bay.

The Morath soldiers were so preoccupied

with theirtargetahead thattheydidnot look

behinduntilAbraxoswasuponthem.

His blood streamed past her as he landed,

snappingwithtalonsandteethandtail.Sorrel

andVestatookcareoftheothers,thelongboat

sooninsplinters.

Butitwasnotenough.Notevenclose.

“The rocks,” Manon breathed, steering

Abraxostowardtheothersideoftheriver.

He understood. Her heart strained to the

point ofagony at pushinghim,buthesoared

totheothersideoftheriverandhauledoneof

the smaller boulders back across. The

Thirteensawherplanandfollowed,swiftand

unfaltering.

Everyoneofhiswingbeatswasslowerthan

the last. He lost height with each foot they

crossedtheriver.

Butthenhemadeit,justasanothergroup

of Morath soldiers were trying to enter the

small, vulnerable passage. Manon slammed

thestoneintothewaterbeforeit.TheThirteen

dropped their stones as well, the splashes

carryingoverthecitywalls.

More and more, each trip across the river

slowerthanthelast.

But then there were rocks piled up,

breaking the surface. Then rising above it,

blockingoutallaccesstotherivertunnel.Just

highenoughtosealitover—butnotgivealeg

up to the Morath soldiers swarming on the

otherbank.

Abraxos’sbreathing was labored,his head

sagging.

Manon twisted in the saddle to order her

Second to halt piling the rocks, but Asterin

had already done so. Her Second pointed to

thecitywallsabovethem.“Getinside!”

Manon didn’t waste time arguing.

Snapping Abraxos’s reins, Manon sent him

flyingoverthecitywalls,hisbloodrainingon

thesoldiersfightingthere.

Hemadeittothecastlebattlementsbefore

hisstrengthgaveout.

Beforehehitthestonesandslid,theboom

ofimpactringingacrossOrynth.

He slammed into the side of the castle

itself, wings limp, and Manon was instantly

freeing herself from the saddle as she

screamedforahealer.

Thewoundtohisneckwassomuchworse

thanshe’dthought.

Andstillhe’dfoughtforher.Stayedinthe

skies.

Manon shoved her hands against the deep

bitewound,bloodrushingpastherfingerslike

water through a cracked dam. “Help is

coming,”shetoldhim,andfoundhervoiceto

beabrokenrasp.“They’recoming.”

The Thirteen landed, Sorrel sprinting into

thecastletonodoubtdragahealeroutifshe

had to, and then there were eleven pairs of

handsonAbraxos’sneck.

Staunchingtheflowofhisblood.Pressing

asone,tokeepthatpreciousbloodinsidehim

whilethehealerwasfound.

Manon couldn’t look at them, couldn’t do

anything but close her eyes and pray to the

Darkness, to the Three-Faced Mother as she

heldherhandsoverthebleedinggashes.

Racing footsteps sounded over the

battlement stones, and then Sorrel was there

beside Manon, her hands rising to cover his

wounds,too.

An older woman unpacked a kit, warning

themtokeepapplyingpressure.

Manon didn’t bother to tell her that they

weren’tgoinganywhere.Noneofthemwere.

Evenwhilethebattleragedintheskiesand

onthelandbelow.

Lysandra could barely draw in breath, each

flapofherwingsheavierthanthelastasshe

aimed for the placewhere she’dseen Manon

Blackbeak and her coven go crashing to the

castlebattlements.

She’d shifted into a wyvern herself, using

thechaosoftheIronteethrebels’arrivalasa

distraction,butthedrainingofhermagichad

taken its toll. And the fighting, the wounds

thatevenshecouldnotstaunch…

Lysandra spied the two figures hauling a

familiar golden-haired warrior up the castle

stairs just as she hit the battlements, the

witcheswhirlingtowardher.

But Lysandra willed herself to shift,

forcing her body to do it one last time, to

return to that human form. She’d barely

finished shoving on the pants andshirt she’d

stashedinapackbythecastlewallwhenRen

AllsbrookandaBanesoldierreachedthetop

of the battlements, a half-conscious Aedion

betweenthem.

Therewassomuchbloodonhim.

Lysandra ran for them, ignoring her deep

limp, the splintering pain rippling in her left

leg, in her right shoulder. Down the

battlements, a healer worked on the injured

Abraxos, the Thirteen, coated in his blood,

nowstandingvigil.

“What happened?” Lysandra skidded to a

halt before Aedion, who managed to lift his

headtogiveheragrimsmile.

“Valg prince,” Ren said, his own body

coatedinblood,facepalewithexhaustion.

Ohgods.

“Hedidn’twalkaway,”Aedionrasped.

Ren snapped, “And you didn’t rest long

enough, you stupid bastard. You tore your

stitches.”

LysandraranherhandsoverAedion’sface,

hisbrow.“Let’sgetyoutoahealer—”

“I’ve already seen one,” Aedion grunted,

setting his feet on the ground and trying to

straighten.“Theybroughtmeupheretorest.”

Asifsuchathingwasaridiculousidea.

Ren indeed unlooped Aedion’s arm from

around his shoulder. “Sit down, before you

fall and crack your head on the stones.”

Lysandrawasinclinedtoagree,butthenRen

said,“I’mheadingbacktothewalls.”

“Wait.”

Renturnedtowardher,butLysandradidn’t

speakuntiltheBanesoldierhelpedAedionto

sitagainstthesideofthecastleitself.

“Wait,” she said again to Ren when he

opened his mouth, her heart thundering,

nausea coiling in her gut. She whistled, and

ManonBlackbeakandtheThirteenlookedher

way.Shewavedthemover,herarmbarkingin

pain.

“You’rehurt,”Aediongrowled.

Lysandra ignored him as the witches

stalkedover,somuchbloodandgoreonallof

them.

SheaskedManon,“WillAbraxoslive?”

A shallow nod, the Witch-Queen’s golden

eyesdull.

Lysandra didn’t have it in her for relief.

Not with the news she’d flown back so

desperatelytodeliver.Sheswallowedthebile

in her throat, then pointed to the battlefield.

Toitsdark,mistyheart.“Theyhavethewitch

tower up again. It’s moving this way. I just

sawitmyself.Thewitcheshavegatheredatop

it.”

Absolutesilence.

Andasifinanswer,thetowererupted.

Not toward them, but skyward.A flash of

light,aboomlouderthanthunder,andthena

portionoftheskybecameempty.

Where Ironteeth, rebels and the faithful

alike, hadbeen fighting, whereCrochans had

been weaving between them, there was

nothing.

Justash.

Lysandra’s voice broke as the tower

continued moving. A straight, unbreakable

linetowardOrynth.“Theymeantoblastapart

thecity.”

Hands and arms coated in Abraxos’s blood,

Manon stared at the battlefield. Stared at

where all those witches, Ironteeth and

Crochanfightingforeitherarmy,hadjust…

vanished.

Everything her grandmother had claimed

aboutthewitchtowerswastrue.

AnditwasnotKaltainandhershadowfire

that fueled that blast of destruction, but

Ironteethwitches.

Young Ironteeth witches who offered

themselves up. Who made the Yielding as

they leaped into the mirror-lined pit within

thetower.

An ordinary Yielding might take out

twenty, thirty witches around her. Maybe

more,ifshewasolderandmorepowerful.

But aYielding amplified by the power of

those witch mirrors … One blast, and the

castle looming above them would be rubble.

Another blast, maybe two, and Orynth would

followit.

Ironteeth swarmed the tower, a vicious

wallkeepingtheCrochansandrebelIronteeth

out.

A few Crochans indeed tried to break

throughthosedefenses.

Their red-clad bodies fell to the earth in

pieces.

Petrah, now within the confines of her

coven,evenmadearunforthetower.Toripit

down.

They were beaten back by a swarm of

Ironteeth.

Thetoweradvanced.Closerandcloser.

Itwouldbewithinrangesoon.Anotherfew

minutes, and that tower would be close

enough for its blast to reach the castle. To

wipe away this army, this remnant of

resistance,forever.

There would be no survivors. No second

chances.

Manonturned toAsterin and said quietly,

“Ineedanotherwyvern.”

HerSecondonlystaredather.

Manonrepeated,“Ineedanotherwyvern.”

Abraxos was in noshape to fly. Wouldn’t

beforhoursordays.

AedionAshryverrasped,“Nooneisgetting

throughthatwallofIronteeth.”

Manonbaredherteeth.“Iam.”Shepointed

attheshape-shifter.“Youcancarryme.”

Aedionsnarled,“No.”

But Lysandra shook her head, sorrow and

despairinhergreeneyes.“Ican’t—themagic

isdrained.IfIhadanhour—”

“We have five minutes,” Manon snapped.

ShewhirledtotheThirteen.“Wehavetrained

forthis.Tobreakapartenemyranks.Wecan

getthroughthem.Takeapartthattower.”

But they all looked at one another. Like

they’d had some unspoken conversation and

agreement.

The Thirteen stalked toward their own

mounts. Sorrel clasped Manon’s shoulder as

she passed, then climbed onto her wyvern’s

back.LeavingAsterinbeforeManon.

HerSecond,hercousin,herfriend,smiled,

eyesbrightasstars.“Live,Manon.”

Manonblinked.

Asterin smiled wider, kissed Manon’s

brow,andwhisperedagain,“Live.”

Manondidn’tseetheblowcoming.

The punch to her gut, so hard and precise

thatitknockedthewindfromher.Sentherto

herknees.

Shewasstrugglingtogetabreathdown,to

get up, when Asterin reached Narene and

mounted the blue mare, gathering the reins.

“Bringourpeoplehome,Manon.”

Manonknewthen.Whattheyweregoingto

do.

Herlegsfailedher,herbodyfailedher,as

she tried to get to her feet. As she rasped,

“No.”

ButAsterin and theThirteen were already

intheskies.

Already in formation, that battering ram

thathadservedthemsowell.Spearingtoward

thebattlefield.Towardtheapproachingwitch

tower.

Manon clawed her way to the battlement

ledge, and hauled herself to her feet. Leaned

against the stones, panting, trying to get air

intoherlungssoshemightfindsomewayto

getairborne,findsomeCrochanandstealher

broom—

Buttherewerenowitcheshere.Nobrooms

tobefound.Abraxosremainedunconscious.

Manon was distantly aware of the shifter

andPrinceAedioncomingupbesideher,Lord

Renwiththem.Distantlyawareofthesilence

thatfelloverthecastle,thecity,thewalls.

As all of them watched that witch tower

approach,theirdoomgatheringwithinit.

As the Thirteen raced for it, raced against

thewindanddeathitself.

A wall of Ironteeth rose up before the

tower,blockingtheirpath.

Ahundredagainsttwelve.

Inside the witch tower, close enough now

that Manon could see through the open

archway of the uppermost level, a young

witch in black robes stepped toward the

hollowedinterior.

Stepped toward where Manon’s

grandmotherstood,gesturingtothepitbelow.

The Thirteen neared the enemy in their

pathanddidnotfalter.

Manon dug her fingers into the stones so

hardherironnailscracked.Beganshakingher

head, something in her chest fracturing

completely.

Fracturing as the Thirteen slammed into

theIronteethblockade.

The maneuver was perfect. More flawless

than any they’d done. A lethal phalanx that

speared through the enemy’s ranks. Aiming

rightforthetower.

Seconds.Theyhadsecondsuntilthatyoung

witchsummonedthepowerandunleashedthe

Yieldinginablastofblackness.

The Thirteen punched through the

Ironteeth,spreadingwide,pushingthemtothe

side.

Clearing a path right to the tower as

Asterinsweptinfromtheback,aimingforthe

uppermostlevel.

Imogenwentdownfirst.

ThenLin.

And Ghislaine, her wyvern swarmed by

theirenemy.

ThenTheaandKaya,together,astheyhad

alwaysbeen.

Then the green-eyed demon twins,

laughing as they went. Then the Shadows,

Edda and Briar, arrows still firing. Still

findingtheirmarks.

Then Vesta, roaring her defiance to the

skies.

AndthenSorrel.Sorrel,whoheldtheway

open for Asterin, a solid wall for Manon’s

Secondasshesoaredin.Awallagainstwhom

thewavesofIronteethbrokeandbroke.

The young witch inside the tower began

glowingblack,stepsfromthepit.

Beside Manon, Lysandra and Aedion

wrappedtheirarmsaroundeachother.Ready

fortheendheartbeatsaway.

And then Asterin was there. Asterin was

barreling toward that open stretch of air, for

the tower itself, bought with the lives of the

Thirteen.Withtheirfinalstand.

Manoncouldonlywatch,watchandwatch

and watch, shaking her head as if she could

undo it, asAsterin removed her leathers, the

shirtbeneath.

AsAsterinrose inthesaddle, freed ofthe

buckles,adaggerinhandasherwyvernaimed

straightforthetower.

Manon’s grandmother turned then. Away

from the pit, the acolyte about to leap inside

anddestroythemall.

Asterinhurledherdagger.

Thebladeflewtrue.

Itplungedintotheacolyte’sback,sending

thewitchsprawlingtothestones.Afootaway

fromthedroptothepit.

Asterin drew the twin swords from the

sheaths at her hips and slammed her wyvern

into thesideof thetower. Thecrack of bone

onrockechoedacrosstheworld.

But Asterin was already leaping. Already

archingthroughtheair,swordsraised,wyvern

tumblingawaybeneath,Narene’sbodybroken

onimpact.

Manonbeganscreamingthen.

Screaming, endless and wordless, as that

thinginherchest,asherheart,shattered.

As Asterin landed in the witch tower’s

openarchway,swordsswingingatthewitches

who rushed to kill her. They might as well

havebeenbladesofgrass.Mightaswellhave

been mist, for how easily Asterin cut them

down, one after another, driving forward,

toward the Matron who had branded the

letters on stark display across Asterin’s

abdomen.

UNCLEAN

Twirling, twisting, blades flying, Asterin

slaughtered her way toward Manon’s

grandmother.

The High Witch of the Blackbeak Clan

backed away, shaking her head. Her mouth

moved,asifshebreathed,“Asterin,no—”

ButAsterinwasalreadythere.

And it was not darkness, but light—light,

bright and pure as the sun on snow, that

eruptedfromAsterin.

Light,asAsterinmadetheYielding.

As the Thirteen, their broken bodies

scattered around the tower in a near-circle,

madetheYieldingaswell.

Light.Theyallburnedwithit.Radiatedit.

Light that flowed from their souls, their

fierceheartsas they gavethemselves overto

thatpower.Becameincandescentwithit.

Asterin tackled the Blackbeak Matron to

theground,Manon’sgrandmotherlittlemore

than a shadow against the brightness. Then

littlemorethanascrapofhateandmemoryas

Asterinexploded.

As she and the Thirteen Yielded

completely, and blew themselves and the

witchtowertosmithereens.



CHAPTER90

Manon sank to the stones of the castle

battlementsanddidnotmoveforalong,long

while.

She didn’t hear those who spoke to her,

who touched her shoulder. Didn’t feel the

cold.

Thesunarcedanddescended.

At some point, she lay down upon the

stones, curled against the wall. When she

awoke, a wing had covered her, and warm

breath whispered across her head asAbraxos

dozed.

She had no words in her. Nothing but a

ringingsilence.

Manongottoherfeet,easingpastthewing

thathadshieldedher.

Thedawnwasbreaking.

And where that witch tower had stood,

where the army had been, only blasted earth

remained.

Morathhaddrawnback.Farback.

Thecityandwallsstillstood.

SherousedAbraxoswithahandtohisside.

He couldn’t fly, not yet, so they walked

together.

Downthebattlementsteps.Outthroughthe

castlegatesandintothecitystreetsbeyond.

Shedidn’tcarethatothersfollowed.More

andmoreofthem.

The streets were filled with blood and

rubble,allofitgildedbytherisingsun.

She didn’t feel the warmth of that sun on

her face while they walked through the

southern gateand ontotheplain beyond.She

didn’tcarethatsomeonehadopenedthegate

forthem.

Atherside,Abraxosnudgedasidepilesof

Valg soldiers,clearingapathfor her.Forall

thosewhotrailedintheirwake.

Itwassoquiet.Insideher,andontheplain.

Soquiet,andempty.

Manon crossed the still battlefield. Didn’t

stop until she reached the center of the blast

radius.Untilshestoodinitsheart.

Notatraceofthetower.Orthosewhohad

beeninit,aroundit.Eventhestoneshadbeen

meltedintonothing.

NotatraceoftheThirteen,ortheirbrave,

noblewyverns.

Manonfelltoherknees.

Ashesrose,fluttering,softassnowasthey

clungtothetearsonherface.

Abraxos lay beside her, his tail curling

around her while she bowed over her knees

andwept.

Behindher,hadshelooked,shewouldhave

seen Glennis. And Bronwen. Petrah

Blueblood.

Aedion Ashryver and Lysandra and Ren

Allsbrook.

PrinceGalanandCaptainRolfeandAnsel

of Briarcliff, Ilias and the Fae royals beside

them.

Had she looked, she would have seen the

small white flowers they bore. Would have

wondered how and where they had gotten

theminthedeadheartofwinter.

Had she looked, she would have seen the

people gathered behindthem, so many they

streamedallthewaytothecitygates.Would

have seen the humans standing side by side

withtheCrochansandIronteeth.

AllcometohonortheThirteen.

But Manon did not look. Even when the

leaders who had come with her, walked with

her all this way, began to lay their flowers

upon the blasted, bloodied earth. Even when

their tears flowed, dropping into the ashes

alongsidetheirofferingsoftribute.

They didn’t speak. And neither did the

streaminglineofpeoplewhocameafterthem.

A few bore flowers, but many brought small

stones to lay on the site. Those who had

neither laid down whatever personal effects

they could offer. Until the blast site was

covered,asifagardenhadgrownfromafield

ofblood.

Glennisstayeduntiltheend.

And when they were alone on the silent

battlefield, Manon’s great-grandmother put a

hand on her shoulder and said quietly, her

voicesomehowdistant,“Bethebridge,bethe

light. When iron melts, when flowers spring

fromfieldsof blood—letthelandbewitness,

andreturnhome.”

Manondidn’thearthewords.Didn’tnotice

when even Glennis returned to the city

loomingatherback.

For hours, Manon knelt on the battlefield,

Abraxosatherside.Asifshemightstaywith

them,herThirteen,foralittlewhilelonger.

And far away, across the snow-covered

mountains,onabarrenplainbeforetheruins

ofaonce-greatcity,aflowerbegantobloom.



CHAPTER91

Dorian hadn’t believed it—hadn’t dared to

hopeforwhathesaw.

A foreign army, marching northward. An

armyhe’dgrownupstudying.Therewerethe

khagan’s foot soldiers, and the Darghan

cavalry. There were the legendary ruks,

magnificentandproud,soaringabovethemin

aseaofwings.

He’d aimed as close to the head of the

armyashecouldget,wonderingwhichofthe

royals had come. Wondering if Chaol was

withthem.Ifthepresenceofthismiraculous

army meant his friend had succeeded against

allodds.

Therukshadspiedhimthen.

Chased him, and he’d begun signaling as

he’dneared.Hopingthey’dpause.

Butthenhe’dlandedatthecrossroads.And

thenhe’dseenthem.Seenher.

Aelin, galloping for him. Rowan at her

side,Elideandtheotherswithher.

Maeve had believed Aelin had headed to

Terrasen.Andhereshewas,withthekhagan’s

army.

Aelin’s smile faded the moment she grew

close.Asifshesensedwhathebore.

“Where’sManon?”wasallsheasked.

“Terrasen,” he breathed, panting slightly.

“And likely with the Crochans, if it went

accordingtoplan.”

She opened her mouth, eyes wide, but

anotherridercamegallopingdowntheroad.

Theworldwentquiet.

The approaching rider halted, another—a

beautiful woman Dorian could only describe

asgolden—rightbehind.

But Dorian stared at the rider before him.

At the posture of the body, the commanding

seathepossessed.

AndasChaolWestfalldismountedandran

the last few feet toward Dorian, the King of

Adarlanwept.

Chaol didn’t hide his tears, the shaking that

overtook him as he collided with Dorian and

embracedhisking.

No one said a word, though Chaol knew

they were all gathered. Knew Yrene stood

behindhim,cryingwiththem.

Hejustheldhisfriend,hisbrother.

“I knew you’d do it,” Dorian said, voice

raw.“Iknewyou’dfindaway.Forallofit.”

The army. The fact that he was now

standing.

Chaol only gripped Dorian tighter. “You

haveonehellofastorytotellyourself.”

Dorianpulledback,hisfacesolemn.

A story, Chaol realized, that might not be

ashappyashisown.

Yet before whatever doom Dorian carried

couldfalluponthem,Chaolgesturedtowhere

Yrene had dismounted and now wiped away

hertears.

“The woman responsible for this,” Chaol

said, motioning to his standing, his walking,

tothearmystretchingdowntheroad.“Yrene

Towers.AhealerattheTorreCesme.Andmy

wife.”

Yrenebowed,andChaolcouldhavesworn

a flicker of sorrow darkened Dorian’s eyes.

But then his king was takingYrene’s hands,

lifting her from her bow. And though that

sorrow still edged his smile, Dorian said to

her,“Thankyou.”

Yrene went scarlet. “I’ve heard so much

aboutyou,YourMajesty.”

Dorian only winked, a ghost of the man

he’dbeenbefore.“Allbadthings,Ihope.”

Yrene laughed, and the joy on her face—

thejoythatChaolknewwasforbothofthem

—madehimloveheralloveragain.

“I have always wanted a sister,” Dorian

said,andleanedtokissYreneoneithercheek.

“WelcometoAdarlan,Lady.”

Yrene’s smile turned softer—deeper, and

she laid a hand on her abdomen. “Then you

shallbepleasedtohearthatyou’llsoonbean

uncle.”

Dorian whirled to him. Chaol nodded,

unable to find the words to convey what

floodedhisheart.

But Dorian’s smile dimmed as he faced

whereAelinnowleanedagainstatree,Rowan

andElidebesideher.

“I know,”Aelin said, and Chaol knew she

didn’tmeanaboutthepregnancy.

Dorian closed his eyes, and Chaol laid a

hand on his king’s shoulder at whatever

burdenhewasabouttoreveal.

“IretrievedthethirdfromMorath,”Dorian

said.

Chaol’s knees buckled, and Yrene was

instantlythere,anarmaroundhiswaist.

TheWyrdkeys.

Chaol asked Dorian, “You have all three

now?”

Doriannoddedonce.

A look from Rowan had his cadre peeling

offtomakesurenonefromthearmygotclose

enoughtohear.

“I snuck into Morath to get the third,”

Doriansaid.

“Holy gods,” Aelin breathed. Chaol just

blinked.

“That was the easy part,” Dorian said,

paling. The khaganate royals emerged from

theranks,andDoriansmiledatNesryn.Then

nodded to the royals. Introductions would

comelater.

“Maevewasthere,”DoriansaidtoAelin.

Flame danced atAelin’s fingertips as she

restedherhandatopGoldryn.Thefireseemed

to sink into the blade, the ruby flickering. “I

know,”shesaidquietly.

Dorian’s brows rose.Aelin just shook her

head,motioninghimtocontinueasthecadre

returned.

“Maeve discovered my presence, and …”

Dorian sighed, and the whole story came

tumblingout.

When he was done,Chaolwas gladYrene

had kept her arm around his waist. Silence

fell, thick and taut. Dorian had destroyed

Morath.

“I have little doubt,” Dorian admitted,

“that both Erawan and Maeve survived

Morath’s collapsing. It likely only served to

enragethem.”

Itdidn’tstopChaolfrommarvelingathis

friend,theothersgawking.

“Well done,” Lorcan said, scanning the

kingfromheadtotoe.“Welldoneindeed.”

Aelinletoutanimpressedwhistle.“Iwish

I could have seen it,” she said to Dorian,

shakingherhead. Thenshe turned to Rowan.

“Your uncle and Essar came through, then.

TheykickedMaevetothecurb.”

The Fae Prince snorted. “You said your

letter was strongly worded. I should have

believed you.” Aelin sketched a bow. Chaol

hadn’tthefaintestideawhattheyweretalking

about, but Rowan went on, “So if Maeve

cannot be Queen of the Fae, she will find

herselfanotherthrone.”

“Bitch,”Fenrysspat.Chaolwasinclinedto

agree.

“Our worst fears have been confirmed,

then,” Prince Sartaq said, glancing to his

siblings. “A Valg king and queen united.”A

nodtowardElide.“Youruncledidnotlie.”

“Maeve has no army now,” Dorian

remindedthem.“Justherpower.”

Nesryn cringed. “The hybrids she created

withtheprincessesmightbedisasterenough.”

Chaol glanced to Yrene, the woman who

held the greatest weapon against the Valg

withinherownbody.

“When did you leave Morath?” Rowan

asked.

“Threedaysago,”Doriansaid.

RowanturnedtoAelin,ashen-facedasshe

remained leaning against the tree. Chaol

wonderedifshedidsoonlybecauseherown

legsmightnotbeabletosupporther.“Thenat

least we know that Erawan has not yet come

toTerrasen.”

“His Ironteeth host went ahead of him,”

Doriansaid.

“We know,” Chaol said. “They’re already

atOrynth.”

Dorianshookhishead.“That’simpossible.

They left soon after I did. I’m surprised you

didn’tseethemflyingpastintheRuhnns.”

Silence.

“The full Ironteeth host isn’t yet at

Orynth,”Aelinsaidsoftly.Toosoftly.

“Icountedoverathousandinthehostthat

Iflewwith,”Doriansaid.“Manyboresoldiers

withthem—allValg.”

Chaol closed his eyes, and Yrene’s arm

tightenedaroundhiminsilentcomfort.

“We knew the rukhin would be

outnumberedanyway,”Nesrynsaid.

“There won’t be anything left of Terrasen

fortherukhintodefend,”PrinceKashinsaid,

rubbinghisjaw.“EveniftheCrochansarrived

beforeus.”

TheQueenofTerrasenpushedofffromthe

treeatlast.“Wehavetwochoices,then,” she

said, her voice unwavering despite the hell

thatsweptuponthem.“Wecontinuenorth,as

fastaswecan.Seewhatthereistofightwhen

wearriveatTerrasen.Imightbeabletobring

downagoodnumberofthosewyverns.”

“And the other option?” Princess Hasar

asked.

Aelin’sfacewasstark.“Wehavethethree

Wyrdkeys. We have me. I can end this now.

OratleasttakeErawanoutofplaybeforehe

can find us, steal those keys back, and rule

overthisworldandallothers.”

Rowanstarted,shakinghishead.ButAelin

heldupahand.AndeventheFaePrincestood

down.“It’snotmychoicealone.”

And Chaol realized that it was indeed a

queen standing before them, not the assassin

he’d dragged out of a salt mine a few miles

downtheroad.Noteventhewomanhe’dseen

inRifthold.

Dorian squared hisshoulders. “Thechoice

isalsomine.”

Slowly, so slowly, Aelin looked at him.

Chaol braced himself. Her voice was deadly

softasshesaidtoDorian,“Youretrievedthe

thirdkey.Yourroleinthisisdone.”

“Likehellitis,”Doriansaid,sapphireeyes

flashing. “The same blood, the same debt,

flowsinmyveins.”

Chaol’s hands curled at his sides as he

foughttokeephismouthshut.Rowanseemed

tobedoingthesameasthetworulerssquared

off.

Aelin’s face remained unmoved—distant.

“You’resoeagertodie?”

Doriandidn’tretreat.“Areyou?”

Silence.Uttersilenceintheclearing.

Then Aelin shrugged, as if the weight of

entire worlds didn’t hang in the balance.

“Regardlessofwhowillputthekeysbackinto

thegate,thisisafatethatbelongstoallofus.

So all of us should decide.” Her chin lifted.

“Dowecontinue onto war,hopewe makeit

toOrynthintime,andthendestroythekeys?

Ordowedestroythekeysnow,andthenyou

continue northward.” A pause, horrible and

unbearable.“Withoutme.”

Rowanwasshaking,whetherwithrestraint

orindread,Chaolcouldn’ttell.

Aelinsaid,unwaveringandcalm,“Iwould

liketoputittoavote.”

Avote.

Rowan had never heard of anything so

absurd.

Evenaspartofhimglowedwithpridethat

she had chosen now, here, as the moment

whenthatnewworldshehadpromisedwould

rise.

Aworldinwhichafewdidnotholdallthe

power, but many. Beginning with this, this

mostvitalchoice.Thisunbearablefate.

All of them had moved farther down the

road, and it was not lost on Rowan that they

stood at a crossroads. Or that Dorian and

Aelin and Chaol stood in the heart of that

crossroads, merely a few miles from the salt

mines.Wheresomuchofthishadbegun,just

overayearago.

There was a dull roar in Rowan’s ears as

thedebateraged.

He knew he should fall on his knees and

thankDorianforretrievingthethirdkey.But

hehatedthekingallthesame.

He hated this path they’d been put on, a

thousandyearsago.Hatedthatthischoicelay

beforethem,whentheyhadalreadyfoughtso

much,givensomuch.

PrinceKashinwassaying,“Wemarchona

hundred thousand enemy troops, possibly

more. Thatnumberwill notchange when the

Wyrdgate is closed. We will need the Fire-

Bringertocutthroughthem.”

Princess Hasar shook her head.“But there

is the possibility of that army’s collapse

should Erawan vanish. Cut off the beast’s

headandthebodycoulddie.”

“That’sabigrisktotake,”Chaolsaid,his

jaw tight. “Erawan’s removal from all this

might help, or it might not.An enemy army

this big, full of Valg who might be eager to

fill his place, could be impossible to stop at

thispoint.”

“Then why not use the keys?” Nesryn

asked.“Whynotbringthekeysnorthanduse

them,destroythearmy,and—”

“The keys cannot be wielded,” Dorian cut

in.“Notwithoutdestroyingthebearer.We’re

notentirelysureamortalcouldwithstandthe

power.” He nodded toward Aelin, silent and

watchfulwhileittookallofRowan’straining

not to hurl up his guts. “Just putting them

back in the gate requires everything.” He

addedtightly,“Fromoneofus.”

Rowan knew he should be arguing against

this,shouldbebellowing.

Dorianwenton,“Ishoulddoit.”

“No.” The word broke from Chaol—and

Aelin. Her first word since this debate had

begun.

But it was Fenrys who askedChaol, voice

deadlysoft,“You’drathermyqueendiethan

yourking?”

Chaol stiffened. “I’d rather neither of my

friendsdie.I’drathernoneofthishappen.”

Before Fenrys could snarl his answer,

Yrenecutin.“SowhentheLockisforgedand

the Wyrdgate is sealed, the gods will be

gone?”

“Goodriddance,”Fenrysmuttered.

ButYrenestiffenedatthecasualdismissal,

and put a hand over her heart. “I love Silba.

Dearly. When she is gone from this world,

willmypowersceasetoexist?”Shegestured

tothegatheredgroup.

“Doubtful,” Dorian said. “That cost, at

least,wasneverdemanded.”

“What of the other gods in this world?”

Nesrynasked,frowning.“Thethirty-sixofthe

khaganate. Are they not gods as well? Will

theybesentaway,orjustthesetwelve?”

“Perhapsour gods areofadifferentsort,”

PrincessHasarmused.

“Cantheynothelpus,then?”Yreneasked,

sorrow for the goddess who had blessed her

stilldarkeninghergoldeneyes.“Cantheynot

intervene?”

“There are indeed other forces at work in

this world,” Dorian said, touching Damaris’s

hilt.Thegodoftruth—that’swhohadblessed

Gavin’s sword. “But I think if those forces

had been able to aid us in this manner, they

wouldhavedonesoalready.”

Aelin tapped her foot on the ground.

“Expecting divinehandoutsis awaste ofour

time.Andnotthetopicathand.”Shefixedher

burning stare on Dorian. “We are also not

debatingwhoshallpaythecost.”

“Why.” Rowan’s low question was out

beforehecouldhaltit.

Slowly, his mate turned toward him.

“Because we’re not.” Sharp, icy words. She

cut Dorian a look, and the King of Adarlan

openedhismouth.“We’renot,”shesnarled.

Dorianopenedhismouthagain,butRowan

caughthiseye.Heldhisstareandlethimread

the words there.Later. We shall debate this

later.

Whether Aelin noted their silent

conversation, whether she beheld Dorian’s

subtle nod, she didn’t let on. She only said,

“We don’t have time to waste on endless

debate.”

Lorcan nodded. “Every moment we have

all threekeys is a riskof Erawan finding us,

andfinallygainingwhatheseeks.OrMaeve,”

he added, frowning. “But even with that, I

would go north—let Aelin put a dent in

Morath’slegions.”

“Be objective,” Aelin growled. She

surveyedthemall.“Pretendyoudonotknow

me.PretendIamnoone,andnothingtoyou.

Pretend Iamaweapon.Doyou usemenow,

orlater?”

“You are not no one, though,” Elide said

quietly.“Nottoagoodmanypeople.”

“Thekeysgobackinthegate,”Aelinsaid

abitcoldly.“Atsomepointoranother.AndI

gowiththem.Wearedecidingwhetherthatis

now,orinafewweeks.”

Rowan couldn’t bear it. To hear another

word.“No.”

Everyonehaltedoncemore.

Aelinbaredherteeth.“Notdoinganything

isn’tanoption.”

“We hide them again,” Rowan said. “He

lostthemforthousandsofyears.Wecandoit

again.” He pointed to Yrene. “She could

destroyhimallonherown.”

“That is not an option,” Aelin growled.

“Yreneiswithchild—”

“I can do it,” Yrene said, stepping from

Chaol’sside.“Ifthere’saway,Icoulddoit.

Seeiftheotherhealerscouldhelp—”

“There will be Valg by the thousands for

youtodestroyorsave,LadyWestfall,”Aelin

said with that same cold. “Erawan could

slaughteryoubeforeyouevengetthechance

totouchhim.”

“Whyareyouallowedtogiveupyourlife

forthis,andnooneelse?”Yrenechallenged.

“I am not the one carrying a child within

me.”

Yrene blinked slowly. “Hafiza might be

ableto—”

“I will not play a game of what-ifs and

mights,”Aelinsaid,inatonethatRowanhad

heardsorarely.Thatqueen’stone.“Wevote.

Now. Do we put the keys back in the gate

immediately,orcontinuetoTerrasenandthen

doitifweareabletostopthatarmy?”

“Erawan can be stopped,” Yrene pushed,

unfazedbythequeen’swords.Unafraidofher

wrath. “I know he can. Without the keys, we

canstophim.”

Rowanwantedtobelieveher.Wantedmore

than anything he’d ever desired in his life to

believe Yrene Westfall. Chaol, glancing at

Dorian,seemedinclinedtodothesame.

ButAelinpointedatPrincessHasar.“How

doyouvote?”

Hasar heldAelin’s stare.Considered fora

moment.“Ivotetodoitnow.”

AelinjustpointedtoDorian.“You?”

Dorian tensed, the unfinished debate still

raginginhisface.Buthesaid,“Doitnow.”

Rowan closed his eyes. Barely heard the

otherrulersandtheiralliesastheygavetheir

replies. He walked to the edge of the trees,

preparedtorunifhebegantovomit.

ThenAelinsaid,“You’relast,Rowan.”

“Ivoteno.Notnow,notever.”

Her eyes were cold, distant. The way

they’dbeeninMistward.

“It’s decided, then,” Chaol said quietly.

Sadly.

“Atdawn,theLockwillbeforgedandthe

keysgobackintothegate,”Dorianfinished.

Rowan just stared and stared at his mate.

Hisreasonforbreathing.

Elide asked softly, “What is your vote,

Aelin?”

Aelin tore her eyes from Rowan, and he

felt the absence of that stare like a frozen

windasshesaid,“Itdoesn’tmatter.”



CHAPTER92

Aelin didn’t say that asking them to vote

hadn’tjustbeenaboutlettingthemdecide,as

freepeoplesoftheworld,howtosealitsfate.

Shedidn’tsaythatithadalsobeenacoward’s

thing to do. To let someone else decide for

her.Tochoosetheroadahead.

They camped that night at Endovier, the

saltminesamerethreemilesdowntheroad.

Rowan made them set up their royal tent.

Theirroyalbed.

Shedidn’teatwiththeothers.Couldbarely

touch the food Rowan laid on the desk. She

wasstillsittinginfrontofit,roastrabbitnow

cold, poring over those useless books on

WyrdmarkswhenRowansaidfromacrossthe

table,“Idonotacceptthis.”

“Ido.”Thewordswereflat,dead.

As she would be,before the sun had fully

risen.Aelinshuttheancienttomebeforeher.

Only a few days separated them from

Terrasen’s border. Perhaps she should have

agreed to do this now, but on the condition

that it was on Terrasen soil. Terrasen soil,

ratherthanbyEndovier.

Buteverypassingdaywasarisk.Aterrible

risk.

“Youhaveneveracceptedanythinginyour

life,”Rowansnarled,shootingtohisfeetand

bracinghishandsonthetable.“Andnowyou

aresuddenlywillingtodoso?”

She swallowed against the ache in her

throat. Surveyed the books she’d combed

through thrice now to no avail. “What am I

supposedtodo,Rowan?”

“Youdamnitalltohell!”Heslammedhis

fistonthetable,rattlingthedishes.“Yousay

to hell with their plans, their prophecies and

fates, and you make your own! You do

anythingbutacceptthis!”

“ThepeopleofErileahavespoken.”

“Tohellwiththat,too,”hegrowled.“You

can start your free worldafter this war. Let

them vote for their own damned kings and

queens,iftheywantto.”

She let out a growl of her own. “I do not

want this burden for one second longer. I do

notwanttochooseandlearnImadethewrong

choiceindelayingit.”

“Soyouwouldhavevotedagainstit,then.

YouwouldhavegonetoTerrasen.”

“Doesitmatter?”Sheshottoherfeet.“The

votes weren’t in my favor anyway. Hearing

thatIwantedtogotoOrynth,tofightonelast

time,wouldhaveonlyswayedthem.”

“You’retheonewho’sabouttodie.I’dsay

yougettohaveavoiceinit.”

Shebaredherteeth.“Thisismyfate.Elena

tried to get me out of it. And look where it

landed her—with a cabal of vengeful gods

swearing to end her eternal soul. When the

Lockisforged,whenIclosethegate,Iwillbe

destroyinganotherlifealongsidemyown.”

“Elena has had a thousand years of

existence,eitherlivingorasaspirit.Forgive

meifIdon’tgiveashitthathertimehasnow

come to an end, when you only received

twentyyears.”

“Igottotwentyyearsbecauseofher.”

Not even twenty. Her birthday was still

monthsaway.Inaspringshewouldnotsee.

Rowan began pacing, his stalking steps

eatingupthecarpet.“Thismessisbecauseof

her, too. Why should you bear its weight

alone?”

“Because it was always mine to begin

with.”

“Bullshit. It could have as easily been

Dorian.He’swillingtodoit.”

Aelin blinked. “Elena and Nehemia said

Dorianwasn’tready.”

“Dorian walked into and out of Morath,

wenttoe to toe with Maeve, and brought the

wholedamnplacecrashingdown.I’dsayhe’s

asreadyasyouare.”

“I won’t allow himto sacrifice himself in

mystead.”

“Why?”

“Becauseheismyfriend.BecauseIwon’t

beabletolivewithmyselfifIlethimgo.”

“Hesaidhewoulddoit,Aelin.”

“He doesn’t know what he wants. He’s

barely emerging from the horrors he

endured.”

“And you aren’t?” Rowan challenged,

wholly unfazed. “He’s a grown man. He can

makehisownchoices—wecanmakechoices

withoutyoulordingoverthem.”

Shebaredherteeth.“It’sbeendecided.”

Hecrossedhisarms.“ThenyouandIwill

doit.Together.”

Herheartstoppedinherchest.

Hewenton,“YouarenotforgingtheLock

alone.”

“No.” Her hands began shaking. “That is

notanoption.”

“Accordingtowhom?”

“According tome.” She couldn’t breathe

aroundthethought—ofhimbeingerasedfrom

existence. “If it was possible, Elena would

havetoldme.Someonewithmybloodlinehas

topay.”

Heopenedhismouth,butbeheldthetruth

inherface,herwords.Heshookhishead.“I

promisedyouwe’dfindawaytopaythisdebt

—together.”

Aelin surveyed the scattered books.

Nothing—thebooks,thatscrapofhopethey’d

offeredhadamountedtonothing.“Thereisn’t

an alternative.” She dragged her hands

throughherhair.“Idon’thaveanalternative,”

sheamended.Nocarduphersleeve,nogrand

reveal.Notforthis.

“We don’t do it tomorrow, then,” he

pushed.“Wewait.Telltheotherswewantto

reach Orynth first. Maybe the Royal Library

hassometexts—”

“Whatisthepointinavoteifweignoreits

outcome?Theydecided,Rowan.Tomorrow,it

willbeover.”

The words rang hollow and sickly within

her.

“Let me find another way.” His voice

broke,buthispacingdidn’tfalter.“Iwillfind

anotherway,Aelin—”

“There is no other way. Don’t you

understand? All of this,” she hissed, arms

splaying. “All ofthis has been to keep you

alive.Allofyou.”

“Withyouastheaskingprice.Toatonefor

somelingeringguilt.”

She slammed a hand atop the stack of

ancient books. “Do you think Iwant to die?

Doyouthinkanyofthisiseasy,tolookatthe

sky and wonder if it’s the last I’ll see? To

lookatyou,andwonderaboutthoseyearswe

won’thave?”

“I don’t know what you want, Aelin,”

Rowan snarled. “You haven’t been entirely

forthcoming.”

Herheartthundered.“Iwantittobeover,

one way or another.” Her fingers curled into

fists.“Iwantthistobedone.”

He shook his head. “I know. And I know

what you went through, that those months in

Doranellewerehell,Aelin.Butyoucan’tstop

fighting.Notnow.”

Her eyes burned. “I held on for this. For

thispurpose.SoIcanputthekeysbackinthe

gate. When Cairn ripped me apart, when

Maeve tore away everything I knew, it was

only remembering that this task relied upon

my survival that kept me from breaking.

KnowingthatifIfailed,allofyouwoulddie.”

Her breathing turned uneven, sharp. “And

since then, I’ve been so damnedstupid in

thinking that perhaps I wouldn’t have to pay

the debt, that I might see Orynth again. That

Dorian might do itinstead.” She spat on the

ground.“Whatsort ofpersondoes thatmake

me? To have been filled with dread when he

arrivedtoday?”

Rowan againopenedhis mouth to answer,

but she cut him off, her voice breaking. “I

thoughtIcouldescapeit—justforamoment.

AndassoonasIdid,thegodsbroughtDorian

sweeping right back into my path. Tell me

that’snotintentional.Tellmethatthosegods,

or whicheverforces might also rule this

world,aren’troaringthatIshouldstillbethe

onetoforgetheLock.”

Rowan just stared at her for a long

moment, his chest heaving. Then he said,

“Whatifthoseforcesdidn’tleadDorianinto

ourpathsoyoualonemightpaythedebt?”

“Idon’tunderstand.”

“Whatiftheybroughtyoutogether.Tonot

pickoneortheother,buttosharetheburden.

Witheachother.”

Even the fire in the braziers seemed to

pause.

Rowan’s eyes glowed as he blazed ahead.

“That day you destroyed the glass castle—

when you joined hands, your power … I’d

neverseenanythinglikeit.Youwereableto

meldyourpowers,tobecomeone.IftheLock

demands all ofyou, then why not give half?

Half ofeach of you—when youboth bear

Mala’sblood?”

Aelin slid slowly into her chair. “I—we

don’tknowitwillwork.”

“It’s better than walking into your own

executionwithyourheadbowed.”

Shesnarled.“HowcouldIeveraskhimto

doit?”

“Becauseitisnotyourburdenalone,that’s

why. Dorian knows this. Has accepted it.

Because the alternative is losing you.” The

rageinhiseyesfractured,rightalongwithhis

voice.“Iwouldgoinyourstead,ifIcould.”

Herownheartcracked.“Iknow.”

Rowanfelltohiskneesbeforeher,putting

his head in her lap as his arms wrapped

around her waist. “I can’t bear it, Aelin. I

can’t.”

She threaded her fingers through his hair.

“I wanted that thousand years with you,”she

said softly. “I wanted to have children with

you. I wanted to go into the Afterworld

together.”Hertearslandedinhishair.

Rowan lifted his head. “Then fight for it.

Onemoretime.Fightforthatfuture.”

Shegazedathim,atthelifeshesawinhis

face.Allthatheoffered.

Allthatshemighthave,too.

“Ineedtoaskyoutodosomething.”

Aelin’s voice roused Dorian from a fitful

sleep.He sat up on his cot. From thesilence

of the camp, it had to be the dead of night.

“What?”

Rowan was standing guard behind her,

watching the army camp beneath the trees.

Dorian caught his emerald gaze—saw the

answerhealreadyneeded.

Theprincehadcomethroughonhissilent

promiseearlier.

Aelin’s throat bobbed. “Together,” she

said, her voice cracking. “What if we forged

theLocktogether?”

Dorian knew herplan, her desperatehope,

beforeshelaiditout.Andwhenshefinished,

Aelinonlysaid,“Iamsorrytoevenaskyou.”

“IamsorryIdidn’tthinkofit,”hereplied,

andpushedtohisfeet,tuggingonhisboots.

Rowan turned toward them now. Waiting

forananswerthatheknewDorianwouldgive.

SoDoriansaidtothemboth,“Yes.”

Aelinclosedhereyes,andhecouldn’ttell

ifitwasfromrelieforregret.Helaidahand

onhershoulder.Hedidn’twanttoknowwhat

the argument had been like between her and

Rowantogethertoagree,toacceptthis.For

Aelintohaveevensaidyes…

Her eyes opened, and only bleak resolve

laywithin.“Wedoitnow,”shesaidhoarsely.

“Beforetheothers.Beforegood-byes.”

Dorian nodded. She only asked, “Do you

wantChaoltobethere?”

Hethoughtaboutsayingno.Thoughtabout

sparing his friend from another good-bye,

whentherewassuchjoyonChaol’sface,such

peace.

ButDorianstillsaid,“Yes.”



CHAPTER93

Thefourofthemstrodeinsilencethroughthe

trees.Downtheancientroadtothesaltmines.

It was the only place the scouts weren’t

watching.

Everystepclosermadeherqueasy,aslow

sweat breaking down her spine. Rowan kept

his hand gripped around hers, his thumb

brushingoverherskin.

Here, in this horrible, dead place of so

much suffering—here was where she would

face her fate.As if she had never escaped it,

notreally.

Underthecoverofdarkness,themountains

in which the mines were carved were little

more than shadows. The great wall that

surroundedthedeathcampwasnothingbuta

stainofblackness.

The gates had been left open, one broken

on its hinges. Perhaps the freed slaves had

triedtoripitdownontheirwayout.

Aelin’s fingers tightened on Rowan’s as

they passed beneath the archway and entered

the open grounds of the mines. There, in the

center—therestood the wooden posts where

shehadbeenwhipped.Onherfirstday,onso

manydays.

Andthere,inthemountaintoherleft—that

was where the pits were. The lightless pits

they’dshovedherinto.

Thebuildingsofthemines’overseerswere

dark.Husks.

It took all her self-control to keep from

lookingatherwrists,wheretheshacklescars

had been. To not feel the cold sweat sliding

down her back and know no scars lay there,

either.JustRowan’stattoo,inkedoversmooth

skin.

As if this place were a dream—some

nightmareconjuredbyMaeve.

Theironywasn’tlostonher.She’descaped

shackles twice now—only to wind up back

here.Atemporaryfreedom.Borrowedtime.

She’dleftGoldrynintheirtent.Thesword

wouldbeoflittleusewheretheyweregoing.

