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In its wake, a sated sort of clarity shone Such as she had not felt in a long, long tiered on her face, and Manon turned toward him Slowly removed her crown of stars and set it aside

Then she drew up the blankets around them both

He didn’t so much as flinch as she scooted closer, into the solid muscle of his body

No, Dorian only draped an arainst hi when she fell asleep, warm in his arms

She awoke at dawn to a cold bed

Manon took one look at the e had been, at the lack of supplies and that ancient sword, and knew

Dorian had gone to Morath And had taken the two Wyrdkeys with hi troops in line as they marched, all the way to the banks of the Florine

There was no use running northward Not when the bone dru ion into for for the front lines, his armor so heavy it could have been made of stone, the lack of the ancient sword at his side like some phantom limb, Aedion said to Ren, "I need you to doon his quiver, didn’t bother to look up "Don’t tell me to run"

"Never" Close--they were so close to Theralis How fitting it would have been to at last die on the field where Terrasen had fallen a decade ago To have his blood soak into the earth where so many of the court he’d loved had died, for his bones to join theirs, unmarked on the plain

"I need you to call for aid"

Ren looked up then His scarred face was leaner than it had been weeks ago When was the last tiht’s rest? Where Lysandra hat forht her out last night, and she had stayed away from him entirely

"I’ for them Bane and Fae, Silent Assassin and Wendlynian and Wastes-hailing soldier alike "But you are Lord of Allsbrook Send out ers Send out Nox Owen Call for aid Dispatch theht find Tell Nox and the others to beg if they have to, but tell them to say that Terrasen calls for aid"

Only Aelin had the authority to do so, or Darrow and his council, but Aedion didn’t care

Ren halted, and Aedion paused with him, well aware of the soldiers within earshot Of the Fae hearing many possessed Endymion and Sellene already stood by the front line of the left flank, their faces grave and weary A hoain If any should survive this What would his father side his people at last?

"Will anyone co ears, too Aware of the grim faces that remained with them, despite the death that marched at their backs

Aedion fitted his helly cold "None cao But ripped his ar left to defend, Aedion"

"Send out the call anyway" He jerked his chin to the lines they’d passed through Ilias was polishing his blades ast a cluster of his father’s assassins, his attention pinned on the ene to make a final stand on this snowy plain so far froeneral? Then here’s my final order Call for aid"

A muscle feathered in Ren’s jaw But he said, "Consider it done" Then he was gone

They didn’t bother with good-byes Their luck was bad enough

So Aedion continued, alone, to the front lines Two Bane soldiers stepped aside toit between their unified front The ainst which Morath would strike first, and hardest

The snoirled, veiling all beyond a hundred or so feet

Yet the bone dru feet

Their final stand, here on an unnamed field before the Florine How had it come to this?

Aedion drew his sword, the other soldiers following suit, the cry of ringingwind

Morath appeared, a line of solid black eained, more appeared behind How far back was that witch tower? How soon would its power be unleashed?

He prayed, for the sake of his soldiers, that it would be quick, and relatively painless That they would not know much fear before they were blasted into ashes

The Bane didn’t clash their swords on their shields this ti of Morath, and the druone to Orynth when Darrow dee, or take the northern route

This defeat, these deaths, rested upon his shoulders alone