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Yrene frowned "I don’t kno she didn’t walk out and leave everyone to rot I would have"

"Never underestiuilt when it cohed The fire he’d suate" Yrene scowled "The least they could do is be grateful for it"

"Oh, I have no doubt they are," Chaol said, frowning noell "But the fact re, and did the opposite"

Indeed Dorian didn’t quite knohat to think of Aelin’s choice Or that she’d even told the her in turn

And then Aelin destroying the for hu Some part of him still felt as if he were in that place-of-places

Especially when soic that had felt botto point A ain be capable of shattering glass castles or eneholds

He hadn’t yet decided whether it was a relief

It was more power, at least, than Aelin had been left with Gifted with, it sounded like Aelin had burned through every eic What she now possessed was all that reate--to punish the gods who had betrayed them both

The idea of it stillto throw hirind his teeth Not at her choice, but that his father--

He’d think about his father later Never

His nameless father, who had come for him in the end

Chaol hadn’t asked about it, hadn’t pushed And Dorian knew that whenever he was ready to talk about it, his friend would be waiting

Chaol said, "Aelin didn’t kill Erawan But at least Erawan can never bring over his brothers Or use the keys to destroy us all We have that She--you both did that"

There would be no more collars No more rooers through Chaol’s brown hair, and Dorian tried to fight the ache in his chest at the sight At the love that flowed so freely between them

He didn’t resent Chaol for his happiness But it didn’t stop the sharp slicing in his chest every time he saw them Every time he saw the Torre healers, and wished Sorscha had found them

"So the world was only partly saved," Yrene said "Better than nothing"

Dorian smiled at that He adored his friend’s wife already Likely would have hts still drifted northward--to a golden-eyed witch alked with death beside her and did not fear it Did she think of him? Wonder what had becoic," Dorian said "Not like it was before, but we still have it We’re not entirely helpless"

"Enough to take on Erawan?" Chaol said, his bronze eyes wary Well aware of the answer "And Maeve?"

"We’ll have to figure out a way," Dorian said He prayed it was true

But there were no gods left to pray to at all

Elide kept one eye on Aelin while they washed themselves in the queen’s tent One eye on the deliciously ater that had been brought in

And kept warm by the woman in the tub beside her own

As if in defiance of the horrible anate royals upon Aelin’s unexpected return

Triuards

One threat defeated The other fumbled

Aelin had hid it well, but the queen had her tells, too Her utter stillness--the predatory angle of her head The for Utter stillness while she’d been questioned, criticized, shouted at

The queen had not been this quiet since the day she’d escaped Maeve