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Aelin inhaled through her nose, exhaled through her istered the beautiful dark-haired male who now stood in place of the wolf Bronze-skinned like his twin, but without the wildness, without thefrom 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 s The barn owl perched on the back of her throne watched with sole eyes "Let your brother know these words are your own and not of ed Aelin’s spine, a subtle jab forward Harder into the glass

No ah 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 stillfalls

Fenrys’s dark eyes shot toward her He blinked four tiers curled and uncurled in her lap

"You brought this upon yourself," Connall said to Fenrys, drawing his brother’s attention once ance, 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 so ashed 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 E voice rippled past her

"You are a disgrace to our fan queen, and for what? I begged you to control yourself when you were sent to hunt Lorcan I begged you to be sht as well have spat in my face"

Fenrys snarled, and the sound e 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 lohine cut the daht flashed, penetrating even the darkness behind Aelin’s lids

She breathed and breathed and breathed

"You kno 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 htened--just barely "Cairn"

Before Aelin could inhale a bracing breath, hands slammed onto her shoulders Pushed down

She couldn’t stop her screaony that raced up her legs, her spine

Oh gods--oh gods--

Fro, 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, swi with it

Endure; outlast--

"My eyes told ," Maeve drawled "An account that you were currently in Terrasen, readying the little arathered for war You, and Prince Rowan, and roup"

Aelin hadn’t realized she’d been holding on to it