Kingdom of Ash (Throne of Glass, #7)

by Sarah J. Maas

She hadn’t mentioned the cramping that twisted her gut, her back, and lashed down her thighs. She’d kept riding, kept her head down. She knew they would have stopped. Even Rowan would have stopped to let her rest. But every time they paused, Elide saw that iron box. Saw the whip, shining with blood, as it cracked through the air. Heard Aelin’s screaming. She’d gone so Elide wouldn’t be taken. Had not hesitated to offer herself in Elide’s stead. The thought alone kept Elide astride her mare. Those few days had been made slightly easier by the clean strips of linen that Gavriel and Rowan provided, undoubtedly from their own shirts. When they’d cut them up, she had no idea. Elide bit into the apple, savoring the sweet, tart crispness. Rowan had left some coppers from a rapidly dwindling supply on a stump to account for the fruit they’d taken. Soon they’d have to steal their suppers. Or sell their horses. A thumping sounded from behind the sealed windows a level above, punctuated with muffled male shouting. “Do you think we’ll have better luck this time?” Elide quietly asked. Gavriel studied the blue-painted shutters, carved in an intricate latticework. “I have to hope so.”