Silence fell through the clearing. They couldn’t linger here—not for much longer. But to take Aelin in the chains, when she was so frantic to be free of them … Aelin’s eyes opened. They were empty. Wholly drained. A warrior accepting defeat. Elide blurted, scrambling for anything to banish that emptiness, “Was there ever a key? Did you see them using a key?” Two blinks. As if that meant something. Rowan and Lorcan yanked again, straining.
