Page 154 (1/2)

"I am sorry," his father breathed "I am sorry for all of it, Dorian"

And even the way his father said his name--he had never heard him speak it like that

Dismiss him Throw him into some hell-world That’s what he should do

And yet Dorian knew for whoht down Morath For whom he’d buried that room of collars, the hateful toain

He did not need Damaris to tell him the words were true

"Letcloser "Let h ic--not like we do," Aelin said, her eyes sorrowful

His father h in lanced over his shoulder, toward the archway that opened to Erilea To hoh the words did not come out with the iciness he wished Only heaviness and exhaustion

Aelin said softly to his father, "I had planned to before it got to the end"

"Then you will not be alone now," his father replied Then the ht have been Had always been, despite what had befallen hiain One last time"

Dorian had no words, couldn’t find the down her face as she said, "One of us has to rule"

Before Dorian could understand, before he could realize the agreement she’d just h that gateway behind the, Dorian fell

As the Wyrdgate’s misty realm vanished, Dorian saw Aelin take his father’s hand

CHAPTER 96

Rowan had not moved for the hours they’d stood beside Aelin and Dorian and watched the Chaol had not so ht passed, the stars wheeling over this hateful, cold place

And then Dorian arched, gulping down air--and collapsed to his knees

Aelin reo of Dorian’s hand

Rowan’s very soul halted

"No," Dorian rasped, scraain, to join her

But the wound on Aelin’s hand had sealed

"No, no!" Dorian shouted, and Rowan knew then

Knehat she had done

The final deceit, the last lie

"What happened?" Chaol de sobbed, unbuckling the ancient sword fro it away Damaris thunked hollowly as it hit the earth

Rowan just stared at Aelin

At his h--the two of us together It would have destroyed us both," Dorian wept "Yet Damaris somehow summoned my father, and … he took ed, reaching for Aelin’s hand, but he’d left the ring of Wyrdmarks

They now kept hi bond stretched thinner and thinner

"She and hi

Rowan barely heard the words

He should have known Should have known that if their plan failed, Aelin would never willingly sacrifice a friend Even for this Even for her own future

She had known he’d try to keep her fro the Lock if she’d mentioned that possibility, what she would do if it all went to hell Had agreed to let Dorian help her only to get herself here Would likely have dropped Dorian’s hand without his father appearing

Over--she had said so many times that she wished if to be over He should have listened