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"Soht not answer, but then he said, "It s soft"

I shot a glance at the giant warrior "Everyone is soft compared to you, Tolya"

Tah off her brother’s ht This place feels like it’s dying"

They weren’t helping to settle my nerves Our audience in the throne room had left er I’d felt toward the King, though Saints knew he deserved it He was a filthy old lech who liked to corner servant girls, to say nothing of the fact that he was a rotten leader and had threatened to execute bothabout it, I felt another jab of bitter resentment

My heart beat faster as we entered the wooded tunnel The trees pressed in on us and, above, the branches wove together in a canopy of green The last tiht sunshine Below us lay the Little Palace

I olden doe walls carved with every lea like a slice of sky, the tiny island not quite at its center, the white flecks of the Summoners’ pavilions on its shore It was a place like no other I was surprised to discover howwas as it had been First Arrounds, rifles on their backs I doubted they’d do ainst a force of detere was clear: The Grisha were not to be trusted

A group of servants dressed in gray waited on the steps to take our horses

"Ready?" Mal whispered as he helpedme that Don’t I look ready?"

"You look like you did when I slipped a tadpole into your soup and you accidentally sed it"

I bit back a laugh, feeling some of my worry ease away "Thanks for the reminder," I said "I don’t think I ever paid you back for that"

I paused to sThen I cli behindthe doors open wide, and we stepped inside We passed through the cool dark of the entry chaiant hexagon with the proportions of a cathedral Its carved walls were inlaid with olden doht There were four tables arranged in a square at the center of the room, and that here the Grisha waited Despite their di or standing in tightly clustered groups of red, purple, and blue

"They do love their pretty colors," gruive uard should wear bright yellow pantaloons"

For the first time, I saw an expression very much like fear cross his face

We walked forward, and roup, and with a twinge of unease, I realized that many of the older andOr h to run

I had anticipated that notGrisha, the

There were still several faei was one of the few Heartrenders who had decided to stay Marie and Nadia stood with the Etherealki I was surprised to see David slouching in his seat at the Materialki table I knew he’d had qual, but that hadn’t stopped hi’s collar around my neck Maybe that hy he wouldn’t look at et back to his workshop

The Darkling’s ebony chair had been reei was the first to step forward "Alina Starkov," he said tightly "I’m pleased to welcome you back to the Little Palace" I noted that he didn’t bow

Tension swelled and pulsed in the rooed to shatter it It would be easy I could sh I’d never quite belonged here, I’d made a decent show of it It would be a relief to pretend that I was one of thes and restrained ei," I said, deliberately inforlad to be here"

"There have been rumors of your return," he said "But just as many of your death"

"As you can see, I’m alive and as well as can be expected after weeks of travel on the Vy"

"It’s said you arrived in the coei

There it was The first challenge

"That’s right," I said pleasantly "He aided in h the rooei asked in some confusion

"On the True Sea," I corrected A murmur rose from the crowd I held up my hand and, to my relief, they fell silent Get the ones "I have plenty of stories to tell and information to impart," I said "But that can wait I’ve returned to Os Alta with a purpose"

"People are talking of a wedding," said Sergei

Well, Nikolai would be thrilled

"I didn’t cole reason" That wasn’t entirely true, but I wasn’t about to discuss the third amplifier in a room packed with Grisha of dubious loyalty I took a breath This was it "I’ve returned to lead the Second Ar at once There were a few cheers, solance with Marie When the rooreed that I will hold coht, but did not say