Tower of Dawn (Throne of Glass, #6)

Yrene researches ancient texts and scrolls within the Torre Library late at night, seeking more information on the nature of Chaol’s injuries. She discovers an Eyllwe text titled The Song of Beginning. Its illustrations and text reveal the three Valg kings—Orcus, Many, and Erawan—who wield the keys to the Wyrdgates. A strange clicking sound occurs behind her. Yrene becomes uneasy and decides to leave the library but discovers the body of a young girl who looks like her discarded on the floor. She is drained of life; her “light brown cheeks turned to hollowed husks, eyes stained purple beneath, lips pale and cracked” (130). Yrene flees and alerts the Head Librarian to sound the alarm. To outsiders, it sounds like a final call before the library closes, but for the healers, it’s a warning to leave the library immediately. Guards soon arrive to search the scene but do not find the culprit behind the murder of the healer.

Yrene arrives late the next morning for her appointment with Chaol. She tells him of the situation in the library last night and how she was hunted. Chaol believes a Valg is responsible. She also reveals whoever it was took the texts she’d been reading. Yrene teaches a class on self-defense to the healers and invites Chaol to attend and teach them what he knows. She is having a custom brace and straps made so he can ride a horse to the Torre.

Yrene attempts brute magical force on the wall of darkness in Chaol’s back, but it causes him agony. She realizes the entity in his wound hates her magic. She theorizes that it is feeding on something within him. He must talk about what happened and heal his emotional wounds to release its hold on him. Chaol refuses to entertain this idea.

Nesryn finds Sartaq and Kadara at the aerie an hour before dawn. Sartaq takes her for a ride on his ruk. Nesryn uses the opportunity to speak about Adarlan. She reveals that Aelin Galathynius is her friend and has ample reason to kill the King of Adarlan. Sartaq tells Nesryn of the murder in the library and asks what Yrene must have been researching that caused someone to target her. Nesryn lies and says she does not know.

During a healing session with Chaol, the dark magic shows her images of Morath. At Chaol’s orders, Nesryn ventures into the city, searching for signs of Valg. Sartaq tails her and mentions he’s heard that Rifthold is filled with humanoid monsters. Nesryn mentions she saw Sartaq’s mother wandering around the gardens without a handmaiden or guard to accompany her. She tells him of her mother, who became sick and could not be effectively treated because the King had rid Erilea of magic and healers. She eventually succumbed to her sickness. When Sartaq asks about the current state of her family, she reveals that they escaped Rifthold, but she doesn’t know where they are now. Sartaq promises to send a discreet word for his spies to help the Faliq family if they cross paths.

Nesryn vaguely tells Sartaq about the Valg threat. She avoids mentioning the keys or gates but tells him of the Valg possession of the former King of Adarlan and Dorian. She warns him to behead anyone he sees wearing black rings or collars. The description reminds Sartaq of old stories his hearth mother at the rukhin would tell. Nesryn is unnerved that a Valg presence may have been on the continent long ago.

When Yrene arrives at the castle courtyard the next morning, she discovers Chaol mounting a horse with the help of a few guards. After he’s properly strapped in with the brace, he and Yrene ride to the Torre, where a class of healers greets them. Yrene informs them of Chaol’s injuries and asks for a few to help him off his horse. It goes poorly as the girls struggle to hold his weight, and he nearly face-plants the ground. Hafiza orders Yrene to prepare the girls for the lesson while she situates Chaol in his chair. She explains Yrene’s instinct to teach the healers about his type of injury, which they have not had the opportunity to witness or practice treating. The explanation does little to calm Chaol’s apparent frustration and embarrassment at the ordeal.

After the lesson, Yrene and Chaol return to the palace in silence. Yrene has noticed his anger with her but is oblivious to the reason. Chaol informs her of how using him as a lesson for the other healers made him feel. He asks if it was a punishment for serving the King of Adarlan. Yrene apologizes for not considering his feelings before making his condition a teaching moment for the healers. She also explains her grudge against Adarlan: When she was 11, she witnessed Adarlan soldiers burn her mother alive.

Yrene sets to healing Chaol with her magic. He writhes in agony as many memories assault him—Celaena over him with a dagger poised for his heart after Princess Nehemia was found murdered; the Wyrdstone collar around Dorian’s throat; his heartbreak when Celaena revealed herself as Aelin Galathynius and left him behind to sail for Wendlyn; and his cruel father.

The terrible memories are eclipsed by a white light, “warm, and quiet, and kind” (203). When the pain stops, Chaol notices Yrene bleeding from her nose from the immense strain of using so much magic. The sight is concerning for Chaol, who invites her to lie down beside him on his bed. Yrene tells Chaol of the experience. She heard him screaming internally, so instead of attacking the wall of darkness at his spine, she followed the sound to Chaol’s essence.

Chaol apologizes for what happened to Yrene’s mother. He tells her of how the former King of Adarlan killed Dorian’s lover, Sorscha—a healer. He admits to feeling shame for running when Dorian instructed him to, so he could escape a certain death like Sorscha. Yrene notices movement in Chaol’s toes.

Nesryn visits her Uncle Brahim and Aunt Zahida again. Nesryn informs them of the attack in the library and encourages them to increase their security should her enemies from Adarlan decide to target her loved ones. They seem disappointed Sartaq has not accompanied her because they’ve heard rumors of Nesryn riding with him atop Kadara yesterday. Her Aunt Zahida muses the ruks would not fear the witches’ wyvern in Erilea.