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Rowan said, "What is it?"

"The third Wyrdkey" She swore She could tell no one, because if anyone knewthey would head straight to Rifthold Straight to the Assassins’ Keep

"Aelin" Was it fear, pain, or both in his eyes? "Tell me what you learned"

"Not while you are bound to her"

"I am bound to her forever"

"I know" He was Maeve’s slave--­worse than a slave He had to obey every command, no matter horetched

He leaned over his knees, dipping a large hand in the water "You’re right I don’t want you to tell me Any of it"

"I hate that," she breathed "I hate her"

He looked away, toward Goldryn, discarded behind the as she scarfed down enough food for three full-­grown Fae warriors He hadn’t see she’d found in the scabbard, he had nothing to say other than "I hope you find a good use for it" Indeed

But the silence that was building between them was unacceptable She cleared her throat Perhaps she ­couldn’t tell him the truth about the third Wyrdkey, but she could offer him another

The truth The truth of her, undiluted and coh, all that she still wanted to do

So she steeled herself "I have never told anyone this story No one in the world knows it But it’sin her eyes, "and it’s time for me to tell it"

Rowan leaned back on the rock, bracing his palms behind him

"Once upon a time," she said to hi since burned to ash, there lived a young princess who loved her kingdomvery much"

And then she told him of the princess whose heart had burned ildfire, of the dom in the north, of its downfall and of the sacrifice of Lady Marion It was a long story, and so those times he leaned over to wipe away her tears

When she finished, Rowan merely passed her more of the tonic She smiled at him, and he looked at her for a while before he siven her before

They ­were quiet for some time, and she didn’t knohy she did it, but she held out a hand in front of her, pal, a droplet of water the size of a marble ­rose from the surface to her cupped palm

"No wonder your sense of self-­preservation is so pathetic, if that’s all the water you can conjure" But Rowan flicked her chin, and she knew he understood what it meant, to have su at her froh her tears, and sent the droplet splashing onto his face

Rowan tossed her into the pool A , he jumped in hiaining her strength, she and the other injured deh to attend a celebration thrown by Emrys and Luca Before she and Rowan headed downstairs to join the festivities, Celaena peered in the mirror--­and stopped dead

The soes

She was now flushed with color, her eyes bright and clear, and though she’d regained the weight she’d lost that winter, her face was leaner A wo back at her, beautiful for every scar and imperfection and mark of survival, beautiful for the fact that the s joy in her heart

She danced that night Theafter, she kneas ti their good-­byes to the others, she paused at the edge of the trees to look at the cru for theht The old s full of food and supplies, but he still pressed a hot loaf into Celaena’s hands as they looked at each other

She said, "It dom, the demi-­Fae will always have a home there And you two--­and Malakai--­will have a place in my ­house­hold, should you wish it Asas he nodded, gripping Luca’s hand The young , wicked scratch bestowed in battle down his face, merely stared at her, wide-­eyed A part of her heart ached at the shadows that now lay in his face Bas’s betrayal would haunt him, she knew But Celaena smiled at him, ruffled his hair, and made to turn away

"Your mother would be proud," Emrys said

Celaena put a hand on her heart and bowed in thanks