From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout

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The strangest urge to giggle hit me, but there wasn’t anyything funnyyabout what we were about to do.We were going to spend the night here, inside the Blood Forest, wherethe Craven roamed.
Chapter 30I didn’t think I’d ever been this cold before.The bedroll did nothing to stop the chill from seeping up from theground, and the blanket, as heavyy as the fur was, couldn’t fight back theiciness in the air. Myy fingers felt like ice cubes inside myy gloves, and noamount of shivering warmed myy skin.It had to be at least twentyy degrees cooler at night inside the BloodForest, and I imagined if it rained, it would turn to snow here.For the last twentyy or so minutes, I’d tried to will myyself asleep.Because if I were unconscious, I wouldn’t be so worried about turning intoa chunk of ice. But everyy crunch of grass and stir of wind had myy handgoing to the dagger stowed under the bag I was using for a pillow. Betweenthe cold, the possibilityy of free-roaming barrats, and the threat of a Cravenattack, there was no wayy I was getting anyy asleep tonight. I didn’t knowhow anyyone would. I’d barelyy been able to eat anyy of the food during ourquick, quiet supper.Four guards slept. Four guards stood watch several yyards awayy, one ateach corner of the camp. Hawke had been speaking to one of them, butnow he was striding toward me. A tinyy part of me thought I should pretendto be asleep, but I had a feeling he’d know.Stopping in front of me, Hawke knelt. “You’re cold.”“I’m fine,” I muttered, teeth chattering.A moment later, I felt his ungloved fingers brush myy cheek. I tensed.“Correction. You’re freezing.”“I’ll warm up.” I hoped. “Eventuallyy.”He let his hand dangle between his knees. “You’re not used to thiskind of cold, Poppyy.”“And yyou are?”“You have no idea what I’m used to.”
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From Blood and AshA Blood and Ash N
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About Jennifer L. Armentrout# 1 New
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Stone Cold TouchEveryy Last BreathT
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Acknowledgmentss from the AuthorLau
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Sign up for the Blue Box Press/1001
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Chapter Twentyy-NineChapter Thirtyy
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Chapter 1“Theyy found Finleyy thi
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Onlyy the Ascended were called Ladi
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Moving between the tables, I took t
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spoke with masked women, men, and a
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There was even a part of me that wo
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“Just dancing?” Her gaze drifte
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Myy gaze sharpened and zeroed in on
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“That’s enough,” I cut her of
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Chapter 2Caught off guard, I looked
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anguish that seemed to follow him l
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Hawke stepped toward me, and myy mu
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“How did yyou know?” I blurted
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Another short, surprised-sounding l
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reallyy bad at making conversation
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unsettled me more than anyything. T
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the swell of myy breast. A riot of
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If I removed the facial covering, w
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pulled the tunic over his head and
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Myy heart skipped a beat. Had somet
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Loren, another Ladyy in Wait, claim
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Myy gaze lifted to the windows that
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But it wasn’t a certaintyy. I had
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Chapter 4Without wasting one unnece
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wasn’t exactlyy surprising to see
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Vikter didn’t. Out of the corner
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“Of course,” I said, turning ba
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Driven byy an insatiable hunger for
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Forcing a smile, I tightened myy gr
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I eased the blade out as I rose fro
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more or less as a border between th
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or not, wouldn’t the gods already
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It wasn’t myy choice.I had been b
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You’re the child of the gods.Agne
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Ryylan. And while myy punishment wa
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“I’ve missed yyou,” he added.
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“You didn’t ask nicelyy enough.
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Chapter 6Ryylan promptlyy escorted
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But was he capable of what was done
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Ryylan asked Vikter to step outside
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A Descenter moving freelyy through
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gods.I couldn’t even fathom livin
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I’d made it back myy room that mo
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reaching over fiftyy feet, and in M
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stopped trembling. The grip of pani
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A sharp, piercing whistle came from
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“The others are scouting the inne
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Her bottomless eyyes searched mine.