“Ineverthoughtwe’dseethisplaceagain,”

Dorian murmured. “Certainly not like this.”

None of the king’s steps faltered, his face

somberashegrippedDamaris’shilt.Readyto

meetwhateverawaitedthem.

Thepainsheknewwascoming.

No,shehadnoteverreallyescaped at all,

hadshe?

Theyhaltednearthecenterofthedirtyard.

Elena had walked her through forging the

Lock, putting the keys back into the gate.

Though there would be no great display of

magic,nothreattoanyaroundthem,shehad

wantedtobeaway.Farfromanyoneelse.

In the moonlight, Chaol’s face was pale.

“Whatdoyouneedustodo?”

“Be here,” Aelin said simply. “That is

enough.”

Itwastheonlyreasonshewasstillableto

endurestandinghere,inthishatefulplace.

She met Dorian’s inquiring stare and

nodded.Nouseinwastingtime.

Dorian embraced Chaol, the two of them

speakingtooquietlyforAelintohear.

AelinonlybegantosketchaWyrdmarkin

the dirt, large enough forher and Dorian to

stand in. There would be two, overlapping

witheachother:Open.Close.

Lock.Unlock.

She’d learned them from the start. Had

usedthemherself.

“No sweet farewells, Princess?” Rowan

askedasshetracedthemarkwithherfoot.

“Theyseemdramatic,”Aelinsaid.“Fartoo

dramatic,evenforme.”

But Rowan halted her, the second symbol

half-finished. Tipped back her chin. “Even

whenyou’re…there,”hesaid,hispine-green

eyes so bright under the moon. “I am with

you.”Helaidahandonherheart.“Here.Iam

withyouhere.”

She laid her own hand on his chest, and

breathed his scent deep into her lungs, her

heart.“AsIamwithyou.Always.”

Rowan kissed her. “I love you,” he

whispered onto her mouth. “Come back to

me.”

Then Rowan retreated, just beyond the

unfinishedmarks.

The absence of his scent, his heat, filled

her with cold. But she kept her shoulders

back. Kept her breathing steady as she

memorizedthelinesofRowan’sface.

Dorian, eyes shining bright, stepped onto

themarks.AelinsaidtoRowan,“Sealthelast

onewhenwe’redone.”

Herprince,hermate,nodded.

Doriandrewoutafoldedbitofclothfrom

his jacket. Opened it to reveal two slivers of

blackstone.AndtheAmuletofOrynth.

Her stomach roiled, nausea at their

otherworldliness threatening to bring her to

herknees.ButshetooktheAmuletofOrynth

fromhim.

“I thought you might be the one who

wishedtoopenit,”Doriansaidquietly.

Hereintheplacewhereshe’dsufferedand

endured, here in the place where so many

thingshadbegun.

Aelin weighed the ancient amulet in her

palms,ranherthumbsalongthegoldenseam

ofitsedges.Foraheartbeat,shewasagainin

that cozyroom in a riverside estate, her

mother beside her, bequeathing the amulet

intohercare.

Aelin traced her fingers over the

Wyrdmarks on the back. The runes that

spelled out her hateful fate:Nameless is my

price.

Written here, all this time, for so many

centuries. A warning from Brannon, and a

confirmation.Theirsacrifice.Hersacrifice.

Brannon had raged at those gods, had

markedtheamuletandlaidallthosecluesfor

hertoonedayfind.Soshemightunderstand.

As if she could somehow defy this fate. A

fool’shope.

Aelin turned the amulet back over,

brushing her fingers along the immortal stag

onitsfront.

Borrowed time. It had all been borrowed

time.

Thegoldsealingtheamuletmeltedawayin

her hands, hissing as it dropped onto the icy

dirt. With a twist, she pulled apart the two

sidesoftheamulet.

Theunearthlyreekofthethirdkeyhither,

beckoning. Whispered in languages that did

notexistinErileaandneverwould.

Aelin only dumped the sliver of Wyrdkey

intoDorian’sawaitinghand.Itclinkedagainst

the other two, and the sound might have

echoedintoeternity,intoallworlds.

Dorian shuddered, Chaol and Rowan

flinching.

Aelin just pocketed the two halves of the

amulet.ApieceofTerrasentotakewithher.

Wherevertheywereabouttogo.

AelinmetRowan’sstareonelasttime.Saw

thewordsthere.Comebacktome.

She’dtakethosewords,thatfacewithher,

too. Even when the Lock demanded

everything,thatwouldremain.Wouldalways

remain.

She swallowed past the tightness in her

throat. Broke Rowan’s piercing stare. And

thenslicedopenherpalm.ThenDorian’s.

The stars seemed to shift closer, the

mountains peering overAelin’s and Dorian’s

shoulders,assheslicedherknifeathirdtime,

down her forearm. Deep and wide, skin

splitting.

To open the gate, she mustbecome the

gate.

Erawan had begun the process of turning

Kaltain Rompier into that gate—had put the

stonewithinherarmnotforsafekeeping,but

to prepare her body for the other stones. To

turnherintoalivingWyrdgatethathemight

control.

Just one sliver in her body had destroyed

Kaltain.Toputallthreeinherown…

My name is Aelin Ashryver Galathynius,

andIwillnotbeafraid.

Iwillnotbeafraid.

“Ready?”Aelinbreathed.

Doriannodded.

Withafinallookatthestars,onefinallook

at the Lord of the North standing guard over

Terrasen mere miles away, Aelin took the

shardsfromDorian’soutstretchedpalm.

And as she and Dorian joined bloodied

hands,astheirmagicroaredthroughthemand

wove together, blinding and eternal, Aelin

slammed the three Wyrdkeys into the open

woundofherarm.

RowansealedtheWyrdmarkswithaswipeof

hisfootthroughtheicyearth.

Just as Aelin clapped her palm upon her

arm,sealingthethreeWyrdkeysintoherbody

whileherotherhandgrippedDorian’s.

It had to work. It had to have been why

theirpathshadcrossed,whyAelinandDorian

hadfoundeachothertwicenow,inthisexact

place. He could accept no other alternative.

Hecouldn’thavelethergootherwise.

Rowan didn’t breathe. Beside him, he

wasn’tsureifChaoldid,either.

But while Aelin and Dorian still stood

there, heads high despite the fear he scented

coursing through them, their faces had gone

vacant.Empty.

Noflashoflight.

Noflareofpower.

Aelin and Dorian simply stood, hands

united,andstaredahead.

Blank.Unseeing.Frozen.

Gone.

Here, but gone. As if their bodies were

shells.

“Whathappened?”Chaolbreathed.

Aelin’s hand fell from where it had been

clapped onto her arm and dangled limply at

her side. Revealing that open wound. The

blacksliversofrockshovedinsideit.

SomethinginRowan’schest, intricateand

essential,begantostrain.Begantogotaut.

Thematingbond.

Rowan lurched forward a step, a hand on

hischest.

No. The mating bond writhed, as if in

agony,asifinterror.Hehalted,Aelin’sname

onhislips.

Rowan fell to his knees as the three

Wyrdkeys within Aelin’s arm dissolved into

herblood.

Likedewinthesun.



CHAPTER94

Asithadbeenoncebefore,soitwasagain.

The beginning and end and eternity, a

torrent of light, oflife that flowed between

them,twohalvesofacleavedbloodline.

Mist swirled, veiling the solid ground

beneath.Anillusion,perhaps—fortheirminds

to bear where they now stood. A place that

wasnotaplace,inachamberofmanydoors.

More doors than they could ever hope to

count.Somemadeofair,someofglass,some

offlameandgoldandlight.

A new world beyond each; a new world

beckoning.

Buttheyremainedthere,inthecrossroads

ofallthings.

In bodies that were not their bodies, they

stood amid all those doorways, their power

pouring out, pooling before them. Blending

and merging, a ball of light, of creation,

hoveringinmidair.

Every ember that flowed from them into

thegrowingspherebeforethem,intotheLock

taking form, would not return. It would not

replenish.

Awellrunningdry.Forever.

More and more and more, ripping from

them with each breath. Creation and

destruction.

The sphere swirled, its edges warping,

shrinking. Forming into the shape they’d

chosen, a thing of gold and silver. The Lock

that would seal all these infinite doors

forever.

Still they gave over their power, still the

formingoftheLockdemandedmore.

Anditbegantohurt.

ShewasAelinandyetshewasnot.

ShewasAelinandyetshewasinfinite;she

wasallworlds,shewas—

ShewasAelin.

Andbyletting the keys into her, they had

entered thetrue Wyrdgate. A step, or a

thought,orawishwouldallowthemtoaccess

anyworldtheydesired.Anypossibility.

An archway lingered behind them. An

archwaythatwouldsmellofpineandsnow.

Slowly, the Lock formed, light turning to

metal—togoldandsilver.

Dorianwaspanting,hisjawstretchedtight,

as they gave and gave and gave their power

towardit.Nevertoseeitagain.

It was agony.Agony like nothing she had

known.

ShewasAelin. She wasAelin and not the

thingsthatshe’dsetinherarm,notthisplace

that existed beyond reason. She was Aelin;

she wasAelin; and she had come here to do

something, had come here promising to do

something—

Shefoughtherrisingscreamasherpower

rippled away, like peeling skin from her

bones. Precisely how Cairn had done it,

delightedinit.Shehadoutlastedhim,though.

Had escaped Maeve’s clutches. She had

outlastedthemboth.Todothis.Tocomehere.

Butshehadbeenwrong.

She couldn’t bear it. Couldn’t stomach it,

this loss and pain and growing madness as a

newtruthbecameclear:

They would not leave this place. Would

have nothing left anyway. They would

dissolve, mist to float into the fog around

them.

It was agony like Dorian had never known.

Hisveryself,unraveledthreadbythread.

The shape of the Lock, Elena had told

Aelin, did not matter. It could have been a

birdoraswordoraflowerforallthisplace,

thisgate,cared.Buttheirminds,whatwasleft

of them as they frayed, chose the shape they

knew,theonethat madethemostsense. The

Eye of Elena, born again—the Lock once

more.

Aelin began screaming. Screaming and

screaming.

His magic ripped away from that sacred,

perfectplaceinsidehim.

Itwouldkillthemtoforgeit.It’dkillthem

both.Theyhadcomehereoutofthedesperate

hopethey’dbothleave.

Andiftheydidnothalt,iftheydidnotstop

this,neitherwould.

Hetriedtomovehishead.Triedtotellher.

Stop.

His magic tore out of him, the Lock

drinkingitdown,aforcenottobeleashed.An

insatiablehungerthatdevouredthem.

Stop.Hetriedtospeak.Triedtopullback.

Aelin was sobbing now—sobbing through

herteeth.

Soon. Soon now, the Lock would take

everything. And that final destruction would

bethemostbrutalandpainfulofall.

Would the gods make them watch as they

claimedElena’ssoul?Wouldheevenhavethe

chance, the ability, to try to help her, as he

hadpromisedGavin?Heknewtheanswer.

Stop.

“Stop.”

Dorianheardthewordsandforaheartbeat

didnotrecognizethespeaker.

Until a man appeared from one of those

impossible-yet-possible doorways. A man

wholookedof fleshandblood, astheywere,

andyetshimmeredathisedges.

Hisfather.



CHAPTER95

His father stood there. The man he had last

seenonabridgeinaglasscastle,andyetnot.

Therewaskindnessonhisface.Humanity.

Andsorrow.Suchterrible,painedsorrow.

Dorian’smagicfaltered.

EvenAelin’smagicslowedinsurprise,the

torrent thinning to a trickle, a steady and

agonizingdrain.

“Stop,” the man breathed, staggering

towardthem,glancingattheribbonofpower,

blinding and pure, feeding the Lock’s

formation.

Aelinsaid,“Thiscannotbestopped.”

His father shook his head. “I know. What

hasbeguncan’tbehalted.”

Hisfather.

“No,” Dorian said. “No, you cannot be

here.”

The man only looked down—to Dorian’s

side.Towhereaswordmightbe.“Didyounot

summonme?”

Damaris. He had been wearing Damaris

withinthatringofWyrdmarks.Intheirworld,

theirexistence,hestilldid.

The sword, the unnamed god it served,

apparently thought he had one truth left to

face.Onemoretruth,beforehisend.

“No,”Dorianrepeated.Itwasallhecould

think to say ashe looked upon him, theman

who had done such terrible things to all of

them.

Hisfather liftedhis handsinsupplication.

“Myboy,”heonlybreathed.

Dorian had nothing to say to him. Hated

that this man was here, at the end and

beginning.

YethisfatherlookedtoAelin.“Letmedo

this.Letmefinishthis.”

“What?”ThewordsnappedfromDorian.

“Youwerenotchosen,”Aelinsaid,though

thecoldnessinhervoicefaltered.

“Namelessismyprice,”thekingsaid.

Aelinwentstill.

“Nameless is my price,” his father

repeated.Thewarningofanancientwitch,the

damning words written on the back of the

AmuletofOrynth.“Forthebastard-bornmark

youbear,youareNameless,yetamInotsoas

well?” He glanced between them, his eyes

wide.“Whatismyname?”

“This is ridiculous,” Dorian said through

histeeth.“Yournameis—”

Butwherethereshouldhavebeenaname,

onlyanemptyholeexisted.

“You …,” Aelin breathed. “Your name is

…Howisitthatyoudon’thaveone,thatwe

don’tknowit?”

Dorian’s rage slipped. And the agony of

havinghismagic,hissoul,shreddedfromhim

becamesecondaryashisfathersaid,“Erawan

tookit.Wipeditfromhistory,frommemory.

Anancient,terriblespell,sopowerfulitcould

onlybeusedonce.AllsoImightbehismost

faithfulservant.EvenIdonotknowmyname,

notanymore.Ilostit.”

“Namelessismyprice,”Aelinmurmured.

Dorian looked then. At the man who had

beenhisfather.Trulylookedathim.

“Myboy,”hisfatherwhisperedagain.And

it was love—love and pride and sorrow that

shoneinhisface.

His father who had been possessed as he

had, who had tried to save them in his own

way and failed. His father, who had

everything taken from him, but had never

bowedtoErawan—notentirely.

“Iwanttohateyou,”Doriansaid,hisvoice

breaking.

“Iknow,”hisfathersaid.

“You destroyed everything.” He couldn’t

stophis tears.Aelin’shandonlytightenedin

his.

“I am sorry,” his father breathed. “I am

sorryforallofit,Dorian.”

Andeventhewayhisfathersaidhisname

—hehadneverheardhimspeakitlikethat.

Dismiss him. Throw him into some hell-

world.That’swhatheshoulddo.

And yet Dorian knew for whom he had

really brought down Morath. For whom he’d

buried that room of collars, the hateful tomb

aroundthem.

“I’msorry,”hisfathersaidagain.

He did not need Damaris to tell him the

wordsweretrue.

“Let me pay this debt,” his father said,

stepping closer. “Let me pay this, do this.

DoesMala’sbloodnotflowthroughmyveins

aswell?”

“You don’t have magic—not  like we do,”

Aelinsaid,hereyessorrowful.

His father met Aelin’s stare. “I have

enough—justenoughinmyblood.Tohelp.”

Dorian glanced over his shoulder, toward

the archway that opened to Erilea. To home.

“Thenlethim,”hesaid,thoughthewordsdid

notcomeoutwiththeicinesshewished.Only

heavinessandexhaustion.

Aelin said softly to his father, “I had

plannedtobeforeitgottotheend.”

“Then you will not be alone now,” his

fatherreplied.Thenthemansmiledathim—a

vision of the king, the father, he might have

been. Had always been, despite what had

befallenhim.“Iamgrateful—thatIgottosee

youagain.Onelasttime.”

Dorian had no words, couldn’t find them.

NotasAelinturnedtohim,tearsslidingdown

herfaceasshesaid,“Oneofushastorule.”

BeforeDoriancouldunderstand,beforehe

could realize the agreement she’d just made,

Aelinrippedherhandfromhis.

And shoved him through that gateway

behindthem.Backintotheirownworld.

Roaring,Dorianfell.

As the Wyrdgate’s misty realm vanished,

DoriansawAelintakehisfather’shand.



CHAPTER96

Rowan had not moved for the hours they’d

stood beside Aelin and Dorian and watched

themstareatnothing.Chaolhadnotsomuch

asshifted,either.

The night passed, the stars wheeling over

thishateful,coldplace.

AndthenDorian arched,gulpingdown air

—andcollapsedtohisknees.

Aelin remained where she was. Remained

standingandsimplyletgoofDorian’shand.

Rowan’sverysoulhalted.

“No,” Dorian rasped, scrambling toward

her,tryingtogripherhandagain,tojoinher.

ButthewoundonAelin’shandhadsealed.

“ N o ,no!” Dorian shouted, and Rowan

knewthen.

Knewwhatshehaddone.

Thefinaldeceit,thelastlie.

“What happened?” Chaol demanded,

reachingtohoistDoriantohisfeet.Theking

sobbed, unbuckling the ancient sword from

hissideandhurlingitaway.Damaristhunked

hollowlyasithittheearth.

RowanjuststaredatAelin.

Athismate,whohadliedtohim.Toallof

them.

“Itwasn’tenough—thetwoofustogether.

It would have destroyed us both,” Dorian

wept. “YetDamaris somehow summoned my

father,and…hetookmyplace.Heofferedto

take my place so she …” Dorian lunged,

reaching for Aelin’s hand, but he’d left the

ringofWyrdmarks.

Theynowkepthimout.

AwallthatsealedinAelin.

The mating bond stretched thinner and

thinner.

“She and him—they’re going to end it,”

Doriansaid,shaking.

Rowanbarelyheardthewords.

Heshouldhaveknown.Shouldhaveknown

that if their plan failed, Aelin would never

willingly sacrifice a friend. Even for this.

Evenforherownfuture.

She had known he’d try to keep her from

forging the Lock if she’d mentioned that

possibility,whatshewoulddoifitallwentto

hell.HadagreedtoletDorianhelpheronlyto

get herself here. Would likely have dropped

Dorian’shandwithouthisfatherappearing.

Over—shehadsaidsomanytimesthatshe

wishediftobeover.Heshouldhavelistened.

Chaol gripped Dorian, and the young lord

saidtoRowan,softlyandsadly,“I’msorry.”

Shehadlied.

HisFirehearthadlied.

Andhewouldnowwatchherdie.

Hand in hand with her enemy,Aelin allowed

the magic to flow again. Allowed it to rage

outofher.

The nameless king’s power was nothing

comparedtoDorian’s.Butitwasjustenough,

ashesaid.Justenoughtohelp.

She had never intended for Dorian to

destroyhimselfforthis.Onlyforhimtogive

justenough.Andthenshe wouldhave tossed

himbackintoErilea.Soshemightfinishthis

alone.

Payment for ten years of selfishness, ten

years away from Terrasen, ten years of

running.

The agony became a numbing roar. Even

theoldkingwaspantingthroughthepain.

Close now. The gold loops and circles of

theLocksolidified.

Stillmorewasneeded.Tobindthisplace,

tobindallworlds.

Hewouldneverforgiveher.

Hermate.

She had needed him to let her go, needed

him to accept it. She would never have been

able to do it, to come here, had he been

begging her not to, had he been weeping as

shehadwantedtoweepwhenshehadkissed

himonelasttime.

Comebacktome,hehadwhispered.

Sheknewhe’dwait.Untilhefadedintothe

Afterworld, Rowan would wait for her to

return.Tocomebacktohim.

Aelin’s magic tore out of her, a piece so

vital and deep that she cried out, swaying.

Onlytheking’sgripkeptherfromfalling.

The Lock was nearly finished, the two

overlapping circles of the Eye almost

complete.

Her magic writhed, begging her to stop.

Butshecouldnot.Wouldnot.

“Soonnow,”thekingpromised.

Shefoundthemansmiling.

“I was given a message for you,” he said

softly. His edges blurred, as the last of his

powerdrainedaway.Buthestillsmiled.Still

looked at peace. “Your parents are … They

are so very proud of you. They asked me to

tellyouthattheyloveyousoverymuch.”He

was nearly invisible now, his words little

more than a whisper of wind. “And that the

debthasbeenpaidenough,Fireheart.”

Thenhewasgone.Thelastofhimflowed

intotheLock.Wipedfromexistence.

Shebarelyfeltthetearsonherfaceasshe

fell to her knees. As she gave and gave her

magic, her very self.My name is Aelin

AshryverGalath—

Achokingscreamtoreoutofherasthelast

oftheLocksealed.

AstheLockbecameforgedonce more, as

realasherownflesh.

AsAelin’smagiccompletelyvanished.



CHAPTER97

Shecouldbarelymove.Barelythink.

Gone. Where light and life had flowed

withinher,therewasnothing.

Notanember. Onlyadroplet, justone,of

water.

She clung to it, shielded it as they

appeared, twelve figures through the portal

behindher.Filteringintothisplaceofplaces,

thiscrossroadsofeternity.

“It is done, then,”said the one with many

faces, approaching the Lock that hovered in

midair. A flick of a ghostly, ever-changing

hand and the Lock floated toward Aelin.

Landedonherlap,goldandglittering.

“Summonusourworld,girl,”saidtheone

with avoicelikesteel andscreams.“Andlet

usgohomeatlast.”

Thefinal breaking. To sendthem back, to

sealthegate.She’duseherlastkernelofself,

thefinaldroplet,tosealthegateshutwiththe

Lock.Andthenshewouldbegone.

Once upon a time, in a land long since

burned to ash, there lived a young princess

wholovedherkingdom…

“Now,” one with a voice like crashing

wavesordered.“Wehavewaitedenough.”

Aelinmanagedtoliftherhead.Tolookat

their shimmering figures. Things from

anotherworld.

Butamongstthem,pressedintotheirranks

asiftheyheldhercaptive…

Elena’seyeswerewide.Agonized.

Wholovedherkingdom…

Oneofthemsnappedtheir ghostly fingers

atAelin.“Enoughofthis.”

Aelinlookedupather,atthegoddesswho

hadspoken.Sheknewthatvoice.Deanna.

Silently, Aelin surveyed them. Found the

one like a shimmering dawn, the heart of a

flame.

Mala did not look at her. Or at Elena, her

owndaughter.

Aelin turned away from the Fire-Bringer.

And said to none of them in particular, “I

shouldliketomakeabargainwithyou.”

The gods stilled. Deanna hissed, “A

bargain?Youdaretoaskforabargain?”

“Iwouldhearit,”saidonewhosevoicewas

kindandloving.

The thing in her arm writhed, and Aelin

willedittorevealwhattheysought.

The portal to their realm. Sunlight over a

rollinggreencountrynearlyblindedher.They

whirledtowardit,somesighingatthesight.

ButAelinsaid,“Atrade.Beforeyoufulfill

yourend.”

Words were distant, so difficult and

pained.Butsheforcedthemout.

The gods halted. Aelin only looked at

Elena.Smiledsoftly.

“YouhavesworntotakeErawanwithyou.

Todestroyhim,”Aelinsaid,andtheonewith

a voice like death faced her. As if

remembering they had indeed promised such

anoutrageousthing.

“Iwouldliketotrade,”shesaidagain.And

managedtopoint,withthat arm thatheldall

of eternity within it. “Erawan’s soul for

Elena’s.”

Malaturnedtowardhernow.Andstared.

Aelin said into their silence, “Leave

Erawan to Erilea. But in exchange, leave

Elena. Let her soul remain in theAfterworld

withthosesheloves.”

“Aelin,” Elena whispered, and tears like

silverfloweddownhercheeks.

Aelin smiled at the ancient queen. “The

debthasbeenpaidenough.”

She had wanted them to debate it—her

friends. Hadaskedfor a voteon thegate not

just to ease the burden of the choice, but to

hearitfromthem,tohearthemsaythatthey

coulddefeatErawanontheirown.ThatYrene

Towersmightstandachancetodestroyhim.

Soshecouldmakethisbargain,thistrade,

andnotsealtheirdoomentirely.

“Don’t do it,” Elena begged. Begged all

those cold, impassive gods. “Don’t agree to

it.”

Aelinsaidtothem,“Leaveherbe,andgo.”

“Aelin,please,”Elenasaid,weepingnow.

Aelin smiled. “You bought me that extra

time. So I might live. Let me buy this for

you.”

Elenacoveredherfacewithherhandsand

wept.

The gods looked among themselves. Then

Deanna moved, graceful as a stag through a

wood.

Aelin loosed a breath, bowing over her

knees,asthegoddessapproachedElena.

Noonebutherself.Shewouldallownoone

butherselftobesacrificedinthisfinaltask.

Deanna laid her hands on either side of

Elena’sface.“Ihadhopedforthis.”

Then she pressed her hands together,

Elena’sheadclaspedbetweenthem.

AflareoflightfromMala,inwarningand

pain, as Elena’s eyes went wide. As Deanna

squeezed.

And then Elena ruptured. Into a thousand

shimmeringpiecesthatfadedastheyfell.

Aelin’sscreamdiedinherthroat,herbody

unable to rise as Deanna wiped her ghostly

hands, and said, “We do not make bargains

withmortals.Notanylonger.KeepErawan,if

thatiswhatyouwish.”

Then the goddess strode through the

archwayintoherownworld.

Aelin stared at the empty place where

Elenahadbeenonlyheartbeatsbefore.

Nothingremained.

Notevenashimmeringembertosendback

intotheAfterworld,tothemateleftbehind.

Nothingatall.



CHAPTER98

Itwasbreakingapart.

Thematingbond.

Bowed over his knees, Rowan panted, a

handonhischestasthebondfrayed.

Heclungtoit,wrappedhismagic,hissoul

aroundit,asifitmightkeepher,wherevershe

was, from going to a place he could not

follow.

He did not accept it. Would never accept

thisfate.Never.

Distantly, he heard Dorian and Chaol

debatingsomething.Hedidn’tcare.

Thematingbondwasbreaking.

Andtherewasnothinghecoulddobuthold

on.

One by one, the gods strode through the

archway into their own world. Some sneered

downatherastheypassed.

TheywouldnottakeErawan.

Wouldnot…wouldnotdoanything.

Herchestwashollow,hersoulguttedout,

andyetthis…

Andyetthis…

Aelinclawedatthemist-shroudedground-

that-was-not-ground as the last of them

vanished.Untilonlyoneremained.

Apillaroflightand flame. Shininginthe

mists.

Mala lingered on the threshold of her

world.

Asifsheremembered.

AsifsherememberedElena,andBrannon,

andwhokneltbeforeher.Bloodofherblood.

Therecipientofherpower.HerHeir.

“Seal the gate, Fire-Bringer,” Mala said

softly.

ButtheLadyofLightstillhesitated.

And from far away, Aelin heard another

woman’svoice.

Make sure that they’re punished someday.

Everylastoneofthem.

Theywillbe,she’dsworntoKaltain.

They had lied. Had betrayed Elena and

Erilea, as they had believed themselves

betrayed.

Their green sun-drenched world rippled

awayahead.

Groaning,Aelinclimbedtoherfeet.

Shewasnolambtoslaughter.Nosacrifice

onanaltarofthegreatergood.

Andshewasnotdoneyet.

AelinmetMala’sburningstare.

“Doit,”Malasaidquietly.

Aelinlookedpasther,towardthatpristine

worldtheyhadsoughttoreturntoforsolong.

And realized that Mala knew—saw the

thoughtsinherownhead.

“Aren’tyougoingtostopme?”

Malaonlyheldoutahand.

In it lay a kernel of white-hot power. A

fallenstar.

“Take it. One last gift to my bloodline.”

ShecouldhaveswornMalasmiled.“Forwhat

youofferedonherbehalf.Forfightingforher.

Forallofthem.”

Aelin staggered the few steps to the

goddess,tothepowersheofferedinherhand.

“I remember,” Mala said softly, and the

words were joy and pain and love. “I

remember.”

Aelin took the kernel of power from her

palm.

Itwasthesunrisecontainedinaseed.

“Whenitisdone,sealthegateandthinkof

home.Themarkswillguideyou.”

Aelin blinked, the only sign of confusion

she could convey as that power filled and

filled and filled her,melding into the broken

spots,theemptyplaces.

Malaheldoutherhandagain,andanimage

formedwithinit.OfthetattooacrossAelin’s

back.

Thenew tattoo,of spreadwings, the story

ofherandRowanwrittenintheOldLanguage

amongstthefeathers.

AflickofMala’sfingersandsymbolsrose

fromit.Hiddenwithinthewords,thefeathers.

Wyrdmarks.

Rowan had hidden Wyrdmarks in her

tattoo.

HadinkedWyrdmarksalloverit.

“A map home,” Mala said, the image

fading.“Tohim.”

He’d suspected, somehow. That it might

cometothis.Hadaskedhertoteachhimsohe

mightmakethisgamble.

And whenAelin looked behind her, to the

archwayintoherownworld,sheindeedcould

… feel them. As if the Wyrdmarks he’d

secretly inkedontoher were a rope.Atether

home.

Alifelineintoeternity.

Onelastdeceit.

Another voice whispered past then, a

fragment of memory, spoken on a rooftop in

Rifthold.Whatifwegoon,onlytomorepain

anddespair?

Thenitisnottheend.

That power flowed and flowed intoAelin.

Herlipscurvedupward.

It was not the end. And she was not

finished.

Buttheywere.

“Toabetterworld,”Malasaid,andwalked

throughthedoorwayintoherown.

Abetterworld.

Aworldwithnogods.Nomastersoffate.

Aworldoffreedom.

Aelinapproachedthearchwaytothegods’

realm.TowhereMalanowwalkedacrossthe

shimmering grass, little more than a shaft of

sunlightherself.

The Lady of Light halted—and lifted an

arminfarewell.

Aelinsmiledandbowed.

Far out, striding over the hills, the gods

paused.

Aelin’s smile turned into a grin. Wicked

andraging.

Itdidnotfalterasshefoundtheworldshe

sought. As she dipped into that eternal,

terriblepower.

She had been a slave and a pawn once

before.Shewouldneverbesoagain.

Notforthem.Neverforthem.

The gods began shouting, running toward

her,asAelinrippedopenaholeintheirsky.

Rightintoaworldshehadseenonlyonce.

Had accidentally opened a portal into one

night inastonecastle.Distant,bayinghowls

crackedfromthebleakgrayexpanse.

A portal into a hell-realm. A door now

thrownopen.

Aelinwasstillsmilingwhensheclosedthe

archwayintothegods’world.

And left them to it, the sounds of their

outraged,frightenedscreamsringingout.

There was still one last task to seal the gate

forever.

Aelinunfurledherpalm,studyingtheLock

she had forged. She let it float into the heart

ofthismisty,door-filledspace.

Shewasnotafraid. Notas sheopenedher

otherpalm,andpowerpouredforth.

Mala’sfinalgift.Anddefiance.

The force of a thousand exploding suns

rupturedfromAelin’spalm.

Lock.Close.Seal.

She willed it, willed it, and willed it.

Willed it to close as she offered over her

power.

Butnotthatlastbitofself.

Thedebthasalreadybeenpaidenough.

Amaphome,amapinkedinthewordsof

universes,wouldleadtheway.

Moreandmoreandmore.Butnotall.

She would not give it up. Her innermost

self.

Shewouldnotsurrender.

They would not take this lingering kernel

ofher.

Shewouldnotyieldit.

Light flowed through the Lock, fracturing

like a prism, shooting to all those infinite

doorways.

Closing and sealing and shutting. An

archwaytoeverywherenowsealing.

They would not destroy her. They would

notbeallowedtotakethis.

Comebacktome.

More and more and more, Mala’s last

powerfunnelingoutofherandintotheLock.

Theywouldnotwin.Theycouldn’ttakeit

—couldn’thaveher.

Sherefused.

She was screaming now. Screaming and

roaringherdefiance.

Abeamoflightshottothearchwaybehind

her.Beginningtosealit,too.

She would live. She wouldlive, and they

couldallgotohell.

Abetterworld.Withnogods,nofates.

Aworldoftheirownmaking.

Aelin bellowed and bellowed, the sound

ringingoutacrossallworlds.

They would not beat her. They would not

get to take this, this most essential kernel of

self.Ofsoul.

Once upon a time, in a land long since

burned to ash, there lived a young princess

wholovedherkingdom.…

Herkingdom.Herhome.She wouldseeit

again.

Itwasnotover.

Behindher,thearchwayslowlysealed.

The odds were slim; the odds were

insurmountable.Shehadnotbeendestinedto

escape this—to reach this point and still be

breathing.

Aelin’shanddriftedtoherheartandrested

there.

It is the strength of thisthat matters, her

mother had said, long ago.Wherever you go,

Aelin, no matter how far, this will lead you

home.

Nomatterwhereshewas.

Nomatterhowfar.

Even if it took her beyond all known

worlds.

Aelin’s fingers curled, palm pressing into

thepoundingheartbeneath.Thiswillleadyou

home.

ThearchwaytoErileainchedclosed.

World-walker.Wayfarer.

Othershaddoneitbefore.Shewouldfinda

way,too.Awayhome.

No longer the Queen Who Was Promised.

ButtheQueenWhoWalkedBetweenWorlds.

Shewouldnotgoquietly.

Shewasnotafraid.

SoAelinrippedoutherpower.Rippedout

achunkofwhatMalahadgivenher,aforceto

levelaworld,andflungittowardtheLock.

Thefinalbit.Thelastbit.

AndthenAelinleapedthroughthegate.



CHAPTER99

Shewasfalling.

Fallingandbeingthrown.

The Wyrdgate sealed behind her, and yet

shewasnothome.

Asitclosed,allworldsoverlapped.

Andshenowfellthroughthem.

Oneafteranotherafteranother.Worldsof

water,worldsofice,worldsofdarkness.

She slammed through them, faster than a

shootingstar,fasterthanlight.

Home.

Shehadtofindhome—

Worlds of lights, worlds of towers that

stretchedtotheskies,worldsofsilence.

Somany.

There were so many worlds, all of them

miraculous, all of them so precious and

perfectthatevenasshefellthroughthem,her

heartbroketoseethem.

Home.Thewayhome—

Shefumbledforthetether,thebondinher

soul.Inkedintoherflesh.

Comebacktome.

Aelin plunged through world after world

afterworld.

Toofast.

Shewouldhitherownworldtoofast,and

missitcompletely.

Butshecouldnotslow.Couldnotstop.

Tumbling,flippingoverherself,shepassed

through them one by one by one by one by

one.

It is the strength of thisthat matters.

Wherever you go, Aelin, no matter how far,

thiswillleadyouhome.

Aelin roared, a spark of self flashing

throughthesky.

Thetether grewstronger. Tighter. Reeling

herin.

Toofast.Shehadtoslow—

Sheplummetedintothelastofherself,into

what remained, grappling for any sort of

powertoslowherracing.

She passed through a world where a great

cityhadbeenbuiltalongthecurveofariver,

the buildingsimpossibly tall andglimmering

withlights.

Passed through a world of rain and green

andwind.

Roaring,shetriedtoslow.

Shepassedthroughaworldofoceanswith

nolandtobeseen.

Close.Homewassocloseshecouldnearly

smell the pine and snow. If she missed it, if

shepassedbyit—

Shepassedthroughaworldofsnowcapped

mountains under shining stars. Passed over

oneofthosemountains,whereawingedmale

stood beside a heavily pregnant female,

gazingatthoseverystars.Fae.

TheywereFae,butthiswasnotherworld.

Sheflungoutahand,asifshemightsignal

them, as if they might somehow help her

when she was nothing but an invisible speck

ofpower—

Thewingedmale,beautifulbeyondreason,

snapped his head toward her as she arced

acrosshisstarrysky.

Heliftedahand,asifingreeting.

A blast of dark power, like a gentle

summernight,slammedintoher.

Nottoattack—buttoslowherdown.

Awall,ashield,thatshetoreandplunged

through.

But it slowed her. That winged male’s

powerslowedher,justenough.

Aelin vanished from his world without a

whisper.

Andthereitwas.

There it was, the pine and the snow, the

snaking spine of the mountains up her

continent,thetangleofOakwaldtotheright,

the Wastes to the left. A land of many

peoples,manybeings.

She saw them all, familiar and foreign,

fighting and at peace, in sprawling cities or

hiddendeepwithinthewilds.Somanypeople,

revealedtoher.Erilea.

She threw herself into it. Grabbed the

tether and bellowed as she hauled herself

towardit.Downit.

Home.

Itwasnottheend.Shewasnotfinished.

Shewilledherself,willedtheworldtohalt.

Just as the Wyrdgate slammed shut with a

thunderouscrack,allotherdoorswithit.

AndAelinplungedbackintoherownbody.

The Wyrdmarks faded into the rocky ground

asthesunroseoverEndovier.

Rowan was on his knees before Aelin,

readyingforherlastbreaths,fortheendthat

hehopedwouldsomehowtakehim,too.

He’dmakeithisend.Whenshewent,he’d

go.

Butthenhe’dfeltit.Asthesunrose,he’d

felt it, that surge down the frayed mating

bond.

A blast of heat and light that welded the

brokenstrands.

Hedidn’tdaretobreathe.Tohope.

EvenasAelincollapsedtoherkneeswhere

theWyrdmarkshadbeen.

Rowanwasinstantlythere,reachingforher

limpbody.

Aheartbeatechoedinhisears,intohisown

soul.

And that was her chest, rising and falling.

Andthosewerehereyes,openingslowly.

The scent of Dorian’s and Chaol’s tears

replaced the salt of Endovier asAelin stared

upatRowanandsmiled.

Rowanheldhertohischestandweptinthe

lightoftherisingsun.

A weak hand landed on his back, running

over the tattoo he’d inked. As if tracing the

symbols he’d hidden there, in a desperate,

wildhope.“Icameback,”sherasped.

She was warm, but … cold, somehow. A

strangerinherownbody.

Aelinsatup,groaningattheachealongher

bones.

“What happened?” Dorian asked, held

upright by the arm Chaol had around his

waist.

Aelincuppedherpalmsbeforeher.Asmall

lickofflameappearedwithinthem.

Nothingmore.

She looked at Rowan, then Chaol, and

Dorian, their faces so haggard in the rising

lightofday.

“It’sgone,”shesaidquietly.“Thepower.”

She turned her hands, the flame rolling over

them.“Onlyanemberremains.”

Theydidn’tspeak.

ButAelinsmiled.Smiledatthelackofthat

wellwithinher,thatchurningseaoffire.And

what did remain—a significant gift, yes, but

nothingbeyondtheordinary.

All thatremainedof what Mala had given

her,inthanksforElena.

But—

Aelin reached inward, toward that place

insidehersoul.

She put a hand to her chest. Put a hand

thereandfelttheheartbeatingwithin.

TheFaeheart.Thecost.

Shehadgivenallofherself.Hadgivenup

herlife.

The human life. Her mortality. Burned

away, turned to nothing but dust between

worlds.

Therewouldbenomoreshifting.Onlythis

body,thisform.

Shetoldthemso.Andtoldthemwhathad

occurred.

And when she was done, when Rowan

remainedholdingher,Aelinheldoutherhand

oncemore,justtosee.

Perhapsithadbeenafinalgift ofMala’s,

too. To preserve this piece of her that now

formedinherhand—thisdropletofwater.

Hermother’sgift.

What Aelin had saved until the end, had

not wanted to part with until the very last

dregs of her were given to the Lock, to the

Wyrdgate.

Aelin held out her other hand, and the

kernelofflamesputteredtolifewithinit.

Anordinarygift.AFire-Bringernomore.

ButAelinallthesame.



CHAPTER100

A prodding kick from Kyllian had Aedion

awakebeforedawn.

Hegroanedashestretchedoutonthecotin

the GreatHall,thespacestill dim. Countless

other soldiers slumbered around him, their

heavybreathingfillingtheroom.

He squinted at the small lantern that

Kyllianheldabovehim.

“It’s time,” Kyllian said, his eyes weary

andred-rimmed.

They’dalllookedbetter.Beenbetter.

Buttheywerestillalive.Aweekafterthe

Thirteen had sacrificed themselves and

pushed back Morath’s tide, they were alive.

Thewitches’liveshadboughtthemafullday

of rest. One day, and then Morath had

marchedonOrynth’swallsagain.

Aedionslungtheheavyfurcloakhe’dbeen

using for a blanket over his shoulders,

wincingatthethrobbingacheinhisleftarm.

A careless wound, when he’d taken his

attention off his shield for a moment and a

Valgfootsoldierhadmanagedtoslicehim.

Butatleasthewasn’tlimping.Andatleast

thewoundtheValgprincehadgivenhimhad

healed.

Slinging his shield over that same

shoulder,hescoopeduphisswordandbelted

itathiswaistashepickedhiswaythroughthe

labyrinthofsleeping,exhaustedbodies.Anod

to Kyllian had the man striding for the city

walls.

But Aedion turned left upon leaving the

GreatHall,aimingforthenorthtower.

It was a lonely, cold walk to the room he

sought.Asiftheentirecastlewereatomb.

He knocked lightly on the wooden door

nearthetopofthetower,anditimmediately

opened and shut, Lysandra slipping into the

hallbeforeEvangelinecouldstirinherbed.

In the flickering light ofAedion’s candle,

theshadowsetchedonLysandra’sfacefroma

weekoffightingfromsunuptosundownwere

starker, deeper. “Ready?” he asked softly,

turningbackdownthestairs.

It had become their tradition—for him to

see Lysandra upstairs at night, then come to

meetherinthemorning.Theonlybrightpoint

in their long, horrible days. Sometimes,

Evangeline accompanied them, narrating her

time running messages and errands for

Darrow. Sometimes, it was only the two of

themtrudgingalong.

Lysandra was silent, her graceful gait

heavierwitheachsteptheydescended.

“Breakfast?”Aedion asked as they neared

thebottom.

Anod.Theeggsandcuredmeatshadgiven

way to gruel and hot broth. Two nights ago,

Lysandrahadflownoff inwyvernform after

the fighting had ceased for the day, and

returnedanhourlaterwithahartclutchedin

eachtalonedfoot.

That precious meat had been gone too

soon.

Theyhitthebottomofthetowerstairwell,

and Aedion made to aimfor the dining hall

whenshestoppedhimwithahandonhisarm.

Inthedimness,heturnedtowardher.

But Lysandra, that beautiful face so tired,

only slid her arms around his waist and

pressed her head to his chest. She leaned

enoughofherweightintohimthatAedionset

down his candle on a nearby ledge and

wrappedhisarmstightlyaroundher.

Lysandra sagged, leaning on him further.

As if the weight of exhaustion was

unbearable.

Aedion rested his chin atop her head and

closed his eyes, breathing in her ever-

changingscent.

Herheartbeatthunderedagainsthisownas

heranahanddownherspine.Long,soothing

strokes.

They hadn’t shared a bed. There was no

placetodosoanyway.Butthis,holdingeach

other—she’dinitiateditthenighttheThirteen

hadsacrificedthemselves.Hadstoppedhimat

this very spot and just held him for long

minutes. Until whatever pain and despair

eased enough that they could make the trek

upstairs.

Lysandra pulled away, but not wholly out

ofhisarms.“Ready?”

“We’re running low on arrows,” Petrah

Blueblood said to Manon in the blue-gray

light just before dawn. They strode through

the makeshift aerie atop one of the castle’s

towers.“Wemightwanttoconsiderassigning

someofthelessercovenstostaybehindtoday

tocraftmore.”

“Do it,” Manon said, surveying the still-

unfamiliarwyvernswhosharedthespacewith

Abraxos. Her mount was already awake.

Staring out, solitary and cold, toward the

battlefield beyond the city walls. Toward the

blastedstretchofearththatnosnowhadbeen

abletowipeawayentirely.

She’d spent hours staring at it. Could

barelypassoveritduringtheendlessfighting

eachday.

Her chest, her body, had been hollowed

out.

Onlymoving,goingthrougheveryordinary

motion, kept her from curling up in a corner

ofthisaerieandneveremerging.

Shehadtokeepmoving.Hadto.

Orelseshewouldceasetofunctionatall.

Shedidn’tcareifitwasobvioustoothers.

Ansel of Briarcliff had sought her out in the

Great Hall last night because of it. The red-

hairedwarriorhadslidontothebenchbeside

her, her wine-colored eyes missing none of

thefoodthatManonhadbarelyeaten.

“I’msorry,”Anselhadsaid.

Manon had only stared at her mostly

untouchedplate.

Theyoungqueenhadsurveyedthesolemn

hall around them. “I lost most of my

soldiers,” she said, her freckled face pale.

“Beforeyouarrived.Morathbutcheredthem.”

IthadbeenaneffortforManontodrawher

face towardAnsel. To meet her heavy stare.

She blinked once, the only confirmation she

couldbothertomake.

Ansel reached for Manon’s slice of bread,

pulling off a chunk and eating it. “We can

shareit,youknow.TheWastes.Ifyoubreak

thatcurse.”

Down the long table, some of the witches

tensed,butdidnotlooktowardthem.

Anselwenton, “I’llhonor the oldborders

oftheWitchKingdom,butkeeptherest.”The

queen rose, taking Manon’s bread with her.

“Just something to consider, should the

opportunity arise.” Then she was gone,

swaggering off to her own cluster of

remainingsoldiers.

Manon hadn’t stared after her, but the

words,theoffer,hadlingered.

Tosharetheland,reclaimwhatthey’dhad

but not the entirety of the Wastes …Bring

ourpeoplehome,Manon.

Thewordshad not stopped echoing in her

ears.

“You could stay off the battlefield today,

too,” Petrah Blueblood now said, a hand on

her mount’s flank. “Use the day to help the

others.Andrest.”

Manonstaredather.

Even with two Matrons dead, Iskra with

them, and no sign of Petrah’s mother, the

Ironteeth had managed to remain organized.

To keep Manon, Petrah, and the Crochans

busy.

Everyday,fewerandfewerwalkedoffthe

battlefield.

“Nooneelserests,”Manonsaidcoldly.

“Everyoneelsemanagestosleep,though,”

Petrah said. When Manon held the witch’s

gaze, Petrah said unblinkingly, “You think I

donotseeyou,lyingawakeallnight?”

“Idonotneedtorest.”

“Exhaustion can be as deadly as any

weapon.Resttoday,thenrejoinustomorrow.”

Manonbaredherteeth.“ThelastIlooked,

youwerenotincharge.”

Petrah didn’t so much as lower her head.

“Fight, then, if that is what you wish. But

considerthatmanylivesdependonyou,andif

you fall because you are so tired that you

becomesloppy,theywillallsufferforit.”

Itwassageadvice.Soundadvice.

Yet Manon gazed out over the battlefield,

the sea of darkness just becoming visible. In

an hour or so, the bone drums would beat

again, and the screaming din of war would

renew.

Shecouldnotstop.Wouldnotstop.

“I am not resting.” Manon turned to seek

outBronwenintheCrochans’quarters.She,at

least,wouldnothavesuchridiculousnotions.

EvenifManonknewGlenniswouldsidewith

Petrah.

Petrah sighed, the sound grating down

Manon’s spine. “Then I shall see you on the

battlefield.”

The roar and boom of war had become a

distant buzz in Evangeline’s ears by midday.

Evenwiththefrigidwind,sweatrandownher

back beneath her heavy layers of clothes as

shemadeyetanothersprintupthebattlement

stairs,messageinhand.Darrowandtheother

old lords stood asthey had these past two

weeks: along the castle’s walls, monitoring

thebattlebeyondthecity.

Themessageshe’dreceived,straightfrom

aCrochanwhohadlandedsobrieflythather

feethadhardlytouchedtheground,hadcome

fromBronwen.

Rare,Evangelinehadlearned,foreitherthe

IronteethortheCrochanstoreportanythingto

the humans. That the Crochan soldier had

foundher,hadknownwhoshewas…Itwas

pride, more than fear, that had Evangeline

running up the stairs, then across the

battlementstoLordDarrow.

