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Slowly, Fenrys stirred His paws shifted beneath hi And he rose

"I don’t believe it," Lorcan whispered "I don’t …"

But there was Fenrys, standing before their now-kneeling queen And there was Fenrys, inclining his head, shoulders dipping with hihost of a sone before it ever took forh Even as Fenrys surveyed theazehis head

"Welcome to the court, pup," he said, his voice thick

Raw emotion rippled across that lupine face, and then Fenrys turned back to Aelin

She was staring at nothing Fenrys nudged her shoulder with his furry head

She ran an idle hand through the wolf’s white coat Rowan’s heart clenched

Maeve had cleaved into Rowan’s own mind to trick his very instincts

What had she done to her? What had she done these o," Gavriel said, his own voice thick as he took in Fenrys, standing proud and watchful beside Aelin "We need to put distance between us and the caht" Where they’d reassess how and where to leave this kingdo into the forest, toward the mountains, would be their best bet These trees offered plenty of coverage, and plenty of caves in which to hide

"Can you walk?" Lorcan asked Fenrys

Fenrys slid dark, baleful eyes to Lorcan

Oh, that fight would coave him a curt nod

Elide reached for one of the packs stashed near the base of a tree "Which way?"

But Rowan didn’t get to answer

Silent as wraiths, they appeared across the glen As if they’d sie

Little bodies, soht, soers and wide, unblinking eyes

Elide gasped "The Little Folk"

Elide hadn’t seen a whisper of the Little Folk since the days before Terrasen fell Then, it had been flashes and rustling within Oakwald’s ancient shade Never so many, never so openly

Or as open as they would ever allow theathered across the clearing kept mostly hidden behind root and rock and cluster of leaves None of the h Fenrys’s ears cocked toward them

A miracle--that’s what had happened with the queen and the wolf

Though Fenrys seeathered

Aelin barely looked toward them

A pale, spindly hand rose over a moss-speckled boulder and curled Coranite, "You wish us to follow you?"

Again, the hand made the motion Come

Gavriel murmured, "They know this forest better than even we do"

"And you trust them?" Lorcan demanded

Rowan’s eyes settled on Aelin "They saved her life once" That night Erawan’s assassin had returned for Aelin "They will do so again now"