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belong, we believed that the perpet
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The Ascended, as well as the Lords
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appeared in myy mind, the look of s
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bouquet of flowers. It’s like…I
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shocked glances, no one had demande
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begin to fathom what would occur.Wi
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Chapter 9Sweat dampened myy skin as
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I considered lyying. “Do I look l
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cityy would be a better fit.”“A
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It had started after I’d left Vik
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Dressed in simple but clean clothin
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“I understand that.” The tone o
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remember. Serving the gods in the T
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was beginning to feel unnatural whe
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blooming roses. Air catching in myy
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“Again,” the Duke added after a
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whollyy pleased and not at all forc
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I wasn’t sure what it was about m
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With my sword and with my life, I v
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“I know. I know. It’s forbidden
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“Although, he might not have reco
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Hawke.It was strange to glance over
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Or do yyou…?” Pressing a hand t
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He stood with feet shoulder-width a
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Surprise flickered across both her
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involved, but I would have to know
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about the Red Pearl? Myy stomach dr
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Myy breath hitched, and onlyy byy t
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Chapter 13Cold to myy veryy core, I
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The tips of his fingers pressed int
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I opened myy mouth and then closed
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Ascension. Apparentlyy, I’ve been
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He almost sounded like he believed
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“Did he break yyour skin?” he d
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Three dozen torches blazed beyyond
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I pulled myy hand awayy. I wasn’t
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Dozens of fieryy arrows shot into t
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pillows—”“Please tell me yyou
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exaggerated the killing me part, I
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Chapter 15And now, theyy swarmed th
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A round of fieryy arrows lifted onc
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I glanced behind him, searching for
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How had he…? Myy gaze flicked to
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Chapter 16The dagger. Damn it. I’
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“Well, besides what we went over
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A small measure of unease crawled a
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Slipping through the old servants
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Chapter 17The blood had been wiped
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“Seriouslyy,” I confirmed. “I
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“Of course.” I shifted myy gaze
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He tipped forward again, lowering h
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room, but I hadn’t wanted to leav
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against the Crown.”His gaze flick
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inch. Myy opening appeared, and I s
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I hugged him tighter.He patted me a
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their decisions and are turning to
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“This is perhaps the least calmin
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His and Her Grace stepped back from
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often, beliefs like that could easi
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I made a mental note to remember ex
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rather know now if it was myy gift
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and connect with nothing but vast e
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Chapter 20“‘After years of dest
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realize I asked for yyour thoughts,
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almost as if it wanted to be used.
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I started to tell him that he was b
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I frowned, not even sure I wanted t
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lush greeneryy or because it was so
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his brother to cause that kind of r
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thinking I was inside. Vikter was
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something for me. If so, that would
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The meaning was clear. If there was
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I flushed as I tried to pull awayy.
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Chapter 22Myy heart was pounding so
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“And that was how yyou escaped ab
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“I will if yyou read it for me. I
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“‘The things the man did with h
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“Come on.” Tawnyy caught myy ha
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curious to see me. Didn’t that me
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The hairs on the back of myy neck r
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“It’s nothing.” Myy thoughts
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“It’s not,” I said. “Whatev
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attention, and that was a shame bec
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Myy attention shifted as the Duches
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I felt Hawke step closer before he
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“It used to be a place of refuge,
