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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 hih 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 ue 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 soainst 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 ering control

Lorcan said, "We’ll pay for a hasty plan if we don’t take the time Your mate will pay, too"

His fore Even Gavriel, cal All of the it up froht Roould say the same if their positions were reversed

Gavriel pointed to a rocky outcropping on the hill face below theht, make our assessments to while Aelin was ht 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 h 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--"

Roisted 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 arreat army lay camped there

"She’s su his hair across his face

Rowan counted the ca 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 arlanced at Rowan, his dark eyes full of warning "Or to keep Aelin in"

Rowan surveyed the enca in Doranelle, who rarely saw any sort of forces beyond the warriors who soh 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"