Aery jerked awake in bed, expecting to find two young boys pressed up on either side of her, the way she'd fallen asleep in the dream.
But no, there was just the pain in her belly, the constant pain and the weakness fluttering in her throat, and the waves of soundlessness pressing in on her, threatening to suffocate her. And the waves of loneliness.
She got to her feet, grabbing the lit candle that always stood beside her bed. She wandered down the hall to Rowan's room. Knocked. Knocked again. Pushed it open, stirring up a layer of dust.
He wasn't here. Because he was dead.
She fell to her knees, sobbing.
A guard came up beside her, put an arm around her, talked in soothing tones, guiding her back to the bedroom where she'd suffocate in the darkness, in the lonely dark room where Ame should have been chattering with Silly.
But neither of them would be, because they both were dead, too.
She screamed, fighting the guard away. "Get away from me!" she shouted, her voice cracking. She ran down the hall weeping, to the room of the only person who could ever possibly understand. She pounded on the door, still sobbing. "Celaena, Celaena, help me. Help me." She slammed her body against the door, crying, unable to see through the tears. "Celaena, please! Please, help me. I can't..."