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Yet her flames made no appearance They hadn’t shown so much as an ember these weeks, despite how hard they’d trained

Occasionally, he’d spy Goldryn’s ruby glealowed in the heart of the stone But nothing led in their bed on the ship, when his teeth had found that mark on her neck

Elide surveyed them all, their silence, and said to their new coarding toht, to sort through this colossal ht a trunk of books with us," he said to Aelin "From the Torre They’re all full of Wyrdmarks" Aelin didn’t so h this battle, they’re yours to peruse In case there’s anything in theainst his uely nodded

So Rowan forced hiust and fear, and focus upon the plan ahead Only Gavriel see where he was, and Lorcan just staring and staring at nothing

Aelin re

They planned it quickly and efficiently: they would return with Chaol and Yrene to the keep, to help with the fighting toanate royals would push fro the ruks, and Princess Hasar cohan cavalry

A brilliantly trained, lethal group Rowan had already han soldiers, with their fine horses and armor, their spears and crested helh of relief at their skill Perhaps the last sigh of relief he’d have in this war Certainly if the khagan’s forces hadn’t yet decided where they would take this army afterward

He supposed it was fair--so many territories were now in Morath’s path--but when this battle was over, he’d make damn sure they marched northward To Terrasen

But toainst the keep walls, Chaol and Rowan leading theoff ene Didn’t indicate that she’d heard the with a contingency plan should it go awry, Nesryn only said, "We’ll find you ruks to carry you back to the keep," before Aelin stor up with her

No embers trailed her Mud did not hiss beneath her boots

There was no fire at all Not a spark

As if Maeve had snuffed out that flah the neatly organized tents, past horses and their armored riders, past foot soldiers around cahty birds, who filled him with such awe he had no words for it All the way to the eastern edge of the camp and the plains that stretched past, the space wide and hollow after the closeness of the army

She didn’t stop until she reached a streao It was nearly frozen over, but a sto free to reveal dark water kissed with silvery starlight

Then she fell to her knees and drank

Drank and drank, cupping the water to her h to burn, but she kept at it until she braced her hands on her knees and said, "I can’t do this"

Rowan sank to a knee, the shield he’d kept around her while she stalked here sealing out the cold wind off the open plain

"I--I can’t--" She took a shuddering breath, and covered her face with her wet hands

Gently, Rowan gripped her wrists and lowered theuish and terror filled those beautiful eyes, and his chest tightened to the point of pain as she said, "It was a fool’s shot against Erawan But against hi that arht now And if Erawan sus return--"

"He needs the two other keys to do that He doesn’t have theh that the tang of her blood filled the air "I should have gone after the keys Right away Not come here Not done this"

"It is Dorian’s task now, not yours He will not fail at it"

"It is my task, and always has been--"

"We made the choice to come here, and ill stick to that decision," he snarled, not bothering to te her arht to coo northward after this It is the only chance we stand of succeeding"