Lord Darrow, Murtaugh at his side, had

already stretched out a hand by the time

Evangelineslidtoastop.

“Careful,” Murtaugh warned her. “The ice

canbetreacherous.”

Evangeline nodded, though she fully

planned to ignore him. Even if she’d taken a

spilldownthestairsyesterdaythatthankfully

noonehadwitnessed.EspeciallyLysandra.If

she’d glimpsed the bruise that now bloomed

over Evangeline’s leg, the matching one on

her forearm, she’d have locked her in the

tower.

LordDarrowreadthemessageandfrowned

toward the city. “Bronwen reports they’ve

spotted Morath hauling a siege tower to the

western wall. It will reach us in an hour or

two.”

Evangeline looked past the chaos on the

city walls, where Aedion and Ren and the

Bane fought so valiantly, out beneath the

melee in the skies, where witches fought

witchesandLysandraflewinwyvernform.

Sure enough, a massive shape was

lumberingtowardthem.

Evangeline’s stomach dropped to her feet.

“Is—isitoneofthosewitchtowers?”

“A siege tower is different,” Darrow said

withhisusualgruffness.“Thankthegods.”

“Still deadly,” Murtaugh said. “Just in a

different way.” The old man frowned at

Darrow.“I’llheaddownthere.”

Evangelineblinkedatthat.None—noneof

theolderlordshadgonetothefront.

“Towarnthem?”Darrowaskedcarefully.

Murtaugh patted the hilt of his sword.

“Aedion and Ren are stretched thin. Kyllian,

too, if you want to keep telling yourself that

he’s the one leading them.” Murtaugh didn’t

so much as lower his chin to Darrow, who

stiffened. “I’ll handle the western wall. And

thatsiegetower.”AwinkatEvangeline.“We

can’tallbebravemessengers,canwe?”

Evangeline made herself smile, even

though dread pooled in her. “Should—should

IwarnAedionthatyou’llbethere?”

“I’ll tell him myself,” Murtaugh said, and

ruffledherhair as he walked by.“Be careful

ontheice,”hewarnedheragain.

Darrowdidn’ttrytostophimasMurtaugh

walked off the battlements. Slow. He looked

soslow,andold,andfrail.Andyethekepthis

chinhigh.Backstraight.

Ifshe’d been ableto chooseagrandfather

forherself,itwouldhavebeenhim.

Darrow’s face was tight when Murtaugh

disappearedatlast.

“Oldfool,”Darrowsaid,worryinhiseyes

asheturnedtothebattleragingahead.



CHAPTER101

Humannomore.

Aelin’s breath rasped in her ears—her

permanently arched, immortal ears—with

each step back toward the camped army.

Rowan remained at her side, a hand around

herwaist.

He hadn’t let go of her once. Not once,

sinceshe’dcomeback.

Sinceshe’dwalkedthroughworlds.

She could see them still. Even walking in

silence under the trees, the darkness yielding

toward the grayish light before dawn, she

couldseeeachandeveryoneofthoseworlds

she’dbrokenthrough.

Perhaps she’d never stop seeing them.

Perhapsshealoneinthisworldandallothers

knew what lay beyond the invisible walls

separating them. How muchlife dwelled and

thrived. Loved and hated and struggled to

clawoutaliving.

So many worlds. More than she could

contemplate. Would her dreams  forever be

hauntedbythem?Tohaveglimpsedthem,but

been unable to explore—would that longing

takeroot?

Oakwald’s branches formed a skeletal

latticeoverhead.Barsofacage.

Asherbody,andthisworld,mightbe.

Sheshookoffthethought.Shehadlived—

lived,whensheshouldhavedied.Evenifher

mortal self … that had been killed. Melted

away.

The outer edges of the camp neared, and

Aelin peered down at her hands. Cold—that

wasatraceofcoldnowbitingintothem.

Alteredineveryway.

Doriansaidastheyapproachedthefirstof

therukhin,“Whatareyougoingtotellthem?”

The first words any of them had spoken

sincethey’dbegunthetrekbackhere.

“Thetruth,”Aelinsaid.

She supposed it was all she had to offer

them,afterwhatshe’ddone.

ShesaidtoDorian,“I’msorry—aboutyour

father.”

The chill wind brushed the strands of

Dorian’shairoffhisbrow.“SoamI,”hesaid,

restingahandatopDamaris’shilt.

At his side, Chaol kept silent, though he

glancedatthekingeverynowandthen.He’d

lookoutforDorian.Ashealwayshad,Aelin

supposed.

Theypassedthefirstoftheruks,thebirds

eyeing them, and found Lorcan, Fenrys,

Gavriel,andElidewaitingbytheedgeofthe

tents.

Chaol and Dorian murmured something

about gathering the other royals, and peeled

away.

Aelin remained close to Rowan as they

approached their court. Fenrys scanned her

fromheadtotoe,nostrilsflaringashescented

her. He staggered a step closer, horror

creepingacrosshisface.Gavrielonlypaled.

Elidegasped.“Youdidit,didn’tyou?”

But it was Lorcan who answered,

stiffening, as if sensing the change that had

comeoverher,“You—you’renothuman.”

Rowan snarled in warning. Aelin just

looked at them, the people who’d given so

much and chosen to follow her here, their

doom still remaining. To succeed, and yet to

utterlyfail.

Erawanremained.Hisarmyremained.

And there would be no Fire-Bringer, no

Wyrdkeys,nogodstoassistthem.

“They’regone?”Elideaskedsoftly.

Aelinnodded.She’dexplainlater.Explain

ittoallofthem.

God-killer. That’s what she was. A god-

killer.Shedidn’tregretit.Notonebit.

ElideaskedLorcan,“Doyou—doyoufeel

any different?” The lack of the gods who’d

watchedoverthem.

Lorcanpeeredupatthetreesoverhead,as

if reading the answer in their entangled

branches. As if searching for Hellas there.

“No,”headmitted.

“What does it mean,” Gavriel mused, the

first raysof sunbeginning to gildhis golden

hair, “for them to be gone? Is there a hell-

realmwhosethronenowsitsvacant?”

“It’stooearlyforthatsortofphilosophical

bullshit,”Fenryssaid,andofferedAelinahalf

smile that didn’t quite meet his eyes.

Reproachlaythere—notforherchoice,butin

not telling them. Yet  he still tried to make

lightofit.

Doomed—that lovely, wolfish grin might

beinitsfinaldaysofexistence.

They might all be in their last days of

existencenow.Becauseofher.

Rowan read it in her eyes, her face. His

hand tightened on her waist. “Let’s find the

others.”

Standing inside one of the khagan’s fine war

tents,Dorianheldhis handsout before afire

ofhisownmakingandwinced.“Thatmeeting

couldhavegonebetter.”

Chaol, seated across the fire,Yrene in his

lap,toyedwiththeendofhiswife’sbraid.“It

reallycouldhave.”

Yrene frowned. “I don’t know how she

didn’t walk out and leave everyone to rot. I

wouldhave.”

“Never underestimate the power of guilt

whenitcomes toAelin Galathynius,” Dorian

said, and sighed. The fire he’d summoned

fluttered.

“ShesealedtheWyrdgate.”Yrenescowled.

“Theleasttheycoulddoisbegratefulforit.”

“Oh,Ihavenodoubttheyare,”Chaolsaid,

frowning now as well. “But the fact remains

that Aelin promised one thing, and did the

opposite.”

Indeed. Dorian didn’t quite know what to

think of Aelin’s choice. Or that she’d even

toldthemaboutit—abouttradingErawanfor

Elena.Thegodsbetrayingherinturn.

AndthenAelindestroyingthemforit.

“Typical,” Dorian said, trying for humor

andfailing.Somepartofhimstillfeltasifhe

wereinthatplace-of-places.

Especiallywhensomepartofhimhadbeen

givenup.

The magic that had felt bottomless only

yesterday now had a very real, very solid

stoppingpoint.Amightygift,yes,buthedid

not think he’d ever again be capable of

shatteringglasscastlesorenemystrongholds.

He hadn’t yet decided whether it was a

relief.

Itwasmorepower,atleast,thanAelinhad

been left with. Gifted with, it sounded like.

Aelinhadburnedthrougheveryemberofher

own magic. What she now possessed was all

thatremainedofwhat Mala had given her to

seal the gate—to punish the gods who had

betrayedthemboth.

The idea of it still made Dorian queasy.

And the memory ofAelin choosing to throw

himoutofthatnon-placestillmadehimgrind

histeeth.Notatherchoice,butthathisfather

—

He’dthinkabouthisfatherlater.Never.

Hisnamelessfather,whohadcomeforhim

intheend.

Chaolhadn’taskedaboutit,hadn’t pushed.

AndDorianknewthatwheneverhewasready

totalkaboutit,hisfriendwouldbewaiting.

Chaolsaid,“Aelindidn’t killErawan. But

at least Erawan can never bring over his

brothers.Orusethekeystodestroyusall.We

havethat.She—youbothdidthat.”

There would be nomore collars. No more

roomsbeneathadarkfortresstoholdthem.

Yrene ran her fingers through Chaol’s

brownhair,andDoriantriedtofighttheache

in his chest at the sight. At the love that

flowedsofreelybetweenthem.

He didn’t resent Chaol for his happiness.

Butitdidn’tstopthesharpslicinginhischest

every time he saw them. Every time he saw

the Torre healers, and wished Sorscha had

foundthem.

“So the world was only partly saved,”

Yrenesaid.“Betterthannothing.”

Dorian smiled at that. He adored his

friend’s wife already. Likely would have

marriedher,too,ifhe’dhadthechance.

Evenifhisthoughtsstilldriftednorthward

—to a golden-eyed witch who walked with

death beside her and did not fear it. Did she

think of him? Wonder what had become of

himinMorath?

“AelinandIstillhavemagic,”Doriansaid.

“Not like it was before, but we still have it.

We’renotentirelyhelpless.”

“Enough to take on Erawan?” Chaol said,

his bronze eyes wary. Well aware of the

answer.“AndMaeve?”

“We’ll have to figure out a way,” Dorian

said.Heprayeditwastrue.

Buttherewerenogodslefttopraytoatall.

Elide kept one eye on Aelin while they

washed themselves in the queen’s tent. One

eye on the deliciously warm water that had

beenbroughtin.

And kept warm by the woman in the tub

besideherown.

As if in defiance of the horrible meeting

they’d had with the khaganate royals upon

Aelin’sunexpectedreturn.

Triumphant.Butonlyinsomeregards.

Onethreatdefeated.Theotherfumbled.

Aelinhadhiditwell,butthequeenhadher

tells, too. Her utter stillness—the predatory

angle of her head. The former had been

presentthis morning. Utter stillness while

she’dbeenquestioned,criticized,shoutedat.

Thequeenhadnotbeenthisquietsincethe

dayshe’descapedMaeve.

Anditwasnottraumathatbowedherhead,

butguilt.Dread.Shame.

Nearly shoulder-deep in the high, long

tubs,Elidehadbeentheonetosuggestabath.

TogivePrinceRowanachancetoflyhighand

wide and take some of the edge off his

temper. To give Aelin a moment to settle

herself.

She’d planned to bathe this morning

anyway. Though she’d imagined a different

partnerinthebathbesidehers.

Not that Lorcan knew that. He’d only

kissedhertemplebeforestridingoffintothe

morning—to join Fenrys and Gavriel in

readyingthearmytomoveout.Keepplunging

northward.

Aelinscrubbedatherlonghair,theflowing

massofitdrapedoverherbody.Inthelightof

the braziers, the tattoos on the queen’s back

seemedtoflowlikealivingblackriver.

“So your magic is still there?” Elide

blurted.

Aelin slid turquoise eyes over to her. “Is

yourwaterwarm?”

Elidesnorted,draggingherfingersthrough

thewater.“Yes.”

“Youwishtoknowhowmuch,exactly.”

“AmIallowedtoknow?”

“Iwasn’tlyinginthemeeting,”Aelinsaid,

voicestillhollow.She’dstoodthereandtaken

every shouted question from Princess Hasar,

every frown of disapproval from Prince

Sartaq. “It’s …” She lifted her arms, and

positioned her hands in the air above each

other, a foot of space between them. “Here’s

where the bottom was before,” she said,

wriggling her lower fingers. She lifted her

bottomhanduntilithoveredtwoinchesfrom

hertophand.“Here’swhereitisnow.”

“You’vetestedit?”

“I can feel it.” Those turquoise eyes,

despite all she’d done, were heavy. Solemn.

“I’ve never felt a bottom before. Felt it

without having to look for it.”Aelin dunked

her sudsy scalp in the water, scrubbing free

the bubbles and oils. “Not so impressive, is

it?”

“Inevercaredifyouhadmagicornot.”

“Why?Everyoneelsedid.”Aflatquestion.

Yes,whenthey’dbeenchildren,somanyhad

fearedwhatmannerofpowerAelinpossessed.

Whatshe’dgrowinto.

“Whoyouareisn’tyourmagic,”Elidesaid

simply.

“Isn’t it?” Aelin rested her head on the

backofthetub.“Ilikedmymagic.Lovedit.”

“And being human?” Elide knew she

shouldn’thavedaredask,butitslippedout.

Aelin glanced sidelong at her. “Am I still

human, deep down,without ahumanbodyto

possess?”

Elide considered. “I suppose you’re the

onlypersonwhocandecidethat.”

Aelin hummed, dunking under the water

again.

Whensheemerged,Elideasked,“Areyou

afraid?OffacingErawaninbattle?”

Aelinhuggedherknees,her tattoo flexing

across her back. She was quiet for a long

while.

“I am afraid of not reaching Orynth in

time,”shesaidatlast.“IfErawanchoosesto

draghiscarcassuptheretofightme,I’lldeal

withitthen.”

“And Maeve? What if she arrives with

Erawan,too?”

But Elide knew the answer. They would

die.Allofthem.

There had to be some way—some way to

defeat both of them. She supposed Anneith

wouldbeofnohelpnow.Andperhapsitwas

timeforhertorelyuponherselfanyway.Even

ifthetimingcouldhavebeenfarbetter.

“Somanyquestions,LadyofPerranth.”

Elide blushed, and reached for the soap,

scrubbingherarmsdown.“Sorry.”

“Do you now see why I didn’t have you

takethebloodoath?”

“The Fae males challenge you all the

time.”

“Yes, but I like having you not bound to

me.” A soft sigh. “I didn’t  plan for any of

this.”

“Forwhat?”

“TosurvivetheLock.Thegate.Toactually

have to … rule. To live. I’m in uncharted

territory,itseems.”

Elide considered. Then pulled the golden

ring from her finger. Silba’s ring—not

Mala’s.

“Here,” she said, extending the ring

between their tubs, suds dripping off her

fingers.

Aelinblinkedatthering.“Why?”

“Because between the two of us, you’re

morelikelytofaceErawanorMaeve.”

Aelin didn’t reach for it. “I’d rather you

keepit.”

“And I’d rather you have it,” Elide

challenged, holding the queen’s stare. She

asked softly, “Haven’t you given enough,

Aelin?Won’tyouletoneofusdosomething

foryou?”

Aelin glanced down to the ring. “I failed.

Yourealizethat,don’tyou?”

“Youputthekeysbackinthegate.Thatis

notfailure.Andevenifyouhadfailedinthat,

Iwouldgivethisringtoyou.”

“I owe it to your mother to see that you

survivethis.”

Elide’schesttightened.“Youoweittomy

mother tolive, Aelin.” She leaned closer,

practicallypushingtheringintoAelin’sface.

“Takeit.Ifnotforme,thenforher.”

Aelin stared at the ring again. And then

tookit.

Elide tried not to sigh as the queen slid it

ontoherfinger.

“Thankyou,”Aelinmurmured.

Elide was about to answer when the tent

flaps opened, icy air howling in—along with

Borte.“Youdidn’tinvitemeforabath?”the

rukhin asked, frowning dramatically at the

queen.

Aelin’s lips curved upward. “I thought

rukhinweretootoughforbaths.”

“Do you see how nice the men keep their

hair? You think that doesn’t imply an

obsession with cleanliness?” Borte strode

across the royal tent and plopped onto the

stool beside the queen’s tub. Not at all

seeming to carethat thequeen or Elide were

naked.

It took all of Elide’s will not to cover

herselfup.AtleastwithAelinintheadjacent

tub, the lip of the bath was high enough to

offer them privacy. But with Borte sitting

abovethemlikethis—

“Here are my thoughts,” Borte declared,

flickingtheendofoneofherbraids.

Aelinsmiledslightly.

“Hasariscrankyandcold.Sartaqisusedto

these conditions and doesn’t care. Kashin is

tryingtomakethebestofit,becausehe’sso

damned nice, but they’re all just alittle

nervous that we’re marching on a hundred

thousand soldiers, potentially more on the

way, and that Erawan isnot out of

commission. Neither is Maeve. So they’re

pissed.Theylikeyou,butthey’repissed.”

“I’d gathered as much,” Aelin said drily,

“whenHasarcalledmeastupidcow.”

It had taken all of Elide’s restraint not to

lunge for the princess. And from the growl

that had come from the Fae males, even

Lorcan,godsabove,sheknewithadbeenjust

asdifficultforthem.

Aelin had only inclined her head to the

princess and smiled. Just as she was smiling

now.

Borte waved off Aelin’s words. “Hasar

calls everyone a stupid cow. You’re in good

company.”Another smile fromAelin at that.

“ButI’mnotheretotalkaboutthat.Iwantto

talkaboutyouandme.”

“My favorite subject,” Aelin said,

chucklingslightly.

Bortegrinned.“You’realive.Youmadeit.

We all thought you’d be dead.” She drew a

line across her neck for emphasis, and Elide

cringed.“Sartaqisprobablygoingtohaveme

leadingoneoftheflanksintobattle,butI’ve

done that. Been good at that.” That grin

widened.“Iwanttoleadyourflank.”

“Idon’thaveaflank.”

“Thenwhoshallyouridewithintobattle?”

“I hadn’t gotten that far,” Aelin said,

liftingabrow.“SinceIexpectedtobedead.”

“Well,whenyoudo,expectmetobeinthe

skiesabove you. I’d hate for the battle to be

dull.”

Onlythefierce-eyedrukhinwouldhavethe

nervetocallmarchingonahundredthousand

soldiersdull.

But before Aelin could say anything, or

Elide could ask Borte whether the ruks were

ready against the wyverns, the ruk rider was

gone.

When Elide looked to Aelin, the queen’s

facewassomber.

Aelin nodded toward the tent flaps. “It’s

snowing.”

“It’sbeensnowingwithlittlerestfordays

now.”

Aelin’s swallow was audible. “It’s a

northernsnow.”

The storm slammed into the camp, so fierce

that Nesryn and Sartaq had given the ruks

orderstohunkerdownforthedayandnight.

As if crossing into Terrasen days earlier

hadofficiallyputthemintobrutalwinter.

“Wekeepgoingnorth,”Kashinwassaying,

loungingbythefireinHasar’ssprawlingtent.

“Like there is another option,” Hasar

snipped, sipping from her mulled wine.

“We’vecomethisfar.Wemightaswellgoall

thewaytoOrynth.”

Nesryn, seated on a low sofa with Sartaq,

stillwonderedwhat,exactly,shewasdoingin

thesemeetings.Wonderedatthefactthat she

sat with the royal siblings, the Heir to the

khaganateatherside.

Empress. The word seemed to hang over

hereverybreath,everymovement.

Sartaq said, “Our people have faced odds

likethisbefore.We’llfacethemagain.”

Indeed,Sartaqhadstayeduplongintothe

night these weeks reading the accounts and

journals of khaganate warriors and leaders

fromgenerationspast.They’dbroughtatrunk

ofthemfromthekhaganate—forthisreason.

Most Sartaq had already read, he’d told her.

Butitneverhurttorefreshone’smind.

Ifitboughtthemashotagainstahundred

thousandsoldiers,shewouldn’tcomplain.

“We won’t be facing them at all if this

storm doesn’t let up,” Hasar said, frowning

towardhersealedtentflaps.“WhenIreturnto

Antica,Iamneverleavingagain.”

“No taste for adventure, sister?” Kashin

smiledfaintly.

“Not when it’s in a frozen hell,” Hasar

grumbled.

Nesryn huffed a soft laugh, and Sartaq

slipped his arm around her shoulders. A

casual,carelessbitofcontact.

“Wekeepgoing,”Sartaqsaid.“Alltheway

to the walls of Orynth. We swore as much,

andwedonotrenegeonourpromises.”

Nesrynwouldhavefalleninlovewithhim

forthatstatementalone.Sheleanedintohim,

savoringhiswarmth,insilentthanks.

“Then letus pray,”Kashin said, “that this

storm does not slow us so much that there’s

nothingleftofOrynthtodefend.”



CHAPTER102

They had cleared a small chamber near the

GreatHallforhisviewing.

Theroomlitbywhatevercandlescouldbe

spared, the ancient stones were cast in

flickeringreliefaroundthetablewherethey’d

laidhim.

Lysandra lingered in the doorway as she

gazed toward the sheet-draped body at the

backoftheroom.

Ren knelt before him, head bowed.As he

haddoneforhoursnow.Eversincewordhad

comeatsundownthatMurtaughhadfallen.

Hewn down by Valg foot soldiers as he

sought to staunch their flow over the city

wallscourtesyofoneoftheirsiegetowers.

They had carried Murtaugh back from the

citywall,athrongofsoldiersaroundhim.

Even from the skies, flying in with the

witches after Morath had given the order to

halt once more, Lysandra had heard Ren’s

scream.HadseenfromhighaboveasRenran

down the battlements to the body borne

throughthecitystreets.

Aedionhadbeentherewithinseconds.Had

kept Ren upright as theyoung lord had

sobbed,andhadhalfcarriedhimhere,despite

thefreshwoundsontheprince.

And soAedion had stayed. Standing vigil

beside Ren all this time, a hand on his

shoulder.

Lysandra had come with Evangeline. Had

held the stunned girl while she cried, and

lingered while Evangeline strode to

Murtaugh’s body to press a kiss to his brow.

Asmuchasthesheetwouldallowthemtosee,

afterwhattheValghaddone.

She had escorted her ward from the

chamber just as Darrow and the others

arrived.

Lysandra hadn’t bothered to look at

Darrow, at any of them who hadn’t dared to

dowhatMurtaughhaddone.Hisdeath,they’d

learned,hadralliedthemenatthewall.Made

themtopple thatsiegetower.Alucky,costly

victory.

Lysandra had helped Evangeline bathe,

madesureshegotahotmeal,andtuckedher

intobedbeforereturning.

FindingAedion still beside Ren, his hand

stillonthekneelinglord’sshoulder.

Soshe’dlingeredhere,atthedoorway.Her

own vigil, while the well of her power

refilled, while the wounds she’d sustained

healedoverinchbyinch.

Aedion murmured something to Ren, and

withdrewhishand.Shewonderediftheywere

hisfirstwordsinhours.

Aedion turned toward her then, blinking.

Hollowedout.Gutted.Exhaustedandgrieving

andbearingaweightshecouldn’tstandtosee.

Even Aedion’s usual stalking gait was

barelymorethanatrudge.

She followed him out, glancing back only

oncetowhereRenstillknelt,headbowed.

Suchterriblesilencearoundhim.

Lysandra kept pace beside Aedion as he

turned toward the dining hall. At this hour,

food would be scarce, but she’d find it. For

bothofthem.Wouldgohuntingifsheneeded

to.

She opened her mouth to tell Aedion just

that.

But tears slid down his face, cutting

throughbloodandgrime.

Lysandrastopped,tugginghimintoahalt.

He didn’t meet her eyes as she wiped his

tearsawayfromonecheek.Thentheother.

“I should have been at the western wall,”

hesaid,voicebreaking.

Sheknewnowordswouldcomforthim.So

she wiped Aedion’s tears again, tears he

would only show in thisshadowedhall, after

allothershadfoundtheirbeds.

Andwhenhestilldidn’tmeetherstare,she

cuppedhisface,liftinghishead.

Foraheartbeat,foreternity,theystaredat

eachother.

She couldn’t stand it, the bleakness, the

grief,inhisface.Couldn’tendureit.

Lysandra rose onto her toes and brushed

hermouthoverhis.

Awhisperofakiss,apromiseoflifewhen

deathhovered.

Shepulled away,findingAedion’sface as

distraughtasithadbeenbefore.

So she kissed him again.And lingered by

his mouth as she whispered, “He was a good

man.Abraveandnobleman.Soareyou.”She

kissedhimathirdtime.“Andwhenthiswaris

over,howeveritmayend,Iwillstillbehere,

with you. Whether in this life or the next,

Aedion.”

He closed his eyes, as if breathing in her

words. His chest indeed heaved, his broad

shouldersshaking.

Then he opened his eyes, and they were

pureturquoiseflame,fueledbythatgriefand

angeranddefianceatthedeatharoundthem.

Hegrippedherwaistinonehand,theother

plunging into her hair, and tipped her head

backashismouthmethers.

The kiss seared her down to her ever-

changing bones, and she wrapped her arms

aroundhisneckassheheldhimtightly.

Alone in the dark, quiet hall, death

squatting on the battlefield nearby, Lysandra

gave herself to that searing kiss, to Aedion,

unabletostophermoanashistongueflicked

againsthers.

Thesoundwashisunleashing,andAedion

twisted them, backing her against the wall.

She arched, desperate to feel him against all

of her. He growled into her mouth, and the

hand at her hip slid to her thigh, hoisting it

aroundhiswaistashegroundintoher,exactly

wheresheneededhim.

Aediontorehismouthfromhersandbegan

to explore her neck, her jaw, her ear. She

breathed his name, running her hands down

hispowerfulbackasitflexedunderhertouch.

More.More.More.

Moreofthislife,thisfiretoburnawayall

shadows.

Moreofhim.

Lysandra slid her hands to his chest,

fingers digging into the breast of his jacket,

seeking the warm skin beneath. Aedion only

nippedatherear,draggedhisteethalongher

jaw, and seized her mouth in another

plunderingkissthathadhermoaningagain.

Footstepsscuffeddownthehall,alongwith

apointedcough,andAedionstilled.

Loud—theymusthavebeensoloud—

ButAediondidn’tbudge,thoughLysandra

unwrappedherlegfromaroundhiswaist.Just

asthesentrywalkedpast,eyesdown.

Walkedpastquickly.

Aedion tracked the man the entire time,

nothing human in Aedion’s eyes. An apex

predatorwhohadfoundhispreyatlast.

No,notprey.Neverwithhim.

Buthispartner.Hismate.

When the sentry had vanished around the

corner,nodoubtrunningtotelleveryonewhat

he’d interrupted, whenAedion leaned to kiss

her again, Lysandra halted him with a gentle

hand to his mouth. “Tomorrow,” she said

softly.

Aedionletoutasnarl—thoughonewithout

anybite.

“Tomorrow,” she said, and kissed him on

the cheek, stepping out of his arms. “Live

through tomorrow, fight through tomorrow,

andwe’ll…continue.”

Hisbreathingwasragged,eyeswary.“Was

thisfrompity?”Abroken,miserablequestion.

Lysandraslidherhandagainsthisstubble-

coated cheek and pressed her mouth against

his.Letherselftastehimagain.“Itisbecause

Iamsickofallthisdeath.AndIneededyou.”

Aedion made a low, pained sound, so

Lysandrakissedhimafinaltime.Wentsofar

astorunhertonguealongtheseamofhislips.

Heopenedforher,andthentheyweretangled

in each other again, teeth and tongues and

handsroaming,touching,tasting.

But Lysandra managed to extract herself

again,herbreathingasjaggedashisown.

“Tomorrow,Aedion,”shebreathed.

“We have enough left in our arsenal for our

archers to use for another three days, maybe

four if they conserve their stores,” Lord

Darrowsaid,armscrossedashereadthrough

thetally.

Manondidn’tdisliketheoldman—partof

her even admired his iron-fisted control. But

these war councils each evening were

beginningtotireher.

Especially when they brought bleaker and

bleakernews.

Yesterday, there had been one more

standinginthischamber.LordMurtaugh.

Today,onlyhisgrandsonsatinachair,his

eyesred-rimmed.Alivingwraith.

“Food stores?” Aedion asked from the

othersideofthetable.Thegeneral-princehad

seenbetterdays,too.Theyallhad.Everyface

in this room had the same bleak, battered

expression.

“We have food for a month at least,”

Darrow said. “But none of that will matter

withoutanyonetodefendthewalls.”

CaptainRolfesteppeduptothetable.“The

firelances are down to the dregs. We’ll be

luckyiftheylastthroughtomorrow.”

“Then we conserve them, too,” Manon

said. “Use them only for any higher-ranking

Valgthatmakeitoverthecitywalls.”

Rolfe nodded. Another man she

begrudgingly admired—though his

swaggeringcouldgrate.

It was an effort not to look to the sealed

doors to the chamber. Where Asterin and

Sorrelshouldhavebeenwaiting.Defending.

Instead, Petrah and Bronwen stood there.

Not as her new Second and Third, but just

representativesfromtheirownfactions.

“Let’ssaywemakethearrowslastforfour

days,” Ansel of Briarcliff said, frowning

deeply. “And make the firelances last for

three, if used conservatively. Once they’re

out,whatremains?”

“Thecatapultsstillwork,”providedoneof

thesilver-hairedFaeroyals.Thefemaleone.

“They’re for inflicting damage far out on

the field, though,” said Prince Galan, who,

like Aedion, bore Aelin’s eyes. “Not close

fighting.”

“Then we have our swords,” Aedion said

hoarsely.“Ourcourage.”

Thelatter,Manonknew,wasrunninglow,

too.

“WecankeeptheIronteethatbay,”Manon

said,“butcannotalsoaidyouatthewalls.”

Theywereindeedfightingarelentlesstide

thatdidnotdiminish.

“Soisthistheend,then?”Anselasked.“In

four, five days, we offer our necks to

Morath?”

“We fight to the last of us,” Aedion

growled.“Totheverylastone.”

Even Lord Darrow did not object to that.

Sotheydeparted,meetingover.

There wasn’t anything else to discuss.

Withinafewdays,they’dallbeagrandfeast

forthecrows.



CHAPTER103

Thestormhadhaltedtheirarmyentirely.

On the first morning, it raged so fiercely

thatRowanhadn’tbeenabletoseeafewfeet

beforehim.Rukshadbeengrounded,andonly

the hardiest of scouts had been sent out—on

land.

Sothearmysatthere.Notfiftymilesover

Terrasen’sborder.AweekfromOrynth.

HadAelinpossessedherfullpowers—

Not her full powers. Not anymore, Rowan

reminded himself as he sat in their war tent,

hismateandwifeandqueenonthelow-lying

sofabesidehim.

Aelin’sfullpowerswerenow…hedidn’t

quite know. Where they’d been at Mistward,

perhaps.Whenshestillhadthatself-inflicted

damper. Not as little as when she’d arrived,

butnotasmuchaswhenshe’dencircledallof

Doranellewithherflame.

Certainly not enough to face Erawan and

walkaway.AndMaeve.

He didn’t care. Didn’t give a shit whether

she had all the power of the sun, or not an

ember.

Ithadnevermatteredtohimanyway.

Outside, the wind howled, the tent

shuddering.

“Is it always this bad?” Fenrys asked,

frowningattheshakingtentwalls.

“Yes,”ElideandAelinsaid,thenshareda

raresmile.

Amiracle,thatsmileonAelin’smouth.

ButElide’sfadedasshesaid,“Thisstorm

couldlastdays.Itcoulddumpthreefeet.”

Lorcan,lingeringnearthebrazier,grunted.

“Evenoncethesnowstops,therewillbethat

to contend with. Soldiers losing toes and

fingerstothecoldandwet.”

Aelin’s smile vanished entirely. “I’ll melt

asmuchasIcan.”

Shewould.She’dbringherselftotheedge

ofburnouttodoit.Buttogether,iftheylinked

their powers, the force of Rowan’s magic

might be enough to melt a path. To keep the

armywarm.

“We’ll still have an army who arrives at

Orynth exhausted,” Gavriel said, rubbing his

jaw.

HowmanydayshadRowanseenhimgaze

northward, toward the son who fought in

Orynth?Wondering,nodoubt,ifAedionstill

lived.

“They’reprofessionals,”Fenryssaiddrily.

“Theycanhandleit.”

“Going the long way around will only

increasetheexhaustion,”Lorcansaid.

“Thelastweheard,”Rowansaid,“Morath

heldPerranth.”ApainedwincefromElideat

that. “We won’t risk crossing too close to it.

Not when it would mean potentially getting

entangled in aconflict that would only delay

ourarrivalinOrynthandthinournumbers.”

“I’ve looked at the maps a dozen times.”

Gavriel frowned to where they were laid out

ontheworktable.“There’snoalternativeway

to Orynth—not without drawing too close to

Perranth.”

“Perhapswe’llbelucky,”Fenryssaid,“and

this storm will have hit the entire North.

Maybe freeze some of Morath’s forces for

us.”

Rowan doubted they’d be that lucky. He

hadafeelingthatanylucktheypossessedhad

beenspentwiththewomansittingbesidehim.

Aelin looked at him, grave and tired. He

could not imagine what it felt like. She had

yielded all of herself. Had given up her

humanity, her magic. He knew it was the

former that left that haunted, bruised look in

hereyes.Thatmadeherastrangerinherown

body.

Rowan had taken the time last night to

reacquaintherwithcertainpartsofthatbody.

Andhisown.Hadspentalongwhiledoingso,

too. Until that haunted look had vanished,

until she was writhing beneath him, burning

whilehemovedinher.Hehadn’tstoppedhis

tearsfromfalling,evenwhenthey’dturnedto

steambeforetheyhitherbody,andtherehad

beentearsonherownface,brightassilverin

theflame,whileshe’dheldhimtight.

Yet this morning, when he’d nuzzled her

awake with kisses to her jaw, her neck, that

hauntedlookhadreturned.Andlingered.

First her scars. Then her mortal, human

body.

Enough. She had given enough. He knew

sheplannedtogivemore.

A rukhin scout called for the queen from

the tent flaps, and Aelin gave a quiet

command to enter. But the scout only poked

inherhead,hereyeswide.Snowcoveredher

hood, her eyebrows, her lashes. “Your

Majesty. Majesties,” she corrected, glancing

athim.Rowandidn’tbothertotellherhewas

simply and would forever beYour Highness .

“You must come.” The scout panted hard

enoughforherbreathtocurlinthechilledair

leakingthroughthetentflaps.“Allofyou.”

Ittookminutestodontheirwarmerlayers

andgear,tobraceforthesnowandwind.

Butthentheywereallinchingthroughthe

drifts,thescoutguidingthempasthalf-buried

tents. Even under the trees, there was little

shelter.

Yetthentheywereattheedgeofthecamp,

theblindingsnowsroaringpast.Veilingwhat

thescoutpointedtoasshesaid,“Look.”

Athis side,Aelinstumbleda step. Rowan

reachedforhertokeepherfromfalling.

But she hadn’t been falling. She’d been

lurchingforward—asiftorunahead.

Rowan saw at last what she beheld. Who

emergedbetweenthetrees.

Against the snow, he was nearly invisible

withhiswhitefur.Wouldhavebeeninvisible

were it not for the golden flame flickering

betweenhisproud,toweringantlers.

TheLordoftheNorth.

And at his feet, all around him … The

LittleFolk.

Snowclingingtoherlashes,asmallsound

came out of Aelin as the creature nearest

curled its hand, beckoning. As if to say,

Followus.

The others gaped in silence at the

magnificent, proud stag who had come to

greetthem.

ToguidehometheQueenofTerrasen.

Butthenthewindbegantowhisper,andit

wasnotthesongthatRowanusuallyheard.

No,itwasavoicethattheyallheardasit

streamedpastthem.

Doom is upon Orynth, Heir of Brannon.

Youmusthurry.

Achillthathadnothingtodowiththecold

skittereddownRowan’sskin.

“The storm,” Aelin blurted, the words

swallowedbythesnow.

Youmusthurry.Wewillshowyoutheway,

swiftandunseen.

Aelin only stilled. Said to that voice, as

ancient as the trees, as old as the rocks

between them, “You have already helped me

somanytimes.”

Andyouhavegivenmuchyourself,Heirof

Brannon. We who remember him know he

would have madesuch achoice,hadhebeen

able to do so. Oakwald shall never forget

Brannon,orhisHeir.

Aelin straightened, scanned the trees, the

snow-whippedwind.

Dryad. That was the word he sought.

Dryad.Atreespirit.

“What is your cost?” Aelin asked, her

voiceloudernow.

“Do you really want to ask?” Fenrys

muttered.Rowansnarledathim.

ButAelin had gone still as she waited for

thedryadtoanswer.ThevoiceofOakwald,of

the Little Folk and creatures who had long

caredforit.

A better world, the dryad replied at last.

Evenforus.

Thearmywasaflurryofactivityasithauled

itself into preparing to march—to race

northward.

But Aelin dragged Rowan into their tent.

To the pile of books Chaol and Yrene had

broughtfromthesoutherncontinent.

She ran a finger overthe titles, searching,

scanning.

“Whatareyoudoing?”hermateasked.

Aelinignoredthequestionandhummedas

she found the book she sought. She leafed

through it, careful not to tear the ancient

pages. “A stupid cow I might be,” she

muttered, rotating the book to show Rowan

the page she sought, “but not without

options.”

Rowan’seyesdanced.You’reincludingme

inthisparticularscheme,Princess?

Aelin smirked.Iwouldn’twantyoutofeel

leftout.

He angled his head. “We need to hurry,

then.”

Listening to the ruckus of the readying

army beyond their tent, Aelin nodded. And

began.



CHAPTER104

Thesweatandbloodonhimquicklyfreezing,

Aedion panted as he leaned against the

batteredcitywallsandwatchedtheencamped

enemypullbackforthenight.

A sick sort of joke, a cruel torment, for

Morathtohaltateachsundown.Asifitwere

some sort of civility, as if the creatures who

infested so many of the soldiers below

requiredlight.

HeknewwhyErawanhadordereditso.To

wear them down day by day, to break their

spirits rather than let them go out in raging

glory.

It wasn’t just the victory or conquest that

Erawandesired,buttheircompletesurrender.

Theirbeggingforittobeover,forhimtoend

them,rulethem.

Aediongroundhisteethashelimpeddown

the battlements, the light quickly fading, the

temperatureplummeting.

Fivedays.

Theweaponsthey’destimatedrunningout

in three or four days had lasted until today.

Untilnow.

Downthewall,oneoftheMycenianssenta

plume of flame onto theValg still trying to

scale the siege ladder. Where it burned,

demonsfellaway.

Rolfe stood by the woman wielding the

firelance, his face as bloodied and sweaty as

Aedion’s.

A black-armored hand clamped onto the

battlement beside Aedion as he passed by,

grapplingforpurchase.

Barely looking, Aedion slammed out his

ancientshield.Ayelpandfadingcrywashis

only confirmation that the rogue soldier had

gonetumblingtotheground.

Rolfe smiled grimly asAedion halted, the

weight of his armor like a thousand stones.

Overhead,CrochansandIronteethflewslowly

backacrossthecitywalls,redcapesdrooping

over brooms, leathery wings beating

irregularly. Aedion watched the sky until he

sawtheriderless wyvernhelookedfor every

day,everynight.

Spotting him, too, Lysandra banked and

began a slow, pained descent toward the city

wall.

So many dead. More and more each day.

Those lost lives weighed his every step.

Nothinghecoulddowouldevermakeitright

—notreally.

“Thearchersareout,”AedionsaidtoRolfe

by way of greeting as Lysandra drew closer,

blood both her own and from others on her

wings,herchest.“Nomorearrows.”

RolfejerkedhischintowardtheMycenian

warrior still setting off her firelance in

sputteringfitsandbursts.

Lysandra landed, shifting in a flash, and

was instantly at Aedion’s side, tucked under

his shield arm. A soft, swift kiss was their

only greeting. The only thing he looked

forwardtoeverynight.

Sometimes,oncethey’dbeenbandagedand

eaten something, he’d manage to get more

thanthat.Often,theydidn’tbothertowashup

beforefindingashadowedalcove.Thenitwas

nothing but her, the sheer perfection of her,

thesmallsoundsshemadewhenhelickedup

herthroat, whenhis handsslowly,soslowly,

exploredeachinchofher.Lettinghersetthe

pace, show him and tell him how far she

wished to go. But not that final joining, not

yet.

Something for them both to live for—that

wastheirunspokenvow.

ShereekedofValgblood,butAedionstill

pressed another kiss to Lysandra’s temple

before he looked back at Rolfe. The Pirate

Lordsmiledgrimly.

Wellawarethatthesewouldlikelybetheir

finaldays.Hours.

TheMycenianwarrioraimedherfirelance

again, and the lingering Valg tumbled away

into the darkness, little more than melted

bonesandflutteringcloth.

“That’sthelastofit,”Rolfesaidquietly.

It took Aedion a heartbeat to realize he

didn’tmeanthefinalsoldieroftheevening.

The Mycenian warrior set down her

firelancewithaheavy,metallicthud.

“Thefirelancesaredone,”Rolfesaid.

Darkness fell over Orynth, so thick even the

flamesofthecastleshriveled.

Onthecastlebattlements,Darrowsilentat

her side, Evangeline watched the trudging

linesofsoldierscomeinfromthewalls,from

theskies.

Bonedrumsbegantobeat.

A heartbeat, as if the enemy army on the

plain were one massive, rising beast now

readyingtodevourthem.

Most days, they only beat from sunup to

sundown,thenoiseblockedoutbythedinof

battle.Thattheyhadstarteditanewasthesun

vanished…Herstomachchurned.

“Tomorrow,”LordSloanemurmuredfrom

where he stood beside Darrow. “Or the day

after.Itwillbedonethen.”

Notvictory.Evangelineknewthatnow.

Darrow said nothing, and Lord Sloane

clapped him on the shoulder before heading

inside.

“What happens at the end?” Evangeline

daredaskDarrow.

The old man gazed across the city, the

battlefieldfullofsuchterribledarkness.

“Either we surrender,” he said, voice

hoarse,“andErawanmakesslavesofusall,or

wefightuntilwe’reallcarrion.”

Suchstark,harshwords.Yetshelikedthat

abouthim—thathedidnotsoftenanythingfor

her.“Whoshalldecidewhatwedo?”

His gray eyes scanned her face. “It would

falluponus,theLordsofTerrasen.”

Evangeline nodded. Enemy campfires

flickeredtolife,theirflamesseemingtoecho

thebeatoftheirbonedrums.

“What would you decide?” Darrow’s

questionwasquiet,tentative.

She considered it. No one had ever asked

hersuchathing.

“I should have very much liked to live at

Caraverre,”Evangelineadmitted.Sheknewhe

didnotrecognizeit,butitdidn’tmatternow,

did it? “Murtaugh showed me the land—the

riversandmountainsrightnearby,theforests

and hills.”An ache throbbed in her chest. “I

saw the gardens by the house, and I would

have liked to haveseenthem in spring.” Her

throattightened.“Iwouldhavelikedforthat

tohavebeenmyhome.Forthis…forallof

Terrasentohavebeenmyhome.”

Darrowsaidnothing,andEvangelineseta

hand onthe castle stones, gazing to the west

now, as if she could see all the way to

Allsbrook and the small territory in its

shadow.ToCaraverre.

“That’swhatTerrasenhasalwaysmeantto

me,youknow,”Evangelinewenton,speaking

more to herself. “As soon as Aelin freed

Lysandra,andofferedtoletusjoinhercourt,

Terrasen has always meant home. A place

where…wherethesortofpeoplewhohurtus

don’tgettolive.Whereanyone,regardlessof

who they are and where they came from and

what their rank iscan dwell in peace. Where

wecanhaveagardeninthespring,andswim

in the rivers in the summer. I’ve never had

such a thing before. A home, I mean. And I

wouldhavelikedforCaraverre,forTerrasen,

to have been mine.” She chewed on her lip.

“So I would choose to fight. Until the very

end. For my home, new as it is. I choose to

fight.”

Darrow was silent for so long that she

peeredupathim.

She’dneverseenhiseyessosad,asifthe

weightofallhisyearstrulysettleduponthem.

Thenheonlysaid,“Comewithme.”

She followed him down the battlements

and into the warmth of the castle, along the

various winding hallways, all the way to the

Great Hall, where a too-small evening meal

wasbeinglaidout.Oneoftheirlast.

No one bothered to look up from their

plates as Evangeline and Darrow passed

betweenthelongtablescrammedwithdrained

andinjuredsoldiers.

Darrow didn’t look at them, either, as he

wentrightuptothelineofpeoplewaitingfor

theirfood. Rightup toAedionandLysandra,

their arms looped around each other while

theywaitedtheirturn.Asitshouldhavebeen

fromthestart—thetwoofthemtogether.

Aedion, sensing Darrow’s approach,

turned.Thegenerallookedwornthrough.

He knew, then. That tomorrow or the day

after would be their last. Lysandra gave

Evangeline a small smile, and Evangeline

knew that she was aware, too. Would try to

findawaytogetheroutbeforetheend.

EvenifEvangelinewouldneverallowit.

Darrowunbuckledtheswordathissideand

extendedittoAedion.

Silencebegantoripplethroughthehallat

the sight of the sword—Aedion’s sword. The

SwordofOrynth.

Darrow held it between them, the ancient

bone pommel gleaming. “Terrasen is your

home.”

Aedion’shaggardfaceremainedunmoved.

“IthasbeensincethedayIarrivedhere.”

“I know,” Darrow said, gazing at the

sword. “And you have defended it far more

than any natural-born son would ever be

expected to. Beyond what anyonemight ever

reasonablybeaskedtogive.Youhavedoneso

without complaint, without fear, and have

servedyourkingdomnobly.”Heextendedthe

sword.“Youwillforgiveaproudoldmanwho

soughttodosoaswell.”

Aedion slid his arm from Lysandra’s

shoulder, and took the sword in his hands.

“Serving this kingdom has been the great

honorofmylife.”

“I know,” Darrow repeated, and glanced

down to Evangeline before he looked to

Lysandra. “Someone very wise recently told

methatTerrasenisnotmerelyaplace,butan

ideal.A home for all those who wander, for

thosewhoneedsomewheretowelcomethem

with open arms.” He inclined his head to

Lysandra. “I formally recognize Caraverre

anditslands,andyouasitslady.”

Lysandra’sfingersfoundEvangeline’sand

squeezedtight.

“For your unwavering courage in the face

oftheenemygatheredatourdoorstep,forall

you have done to defend this city and

kingdom, Caraverre shall be recognized, and

yoursforevermore.”Aglancebetweenherand

Aedion. “Any heirs you bear shall inherit it,

andtheirheirsafterthem.”

“Evangeline is my heir,” Lysandra said

thickly,restingawarmhandonhershoulder.

Darrow smiled slightly. “I know that, too.

But I should like to say one more thing, on

this perhaps final night of ours.”Heinclined

hisheadtoEvangeline.“Ineverfatheredany

offspring,nordidIadoptany.Itwouldbean

honortonamesuchawise,braveyounglady

asmyheir.”

Absolutesilence.Evangelineblinked—and

blinkedagain.

Darrow went on in the stunned quiet, “I

shouldlike tofacemy enemiesknowingthat

the heart of my lands, of this kingdom, will

beat on in the chest of Evangeline. That no

matter the gathering shadow, Terrasen will

always live in someone who understands its

very essence without needing to be taught.

Who embodies its very best qualities.” He

gestured to Lysandra. “If that is agreeable to

you.”

To make her his ward—and a lady …

Evangeline clasped Darrow’s hand. He

squeezedback.

“I…”Lysandrablinked,andturnedtoher,

eyesbright.“Itisnotmycall,isit?”

So Evangeline smiled up at Darrow. “I

wouldverymuchlikethat.”

