Chapter Sixty-Six

Nesta battles an Illyrian warrior, learns Emerie is alive and in danger, and pursues her to a river where she finds Emerie unconscious after escaping into the rapids. Nesta rescues her by swimming across the dangerous water with Emerie on her back, and they shelter in a cave with a neutral Illyrian male named Balthazar who swears an oath not to harm them. By dawn, forest beasts have killed many warriors around them, and Nesta discovers both she and Emerie possess bracelets that point toward Gwyn's location to the south.

After killing a smaller Illyrian warrior, Nesta interrogates another archer about a female captive, learning from his words that Emerie survived but was left to other males. She subdues him with her knife and pursues the direction he came from. At a river, she overhears males discussing how Emerie likely drowned in the rapids or was killed by beasts. Nesta spots Emerie unconscious on a fallen tree above a hundred-foot waterfall. She strips naked, ties Emerie's nightgown around her as a rope, and uses an Illyrian bow strapped across her chest as an anchor while carrying Emerie across the treacherous rocks to the opposite bank. After building a fire and warming themselves, Nesta searches for shelter and encounters Balthazar, an Illyrian male with a facial wound. He offers her a cave entrance and swears a binding oath on Enalius not to harm her or Emerie. That night, forest beasts prowl outside, killing many of the Rite participants with screams echoing through the darkness. Nesta remains awake throughout, using Mind-Stilling exercises to stay alert. At dawn, winged corpses litter the area, and Balthazar departs. Nesta gathers clean clothes, water, and food from the dead warriors. When she returns to the cave, Emerie awakens weak but conscious. Both women discover their bracelets glow and point southward toward Gwyn's location, urging them to move quickly.