Page 100 (1/2)

Rowan nodded Ian’s ar across the plain as if they were far wheat Had he not been swept into the dance of battle, he ht have stopped to marvel at them

The princess turned to Chaol, seated in a wheeled chair, his face grilanced to his father, who observed the battlefield with crossed ar at them, "Many We’ll leave it at that"

Pain see htening on the chair’s arht, were not a trained unit Many of those who had survived were seasoned warriors who’d fought the wild s, Chaol had told Rowan earlier Most of the dead had not

Hasar at last looked Aelin over "I heard you put on a show today"

Rowan braced himself

Aelin turned from the battlefield and inclined her head "You look as if you did, too"

Indeed, Hasar’s ornate armor was splattered with black blood She’d been in the thick of it, atop her Muniqi horse, and had ridden right up to the gates But the princess made no further comment

Irritation, deep and nearly hidden, flashed in Aelin’s eyes Yet she didn’t speak again--didn’t push the princess about their next steps She just watched the battlefield oncethe battle, halting only when there had been noleft to kill And in the minutes since the walls had been cleared, she’d re out of that cal She hadn’t bothered to remove any of her armor The bronze battle-croas caked with blood, her hair matted with it

Chaol’s father had taken one look at her are Yet Chaol hadso too soft for Rowan to hear, and the s to consider Things that drove his ht arrive, if they would indeed head northward to Terrasen If today had been enough to win them over

Two shapes took for for the keep at an almost unchecked speed

People scrambled out of the ruks’ way as Sartaq and Nesryn landed on the battleht up to them

"We have a problem," Nesryn said, her face ashen

Indeed, Sartaq’s lips were bloodless Both of their scents were drenched in fear

The wheels of Chaol’s chair splashed through puddled blood "What is it?"

Aelin straightened, Gavriel and Fenrys going still

Nesryn pointed across the city, to the wall of roup of Morath soldiers toward the end of the battle--trying to bring that da they didn’t succeed thanks to you," Aelin said, gazing toward that too-near da waters of the upper lake and river it held at bay

"Partially," Sartaq said, a e had already been done"

"Out with it," Hasar hissed

Sartaq’s dark eyes flashed "We need to evacuate our ar to break?" Chaol’s father demanded

Nesryn winced "It likely will"

"It could burst at any an’s aret theo," Chaol’s father said "The water will roar for miles, and this keep cannot hold all your forces"

Indeed, Rowan realized, the keep, despite its high position, couldn’t fit the size of the arh above, would be the only thing that could withstand the tidal wave of freezing water that would sweep fro in its path

Hasar fixed her burning stare on Chaol "Where do we tell theather up as many as they can, fly them out to this peak behind us" He motioned to the small mountain into which the keep had been built "Put them on the rocks, put them anywhere"

"And those that don’tlike panic cracking through her fierce face