Thebonedrumsbeatallnightlong.

Whatnewhorrorswouldbeunleashedwith

thedawn,Manondidn’tknow.

Sitting besideAbraxos in the aerie tower,

she stared with him at the endless sea of

blackness.

Itwouldbeoversoon.Thedesperatehope

ofAelinGalathyniushadflickeredout.

Wouldanybeabletoescapeoncethecity

walls were breached?And where would they

even go? Once Erawan’s shadow settled,

wouldtherebeanystoppinghim?

Dorian—Doriancould.Ifhehadgottenthe

keys.Ifhehadsurvived.

He might be dead. Might be marching on

them right now, a black collar around his

throat.

Manon leaned her head againstAbraxos’s

warm,leatheryside.

She would not be able to see her people

home.TobringthemtotheWastes.

Tomorrow—in her wicked, old bones she

knewitwouldbetomorrowthatthecitywalls

fellatlast.Theyhadnoweaponsleftbeyond

swords and their own defiance. That would

only last so long against the endless force

waitingforthem.

Abraxosshiftedhiswingsothatitshielded

herfromthewind.

“I would have liked to have seen it,”

Manonsaidquietly.“TheWastes.Justonce.”

Abraxos huffed, nudging her gently with

hishead.Shestrokedahandoverhissnout.

And even with the darkness squatting on

the battlefield, she could picture it—the

rolling, vibrant green that flowed to a

thrashing gray sea. A shining city along its

shore,witchessoaringonbroomsorwyverns

in the skies above it. She could hear the

laughterofwitchlingsinthestreets,thelong-

forgottenmusicoftheirpeoplefloatingonthe

wind.Awide,openspace,lushandevergreen.

“I would have liked to have seen it,”

Manonwhisperedagain.



CHAPTER105

Bloodrainedoverthebattlefield.

Blood and arrows, so many that as they

foundmarksinLysandra’sflank,herwings,it

barelyregistered.

Morath had been reserving its arsenal.

Untiltoday.

Withthe dawn,they hadunleashedsucha

torrent of arrows that getting into the skies

hadbeenalethalgauntlet.Shehadnotwanted

to know how many Crochans had fallen,

despitethe best efforts of the rebel Ironteeth

toshieldthemwiththeirwyverns’bodies.

But most had made it into the air—and

right into the onslaught of the Ironteeth

legion.

Below, Morath swarmed with an urgency

she had not yet witnessed. A black sea that

crashedagainstthecitywalls,breakingoverit

everynowandthen.

Siege ladders went up faster than they

couldbetakendown,andnow,thesunbarely

cresting,siegetowersinchedforward.

Lysandra barreled into an Ironteeth witch

—aBlackbeak,fromthedyedleatherbandon

herbrow—andtoreherfromthesaddlebefore

rippingoutthethroatofherwyvern.

One.Onlyoneoutofthemassintheskies.

Shedove,pickinganothertarget.

Thenanother.Andanother.Itwouldnotbe

enough.

And where the Ironteeth legion had been

content to engage them in battle these past

few weeks, today they pushed. Drove them

backfootbyfoottowardOrynth.

And there was nothing Lysandra, nor any

oftheCrochansorrebelIronteeth,coulddoto

stopit.

Sowitchesdied.

Andbelowthem,onthecitywalls,soldiers

fromsomanykingdomsdiedaswell.

Thefinalstand,thelastfewhours,oftheir

desperatealliance.

Manon’s breath was a rasp in her throat, her

swordarmaching.

Again and again, they rallied and drove

againsttheIronteethlegion.

Again and again, they were shoved back.

BacktowardOrynth.Towardthewalls.

The Crochan lines were foundering. Even

theIronteethrebelshadbeguntoflysloppily.

How had they fought and fought and still

cometothis?TheThirteenhadgivenuptheir

lives; her chest was hollowed out, the din of

battle still a distant roar over the silence in

herhead.Andyetithadcometothis.

Iftheykeptitup,theywouldbeoverrunby

nightfall.Iftheydidnotreconfiguretheirplan

of attack, they would have nothing left by

dawn.Enoughremainedofhershreddedspirit

tofindthatunacceptable.Torageagainstthat

end.

They had to retreat to the city walls. To

regroupanduseOrynth,themountainsbehind

it,totheiradvantage.Thelongertheylingered

intheopenair,thedeadlieritwouldbecome.

Manon freed the horn from her side and

blewtwice.

CrochanandIronteethwhirledtowardher,

eyes wide in shock. Manon blew the horn

again.

Fall back, the horn bleated.Fall back to

thecity.

Thewesterngatetothecityshuddered.

Whereintricate,ancientcarvingshadonce

graced the towering iron plates, now only

dentsandsplatteredbloodremained.

Athunderousboomechoedthroughoutthe

city,themountains,andAedion,pantingashe

fought atop the battlements above the gates,

dared to look away from his latest opponent.

Dared to survey the wake of the battering

ram’slatestblow.

Soldiersfilledthe passageway tothe gate,

moreliningthestreetsbeyondit.Asmanyas

couldbesparedfromthewalls.

Soon now. Soon the western gate would

yield. After thousands of years, it would

finallysunder.

The Sword of Orynth was slick in his

bloodiedhand, hisancientshield coated with

gore.

Already,peoplewerefleeingtothecastle.

Thebrave souls who had lingered in the city

all this time, hoping against hope that they

mightsurvive.Nowtheyran,childrenintheir

arms, for the castle that would be the final

bastionagainstMorath’shordes.Forhowever

longthatwouldbe.

Hours,perhaps.

Manon had given the order to pull back,

and Crochans and Ironteeth landed upon the

wall by the still-steady southern gate, some

joining the battle, others holding the line

againsttheenemyaeriallegionontheirtails.

Thewesterngateshudderedagain,rocking

inward,thewoodandmetalandchainsthey’d

reinforceditwithbuckling.

Aedion sensed the enemy rushing at his

exposedleftandliftedhisshield,soinfinitely

heavy.Butariderlesswyverninterceptedthe

soldier,rippingthemanintwobeforehurling

hisremainsoffthebattlements.

With a flash of light, Lysandra was there,

snatchingupclothes,sword,andshieldfroma

fallen Silent Assassin. “Tell me where to

order Manon and the others stationed in the

city,”shesaid,pantinghard.Agashrandown

her arm, blood leaking everywhere, but she

didn’tseemtonoticeit.

Aedion tried to sink into that cool,

calculatingplacethathadguidedhimthrough

otherbattles,othernear-defeats.Butthiswas

nonear-defeat.

Thiswouldbeadefeat,pureandbrutal.A

slaughter.

“Aedion.”Hisnamewasafranticplea.

A Valg soldier rushed them, and Aedion

splitthemanfromnaveltonosewithaswipe

of the Sword of Orynth. Lysandra barely

blinked at the black blood that sprayed onto

herface.

The western gate buckled, iron screaming

asitbegantopeelapart.

Hehadtogo—hadtogodowntheretolead

thefightatthegate.

Where he’d make his last stand. Where

he’d meet his end, defending the place he’d

lovedmost.Itwastheleasthecoulddo,with

allthewarriorswhohadfallenthankstohim,

tohischoices.TofallhimselfforTerrasen.

A death worthy of a song.An end worthy

ofbeingtoldaroundafire.

If in Erawan’s new world of darkness,

flameswouldbeallowedtoexist.

The Morath Ironteeth legion barreled into

theirrebelkin;theexhaustedCrochansaliton

the stones as they guzzled down water,

checked injuries. A breath before their final

push.

Along the wall, Valg soldiers surged and

surgedandsurgedoverthebattlements.

SoAedionleanedin,andkissedLysandra,

kissed the woman who should have been his

wife,hismate,onelasttime.“Iloveyou.”

Sorrow filled her beautiful face. “And I

you.”Shegesturedtothewesterngate,tothe

soldiers waiting for its final cleaving. “Until

theend?”

Aedion hefted his shield, flipping the

Sword of Orynth in his hand, freeing the

stiffness that had seized his fingers. “I will

find you again,” he promised her. “In

whateverlifecomesafterthis.”

Lysandranodded.“Ineverylifetime.”

Together,theyturnedtowardthestairsthat

wouldtakethemdowntothegates.Todeath’s

awaitingembrace.

Ahorncleavedthroughtheair,throughthe

battle,throughtheworld.

Aedionwentstill.

Whirled toward the direction of that horn,

tothesouth.BeyondMorath’steemingranks.

Beyond the sea of blackness, to the foothills

thatborderedtheedgeofTheralis’ssprawling

plain.

Again,thathornblared,aroarofdefiance.

“That’s no horn of Morath,” Lysandra

breathed.

Andthentheyappeared.Alongtheedgeof

the foothills. A line of golden-armored

warriors,footsoldiersandcavalryalike.More

and more and more, a great line spreading

acrossthecrestofthefinalhill.

Filling the skies, stretching into the

horizon, flew mighty, armored birds with

riders.Ruks.

And before them all, sword raised to the

sky as thathorn blew one lasttime,the ruby

intheblade’spommelsmolderinglikeasmall

sun…

Beforethem all, riding on the Lord of the

North,wasAelin.



CHAPTER106

Through the ancient, forgotten pathways of

Oakwald,throughthePerranthMountains,the

Lord of the North and Little Folk had led

them. Swift and unfaltering, racing against

doom, they had made their last push

northward.

They had barely stopped to rest. Had left

anyunnecessarysuppliesbehind.

The ruk scouts had not dared to fly ahead

for fear of being discovered by Morath. For

fearofruiningtheadvantageinsurprise.

Six days of marching, that great army

hurryingbehindher.

Inhospitable terrain smoothed out. Little

rivers froze over for their passing. The trees

blockedoutthefallingsnow.

They had traveled through the night

yesterday. And when dawn had broken, the

LordoftheNorthhadkneltbesideAelinand

offeredhimselfashermount.

There was no saddle for him; none would

ever be permitted or needed. Any rider he

allowedonhisback,Aelinknew,wouldnever

fall.

Some had knelt when she rode by. Even

DorianandChaolhadinclinedtheirheads.

Rowan, atop a fierce-eyed Darghan horse,

had only nodded. As if he had always

expected her to wind up here, at the head of

the army that galloped the final hours to the

edgeofOrynth.

Shehadfittedherbattle-crowntoherhead,

along with the armor she’d gathered in

Anielle, and outfitted herself with whatever

spare weapons Fenrys and Lorcan handed to

her.

Yrene,Elide,andthehealerswouldremain

in the rear—until ruks could carry them into

Orynth.DorianandChaolwouldleadthewild

men of the Fangs on the right flank, the

khaganate royals on the left, Sartaq and

Nesryn in theskies with the ruks.AndAelin

andRowan,withFenrys,Lorcan,andGavriel,

wouldtakethecenter.

Thearmy had spread out as they’dneared

the foothills beyond Orynth, the hills that

would take them to the edge of Theralis’s

plain, and offer their first view of the city

beyondit.

Heart hammering, the Lord of the North

unfaltering, Aelin had ascended the last of

those hills, the highest and steepest of them,

and looked upon Orynth for the first time in

tenyears.

A terrible, pulsing silence went through

her.

Where a lovely white city had once

glittered between river and plain and

mountain…

Smoke and chaos and terror reigned. The

turquoiseFlorineflowedblack.

Thesheersize,theboomingofthemassive

army that thundered against its walls, in the

skiesaboveit…

She hadn’t realized. How large Morath’s

army would be. How small and precious

Orynthseemedbeforeit.

“They’realmostthroughthewesterngate,”

Fenrys murmured, his Fae sight gobbling

downdetails.

The khagan’s army fanned out around

them,acrossthehill.Thecrestofawavesoon

to break. Yet even the Darghan soldiers

hesitated,horsesshifting,atthearmybetween

themandthecity.

Rowan’s face was grave—grave, yet

undaunted,ashetookintheenemy.

So many. So many soldiers. And the

Ironteethlegionabovethem.

“The Crochans fight at the city walls,”

Gavrielobserved.

Indeed, she could barely makeout the red

cloaks.

ManonBlackbeakhadnotbrokenhervow.

Andneitherwouldshe.

Aelin glanced at her hand, hidden beneath

the gauntlet. To where a scar should have

been.

IpromiseyouthatnomatterhowfarIgo,

nomatterthecost,whenyoucallformyaid,I

willcome.

There would be no time for speeches. No

timetorallythesoldiersbehindher.

Theywereready.Andsowasshe.

“Sound the call,” Aelin ordered Lorcan,

wholiftedahorntohislipsandblew.

Downtheline,heraldsfromthekhaganate

sentuptheirownhornsinanswer.Untilthey

were all one great, bellowing note, racing

towardOrynth.

Theyblewthehornsagain.

AelindrewGoldrynfromitssheathacross

herbackandheftedhershieldassheliftedthe

sword to the sky. As a thread of her magic

pierced the ruby in the pommel and set it

glowing.

The Darghan soldiers pointed theirsuldes

forward, wood creaking, horsehair whipping

inthewind.

Down the line, Princess Hasar and Prince

Kashintrainedtheirownspearsattheenemy

army.DorianandChaoldrewtheirbladesand

aimedthemahead.

Rowan unsheathed his sword, a hatchet in

his other hand, his face like stone.

Unbreakable.

Thehorns blew a thirdand final time,the

rallying cry singing out across the bloody

plain.

The Lord of the North reared up, jutting

Goldryn higher into the sky,and Aelin

unleashed a flash of fire through the ruby—

thesignalthearmybehindherhadawaited.

ForTerrasen.Allofit,forTerrasen.

TheLordoftheNorthlanded,theimmortal

flame within his antlers shining bright as he

began the charge. The army around and

behind her flowed down the hillside, gaining

with each step, barreling toward Morath’s

backranks.

BarrelingtowardOrynth.

Towardhome.

Onward into battle they charged, undaunted

andraging.

Thequeenatopthewhitestagdidnotbalk

with each gained foot toward the awaiting

legions. She only flipped her sword in her

hand—once, twice, shield arm tucking in

tight.

The immortal warriors at her side did not

hesitate, either, their eyes fixed upon the

enemyahead.

Faster and faster, the khaganate’s cavalry

galloping beside her, the front line forming,

holding, as they neared the first of Morath’s

backlines.

The enemy turned toward them now.

Pointedspears;archersracingintoposition.

The first impact would hurt. Many would

godownbeforetheyevenreachedit.

But the front line had to make it. They

couldnotbreak.

From the enemy lines, an order arose.

“Archers!”

Bowstringsgroaned,targetswerefixed.

“Volley!”

Great iron arrows blotted out the sun,

aimingfortheracingcavalry.

But ruks, golden and brown and black as

night,dove,dove,dovefromtheskies,flying

wing to wing. And as those arrows arced

toward the earth, the ruks intercepted them,

takingthebruntastheyshieldedthecharging

armybeneaththem.

Rukswentdown.

And even the queen leading the charge

wept in rage and grief as the birds and their

riderscrashedtotheearth.Aboveher,taking

arrowafterarrow,shieldraisedtotheskies,a

youngriderroaredherbattlecry.

Thefrontlinescouldnotbreak.

Ironteeth witches on wyverns banked

towardthem,towardtherukssoaringfortheir

exposedback.

In the city,along Orynth’s walls, a white-

hairedqueenbellowed,“Push!Push!Push!”

Exhausted witches took to the skies, on

broom and beast, swords lifting. Racing for

the front of the aerial legion turning to the

ruks. To crush the Ironteeth legion between

them.

On the bloody ground, Morath aimed

spears, pikes, swords, anything they bore at

thethunderingcavalry.

Itwasnotenoughtostopthem.

Not when shields of wind and flame and

blackest death locked into place—and sliced

intothefrontlinesofMorath.

Felling the soldiers braced for battle.

Exposing those behind still waiting to raise

weapons.

Leaving Morath wide open for the golden

army as it slammed into them with the force

ofatidalwave.



CHAPTER107

Rowan’sbreathwasasteadyraspinhisthroat

as he charged through the lines of Valg

soldiers, screaming ringing out around him.

Nearby, cutting a swath through Morath’s

masses, Aelin and the Lord of the North

fought. Soldiers swarmed, but neither queen

norstagbalked.

NotwhenAelin’sflame,reducedasitwas,

kept any in her blind spots from landing a

blow.

TheDarghancavalryshovedMorathback,

andabovethem,ruksandwyvernsclashed.

Beasts,featheredandscaled,crashedtothe

earth.

Still Borte fought above the queen,

guarding her from the Ironteeth who spotted

thatwhitestag,asgoodasabanneramidthe

seaofdarkness,andaimedforher.AtBorte’s

side, her betrothed guarded their flank, and

FalkanEnnar,inrukform,guardedherother.

His Darghan horse fearless, Rowan swept

outhisleftarm,hatchetsinging.AValghead

tumbled away, but Rowan was already

slashingwithhisswordathisnextopponent.

Theoddswereagainstthem,evenwiththe

planning they’d done. Yet if they could

liberate the city, regroup and restock, before

ErawanandMaevearrived,theymightstanda

chance.

For Erawan and Maeve would come. At

some point, they would come, and Aelin

would want to face them. Rowan had no

intentionoflettingherdosoalone.

Rowan glanced toward Aelin. She had

plowedfartherahead,thefrontlinespreading

out,swarmsofMorathsoldiersbetweenthem.

Stayclose.Hehadtostayclose.

ACrochansweptby,shootingpastRowan

to rise up, up, up—right to the unprotected

underbellyofanIronteethwitch’swyvern.

Sword raised, the witch raced along its

underside,swiftandbrutal.

Whereshepassed,bloodandgorerained.

The beast groaned, wings splaying, and

Rowanthrewoutagustofwind.Thewyvern

crashedontoMorath’srankswithaboomthat

senthisowndamnedhorseplowingaway.

When the shuddering wings had stilled,

whenRowanhadsteadiedhishorseandfelled

thesoldiersrushingathim,heagainsearched

forAelin.

Buthismatewasnolongernearhim.

No, charging ahead, a vision of gold and

silver,Aelin had gotten so far away that she

wasnearlybeyondsight.Therewasnosignof

Gavriel,either.

Yet Fenrys battled near Rowan’s other

side,Lorcanonhisleft—adark,deadlywind

lashingoutintimewithhissword.

Once,theyhadbeenlittlemorethanslaves

toaqueenwhohadunleashedthemacrossthe

world.Together,theyhadtakenonarmiesand

decimatedcities.

He had not cared then whether he walked

off those distant battlefields. Had not cared

whether those kingdoms fell or survived. He

had been given his orders, and had executed

them.

Buthere,today…Aelinhadgiventhemno

order, no command other than the very first

they’dsworntoobey:toprotectTerrasen.

So they would. And together, they would

doso,cadreoncemore.

They would fight for this kingdom—their

newcourt.Theirnewhome.

HecouldseeitinFenrys’seyesashecuta

soldierintwowithadeepslicetothemiddle.

CouldseethatvisionofafutureonLorcan’s

ragingfaceasthewarriorwieldedmagicand

bladetoripthroughtheenemyranks.

Cadre, yet more than that. Brothers—the

warriorsfightingathissidewerehisbrothers.

Had stayed with him through all of it. And

wouldcontinuetodosonow.

Itsteeledhimasmuchasthethoughtofhis

mate,stillfightingahead.Hehadtogettoher,

keep close. They all did. Orynth depended

uponit.

No longer slaves. No longer raging and

broken.

A home. This would be their home. Their

future.Together.

Morath soldiers fell before them. Some

outrightranastheybeheldwhobattledcloser.

Perhaps why Maeve had gathered them in

thefirstplace.Yetshehadneverbeenableto

fully harness it—their potential, their true

might. Had chosen shackles and pain to

controlthem.Unabletocomprehend,toeven

consider, that glory and riches only went so

far.

But a true home, and a queen who saw

themasmalesandnotweapons…Something

worthfightingfor.Noenemycouldwithstand

it.

Lorcan and Fenrys battling at his side,

Rowan gritted his teeth and urged his horse

after Aelin, into the chaos and death that

ragedandragedanddidnotstop.

Aelinhadcome.

HadescapedMaeve,andhadcome.

Aedioncouldn’tbelieveit.Evenashesaw

thearmythatfoughtwithher.Evenashesaw

Chaol and Dorian leading the right flank,

chargingwiththefrontlinesandwildmenof

theFangs,theking’smagicblastinginplumes

oficeintotheenemy.

Chaol Westfall had not failed them. And

had somehow convinced the khagan to send

what appeared to be the majority of his

armies.

But thatarmywas inchingtoward Orynth,

stillfaracrossTheralis.

MorathdidnothaltitsassaultonOrynth’s

two gates. The southern held strong. But the

westerngate—itwasbeginningtobuckle.

Lysandra had shifted into a wyvern and

soared with the desperate, final push of

Manon Blackbeak and the Crochans toward

the Ironteeth legion, hoping to crush it

between them and the ruks. The shifter now

foughtthere,lostamidthefray.

So Aedion charged down to the western

gate,abattlecryonhislipsashismenlethim

rightuptotheirondoorsandtheenemyarmy

justvisiblethroughthesunderingplates.The

momentthegateopened,itwouldbeover.

Aedion’s drained legs shook, his arms

strained,butheheldhisground.Forwhatever

fewbreathshehadleft.

Aelinhadcome.Itwasenough.

Dorian’s magic snapped out of him, felling

thechargingsoldiers.SidebysidewithChaol,

thewildmenoftheFangsaroundthem,they

cleared a path through Morath’s ranks, their

swords plunging and lifting, their breath a

burnintheirthroats.

He had never seen battle. Knew he never

wished to again. The chaos, the noise, the

blood,thehorsesscreaming—

But he was not afraid. And Chaol, riding

nearhim,breakingsoldiersbetweenthem,did

not hesitate. Only slaughtered onward, teeth

gritted.

ForAdarlan—forwhathadbeendonetoit

andwhatitmightbecome.

The words echoed in his every panting

breath.ForAdarlan.

Morath’s army stretched ahead, still

between them and the battered walls of

Orynth.

Dorian didn’t let himself think of how

manyremained.Heonlythoughtofthesword

and shield in his hands, Damaris already

bathed in blood, ofthe magic he wielded to

supplement his strikes. He wouldn’t shift—

not yet. Not until his weapons and magic

began to fail him. He’d never fought in

another form, but he’d try.Asa wyvern or a

ruk,he’dtry.

Somewhere above him, Manon Blackbeak

flew. He didn’t dare look up long enough to

hunt for a gleam of silver-white hair, or for

theshimmerofSpidersilk-graftedwings.

He did not see any of the Thirteen. Or

recognize any of the Crochans as they swept

overhead.

SoDoriankeptfighting,hisbrotherinsoul

andinarmsbesidehim.

He’d only let himself count at the end of

theday.Iftheysurvived.Iftheymadeittothe

citywalls.

Onlythenwouldhetallythedead.

TherewasonlyAelin’sbesiegedcity,andthe

enemybeforeit,andtheancientswordinher

hand.

Siege towers neared the walls, three

clustering near the southern gate, each

teemingwithsoldiers.

Stilltoofarawaytoreach.Andtoodistant

forhermagic.

Magicthatwasalreadydraining,swiftand

fleeting,fromherveins.

Nomoreendlesswellofpower.Shehadto

conserveit,wieldittoherbestadvantage.

Andusethetrainingthathadbeeninstilled

inherforthepasttenyears.Shehadbeenan

assassin long before she’d mastered her

power.

It was no hardship to fall back on those

skills. To let Goldryn draw blood, to engage

multiplesoldiersandleavethembleedingout

behindher.

TheLordoftheNorthwasastormbeneath

her,hiswhitecoatstainedcrimsonandblack.

That immortal flame between his antlers

didn’tsomuchasflutter.

Overheadtheskiesrainedblood,witchand

wyvernandrukalikedyingandfighting.

Borte still covered her, engaging any

Ironteethwhoswoopedfromabove.

Minutes were hours, or perhaps the

oppositewastrue.Thesunpeakedandbegan

itsdescent,shadowslengthening.

Rowan and the others had been scattered

acrossthefield,butanicyblastofwindevery

now and then told her that her mate still

fought,stillkilledhiswaythroughtheranks.

Stillattemptedtoreachhersideoncemore.

Slowly, Orynth began to loom closer.

Slowly,thewallswentfromadistantmarker

toatoweringpresence.

The siege towers reached the walls, and

soldiers poured unchecked over the

battlements.

Yetthegatesstillheld.

Aelin lifted her head to give the order to

Borte and Yeran to bring the siege towers

down.

Just in time to see the six Ironteeth

wyvernsandridersslamintotheruks.

Sending Borte, Falkan, and Yeran

scattering,rukandwyvernscreamingasthey

hittheearthandrolled.

Clearing the path overhead for a

gargantuanwyverntocomedivingforAelin.

Sheblastedawallofflameskywardasthe

wyvernstretchedoutitsclawsforher,forthe

LordoftheNorth.

Thewyvernbanked,rising,anddoveagain.

The Lord of the North reared, holding his

groundasthewyvernaimedforthem.

But Aelin leaped from his back, and

slapped his flank with the flat of her sword,

throat so broken from roaring that she

couldn’tformthewords.Go.

The Lord of the North only lowered his

headasthewyvernbarreledtowardthem.

She did not have enough magic—not to

turnthethingintoashes.

SoAelinthrewhermagicaroundthestag.

Andsteppedfromtheorbofflame,shieldup

andswordangled.

She braced herself for the impact, took in

every detail on the wyvern’s armor, where  it

was weakest, where she might strike if she

coulddodgethesnappingjaws.

Thecarriononitsbreathwasahotblastas

itsmawopenedwide.

Itsheadwenttumblingtotheground.

Nottumblingsomuchassmashing.

Beneath a spiked, massive tail. Belonging

toanattackingwyvernwithemeraldeyes.

Aelin crouched as the riderless wyvern

whirled on the gaping Ironteeth witch, still

atopherbeheadedmount.

With one slamming sweep of the tail, the

green-eyed wyvern impaled the witch on its

spikes—and sent her body hurling across the

field.

Then the flash and shimmer.And a ghost

leopard now hurtled toward her, and Aelin

towardit.

Sheflungherarmsaroundtheleopardasit

roseup,massivebodyalmostknockingherto

the ground. “Well met, my friend,” was all

Aelin could manage to say as she embraced

Lysandra.

Ahornblaredfromthecity—afranticcall

forhelp.

AelinandLysandrawhirledtowardOrynth.

Toward the three siege towers against the

wallsbythesoutherngate.

Emerald eyes met those of turquoise and

gold.Lysandra’stailbobbed.

Aelingrinned.“Shallwe?”

Hehadtogettohersideagain.

A battlefield separating them, Rowan

slaughteredhiswaytowardAelin,Fenrysand

Lorcankeepingclose.

Pain had become a dull roar in his ears.

He’d long since lost track of his wounds. He

remembered them only because of the iron

shard an arrow to his shoulder had left when

hewrencheditfree.

A foolish, hasty mistake. The iron shard

was enough to keep him from shifting, from

flying to her. He hadn’t dared to pause long

enough to fish it from him, not with the

teemingenemy.Sohekeptfighting,hiscadre

with him. Their horses charged bold and

dauntless beneath them, gaining ground, but

hecouldnotseeAelin.

Only the Lord of the North, bounding

acrossthebattlefield,aimingforOakwald.

Asifhehadbeensetfree.

Fenrys, face splattered with black blood,

shouted,“Whereisshe?”

Rowanscannedthefield,heartthundering.

Butthebondinhischestglowedstrong,fire-

bright.

Lorcan only pointed ahead. To the city

wallsbythesoutherngate.

To the ghost leopard tearing through the

droves of Morath soldiers, spurts of flame

accompanying her as a golden-armored

warriorracedatherside.

To the three siege towers wreaking havoc

onthewalls.

Withthetowers’opensides,Rowancould

seeeverythingasitunfolded.

Could see Aelin and Lysandra charge up

the ramp within, slicing and shredding

soldiers between them, level after level after

level. Where one missed a soldier, the other

felled him. Where one struck, the other

guarded.

All the way up, to the small catapult near

itstop.

Soldiers screamed, some leaping from the

towerasLysandrashreddedintothem.

While Aelin threw herself at the rungs

liningthecatapult’swheeledbase,andbegan

pushing.

Turning it. Away from Orynth, from the

castle. Precisely as Aelin had told him Sam

Cortland had done in Skull’s Bay, the

catapult’s mechanisms allowed her to rotate

its base. Rowan wondered if the young

assassinwassmilingnow—smilingtoseeher

heavingthecatapultintoposition.

Allthewaytothesiegetoweratitsleft.

On the second tower, a red-haired figure

hadfoughtherwayontotheupperlevel.And

wasturningthe catapulttoward the third and

finaltower.

AnselofBriarcliff.

AflashofAnsel’ssword,andthecatapult

snapped,hurlingtheboulderitcontained.Just

as Aelin brought down Goldryn upon the

catapultbeforeher.

Twinboulderssoared.

Andslammedintothesiegetowersbeside

them.

Irongroaned;woodshattered.

Andthetwotowersbegantotopple.Where

Ansel of Briarcliff had gone to escape the

destruction,evenRowancouldnotfollow.

Not asAelin remained atop thefirst siege

tower, and leaped upon the now-outstretched

armofthecatapult,juttingoverthebattlefield

below. Not as she shouted to Lysandra, who

shiftedagain,awyvernrisingupfromaghost

leopard’sleap.

Grabbingthecatapult’soutstretchedarmin

one taloned foot while plucking up Aelin in

another.

With a mighty flap, Lysandra ripped the

catapult from its bolts atop the tower. And

twisting, she swung it into the final siege

tower.

Sending it crashing to the ground. Right

onto a horde of Morath soldiers trying to

battertheirwaythroughthesoutherngate.

Wide-eyed,thethreeFaewarriorsblinked.

“That’s where Aelin is,” was all Fenrys

said.

Salkhi remained airborne. So did Sartaq,

Kadarawithhim.

That was all Nesryn knew, all she cared

about, as they took on wyvern after wyvern

afterwyvern.

They were so much worse in battle than

she’danticipated.Asswiftandfearlessasthe

ruksmightbe,thewyvernshadthebulk.The

poisoned barbs in their tails. And soulless

riders who weren’t afraid to destroy their

mounts if it meant bringing down a ruk with

them.

Close now. The khaganate’s army had

pushed closer and closer to besieged Orynth,

flaming andshattered.If theycouldcontinue

toholdtheiradvantage,theymightverywell

break them against the walls, as they had

destroyedMorath’slegioninAnielle.

Theyhadtoactswiftly,though.Theenemy

swarmedbothcitygates,determinedtobreak

in. The southern gate held, the siege towers

thathadbeenattackingitmomentsagonowin

ruins.

Butthewesterngate—itwouldnotremain

sealedforlong.

Salkhi rising up from the melee to catch

his breath, Nesryn dared to gauge how many

rukhin still flew. Despite the Crochans and

rebel Ironteeth, they were outnumbered, but

the rukhin were fresh. Ready and eager for

battle.

Itwasnotthenumberofremainingrukhin

thatsnatchedthebreathfromherchest.

Butwhatcameupbehindthem.

Nesryn dove. Dove for Sartaq, Kadara

rippingthethroatfromawyvernmidflight.

The prince was panting, splattered with

blueandblackblood,asNesrynfellintoflight

beside him. “Put out the call,” she shouted

overthedin,theroarofthewind.“Gettothe

citywalls!Tothesoutherngate!”

Sartaq’seyesnarrowedbeneathhishelmet,

andNesrynpointedbehindthem.

To the secondary dark host creeping at

their backs. Right from Perranth, where they

hadnodoubtbeenhidden.

The rest of Morath’s host. Ironteeth

witchesandwyvernswiththem.

This battle had been a trap. To lure them

here, to expend their forces defeating this

army.

While the rest snuck behind and trapped

themagainstOrynth’swalls.

Thewesterngatesunderedatlast.

Aedion was ready when it did. When the

battering ram knocked through, iron

screaming as it yielded. Then there were

Morathsoldierseverywhere.

Shield to shield, Aedion had arranged his

menintoaphalanxtogreetthem.

Itwasstillnotenough.TheBanecoulddo

nothing to stop the tide that poured from the

battlefield,pushingthemback,back,backup

the passageway. And even Ren, leading the

men atop the walls, could not halt the flow

thatsurgedoverthem.

Theyhadtoshutthegateagain.Hadtofind

awaytogetitshut.

Aedion could barely draw breath, could

barelykeephislegsunderhim.

Awarninghornrangout.Morathhadsenta

second army. Darkness shrouded the full

extentoftheirranks.

Valg princes—lots of them. Morath had

beenwaiting.

Ren shouted down to him over the fray,

“They cleared the southern gate! They’re

getting as many of our forces as they can

behindthewalls!”

To regroup and rally before meeting the

second army. But with the western gate still

open, Morath teeming through, they’d never

standachance.

Hehadtogetthegateshut.Aedionandthe

Bane stabbed and slashed, a wall for Morath

tobreakagainst.Butitwouldnotbeenough.

A wyvern came crashing toward the gate,

flippingacrossthegroundasitrolledtoward

them.Aedion braced for the impact, for that

huge body to shatter through the last of the

gate.

Yet the felled beast halted, squashing

soldiersbeneathitsbulk,rightatthearchway.

Blocking the way. A barricade before the

westerngate.

Intentionally so, Aedion realized as a

golden-haired warrior leaped from the

wyvern’ssaddle,thedeadIronteethwitchstill

dangling there, throat gushing blue blood

downtheleatherysides.

The warrior ran toward them, a sword in

one hand, the other drawing a dagger. Ran

towardAedion, his tawny eyes scanning him

fromheadtotoe.

Hisfather.



CHAPTER108

Morath’s soldiers clawed and crawled over

the fallen wyvern blocking their path. They

filledthearchway,thepassage.

Agoldenshieldheldthem at bay.Butnot

forlong.

Yet the reprieve Gavriel bought them

allowed the Bane to drain the last dregs of

theirwaterskins,topluckupfallenweapons.

Aedion panted, an arm braced against the

gatepassageway.BehindGavriel’sshield,the

enemyteemedandraged.

“Are youhurt?” hisfather asked.Hisfirst

wordstohim.

Aedion managed to lift his head. “You

foundAelin,”wasallhesaid.

Gavriel’s face softened. “Yes. And she

sealedtheWyrdgate.”

Aedionclosedhiseyes.Atleasttherewas

that.“Erawan?”

“No.”

He didn’t need the specifics on why the

bastardwasn’tdead.Whathadgonewrong.

Aedion pushed off the wall, swaying. His

fathersteadiedhimwithahandtotheelbow.

“Youneedrest.”

Aedion yanked his arm out of Gavriel’s

grip. “Tell that to the soldiers who have

alreadyfallen.”

“Youwillfall,too,”hisfathersaid,sharper

than he’d ever heard, “if you don’t sit down

foraminute.”

Aedion stared the male down. Gavriel

staredrightback.

No bullshit, no room for argument. The

faceoftheLion.

Aedionjustshookhishead.

Gavriel’s golden shield buckled under the

onslaughtoftheValgstillteemingbeyondit.

“We have to get the gate shut again,”

Aedion said, pointing to the two cleaved but

intact doors pushedagainst the walls.Access

to them blocked by the Morath grunts still

trying to break past Gavriel’s shield. “Or

they’lloverrunthecitybeforeourforcescan

regroup.” Getting behind the walls would

make no difference if the western gate was

wideopen.

His father followed his line of sight.

Lookeduponthesoldierstryingtogetpasthis

defenses,theirflowforcedtoatricklebythe

wyvernhe’dsocarefullydownedbeforethem.

“Then we shall shut them,” Gavriel said,

andsmiledgrimly.“Together.”

The word was more of a question, subtle

andsorrowful.

Together. As father and son. As the two

warriorstheywere.

Gavriel—hisfather.Hehadcome.

And looking at those tawny eyes, Aedion

knewitwasnotforAelin,orforTerrasen,that

hisfatherhaddoneit.

“Together,”Aedionrasped.

Not just this obstacle. Not just this battle.

But whatever would come afterward, should

theysurvive.Together.

Aedion could have sworn something like

joy and pride filled Gavriel’s eyes. Joy and

prideandsorrow,heavyandold.

AedionstrodebacktothelineoftheBane,

motioning the soldier beside him to make

roomforGavrieltojointheirformation.One

great push now, and they’d secure the gate.

Their army would enterthrough the southern

one,andthey’dfindsomewaytorallybefore

the new army reached the city. But the

western one, they’d clear it and seal it.

Permanently.

Fatherandson,theywoulddothis.Defeat

this.

But when his father did not join his side,

Aedionturned.

Gavriel had gone directly to the gate. To

the golden line of his shield, now pushing

back,back,back.Shovingthatwallofenemy

soldierswithit,bucklingwitheveryheartbeat.

Downthepassage.Throughthearchway.

No.

Gavriel smiled at him. “Close the gate,

Aedion,”wasallhisfathersaid.

AndthenGavrielsteppedbeyondthegates.

Thatgoldenshieldspreadingthin.

No.

Thewordbuilt,arisingscreaminAedion’s

throat.

ButBanesoldierswererushingtothegate

doors.Heavingthemclosed.

Aedionopenedhismouthtoroaratthemto

stop.Tostop,stop,stop.

Gavriel lifted his sword and dagger,

glowing golden inthedyinglight oftheday.

Thegateshutbehindhim.Sealinghimout.

Aedioncouldn’tmove.

Hehadneverhalted,neverceasedmoving.

Yet he could not bring himself to help with

the soldiers now piling wood and chains and

metalagainstthewesterngate.

Gavriel could have stayed. Could have

stayedandpushedhisshieldbacklongenough

for them to shut the gates. He could have

remainedhere—

Aedionranthen.

Too slow. His steps were too slow, his

bodytoobigandheavy,asheshovedthrough

hismen.Asheaimedforthestairsuptothe

walls.

Goldenlightflashedonthebattlefield.

Thenwentdark.

Aedionranfaster,asobburninghisthroat,

leaping and scrambling over fallen soldiers,

bothmortalandValg.

Then he was atop the walls. Running for

theiredge.

No. The word was a beat alongside his

heart.

Aedion slaughtered the Valg in his way,

slaughtered any who came over the siege

ladder.

Theladder.Hecouldfighthiswaydownit,

gettothebattlefield,tohisfather—

Aedion swung his sword so hard at the

Valg soldier before him that the man’s head

bouncedoffhisshoulders.

And then he was at the wall. Peering

towardthatspacebythegate.

Thebatteringramwasinsplinters.

Valg lay piled several deep around it.

Beforethegate.Aroundthewyvern.

So many that access to the western gate

wascutoff.Somanythatthegatewassecure,

agapingwoundnowstaunched.

How long had he stood there, unable to

move? Stood there, unable to do anything

whilehisfatherdidthis?

Itwasthegoldenhairhespottedfirst.

BeforethemoundofValghe’dpiledhigh.

The gate he’d shut for them. The city he’d

secured.

A terrible, rushing sort of stillness took

overAedion’sbody.

He stopped hearing the battle. Stopped

seeingthefightingaroundhim,abovehim.

Stopped seeing everything but the fallen

warrior,who gazedtoward the darkeningsky

withsightlesseyes.

His tattooed throat ripped out. His sword

stillgrippedinhishand.

Gavriel.

Hisfather.

Morath’s army pulled back from the secured

westerngate.Pulledbackandretreatedtothe

arms of the advancing army. To the rest of

Morath’shost.

Limping from a deep gash in his leg, his

shoulder numb from thearrow tip that

remainedlodgedinit,Rowandrovehisblade

through the face of a fleeing soldier. Black

blood sprayed, but Rowan was already

moving,aimingforthewesterngate.

Wherethingshadgoneso,sostill.

He’d only aimed for it when he’d spied

Aelin battling her way toward the distant

southern gate, Ansel with her, after they’d

brought the siege towers down around it. It

wasthroughthesecuredgatethatthebulkof

their army now hurried, the khagan’s forces

racingtogetbehindthecitywallsbeforethey

weresealed.

They had an hour at most before Morath

was again upon them—before they were

forced to shut the southern gate as well,

lockingoutanyleftbehindtobedrivenright

againstthewalls.

Thewesterngatewouldremainsealed.The

downedwyvernandheapsofbodiesaroundit

would ensure that, along with any inner

defenses.

Rowan had seen the golden light flaring

minutes ago. Had battled his way here,

cursingtheironshardinhisarmthatkepthim

from shifting. Fenrys and Lorcan had peeled

away topick offanyMorath gruntstryingto

attackthosefleeingforthesoutherngate,and

overhead, ruks bearing the healers, Elide and

Yrene with them, soared into the panicking

city.

He had to find Aelin. Get their plans in

motionbeforeitwastoolate.

He knew who likely marched with that

advancinghost.Hehadnointentionofletting

herfaceitalone.

But this task—he knew what lay ahead.

Knew,andstillwent.

Rowan found Gavriel before the western

gate, dozens of the dead piled high around

him.

A veritable wall between the gate and

loomingenemyhost.

The light faded with each minute.

Lingering Morath soldiers and Ironteeth fled

towardtheironcomingreinforcements.

Thekhagan’sarmytriedtokillasmanyas

they could as they hurtled for the southern

gate.

They had to get inside the city. By any

meanspossible.

Hoisting up siege ladders that had been

knocked to the earth only minutes or hours

earlier,thekhagan’sarmyclimbedthewalls,

somebearingtheinjuredontheirbacks.

Hismagiclittlemorethanabreeze,Rowan

grittedhisteethagainsthisthrobbinglegand

shoulder and hauled away the Morath grunt

half-sprawledoverGavriel.

Centuriesofexistence,yearsspentwaging

warandjourneyingthroughtheworld—gone.

Renderedintonothingbutthisstillbody,this

discardedshell.

Rowan’skneesthreatenedtobuckle.More

andmoreoftheirforcesscaledthecitywalls,

an orderly but swift flight into a temporary

haven.

Keep going. They had to keep going.

Gavrielwouldwishhimto.Hadgivenhislife

forit.

Yet Rowan lowered his head. “I hope you

found peace, my brother. And in the

Afterworld,Ihopeyoufindheragain.”

Rowanstooped,gruntingatthepaininhis

thigh, and hauled Gavriel over his good

shoulder.Andthenheclimbed.

Up the siege ladder still anchored beside

the western gate. Onto the walls. Each step

heavierthan thelast. Each step a memory of

hisfriend,animageofthekingdomstheyhad

seen, the enemies they had fought, the quiet

momentsthatnosongwouldevermention.

Yetthesongswouldmentionthis—thatthe

Lion fell before the western gate of Orynth,

defending the city and his son. If they

survived today, if they somehow lived, the

bardswouldsingofit.

Even with the chaos of the khaganate

soldiers and Darghan cavalry streaming for

the city, silence fell where Rowan strode

downthebattlementstairs,bearingGavriel.

Hebarelymanagedagrateful,relievednod

to a battered and bloody Enda and Sellene,

catching their breath with a cluster of their

cousinsbytheremnantsoftheircatapults.His

blood and kin, yet the warrior over his

shoulder—Gavrielhadalsobeenfamily.Even

whenhehadnotrealizedit.

The impossible, hideous weight at his

shouldergrewworsewitheverysteptowhere

Aedion stood at the foot of the stairs, the

SwordofOrynthdanglingfromhishand.

“He could have stayed,” was all Aedion

saidasRowangentlysetGavrieldownonthe

firstofthesteps.“Hecouldhavestayed.”

Rowan looked at his fallen friend. His

closestfriend.Whohadgonewithhimintoso

many wars and dangers. Who had deserved

thisnewhomeasmuchasanyofthem.

Rowan closed Gavriel’s unseeing eyes. “I

willseeyouintheAfterworld.”

Aedion’sgoldenhairhunglimpwithblood

and sweat, the ancient sword in his hands

caked with black blood. Soldiers streamed

past him, down the battlement stairs, yet

Aedion only stared at his father. A bloodied

rockinthestreamofwar.

ThenAedionwalkedintothestreets.Tears

and screaming would come later. Rowan

followedhim.

“Weneedtoprepareforthesecondpartof

this battle,” Aedion said hoarsely. “Or we

won’t last the night.” Already, Enda and

Sellenewereusing theirmagictohaulfallen

blocksofdebrisagainstthewesterngate.The

stones wobbled, but moved. It was more

powerthanRowancouldclaim.

Rowan turned to climb back up the walls,

and didn’t dare let himself look behind them

—to where he knew soldiers were moving

Gavrieldeeperintothecity.Somewheresafe.

Gone.Hisfriend,hisbrotherwasgone.

“Your Highness.” A panting, blood-

splattered ruk rider stood on the battlement

wall. He pointed to the horizon. “Darkness

veilsmuchofit,butwehaveanestimatefor

the oncoming army.” Rowan braced himself.

“Twentythousandataminimum.”Therider’s

throat bobbed. “Their ranks are filled with

Valg—andsixkharankui.”

Notkharankui.ButthesixValgprincesses

whohadinfestedthem.

Rowan willed himself to shift. His body

refused.

Grittinghisteeth,hepeeledbackthearmor

on his shoulder andreached for the wound.

But it had sealed. Trapping the iron shard

within. Keeping him from shifting—from

flyingtoAelin.Wherevershewas.

He had to get to her. Had to find Fenrys

and Lorcan and find her. Before it was too

late.

But as the night fell, as he freed a dagger

and lifted it to the sealed wound in his

shoulder,Rowanknewitmightalreadybe.

Even though the gods were now gone,

Rowan still found himself praying. Through

the agony as he ripped open his shoulder, he

prayed.ThathemightreachAelinintime.

They had survived this long, against all

odds and in defiance of ancient prophecies.

Rowan dug his knife in deeper, seeking the

ironshardwedgedwithin.

Hurry—hehadtohurry.



CHAPTER109

Chaol’s back strained, pain lashing down his

spine.Whetherfromhiswife’shealingwithin

thecastlewallsorfromthehoursoffighting,

hehadnoidea.

Didn’t care, as he and Dorian galloped

throughthesoutherngateintoOrynth,thetwo

ofthemlittlemorethanunmarkedridersamid

thearmyracingin.Bracingfortheimpactof

thefreshhostmarchingtowardthem.

Night would soon fall. Morath would not

wait until dawn. Not with the darkness that

hovered above them like some sort of awful

cloud.

What flew and scuttled in that darkness,

whatwaitedforthem…

Dorian was nearly slumped in his saddle,

shield strapped over his back, Damaris

sheathedathisside.

“You look how I feel,” Chaol managed to

say.

Dorian slid sapphire eyes toward him, a

sparkofhumorlightingthehaunteddepths.“I

know a king shouldn’t slouch,” he said,

rubbing at his blood-and-dirt-splattered face.

“ButIcan’tbringmyselftocare.”

Chaol smiled grimly. “We have worse to

worryabout.”

Muchworse.

Theyhurriedtowardthecastle,turningup

the hill that would take them to its doors,

whenahorncutacrossthebattlefield.

Awarning.

With the view the hill offered, they could

clearly see it. What sent the soldiers racing

towardthemwithrenewedurgency.

Morathwaspickingupspeed.

As if realizing that their prey was on its

lastlegsandnotwishingtoletthemrecover.

Chaol glanced to Dorian, and they reined

their horses back toward the city walls. The

khagan’s soldiers did so as well, running

downthehillsthey’dbeenscaling.

Backtowardthebattlements.Andthe hell

soontobeunleasheduponitoncemore.

Slumpedagainstadeadwyvern,Aelindrained

thelastofherwaterskin.

Beside her, Ansel of Briarcliff panted

throughhergrittedteethwhilehealer’smagic

pulled the edges of her wound together. A

nasty,deepslicetoAnsel’sarm.

