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Heavy boots sto …
The King of Adarlan entered the room
She wouldn’t look at him Let him do what he wanted to her If she looked into his eyes, what semblance of cal than to cower before him--the butcher who had destroyed so rave nu
A chair at the center of the table was pulled back Thedidn’t sit until he sat
Then silence
The wooden floor of the room was so polished that she could see the reflection of the iron chandelier hanging far above her
A low chuckle, like bone against rock Even without looking at hi around him
"I didn’t believe the ruuards were not lying about your age"
A faint urge to cover her ears, to shut out that wretched voice, flickered in the back of her mind
"How old are you?"
She didn’t reply Saht, even if she raged--could change that
"Did Rourke Farran get his claws on you, or are you just being willful?"
Farran’s face, leering at her, s so viciously as she was helpless before hi shuffled, the only sound in the deathly silent room "Do you deny that you are Celaena Sardothien? If you do not speak, then I will take your silence for acquiescence, girl"
She kept her es, Councilor Rensel"
A ed with the deaths of the following people …" And then he began a long recitation of all those lives she’d taken The brutal story of a girl as now gone Arobynn had always seen to it that the world knew of her handiwork He always got word out through secret channels when another victi that had earned her the right to call herself Adarlan’s Assassin would be what sealed her doom When it was over, the es?"
Her breathing was so slow
"Girl," the councilman said a bit shrilly, "ill take your lack of response to mean you do not deny them Do you understand that?"
She didn’t bother to nod It was all over, anyway
"Then I will decide your sentence," the king growled
Then there was ht on the floor flickered The guards in the room remained focused on her, weapons at the ready
Footsteps suddenly thudded toward her froled She recognized the footsteps before the king even reached her chair
"Look at aze on his boots
"Look at me"
It made no difference now, did it? He’d already destroyed soit
"Look at me"
Celaena raised her head and looked at the King of Adarlan
The blood drained from her face Those black eyes were poised to devour the world; the features were harsh and weathered He wore a sword at his side--the shose name everyone knew--and a fine tunic and fur cloak No crown rested on his head
She had to get away Had to get out of this rooet away from him
Get away
"Do you have any last requests before I announce your sentence?" he asked, those eyes still searing through every defense she’d ever learned She could still smell the so, still s flesh and hear the futile screa and his armies wiped out every last trace of resistance, every last trace of ic No matter what Arobynn had trained her to do, the memories of those last weeks as Terrasen fell were imprinted upon her blood So she just stared at him
When she didn’t reply, he turned on his heel and walked back to the table
She had to get away Forever Brash, foolish fire flared up, and turned her--just for a ain
"I do," she said, her voice hoarse fro paused and looked over his shoulder at her
She s "Make it quick"
It was a challenge, not a plea The king’s council and the guards shifted, so’s eyes narrowed slightly, and when he s she’d ever seen
"Oh?" he said, turning to face her fully
That foolish fire went out
"If it is an easy death you desire, Celaena Sardothien, I will certainly not give it to you Not until you have adequately suffered"
The world balanced on the edge of a knife, slipping, slipping, slipping
"You, Celaena Sardothien, are sentenced to nine lives’ worth of labor in the Salt Mines of Endovier"
Her blood turned to ice The councillanced at each other Obviously, this option hadn’t been discussed beforehand
"You will be sent with orders to keep you alive for as long as possible--so you will have the chance to enjoy Endovier’s special kind of agony"