Page 61 (1/2)

He didn’t blame her Kneould take time, time and distance, to heal the internal wounds If they could ever really heal at all

But he’d ith her, help in whatever way he could And if she never returned to who she had been before this, he would not love her any less

Aelin dunked her head, and when she e collar aroundfear drifted toward hie "It’s why I--why I got away She had , and I …" Her voice stalled, yet she met his stare Let him read the words she could not say, in that silent way they’d always been able to communicate Escape wasn’this head, horror creeping over hi "That was a drealed for the words Made hiht it was But the collars, the Valg presence … It was a lie that we crafted To draw Maeve out, hopefully away fro of water sounded "There was no collar?"

Rowan lowered himself to his knees and shook his head "I--Aelin, if I’d knohat she’d do with the knowledge, what you’d decide to do--"

He ods or the Lock, but from his own damned choices The lie he’d spun

Aelin drifted beneath the surface again So deep that when the flare happened, it was littleacross the lake, illu above A silent eruption

His breathing turned ragged But she swa off her body like tendrils of clouds It had nearly vanished when she ele of the head "You have nothing to be sorry for"

He did, though He’d added to her terror, her desperation He’d--

"If you had not planted that lie for Maeve, if she had not told ht now," she said

He tried to rein in the twisting in his gut, the urge to reach for her, to beg for her forgiveness Tried and tried

She only asked, "What of the others?"

She didn’t know--couldn’t kno and why and where they’d all parted ways So Rowan told her, as succinctly and calof her treading water the only sound Her body had nearly lost that freshly forged glow

Then she pivoted back toward him "Maeve said you and the others were in the North That you’d been spotted by her spies there Did you plant that deception for her, too?"

He shook his head "Lysandra has been thorough, it seems"

Aelin’s throat bobbed "I believed her"

It sounded like a confession, so, "I told you once that even if death separated us, I would rip apart every world until I found you" He gave her a slash of a smile "Did you really believe this would stopean to surface in her eyes "You were supposed to save Terrasen"

"Considering that the sun shines, I’d say Erawan hasn’t won yet So we’ll save it together"

He didn’t let hi Erawan And Aelin seemed in no hurry to discuss it, either, as she said, "You should have gone to Terrasen It needs you"

"I need youhis voice "And Terrasen will need you, too Not Lysandraas you, but you"

A shallow nod "Maeve raised her aruard ht aside, to consider later "It ht just be to shore up her defenses, should Erain across the sea"

"Do you truly think that’s what she plans to do with it?"

"No," he ad that army to Terrasen, to either unite with Erawan or sidom, to strike when they eakest, they had to hurry Had to get back I and dread