Page 170 (1/2)

Roas safe--the h the blood oath, she knew Fenrys and Lorcan still breathed

Whether she could say that for the rest of her friends, she didn’t know Didn’t want to know, not yet

The healer finished Ansel, and when the woman turned, Aelin held up a hand "Go help someone who needs it," Aelin rasped

The healer didn’t hesitate before she hurried off, sprinting toward the sound of screaet into the city," Ansel ainst the ironclad hide behind her "Before they shut the gate"

"We do," Aelin said, willing strength to her exhausted legs so shehost was

A plan She’d had a plan for this They all had

But time hadn’t been on her side Perhaps her luck had faded with the gods she’d destroyed

Aelin sed against the dryness in her ot to her feet The world swayed, but she stayed upright Managed to grab the reins of a passing Darghan rider and order her to stop

To take the red-haired queen half-delirious on the ground

Ansel barely protested when Aelin heaved her into the saddle behind the soldier

Aelin stood beside the felled wyvern, watching her friend until she’d passed through the southern gate Into Orynth

Slowly, Aelin turned to the rising wave of darkness

She had dooroaned shut

The boom echoed into her bones

Soldiers left on the field shouted in panic, but orders went out Form the lines Ready for battle

She could do this Adjust the plan

She still scanned the skies for a white-tailed hawk

No sign of him

Good Good, she told herself

Aelin shut her eyes for a heartbeat Put a hand on her chest As if it ht steady her, prepare her, for what squatted in the approaching darkness

Soldiers shouted as they rallied, the screa everywhere

Still Aelin reates to her city Her ho the heart thundering beneath, feeling the dust of every road she had traveled these ten years to return here

For this moment For this purpose

So she whispered it to herself, one last ti since burned to ash, there lived a young princess who loved her kingdo only for a fewdespite the work she’d been doing for hours

But she’d stopped, needing to see what had happened Hearing that their soldiers, with victory in hand, had fled back to the city walls, had only sent her running for the castle battle her

Elide winced as they took the stairs up to the battlements, butfor soaze settled on an old ers approached hie, Yrene realized after Elide did, already li to them

The old ht of Elide

Yrene stopped caring about the introductions as her gaze landed on the battlefield

On the ar on them, half veiled in darkness Six kharankui at their front lines

The khagan’s soldiers had gathered by the walls, both outside and within the city The southern gate now stood closed

Not enough Not nearly enough to face what marched, fresh and unwearied The creatures she could just barelyprincesses--there were Valg princesses ast them

Chaol Where was Chaol--

Elide and the old"We cannot face that number of soldiers and walk away," the lady said, her voice so unlike any tone Yrene had heard fro and cold Elide pointed to the battlefield The darkness--holy gods, the darkness--that massed over it

A chill slithered over Yrene’s body

"Do you knohat that is?" Elide asked too quietly "Because I do"

The old man only sed