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"Then you will never be allowed to set foot in dom, or to travel further with us--not with the keys in the balance, and Maeve’s army at our backs" That syh to let you join us any other way"

"But you’ll letfro froive you is the one I would ask of any citizen of Terrasen: to protect and defend our kingdohorns for all I care"

She meant it, too Swear the blood oath, swear never to harive hiain

"I don’t have another choice," Aelin said quietly, so the others ht not hear "I can’t risk Terrasen" She still held her ar as precious away froer a possibility"

Again, that hint of a slance over her shoulder toward Elide "It is" Her turquoise eyes were bright as she looked back at him, and there isdom on Aelin’s face that he had perhaps never noticed before A queen’s face "Believe me, Lorcan, it is"

He shut down the hope that filled his chest, foreign and unwanted

"But Terrasen will not survive this war, she will not survive this ithout you"

And even if the queen before hie the Lock, to stop Erawan, Lorcan’s blood oath to protect her kingdom would hold

"It’s your choice," she said simply

Lorcan allowed hiht be

She had a hand on her throat, her dark eyes so wide

It didn’t matter if she still offered him a home in Perranth, if the queen spoke true

But what did matter was that Aelin Galathynius had iances too murky, for her to allow hidoo, keep hi, just to avoid the other threat at their backs: Maeve

And Elide would not survive it, this war, if all of them were dead

He couldn’t accept it, that possibility Foolish and useless as it was, he couldn’t allow it to pass To have either Erawan’s beasts or her uncle Vernon coain

Fool He was an ancient, stupid fool

Yet the god at his shoulder did not tell hiht

His choice, then He wondered what the goddess hispered to Elideto make of this as he said to Aelin, "Fine"

"Gods spare us," Fenrys murmured

Aelin’s lips curved in that hint of a slanced to the wolf "You’ll have to let hi a brow "No to-the-death dueling No vengeance-fighting Can you stomach it?"

Lorcan bristled as Fenrys looked him over Lorcan let him see every bit of do back Not as h to remind him that the White Wolf of Doranelle could bite if he wished Lethally

Fenrys just turned to the queen "If I tell you he’s a prick and a e your mind?"

Lorcan snarled, but Aelin snorted "Isn’t that e love Lorcan, though?" She gave him a smile that told Lorcan she remembered every detail of their initial encounters in Rifthold--when he’d shoved her face-first into a brick wall Aelin said to Fenrys, "We’ll only invite him to Orynth on holidays"

"So he can ruin the festivities?" Fenrys scowled "I, for one, cherishon them"

Gods above Lorcan cut Rowan a look, but the warrior-prince atching his queen carefully As if he knew precisely what manner of storm brewed beneath her skin