BadenoughthatAnselhadn’tbeenableto

holdaweapon.Sotheyhadhalted,justasthe

tideofthebattlehadshifted,theirenemynow

fleeingOrynth’swalls.

Aelin’sheadswam,hermagicdowntothe

dregs,herlimbsleaden.Theroarofbattlestill

buzzedinherears.

Covered in gore and mud, no one

recognizedeitherqueenwherethey’dfallento

their knees, so close to the southern gates.

Soldiers ran past, trying to get into the city

beforethearmyattheirbacksarrived.

Justaminute.Sheneededtoonlycatchher

breathforaminute.Thenthey’dhurrytothe

southerngate.IntoOrynth.

Intoherhome.

Ansel swore, swaying, and the healer shot

outahandtobraceher.

Notgood.Notatall.

Aelinknewwhatandwhomarchedtoward

them.

Lysandra had returned to the skies long

ago, rejoining the rebel Ironteeth and

Crochans. Where Rowan nowwas, where the

cadre was, she didn’t know. Had lost them

hoursordaysorlifetimesago.

Rowanwassafe—thematingbondtoldher

enough. No mortal wounds.And through the

bloodoath,she knewFenrysandLorcan still

breathed.

Whether she could say that for the rest of

her friends, she didn’t know. Didn’t want to

know,notyet.

The healer finished Ansel, and when the

womanturned,Aelinheldupahand.“Gohelp

someonewhoneedsit,”Aelinrasped.

The healer didn’t hesitate before she

hurried off, sprinting toward the sound of

screaming.

“We need to get into the city,” Ansel

murmured, leaning her head against the

ironclad hide behind her. “Before they shut

thegate.”

“Wedo,”Aelinsaid,willingstrengthtoher

exhaustedlegssoshemightstand.Assesshow

farawaythatfinal,crushinghostwas.

Aplan.She’dhadaplanforthis.Theyall

had.

But timehadn’t beenonherside. Perhaps

her luck had faded with the gods she’d

destroyed.

Aelinswallowedagainstthedrynessinher

mouthandgruntedasshegottoherfeet.The

world swayed, but she stayed upright.

Managed to grab the reins of a passing

Darghanriderandorderhertostop.

Totakethered-hairedqueenhalf-delirious

ontheground.

Ansel barely protested whenAelin heaved

herintothesaddlebehindthesoldier.

Aelin stood beside the felled wyvern,

watchingherfrienduntilshe’dpassedthrough

thesoutherngate.IntoOrynth.

Slowly,Aelinturnedtotherisingwaveof

darkness.

Shehaddoomedthem.

Behindher,thesoutherngategroanedshut.

Theboomechoedintoherbones.

Soldiersleftonthefieldshoutedinpanic,

butorderswentout.Formthelines.Readyfor

battle.

Shecoulddothis.Adjusttheplan.

She still scanned the skies for a white-

tailedhawk.

Nosignofhim.

Good.Good,shetoldherself.

Aelin shut her eyes for a heartbeat. Put a

hand on her chest.As if it might steady her,

prepare her, for what squatted in the

approachingdarkness.

Soldiers shouted as they rallied, the

screams of the injured and dying ringing

throughout,wingsboomingeverywhere.

Still Aelin remained there for a moment

longer,just beyond the gatesto her city. Her

home.Stillshepressedherhandtoherchest,

feeling the heart thundering beneath, feeling

the dust ofevery road she had traveled these

tenyearstoreturnhere.

Forthismoment.Forthispurpose.

So she whispered it to herself, one last

time.Thestory.

Herstory.

Once upon a time, in a land long since

burned to ash, there lived a young princess

wholovedherkingdom…

Yrene had halted her healing only for a few

minutes.Herpowerflowed,strongandbright,

undimmingdespitetheworkshe’dbeendoing

forhours.

Butshe’dstopped,needingtoseewhathad

happened. Hearing that their soldiers, with

victory in hand, had fled back to the city

walls,hadonlysentherrunningforthecastle

battlementsfaster,Elidewithher.Asshehad

beenallday,helpingher.

Elide winced as they took the stairs up to

thebattlements, but made no complaint. The

lady scanned the crowded space, looking for

someone, something. Her gaze settled on an

old man, a child with remarkable red-gold

hairbesidehim.Messengersapproachedhim,

thendartedaway.

A leader—someone in charge, Yrene

realized after Elide did, already limping to

them.

The old man faced them as they

approached,andstarted.AtthesightofElide.

Yrene stopped caring about the

introductions as her gaze landed on the

battlefield.

Onthearmy—anotherarmy—marchingon

them,halfveiledindarkness.Sixkharankuiat

theirfrontlines.

Thekhagan’ssoldiers hadgatheredby the

walls, both outside and within the city. The

southerngatenowstoodclosed.

Not enough. Not nearly enough to face

what marched, fresh and unwearied. The

creatures she could just barely make out

teeming within its ranks. Valg princesses—

therewereValgprincessesamongstthem.

Chaol.WherewasChaol—

Elideandtheoldmanwerespeaking.“We

cannotfacethatnumberofsoldiersandwalk

away,”the ladysaid,hervoicesounlike any

toneYrenehadheardfromher.Commanding

andcold.Elidepointedtothebattlefield.The

darkness—holy gods, the darkness—that

massedoverit.

AchillslitheredoverYrene’sbody.

“Do you know what that is?” Elide asked

tooquietly.“BecauseIdo.”

Theoldmanonlyswallowed.

Yrene knew it then. What was in that

darkness.Whowasinit.

Erawan.

The last of the sun vanished, setting the

bloodiedsnowsinhuesofblue.

Aflashoflightflaredbehindthem,andthe

childwhirled,asobbreakingfromherthroat

asastunninglybeautifulwoman,bloodiedand

battered, appeared. She wrapped a cloak

aroundhernakedbodylikeagown,noteven

shiveringwiththecold.

Ashape-shifter.Sheopenedherarmstothe

girl,embracingher.

Lysandra, Chaol had called her.A lady in

Aelin’s court. Unknown niece to Falkan

Ennar.

Lysandra turned to the old man. “Aedion

and Rowan sent up the order, Darrow. Any

whocanaretoevacuateimmediately.”

Theoldman—Darrow—juststaredtoward

the battlefield. At a loss for words as that

armyprowledcloserandcloserandcloser.

Astwofigurestookformatitshead.

And walked, unhindered, toward the city

walls,darknessswarmingaroundthem.

Erawan. The golden-haired young man.

She’dknowitifshewereblind.

Adark-haired,pale-skinnedwoman strode

at his side, robes billowing around her on a

phantomwind.

“Maeve,”Lysandrabreathed.

Peoplebeganscreamingthen.Interrorand

despair.

Maeve and Erawan had come. To

personallyoverseeOrynth’sfall.

They stalked toward the city gates, the

darkness behind them gathering, the army at

their backs swelling. Pincers clicked within

that darkness. Creatures who could devour

life,joy.

Ohgods.

“Lord Darrow,” Elide cut in, sharp and

commanding.“Isthereawayoutofthecity?

Somesortofbackdoorthroughthemountains

thatthechildrenandelderlycouldtake?”

Darrow dragged his eyes from the

approachingValgkingandqueen.

It was helplessness and despair that filled

them. That broke his voice as he said, “No

routethatwillallowthemtoescapeintime.”

“Tell me where it is,” Lysandra ordered.

“Sotheymighttry,atleast.”Shegrabbedfor

the girl’s arm. “So Evangeline might try to

run.”

A defeat. What had seemed like a

triumphant victory was about to become an

absolutedefeat.Abutchering.

Led by Maeve and Erawan, now a mere

hundredyardsfromthecitywalls.

Onlyancientstoneandironstoodbetween

themandOrynth.

Darrow hesitated. In shock. The old man

wasinshock.

But Evangeline pointed a finger. Out

toward the gates, toward Maeve and Erawan.

“Look.”

Andthereshewas.

Inthedeepeningbluesofdescendingnight,

amid the snow beginning to fall, Aelin

Galathynius had appeared before the sealed

southerngate.

HadappearedbeforeErawanandMaeve.

Herunboundhairbillowedinthewindlike

a golden banner, a last ray of light with the

dyingoftheday.

Silencefell.Eventhescreamingstoppedas

allturnedtowardthegate.

But Aelin did not balk. Did not run from

the Valg queen and king who halted as if in

delight at the lone figure who dared face

them.

Lysandraletoutastrangledsob.“She—she

hasnomagicleft.”Theshifter’svoicebroke.

“Shehasnothingleft.”

StillAelinliftedhersword.

Flamesrandowntheblade.

Oneflameagainstthedarknessgathered.

Oneflametolightthenight.

Aelin raised her shield, and flames

encircledit,too.

Burning bright, burning undaunted. A

visionofold,rebornoncemore.

Thecry went downthe castle battlements,

throughthecity,alongthewalls.

Thequeenhadcomehomeatlast.

Thequeenhadcometoholdthegate.



CHAPTER110

Her name was Aelin Ashryver Whitethorn

Galathynius.

Andshewouldnotbeafraid.

MaeveandErawanhalted.Sodidthearmy

poised behind them, a final blow of the

hammer,readytolanduponOrynth.

Themagicinherveinswaslittlemorethan

asputteringember.

Buttheydidnotknowthat.

Her shaking hands threatened to drop her

weapons,butsheheldfirm.Heldfast.

Notonemorestep.

Not one more step toward Orynth would

sheallowthemtomake.

Maeve smiled. “What a very long way

you’vetraveled,Aelin.”

Aelin only angled Goldryn. Met Erawan’s

goldenstare.

His eyes flared as he took in the sword.

Rememberedit.

Aelinbaredherteeth.Lettheflameshefed

intotheswordglowbrighter.

MaeveturnedtotheValgking.“Shallwe,

then?”

ButErawanlookedatAelin.Andhesitated.

She would not have long. Not long at all

until they realized that the power that made

himhesitatewasnomore.

But she had not remained outside the

southerngatetodefeatthem.

Onlytobuytime.

Forthoseinthecityshelovedsogreatlyto

getaway.Torun,andlivetofighttomorrow.

Shehadmadeithome.

Itwasenough.

The words echoed with her every breath.

Sharpened her vision, steeled her spine. A

crown of flame appeared atop her head,

swirlingandunbreakable.

Shecouldneverwinagainstbothofthem.

Butshewouldn’tmakeiteasy.Wouldtake

oneofthemdownwithher,ifshecould.Orat

leastslowthemenoughfortheotherstoenact

their plan, to find a way to either halt or

defeat them. Even if either option seemed

unlikely.Hopeless.

Butthatwaswhysheremainedhere.

Togivethemthatslimshredofhope.That

willtokeepfighting.

At the end of this, if that was all she was

able to do against Erawan and Maeve, she

couldgototheAfterworldwithherchinheld

high.She wouldnotbe ashamedto seethose

shehadlovedwithherheartofwildfire.

So Aelin sketched a bow to Erawan and

said with every remaining scrap of bravado

she possessed, “We’ve met a few times, but

never as we truly are.” She winked at him.

Evenasherkneesquaked,shewinkedathim.

“Prettyasthisformis,Erawan,IthinkImiss

Perrington.Justalittlebit.”

Maeve’snostrilsflared.

But Erawan’s eyes slitted in amusement.

“Was it fate, you think, that we encountered

eachotherinRiftholdwithoutrecognizingthe

other?”

Such casual, easy words from such

horrible, corrupt filth. Aelin made herself

shrug. “Fate, or luck?” She gestured to the

battlefield, her wrecked city. “This is a far

grander setting for our final confrontation,

don’tyouthink?Farmoreworthyofus.”

Maeveletoutahiss.“Enoughofthis.”

Aelin arched a brow. “I’ve spent the past

yearofmylife—tenyears,ifyouconsiderit

another way—building to this moment.” She

clicked her tongue. “Forgive me if I want to

savor it. To talk with my great enemy for

longerthanamoment.”

Erawan chuckled, and the sound grated

down her bones. “One might think you were

tryingtodelayus,AelinGalathynius.”

Shebeckonedtothecitywallsbehindher.

“Fromwhat?Thekeysaregone,thegodswith

them.” She threw them a smile. “You did

knowthat,didn’tyou?”

TheamusementfadedfromErawan’sface.

“I know.” Death—such terrible death

beckonedinhisvoiceatthat.

Aelin shrugged again. “I did you a favor,

youknow.”

Maeve murmured,“Don’t lethertalk. We

endthisnow.”

Aelinlaughed.“Onewouldthinkyouwere

afraid, Maeve. Of any sort of delay.” She

turned to Erawan once again. “The gods had

planned to drag you with them. To rip you

apart.”Aelingavehimahalfsmile.“Iasked

them not to. So you and I might have this

grandduelofours.”

“How is it that you survived?” Maeve

demanded.

“I learned to share,” Aelin purred. “After

allthistime.”

“Lies,”Maevespat.

“Idohaveaquestionforyou,”Aelinsaid,

glancing between the two dark rulers,

separatedfromherbyonlytheswirlingsnow.

“Willyoubesharingpower?Nowthatyou’re

both trapped here.” She gestured to Maeve

with her burning shield. “Last I heard, you

werehell-bentonsendinghimhome.Andhad

gatheredalittlearmyofhealersinDoranelle

soyoumightdestroyhimthemomentyougot

thechance.”

Erawanblinkedslowly.

Aelin smiled. “Whatwill you do with all

those healers now, Maeve? Have you two

discussedthat?”

Darkness swirled around Maeve’s fingers.

“Ihaveenduredenoughofthisprattling.”

“Ihavenot,”Erawansaid,hisgoldeneyes

blazing.

“Good,” Aelin said. “Iwas her prisoner,

you know. For months. You’d be surprised

how much I pickedup.About herhusband—

your brother.About the library in his castle,

and how Maeve learned so many interesting

things about world-walking. Will you share

that knowledge,Maeve, oris that not part of

yourbargain?”

Doubt.Thatwasdoubtbeginningtodarken

Erawan’seyes.

Aelin pressed, “She wants you out, you

know.Gone.Whatdidsheeventellyouwhen

your Wyrdkey went missing? Let me guess:

theKingofAdarlansnuckintoMorath,killed

thegirlyou’denslavedtobeyourlivinggate,

destroyedyourcastle,andMaevearrivedjust

in time to try to stop him—but failed? Did

youknow thatshe worked with him for days

anddays?Tryingtogetthekeyfromyou?”

“Thatisalie,”Maevesnapped.

“Isit?ShallIrepeatsomeofthethingsyou

saidinyourmostprivatemeetingswithLord

Erawanhere?ThethingstheKingofAdarlan

toldme?”

Erawan’s smile grew. “You always had a

flair for the dramatic. Perhaps youare lying,

asmysisterclaims.”

“PerhapsIam,perhapsIamnot.ThoughI

think the truth of your new ally’s

backstabbingisfarmoreinterestingthanany

lieImightinvent.”

“Shall we tell you another truth, then?”

Maeve crooned. “Do you wish to know who

killed your parents? Who killed Lady

Marion?”

Aelinstilled.

MaevewavedahandtoErawan.“Itwasn’t

him.Itwasn’teventheKingofAdarlan.No,

hesentalow-rankingValgprincetodoit.He

couldn’t even be bothered to go himself.

Didn’t think anyone important was really

necessarytodothedeed.”

Aelinstaredatthequeen.AttheValgking.

And then arched a brow. “Is that some

attempt to unnerve me?You’re thousands of

years old, and that is all you can think of to

say?” She laughed again, and pointed to

Erawan with Goldryn. She could have sworn

he flinched away from the flaming blade. “I

feelsorryforyou,youknow.Thatyou’venow

shackledyourselftothatimmortalbore.”She

sucked on a tooth. “And when Maeve sells

youout,IsupposeI’llfeelalittlebitsorryfor

youthen,too.”

“Seehowshetalks?”Maevehissed.“That

has always been her gift: to distract and

babblewhile—”

“Yes,yes.But,asIsaid:youhavethefield.

There’snothingleftthatcanreallystopyou.”

“Exceptforyou,”Erawansaid.

Aelinpressed her shield againstherchest.

“I’m flattered you think so.” She flicked up

her brows. “Though I think the two hundred

healerswe’vegotinthecityrightnowmight

be a little offended that you forgot them.

Especially when I’ve watched them so

diligently expel your Valg grunts from the

hoststheyinfected.”

Erawanstilled.Justafraction.

“Or is that another lie?”Aelin mused. “A

risky thing for you to do, then—to enter this

city.Mycity,Isuppose.Toseewho’swaiting

for you. I heard you went to an awful lot of

trouble to try to kill one of my friends this

summer. Silba’s Heir. If I were you, I might

havebeenmorethoroughintryingtoendher.

She’s here, you know. Came all this way to

see you and repay the favor.” Aelin let her

flame grow brighter as Erawan again

hesitated. “Maeve knew. She knows that the

healersarehere,waitingforyou.Andwilllet

them at you. Ask her where her owl is—the

healershekeepschainedtoher.Toprotecther

fromyou.”

“Don’tlistentohernonsense,”Maevespat.

“She even made a bargain: to spare their

lives in exchange for ridding her of you.”

AelinwavedGoldryntowardOrynth.“You’re

walkingintoatrapthemomentyouenterthe

city.You,andallyourlittleValgfriends.And

only Maeve will be left standing in the end,

LadyofAll.”

Maeve’s shadows rose in a wave. “I have

hadenoughofthis,AelinGalathynius.”

Aelin knew Maeve would go on ahead,

without Erawan. Work without him, if need

be.

The dark king looked toward Maeve and

seemedtorealizeit,too.

Maeve’s black hair flowed around her.

“Where is the King of Adarlan? We would

have words with him.” Simmering, vicious

ragepulsedfromthequeen.

Aelin shrugged. “Off fighting somewhere.

Likelynotbotheringtothinkaboutyou.”She

inclinedherhead.“Avalianteffort,Maeve,to

try to divert the conversation.”Sheturned to

Erawan. “The healers are waiting for you in

there.You’llseeI’mtellingthetruth.Though

Isupposeitwillbetoolatebythen.”

Doubt.ThatwasindeeddoubtinErawan’s

eyes.Justacrack.Anopendoorway.

And it would now be uponYrene—Yrene

andtheothers—toseizeit.

Shehadnotwantedtoask,toplanthis.Had

notwantedtodraganyoneelsein.

But she trusted them. Yrene, her friends.

She trusted them to see this through. When

shewasgone.Shetrustedthem.

Maeve stepped forward. “I hope you have

enjoyed yourself these past few moments.”

She bared her too-white teeth, all traces of

that cool grace vanished. Even Erawan

seemed to blink in surprise at it—and again

hesitate. As if wondering whether Aelin’s

words had struck true. “I hope you are

entertainedbyyourprattlingidiocy.”

“Eternally so,”Aelin said with a mocking

bow.“IsupposeI’llbemoreentertainedwhen

I wipe you from the face of the earth.” She

sighed skyward. “Gods above, what a sight

thatwillbe.”

Maeve extended a hand before her,

darknessswirlinginhercuppedpalm.“There

are no gods left to watch, I’m afraid. And

therearenogodslefttohelpyounow,Aelin

Galathynius.”

Aelinsmiled,andGoldrynburnedbrighter.

“Iamagod.”

Sheunleashedherselfuponthem.

Rowan pried free the shard of iron from his

shoulderasMaeveandErawanarrived.

As Aelin went to meet them before the

wallsofOrynth.

Hismagicgutteredwithinhisveins,buthe

clappedahand tohisbleedingarmas heran

forthesoutherngate.Willedthehealing.

Flesh stung as it knitted together—too

slowly.Toodamnslowly.

But he couldn’t fly with a shredded wing,

as he’d surely have if he shifted now. Block

after block, through the city that would have

beenhishome,heranforthesoutherngate.

Hehadtogettoher.

Awarningshoutfromthebattlementshad

himthrowingupashieldoninstinct.Justasa

siegeladdercollidedwiththewallabovehim.

Morath’s footsoldiers spilled over it, into

theawaitingbladesofbothkhagansoldierand

Banewarrior.Toomany.

Ironteeth clashed with Crochans above

them—Ironteeth bearing several Morath

footsoldiers apiece. They deposited them on

thebattlements,onthestreets.

People screamed. Further into the city,

peoplewerescreaming.Fleeing.

Onlyafewblockstothesoutherngate—to

Aelin.

Andyet…thosescreamsofterrorandpain

continued.Families.Children.

Home. This was to be his home. Already

was,ifAelinwerewithhim.Hewoulddefend

it.

Rowandrewhisswordandhatchet.

Fire burst beyond the walls, bathing the

city in gold. She couldn’t have more than an

ember. Against Erawan and Maeve, she

should already be dead. Yet her flame still

raged.Thematingbondheldstrong.

White flashed beside him, and then there

wasFenrys,stainedwithbloodandsnarlingat

the soldiers pouring over the walls. One

nearedthem,andaswipeofamightypawwas

allittookforthegrunttobeinpieces.

A swipe—and then a burst of black wind.

Lorcan.

They halted for all of a heartbeat. Both

males looked to him in question. They knew

fullwellwhereAelinwas.Whattheplanhad

been.

Another blast of flame from beyond the

walls.

Butthescreamsoftheinnocentinthecity

… She would never forgive him for it. If he

walkedaway.

So Rowan angled his weapons. Turned

toward the screaming. “We swore an oath to

our queen and this court,” he snarled, sizing

up the soldiers pouring over the walls. “We

willnotbreakit.”

Even three of the great powers of the realm

battling beforethecity gates was notenough

tohaltthewararoundthem.

Morath swarmed, and the exhausted

khaganate army turned to meet them once

more.Tomeetthenewhorrorsthatemerged,

beasts of snapping teeth and baying howls,

ilkensailingabovethem.NosignoftheValg

princesses,notyet.ButElideknewtheywere

outthere.Morathhademptieditsdarkestpits

forthisfinaldestruction.

Andontheplain,beforethegates,fireand

darknessblackerthanthefallennightwarred.

Elide didn’t know where to look: at the

battlebetweenthearmies,ortheonebetween

MaeveandErawan,andAelin.

Yrene remained beside her, Lord Darrow,

Lysandra, and Evangeline watching with

them.

A flare of light, an answering wave of

darkness.

Aelin was a fiery whirlwind between

Maeve and Erawan, the fighting swift and

brutal.

She had no power left. Before the

Wyrdgatehadrippeditfromher,Aelinmight

have been able to face one of them and

emergetriumphant.Butleftwithawhisperof

power, and after a day of wielding it on this

battlefield…

MaeveandErawandidn’tknow.

They didn’t know that Aelin was only

deflecting,notattacking. Thatthis drawn-out

dance was not for the spectacle, but because

shewasbuyingthemalltime.

Down in the dark beyond the walls,

soldiers died and died. And in the city, as

siege ladders breached the battlements,

MorathsurgedintoOrynth.

Still Aelin held the gate against Erawan

and Maeve. Didn’t let them get one step

closertothecity.ThefinalsacrificeofAelin

GalathyniusforTerrasen.

The moment they realized Aelin had

nothingleft,itwouldbeover.Anyamusement

they felt at this shallow exchange of power

andskillwouldvanish.

Whereweretheothers?WherewasRowan,

orLorcan,orDorian?OrFenrysandGavriel?

Where were they,or did they not know what

occurredbeforethecitygates?

Lysandra’sbreathingwasshallow.Nothing

—the shifter could do nothing against them.

And to offer Aelin assistance might be the

very thing that made Erawan and Maeve

realizethequeenwasdeceivingthem.

There was no gentle voice at Elide’s

shoulder. Not anymore. Never again would

she hear that whispering, wise voice guide

her.

See,Anneithhadalwaysmurmuredtoher.

See.

Elidescannedthefield,thecity,thequeen

battlingtheValgrulers.

Aelindidnothingwithoutreason.Hadgone

outtheretobuythemtime.ToweartheValg

rulers down, just a bit. But Aelin could not

defeatthem.

Therewasonlyonepersonwhocould.

Elide’seyeslanded onYrene,the healer’s

faceashenasshewatchedAelin.

Thequeenwouldneverask.Neveraskthat

ofthem,ofYrene.

But she might leave a path open. Should

they,shouldYrene,wishtotakeit.

Noticingherstare,Yrenetoreherattention

awayfromthebattle.“What?”

ElidelookedtoLysandra.Thentothecity

walls, to the flash of ice and flame along

them.

Shesawwhattheyhadtodo.



CHAPTER111

Nesryn had not anticipated the ilken. How

terribleevenafewdozenwouldbe.

Nimble and vicious, they swept over the

front lines of Morath’s teeming ranks. Black

as the fallen night and more than eager to

meettheruksincombat.

Sartaq had given the order to unleash

whateverburningarrowstheycouldfind.The

heat of one scorched Nesryn’s fingers as she

picked a target amongst the dark fray and

fired.

Theflamespearedintothenight,rightfor

an ilken poised to tear into a Darghan horse.

The arrow struck true, and the ilken’s shriek

reached even Nesryn’s ears. The Darghan

rider stabbed deep with hissulde, and the

ilken’sscreechingwascutoff.Alucky,brave

blow.

Nesrynwasreachingforanotherarrowand

supplieswhentheDarghanriderfell.

Not dead—the ilken was not dead, but

feigning it. The beautiful horse’s scream of

pain rent the night as talons ripped open its

chest. Another slash and the rider’s sternum

wasshredded.

Nesryn fumbled for the flint to light the

oil-soakedclotharoundthearrowhead.

Upanddownthebattlefield,ilkenattacked.

Riders,bothequineandrukhin,fell.

Andloomingatthebackofthebattlefield,

asifwaitingfortheirgrandentrance,waiting

topickoffwhatwasleftofthem,anewsort

ofdarknesssquatted.

The Valg princesses. In their new,

kharankuibodies.Erawan’sfinalsurprise.

Nesryn aimed and fired her arrow,

scanningforSartaq.Theprincehadledaunit

of rukhin deeper into the enemy lines, a

battered Borte, Falkan, and Yeran flanking

him.

Adesperate,finalpush.

Onethatnoneofthemwerelikelytowalk

orflyawayfrom.

Yrene’s breath was tight in her throat, her

heartawildbeatthroughherentirebody,yet

the fear she thought she’d yield to had not

takenover.Notyet.

NotasLysandra,inrukform,landedonthe

city walls, steadily enough that Yrene and

Elide could quickly dismount. Right where

ChaolandDorianfought,adesperateeffortto

keeptheValgoffthewalls.

Thesmallestoftheirconcerns.Fornearby,

slaughtering their way closer—those were

ilken.

Silbasavethemall.

Chaol saw her first. His eyes flared with

pureterror.“Getbacktothecastle.”

Yrene did no such thing. And as Dorian

turned,shesaidtotheking,“Wehave needof

you,YourMajesty.”

Chaolshovedfromthewall,hislimpdeep.

“Getbacktothecastle.”

Yreneignoredhimagain.SodidDorianas

the king gutted the Valg before him, shoved

thedemonoverthewall,andhurriedtoYrene.

“Whatisit?”

Elide pointed to the southern gate. To the

firethatflaredamidtheattackingdarkness.

Dorian’s blood-splattered face drained of

color.“Shehasnothingleft.”

“We know,” Elide said, her mouth

tightening.“Whichiswhyweneedyou.”

Chaol must have realized the plan before

hisking.Becauseherhusbandwhirledtoher,

shield and sword hanging at his sides. “You

can’t.”

Elide quickly, succinctly, explained their

reckless, mad idea. The Lady of Perranth’s

idea.

Yrene tried not to shake. Tried not to

trembleassherealizedthattheywere,indeed,

abouttodothis.

ButElidemerelyclimbedontotheshifter’s

leathery back and beckoned the king to

follow. And Dorian, to his credit, did not

hesitate.

YetChaoldroppedhisswordandshieldto

the bloody stones, and gripped Yrene’s face

betweenhishands.“Youcan’t,”hesaidagain,

voicebreaking.“Youcan’t.”

Yrene put her hands atop Chaol’s and

brought them brow to brow. “You are my

joy,”wasallshesaidtohim.

Herhusband,herdearestfriend,closedhis

eyes.ThereekofValgbloodandmetalclung

to him, and yet beneath it—beneath it, that

washisscent.Thesmellofhome.

Chaolatlastopenedhiseyes,thebronzeof

them so vivid. Alive. Utterly alive. Full of

trust,andunderstanding,andpride.

“Gosavetheworld,Yrene,”hewhispered,

andkissedherbrow.

Yrene let that kiss sink into her skin, a

mark of protection, of love that she’d carry

withherintohellandbeyondit.

Chaol turned to where Dorian sat with

Elide atop the shifter, the love on her

husband’sfacehardeningtosomethingfierce

and determined. “Keep her safe,” was all

Chaol said. Perhaps the only order, Yrene

realized, he would ever give his king. Their

king.

It was whyshe lovedhim. Why she knew

thatthechildinherwombwouldneverspend

asinglemomentwonderingifitwasloved.

Dorian bowed his head. “With my life.”

Then the king offered a hand to help Yrene

ontoLysandra’sback.“Let’smakeitcount.”

Manon’s chest burned with each inhale, but

Abraxosflewunfalteringlythroughthemelee.

Somany.Toomany.

And the new horrors that Morath had

unleashed,theilkenamongstthem…

Screams and blood filled the skies.

Crochan and Ironteeth and ruks—those were

ruks—foughtfortheirveryexistence.

AnyhopeofvictorythatAelinGalathynius

hadbroughtwithherwasslippingaway.

Manon and Abraxos smashed through the

Ironteeth lines, diving to rip apart ilken and

foot soldier. Wind-Cleaver was a leaden

weight in her hand. She could no longer

discernhersweatfromblood.

TheQueenofTerrasenhadcome,anarmy

withher,anditwouldstillnotbeenough.

LorcanknewMaevehadcome.Couldfeelher

presence in his bones, a dark, terrible song

throughtheworld.AValgsong.

He fought far down the city walls,

Whitethorn and Fenrys nearby, Aedion

unleashing himself upon soldier after soldier

with a ferocity that Lorcan knew came from

deep,brutalgrief.

Gavrielwasdead.Haddiedtogivehisson

andthoseatthewesterngateachancetoshut

themagain.

Lorcantuckedawaythepanginhischestat

thethoughtofit.ThattheLionwasnomore.

Whichofthemwouldbenext?

Light flared beyond the wall. Darkness

devouredit.Tooswiftly,tooeasily.

Aelin had to be insane. Must have lost all

herwits,ifshethoughtshecouldtakeonnot

justMaeve,butErawan,too.

Yet Rowan halted. Would have been run

through by a Valg soldier if Lorcan hadn’t

hurled a dagger straightthroughthedemon’s

face.

With a nod to Lorcan and Fenrys, Rowan

shifted, a hawk instantly soaring over the

walls.

Lorcan looked to Fenrys. Found the male

bristling. Aware of the change beyond the

walls.Itwastime.

“We finish this together,” Fenrys snarled,

andshiftedaswell,awhitewolfleapingclean

off the battlements and into the city streets

below.Towardthegate.

Lorcan glanced at the castle, where he

knewElidewaswatching.

He said his silent farewell, sending what

remained of his heart on the wind to the

womanwhohadsavedhimineverywaythat

mattered.

ThenLorcan ranfor the gate—to the dark

queen who threatened all he’d come to want,

to hope for. He’d come tohope. Had found

therewassomethingbetteroutthere.Someone

better.

And he’d go down swinging to defend all

ofit.

It was a dance, and one thatAelin had spent

herentirelifepracticing.

Not just the movements of her sword, her

shield.Butthe smirk shekept onherface as

shemeteachblastofdarkness,assherealized

overandoverandoverwhoherdancepartners

were.

Wheretheyadvancedastep,Aelinsentout

a plume of fire. Didn’t let her own doubt

show, didn’t dare wonder if they could tell

thatthefirewasmostlycolorandlight.

Theystilldodgedit.Avoidedit.

Waiting for her to plunge down deep, to

makethatkillingblowtheyanticipated.

Andthoughherfiredeflectedthedarkness,

though Goldryn was a burning song in her

hand, she knew their power would break

throughsoon.

Thekeysweregone.AndsowastheFire-

Bringer.

Theywouldhavenouseforher.Noneedto

enslaveher,savetotormenther.

It could go either way. Death or

enslavement.

But therewould beno keys,noability for

Erawan to craft more Wyrdstone, or bring in

hisValgtopossessothers.

Aelin lunged with Goldryn, spearing for

Erawan as she raised her shield against

Maeve. She sent a waveof flame searingfor

theirsides,herdingthemclosertogether.

Erawan blasted it back, but Maeve halted.

Halted while Aelin leaped away a step,

panting.

The coppery tang of blood coated her

mouth.Aheraldoftheloomingburnout.

Maeve watched Aelin’s flame sizzle

throughthesnow,meltingitdowntothedried

grasses of Theralis. An undulating sea of

green in the warmer months. Now a muddy,

blood-soakedruin.

“Foragod,”Maeve said,their first words

since this dance had begun minutes or hours

or an eternity ago, “you do not seem so

willingtosmiteus.”

“Symbols have power,” Aelin panted,

smiling as she flipped Goldryn in her hand,

theflamehissingthroughtheair.“Strikeyou

downtooquicklyanditwillruintheimpact.”

Aelin drew up every shred of swaggering

arrogance and winked at Erawan. “She wants

me to wearyoudown, you see. Wants me to

tireyou,sothosehealersupinthecastlecan

finishyouoffwithlittletrouble.”

“Enough.”Maeveslammedoutherpower,

and Aelin lifted her shield, flame deflecting

theonslaught.

But barely. The impact rippled into her

bones,herblood.

Aelin didn’t let herself so much as wince

asshehurledawhipofflametowardMaeve,

andthedarkqueendancedback.“Justwait—

she’ll spring the trap shut on you soon

enough.”

“Sheisaliarandafool,”Maevespat.“She

seekstodriveusapartbecausesheknowswe

can defeat her together.” Again, that dark

powerralliedaroundMaeve.

The dark king only stared at Aelin with

those golden, burning eyes, and smiled.

“Indeed.You—”

Hepaused.Thosegoldeneyesliftedabove

Aelin. Above the gates and wall behind her.

Tosomethinghighabove.

Aelin didn’t dare to look. To take her

attentionawayforthatlong.Tohope.

But the gold in Erawan’s eyes glowed.

Glowed—with rage and perhaps a kernel of

fear.

HetwistedhisheadtowardMaeve.“There

arehealersinthatcastle.”

“Ofcoursethereare,”Maevesnapped.

Yet Erawan stilled. “There areskilled

healersthere.Ripewithpower.”

“Straight from the Torre Cesme,” Aelin

said,noddingsolemnly.“AsItoldyou.”

Erawan only looked at Maeve. And that

doubtflickeredagain.

HeglancedtoAelin.Toherfire,hersword.

Shebowedherhead.

Erawan hissed at Maeve, “If she spoke

true,youarecarrion.”

AndbeforeAelincouldmusteranemberto

strike, a dark, sinewy form swept from the

blackness behind Erawan and snatched him

up.Anilken.

Aelin didn’t waste her power trying to

down them, not with the ilken’s defenses

against magic. Not with Maeve tracking

Erawanashewascarriedintotheskies.Over

thecity.

Against two Valg rulers, she should have

alreadybeendead.Againstthefemalebefore

her, Aelin knew it was still just a matter of

time. But ifYrene, if her friends, could take

downErawan…

“Just us, then,” Maeve said, lips curving

into that spider’s smile. The smile of the

horrendous creatures that launched

themselvesatOrynth.

Aelin lifted Goldryn again. “That’s

preciselyhowIwantedit,”shesaid.Truth.

“But I know your secret, Heir of Fire,”

Maevecrooned,andstruckagain.



CHAPTER112

AtopthehighesttowerofthecastleofOrynth,

on the broad balcony that overlooked the

world far below, the healer sent out another

flareofpower.

The white glow seared the night, casting

thetowerstonesinstarkrelief.

Abeacon,achallengetothedarkkingwho

battledAelinGalathyniusbelow.

Here I am, the power sang through the

night.HereIam.

Erawananswered.

Hisrage,hisfear,hishatredfilledthewind

as he swept in, carried in an ilken’s gangly

limbs. He smiled at the young healer whose

hands glowed with pure light, as if already

tastingherblood.Savoringthedestructionof

whatsheoffered,thegiftshe’dbeengiven.

Hissheerpresencesetpeopleinthecastle

belowscreamingastheyfled.

Not death incarnate, but something far

worse. Something nearly as ancient, and

almostaspowerful.

The ilken swept over the tower, dropping

him onto the balcony stones. Erawan landed

with the grace of a cat, barely winded as he

straightened.

Ashesmiledather.

“I never thought you’d do it, you know,”

Maevesaid,herdarkpowercoilingaroundher

as Aelin panted. A cramp had begun low in

herbackandnowlasheditswayupherspine,

downherlegs.“Thatyou’dbefoolishenough

to put the keys back into the gate. What

happened to that glorious vision you once

showed me,Aelin? Of you in this very city,

your worshipping masses crying your name.

Was it simply too dull for you, to be

revered?”

Aelin rallied herself with every breath,

Goldrynstillburningbright.

Let her talk—let her gloat and ramble.

Every second she had to recover, to regain a

fractionofherstrength,wasablessing.

Erawan had taken the bait, had let the

doubtshe’dplantedtakerootinhismind.She

hadknownitwasonlyamatteroftimeuntil

he sensed Yrene’s power. She only prayed

YreneTowerswasreadytomeethim.

“I had always hoped that you and I were

trueequals,inaway,”Maevewenton.“That

you, more than Erawan, understood the true

natureofpower.Ofwhatitmeanstowieldit.

What a disappointment that deep down, you

wishedtobesoordinary.”

The shield had become unbearably heavy.

Aelindidn’tdarelookbehindhertoseewhere

Erawan had gone. What he was doing. She’d

feltYrene’sflareofpower,haddaredhope it

might even be a signal, a lure, but nothing

sincethen.IthaddrawnErawanaway,though.

Itwasenough.

ThedarknessaroundMaevewrithed.“The

Queen Who Was Promised is no more,” she

said, clicking her tongue. “Now you’re

nothing but an assassin with a crown.And a

commoner’sgiftofmagic.”

Twin whips of brutal power speared for

Aelin’seitherside.

Throwinguphershield,swingingGoldryn

with her other arm, Aelin deflected, flame

flashing.

The shield buckled, but Goldryn burned

steady.

Butshefeltit.Thefamiliar,unendingpain.

Theshadowsthatcoulddevour.

Pressingcloser.Eatingawayatherpower.

Maeve glanced to the blazing sword.

“Cleverofyou,toimbuetheswordwithyour

own gifts. No doubt done before youyielded

everythingtotheWyrdgate.”

“A precaution, should I not return,”Aelin

panted.“AweapontokillValg.”

“Weshallsee.”Maevestruckagain.Again.

Forcing Aelin to concede a step. Then

another.

Backtowardtheinvisiblelineshe’ddrawn

betweenthemandthesoutherngate.

Maeve stalked forward, her dark hair and

robes billowing. “You have denied me two

things,AelinGalathynius.ThekeysIsought.”

Another whip of power sliced forAelin. Her

flame barely deflected it this time. “And the

greatduelIwaspromised.”

As if Maeve opened the lid to a chest on

herpower,plumesofdarknesserupted.

Aelin sliced with Goldryn, the fire within

the blade unfaltering. But it was not enough.

And as Aelin retreated another step, one of

thoseplumessnappedacrossherlegs.

Aelin couldn’t stop the scream that

shattered from her throat. She went down,

shieldscatteringintheicymud.

Training kept her fingers clenched on

Goldryn.

But pressure, unbearable and slithering,

begantopushintoherhead.

“Wakeup.”

The world shifted. Snow replaced by

firelight.Thegroundforaslabofiron.

Thepressureinherheadwrithed,andAelin

bowed over her knees, refusing to

acknowledge it. Real—this battle, the snow

andblood,thiswasreal.

“Wakeup,Aelin,”Maevewhispered.

Aelin blinked. And found herself in the

iron box, Maeve leaning over the open lid.

Smiling.“We’rehere,”theFaeQueensaid.

NotFae.Valg.MaevewasValg—

“You’ve been dreaming,” Maeve said,

running a finger over the mask still clamped

toherface.“Suchstrange,wanderingdreams,

Aelin.”

No. No, it had beenreal. She managed to

lift her head enough to peer down at herself.

Attheshiftandtoo-thinbody.Thescarsstill

onher.

Stillthere.Notwipedaway.Nonewskin.

“I can make this easy for you,” Maeve

went on, brushing Aelin’s hair back with

gentle, loving strokes. “Tell me where the

Wyrdkeysare,swearthebloodoath,andthese

chains,thismask,thisbox…allofitwillgo

away.”

Theyhadn’tyetbegun.Totearherapart.

Allofitadream.Onelongnightmare.The

keysremainedunbound,theLockunforged.

A dream, while they’d sailed here.

Whereverherewas.

“What say you, niece? Will you spare

yourself?Yieldtome?”

Youdonotyield.

Aelinblinked.

“It’s easier, isn’t it,” Maeve mused,

bracing her forearms against the lip of the

coffin.“Toremainhere.Soyouneedn’tmake

such terrible choices. To let the others share

the burden. Bearits cost.”A hint of a smile.

“Deep down, that’s what haunts you. That

wishtobefree.”

Freedom—she’dknownit.Hadn’tshe?

“It’s what you fear most—not me, or

Erawan,orthekeys.Thatyourwishtobefree

oftheweightofyourcrown,yourpower,will

consume you. Embitter you until you do not

recognizeyourownself.”Hersmilewidened.

“Iwishtospareyoufromthat.Withme,you

shallbefreeinawayyou’veneverimagined,

Aelin.Iswearit.”

Anoath.

She had sworn an oath. To Terrasen. To

Nehemia.ToRowan.

Aelin closed her eyes, shutting out the

queen above her, the mask, the chains, the

ironbox.

Notreal.

Thiswasnotreal.

Wasn’tit?

“I know you’re tired,” Maeve went on,

gently, coaxingly. “You gave and gave and

gave,anditwasstillnotenough.Itwillnever

beenoughforthem,willit?”

Itwouldn’t.Nothingshehadeverdone,or

woulddo,wouldbeenough.Evenifshesaved

Terrasen,savedErilea,she’dstillneedtogive

more, do more. The weight of it already

crushedher.

“Cairn,”Maevesaid.

Strolling footsteps sounded nearby.

Scuffingonstone.

Tremors shook her, uncontrollable and

unsummoned.Sheknewthatgait,knew—

Cairn’s hateful, sneering face appeared

besideMaeve’s,thetwoofthemstudyingher.

“Howshallwestart,Majesty?”

He’dspokenthewordstoheralready.They

haddonethisdancesomanytimes.

Bile coated her throat. She couldn’t stop

shaking. She knew what he’d do, how he’d

begin. Would never stop feeling it, the

whisperofthepain.

Cairnranahandovertherimofthecoffin.

“Ibrokesomepartofyou,didn’tI?”

I name you Elentiya, “Spirit That Could

NotBeBroken.”

Aelin traced her metal-encrusted fingers

overherpalm.Whereascarshouldbe.Where

it stillremained. Wouldalwaysremain,even

ifshecouldnotseeit.

Nehemia—Nehemia, who had given

everythingforEyllwe.Andyet…

Andyet,Nehemiahadstillfelttheweight

of her choices. Still wished to be free of her

burdens.

It had not made her weak. Not in the

slightest.

Cairnsurveyedherchainedbody,assessing

where he would begin. His breathing

sharpenedinanticipatorydelight.

Herhandscurledintofists.Irongroaned.

Spiritthatcouldnotbebroken.

Youdonotyield.

She would endure it again, if asked. She

would do it. Every brutal hour and bit of

agony.

And it would hurt, and she would scream,

butshe’dfaceit.Surviveagainstit.

Arobynn had not broken her. Neither had

Endovier.

Shewouldnotallowthiswasteofexistence

todosonow.

Her shaking eased, her body going still.

Waiting.

Maeveblinkedather.Justonce.

Aelinsuckedinabreath—sharpandcool.

Shedidnotwantittobeover.Anyofit.

Cairnfadedintothewind.Thenthechains

vanishedwithhim.

Aelin sat up in the coffin. Maeve backed

awayallofastep.

Aelin surveyed the illusion, so artfully

wrought.Thestonechamber,withitsbraziers

and hook from the ceiling. The stone altar.

Theopendoorandroaroftheriverbeyond.

She made herself look. To face down that

place of pain and despair. It would always

leaveamark,astainonher,butshewouldnot

letitdefineher.

Herswasnotastoryofdarkness.

Thiswouldnotbethestory.Shewouldfold

it into herself, this place, this fear, but it

wouldnotbethewholestory.Itwouldnotbe

herstory.

“How,”Maevesimplyasked.

Aelinknewaworldandabattlefieldraged

beyondthem.Butsheletherselflingerinthe

stonechamber.Climbedfromtheironcoffin.

Maeveonlystaredather.

“You should have known better,” Aelin

said,the lingering embers within her shining

bright.“You,whofearedcaptivityanddidall

thistoavoidit.Youshouldhaveknownbetter

thantotrapme.ShouldhaveknownI’dfinda

way.”

“How,”Maeveaskedagain.“Howdidyou

notbreak?”

“Because I am not afraid,” Aelin said.

“Your fear of Erawan and hisbrothers drove

you,destroyedyou.Iftherewaseveranything

worthwhiletodestroy.”

Maeve hissed, and Aelin chuckled. “And

then there was your fear of Brannon. Of me.

Lookwhatitbroughtabout.”Shegesturedto

the room around them, the world beyond it.

“Thisisallyou’llhaveleftofDoranelle.This

illusion.”

Maeve’spowerrumbledthroughtheroom.

Aelin’s lips pulled back from her teeth.

“You hurt my mate. Hurt the woman you

trickedhimintothinkingwashismate.Killed

her,andbrokehim.”

Maevesmiledslightly.“Yes,andIenjoyed

everymomentofit.”

Aelinansweredthequeen’ssmilewithone

ofherown.“DidyouforgetwhatItoldyouon

thatbeachinEyllwe?”

When Maeve merely blinked at her again,

Aelinattacked.

Blasting with a shield of fire, she drove

Maeve to the side—and launched a spear of

blueflame.

Maeve dodged the assault with a wall of

darkpower, butAelin went on the offensive,

striking again and again and again. Those

wordsshe’dsnarledtoMaeveinEyllwerang

betweenthem:Iwillkillyou.

Andshewould.ForwhatMaevehaddone,

to her, to Rowan and Lyria, to Fenrys and

Connall and so many others, she’d wipe her

frommemory.

Half a thought and Goldryn was again in

herhand,thebladesingingwithflame.

Even if it took her last breaths, she’d go

downswingingforthis.

Maevemethereachblow,andtheyburned

andragedthroughtheroom.

Thealtarcracked.Meltedaway.

The hook from the ceiling dissolved into

moltenorethathisseduponthestones.

She blasted away the spot where Fenrys

hadsat,chainedbyinvisiblebonds.

Againandagain,thelastembersofherfire

rallying, sweat beading on her brow, Aelin

struckatMaeve.

The iron coffin heated, glowing red. Only

here,inthisillusion,mightitdoso.

Maevehadthoughttotrapheroncemore.

But the queen would not be the one

walkingawaythistime.

Aelinpivoted,drivingMaeveback.Toward

thesmolderingcoffin.

Step by step, she pushed her toward it.

Herdedher.

Darkness fanned through the room,

blockingtherainoffieryarrowsthatshotfor

Maeve, and thequeen daredtoglance over a

shouldertothered-hotfatethatawaitedher.

Maeve’sfacewentwhiterthandeath.

Aelinraspedalaugh,andangled Goldryn,

gatheringherpoweronelasttime.

