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They’d looked positively iven me those bruises Who had picked Ianthe over theht three packs, but I’d only need one The one I’d carefully repacked with Alis’s new supplies, now tucked beside everything I’d anticipated needing to get clear of theht with me on every trip out to the wall, just in case And now …

I had numbers, I had a purpose, I had a specific location, and the nan territories

But h Priestess I had sentries ere beginning to rebel against their High Lord And as a result of those things, I had Hybern royals doubting the strength of their allies here I’d primed this court to fall Not fro

And I had to be clear of it before it happened Before the last sliver of my plan fell into place

The party would return without th, Taone

And perhaps a day or two after that, one of these sentries would reveal the news, a carefully sprung trap that I’d coiled into his mind like one ofnearly killed by the Hybern prince and princess I’d planted is consistent hat Dagdan and Brannagh had already revealed to be their style He’d describe theet away before it was too late How I ran for my life when Tamlin and Ianthe refused to intervene, to risk their alliance with Hybern

And when the sentry revealed the truth, no longer able to sto quiet when he sa my sorry fate was concealed by Tamlin and Ianthe, just as Taed that sentry …

When he described what Hybern had done to me, their Cursebreaker, their newly anointed Cauldron-blessed, before I’d fled for my life …

There would be no further alliance For there would be no sentry or denizen of this court ould stand with Tamlin or Ianthe after this After ht and swift Listening, barely breathing, I scanned the ca Tamlin’s bandolier of knives froet in the hile using a bow and arrow, he’d explained thatit acrosshome

I didn’t bother to look back at that camp as I slipped into the northern tree line If I ithout stopping between leaps, I’d be at the foothills in an hour--and would vanish through one of the caves not long after that

I made it about a hundred yards into the cover of the trees before I halted

I heard Lucien first

"Back off"

A low fe in me went still and cold at that sound I’d heard it once before--in Rhysand’sThey were distracted, horrible as it was

Keep going, keep going, keep going

"I thought you’d seek me out after the Rite," Ianthe purred They couldn’t be h away not to hear ated to perforht wasn’t the product of desire, believe me"

"We had fun, you and I"

"I’ ofsince stopped feeling any sort of guilt or doubt about my plan Not with Alis now safely away

And yet--and yet--

"You don’t act that ith Feyre" A silk-wrapped threat