Page 153 of Kingdom of Ash

Rowan met each blow, and she knew her maneuvers were descending into sloppiness. Knew he let her continue rather than seizing the many openings to end it.

She couldn’t stop. War raged around them. People were dying. And she had been locked in that damned box, had been taken apart again and again, unable todoanything—

Rowan struck, so fast she couldn’t track it. But it was the foot he slid before her own that doomed her, sending her careening into the dirt.

Her knees barked, skinning beneath her pants, and her dagger scattered from her hand.

“I win,” he panted. “Let’s eat.”

Aelin glared up at him. “Another round.”

Rowan just sheathed his sword. “After breakfast.”

She growled. He growled right back.

“Don’t be stupid,” he said. “You’ll lose all that muscle if you don’t feed your body. So eat. And if you still want to train afterward, I’ll trainwith you.” He offered her a tattooed hand. “Though you’ll likely hurl your guts up.”

Either from the exertion or from the innkeeper’s suspect cooking.

But Aelin said, “People are dying. In Terrasen. In—everywhere. People are dying, Rowan.”

“Your eating breakfast isn’t going to change that.” Her lips curled in a snarl, but he cut her off. “I know people are dying. We are going to help them. Butyouneed to have some strength left, or you won’t be able to.”

Truth. Her mate spoke truth. And yet she could see them, hear them. Those dying, frightened people.

Whose screams so often sounded like her own.

Rowan wriggled his fingers in silent reminder.Shall we?

Aelin scowled and took his hand, letting him haul her to her feet.So pushy.

Rowan slid an arm around her shoulders.That’s the most polite thing you’ve ever said about me.

Elide tried not to wince at the grayish gruel steaming in front of her. Especially with the innkeeper watching from the shadows behind his taproom bar. Seated at one of the small, round tables that filled the worn space, Elide caught Gavriel’s eye from where he pushed at his own bowl.

Gavriel raised the spoon to his mouth. Slowly.

Elide’s eyes widened. Widened further as he opened his mouth, and took a bite.

His swallow was audible. His cringe barely contained.

Elide reined in her smile at the pure misery that entered the Lion’s tawny stare. Aelin and Rowan had been finishing up a similar battle when she’d entered the taproom minutes ago, the queen wishing her luck before striding back into the courtyard.

Elide hadn’t seen her sit still for longer than it took to eat a meal. Orduring the hours when she’d instructed them in Wyrdmarks, after Rowan had requested she teach them.

It had gotten her out of the chains, the prince had explained. And if the ilken were resistant to their magic, then learning the ancient marks would come in handy with all they faced ahead. The battles both physical and magic.

Such strange, difficult markings. Elide couldn’t read her own language, hadn’t tried to in ages. Didn’t suppose she’d be granted the opportunity anytime soon. But learning these marks, if it helped her companions in any way … she could try.Hadtried, enough to know a few of them now.

Gavriel dared another mouthful of the porridge, offering the innkeeper a tight smile. The man looked so relieved that Elide picked up her own spoon and choked down a bite. Bland and a bit sour—had he put salt in it, rather than sugar?—but … it was hot.

Gavriel met her stare, and Elide again restrained her laugh.

She felt, rather than saw, Lorcan enter. The innkeeper instantly found somewhere else to be. The man hadn’t been surprised to see five Fae enter his inn last night, so his vanishing whenever Lorcan appeared was certainly due to the glower the male had perfected.

Indeed, Lorcan took one look at Elide and Gavriel and left the dining room.

They’d barely spoken these weeks. Elide hadn’t known what to even say.

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