Butaflickerofmotioncaughthereye—to

theright.

Elide.

Elide stood there, terror written over her

features. She reached a hand for Aelin in

warning,“Watch—”

MaevesentawhipofblackfortheLadyof

Perranth.

No—

Aelin lunged, fire leaping for Elide, to

blockthatfatalblow.

She realized her mistake within a

heartbeat. Realized it as her hands passed

through Elide’s body, and her friend

disappeared.

Anillusion.Shehadfallenforanillusion,

andhadleftherselfopen,vulnerable—

Aelin twisted back toward Maeve, flames

risingagain,buttoolate.

Hands of shadow wrapped around her

throat.Immovable.Eternal.

Aelinarched, gaspingfor anybit ofairas

thosehandssqueezedandsqueezed—

The chamber melted away. The stones

beneathherbecamemudandsnow,theroarof

the river replaced by the din of battle. They

flashed between one heartbeat and the next,

betweenillusionandtruth.Warmairforbitter

wind,lifeforsuredeath.

Aelinwreathedherhandsinflame,ripping

attheshadowlashedaroundherthroat.

Maevestoodbeforeher,robesbillowingas

shepanted.“Hereiswhatshallhappen,Aelin

Galathynius.”

Plumes of shadow shot for her, snapping

andtearing,andnoflame,noamountofsheer

will could keep them at bay. Not as they

tightened, wrenching away any breath to

scream.

Herfireguttered.

“Youwillswearthebloodoathtome.And

thenyouandIwillfixthismessyou’vemade.

You, and the King of Adarlan will fix what

you have done.You may be Fire-Bringer no

longer,butyouwillstillhaveyouruses.”

Awindkissedwithsnowbrushedpasther.

No.

Another flash of light behind Aelin, and

Maevepaused.

The shadows squeezed, and Aelin arched

again, a soundless scream breaking through

her.

“YoumaybeaskingyourselfwhyI’dever

think you’d agree to it. What I might have

against you.” A low laugh. “The very things

that you seek to protect—that’s what I shall

destroy, should you defy me. What is most

precious to you. And when I have finished

doingthat,youwillkneel.”

No,no—

Darkness pulsed from Maeve, andAelin’s

visionwavered.

Awaveofice-kissedwindblasteditback.

Just enough for her to get a breath down.

Toliftherheadandseethetattooedhandthat

nowstretcheddownforher.Reachingforher

—anoffertorise.Rowan.

Behind him, two others appeared. Lorcan

andFenrys,thelatterinwolfform.

The cadre, whohad not halted that day to

helpheratMistward—butwhodidsonow.

But Rowan kept his hand outstretched to

Aelin, that offer to stand unfaltering, and

didn’ttakehiseyesoff Maeveashebaredhis

teethandsnarled.

But it was Fenrys who struck first. Who

had been waiting for this moment, this

opportunity.

Fangs bared, fur bristling, he charged at

Maeve.Goingrightforherpalethroat.

Aelin struggled, and Rowan shouted his

warning,buttoolate.

Lost in his vengeance, his fury, the white

wolfleaptforMaeve.

Awhipofdarknessslashedforhim.

Fenrys’s yelp of pain echoed through her

bonesbeforehehitthe ground.Blood leaked

from the wound—the deep slash down his

face.

Sofast.Barelymorethanablink.

Rowan’s and Lorcan’s power surged,

rallyingtostrike.Fenrysstruggledtohisfeet.

Again, darkness snapped for him. Ripped

across his face.As if Maeve knew precisely

wheretostrike.

Fenryswentdownagain,bloodsplattering

on the snow.A flash of light, and he shifted

intohisFaeform.Whatshe’ddonetohisface

—

No.No—

Aelinmanagedtorallyenoughairtorasp,

“Run.”

Rowanglancedatherthen.Atthewarning.

JustasMaevestruckoncemore.

Asifshehadbeenholdingbackherpower

—waitingforthem.Forthis.

A wave of blackness enveloped her mate.

EnvelopedLorcanandFenrys,too.

Theirmagicflared,illuminingthedarkness

like lightning behind a cloud.Yet it was not

enoughtofreethemselvesfromMaeve’sgrip.

Ice and wind blasted against it, again and

again.Brutal,calculatedstrikes.

Maeve’spowerswelled.

Theiceandwindstopped.Theothermagic

withinthedarknessstopped.Likeithadbeen

swallowed.

Andthentheybeganscreaming.

Rowanbeganscreaming.



CHAPTER113

Erawanpantedasheapproached.“Healer,”he

breathed, his unholy power emanating from

himlikeablackaura.

She backed away a step, closer to the

balcony rail. The dark king followed her, a

predatorclosinginonlong-awaitedprey.

“DoyouknowhowlongIhavelookedfor

you?” The wind tossed his golden hair. “Do

youevenknowwhatyoucando?”

She hesitated, slamming into the balcony

railbehindher,thedropsohideouslyendless.

“Howdoyouthinkwetookthekeysinthe

firstplace?”Ahateful,horriblesmile.“Inmy

world,yourkindexists,too.Nothealerstous,

but executioners. Death-maidens. Capable of

healing—but alsounhealing. Unbinding the

very fabric of life. Of worlds.” Erawan

smirked.“Sowetookyourkind.Usedthemto

unbind the Wyrdgate.To rip the three pieces

of it from its very essence. Maeve never

learned it—and never shall.” His jagged

breathing deepenedas he savored each word,

each step closer. “It took all of them to hew

the keys from the gate—every one ofthe

healersamongstmykind.Butyou,withyour

gifts—it would only take you to do it again.

And with the keys now returned to the gate

…”Anothersmile.“MaevethinksIlefttokill

you, destroy you. Your little fire-queen

thoughtso,too.ShecouldnotconceivethatI

wantedtofindyou.BeforeMaeve.Beforeany

harmcouldcometoyou.AndnowthatIhave

… What fun you and I shall have, Yrene

Towers.”

Anotherstepcloser.Butnomore.

Erawan went still. Tried and failed to

move.

Looked at the stones of the balcony then.

At thebloody mark he’d stridden across, too

focusedonhispreytonotice.

AWyrdmark.Tohold.Totrap.

The young healer smiled at him, and the

white light around her hands winked out as

her eyes shifted from gold to sapphire. “I’m

notYrene.”

Erawan whipped his head to the skies as

Lysandra,inrukform,camesweepingaround

thetowerfromwhereshe’dbeenhidingonits

otherside,Yreneclutchedinhertalons.

Erawan’s power swelled, but Yrene was

alreadyglowing,brightasthefar-offdawn.

Lysandra opened her talons, delicately

dropping Yrene to the balcony stones, light

streaming offherasshe sprintedheadfirstto

Erawan.

Dorian shifted back into his own body,

healing light pouring off him, too, as he

encircledhispoweraroundtheWyrdmarkthat

heldErawan.Thetowerdoorburstopen,Elide

flying out of it just as Lysandra shifted,

landing on a ghost leopard’s silent feet upon

thebalcony.

Erawandidn’tseemtoknowwheretolook.

NotasDoriansentoutapunchofhishealing

light that knocked him off balance. Not as

Lysandra leaped upon the dark king, pinning

him to the stones. Not as Elide, Damaris in

her hands, plunged the blade deep through

Erawan’sgut,andbetweenthestonesbelow.

Erawan screamed. But the sound was

nothingcomparedtowhatcameoutofhimas

Yrene reached him, hands like burning stars,

andslammedthemuponhischest.

Theworldslowedandwarped.

YetYrenewasnotafraid.

Notafraidatalloftheblindingwhitelight

thateruptedfromher,searingintoErawan.

Hearched,shrieking,butDamarisheldhim

down,thatancientbladeunwavering.

Hisdarkpowerrose,awavetodevourthe

world.

Yrenedidnotletittouchher.Touchanyof

them.

Hope.

ItwashopethatChaolhadsaidshecarried

withher.Hopethatnowgrewinherwomb.

Forabetterfuture.Forafreeworld.

Itwashopethathadguidedtwowomenat

oppositeendsofthiscontinenttenyearsago.

HopethathadguidedYrene’smothertotake

up that knife and kill the soldier who would

have burned Yrene alive. Hope that had

guidedMarionLochanwhenshechosetobuy

ayoungheirtimetorunwithherverylife.

Two women, who had never known each

other,twowomenwhotheworldhaddeemed

ordinary. Two women, Josefin and Marion,

whohadchosenhopeinthefaceofdarkness.

Two women, in the end, who had bought

them all this moment. This one shot at a

future.

For them, Yrene was not afraid. For the

childshecarried,shewasnotafraid.

For the world she and Chaol would build

forthatchild,shewasnotafraidatall.

Thegodsmighthavebeengone,Silbawith

them, but Yrene could have sworn she felt

thosewarm,gentlehandsguidingher.Pushing

uponErawan’schestashethrashed,theforce

ofathousanddarksunstryingtoripherapart.

Herpowertorethroughthemall.

Tore and shredded and ripped into him,

intothewrithingwormthatlayinside.

Theparasite.Theinfectionthatfedonlife,

onstrength,onjoy.

Distantly, far away, Yrene knew she was

incandescent with light, brighter than a

noontime sun. Knew that the dark king

beneathherwasnothingmorethanawrithing

pit of snakes, biting at her, trying to poison

herlight.

Youhavenopoweroverme,Yrenesaidto

him.Intothebodythathousedthatparasiteof

parasites.

I shall rip you apart, he hissed.Starting

withthatbabeinyour—

A thought and Yrene’s power flared

brighter.

Erawanscreamed.

The power of creation and destruction.

That’swhatlaywithinher.

Life-Giver.World-Maker.

Bit by bit, she burned him up. Starting at

hislimbs,workinginward.

Andwhenhermagicbegantoslow,Yrene

heldoutahand.

She didn’t feel the sting of her palm

cutting open. Barely felt the pressure of the

callusedhandthatlinkedwithhers.

But when Dorian Havilliard’s raw magic

barreledintoher,Yrenegasped.

Gasped and turned into starlight, into

warmthandstrengthandjoy.

Yrene’spowerwaslifeitself.Pure,undiluted

life.

Itnearly broughtDoriantohiskneesasit

met with his own. As he handed over his

power to her, willingly and gladly, Erawan

prostratebeforethem.Impaled.

Thedemonkingscreamed.

Glad. He should be glad of that pain, that

scream.Theendthatwassurelytocome.

For Adarlan, for Sorscha, for Gavin and

Elena. For all of them, Dorian let his power

flowthroughYrene.

Erawan thrashed, his power rising only to

strikeagainstanimpenetrablewalloflight.

AndyetDorianfoundhimselfsaying,“His

name.”

Yrene, focused upon the task before her,

didn’tsomuchasglancehisway.

But Erawan, through his screaming, met

Dorian’sstare.

The hatred in the demon king’s eyes was

enoughtodevourtheworld.

But Dorian said, “My father’s name.” His

voicedidnotwaver.“Youtookit.”

He hadn’t realized that he wanted it.

Neededit,sobadly.

Apathetic,spinelessman,Erawanseethed.

Asyouare—

“Tellmehisname.Giveitback.”

Erawanlaughedthroughhisscreaming.No.

“Giveitback.”

Yrene looked to him now, doubt in her

eyes.Hermagicpaused—justforaheartbeat.

Erawanleapt,hispowererupting.

Dorian blasted it back, and lunged for the

demonking.ForDamaris.

Erawan’s shriek threatened to crack the

castle stones as Dorian shoved the blade

deeper.Twistedit.Senttheirpowerfunneling

downthroughit.

“Tellmehisname ,” he pantedthrough his

teeth. Yrene, clinging to his other hand,

murmured her warning. Dorian barely heard

it.

Erawan only laughed again, choking as

theirpowersearedhim.

“Doesitmatter?”Yreneaskedsoftly.

Yes.Hedidn’tknowwhy,butitdid.

His father had been wiped from the

Afterworld, from every realm of existence,

buthecouldstillhavehisnamegivenbackto

him.

Ifonlytorepaythedebt.IfonlysoDorian

mightgrantthemansomeshredofpeace.

Erawan’s power surged for them again.

DorianandYreneshoveditback.

Now.Ithadtobenow.

“Tellmehisname,”Doriansnarled.

Erawansmiledupathim.No.

“Dorian,”Yrene warned. Sweat slid down

her face. She couldn’t hold him for much

longer.Andtoriskher—

Dorian sent their power rippling down the

blade.Damaris’shiltglowed.

“Tellme—”

Itisyourown.

Erawan’seyeswidenedasthewordscame

outofhim.

AsDamarisdrewitfromhim.But Dorian

didnotmarvelatthesword’spower.

Hisfather’sname…

Dorian.

I took his name, Erawan spat, writhing as

the words flowed from his tongue under

Damaris’s power.I wiped it away from

existence. Yet he only remembered it once.

Onlyonce.Thefirsttimehebeheldyou.

Tears slid down Dorian’s face at that

unbearabletruth.

Perhapshisfatherhadunknowinglyhidden

his name within him, a final kernel of

defiance against Erawan.And had named his

sonforthatdefiance,asecretmarkerthatthe

man within still fought. Had never stopped

fighting.

Dorian.Hisfather’sname.

DorianletgoofDamaris’shilt.

Yrene’s breathing turned ragged. Now—it

hadtobenow.

Even with the Valg king before him,

something in Dorian’s chest eased. Healed

over.

SoDoriansaidtoErawan,histearsburning

away beneath the warmth of their magic. “I

brought down your keep.” He smiled

savagely. “Andnow we’ll bringyou downas

well.”

ThenhenoddedtoYrene.

Erawan’s eyes flared like hot coals. And

Yreneunleashedtheirpoweroncemore.

Erawancoulddonothing.Nothingagainstthat

rawmagic,joiningwithYrene’s,weavinginto

thatworld-makingpower.

The entire city, the plain, became

blindingly bright. So bright that Elide and

Lysandra shielded their eyes. Even Dorian

shuthis.

But Yrene saw it then. What lay at

Erawan’score.

The twisted, hateful creature inside. Old

and seething, pale as death. Pale, from an

eternity indarkness so completeithadnever

seensunlight.

Had never seenher light, which now

scaldedhismoon-white,ancientflesh.

Erawan writhed, contorting on the ground

ofwhateverthisplacewasinsidehim.

Pathetic,Yrenesimplysaid.

Goldeneyesflared,fullofrageandhate.

But Yrene only smiled, summoning her

mother’slovelyface toherheart. Showing it

tohim.

WishingsheknewwhatElide’smotherhad

looked like so she might show him Marion

Lochan,too.

The two women he had killed, directly or

indirectly,andneverthoughttwiceaboutit.

Two mothers, whose love for their

daughters and hope for a better world was

greater than any power Erawan might wield.

GreaterthananyWyrdkey.

And it was with the image of her mother

still shining before him, showing him that

mistake he’d never known he made, that

Yreneclenchedherfingersintoafist.

Erawanscreamed.

Yrene’s fingers clenched tighter, and

distantly,shefeltherphysicalhanddoingthe

same. Felt the sting of her nails cutting into

herpalms.

She did not listen to Erawan’s pleas. His

threats.

Sheonlytightenedherfist.Moreandmore.

Until he was nothing but a dark flame

withinit.

Untilshesqueezedherfist,onefinaltime,

andthatdarkflamesnuffedout.

Yrene had the feeling of falling, of

tumbling back into herself. And she was

indeed falling, rocking back into Lysandra’s

furrybody,herhandslippingfromDorian’s.

Dorian lunged for her hand to renew

contact,buttherewasnoneed.

Noneedforhispower,orYrene’s.

Not as Erawan, golden eyes open and

unseeingastheygazedatthenightskyabove,

saggedtothestonesofthebalcony.

Not ashis skin turned gray,then began to

wither,todecay.

Aliferottingawayfromwithin.

“Burn it,” Yrene rasped, a hand going to

her belly. A pulse of joy, a spark of light,

answeredback.

Dorian didn’t hesitate. Flames leaped out,

devouringthedecayingbodybeforethem.

Theywereunnecessary.

Before they’d even begun to turn his

clothing to ash,Erawandissolved.A sagging

bitoffleshandbrittlebones.

Dorianburnedhimanyway.

They watched in silence as the Valg king

turnedtoashes.

As a winter wind swept over the tower

balcony,andcarriedthemfar,faraway.



CHAPTER114

Shewasdead.

Aelinwasdead.

Her lifeless body had been spiked to the

gatesofOrynth,herhairshorntoherscalp.

Rowankneltbeforethegates,thearmiesof

Morath streaming past him. It wasn’t real.

Couldn’tbe.Yetthesunwarmedhisface.The

reekofdeathfilledhisnose.

He gritted his teeth, willing himself out,

awayfromthisplace.Thiswakingnightmare.

Itdidn’tfalter.

A hand brushed his shoulder, gentle and

small.

“You brought this upon yourself, you

know,”saidaliltingfemalevoice.

Heknewthatvoice.Wouldneverforgetit.

Lyria.

Shestoodbehindhim,peeringupatAelin.

Clad in Maeve’s dark armor, her brown hair

braided back from her delicate, lovely face.

“Youbroughtituponher,too,Isuppose,”his

mate—hislieofamate—mused.

Dead. Lyria was dead, and Aelin was the

onemeanttosurvive—

“You would pick her over me?” Lyria

demanded, her chestnut eyes filling. “Is that

thesortofmaleyouhavebecome?”

He couldn’t find any words, anything to

explain,toapologize.

Aelinwasdead.

Hecouldn’tbreathe.Didn’twantto.

Connall was smirking at him. “Everything

thathappenedtomeisbecauseofyou.”

KneelingonthatverandainDoranelle,ina

palace he’dhoped to never see again, Fenrys

fought the bile that rose in his throat. “I’m

sorry.”

“Sorry,butwouldyouchangeit?WasIthe

sacrificeyouwerewillingtomakeinorderto

getwhatyouwanted?”

Fenrysshookhishead,butitwassuddenly

that of a wolf—the body he had once loved

withsuchprideandfierceness.Awolf’sform

—withnoabilitytospeak.

“You took everything I ever wanted,” his

twin went on. “Everything. Did you even

mournme?Diditevenmatter?”

He needed to tell him—tell his twin

everything he’d meant to say, wished he’d

been able to convey. But that wolf’s tongue

didnotvoicethelanguageofmenandFae.No

voice.Hehadnovoice.

“I am dead because of you,” Connall

breathed. “I suffered because of you. And I

willneverforgetit.”

Please. The word burned on his tongue.

Please—

Shecouldn’tendureit.

Rowankneelingthere,screaming.

Fenryssobbingtowardthedarkenedskies.

AndLorcan—Lorcaninuttersilence,eyes

unseeingassomeuntoldhorrorplayedout.

Maeve hummed to herself. “Do you see

what I can do? What they are powerless

against?”

Rowanscreamedlouder,thetendonsinhis

neckbulging.FightingMaevewithallhehad.

Shecouldn’tendureit.Couldn’tstandit.

Thiswasnoillusion,nospundream.This,

theirpain—thiswasreal.

Maeve’sValgpowers,atlastrevealed.The

same hellish power that the Valg princes

possessed. The same power she’d endured.

Defeatedwithflame.

Butshehadnoflametohelpthem.Nothing

atall.

“There’s indeed nothing left for you to

bargain with,” Maeve said simply. “But

yourself.”

Anythingbutthis.Anythingbutthis—

“Youarenothing.”

Elidestoodbeforehim,theloftytowersof

a city Lorcan had never seen, the city that

shouldhavebeenhishome,beckoningonthe

horizon. The wind whipped her dark hair, as

coldasthelightinhereyes.

“A bastard-born nobody,” she went on.

“DidyouthinkI’dsullymyselfwithyou?”

“Ithinkyoumightbemymate,”herasped.

Elide snickered. “Mate? Why would you

ever think you were entitled to such a thing

afterallyouhavedone?”

Itcouldn’tbereal—itwasn’treal.Andyet

thatcoldnessinherface,thedistance…

He’dearnedit.Deservedit.

Maeve surveyed them, the three males who

hadbeenherslaves,losttoherdarkpoweras

itrippedthroughtheirminds,theirmemories,

and laughed. “Pity about Gavriel.At least he

fellnobly.”

Gavriel—

Maeve turned to her. “You didn’t know,

did you?” A click of her tongue. “The Lion

will roar no longer, his life the asking price

fordefendinghiscub.”

Gavriel was dead. She felt the truth in

Maeve’s words. Let them punch a hole

throughherheart.

“Youcouldnotsavehim,itseems,”Maeve

wenton.“Butyoucansavethem.”

Fenrys screamed now. Rowan had fallen

silent, his green eyes vacant. Whatever he

beheldhaddrawnhimpastscreaming,beyond

weeping.

Pain. Unspeakable, unimaginable pain.As

shehadendured—perhapsworse.

Andyet…

Aelin didn’t give Maeve time to react.

Time to even turn her head as she grabbed

Goldrynwhereitlaybesideherandhurledit

atthequeen.

It missed Maeve by an inch, the Valg

queen twisting aside before the blade buried

itself deep in the snow, steaming where it

landed.Stillburning.

ItwasallAelinneeded.

She lashed out, flame spearing into the

world.

ButnotforMaeve.

It slammed into Rowan, into Fenrys and

Lorcan.Strucktheirshoulders,hardanddeep.

Burningthem.Brandingthem.

Aelin was dead. She was dead, and he had

failedher.

“You are a lesser male,” Lyria said, still

studyingthegatewhereAelin’sbodyswayed.

“You deserved this. After what was done to

me,youdeservedthis.”

Aelinwasdead.

He did not wish to live in this world. Not

foraheartbeatlonger.

Aelinwasdead.Andhe—

Hisshouldertwinged.Andthenitburned.

Asifsomeonehadpressedabrandtoit.A

red-hotpoker.

Aflame.

Helookeddown,butbeheldnowound.

Lyria continued on, “You bring only

sufferingtothoseyoulove.”

Thewords were distant. Secondary to that

burningwound.

It singed him again, a phantom wound, a

memory—

Not a memory. Not a memory, but a

lifelinethrownintothedark.Intoanillusion.

Ananchor.

As he had once anchored her, hauling her

fromaValgprince’sgrip.

Aelin.

His hands curled at his sides. Aelin, who

hadknownsufferingashedid.Whohadbeen

shown peaceful lives and still chosen him,

exactly as he was, for what they had both

endured.Illusions—thosehadbeenillusions.

Rowan gritted his teeth. Felt the thing

wrapped around his mind. Holding him

captive.

Heletoutalowsnarl.

She had done this—done it before. Torn

into his mind. Twisted and taken from him

thismostvitalthing.Aelin.

Hewouldnotlethertakeitagain.

Lorcan roared at the brand that shredded

through his senses, through Elide’s mocking

words, through the image of Perranth, the

homehewantedsobadlyandmightneversee.

Roared, and the world rippled. Became

snowanddarknessandbattle.

And Maeve. Poised before them, her pale

facelivid.

Her power lunged for him, a striking

panther—

Elidenowlayinagrand,opulentbed,her

witheredhandreachingforhis.Anagedhand,

riddled with marks, the delicate blue veins

intertwining like the many rivers around

Doranelle.

Andherface…Herdarkeyeswerefilmy,

her wrinkles deep. Her thinned hair white as

snow.

“This is a truth you cannot outrun,” she

said, her voice a croak. “A sword above our

heads.”

Her deathbed. That’s what this was. And

thehandhebrushedagainsthers—itremained

young.Heremainedyoung.

Bile coated his throat. “Please.” He put a

handtohischest,asifit’dstoptherelentless

cracking.

Faint,throbbingpainansweredback.

Elide’sbreathsraspedagainsthisears.He

couldn’twatchthis,couldn’t—

He dug his hand harder into his chest. To

thepainthere.

Life—life was pain. Pain, and joy. Joy

becauseofthepain.

HesawitinElide’sface.Ineverylineand

age mark. Ineverywhite hair.Alifelived—

together. The pain of parting because ofhow

wonderfulithadbeen.

The darkness beyond thinned. Lorcan dug

his hand into the burning wound in his

shoulder.

Elideletoutahackingcoughthatwrecked

him,yethetookitintohisheart,everybitof

it.Allthatthefuturemightoffer.

Itdidnotfrightenhim.

Againandagain,Connalldied.Overandover.

Connalllayontheflooroftheveranda,his

blood leaking toward the misty river far

below.

Hisfate—itshouldhavebeenhisfate.

Ifhewalkedovertheedgeoftheveranda,

intothatroaringriver,wouldanyonemarkhis

passing?Ifheleaped,hisbrotherinhisarms,

wouldtherivermakeaquickendforhim?

Hedidn’tdeserveaquickend.Hedeserved

aslow,brutalbloodletting.

His punishment, his just reward for what

he’ddonetohisbrother.Thelifehe’dallowed

to be set in his shadow, had always known

remained in his shadowand hadn’t tried, not

really,tosharethelight.

A burn, violent and unflinching, tore

through him. As if someone had shoved his

shoulderintoafurnace.

He deserved it. He welcomed it into his

heart.

Hehopeditwoulddestroyhim.

Pain. The thing she had dreaded inflicting

upon them most, had fought and fought to

keepthemfrom.

The scent of their burned flesh stung her

nostrils,andMaeveletoutalowlaugh.“Was

thatashield,Aelin?Orwereyoutryingtoput

themoutoftheirmisery?”

As he kneeled beside her, Rowan’s hand

twitched at whatever horror he beheld, right

overtheedgeofhisdiscardedhatchet.

Pine and snow and the coppery tang of

bloodblended,risingtomeetherashispalm

slicedopenwiththeforceofthattwitch.

“We can keep at this, you know,” Maeve

wenton.“UntilOrynthliesinruin.”

Rowan stared sightlessly ahead, his palm

leakingbloodontothesnow.

Hisfingerscurled.Slightly.

Abeckoning gesture, toosmall forMaeve

to note. For anyone to note—except for her.

Exceptforthesilent languagebetweenthem,

thewaytheirbodieshadspokentoeachother

from the moment they’d met in that dusty

alleyinVarese.

A small act of defiance. As he had once

defiedMaevebeforeherthroneinDoranelle.

Fenrys sobbed again, and Maeve glanced

towardhim.

AelinslidherhandalongRowan’shatchet,

thepainawhisperthroughherbody.

Her mate trembled, fighting the mind that

hadinvadedhisoncemore.

“Whatawaste,” Maeve said,turningback

to them. “For these finemales to leave my

service,onlytowindupboundtoaqueenwith

hardlymorethanafewdropsofpowertoher

name.”

AelinclosedherhandaroundRowan’s.

A door flung open between them. A door

backtohimself,toher.

Hisfingerslockedaroundhers.

Aelinlet out a low laugh. “I may haveno

magic,”shesaid,“butmymatedoes.”

Waiting to strike from the other side of

thatdarkdoorway,RowanhauledAelintoher

feetastheirpowers,theirsouls,fused.

The force of Rowan’s magic hit her,

ancient and raging. Ice and wind turned to

searingflame.

Her heart sang, roaring, at the power that

flowedfromRowanandintoher.Atherside,

hermateheldfast.Unbreakable.

Rowan smiled—fierce and feral and

wicked.A crown of flame, twin to her own,

appearedatophishead.

Asone,theylookedtoMaeve.

Maeve hissed, her dark power massing

again. “Rowan Whitethorn does not have the

brutepowerthatyouoncedid.”

“Perhaps he doesn’t,” Lorcan said from a

stepbehindthem,hiseyesclearandfree,“but

together,wedo.”HeglancedtoAelin,ahand

risingtotheangryredburnmarringhischest.

“And beyond us,” Aelin said, sketching a

mark through the snow with the blood she’d

spilled—her blood, and Rowan’s—“I think

theyhaveplenty,too.”

Light flared at their feet, and Maeve’s

powersurged—buttoolate.

The portal opened. Exactly as the

WyrdmarksinthebooksChaolandYrenehad

brought from the southern continent had

promised.

Precisely to where Aelin had intended.

Where she had glimpsed as she’d tumbled

back through the Wyrdgate. Where she and

Rowan had ventured days ago, testing this

veryportal.

The forest glen was silvered in the

moonlight,thesnowsthick.Strange,oldtrees

—older than even those in Oakwald. Trees

thatcouldonlybefoundnorthofTerrasen,in

thehinterlandsbeyond.

But it was not the trees that made Maeve

halt. No, it was the teeming mass of people,

their armor and weapons glinting beneath

their heavy furs. Amongst them, large as

horses,wolvesgrowled.Wolveswithriders.

Down the battlefield, portal after portal

opened.RightwhereRowanandthecadrehad

drawnthemintheirownbloodastheyfought.

All to be opened upon this spell. This

command. And beyond each portal, that

teeming mass of people could be seen. The

army.

“I heard you planned to come here, you

see,”Aelin said to Maeve, Rowan’s power a

symphony in her blood. “Heard you planned

to bring thekharankui-princesses with you.”

She smiled. “So I thought to bring some

friendsofmyown.”

The first of the figures beyond the portal

emerged,ridingagreatsilverwolf.Andeven

with the furs over her heavy armor, the

female’sarchedearscouldbeseen.

“TheFaewhodwelledinTerrasenwerenot

wiped outso thoroughly,”Aelin said.Lorcan

began grinning. “They found a new home—

withtheWolfTribe.”Forthosewerehumans

alsoridingthosewolves.Asallthemythshad

claimed.“Anddidyouknowthatwhilemany

ofthemcameherewithBrannon,therewasan

entire clan of Fae who arrived from the

southern continent? Fleeing you, I think.All

of them, actually, don’t really like you, I’m

sorrytosay.”

More and more Fae and wolf-riders

stepped toward the portal, weapons out.

Beyond them, stretching into the distance,

theirhostflowed.

Maevebackedawayastep.Justone.

“Butyouknowwhotheyhateevenmore?”

Aelin pointed with Goldryn toward the

battlefield. “Those spiders. Nesryn Faliq told

meallabouthowtheirancestorsbattledthem

in the southern continent. How they fledyou

whenyoutriedtokeeptheir healerschained,

andthenwounduphavingtobattleyourlittle

friends.AndwhentheycametoTerrasen,they

stillremembered.Someofthetruthwaslost,

grew muddled, but they remembered. They

taughttheiroffspring.Trainedthem.”

The Fae and their wolves beyond the

portals now fixed their sights on the

kharankui hybrids at last emerging onto the

plain.

“I told them I’d deal with you myself,”

Aelin said, and Rowan chuckled, “but the

spiders … Oh, the spiders are all theirs. I

think they’ve been waiting a while for it,

actually. The Ironteeth witches, too.

Apparently,theYellowlegsweren’tverykind

to those trapped in their animal forms these

tenyears.”

Aelin let out a flare of light. The only

signalsheneededtogive.

For a people who had asked for only one

thingwhenAelinhadbeggedthemtofight,to

jointhislastbattle:toreturnhome.Toreturn

toOrynthafteradecadeofhiding.

Herflamedancedoverthebattlefield.And

thelostFaeofTerrasen,thefabledWolfTribe

who had welcomed and protected them at

theirsides,chargedthroughtheportals.Right

intoMorath’sunsuspectingranks.

Maevehadgonedeathlypale.Paledfurther

asmagicsparkedandsurgedandthosespider-

hybrids went down, their shrieks of surprise

silencedunderAsterionblades.

Yet Rowan’s hand tightened on Aelin’s,

and she peered up at her mate. But his eyes

were on Fenrys. On the dark power Maeve

stillhadwrappedaroundhim.

The male remained sprawled in the snow,

his tears silent and unending. His face a

bloodiedruin.

ThroughtheroarofRowan’spower,Aelin

feltforthethreadsleadingfromherheart,her

soul.

Look at me. Her silent command echoed

downthebloodoath—toFenrys.

Lookatme.

“I suppose you think you can now finish

meoffinsomegrandfashion,”Maevesaidto

her and Rowan, that dark power swelling.

“You,whoIhavewrongedthemost.”

Lookatme.

His shredded face leaking blood, Fenrys

looked, his eyes blindly turning toward hers.

Andclearing—justslightly.

Aelin blinked four times.I am here, I am

withyou.

Noreply.

“DoyouunderstandwhataValgqueenis?”

Maeve asked them, triumph on her face

despite the long-lost Fae and wolf-riders

chargingontothebattlefieldbeyondthem.“I

amasvastandeternalasthesea.Erawanand

his brotherssought me for my power.” Her

magic flowed around her in an unholy aura.

“You believe yourself to be a God-Killer,

Aelin Galathynius? What were they but vain

creatures locked into this world? What were

they but things your human mind cannot

comprehend?” She lifted her arms. “I am a

god.”

Aelin blinked again at Fenrys, Rowan’s

powergatheringwithinherveins,readyingfor

thefirstandlikelyfinalstrikethey’dbeable

toland,Lorcan’spowerrallyingbesidetheirs.

Yetoverandover,AelinblinkedtoFenrys,to

thosehalf-vacanteyes.

Iamhere,Iamwithyou.

A queen had said that to him. In their

secret, silent language. During the

unspeakable hours of torment, they had said

thattoeachother.

Notalone.

Hehadnotbeenalonethen,andneitherhad

she.

The veranda in Doranelle and bloodied

snowsoutsideOrynthblendedandflashed.

Iamhere,Iamwithyou.

Maeve stood there. Before Aelin and

Rowan, burning with power. Before Lorcan,

his dark gifts a shadow around him. Fae—so

many Fae and wolves, some riding them—

pouringontothebattlefieldthroughholesin

theair.

Ithadworked,then.Theirmadplan,tobe

enactedwhenallwenttohell,whentheyhad

nothingleft.

YetMaeve’spowerswelled.

Aelin’seyesremaineduponhim,anchoring

him.Pullinghimfromthatbloodiedveranda.

To a body trembling in pain. A face that

burnedandthrobbed.

Iamhere,Iamwithyou.

And Fenrys found himself blinking back.

Justonce.

Yes.

And when Aelin’s eyes moved again, he

understood.

Aelin looked to Rowan. Found her mate

already smiling at her.Aware of what likely

awaited them. “Together,” she said quietly.

Rowan’s thumb brushedagainst hers.In love

andfarewell.

Andthentheyerupted.

Flame, white-hot and blinding, roared

towardMaeve.

Butthedarkqueenhadbeenwaiting.Twin

waves of darkness arched and cascaded for

them.

Onlytobehaltedbyashieldofblackwind.

Beatenaside.

Aelin and Rowan struck again, fast as an

asp. Arrows and spears of flame that had

Maeveconcedingastep.Thenanother.

Lorcan batteredher from theside, forcing

Maevetoretreatanotherstep.

“I’dsay,”Aelinpanted,speakingabovethe

glorious roar of magic through her, the

unbreakablesongofherandRowan,“thatyou

haven’twrongedusthemostatall.”

Like alternating punches, Lorcan struck

withthem.Fire,thenmidnightdeath.

Maeve’sdarkbrowsnarrowed.

Aelinflungoutawallofflamethatpushed

Maeve back another step. “But him—oh, he

hasascoretosettlewithyou.”

Maeve’s eyes wentwide,andshemade to

turn.Butnotfastenough.

Not fast enough at all as Fenrys vanished

from where he knelt, and reappeared—right

behindMaeve.

Goldryn burned bright as he plunged it

throughherback.

Intothedarkheartwithin.



CHAPTER115

Maeve’s dark blood leaked onto the snow as

shefelltoherknees,fingersscrabblingatthe

burningswordstuckthroughherchest.

Fenrys stepped around her, leaving the

swordwherehe’dimpaledherashewalkedto

Aelin’sside.

Embers swirling around her and Rowan,

Aelinapproachedthequeen.

Baringherteeth,Maevehissedasshetried

andfailedtopryfreetheblade.“Takeitout.”

AelinonlylookedtoLorcan.“Anythingto

say?”

Lorcan smiled grimly, surveying the Fae

and wolf-riders wreaking havoc on the

spiders. “Long live the queen.” The Faerie

QueenoftheWest.

Maevesnarled,anditwasnotthesoundof

a Fae or human. But Valg. Pure, undiluted

Valg.

“Well, look who stopped pretending,”

Aelinsaid.

“I will go anywhere you choose to banish

meto,”Maeveseethed.“Justtakeitout.”

“Anywhere?” Aelin asked, and let go of

Rowan’shand.

Thelackofhismagic,hisstrength,hither

likeplungingintoanice-coldlake.

Butshehadplentyofherown.

Notmagic,neveragainasithadbeen,buta

strengthgreater,deeperthanthat.

Fireheart,hermotherhadcalledher.

Not for her power. The name had never

oncebeenaboutherpower.

Maevehissedagain,clawingattheblade.

Wreathing her fingers in flame, Aelin

offeredherhandtoMaeve.“Youcamehereto

escape a husband you did not love. A world

youdidnotlove.”

Maevepaused,studyingAelin’shand.The

new calluses on it. She winced—winced in

pain at the blade shredding her heart but not

killingher.“Yes,”Maevebreathed.

“And you love this world. You love

Erilea.”

Maeve’s dark eyes scanned Aelin, then

Rowan and Lorcan, before she answered.

“Yes.InthewaythatIcanloveanything.”

Aelin kept her hand outstretched. The

unspoken offer in it. “And if I choose to

banish you, you will go wherever it is we

decide. And never bother us again, or any

other.”

“Yes,” Maeve snapped, grimacing at the

immortalbladepiercingherheart.Thequeen

bowed her head, panting, and took Aelin’s

outstretchedhand.

Aelin drew close. Just as she slid

somethingontoMaeve’sfinger.

AndwhisperedinMaeve’sear,“Thengoto

hell.”

Maeverearedback,buttoolate.

Too late, asthegolden ring—Silba’s ring,

Athril’sring—shoneonherpalehand.

Aelin backed to Rowan’s side as Maeve

begantoscream.

Screaming and screaming toward the dark

sky,towardthestars.

Maeve had wanted the ring not for

protection against Valg. No, shewas Valg.

She’dwanteditsothatnoothermighthaveit.

YetwhenElidehadgivenittoAelin,ithad

notbeentodestroyaValgqueen.Buttokeep

Aelinsafe.AndMaevewouldneverknowit—

thatgiftandpower:friendship.

What Aelin knew had kept the queen

beforeherfrombecomingamirror.Whathad

savedher,andthiskingdom.

Maevethrashed, Goldryn burning, twin to

thelightonherfinger.

Immunity from the Valg. And poison to

them.

Maeveshrieked,thesoundloudenoughto

shaketheworld.

Theyonlystoodamongstthefallingsnow,

facesunmoved,andwatchedher.

Witnessed this death for all those she had

destroyed.

Maeve contorted, clawing at herself. Her

paleskinbegantoflakeawaylikeoldpaint.

Revealing bits of the creature beneath the

glamour.Theskinshe’dcreatedforherself.

AelinonlylookedtoRowan,toLorcanand

Fenrys,asilentquestioninhereyes.

RowanandLorcannodded.Fenrysblinked

once,hismauledfacestillbleeding.

SoAelinapproachedthescreamingqueen,

the creature beneath. Walked behind her and

yankedoutGoldryn.

Maevesaggedtothesnowandmud,butthe

ringcontinuedtoripherapartfromwithin.

Maeve lifted dark, hateful eyes as Aelin

raisedGoldryn.

Aelin only smiled down at her. “We’ll

pretendmylastwordstoyouweresomething

worthyofasong.”

Sheswungtheburningsword.

Maeve’smouthwasstillopeninascream

asherheadtumbledtothesnow.

Black blood sprayed, and Aelin moved

again, stabbing Goldryn through Maeve’s

skull.Intotheearthbeneath.

“Burnher,”Lorcanrasped.

Rowan’s hand, warm and strong, found

Aelin’sagain.

Andwhenshelookedupathim,therewere

tearsonhisface.

NotatthedeadValgqueenbeforethem.Or

evenatwhatAelinhaddone.

No, her prince, her husband, her mate,

gazedtothesouth.Tothebattlefield.

Even as their power melded, and she

burned Maeve into ash and memory, Rowan

staredtowardthebattlefield.

Where line after line after line of Valg

soldiersfelltotheirkneesmid-fightwiththe

FaeandwolvesandDarghancavalry.

Where the ruks flapped in amazement as

ilken tumbled from the skies, like they had

beenstruckdead.

Far out, several shrill screamsrent theair

—thenfellsilent.

An entire army, midbattle, midblow,

collapsing.

It rippled outward, that collapsing, the

stillness. Until all of Morath’s host lay

unmoving. Until the Ironteeth fighting above

realized what was happening and veered

southward, fleeing from the rukhin and

witcheswhonowgavechase.

Until the dark shadow surrounding that

fallenarmydriftedawayonthewind,too.

Aelinknewforcertainthen.WhereErawan

hadgone.

Whohadbroughthimdownatlast.

So Aelin wrenched her sword free of the

pileofashesthathadbeenMaeve.Shelifted

ithightothenightsky,tothestars,andlether

cryofvictoryfilltheworld.Letthenameshe

shouted ring out, the soldiers on the field, in

thecity,takingupthecalluntilallofOrynth

was singing with it. Until it reached the

shining stars of the Lord of the North

gleaming above them, no longer needed to

guideherwayhome.

Yrene.



CHAPTER116

Chaolawoketowarm,delicatehandsstroking

overhisbrow,hisjaw.

He knew that touch. Would know it if he

wereblind.

One moment, he’d been fighting his way

downthebattlements.Thenext—oblivion.As

ifwhateversurge ofpower hadgonethrough

Yrene had not only weakened his spine, but

hisconsciousness.

“I don’t know whether to start yelling or

crying,” he said, groaning as he opened his

eyesandfoundYrenekneelingbeforehim.A

heartbeat had him assessing their

surroundings: some sort of stairwell, where

he’dbeensprawledovertheloweststepsnear

alanding.Anarchwayopentothefrigidnight

revealed a starry, clear sky beyond. No

wyvernsinit.

Andcheering.Victorious,wildcheering.

Notonebonedrum.Notonesnarlorroar.

And Yrene, still stroking his face, was

smilingathim.Tearsinhereyes.

“Feel free to yell all you like,” she said,

someofthosetearsslippingfree.

But Chaol just gaped at her as it hit him

what, exactly, had happened. Why that surge

ofpowerhadhappened.

What this remarkable woman before him

haddone.

Fortheywerecallinghername.Thearmy,

thepeopleofOrynthwerecallinghername.

Hewasgladhewassittingdown.

Evenifitdidnotsurprisehimonebitthat

Yrenehaddonetheimpossible.

Chaol slid his arms around her waist and

buried hisfaceinherneck.“It’sover,then,”

he said against her skin, unable to stop the

shaking that took over, the mix of relief and

joyandlingering,phantomterror.

Yrene just ran her hands through his hair,

down his back, and he felt her smile. “It’s

over.”

Yet the woman heheld,thechild growing

withinher…

Erawan might have been over, his threat

andarmywithit.AndMaevewithit,too.

But life, Chaol realized—life was just

beginning.

Nesryn didn’t believe it. The enemy had just

…collapsed.Eventhekharankui-hybrids.

It was as unlikely as the Fae and wolves

whohadsimplyappearedthroughholesinthe

world. A missing army, who had wasted no

time launching themselves at Morath. As if

theyknewpreciselywhereandhowtostrike.

As if they had been summoned from the

ancientmythsoftheNorth.

Nesrynalitontheblood-soakedcitywalls,

watching the rukhin and allied witches chase

the Ironteeth toward the horizon. She would

havebeenwiththem,wereitnotfortheclaw-

marks surrounding Salkhi’s eye. For the

blood.

She had barely the breath to scream for a

healerasshedismounted.

Barely the breath to unsaddle the ruk,

murmuring to the bird as she did. So much

blood,thegouginglinesfromtheilkensentry

deep.Nosheenofpoison,but—

“Are you hurt?” Sartaq. The prince’s eyes

were wide, his face bloodied, as he scanned

her from head to toe. Behind him, Kadara

panted on the battlements, her feathers as

bloodyasherrider.

Sartaq gripped her shoulders. “Are you

hurt?”She’dneverseensuchpanicinhisface.

Nesryn only pointed to the now-still

enemy,unabletofindthewords.

But others did. One word, one name, over

andover.Yrene.

Healers raced up the battlements, aiming

for both ruks, and Nesryn allowed herself to

slideherarmsaroundSartaq’swaist.Topress

herfaceagainsthisarmoredchest.

“Nesryn.” Her name was a question and a

command. But Nesryn only held him tightly.

Soclose.Theyhadcomeso,soclosetoutter

defeat.

Yrene. Yrene. Yrene , the soldiers and

peopleofthecityshouted.

Sartaq ran a hand down her matted hair.

“Youknowwhatvictorymeans,don’tyou?”

Nesryn lifted her head, brows narrowing.

Behindthem,Salkhipatientlystoodwhilethe

healer’smagicsoothedoverhiseye.“Agood

night’srest,Ihope,”shesaid.

Sartaq laughed, and pressed a kiss to her

temple. “It means,” he said against her skin,

“thatwearegoinghome.Thatyouarecoming

home—withme.”

And even with the battle freshly ended,

evenwiththedeadandwoundedaroundthem,

Nesryn smiled. Home. Yes, she would go

homewithhimtothesoutherncontinent.And

toallthatwaitedthere.

Aelin,Rowan,Lorcan,andFenryslingeredon

theplainoutsidethecitygatesuntiltheywere

certainthefallenarmywasnotgoingtorise.

Until the khagan’s troops went between the

enemy soldiers, nudging and prodding. And

receivednoanswer.

Buttheydidnotbehead.Didnotseverand

finishthejob.

Notforthosewiththeblackrings,orblack

collars.

Thosewhomthehealersmightyetsave.

Tomorrow.Thatwouldcometomorrow.

Themoon hadreacheditspeakwhenthey

wordlesslydecidedthattheyhadseenenough

todetermineErawan’sarmywouldneverrise

again. When the ruks, Crochans, and rebel

Ironteethhadvanished,chasingthelastofthe

aeriallegionintothenight.

ThenAelinturnedtowardthesoutherngate

toOrynth.

As if in answer, it groaned open to meet

her.

Twoarmsflungwide.

Aelin looked to Rowan, their crowns of

flamestillburning,undimmed.Tookhishand.

Heartthunderingthrougheveryboneinher

body, Aelin took a step toward the gate.

TowardOrynth.Towardhome.

Lorcan and Fenrys fell into step behind

them. The latter’s wounds still leaked down

his face, but he had refused Aelin and

Rowan’s offers to heal him. Had said he

wanted a reminder. They hadn’t dared to ask

ofwhat—notyet.

Aelin lifted her chin high, shoulders

squaringastheynearedthearchway.

Soldiersalreadylinedeitherside.

Not the khagan’s soldiers, but men and

women in Terrasen armor. And civilians

amongst them, too—awe and joy in their

faces.

Aelin looked at the threshold of the gate.

At the ancient, familiarstones, now caked in

bloodandgore.

Shesentawhisperofflameskitteringover

them.Thelastdregsofherpower.

When the fire vanished, the stones were

againclean.New.Asthiscitywouldbemade

anew, brought to greater heights, greater

splendors.Abeaconoflearningandlightonce

more.

Rowan’sfingerstightenedaroundhers,but

she did not look at him as they crossed the

threshold,passingthroughthegate.

No, Aelin only looked at her people,

smiling broadly and freely, as she entered

Orynth, and they began to cheer, welcoming

herhomeatlonglast.



CHAPTER117

Aedion had fought until the enemy soldier

before him had slumped to his knees as if

dead.

Buttheman,ablackringonhisfinger,was

notdeadatall.

Onlythedemoninsidehim.

And when soldiers of countless nations

begantocheer,whenwordspreadthataTorre

Cesme healer had defeated Erawan, Aedion

simplyturnedfromthebattlements.

