It was two weeks of training for Jane and her Thirteen. Two weeks of waking up before the sun to fly each canyon run, to master it as one unit. Two weeks of scratches and sprained limbs, of near deaths from falls or the Owl gang s squabbling or just stupid miscalculation.But slowly, they developed instincts—not just as a fighting unit, but as individual riders and mounts. Jane didn’t like the thought of the mounts eating the foultasting meat raised within the mountain, so twice a day they hunted the mountain goats, swooping to pluck them off the mountainsides. It wasn’t long before the witches started eating the goats themselves, building hasty fires in the mountain passes to cook their breakfast and evening meals. Jane didn’t want any of them—mounts or riders—taking another bite of the food given to them by the king’s men, or tasting the men themselves. If it smelled and tasted strange, odds were something was wrong with it.She didn’t know if it was the fresh meat or the extra l

It was selfish and horrible, but it was true. Nehemia, long ago, had once said as much—it was her most ardent and selfish wish to be ordinary, without the weight of her crown. Had her friend known how deeply those words had echoed in her?She waited for the scolding, saw it simmering in Rowan’s eyes. But then he quietly said, “What do you mean, another set of shackles?”He loosened his grip to reveal the two thin bands of scars that wrapped around her wrist. His mouth tightened, and she yanked her wrist back hard enough that he let go.“Nothing,” she said. “Arobynn, my master, liked to use them for training every now and then.” Arobynn had chained her to make her learn how to get free. But the shackles at Endovier had been crafted with people like her in mind. It wasn’t until Chaol had removed them that she’d gotten out.She didn’t want Rowan knowing that—any of it. Anger and hatred she could handle, but pity … And she couldn’t talk about Chaol, couldn’t explain just how much he had r

To their credit, the sentries didn’t jump when Vincent shifted beside them atop the battlement wall. They had eyes keen enough to have detected his arrival as he swooped in. A slight tang of fear leaked from them, but that was to be expected, even if it troubled him more than it had in the past. But they did stir slightly when he spoke. “How long has she been down there?”“An hour, Prince,” one said, watching the flashing flames below. “For how many mornings in a row?”“This is the fourth, Prince,” the same sentry replied.The first three days she’d slipped from bed before dawn, he’d assumed she’d been helping in the kitchens. But when they’d trained yesterday she’d improved at a rate she shouldn’t have, as if overnight. He had to give her credit for resourcefulness.The girl stood outside the ward-stones, fighting with herself.A dagger of flame flew from her hand toward the invisible barrier between two stones, then another, as if racing for the head of an opponent. It hit the magi

There was no uproar, no hysteria when they told the fortress what they’d discovered. Malakai immediately dispatched messengers to Wendlyn’s king to beg for help; to the other demi-Gang settlements to order those who could not fight to flee; and to the healers’ compound, to help every single patient who was not bed-bound evacuate.Messengers returned from the king, promising as many men as could be spared. It was a relief, Jane thought—but a bit of a terror, too. If Galan showed up, if any of her mother’s kin arrived here … She wouldn’t care, she told herself. There were bigger matters at hand. And so she prayed for their swift arrival, and prepared with the rest of the fortress’s residents. They would face the threat head-on, starting by taking out the two hundred mortal soldiers that accompanied Narrok and his three creatures as soon as they left their protected caves.Vincent seized control of the fortress with no fuss—only gratitude from the others, actually. Even Malakai thanke

When was the last time the past made sense to you? Or it holds no sweet memories just like mine?.I am not good with memories, but I definitely cannot forget the one that has completely changed the course of my life forever.That night will remain as cold blooded as anything I will ever know. It still sends cold waves to my entire body.That night, I sat in my old, worn-out armchair, deep in thought. The dimly lit room echoed with silence, as I cast my mind back on the events that had molded my life…Not for good.Once, there was a time when my family was whole and complete, a loving unit bound by unbreakable bonds. It was impossible not to feel the warmth of my mother's embrace, the sound of my father's laughter, and the mischievous adventures shared with my only brother, Jadon. We were inseparable, a family filled with endless joy and happiness. I used to wonder if Jadon and I were actually siblings, because we behaved like two lovebirds who would rather prefer death than be separat