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Had Aelin been here, one breath from her and the five thousand troops they’d exhausted the 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 per treason"

"Treason, e’re saving our own daht 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 ht 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 aretheir way northward now We could meet them Perhaps have them hammer from the hile 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 see

"General Ashryver" A runted in answer, and it was certainly not Darroho entered, but a tall, dark-haired, and gray-eyed h 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 na

"Lord Darrow bids you to join hi his chin toward the sealed letter "You, and the army"

"What’s the point of the letter," Ravito tell hi lord a belance "I asked that, too, milord"

"Then I’m surprised you’re still eer 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 er "This must have been written before the battle even started this er smirked "I was handed two letters One was for victory, the other defeat"

Bold--this ant, for someone at Darrow’s beck and call "What’s your naer bowed at the waist "Fro the man anew "You’re a thief"

"For "Now rebel, and Lord Darrow’s er" Indeed, a skilled thief would er, able to slip in and out of places unseen