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Two armies clashed on the plain outside an ancient city, one dark and one golden

They fought, brutal and bloody, for the long hours of the gray day

Morath’s arh And no matter how Nesryn and the rukhin, led by Sartaq and Hasar’s orders, rallied behind their fresh troops, the Valg kept fighting

And still Morath’s host lay between the khagan’s arht fell, too black for even the Valg to fight, the khagan’s army pulled back to assess To ready for the attack at dawn

Nesryn flew Yrene and Chaol, bloodied and exhausted, down froht join in the war council between the khagan’s royal children All around, soldiers groaned and screa to tend the

But when they reached Princess Hasar’s battle tent, when they had all gathered around a map of Anielle, they had only a few minutes of discussion before they were interrupted

By the person Chaol least expected to walk through the flaps

CHAPTER 46

Perranth appeared on the horizon, the dark-stoned city nestled between a cobalt lake and a se that also bore its na h to rival those in Orynth The great city walls had been torn down by Adarlan’s ares now spilling onto the fields beyond the iced-over Lanis River that flowed between the lake and the distant sea

It was on those fields that Aedion deemed they’d make their stand

The ice held as they crossed the river and organized their reduced lines once more

The Whitethorn royals and their warriors were nearly burnt out, their ic a mere breeze But they’d kept Morath a day behind with their shields

A day the ar wood from whatever trees, barns, or abandoned farmsteads they could find to fuel their fires A day when Aedion had ordered Nox Owen to go as his emissary into Perranth, the thief’s hoht come to fill their depleted ranks

Not many Nox returned with a few hundred even-less-trained warriors No ic-wielders

But they did have some weapons, most old and rusted Fresh arrows, at least Vernon Lochan had seen to it that his people had re should they learn the true Heir to Perranth had been held captive in the highest tower of the castle

But the people of Perranth already had enough of their puppet lord, it seeons hauled theifted--to patch up the wounded Those ere too injured to fight were sent on the supply wagons to the city, some piled atop one another

But a warm blanket and hot meal would not add to their nu his Bane commanders close They would make this count Every inch of terrain, every weapon and soldier

He didn’t see Lysandra Aelin made no appearances, either

The queen had abandoned them, the soldiers muttered

Aedion made sure to shut down the talk Had snarled that the queen had her own mission to save their asses, and if she wanted Erawan to know about it, she would have announced it to theossip

It eased the discontent--barely

Aelin had not defended them with her fire, had left thereed Wondered if it would have been better to ignore the keys, to use the two they possessed and obliterate these are the Lock

Hell, he would have wept to see Dorian Havilliard and his considerable power at thathad blasted ilken fro them He’d bow before the man if it saved them

It was midday when Morath’s ar over the horizon A stor across the fields