whats going on during the cavern fight as aelin and dorian fight each other while invisible to everyone else
“It’s nasty business. But I don’t fault you for forgetting, Dayne; it’s just… you forgot the wrong things. Let me help you out. Maybe if you forget what’s not important, you’ll come home. Maybe then, you’ll actually fulfill your oath and make things right.”
Aelin’s eyes turn deadly as she understands the meaning behind Dorian’s words — what he intends to do. To Dayne.
Dayne, who protects them with every fiber in his being. Protects her.
She looks up at Dayne, exchanging a knowing glance with him, before reaching for the vial in her pocket and pressing it to her lips, draining the glistening liquid.
The last thing Dayne sees is the flash of purple eyes before she vanishes into black mist.
Aelin looks back to where Dorian stands, expecting him to be caught unawares, but… he’s staring directly at her. She watches as his body seems to shimmer with the same black mist, about to turn invisible, but… she still sees him.
An invisible duel.
“Two can play at that game,” Dorian says as he saunters towards her.
His hands reach for his dagger, and she watches as the blade dances across his fingers, flipping over in a smooth, practiced rhythm. Like this is all just a game to him.
“Long time no see, Aelin. But not long enough.” He seems to smirk under his mask as the butterfly knife comes to a halt, snapping to a point as red hot electricity flows along the blade.
Aelin’s eyes flick across the cavern. She has to think quickly — gain some sort of advantage over him.
She moves fast, ducking behind one of the tree-like crystalline formations, and braces her back against its jagged surface. The cool surface of the crystal and its radiating mana ground her as she formulates her next move.
“You really think hiding is going to help you? It’s just you and me, Aelin,” she hears, his voice traveling closer.
She steadies her breath, raising her shortbow and nocking an arrow to the string.
In one swift movement, she feints to the right, only to pivot and roll around to the left, emerging from the opposite side of the crystal structure. The moment her bow clears the crystal, she releases the arrow.
It finds its mark, embedding in Dorian’s left shoulder before he can react. A sharp intake of breath escapes from under his mask as he grunts. He’s hurt.
After the cell, after being chained and tortured and humiliated by him… that’s the sound Aelin has been needing to hear.