He found him by scent alone. Even in

death, the scent lingered, a path thatAedion

followed through the wrecked streets and

throngsofcelebrating,weepingpeople.

A lone candle had been lit in the empty

barracksroomwherethey’dsethisbodyatop

aworktable.

It was there that Aedion knelt before his

father.

Howlonghestayedthere,headbowed,he

didn’tknow.Butthecandlehadnearlyburned

downtoitsbasewhenthedoorcreakedopen,

andafamiliarscentflittedin.

She said nothing as she approached on

silent feet. Nothing as she shifted and knelt

besidehim.

Lysandra only leaned into him, until

Aedionputhisarmaroundher,tuckingherin

tight.

Together,theykneltthere,andheknewher

grief was as real as his. Knew her grief was

forGavriel,butalsoforhisownloss.

Theyearsheandhisfatherwouldnothave.

Theyearshe’drealizedhewantedtohave,the

storieshewishedtohear,themalehewished

toknow.Andneverwould.

Had Gavriel known that? Or had he fallen

believing his son wished nothing to do with

him?

He couldn’t endure it, that potential truth.

Itsweightwouldbeunbearable.

When the candle sputtered out, Lysandra

rose,andtookhimwithher.

A grand burial,Aedion silently promised.

With every honor, every scrap of stately

regaliathatcouldbefoundintheaftermathof

this battle. He’d bury his father in the royal

graveyard, amongst the heroes of Terrasen.

Where he himself would be buried one day.

Besidehim.

Itwastheleasthecoulddo.Tomakesure

hisfatherknewintheAfterworld.

Theysteppedintothestreet,andLysandra

paused to wipe away his tears. To kiss his

cheeks, then his mouth. Loving, gentle

touches.

Aedion slid his arms around her and held

hertightlyunderthestarsandmoonlight.

Howlongtheystoodinthestreet,hedidn’t

know. But then a throat cleared nearby, and

theypeeledaparttoturntowarditssource.

A young man, no older than thirty, stood

there.

StaringatLysandra.

Not a messenger, or a soldier, though he

wore the heavy clothes of the rukhin. There

was a self-possessed purpose to him, a quiet

sort of strength in his tall frame as he

swallowed.

“Areyou—areyouLadyLysandra?”

Lysandraangledherhead.“Iam.”

The man took a step, and Aedion

suppressed the urge to push her behind him.

To draw his sword on the man whose gray

eyeswidened—andshonewithtears.

Whosmiledather,broadandjoyous.

“My name is Falkan Ennar,” he said,

puttingahandonhischest.

Lysandra’s face remained the portrait of

waryconfusion.

Falkan’s smile didn’t waver. “I have been

lookingforyouforavery,verylongtime.”

And then it came out, Falkan’s tears

flowingashetoldher.

Heruncle.Hewasheruncle.

Her father had beenmuch older than him,

but ever since Falkan had learned of her

existence, he’d been searching for her. Ten

years, he’d hunted for his dead brother’s

abandoned child, visiting Rifthold whenever

hecould.Neverrealizingthatshemighthave

his gifts, too—might not wear any of his

brother’sfeatures.

ButNesrynFaliqhadfoundhim.Orthey’d

foundeachother.Andthentheyhadfiguredit

out,abitofchanceinthiswideworld.

His fortune as a merchant was hers to

inherit,ifshewouldlike.

“Whatever you wish,” Falkan said. “You

shallneverwantforanythingagain.”

Lysandra was crying, and it was pure joy

on her face as she flung her arms around

Falkanandembracedhimtightly.

Aedion watched, silent and ripped open.

Yethappyforher—hewouldalwaysbehappy

forher,foranyrayoflightshefound.

LysandrapulledawayfromFalkan,though.

Still smiling bright, more lovely than the

night sky above. She laced her fingers with

Aedion’s and squeezed tight as she answered

heruncleatlast,“IalreadyhaveeverythingI

need.”

Hourslater,stillsittingonthebalconywhere

Erawan had been blasted away into nothing,

Doriandidn’tquitebelieveit.

Hekeptstaringatthatspot,thedarkstain

onthestones,Damarisjuttingupfromit.The

onlytraceleft.

His father’s name. His own name. The

weight of it settled into him, not a wholly

unpleasantthing.

Dorian flexed his bloodied fingers. His

magic lay in scraps, the tang of blood

lingering on his tongue. An approaching

burnout. He’d never had one before. He

supposed he’d better become accustomed to

them.

On shaking legs, Dorian yanked Damaris

fromthestones.Thebladehadturnedblackas

onyx.A swipe of his fingers down the fuller

revealed it was a stain that would not be

cleansed.

He needed to get off this tower. Find

Chaol. Find the others. Start helping the

injured.And the unconscious soldiers on the

plain. The ones who had not been possessed

had already fled, pursued by the strange Fae

whohadappeared,thegiantwolvesandtheir

ridersamongstthem.

Heshouldgo.Shouldleavethisplace.

Andyethestaredatthedarkstain.Allthat

remained.

Ten years of suffering and torment and

fear,andthestainwasallthatremained.

Heturnedtheswordinhishand,itsweight

heavierthanithadbeen.Theswordoftruth.

Whathadthetruth been in the end?What

wasthetruth,evennow?

Erawan had done this, slaughtered and

enslaved so many, so he might see his

brothers again. He wanted to conquer their

world, punish it, but he’d wanted to be

reunited with them. Millennia apart, and

Erawanhadnotforgottenhisbrothers.Longed

forthem.

Would he have done the same for Chaol?

ForHollin?Wouldhehavedestroyedaworld

tofindthemagain?

Damaris’s black blade didn’t reflect the

light.Itdidn’tgleamatall.

Dorian still tightened his hand around the

goldenhiltandsaid,“Iamhuman.”

Itwarmedinhishand.

He peered at the blade. Gavin’s blade. A

relic from a time when Adarlan had been a

landofpeaceandplenty.

Anditwouldbethatwayoncemore.

“I am human,” he repeated, to the stars

nowvisibleabovethecity.

The sword didn’t answer again. As if it

knewhenolongerneededit.

Wings boomed, and then Abraxos was

landing on the balcony.A white-haired rider

atophim.

Dorian stood, blinking, as Manon

Blackbeakdismounted.Shescannedhim,then

thedarkstainonthebalconystones.

Hergoldeneyesliftedtohis.Weary,heavy

—yet glowing. “Hello, princeling,” she

breathed.

A smile bloomed on his mouth. “Hello,

witchling.” He scanned the skies beyond her

for the Thirteen, for Asterin Blackbeak,

undoubtedlyroaringhervictorytothestars.

Manon said quietly, “You will not find

them.Inthissky,oranyother.”

Hisheartstrainedasheunderstood.Asthe

loss of those twelve fierce, brilliant lives

carvedanotherholewithinhim.Onehewould

not forget, one he would honor. Silently,  he

crossedthebalcony.

Manon did not back away as he slid his

armsaroundher.“Iamsorry,”hesaidintoher

hair.

Tentatively, slowly, her hands drifted

acrosshisback.Thensettled,embracinghim.

“Imissthem,”shewhispered,shuddering.

Dorianonlyheldhertighter,andletManon

lean on him for as long as she needed,

Abraxos staring toward that blasted bit of

earthontheplain,towardthematewhowould

neverreturn,whilethecitybelowcelebrated.

Aelin strode with Rowan up the steep streets

ofOrynth.

Her people lined those streets, candles in

their hands. A river of light, of fire, that

pointedthewayhome.

Straighttothecastlegates.

To where Lord Darrow stood, Evangeline

athisside.Thegirlbeamingwithjoy.

Darrow’sfacewasstone-cold.Hardasthe

Staghorns beyond the city as he remained

blockingtheway.

Rowan let out a low growl, the sound

echoedbyFenrys,astepbehindthem.

YetAelin let go of her mate’s hand, their

crowns of flame winking out as she crossed

the last few feet to the castle archway. To

Darrow.

Silence fell down the illuminated, golden

street.

He’d deny her entry. Here, before the

world, he would throw her out. A final,

shamingslap.

ButEvangelinetuggedonDarrow’ssleeve

—asifinreminder.

Itseemedtospurtheoldmanintospeech.

“My young ward and I were told that when

you went to face Erawan and Maeve, your

magicwasheavilydepleted.”

“Itwas.Andshallremainsoforever.”

Darrowshookhishead.“Why?”

Not about her magic being whittled to

nothing. Butwhy she had gone to facethem,

withlittlemorethanembersinherveins.

“Terrasenismyhome,”Aelinsaid.Itwas

theonlyanswerinherheart.

Darrow smiled—just a bit. “So it is.” He

bowed his head. Then his body. “Welcome,”

he said, then added as he rose, “Your

Majesty.”

But Aelin looked to Evangeline, the girl

stillbeaming.

Winmebackmykingdom,Evangeline.

Herordertothegirl,allthosemonthsago.

And she didn’t know how Evangeline had

done it. How she had changed this old lord

beforethem.YettherewasDarrow,gesturing

tothegates,tothecastlebehindhim.

Evangeline winked at Aelin, as if in

confirmation.

Aelin just laughed, taking the girl by the

hand, and led that promise of Terrasen’s

brightfutureintothecastle.

Every ancient, scarred hall brought her back.

Snatched her breath away and set her tears

running.Atthememory,howthey’dbeen.At

how they now appeared, sad and worn. And

whattheywouldbecomeoncemore.

Darrowledthemtowardthedininghall,to

findwhateverfoodandrefreshmentmightbe

available in the dead of night, after such a

battle.

YetAelin took one look at who waited in

the faded grandeur of the Great Hall, and

forgotaboutherhungerandthirst.

The entire hall grew silent as she hurtled

forAedion,andflungherselfontohimsohard

theyrockedbackastep.

Homeatlast;hometogether.

She had the vague sense of Lysandra

joiningRowanandtheothersbehindher,but

didn’tturn.Notasherownjoyouslaughdied

upon seeing Aedion’s haggard, weary face.

Thesorrowinit.

Shelaidahandonhischeek.“I’msorry.”

Aedion closed his eyes, leaning into her

touch,mouthwobbling.

Shedidn’tremarkontheshieldacrosshis

back—her father’s shield. She had never

realizedhecarriedit.

Insteadsheaskedsoftly,“Whereishe?”

Wordlessly,Aedionledherfromthedining

hall. Down the winding passageways of the

castle,theircastle,toasmall,candlelitroom.

Gavriel had been laid on a table, a wool

blanket obscuring the body she knew was

shredded beneath. Only his handsome face

visible,stillnobleandkindindeath.

Aedion lingered by the doorway as Aelin

walked up to the warrior. She knew Rowan

andtheothersstoodbyhim,hermatewitha

handonAedion’sshoulder.KnewFenrysand

Lorcanbowedtheirheads.

ShestoppedbeforethetablewhereGavriel

had been laid. “I wished to wait to offer you

the blood oath until after your son had taken

it,” she said, her quiet voice echoing off the

stones. “But I offer it to you now, Gavriel.

With honor, and gratitude, I offer you the

blood oath.” Her tears plopped onto the

blanketcoveringhim,andshewipedoneaway

beforedrawingherdaggerfromthesheathat

herside.Shepulledhisarmfrombeneaththe

covering.

A flick of the blade had her slicing his

palm open. No blood flowed beyond a slight

swelling. Yet she waited until a drop slid to

the stones. Then opened up her own arm,

dippedherfingersintotheblood,andletthree

dropsfallintohismouth.

“Let the world know,” Aelin said, voice

breaking,“thatyouareamaleofhonor.That

youstoodbyyourson,andthiskingdom,and

helped to save it.” She kissed the cold brow.

“Youareblood-sworntome.Andyoushallbe

buried here as such.” She pulled away,

strokinghischeekonce.“Thankyou.”

Itwasalltherewaslefttosay.

When she turned away, it was notAedion

alonewhohadtearsstreakingdownhisface.

She left them there. The cadre, the

brotherhood,whonowwishedtosayfarewell

intheirownway.

Fenrys, his bloodied face still untended,

sank to a knee beside the table. A heartbeat

later,Lorcandidthesame.

She’dreachedthedoor when Rowan knelt

aswell.Andbegantosing the ancient words

—thewordsofmourning,asoldandsacredas

Terrasenitself. The same prayers she’d once

sungandchantedwhilehe’dtattooedher.

Rowan’sclear,deepvoicefillingtheroom,

Aelin looped her arm through Aedion’s, and

lethimleanonherastheywalkedbacktothe

Great Hall. “Darrow called me ‘Your

Majesty,’”shesaidafteraminute.

Aedion slid his red-rimmed eyes to her.

But a spark lit them—just a bit. “Should we

beworried?”

Aelin’smouthcurved.“Ithoughtthesame

damnthing.”

So many witches. There were so many

witches,IronteethandCrochan,inthehallsof

thecastle.

Elide scanned their faces as she worked

withthehealersintheGreatHall.Adarklord

and dark queen defeated—yet the wounded

remained.And since she had strength left in

her, she would help in whatever way she

could.

Butwhenawhite-hairedwitchlimpedinto

thehall,aninjuredCrochanslungbetweenher

andanother witchElidedid notrecognize …

Elidewashalfwayacrossthespace,acrossthe

hall where she had spent so many happy

childhooddays,bythetimesherealizedshe’d

moved.

Manonpausedatthesightofher.Gavethe

wounded Crochan over to her sister-in-arms.

Butmadenomovetoapproach.

Elidesawthesorrowonherfacebeforeshe

reached her. The dullness and pain in the

goldeneyes.

Shewentstill.“Who?”

Manon’sthroatbobbed.“All.”

All of the Thirteen. All those fierce,

brilliantwitches.Gone.

Elideputahandtoherheart,asifitcould

stopitfromcracking.

But Manon closed the distance between

them,andevenwiththatgriefinherbattered,

bloodied face, she put a hand on Elide’s

shoulder.Incomfort.

Asifthewitchhadlearnedhowtodosuch

things.

Elide’s vision stung and blurred, and

Manonwipedawaythetearthatescaped.

“Live,Elide,”wasallthewitchsaidtoher

before striding out of the hall once more.

“Live.”

Manonvanishedintotheteeminghallway,

braid swaying. And Elide wondered if the

commandhadbeenmeantforheratall.

Hours later, Elide found Lorcan standing

vigilbyGavriel’sbody.

When she’d heard, she had wept for the

male who had shown her such kindness.And

fromthewayLorcankneltbeforeGavriel,she

knewhehadjustfinisheddoingthesame.

Sensingherinthedoorway,Lorcanroseto

his feet, an aching, slow movement of the

truly exhausted. There was indeed sorrow on

hisface.Griefandregret.

She held open her arms, and Lorcan’s

breath heaved out of him as he pulled her

againsthim.

“Ihear,”hesaidontoherhair,“thatyou’re

tothankforErawan’sdestruction.”

Elide withdrew from his embrace, leading

him from that room of sadness and

candlelight. “Yrene is,” she said, walking

until she found a quiet spot near a bank of

windows overlooking the celebrating city. “I

justcameupwiththeidea.”

“Without the idea, we’d be filling the

belliesofErawan’sbeasts.”

Elide rolled her eyes, despite all that had

happened, all that lay before them. “It was a

groupeffort,then.”Shebitherlip.“Perranth

—haveyouheardanythingfromPerranth?”

“Arukriderarrivedafewhoursago.Itis

the same there as it is here: with Erawan’s

demise, the soldiers holding the city either

collapsed or fled. Its people have reclaimed

control, but those who were possessed will

need healers.A group of them will be flown

overtomorrowtobegin.”

Relief threatened to buckle her knees.

“ThankAnneithforthat.OrSilba,Isuppose.”

“They’rebothgone.Thankyourself.”

Elide waved him off, but Lorcan kissed

her.

When he pulled away, Elide breathed,

“Whatwasthatfor?”

“Askmetostay,”wasallhesaid.

Her heart began racing. “Stay,” she

whispered.

Light, such beautiful light filled his dark

eyes.“AskmetocometoPerranthwithyou.”

Her voice broke, but she managed to say,

“CometoPerranthwithme.”

Lorcan nodded, as if in answer, and his

smile was the most beautiful thing she had

everseen.“Askmetomarryyou.”

Elide began crying, even as she laughed.

“Willyoumarryme,LorcanSalvaterre?”

He swept her up into his arms, raining

kissesoverherface.Asifsomefinal,chained

part of him had been freed. “I’ll think about

it.”

Elidelaughed,smackinghisshoulder.And

thenlaughedagain,louder.

Lorcansetherdown.“What?”

Elide’s mouth bobbed as she tried to stop

her laughing. “It’s just … I’m Lady of

Perranth. If you marry me, you will take my

familyname.”

Heblinked.

Elide laughed again. “Lord Lorcan

Lochan?”

Itsoundedjustasridiculouscomingout.

Lorcanblinkedather,thenhowled.

She’dneverheardsuchajoyoussound.

Hesweptherupinhisarmsagain,spinning

her. “I’ll useit with prideevery damnedday

fortherestofmylife,”hesaidintoherhair,

and when he set her down, his smile had

vanished. Replaced by an infinite tenderness

ashebrushedbackherhair,hookingitoveran

ear. “I will marry you, Elide Lochan. And

proudlycallmyselfLordLorcanLochan,even

when the whole kingdom laughs to hear it.”

Hekissedher,gentlyandlovingly.“Andwhen

we are wed,” he whispered, “I will bind my

life to yours. So we will never know a day

apart.Neverbealone,everagain.”

Elide coveredher facewithherhands and

sobbed, at the heart he offered, at the

immortality he was willing to part with for

her.Forthem.

But Lorcan clasped her wrists, gently

pryingherhandsfromherface.Hissmilewas

tentative.“Ifyouwouldlikethat,”hesaid.

Elideslidherarmsaroundhisneck,feeling

his thundering heartbeat raging against hers,

letting his warmth sink into her bones. “I

would like that more than anything,” she

whisperedback.



CHAPTER118

Yrene slumped onto the three-legged stool

amid the chaos of the Great Hall. The story

was familiar, though the setting slightly

altered:anothermightychamberturnedintoa

temporarysickbay.Dawnwasnotfaroff,yet

sheandtheotherhealerskeptworking.Those

bleeding out wouldn’t be able to survive

withoutthem.

Human and Fae and witch and Wolf—

Yrene had never seen such an assortment of

peopleinoneplace.

Elide had come in at some point, glowing

despitetheinjuredaroundthem.

Yrene supposed they all wore that same

smile.Thoughherownhadfalteredinthepast

hour, as exhaustion settled in. She’d been

forced to rest after dealing with Erawan, and

hadwaiteduntilherwellofpowerhadrefilled

onlyjustenoughtobeginworkingagain.

Shecouldn’tsitstill.Notwhenshesawthe

thing that lay beneath Erawan’s skin every

time she closed her eyes. Forever gone, yes,

but … she wondered when she’d forget him.

The dark, oily feel of him. Hoursago, she

hadn’t been able to tell if the retching that

ensued was from the memory of him or the

babeinherwomb.

“Youshouldfindthathusbandofyoursand

go to bed,” Hafiza said, hobbling over and

frowning. “When was the last time you

slept?”

Yreneliftedherhead—heavierthanithad

beenminutesago.“Thelasttimeyoudid,I’d

wager.”Twodaysago.

Hafizaclickedhertongue.“Slayingadark

lord, healing the wounded … It’s a wonder

you’renotunconsciousrightnow,Yrene.”

Yrenewasabouttobe,butthedisapproval

in Hafiza’s voice steeled her spine. “I can

work.”

“I’m ordering you to find that dashing

husbandofyoursandgotosleep.Onbehalfof

thechildinyourwomb.”

Och. When the Healer on High put it like

that…

Yrene groaned as she stood. “You’re

merciless.”

Hafiza just patted her shoulder. “Good

healersknowwhentorest.Exhaustionmakes

forsloppydecisions.Andsloppydecisions—”

“Costlives,”Yrenefinished.Sheliftedher

eyes toward the vaulted ceiling high, high

above.“Youneverstopteaching,doyou?”

Hafiza’s mouth cracked into a grin. “This

islife,Yrene.Weneverstoplearning.Evenat

myage.”

Yrene had long suspected that love of

learning was what had kept the Healer on

High young at heart all these years. She just

smiledbackathermentor.

But Hafiza’s eyes softened. Grew

contemplative.“Wewillremainforaslongas

we are needed—until the khagan’s soldiers

can be transported home. We’ll leave some

behind to tend for any remaining wounded,

butinafewweeks,wewillgo.”

Yrene’sthroattightened.“Iknow.”

“And you,” Hafiza went on, taking her

hand,“willnotreturnwithus.”

Her eyes burned, but Yrene whispered,

“No,Iwon’t.”

Hafiza squeezedYrene’sfingers,herhand

warm. Strong as steel. “I shall have to find

myselfanewheirapparent,then.”

“I’msorry,”shewhispered.

“Whatever for?” Hafiza chuckled. “You

havefoundlove,andhappiness,Yrene.There

is nothing more that I could ever wish for

you.”

Yrenewipedawaythetearthatslippedout.

“I just—I don’t want you to think I wasted

yourtime—”

Hafiza crowed with laughter. “Wasted my

time? Yrene Towers—Yrene Westfall.” The

ancientwomancuppedYrene’sfacewith her

strong, ancient hands. “You have saved us

all.”YreneclosedhereyesasHafizapressed

akisstoherbrow.Ablessingandafarewell.

“Youwillstayintheselands,”Hafizasaid,

her smile unwavering. “But even with the

ocean dividing us, we will remain linked

here.” She touched her chest, right over her

heart. “And no matter the years, you will

foreverhaveaplaceattheTorre.Always.”

Yrene put a shaking hand over her own

heartandnodded.

Hafizasqueezedhershoulderandmadeto

walkbacktoherpatients.

ButYrenesaid,“Whatif—”

Hafizaturned,browsrising.“Yes?”

Yrene swallowed. “What if, once I have

settledinAdarlan,andhadthisbabe…When

thetimeisright,whatifIestablishedmyown

Torrehere?”

Hafiza cocked her head, as if listening to

thecadence of the statement while it echoed

intoherheart.“ATorreCesmeintheNorth.”

Yrenewenton,“InAdarlan.InRifthold.A

new Torre to replenish what Erawan

destroyed. To teach the children who might

not realize they have the gift, and those who

willbebornwithit.”BecausemanyoftheFae

streaming in from the battlefield were

descendantsofthehealerswhohadgiftedthe

Torre women with their powers—long ago.

Perhapstheywouldwishtohelpagain.

Hafiza smiled anew. “I like that idea very

much,YreneWestfall.”

Withthat,theHealeronHighwalkedback

intothefrayofhealingandpain.

ButYreneremainedstandingthere,ahand

driftingtotheslightswellinginherbelly.

And she smiled—broad and unfalteringly

—atthefuturethatopenedbeforeher,bright

astheoncomingdawn.

Sunrisewasnear,yetManoncouldnotsleep.

Had not bothered to find a place to rest, not

while the Crochans and Ironteeth remained

injured,andshehadnotyetfinishedhercount

ofhowmanyhadsurvivedthebattle.Thewar.

Therewasanemptyspaceinsideherwhere

twelvesoulshadonceburnedfiercely.

Perhapsthatwaswhyshehadnotfoundher

bed, not even when she knew Dorian had

likely procured sleeping arrangements. Why

shestilllingeredintheaerie,Abraxosdozing

beside her, and stared out at the silent

battlefield.

When the bodies were cleared, when the

snowsmelted,whenthespringcame,woulda

blastedbitofearthlingerontheplainbefore

the city? Would it forever remain as such, a

markerofwheretheyfell?

“We have a final count,” Bronwen said

behindher,andManonfoundtheCrochanand

Glennis emerging from the tower stairwell,

Petrahattheirheels.

Manonbracedherselfforitasshewaveda

handinsilentrequest.

Bad.Butnotasbadasitcouldhavebeen.

WhenManonopenedhereyes,thethreeof

them only stared at her. Ironteeth and

Crochan,standingtogetherinpeace.Asallies.

“We’llcollectthedeadtomorrow,”Manon

said, her voice low. “And burn them at

moonrise.” As both Crochans and Ironteeth

did. A full moon tomorrow—the Mother’s

Womb. A good moon to be burned. To be

returned to the Three-Faced Goddess, and

rebornwithinthatwomb.

“And after that?” Petrah asked. “What

then?”

ManonlookedfromPetrahto Glennis and

Bronwen.“Whatshouldyouliketodo?”

Glennissaidsoftly,“Gohome.”

Manonswallowed.“YouandtheCrochans

mayleavewheneveryou—”

“TotheWastes,”Glennissaid.“Together.”

Manon and Petrah swapped a glance.

Petrahsaid,“Wecannot.”

Bronwen’slipscurvedupward.“Youcan.”

Manon blinked. And blinked again as

Bronwen extended a fist toward Manon and

openedit.

Inside lay a pale purple flower, small as

Manon’sthumbnail.Beautifulanddelicate.

“AbastionofCrochansjustmadeithere—

a bit late, but they heard the call and came.

AllthewayfromtheWastes.”

Manon stared and stared at that purple

flower.

“They brought this with them. From the

plainbeforetheWitch-City.”

The barren, bloodied plain. The land that

had yielded no flowers, no life beyond grass

andmossand—

Manon’s sight blurred, and Glennis took

herhand,guidingittowardBronwen’sbefore

the witch tipped the flower into Manon’s

palm. “Only together can it be undone,”

Glennis whispered. “Be the bridge. Be the

light.”

A bridge between their two peoples, as

Manonhadbecome.

Alight—astheThirteenhadexplodedwith

light,notdarkness,intheirfinalmoments.

“When iron melts,” Petrah murmured, her

blueeyesswimmingwithtears.

TheThirteenhadmeltedthattower.Melted

theIronteethwithinit.Andthemselves.

“When flowers spring from fields of

blood,”Bronwenwenton.

Manon’skneesbuckledasshestaredoutat

that battlefield. Where countless flowers had

been laid atop the blood and ruins where the

Thirteenhadmettheirend.

Glennisfinished,“Letthelandbewitness.”

The battlefield where the rulers and

citizens of so many kingdoms, so many

nations, had come to pay tribute. To witness

thesacrificeoftheThirteenandhonorthem.

Silence fell, and Manon whispered, her

voice shaking as she held that small,

impossiblypreciousflowerinherpalm,“And

returnhome.”

Glennisbowedherhead.“Andsothecurse

isbroken.Andso weshall gohome together

—asonepeople.”

Thecursewasbroken.

Manon just stared at them, her breathing

turningjagged.

Then she roused Abraxos, and was in the

saddle within heartbeats. She did not offer

them any explanation, any farewell, as they

leapedintothethinningnight.

As she guided her wyvern to the bit of

blasted earth on the battlefield. Right to its

heart.

Andsmilingthroughhertears,laughingin

joy and sorrow, Manon laid that precious

flowerfromtheWastesupontheground.

Inthanksandinlove.

So they would know, so Asterin would

know, in the realm where she and her hunter

andchild walked handinhand,thattheyhad

madeit.

Thattheyweregoinghome.

Aelin wanted to, but could not sleep. Had

ignoredtheofferstofindheraroom,abed,in

thechaosofthecastle.

Instead, she and Rowan had gone to the

Great Hall, to talk to the wounded, to offer

whathelptheycouldforthosewhoneededit

most.

ThelostFaeofTerrasen,theirgiantwolves

andadoptedhumanclanwiththem,wantedto

speaktoherasmuchasthecitizensofOrynth.

HowtheyhadfoundtheWolfTribeadecade

ago, how they’d fallen in with them in the

wilds of the mountains and hinterlands

beyond, was a tale she’d soon learn. The

worldwouldlearn.

TheirhealersfilledtheGreatHall,joining

theTorrewomen.Alldescendedfromthosein

the southern continent—and apparently

trainedbythem,too.Dozensoffreshhealers,

eachbearingbadlyneededsupplies.Theyfell

seamlesslyintoworkalongsidethosefromthe

Torre. As if they had been doing so for

centuries.

AndwhenthehealersbothhumanandFae

hadshooedthemout,Aelinhadwandered.

Each hallway and floor, peering into the

rooms so full of ghosts and memory. Rowan

had walked at her side, a quiet, unfaltering

presence.

Level by level they went, rising ever

higher.

They were nearing the top of the north

towerwhendawnbroke.

Themorningwasbrutallycold,evenmore

so atop the tower standing high over the

world,butthedaywouldbeclear.Bright.

“Sothereitis,”Aelinsaid,noddingtoward

the darkstain on the balcony stones. “Where

Erawanmethisendatthehandsofahealer.”

Shefrowned.“Ihopeitwillwashoff.”

Rowan snorted,and when she looked over

hershoulder,thewindwhippingherhair,she

found him leaning against the stairwell door,

hisarmscrossed.

“I mean it,” she said. “It’ll be odious to

have his mess there. And I plan to use this

balconytosunmyself.He’llruinit.”

Rowan chuckled, and pushed off the door,

going to the balcony rail. “If it doesn’t wash

off,we’llthrowarugoverit.”

Aelinlaughed,andjoinedhim,leaninginto

his warmth as the sun gilded the battlefield,

the river, the Staghorns. “Well, now you’ve

seeneveryhallandroomandstairwell.What

doyoumakeofyournewhome?”

“Alittlesmall,butwe’llmanage.”

Aelin nudged him with an elbow, and

jerked her chin to the nearby western tower.

Where the north tower was tall, the western

towerwaswide.Grand.Nearitsupperlevels,

hangingovertheperilousdrop,awalledstone

garden glowed in the sunlight. The king’s

garden.

Queen’s,shesupposed.

Therehadbeennothingleftbutatangleof

thornsandsnow.Yetshestillrememberedit,

whenithadbelongedtoOrlon.Therosesand

droopinglatticeworkofwisteria,thefountains

that had streamed right over the edge of the

gardenandintotheopenairbelow,theapple

treewithblossomslikeclumpsofsnowinthe

spring.

“I never realized how convenient it would

be for Fleetfoot,” she said ofthe secret,

private garden. Reservedonly for the royal

family.Sometimesjustforthekingorqueen

themselves. “To not have to run down the

towerstairseverytimesheneedstopee.”

“I’m sure your ancestors had canine

bathroomhabitsinmindwhentheybuiltit.”

“Iwouldhave,”Aelingrumbled.

“Oh, I believe it,” Rowan said, smirking.

“Butcanyouexplaintomewhywe’renotin

thererightnow,sleeping?”

“Inthegarden?”

He flicked her nose. “In the suite beyond

thegarden.Ourbedroom.”

She’d led him quickly through the space.

Still preserved well enough, despite the

disrepair of the rest ofthe castle.One of the

Adarlaniancronieshadundoubtedlyusedit.“I

wantitcleanedofanytraceofAdarlanbefore

Istayinthere,”sheadmitted.

“Ah.”

She heaved a breath, sucking down the

morningair.

Aelin heard them before she saw them,

scented them. And when they turned, they

found Lorcan and Elide walking onto the

tower balcony,Aedion, Lysandra, andFenrys

trailing. Ren Allsbrook, tentative and wary-

eyed,emergedbehindthem.

How they’d known where to find them,

whythey’dcome,Aelinhadnoidea.Fenrys’s

wounds had closed at least, though twin, red

scars slashed from his brow to his jaw. He

didn’tseemtonotice—orcare.

Shealsodidn’tfailtonotethehandLorcan

kept onElide’s back. Theglowonthelady’s

face.

Aelin could guess well enough what that

glowwasfrom.EvenLorcan’sdarkeyeswere

bright.

Itdidn’tstopAelinfromcatchingLorcan’s

stare. And giving him a warning look that

conveyedeverythingshedidn’tbothertosay:

ifhebroketheLadyofPerranth’sheart,she’d

flambé him. And would invite Manon

Blackbeak to roast some dinner over his

burningcorpse.

Lorcan rolled his eyes, andAelin deemed

thatacceptanceenoughassheaskedthemall,

“Didanyonebothertosleep?”

OnlyFenrysliftedhishand.

Aedion frowned at the dark stain on the

stones.

“We’re putting a rug over it,” Aelin told

him.

Lysandra laughed. “Something tacky, I

hope.”

“I’m thinking pink and purple.

Embroidered with flowers. Just what Erawan

wouldhaveloved.”

The Fae males gaped at them, Ren

blinking. Elide ducked her head as she

chuckled.

Rowan snorted again. “At least this court

won’tbeboring.”

Aelinputahand onher chest, the portrait

of outrage. “You were honestly worried it

wouldbe?”

“Gods help us,” Lorcan grumbled. Elide

elbowedhim.

Aedion said to Ren, the young lord

lingering by the archway, as if still debating

making a quick exit, “Now’s the chance to

escape,youknow.Beforeyougetsuckedinto

thisendlessnonsense.”

But Ren’s dark eyesmetAelin’s.Scanned

them.

She’d heard about Murtaugh. Knew now

was not the time to mention it, the loss

dimminghiseyes.Soshekeptherfaceopen.

Honest. Warm. “We could always use one

moretopartakeinthenonsense,”Aelinsaid,

aninvisiblehandoutstretched.

Ren scanned her again. “You gave up

everything and still came back here. Still

fought.”

“AllofitforTerrasen,”shesaidquietly.

“Yes,Iknow,”Rensaid,thescardownhis

facestarkintherisingsun.“Iunderstandthat

now.”Heofferedherasmallsmile.“IthinkI

mightneedabitofnonsensemyself,afterthis

war.”

Aedion muttered, “You’ll regret saying

that.”

But Aelin sketched a bow. “Oh, he

certainly will.” She smirked at the males

assembled.“Isweartoyou,Iwon’tboreyou

totears.Aqueen’soath.”

“Andwhatwillnotboringusentail,then?”

Aedionasked.

“Rebuilding,” Elide said. “Lots of

rebuilding.”

“Tradenegotiations,”Lysandrasaid.

“Training a new generation in magic,”

Aelinwenton.

Again,themalesblinkedatthem.

Aelinangledherhead,blinkingrightback

at them. “Don’t you lot have anything

worthwhile to contribute?” She clicked her

tongue.“Threeofyouareancientashell,you

know. I’d have expected better from cranky

oldbastards.”

Their nostrils flared.Aedion grinned, Ren

wiselyclampinghislipstogethertokeepfrom

doingthesame.

But Fenrys said,“Four.Fourofusareold

ashell.”

Aelinarchedabrow.

Fenrys smirked, the movement stretching

hisscars.“Vaughanisstilloutthere.Andnow

free.”

Rowan crossed his arms. “He’ll never be

caughtagain.”

But Fenrys’s smirk turned knowing. He

pointedtothecampedFaearmyontheplain,

thewolvesandhumansamongstthem.“Ihave

a feeling someone down there might know

where we could start.” He glanced at Aelin.

“If you’d be amenable to another cranky old

bastardjoiningthiscourt.”

Aelinshrugged.“Ifyoucanconvincehim,

I don’t see why not.” Rowan smiled at that,

and scanned the sky, as if he could see his

missingfriendsoaringthere.

Fenrys winked. “I promise he’s not as

miserableasLorcan.”Elidesmackedhisarm,

and Fenrys darted away, hands up as he

laughed. “You’ll like him,” he promised

Aelin. “All the ladies do,” he added with

anotherwinktoher,Lysandra,andElide.

Aelinlaughed,thesoundlighter,freerthan

any she had made, and faced the stirring

kingdom. “We promised everyone a better

world,” she said after a moment, voice

solemn.“Sowe’llstartwiththat.”

“Startingsmall,”Fenryssaid.“Ilikeit.”

Aelin smirked at him. “I rather liked the

whole let’s-vote-on-the-Wyrdkeys thing we

did.Sowe’llstartwithmoreofthat,too.”

Silence. Then Lysandra asked, “Voting on

what?”

Aelin shrugged, sliding her handsinto her

pockets.“Things.”

Aedionarchedabrow.“Likedinner?”

Aelin rolled her eyes. “Yes, on dinner.

Dinnerbycommittee.”

Elide coughed. “I think Aelin means on

vitalthings.Onhowtorunthiskingdom.”

“You’re queen,” Lorcan said. “What’s

theretovoteon?”

“Peopleshouldhaveasayinhowtheyare

governed. Policies that impact them. They

should have a say in how this kingdom is

rebuilt.” Aelin lifted her chin. “I will be

queen,andmychildren…”Hercheeksheated

asshesmiledtowardRowan.“Ourchildren,”

shesaidabitsoftly,“willrule.Oneday.But

Terrasen should have a voice. Each territory,

regardless of the lords who rule it, should

haveavoice.Onechosenbyitspeople.”

Thecadrelookedtowardoneanotherthen.

Rowan said, “There was a kingdom—to the

east.Longago.Theybelievedinsuchthings.”

Pride glowed in his eyes, brighter than the

dawn.“Itwasaplaceofpeaceandlearning.A

beacon in a distant and violent part of the

world. Once the Library of Orynth is rebuilt,

we’ll ask the scholars to find what they can

aboutit.”

“We could reach out to the kingdom

itself,” Fenrys said. “See if some of their

scholarsor leadersmight wanttocome here.

To help us.” He shrugged. “I could do it.

Travelthere,ifyouwish.”

She knew he meant it—to travel as their

emissary. Perhaps to work through all he’d

seen and endured. To make peace with the

loss of his brother. With himself. She had a

feeling the scars down his face would only

fadewhenhewilledit.

ButAelin nodded.Andwhile she’dgladly

send Fenrys wherever he wished—“The

library?”sheblurted.

Rowan only smiled. “And the Royal

Theater.”

“There was no theater—not like in

Rifthold.”

Rowan’ssmilegrew.“Therewillbe.”

Aelinwavedhimoff. “Need I remind you

that despite winning this war, we are no

longerflushwithgold?”

Rowan slid his arm around her shoulders.

“Need I remind you that since you beheaded

Maeve,IamaPrinceofDoranelleonceagain,

withaccesstomyassetsandestates?Andthat

withMaeveoutedasanimposter,halfofher

wealth goes to you … and the other to the

Whitethorns?”

Aelin blinked at him slowly. The others

grinned.EvenLorcan.

Rowan kissed her. “A new library and

RoyalTheater,”hemurmuredontohermouth.

“Consider them my mating presents to you,

Fireheart.”

Aelinpulledback,scanninghisface.Read

thesincerityandconviction.

And, throwing her arms around him,

laughing to the lightening sky,she burst into

tears.

It was to be a day for many meetings,Aelin

decided as she stood in a near-empty, dusty

chamberandsmiledatherallies.Herfriends.

Ansel of Briarcliff, bruised and scratched,

smiled back. “Your shifter was a good liar,”

she said. “I’m ashamed I didn’t notice it

myself.”

Prince Galan, equally battered, huffed a

laugh. “In my defense, I’ve never met you.”

He inclined his head to Aelin. “So, hello,

cousin.”

Aelin, leaning against the half-decayed

deskthatservedasthelonepieceoffurniture

intheroom,smirkedathim.“Isawyoufrom

adistance—once.”

Galan’sAshryvereyessparked.“I’mgoing

to assume it was during your former

professionandthankyoufornotkillingme.”

Aelin chuckled, even as Rolfe rolled his

eyes.“Yes,Privateer?”

Rolfe waved a tattooed hand, blood still

clinging beneath his nails. “I’ll refrain from

commenting.”

Aelin smirked. “You’re the Heir to the

Mycenianpeople,”shesaid.“Pettysquabbles

arenowbeneathyou.”

Anselsnorted.Rolfeshotheralook.

“Whatdo you intend to do with them

now?”Aelin asked. She supposed the rest of

her court should have been here, but when

she’ddispatchedEvangelinetorounduptheir

allies,she’doptedtoletthemrest.Rowan,at

least, had gone to seek out Endymion and

Sellene. The latter, it seemed,was about to

learn a great deal regarding her own future.

ThefutureofDoranelle.

Rolfe shrugged. “We’ll have to decide

wheretogo.WhethertoreturntoSkull’sBay,

or…”Hissea-greeneyesnarrowed.

“Or?”Aelinaskedsweetly.

“Or decide if we’d rather rebuild our old

homeinIlium.”

“Whynotdecideyourself?”Anselasked.

Rolfewavedatattoedhand.“Theyoffered

uptheirlivestofightinthiswar.Theyshould

beabletochoosewheretheywishtoliveafter

it.”

“Wise,” Aelin said, clicking her tongue.

Rolfe stiffened, but relaxed upon seeing the

warmth in her gaze. But she looked to Ilias,

the assassin’s armor dented and scratched.

“Didyouspeakatallthisentirewar?”

“No,” Ansel answered for him. The Mute

Master’ssonlookedtotheyoungqueen.Held

herstare.

Aelin blinked at the look that passed

between them. No animosity—no fear. She

couldhaveswornAnselflushed.

Sparing her old friend,Aelin said to them

all,“Thankyou.”

Theyfacedheragain.

She swallowed, and put a hand over her

heart. “Thank you for coming when I asked.

ThankyouonbehalfofTerrasen.Iaminyour

debt.”

“Wewereinyourdebt,”Anselcountered.

“Iwasn’t,”Rolfemuttered.

Aelinflashed himagrin.“We’regoingto

havefun,youandI.”Shesurveyedherallies,

worn and battle-weary,but still standing.All

ofthemstillstanding.“Ithinkwe’regoingto

haveagreatdealoffun.”

Atmidday,Aelinfound Manonin oneof the

witches’ aeries, Abraxos staring out toward

thebattlefield.

Bandages peppered his sides and wings.

AndcoveredtheformerWingLeader.

“QueenoftheCrochansandtheIronteeth,”

Aelin said by way of greeting, letting out a

low whistle that had Manon turning slowly.

Aelinpickedathernails.“Impressive.”

Yetthefacethatturnedtowardher—

Exhaustion.Grief.

“Iheard,”Aelinsaidquietly,loweringher

handsbutnotapproaching.

Manonsaidnothing,hersilenceconveying

everythingAelinneededtoknow.

No, she was not all right. Yes, it had

destroyed her. No, she did not wish to talk

aboutit.

Aelinonlysaid,“Thankyou.”

Manon nodded vaguely. So Aelin walked

toward the witch, then past her. Right to

where Abraxos sat, gazing toward Theralis.

Theblastedpatchofearth.

Her heart strained at the sight of it. The

wyvern and the earth and the witch behind

her. But Aelin sat down beside the wyvern.

Brushed a hand over his leathery head. He

leanedintohertouch.

“There will be a monument,” she said to

Abraxos, to Manon. “Should you wish it, I

willbuildamonumentrightthere.Sonoone

shall ever forget what was given. Who we

havetothank.”

Wind sang through the tower, hollow and

brisk.Butthenfootstepscrunchedinhay,and

Manonsatdownbesideher.

Yet Aelin did not speak again, and asked

no more questions. And Manon, realizing it,

let her shoulders curve inward, let her head

bow.Asshemightneverdowithanyoneelse.

Asnooneelsemightunderstand—theweight

theybothbore.

Insilence,thetwoqueensstaredtowardthe

decimatedfield.Towardthefuturebeyondit.



CHAPTER119

Ittooktendaysforeverythingtobearranged.

Ten days to clear out the throne room, to

scrub the lower halls, to find the food and

cookstheyneeded.Tendaystocleantheroyal

suite, to find proper clothing, and outfit the

throneroominqueenlysplendor.

Evergreen garlands hung from the pews

andrafters,andasRowanstoodonthedaisof

the throne room, monitoring the assembled

crowd, he had to admit that Lysandra had

done an impressive job. Candles flickered

everywhere, and fresh snow had fallen the

nightbefore,coveringthescarsstilllingering

frombattle.

At his side, Aedion shifted on his feet,

LorcanandFenryslookingstraightahead.

All of them washed and brushed and

wearing clothes that made them look …

princely.

Rowan didn’t care. His green jacket,

threaded with silver, was the least practical

thing he’d ever donned.At his side, at least,

heborehis sword,Goldrynhangingfromhis

otherhip.

Thankfully, Lorcan looked as

uncomfortableashedid,cladinblack.Ifyou

wore anything else, Aelin had tutted to

Lorcan,theworld would turn onitshead. So

burial-blackitis.

Lorcanhadrolledhiseyes.ButRowanhad

glimpsed Elide’s face when he’d spotted her

and Lysandra in the hall off the throne room

momentsbefore.Hadseentheloveanddesire

when she beheld Lorcan in his new clothes.

And wondered how soon this hall would be

hostingawedding.

AglanceatAedion,cladinTerrasengreen

as well, and Rowan smiled slightly. Two

weddings, likely before the summer. Though

neither Lysandra nor Aedion had mentioned

it.

Thelastoftheirguestsfinishedfilinginto

the packed space, and Rowan surveyed the

rulers and allies seated in the front rows.

Ansel of Briarcliff kept fidgeting in her

equally new pants and jacket, Rolfe draping

anarmoverthepewbehindherashesmirked

at her discomfort. Ilias, clad in the white,

layered clothes of his people, sat onAnsel’s

other side, the portrait of unruffled calm. A

row ahead, Galan lounged in his princely

regalia,chinhigh.HewinkedashisAshryver

eyesmetRowan’s.

Rowan only inclined his chin back to the

young man. And then inclined it toward his

cousins, Enda and Sellene, seated near the

aisle, the latter of whom had needed a good

few hours of sitting in silence when Rowan

had told her that she was now Queen of

Doranelle.TheFaeQueenoftheEast.

Hissilver-hairedcousinhadn’tdressedfor

her new title today, though—like Enda, she

hadoptedforwhateverclothingwastheleast

battle-worn.

Such changes would come to Doranelle—

ones Rowan knew he could not predict. The

Whitethorn family would rule, Mora’s line

restoredtopoweratlast,butitwouldremain

up to them, up to Sellene, how that reign

wouldshapeitself.HowtheFaewouldchoose

to shape themselves without a dark queen

lordingoverthem.

How many of those Fae would choose to

stay here, in Terrasen, would remain to be

seen.Howmanywouldwishtobuildalifein

thiswar-tornkingdom,tooptforyearsofhard

rebuildingoverreturningtoeaseandwealth?

TheFae warriors he’d encountered thesetwo

weeks had given him no indication, yet he’d

seenafewofthemgazetowardtheStaghorns,

towardOakwald,withlonging.Asifthey,too,

heardthewildcallofthewind.

Then there was the other factor: the Fae

who had dwelled here before Terrasen’s fall.

WhohadansweredAelin’sdesperateplea,and

had returned to their hidden home amongst

the Wolf Tribe in the hinterlands to prepare

forthejourneyhere.ToreturntoTerrasenat

last.Andperhapsbringsomeofthosewolves

withthem.

He’dworktomakethiskingdomworthyof

their return. Worthy of all who lived here,

human or Fae or witch-kind. A kingdom as

greatasithadoncebeen—greater.Asgreatas

what dwelled in the far South, across the

Narrow Sea, proof that a land of peace and

plentycouldexist.

The khaganate royals had told him much

about their kingdom these days—their

policies,theirpeoples.Theynowsattogether

on the other side of the throne room, Chaol

andDorianwiththem.YreneandNesrynalso

sat there, both lovely in dresses that Rowan

couldonlyassumehadbeenborrowed.There

werenoshopsopen—andnonewithsupplies.

Indeed,itwasamiraclethatanyofthemhad

cleanclothesatall.

Manon, at least, had refused finery. She

woreherwitchleathers—thoughhercrownof

starslayuponherbrow,castingitslightupon

Petrah Blueblood and Bronwen Crochan,

seatedonhereitherside.

Aedion’sswallowwasaudible,andRowan

glancedtotheopendoors.ThentowhereLord

Darrowstoodbesidetheemptythrone.

Notanofficial throne—justalarger,finer

chair that had been selected from the sad lot

ofcandidates.

Darrow,too,staredtowardtheopendoors,

faceimpassive.Yethiseyesglowed.