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Chapter 24“That sounds like fault
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I nodded.“It took me a veryy long
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He nodded. “Never saw one until I
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I had no words. He was still holdin
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Tawnyy had once said about not bein
Page 293 and 294: The corners of myy lips started to
Page 295 and 296: Chapter 25Hawke had gone so still a
Page 297 and 298: That thought threatened to dampen t
Page 299 and 300: I almost asked whyy we had to, but
Page 301 and 302: said, his voice so soft it sent a c
Page 303 and 304: experience anyything without being
Page 305 and 306: I knew what had made the cracking s
Page 307 and 308: heavyy, stickyy shame. Myy gaze shi
Page 309 and 310: We were about to be overrun.I didn
Page 311 and 312: weight pulling at the tender skin a
Page 313 and 314: closed the door behind her and then
Page 315 and 316: their swords.Wood cracked and splin
Page 317 and 318: The Descenter hesitated.Hand tighte
Page 319 and 320: Hawke knelt at Vikter’s side, pla
Page 321 and 322: severing the hand that had held min
Page 323 and 324: to use myy voice. The screaming…i
Page 325 and 326: Maiden or not, there had to be some
Page 327 and 328: lifted myy gaze to his. “You’re
Page 329 and 330: tapped one long finger on the parch
Page 331 and 332: Chapter 28“I am not leaving Tawny
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Page 335 and 336: weather, as was the fur-lined cloak
Page 337 and 338: Kieran. He came from the capital wi
Page 339 and 340: And so close to the Blood Forest.I
Page 341 and 342: “Craven and Descenters don’t sc
Page 343: A tremor coursed through me.“I to
Page 347 and 348: In the darkness, his gaze found min
Page 349 and 350: uncover the front of myy bodyy, rev
Page 351 and 352: “Do yyou? Reallyy?” I didn’t
Page 353 and 354: “Doubtful,” I said, wishing tha
Page 355 and 356: feel half of what Hawke alwayys see
Page 357 and 358: between his hand and the hard, unyy
Page 359 and 360: was prettyy sure that what Hawke an
Page 361 and 362: I shouldn’t be comforted. If anyy
Page 363 and 364: Phillips turned in his seat, bow in
Page 365 and 366: “So inappropriate,” I muttered,
Page 367 and 368: “I did,” I told him, glancing a
Page 369 and 370: Chapter 32Our group rode hard, the
Page 371 and 372: Kieran slid him a long, sidewayys l
Page 373 and 374: She drew closer, and I noted that h
Page 375 and 376: The large tub had to be the second-
Page 377 and 378: “For the most part?”“Yes, for
Page 379 and 380: “Well, now I understand whyy I fe
Page 381 and 382: “But yyou took Airrick’s. You h
Page 383 and 384: Chapter 33Hawke didn’t respond, a
Page 385 and 386: Because those marks on myy legs wer
Page 387 and 388: he’d done with his fingers in the
Page 389 and 390: his large, powerful bodyy trembled.
Page 391 and 392: Myy choice.I took a deep breath, an
Page 393 and 394: Chapter 34Some hours later, a noise
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what had happened here would travel
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“You know who we don’t know? Th
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harm yyou, but I will incapacitate
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The wolven leapt, twisting in midai
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It was him.The man who’d killed R
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I cranked myy head awayy at the wet
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“I’m good at what I do.”“An
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trick? You were sent here to get cl
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violent.” He dipped his chin and
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sometimes sounded as if he’d live
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humans had rose up against. Theyy w
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The Prince. Just because the Descen
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“Did yyou think I wouldn’t find
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what he said was soul-shattering.
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mattress as if he just realized the
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believing what he’d said. He’d
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Gods…“King Malec created the fi
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is what triggered the War of Two Ki
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I didn’t stop to think about what
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get even closer as his fingers spre
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No. It couldn’t be. Gods, it coul
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Chapter 37Not everyything was a lie
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Hawke was…he was just messing wit
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Delano sent me a look that said I w
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ago.The cave cat that Hawke alwayys
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“Bathe in myy blood.” I wheezed
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Chapter 38Gentle arms lifted me fro
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Almost as if I had no control over
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And it was. Myy mind sluggishlyy de
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Hawke’s nostrils flared as he inh
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Hawke shook his head, but when I tu
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gotten anyy wiser after I learned t
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Heart dropping, I looked down at th
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knew I wasn’t prepared to make an
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I was devoured. I tasted myy blood
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Myy lips parted on a sharp inhale.H
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don’t understand. Unless I comple
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kind of pain underneath it. It was
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Chapter 40I was deposited in the sa
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“That’s yyour choice,” he rep
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But if theyy were feeding on childr
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“Because of Cas?” he said, and
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the Ascended mayy veryy well be tru
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“Do yyou not like this room?”
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have myy protection if yyou have an
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Delano and Naill, oddlyy relieved t
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His gaze drifted over myy face. The
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The Prince slid him a bland look.
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Disscover More Jennifer L. Armentro
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Disscover 1001 Dark Nightss Collect
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Disscover the World of Blue Box Pre
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