Throne of Glass, #6
Tower of Dawn
by Sarah J. Maas
Contents
Chapter Thirty-Four
Overview
Nesryn and Sartaq are trapped inside the Watchtower of Eidolon by a terrifying kharankui, whose speed and venom make escape nearly impossible. A mysterious gray wolf saves them long enough for Kadara to destroy the spider, turning certain death into survival.
The chapter’s major revelation is that the wolf is Falkan, who has secretly followed or reached them and possesses shape-shifting abilities. This changes Falkan’s role in Nesryn and Sartaq’s journey and adds a new supernatural ally to the conflict against the Valg-linked kharankui.
Summary
The female-voiced kharankui emerges from the ceiling of the Watchtower of Eidolon, revealing herself as a monstrous spider larger than a horse. Nesryn realizes that the trapped tower has become a web with no clear exit, and the spider mocks the Fae builders for failing to account for enemies above them.
Nesryn sheaths her sword when the spider dismisses Fae weapons, then draws her bow instead. The spider advances, threatening to kill Nesryn and make Kadara scream, and Nesryn fires, but the arrow barely penetrates the spider’s armored body. Sartaq wounds one of the spider’s legs, giving Nesryn and Sartaq a brief chance to run.
The kharankui blocks their escape and prepares to strike. Sartaq moves to protect Nesryn, but a huge gray wolf suddenly attacks the spider and knocks it away. Nesryn and Sartaq seize the opening and flee up the tower stairs, racing past the traps and toward the outside.
The wolf follows, wounded, while the spider tries to ambush it from the upper stairs. Kadara dives from the sky and attacks the kharankui, ripping into the spider’s exposed body. The ruk kills and dismembers the spider while Nesryn and Sartaq recover from the fight.
As the wolf limps toward them with a deep wound, Nesryn recognizes its dark sapphire eyes. The wolf’s body shimmers and transforms into Falkan, revealing that he is a shape-shifter.
Who Appears
- Nesryn FaliqFights the kharankui, flees the tower, and recognizes Falkan after his transformation.
- SartaqWounds the spider, protects Nesryn, and escapes with her from the tower.
- KadaraSartaq’s ruk; dives from the sky and kills the kharankui.
- FalkanAppears as a giant gray wolf, saves Nesryn and Sartaq, then reveals shape-shifting.
- Kharankui spiderMonstrous Valg spider ambushes Nesryn and Sartaq before Kadara destroys her.