Thetrumpetsrangout.

A four-note summons. Repeated three

times.

Pews groaned as everyone twisted to the

doors.

Behind the dais, hidden beyond a painted

wooden screen, a small group of musicians

began playing a processional. Not the grand,

sprawlingorchestrathatmightaccompanyan

event of this magnitude, but better than

nothing.

Itdidn’tmatteranyway.

Not as Elide appeared in a lilac gown, a

garlandofribbonsatopherbraidedblackhair.

Every step limped, and Rowan knew it was

becauseshehadaskedLorcannottobraceher

foot. She’d wanted to make this walk down

thelongaisleonherowntwofeet.

Poised and graceful, the Lady of Perranth

kept her shoulders thrown back as she

clutched the bouquet of holly before her and

walkedtothedais.LadyofPerranth—andone

ofAelin’shandmaidens.Fortoday.

ForAelin’scoronation.

Elide was halfway down the aisle when

Lysandra appeared, clad in green velvet.

Peoplemurmured.Notjustattheremarkable

beauty,butwhatshewas.

The shape-shifter who had defended their

kingdom.HadhelpedtakedownErawan.

Lysandra’s chin remained high as she

glideddowntheaisle,andAedion’sownhead

lifted at the sight of her. The Lady of

Caraverre.

Then came Evangeline, green ribbons in

her red-gold hair, beaming, those scars

stretchedwideinutterjoy.TheyoungLadyof

Arran. Darrow’s ward. Who had somehow

melted the lord’s heart enough for him to

convincetheotherlordstoagreetothis.

ToAelin’srighttothethrone.

They had delivered the documents two

daysago.Signedbyallofthem.

Elidetookupaspotontherightsideofthe

throne.ThenLysandra.ThenEvangeline.

Rowan’s heart began thundering as

everyonegazeddownthenow-emptyaisle.As

themusicroseandrose,theSongofTerrasen

ringingout.

Andwhenthemusichititspeak,whenthe

world exploded with sound, regal and

unbending,sheappeared.

Rowan’skneesbuckledaseveryoneroseto

theirfeet.

Clad in flowing, gauzy green and silver,

hergoldenhairunbound,Aelinpausedonthe

thresholdofthethroneroom.

Hehadneverseenanyonesobeautiful.

Aelin gazed down the long aisle. As if

weighing every step she would take to the

dais.

Toherthrone.

Theentireworldseemedtopausewithher,

lingeringonthatthreshold.

Shining brighter than the snow outside,

Aelinliftedherchinandbeganherfinalwalk

home.

Everystep,everypathshehadtaken,hadled

here.

Thefacesofherfriends,herallies,blurred

asshepassedby.

To the throne that waited. To the crown

Darrowwouldplaceuponherhead.

Each of her footfalls seemed to echo

through the earth. Aelin let some of her

embersstreamby,bobbinginthewakeofher

gown’strainasitflowedbehindher.

Her hands shook, yet she clutched the

bouquet of evergreen tighter. Evergreen—for

theeternalsovereigntyofTerrasen.

Each step toward that throne loomed and

yetbeckoned.

Rowan stood to the right of the throne,

teeth bared in a fierce grin that even his

trainingcouldnotcontain.

Andthere wasAedionatthe throne’sleft.

Head high and tears running down his face,

theSwordofOrynthhangingathisside.

Itwasforhimthatshethensmiled.Forthe

childrentheyhadbeen,forwhattheyhadlost.

Whattheynowgained.

Aelinpassed Dorian and Chaol,andthrew

a nod their way. Winked at Ansel of

Briarcliff, dabbing her eyes on her jacket

sleeve.

AndthenAelinwasatthethreestepsofthe

dais,andDarrowstrodetotheiredge.

As he hadinstructedherlast night, as she

had practiced over and over in a dusty

stairwell for hours,Aelin ascended the three

stepsandkneltuponthetopone.

Theonly time in her reign that she would

everbow.

The only thing she would ever kneel

before.

Hercrown.Herthrone.Herkingdom.

The hall remained standing, even as

Darrowmotionedthemtosit.

And then came the words, uttered in the

Old Language. Sacred and ancient, spoken

flawlesslybyDarrow,whohadcrownedOrlon

himselfallthosedecadesago.

Doyouofferyourlife,yourbody,yoursoul

totheserviceofTerrasen?

Sheansweredinthe OldLanguage,as she

hadalsopracticedwithRowanlastnightuntil

hertongueturnedleaden.IofferallthatIam

andallthatIhavetoTerrasen.

Thenspeakyourvows.

Aelin’s heart raced, and she knew Rowan

couldhearit,butshebowedherheadandsaid,

I, Aelin Ashryver Whitethorn Galathynius,

swear upon my immortal soul to guard, to

nurture,andtohonorTerrasenfromthisday

untilmyverylast.

Thensoitshallbe,Darrowresponded,and

reachedoutahand.

Nottoher,buttoEvangeline,whostepped

forwardwithagreenvelvetpillow.

Thecrownatopit.

Adarlan had destroyed her antler throne.

Hadmeltedhercrown.

So they had made a new one. In the ten

dayssince it had beendecidedshe wastobe

crowned here, before the world, they had

found a master goldsmith to forge one from

the remaining gold they’d stolen from the

barrowinWendlyn.

Twining bands of it, like woven antlers,

rosetoupholdthegeminitscenter.

Not a true gem, but one infinitely more

precious.Darrowhadgivenittoherhimself.

The cut bit of crystal that contained the

solebloomofkingsflamefromOrlon’sreign.

Evenamidtheshiningmetalsofthecrown,

the red-and-orange blossom glowed like a

ruby,dazzlinginthelightofthemorningsun

asDarrowliftedthecrownfromthepillow.

He raised it toward the shaft of light

pouring through the bank ofwindows behind

the dais. The ceremony chosen for this time,

this ray of sun. This blessing, from Mala

herself.

AndthoughtheLadyofLightwasforever

gone,Aelincouldhaveswornshefeltawarm

hand on her shoulder as Darrow held up the

crowntothesun.

Could have sworn she felt them all

standing there with her, those whom she had

loved with her heart of wildfire. Whose

storieswereagaininkeduponherskin.

And as the crown came down, as she

bracedherhead,herneck,herheart,Aelinlet

herpowershine.Forthosewhohadnotmade

it, for those who had fought, for the world

watching.

Darrow set the crown upon her head, its

weightheavierthanshe’dthought.

Aelin closed her eyes, letting that weight,

thatburdenandgift,settleintoher.

“Rise,” Darrow said, “Aelin Ashryver

WhitethornGalathynius,QueenofTerrasen.”

She swallowed a sob. And slowly, her

breathing steady despite the heartbeat that

threatenedtoleapoutofherchest,Aelinrose.

Darrow’s gray eyes were bright. “Long

mayshereign.”

And as Aelin turned, the call went up

through the hall, echoing off the ancient

stones and into the gathered city beyond the

castle.“Hail,Aelin!QueenofTerrasen!”

The sound of it from Rowan’s lips, from

Aedion’s,threatenedtosendhertoherknees,

but Aelin smiled. Kept her chin high and

smiled.

Darrowgesturedtotheawaitingthrone,to

thoselasttwosteps.

Shewouldsit,andtheceremonywouldbe

done.

Butnotyet.

Aelin turned to the left. Toward Aedion.

And said quietly, but not weakly, “This has

been yours from the day you were born,

PrinceAedion.”

AedionwentstillasAelinpushedbackthe

gauzy sleeve of her gown, exposing her

forearm.

Aedion’sshouldersshookwiththeforceof

histears.

Aelin didn’t fight hers as she asked, lips

wobbling, “Will you swear the blood oath to

me?”

Aedionjustfelltohiskneesbeforeher.

Rowan silently handed her a dagger, but

Aelinpausedasshehelditoverherarm.“You

fought for Terrasen when noone else would.

Againstallodds,beyondallhope,youfought

for this kingdom. For me. For these people.

Will you swear to continue to do so, for as

longasyoudrawbreath?”

Aedion’sheadbowedashebreathed,“Yes.

Inthislife,andinallothers,Iwillserveyou.

AndTerrasen.”

AelinsmiledatAedion,attheothersideto

her fair coin, and sliced open her forearm

before extending it to him. “Then drink,

Prince.Andbewelcome.”

Gently, Aedion took her arm and set his

mouthtoherwound.

And when he withdrew, her blood on his

lips,Aelinsmileddownathim.“Yousaidyou

wanted to swear it before the entire world,”

she said so only he could hear. “Well, here

yougo.”

Aedion choked out a laugh and rose,

throwing his arms around her and squeezing

tightly before he backed to his place on the

othersideofthethrone.

Aelin looked to Darrow, still waiting.

“Wherewerewe?”

The old lord smiled slightly and gestured

to the throne. “The last piece of this

ceremony.”

“Thenlunch,”Fenrysmuttered,sighing.

Aelin suppressed her smile, and took the

twostepstothethrone.

Shehaltedagainassheturnedtosit.

Haltedatthesmallfigureswhopokedtheir

headsaroundthethroneroomdoors.Asmall

gaspescapedher,enoughthateveryoneturned

tolook.

“TheLittleFolk,”peoplemurmured,some

backingawayassmallfiguresdartedthrough

the shadows down the aisle, wings rustling

andscalesgleaming.

Oneofthemapproachedthedais,andwith

spindly greenish hands, laid their offering at

herfeet.

Asecondcrown.Mab’scrown.

Takenfromhersaddlebags—whereverthey

had wound up after the battle. With them, it

seemed. As if they would not let it be lost

oncemore.Wouldnotletherforget.

Aelinpickedupthecrowntheyhadlaidat

her feet, gaping toward the small gathering

who clustered in the shadows beyond the

pews,theirdark,wideeyesblinking.

“TheFaerieQueenoftheWest,”Elidesaid

softly,thoughallheard.

Aelin’s fingers trembled, her heart filling

to the point of pain, as she surveyed the

ancient, glimmering crown. Then looked to

the Little Folk. “Yes,” she said to them. “I

willserveyou,too.Untiltheendofmydays.”

AndAelin bowed to them then. The near-

invisible people who had saved her so many

times,andaskedfornothing.TheLordofthe

North, who had survived, as she had, against

all odds. Who had never forgotten her. She

would serve them, as she would serve any

citizenofTerrasen.

Everyone on the dais bowed, too. Then

everyoneinthethroneroom.

ButtheLittleFolkwerealreadygone.

SosheplacedMab’scrownatoptheoneof

goldandcrystalandsilver,theancientcrown

settlingperfectlybehindit.

Andthenfinally,Aelinsatuponherthrone.

It weighed on her, nestled against her

bones,thatnewburden.Nolongeranassassin.

Nolongerarogueprincess.

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.

Theritualwasnotover.Notyet.

As the bells rang out over the city,

declaring her coronation, the gathered city

beyondcheered.

Aelinwenttogreetthem.

Down to the castle gates, her court, her

friends, following her, the crowd from the

throneroombehind.Andwhenshestoppedat

the sealed gates, the ancient, carved metal

looming, the city and world awaiting beyond

it,Aelinturnedtowardthem.

Toward all those who had come with her,

who had gotten them to this day, this joyous

ringingofthebells.

Shebeckonedhercourtforward.

ThensmiledatDorianandChaol,atYrene

andNesrynandSartaqandtheircompanions.

Andbeckonedthemforward,too.

Browsrising,theyapproached.

ButAelin,crownedandglowing,onlysaid,

“Walk with me.” She gestured to the gates

behindher.“Allofyou.”

Thisdaydidnotbelongtoheralone.Notat

all.

And when they all balked, Aelin walked

forward.TookYreneWestfallbythehandto

guide her to the front. Then Manon

Blackbeak. Elide Lochan. Lysandra.

Evangeline. Nesryn Faliq. Borte and Hasar

andAnselofBriarcliff.

Allthewomenwhohadfoughtbyherside,

orfromafar.Whohadbledandsacrificedand

nevergivenuphopethatthisdaymightcome.

“Walk with me,” Aelin said to them, the

men and males falling into step behind. “My

friends.”

Thebellsstillringing,Aelinnoddedtothe

guardsatthecastlegates.

Theyopenedatlast,andtheroarfromthe

gatheredcrowdswasloudenoughtorattlethe

stars.

Asone,theywalkedout.Intothecheering

city.

Into the streets, where people danced and

sang,wheretheyweptandclaspedtheirhands

to their hearts at the sight of the parade of

waving, smiling rulers and warriors and

heroes who had saved their kingdom, their

lands. At the sight of the newly crowned

queen,joylightinghereyes.

Anewworld.

Abetterworld.



CHAPTER120

Two days later, Nesryn Faliq was still

recoveringfromthe ballthathadlasted until

dawn.

Butwhatacelebrationithadbeen.

Nothing as majestic as anything in the

southern continent, but the sheer joy and

laughter in the Great Hall, the feasting and

dancing…Shewouldneverforgetit,aslong

asshelived.

Even if it might take her until her dying

daytofeelrestedagain.

Her feet still ached from dancing and

dancing and dancing, and she’d spotted both

Aelin and Lysandra grousing about it at the

breakfasttablejustanhourago.

The queen had danced, though—a sight

Nesrynwouldneverforget,either.

The first dance had been Aelin’s to lead,

and she had selected her mate to join her.

Both queen and consort had changed for the

party, Aelin into a gown of black threaded

withgold,Rowanintoblackembroideredwith

silver.And what a pair they had been, alone

onthedancefloor.

Thequeenhadseemedshocked—delighted

—as the Fae Prince hadled her into a waltz

andhadnot faltereda step.Sodelightedthat

she’dcrownedthembothwithflames.

Thathadbeenthestartofit.

The dance had been … Nesryn had no

words for the swiftness and grace of their

dance.Theirfirstasqueenandconsort.Their

movementshadbeenaquestionandanswerto

eachother, and when themusic had sped up,

Rowan had spun and dipped and twirled her,

theskirtsofherblackgownrevealingAelin’s

feet,cladingoldenslippers.

Feet that moved so quickly over the floor

that embers sparked at her heels. Trailed in

thewakeofhersweepingdress.

Faster and faster, Aelin and Rowan had

danced, spinning, spinning, spinning, the

queenglowinglikeshe’dbeenfreshlyforged

asthemusicgatheredintoaclashingclose.

And when the waltz slammed into its

triumphant,finalnote,theyhalted—aperfect,

suddenstop.Rightbeforethequeenthrewher

armsaroundRowanandkissedhim.

Nesrynwasstillsmilingaboutit,sorefeet

andall,asshestoodinthedustychamberthat

had become the headquarters for the

khaganateroyals,andlistenedtothemtalk.

“TheHealeronHighsaysitwillbeanother

five days until the last of our soldiers are

ready,” Prince Kashin was saying to his

siblings.ToDorian,whohadbeenaskedinto

thismeetingtoday.

“Andyouwilldepartthen?”Dorianasked,

smilingabitsadly.

“Most of us,” Sartaq said, smiling with

equalsadness.

For it wasfriendshipthathadgrownhere,

even in war. True friendship, to last beyond

the oceans that would separate them once

more.

SartaqsaidtoDorian,“Weaskedyouhere

today because we have a rather unusual

request.”

Dorianliftedabrow.

Sartaq winced. “When we visited the

FerianGap,someofourrukhinfoundwyvern

eggs.Untendedandabandoned.Someofthem

nowwishtostayhere.Tolookafterthem.To

trainthem.”

Nesryn blinked, right along with Dorian.

No one had mentioned this to her. “I—I

thought the rukhin never left their aeries,”

Nesrynblurted.

“Theseareyoungriders,”Sartaqsaidwith

a smile. “Only two dozen.” He turned to

Dorian. “Buttheybeggedmetoaskyou ifit

would be permissible for them to stay when

weleave.”

Dorian considered. “I don’t see why they

couldn’t.” Something sparked in his eyes, an

idea formed and then set aside. “I would be

honored,actually.”

“Just don’t let them bring the wyverns

home,” Hasar groused. “I never want to see

anotherwyvernforaslongasIlive.”

Kashin patted her on the head. Hasar

snappedherteethathim.

Nesryn chuckled, but her smile faded as

shefoundDoriansmilingsadlyather,too.

“IthinkI’mabouttoloseanotherCaptain

oftheGuard,”theKingofAdarlansaid.

Nesrynbowedherhead.“I…”Shehadn’t

anticipatedhavingthisconversation.Notright

now,atleast.

“But I will be glad,” Dorian went on, “to

gainanotherqueenwhomIcancallfriend.”

Nesryn blushed. It deepened as Sartaq

smirkedandsaid,“Notqueen.Empress.”

Nesryncringed,andSartaqlaughed,Dorian

withhim.

Then the king embraced her tightly.

“Thank you, Nesryn Faliq. For all you have

done.”

Nesryn’s throat was too tight to speak, so

shehuggedDorianback.

And when the king left, when Kashin and

Hasar went to find an early lunch, Nesryn

turnedtoSartaqandcringedagain.“Empress?

Really?”

Sartaq’s dark eyes glittered. “We won the

war,NesrynFaliq.”Hetuggedherclose.“And

nowweshallgohome.”

She’dneverheardsuchbeautifulwords.

Chaolstaredattheletterinhishands.

It had arrived an hour ago, and he still

hadn’t opened it. No, he’d just taken it from

the messenger—one of the fleet of children

commanded by Evangeline—and brought it

backtohisbedroom.

Seated on his bed, the candlelight

flickering through the worn chamber, he still

couldn’t bring himself to crack the red wax

seal.

The doorknob twisted, and Yrene slipped

in, tired but bright-eyed. “You should be

sleeping.”

“So should you,” he said with a pointed

looktoherabdomen.

She waved him off, as easily as she’d

waved off the titles ofSavior, andHero of

Erilea.As easily as she waved off the awed

stares,thetears,whenshestrodeby.

SoChaolwouldbeproudforbothofthem.

Would tell their child of her bravery, her

brilliance.

“What’s that letter?” she asked, washing

her hands, then her face, in the ewer by the

window.Beyondtheglass,thecitywassilent

—sleeping,afteralongdayofrebuilding.The

wild men of the Fangs had even remained to

help, an act of kindness that Chaol would

ensuredidnotgounrewarded.Already,hehad

looked into where he might expand their

territory—and the peace between them and

Anielle.

Chaolswallowed.“It’sfrommymother.”

Yrene paused, her face still dripping.

“Your…Whyhaven’tyouopenedit?”

Heshrugged.“Notallofusarecourageous

enoughtotakeonDarkLords,youknow.”

Yrene rolled her eyes, dried her face, and

ploppeddownonthebedbesidehim.“Doyou

wantmetoreaditfirst?”

Hedid.Damnhim,buthedid.Wordlessly,

Chaolhandedittoher.

Yrene said nothing as she opened the

sealed parchment, her golden eyes darting

over the inked words. Chaol tapped a finger

on his knee. After a long day of healing, he

knew better than to try to pace. Had barely

made it back here with the cane before he’d

sunktothebed.

Yreneputahandtoherthroatassheturned

thepage,readtheback.

When she lifted her head again, tears slid

down her cheeks. She handed him the letter.

“Youshouldreadityourself.”

“Just tell me.” He’d read it later. “Just—

tellmewhatitsays.”

Yrene wiped at her face. Her mouth

trembled,but therewasjoyinhereyes. Pure

joy. “It says that she loves you. It says that

she has missed you. It says that if you and I

are amenable to it, she would like to come

livewithus.YourbrotherTerrin,too.”

Chaol reached for the letter, scanning the

text.Stillnotbelievingit.Notuntilheread,

I have loved you from the moment I knew

youweregrowinginmywomb.

Hedidn’tstophisowntearsfromfalling.

Your father informed me of what he did

withmyletterstoyou.IinformedhimIshall

notbereturningtoAnielle.

Yreneleanedherheadagainsthisshoulder

whilehereadandread.

The years have been long, and the space

between us distant, his mother had written.

Butwhenyouaresettledwithyournewwife,

your babe, I would like to visit. To stay for

longerthanthat,Terrinwithme.Ifthatwould

beallrightwithyou.

Tentative,nervouswords.Asifhismother,

too,didnotquitebelievethathe’dagree.

Chaolreadtherest,swallowinghardashe

reachedthefinallines.

I am so very proud of you. I have always

been, and always will be. And I hope to see

youverysoon.

Chaol set down the letter, wiped at his

cheeks,andsmiledathiswife.“We’regoing

tohavetobuildabiggerhouse,”hesaid.

Yrene’sansweringgrinwasallhe’dhoped

for.

Thenextday,Dorianfound ChaolandYrene

in the sick bay that had been moved to the

lowerlevels,theformerinhiswheeledchair,

helping his wife tend to a wounded Crochan,

andbeckonedthemtofollow.

They did, not asking him questions, until

he found Manon atop the aerie. Saddling

Abraxos for his morning ride. Where she’d

been each day, falling into a routine that

Dorianknewwasasmuchtokeepthegriefat

bayasitwastomaintainorder.

Manon stilled as she beheld them, brows

narrowing. She’d met Chaol and Yrene days

ago,theirreunionquietbutnotchilly,despite

how poorly Chaol’s first encounter with the

witchhadgone.Yrenehadonlyembracedthe

witch, Manon holding her stiffly, and when

they’dpulledapart,Doriancouldhavesworn

some of the paleness, the gauntness, had

vanishedfromManon’sface.

DorianaskedtheWitch-Queen,“Wheredo

yougo,wheneveryoneleaves?”

Manon’sgoldeneyesdidn’tleavehisface.

Hehadn’tdaredaskher.Theyhadn’tdared

speak of it. Just as he had not yet spoken of

hisfather,hisname.Notyet.

“To the Wastes,” she said at last. “To see

whatmightbedone.”

Dorianswallowed.He’dheardthewitches,

bothIronteethandCrochans,talkingaboutit.

Had felt their growing nerves—and

excitement.“Andafter?”

“Therewillbenoafter.”

Hesmiledslightlyather,asecret,knowing

smile.“Won’ttherebe?”

Manonasked,“Whatisitthatyouwant?”

You,healmostsaid.Allofyou.

But Dorian said, “A small faction of the

rukhin are remaining in Adarlan to train the

wyvernhatchlings.Iwantthemtobemynew

aerial legion. And I would like you, and the

otherIronteeth,tohelpthem.”

Chaol coughed, and gave him a look as if

tosay,Youweregoingtotellmethiswhen?

Dorian winked at his friend and turned

back to Manon. “Go to the Wastes. Rebuild.

Butconsiderit—comingback.Ifnottobemy

crownedrider,thentotrainthem.”Headdeda

bit softly, “And to say hello every now and

then.”

Manonstaredathim.

Hetriednottolooklikehewasholdinghis

breath, like this idea he’d had mere minutes

ago in the khaganate royals’ chamber wasn’t

coursingthroughhim,brightandfresh.

ThenManonsaid,“Itisonlyafewdaysby

wyvern from the Wastes to Rifthold.” Her

eyeswerewary,andyet—yetthatwasaslight

smile. “I think Bronwen and Petrah will be

able to lead if I occasionally slip away. To

helptherukhin.”

Hesawthepromiseinhereyes,inthathint

of a smile. Both of them still grieving, still

broken in places, but in this new world of

theirs…perhapstheymightheal.Together.

“You could just marry each other,”Yrene

said, and Dorian whipped his head to her,

incredulous.“It’dmakeiteasierforyouboth,

soyoudon’tneedtopretend.”

Chaolgapedathiswife.

Yreneshrugged.“Andbeastrongalliance

forourtwokingdoms.”

Dorian knew his face was red when he

turnedtoManon,apologiesanddenialsonhis

lips.

But Manon smirked at Yrene, her silver-

whitehairliftinginthebreeze,asifreaching

for the united people who would soon soar

westward. That smirk softened as she

mounted Abraxos and gathered up the reins.

“We’ll see,” was all Manon Blackbeak, High

Queen of the Crochans and Ironteeth, said

before she and her wyvern leaped into the

skies.

ChaolandYrenebeganbickering,laughing

as they did, but Dorian strode to the edge of

theaerie.Watchedthatwhite-hairedriderand

the wyvern with silver wings become distant

astheysailedtowardthehorizon.

Doriansmiled.Andfoundhimself,forthe

first time in a while, looking forward to

tomorrow.



CHAPTER121

Rowanknewthisdaywouldbehardforher.

For allof them,whohadbecomesoclose

theseweeksandmonths.

Yet a week after Aelin’s coronation, they

gatheredagain.Thistimenottocelebrate,but

tosayfarewell.

The day had dawned, clear and sunny, yet

stillbrutallycold.Asitwouldbeforatime.

Aelinhadaskedthemalltostaylastnight.

To wait out the winter months and depart in

thespring.Rowanknewshe’dbeenawareher

requestwasunlikelytobegranted.

Somehadseemedinclinedtothinkitover,

butintheend,allbutRolfehaddecidedtogo.

Today—as one. Scattering to the four

winds. The Ironteeth and Crochans had left

before first light, vanishing swiftly and

quietly. Heading westward toward their

ancienthome.

Rowan stood beside Aelin in the castle

courtyard, and he could feel the sorrow and

loveandgratitudethatflowedthroughheras

she tookthem in. The khaganate royals and

rukhinhadalreadysaidtheirgood-byes,Borte

themostreluctanttosayfarewell,andAelin’s

embrace with Nesryn Faliq had been long.

Theyhadwhisperedtogether,andhe’dknown

what Aelin offered: companionship, even

from thousands of miles away. Two young

queens,withmightykingdomstorule.

The healers had gone with them, some on

horsebackwiththeDarghan,someinwagons,

some with the rukhin. Yrene Westfall had

sobbed as she had embraced the healers, the

Healer on High, one last time. And then

sobbed into her husband’s arms for a good

whileafterthat.

Then Ansel of Briarcliff, with what

remained of her men. She and Aelin had

traded taunts, then laughed, and then cried,

holding each other.Another bond that would

notbesoeasilybrokendespitethedistance.

TheSilentAssassinsleftnext,Iliassmiling

atAelinasherodeoff.

Then Prince Galan, whose ships remained

underthewatchofRaviandSolinSuriaand

who would ride there before departing to

Wendlyn. He had embraced Aedion, then

claspedRowan’shandbeforeturningtoAelin.

His wife, his mate, his queen had said to

the prince, “You came when I asked. You

camewithoutknowinganyofus.IknowI’ve

alreadysaidit,butIwillbeforevergrateful.”

Galan had grinned. “It was a debt long

owed,cousin.Andonegladlypaid.”

Thenhe,too,rodeoff,hispeoplewithhim.

Ofallthealliesthey’dcobbledtogether,only

Rolfewouldremainforthewinter,ashewas

now Lord of Ilium. And Falkan Ennar,

Lysandra’s uncle, who wished to learn what

his niece knew of shape-shifting. Perhaps

build his own merchant empire here—and

assist with those foreign trade agreements

they’dneedtoquicklymake.

More and more departed under the winter

sun until only Dorian, Chaol, and Yrene

remained.

Yrene embraced Elide, the two women

swearing to write frequently.Yrene, wisely,

just nodded to Lorcan, then smiled at

Lysandra,Aedion,Ren,andFenrysbeforeshe

approachedRowanandAelin.

Yrene remained smiling as she looked

betweenthem.“Whenyourfirstchildisnear,

sendformeandIwillcome.Tohelpwiththe

birth.”

Rowandidn’thavewordsforthegratitude

that threatened to bow his shoulders. Fae

births…Hedidn’tlethimselfthinkofit.Not

ashehuggedthehealer.

Foramoment,AelinandYrenejuststared

ateachother.

“We’re a long way from Innish,” Yrene

whispered.

“Butlostnolonger,”Aelinwhisperedback,

voice breaking as they embraced. The two

women who had held the fate of their world

betweenthem.Whohadsavedit.

Behind them, Chaol wiped at his face.

Rowan,duckinghishead,didthesame.

His good-bye to Chaol was quick, their

embrace firm. Dorian lingered longer,

graceful and steady, even as Rowan found

himselfstrugglingtospeakpastthetightness

inhisthroat.

And then Aelin stood before Dorian and

Chaol, and Rowan stepped back, falling into

line beside Aedion, Fenrys, Lorcan, Elide,

Ren,andLysandra.Theirfledglingcourt—the

courtthatwouldchangethisworld.Rebuildit.

Giving their queen space for this last,

hardestgood-bye.

Shefeltasifshehadbeencryingwithoutend

forminutesnow.

Yetthisparting,thisfinalfarewell…

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 will see you again,” Chaol said, but

evenhisvoicewasthickwithtears.

“Together,” Dorian breathed, shaking.

“We’llrebuildthisworldtogether.”

Shecouldn’tstandit,thisacheinherchest.

But she made herself pull away and smile at

theirtear-streakedfaces,ahandonherheart.

“Thankyouforallyouhavedoneforme.”

Dorian bowed his head. “Those are words

I’dneverthoughtI’dhearfromyou.”

Shebarkedaraspinglaugh,andgavehima

shove. “You’re a king now. Such insults are

beneathyou.”

Hegrinned,wipingathisface.

Aelin smiledat Chaol, at his wife waiting

beyond him. “I wish you every happiness,”

shesaidtohim.Tothemboth.

SuchlightshoneinChaol’sbronzeeyes—

that she had never seen before. “We will see

eachotheragain,”herepeated.

Then he and Dorian turned toward their

horses, toward the bright day beyond the

castle gates. Toward their kingdom to the

south.Shatterednow,butnotforever.

Notforever.

Aelinwasquietforalongtimeafterward,and

Rowan stayed with her, following as she

strode up to the castle battlements to watch

Chaol,Dorian,andYreneridedownthe road

thatcutthroughthesavagedPlainofTheralis.

Untileventheyhadvanishedoverthehorizon.

Rowan kept his arm around her, breathing

inherscentassherestedherheadagainsthis

shoulder.

Rowanignoredthefaintachethatlingered

there from the tattoos she’d helped him ink

the night before. Gavriel’s name,rendered in

the Old Language. Exactly how the Lion had

oncetattooedthenamesofhisfallenwarriors

onhimself.

Fenrys and Lorcan, a tentative peace

betweenthem,alsonowborethetattoo—had

demandedoneassoonasthey’dcaughtwind

ofwhatRowanplannedtodo.

Aedion, however, had asked Rowan for a

differentdesign.ToaddGavriel’s nametothe

Terrasenknotalreadyinkedoverhisheart.

Aedion had been quiet while Rowan had

worked—quietenoughthatRowanhadbegun

tellinghimthestories.Storyafterstoryabout

the Lion. The adventures they’d shared, the

lands they’d seen, the wars they’d waged.

Aedionhadn’tspokenwhileRowanhadtalked

and worked, the scent of his grief conveying

enough.

It was a scent that would likely linger for

manymonthstocome.

Aelinletoutalongsigh.“Willyouletme

cryinbedfortherestoftodaylikeapathetic

worm,”sheaskedatlast,“ifIpromisetoget

toworkonrebuildingtomorrow?”

Rowanarchedabrow,joyflowingthrough

him, free and shining as a stream down a

mountain. “Would you like me to bring you

cakesandchocolatesoyourwallowingcanbe

complete?”

“Ifyoucanfindany.”

“You destroyed the Wyrdkeys and slew

Maeve.IthinkIcanmanagetofindyousome

sweets.”

“As you once said to me, it was a group

effort. It might also require one to acquire

cakesandchocolate.”

Rowan laughed, and kissed the top of her

head. And for a long moment, he just

marveledthathecoulddoit.Couldstandwith

herhere,inthiskingdom,thiscity,thiscastle,

wheretheywouldmaketheirhome.

He could see it now: the halls restored to

their splendor, the plain and river sparkling

beyond, the Staghorns beckoning. He could

hearthemusicshe’dbringtothiscity,andthe

laughterofthechildreninthestreets.Inthese

halls.Intheirroyalsuite.

“Whatareyouthinkingabout?”sheasked,

peeringupathisface.

Rowanbrushedakisstohermouth.“ThatI

gettobehere.Withyou.”

“There’s lots of work to be done. Some

mightsayasbadasdealingwithErawan.”

“Nothingwilleverbethatbad.”

Shesnorted.“True.”

He tucked her in closer. “I am thinking

about howvery grateful I am. That we made

it. That I found you.And how, even with all

that work to be done, I will not mind a

momentofitbecauseyouarewithme.”

She frowned, her eyes dampening. “I’m

goingtohaveaterribleheadachefromallthis

crying,andyou’renothelping.”

Rowan laughed, and kissed her again.

“Veryqueenly.”

She hummed. “I am, if anything, the

consummateportraitofroyalgrace.”

He chuckled against her mouth. “And

humility.Let’snotforgetthat.”

“Oh yes,” she said, winding her arms

around his neck. His blood heated, sparking

withapowergreaterthan any force a god or

Wyrdkeycouldsummon.

ButRowanpulledaway,justfarenoughto

rest his brow against hers. “Let’s get you to

your chambers, Majesty, so you can

commenceyourroyalwallowing.”

She shook with laughter. “I might have

somethingelseinmindnow.”

Rowan let out a growl, and nipped at her

ear,herneck.“Good.Ido,too.”

“And tomorrow?” she asked breathlessly,

andtheybothpausedtolookateachother.To

smile. “Will you work to rebuild this

kingdom,thisworld,withmetomorrow?”

“Tomorrow,andeverydayafterthat.”For

every day of the thousand blessed years they

weregrantedtogether.Andbeyond.

Aelinkissed him againandtookhis hand,

guiding him into the castle. Into their home.

“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.”Heglancedsidelong

ather.“CanIgiveyouasuggestionforwhat

weshouldrebuildfirst?”

Aelin smiled, and eternity opened before

them, shining and glorious and lovely. “Tell

metomorrow.”



ABetterWorld

Brutalwintergavewaytosoftspring.

Throughout the endless, snowy months,

theyhadworked.OnrebuildingOrynth,onall

those trade agreements, on making ties with

kingdoms no one had contacted in a hundred

years. Thelost Fae of Terrasen had returned,

many of the wolf-riders with them, and

immediately launched into rebuilding. Right

alongside the several dozen Fae from

Doranelle who had opted to stay, even when

Endymion and Sellene had returned to their

lands.

All across the continent,Aelin could have

sworn the ringing of hammers sounded, so

manypeoplesandlandsemergingoncemore.

AndintheSouth,nolandworkedharderto

rebuild than Eyllwe. Their losses had been

steep, yet they had endured—remained

unbroken. The letter Aelin had written to

Nehemia’s parents had been the most joyous

of her life.I hope to meet you soon, she’d

written.Andrepairthisworldtogether.

Yes,theyhadreplied.Nehemiawouldwish

itso.

Aelin had kept theirletter on her deskfor

months.Notascaronherpalm,butapromise

of tomorrow. A vow to make the future as

brilliantasNehemiahaddreameditcouldbe.

And as spring at last crept over the

Staghorns, the world became green and gold

and blue, the stained stones of the castle

cleanedandgleamingaboveitall.

Aelin didn’t know whyshe woke with the

dawn. What drove her to slip from under the

arm that Rowan had draped over her while

they slept. Her mate remained asleep,

exhausted as she was—exhausted as they all

were,everysingleevening.

Exhausted, both of them, and their court,

but happy. Elide and Lorcan—now Lord

LorcanLochan,toAelin’seternalamusement

—hadgonebacktoPerranthonlyaweekago

to begin the rebuilding there, now that the

healershadfinishedtheirworkonthelastof

the Valg-possessed. They would return in

threeweeks,though.Alongwithalltheother

lordswhohadjourneyedtotheirestatesonce

winter had lightened its grasp. Everyone

would converge on Orynth, then. ForAedion

andLysandra’swedding.

APrinceofWendlynnolonger,butatrue

LordofTerrasen.

Aelinsmiled at the thought asshe slipped

on her dressing robe, shuffling her feet into

hershearling-linedslippers.Evenwithspring

fully upon them, the mornings were chill.

Indeed, Fleetfoot lay beside the fire on her

littlecushionedbed,curleduptightly.Andas

equally exhausted as Rowan, apparently. The

hounddidn’tbothertocrackopenaneye.

Aelin threw the blankets back over

Rowan’s naked body, smiling down at him

when he didn’t so much as stir. He much

preferred the physical rebuilding—working

for hours on repairing buildings and the city

walls—to thecourtlybullshit,ashecalledit.

Meaning,anythingthatrequiredhimtoputon

niceclothing.

Yet he’d promised to dance with her at

Lysandra and Aedion’s wedding. Such

unexpectedly fine dancing skills, her mate

had.Only forspecial occasions, he’d warned

afterhercoronation.

Sticking out her tongue at him, Aelin

turned from their bed and strode for the

windows that led onto the broad balcony

overlooking the city and plain beyond. Her

morning ritual—to climb out of bed, ease

through the curtains, and emerge onto the

balconytobreatheinthemorningair.

Tolookatherkingdom,theirkingdom,and

see that it had made it.See the green of

spring, and smell the pine and snow of the

wind off the Staghorns. Sometimes, Rowan

joinedher,holdingherinsilencewhenallthat

had happened weighed too heavily upon her.

When the loss of her human form lingered

likeaphantomlimb.Othertimes,onthedays

when she woke clear-eyed and smiling, he’d

shift and sail on those mountain winds,

soaring over the city, or Oakwald, or the

Staghorns.Ashelovedtodo,ashedidwhen

hisheartwastroubledorfullofjoy.

She knew it was the latter that sent him

flyingthesedays.

She would never stop being grateful for

that.Forthelight,thelifeinRowan’seyes.

Thesamelightsheknewshoneinherown.

Aelin reached the heavy curtains, feeling

for the handle to the balcony door. With a

final smile to Rowan, she slipped into the

morningsunandchillbreeze.

Shewentstill,herhandsslackeningather

sides, as she beheld what the dawn had

revealed.

“Rowan,”shewhispered.

Fromtherustleofsheets,sheknewhewas

instantlyawake.Stalkingtowardher,evenas

heshovedonhispants.

ButAelindidn’tturnasherushedontothe

balcony.Andhalted,too.

Insilence,theystared.Bellsbeganpealing;

peopleshouted.

Notwithfear.Butinwonder.

Ahandrisingtohermouth,Aelinscanned

thebroadsweepoftheworld.

Themountainwindbrushedawayhertears,

carrying with it a song, ancient and lovely.

From the very heart of Oakwald. The very

heartoftheearth.

Rowan twined his fingers in hers and

whispered, awe in every word, “For you,

Fireheart.Allofitisforyou.”

Aelin wept then. Wept in joy that lit her

heart,brighterthananymagiccouldeverbe.

Foracrosseverymountain,spreadbeneath

the green canopy of Oakwald, carpeting the

entire Plain of Theralis, the kingsflame was

blooming.



ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Finishing up a series that I’ve been working

on for (literally) half of my life is no easy

task. But finding a way to properly thank all

thepeoplewhohaveplayedapartinmaking

this dream of mine come true is equally

daunting.

IsupposeIshouldstartwithmyparents,to

whom this book is dedicated and whose love

for reading inspired my own. Thank you for

readingtomeeverynightwhenIwasgrowing

up,fornevertellingmeIwastoooldforfairy

tales, and for empowering me to follow my

dreams.

None of this would have been possible

without my fearless and lovely agent, Tamar

Rydzinski.Tamar:YousignedmewhenIwas

atwenty-two-year-oldunpublishedwriter,and

believed in this series when no one else did.

Working with you these past ten years has

been a privilege and a joy—thank you for

beingmychampion,myfairygodmother,and

mostimportant,myfriend.

Overthecourseofthisseries,I’vehadthe

honor of working with several fantastic

editors. To Margaret Miller: thank you for

taking a chance on this book, and for your

insightful and genius editorial guidance

throughouttheyears.Iamabetterwriterfor

havingworkedwithyou.ToMichelle Nagler

and Cat Onder: thank you for your support,

your vision, and your kindness. To Laura

Bernier: thank you for all your help with

TowerofDawn—workingwithyouonitwas

suchadelight.ToBethanyStrout:Thankyou

so freaking much for all your wonderful and

crucial feedback onKingdom of Ash. You

helpedmeshapethisbookintosomethingI’m

truly proud of. And to Kamilla Benko: we

haven’t been working together that long, but

it’salreadysuchapleasure!

To Lynette Noni: thank you, thank you,

thankyouforyourinsanelybrilliantnoteson

this book, for reading it multiple times, and

forall thoselast-minute catches. I’msoglad

ourpathscrossedinAustralia allthoseyears

ago.

TotheentireteamatBloomsbury,present

and past, who have worked so tirelessly on

these books: Cindy Loh, Cristina Gilbert,

Kathleen Farrar, Nigel Newton, Rebecca

McNally,EmmaHopkin,LizzyMason,Erica

Barmash,EmilyRitter,AlonaFryman,Alexis

Castellanos, Courtney Griffin, Beth Eller,

JennyCollins,PhoebeDyer,NickParker,Lily

Yengle, Frank Bumbalo, Donna Mark, John

Candell,Yelena Safronova, Melissa Kavonic,

OonaPatrick,LizByer,DianeAronson,Kerry

Johnson, Christine Ma, Linda Minton,

ChandraWohleber,JillAmack,EmmaSaska,

Donna Gauthier, Doug White, Nicholas

Church, Claire Henry, Lucy MacKay-Sim,

Elise Burns, Andrea Kearney, Maia Fjord,

Laura Main Ellen, Sian Robertson, Emily

Moran, Ian Lamb, Emma Bradshaw, Fabia

Ma, Grace Whooley, Alice Grigg, Joanna

Everard, Jacqueline Sells, Tram-Anh Doan,

Beatrice Cross, Jade Westwood, Cesca

Hopwood, Jet Purdie, Saskia Dunn, Sonia

Palmisano,CatrionaFeeney,HermioneDavis,

Hannah Temby, Grainne Reidy, Kate

Sederstrom,HaliBaumstein,CharlotteDavis,

Jennifer Gonzalez, Veronica Gonzalez,

ElizabethTzetzo.Thankyoufromthebottom

ofmyheartformakingthisseriesareality.I

adoreyouall.

To the team at the Laura Dail Literary

Agency:youguysarebadassesandIloveyou.

ToGiovannaPettaandGraceBeck:thanksso

much for your help. To Jon Cassir and the

teamatCAA:thankyouforbeingsofantastic

to work with, and for finding such good

homes for my books. To Maura Wogan and

Victoria Cook: thank you for being such a

stellar legal team. To David Arntzen: thank

you for all your guidance and kindness these

years.ToCassie Homer:thankyou forbeing

the best damn assistant out there! To Talexi:

thankyouforthegorgeouscovers!

A heartfelt and massive thank-you to all

my marvelous publishers around the world:

Bosnia:Sahinpasic, Brazil: Record,Bulgaria:

Egmont, China: Honghua Culture, Croatia:

Fokus, Czech Republic: Albatros, Denmark:

Tellerup, Estonia: Pikoprit, Finland:

Gummerus, France: Editions du Seuil,

Georgia: Palitra, Germany: DTV Junior,

Greece: Psivhogios, Hungary:

Konyvmolykepzo, Israel: Kor’im, Italy:

Mondadori, Japan: Villagebooks, Korea:

Athena,Lithuania:AlmaLittera,Netherlands:

Meulenhof/Van Goor, Norway: Gyldendal,

Poland:Wilga,Portugal:Marcador,Romania:

RAO, Russia: Azbooka Atticus, Serbia:

Laguna, Slovakia: Slovart, Slovenia: Ucila

International, Spain: Santillana & Planeta,

Sweden: Modernista, Taiwan: Sharp Point

Press, Thailand: Nanmee Books, Turkey:

DoganKitap,Ukraine:Vivat.I’mkeepingmy

fingerscrossedthatI’llgettomeetallofyou

inpersononeday!

I would not have gotten this far if it was

not for some of my very first readers: the

Fictionpress community. How can I convey

mygratitudeforallyouhavedone?Yourlove

for these characters and this world gave me

thecouragetotrytogetpublished.Thankyou

forstayinguntiltheveryend.

One of the best parts of this journey has

been the friends I’ve made along the way.

Thank you and endless love to LouisseAng,

StephBrown,JenniferKelly,AliceFanchiang,

DiyanaWan,LauraAshforth,AlexaSantiago,

Rachel Domingo, Jessica Reigle, Jennifer

Armentrout,ChristinaHobbs,LaurenBillings,

and Kelly Grabowski. To Charlie Bowater:

Gettingtoknowyouhasbeensuchahighlight

of my career, and your incredible art has

inspired mein so manyways. Thankyou for

all your hard work (and for being a total

genius).

To my family: Thank you for your

unwavering love. It has carried me farther

than you know. To my in-laws, Linda and

Dennis: thank you for taking such good care

ofJoshandmethesepastfewmonths(okay,

let’s be honest: for the past fourteen years!),

and for being such wonderful and selfless

grandparents.

Toyou, dear reader: Thank you from the

bottom of my heart foreverything. None of

this would have been possible without you. I

couldwriteanotherthousandpagesabouthow

grateful I am, and will always be. Butin the

end, all I can think to say is that I hope that

your dreams, whatever they may be, come

true. I hope you pursue those dreams with

your whole heart; I hope you work toward

them no matter how long it takes, no matter

how unlikely the odds. Believe in yourself,

even if it feels that the world does not.

Believe in yourself, and it will carry you

fartherthanyoucouldimagine.Youcanmake

it.Youwillmakeit.I’mrootingforyou.

To Annie, my canine companion and

(other)bestfriend:Yousatbymyside(…or

in my lap, or on the couch, or at my feet)

whileIwrotethesebooks.IfIcould,I’dgift

youanendlesssupplyofrabbitchewsforall

your unconditional love—and for all the

happiness you’ve brought me. I love you

foreverandever,babypup.

To Josh, my husband, mycarranam, my

mate: What can I say? I’ve known you for

almostaslongasI’vebeenworkingonthese

books—and what a journey it’s been. Every

day, I wake up with joy and gratitude in my

heartbecauseIgettowalkthisroadwithyou.

Thank you for taking such good care of me,

for being my best friend, for making me

laugh, and for carrying me when I felt like I

couldn’t go on. I wouldn’t have made it

withoutyou,andI’msoexcitedandblessedto

goonthisnextlegofthejourneywithyou.

And lastly, to Taran: You were the

destination all along, buddy. You were the

thing I walked toward my entire life without

even knowing it. You are perfect, you are

wonderful, you are my pride. You won’t

remember these early months, but I find it

strangelyfittingthatthesebooksareendingat

the same moment you’ve arrived. It truly is

one chapter of my life closing and the next

beginning.

So,nowthatI’matthiscrossroads,Iwant

you to know that no matter where your own

path carries you, Taran, I hope you find joy,

and wonder, and luck along the way. I hope

you are guided by courage and compassion

andcuriosity.Ihopeyoukeepyour eyesand

yourheartopen,andthatyoualwaystakethe

road less traveled. But mostly, I hope you

knowthat no matter theroad,nomatter how

faritcarriesyou,Iloveyou.Towhateverend.



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aretrademarksofBloomsburyPublishingPlc

ThiselectroniceditionfirstpublishedintheUnitedStatesof

Americain2018byBloomsburyYA

ThiseditionpublishedinGreatBritainin2018by

BloomsburyPublishingPlc

SarahJ.MaashasassertedherrightundertheCopyright,

DesignsandPatentsAct,1988,tobeidentifiedasAuthorof

thiswork

Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthispublicationmaybe

reproducedortransmittedinanyformorbyanymeans,

electronicormechanical,includingphotocopying,

recording,oranyinformationstorageorretrievalsystem,

withoutpriorpermissioninwritingfromthepublishers

AcataloguerecordforthisbookisavailablefromtheBritish

Library

ISBN:PB:978-1-4088-7291-8;eBook:978-1-4088-7292-5

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