Kingdom of Ash

ministrations.
There were days, memories, of even that
shift being gone, of knives scraping over her
abdomen. But whenever she awoke, the shift
remained intact. Untouched. Unstained.
Fenrys’s ears perked, twitching. All the
alert Aelin needed.
She hated the trembling that began to coil
around her bones as strolling footsteps scuffed
beyond the square room and the iron door into
it. The only way in. No windows. The stone
hall she sometimes glimpsed beyond was
equally sealed. Only the sound of water
entered this place.
It surged louder as the iron door unlocked
and groaned open.
She willed herself not to shake as the
brown-haired male approached.
“Awake so soon? I must not have worked
you hard enough.”