Kingdom of Ash

or Aelin. Or her uncle.
Men lay dead in some of the dim hallways
that Fenrys and Gavriel led her through, killed
by the rukhin when they’d swept in. None of
them leaked black blood, but they still had
that reek to them. Like this place had infected
their very souls.
“They’re just up here,” Gavriel said quietly
—gently.
Elide’s hands began shaking, and Fenrys
placed one of his own on her shoulder. “He’s
well restrained.”
She knew not with mere ropes or chains.
Likely with fire and ice and perhaps even
Lorcan’s own dark power.
But it did not stop her from shaking, from
how small and brittle she became as they
turned a corner and beheld Aelin, Rowan, and
Lorcan standing before a shut door. Farther
down the hall, Nesryn and Sartaq, Lord Chaol