Page 67 (1/2)

What his father had made of it when Chaol had explained yesterday, he hadn’t let on Hadn’t said a single word

Chaol cast a sidelong glance at theout one by one under the rising light

"They used the bone drue of Anielle," his father said, not a treend says they beat the druhts before they attacked, and that the city was so rife with terror, so mad with sleeplessness, that they didn’t stand a chance Erawan’s armies and beasts shredded the with the they last"

Chaol gritted his teeth "If you do not have hope, then your , either"

His father stared toward the plain, the army revealed with each minute

"Your mother left," the man said at last

Chaol didn’t hide his shock

His father gripped the stone parapet "She took Terrin and left I don’t knohere they fled As soon as we realized we’d been surrounded by ene, their faht Only your brother bothered to leave a note"

His mother, after all she’d endured, all she’d survived in this hellish house, had finally walked out To save her other son--their promise of a future "What did Terrin say?"

His father smoothed his hand over the stone "It doesn’t matter"

It clearly did But noasn’t the time to push, to care

There was no fear on his father’s face Just cold resignation

"If you do not lead these rowled, "then I will"

His father looked at hinant"

The shock roiled through Chaol like a physical blow

Yrene--Yrene--

"A skilled healer she ht be, but a deft liar, she is not Or have you not noticed her hand frequently resting on her storeen she turns at mealtime?"

Such round out fro To yell at his father, to run to Yrene, he didn’t know

But then the bone druan to advance

CHAPTER 40

Manon and the Thirteen had buried each and every one of the soldiershands throbbed, their backs ached, but they’d done it

When the last of the hard earth had been patted down, she’d found Bronwen lingering at the clearing edge, the rest of the Crochans having ed past Manon Ghislaine, according to Vesta, had been invited to sit at the hearth of a witch with an equal interest in those mortal, scholarly pursuits

Only Asterin reuard her back as Manon asked Bronwen, "What is it?"

She should have tried for pleasantries, for diplomacy, but she didn’t Couldn’ton the words "You and your coven acted honorably"

"You doubted it, from the White Demon?"

"I did not think the Ironteeth bothered to care for human lives"

She didn’t know the half of it Manon only said, "My grander an Ironteeth witch, so it seeht withtoward the trees where the Thirteen had vanished, and Bronwen fell into step beside her "It was the least I could do," Manon ad "Indeed"

Manon eyed the Crochan "You lead your witches well"

"The Ironteeth have long given us an excuse to be highly trained"