Empire of Storms

Aelin and Rowan use their magic to extinguish as much of the fire in Eyllwe as they can. The effort drains Aelin magically and emotionally. Aelin and Rowan have sex. She tells him that she is not using a birth control tonic, reasoning that because she is still not pregnant, she may have inherited the Fae difficulty with fertility. Manon accompanies the group on their trip inland, but Aelin tells her to have Abraxos leave, so as not to draw more attention. Manon says an emotional goodbye to Abraxos, telling him to return in four days. She takes her Crochan cloak and throws it in the ocean, distressed by the memory of killing her half-sister, and Aelin admits that she also still sees the faces of the people she has killed.

Lorcan and Elide track Aelin to the Stone Marshes, then stop and camp for the night. Elide asks Lorcan about Maeve, and although he admits to being in love with Maeve, he carries no hope of being with her. Elide tells him that love should make someone happy; she reasons that what he has with Maeve is not love, given that she will kill him for disobeying her.