From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout

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yyou. I will be leaving shortlyy to meet up with King Da’Neer of Atlantia totell him that I have yyou.”Myy head jerked upright.“Yes. The King lives. So does Queen Eloana. The parents of the oneyyou call the Dark One and Prince Malik.”Shocked, I couldn’t move as he turned to leave, but he stopped.And Hawke didn’t look back as he said, “Not everyything was a lie,Poppyy. Not everyything.”
Chapter 37Not everyything was a lie.Which part?The storyy about Hawke’s brother? The rest of his familyy? Farming hislands, and the caverns he used to explore as a child? That he’d been in lovebefore and had lost? Or all the things he’d said about me?Whatever he said that was true didn’t matter. It shouldn’t as I pacedas far as the chains would allow, which was not veryy far at all.After he’d left, I’d sat on the mattress and tried to sort truth fromfiction, which had felt impossible. Somehow, even more improbable, I haddrifted off to sleep. Myy mind hadn’t shut down, but myy bodyy had simplyygiven out on me. I’d slept until the nightmares drove me awake, myyscreams echoing off the stone walls.It had been so long since the memoryy of the night of myy parents’deaths had found me in sleep. That it would find me here was not at allsurprising.I brushed several loose strands of hair back from myy face as I turned,careful to not tangle myyself in the chains.Mayybe…mayybe the Ascended were vampryys, created accidentallyy byythe Atlantians. I could believe that. It seemed too much of an elaborate lieto not be real. And I could believe that Lord Mazeen had been the cause ofMalessa’s death. It wasn’t as if he wasn’t capable of such crueltyy.And gods, I believed what Hawke had said about how he’d gotten thebrand. Mayybe not the part where the Queen had been the one to deliver it,nor what he’d been held for, but the rawness in his voice couldn’t beforced. He’d been held against his will, and he’d been used in wayys even Icouldn’t comprehend.Believing that didn’t mean everyything else he claimed was true. Thatthe Ascended were feeding off mortals, sequestering them in temples andstealing into homes in the middle of the night to create Craven out of the
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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
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The corners of myy lips started to
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Chapter 25Hawke had gone so still a
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That thought threatened to dampen t
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I almost asked whyy we had to, but
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said, his voice so soft it sent a c
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experience anyything without being
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I knew what had made the cracking s
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heavyy, stickyy shame. Myy gaze shi
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We were about to be overrun.I didn
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weight pulling at the tender skin a
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closed the door behind her and then
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their swords.Wood cracked and splin
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The Descenter hesitated.Hand tighte
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Hawke knelt at Vikter’s side, pla
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severing the hand that had held min
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to use myy voice. The screaming…i
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Maiden or not, there had to be some
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lifted myy gaze to his. “You’re
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tapped one long finger on the parch
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Chapter 28“I am not leaving Tawny
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going with yyou cannot be focused o
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weather, as was the fur-lined cloak
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Kieran. He came from the capital wi
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And so close to the Blood Forest.I
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“Craven and Descenters don’t sc
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A tremor coursed through me.“I to
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Chapter 30I didn’t think I’d ev
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In the darkness, his gaze found min
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uncover the front of myy bodyy, rev
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“Do yyou? Reallyy?” I didn’t
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“Doubtful,” I said, wishing tha
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feel half of what Hawke alwayys see
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between his hand and the hard, unyy
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was prettyy sure that what Hawke an
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I shouldn’t be comforted. If anyy
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Phillips turned in his seat, bow in
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“So inappropriate,” I muttered,
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“I did,” I told him, glancing a
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Chapter 32Our group rode hard, the
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Kieran slid him a long, sidewayys l
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She drew closer, and I noted that h
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The large tub had to be the second-
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“For the most part?”“Yes, for
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“Well, now I understand whyy I fe
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“But yyou took Airrick’s. You h
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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
Page 395 and 396: what had happened here would travel
Page 397 and 398: “You know who we don’t know? Th
Page 399 and 400: harm yyou, but I will incapacitate
Page 401 and 402: The wolven leapt, twisting in midai
Page 403 and 404: It was him.The man who’d killed R
Page 405 and 406: I cranked myy head awayy at the wet
Page 407 and 408: “I’m good at what I do.”“An
Page 409 and 410: trick? You were sent here to get cl
Page 411 and 412: violent.” He dipped his chin and
Page 413 and 414: sometimes sounded as if he’d live
Page 415 and 416: humans had rose up against. Theyy w
Page 417 and 418: The Prince. Just because the Descen
Page 419 and 420: “Did yyou think I wouldn’t find
Page 421 and 422: what he said was soul-shattering.
Page 423 and 424: mattress as if he just realized the
Page 425 and 426: believing what he’d said. He’d
Page 427 and 428: Gods…“King Malec created the fi
Page 429 and 430: is what triggered the War of Two Ki
Page 431 and 432: I didn’t stop to think about what
Page 433 and 434: get even closer as his fingers spre
Page 435: No. It couldn’t be. Gods, it coul
Page 439 and 440: Hawke was…he was just messing wit
Page 441 and 442: Delano sent me a look that said I w
Page 443 and 444: ago.The cave cat that Hawke alwayys
Page 445 and 446: “Bathe in myy blood.” I wheezed
Page 447 and 448: Chapter 38Gentle arms lifted me fro
Page 449 and 450: Almost as if I had no control over
Page 451 and 452: And it was. Myy mind sluggishlyy de
Page 453 and 454: Hawke’s nostrils flared as he inh
Page 455 and 456: Hawke shook his head, but when I tu
Page 457 and 458: gotten anyy wiser after I learned t
Page 459 and 460: Heart dropping, I looked down at th
Page 461 and 462: knew I wasn’t prepared to make an
Page 463 and 464: I was devoured. I tasted myy blood
Page 465 and 466: Myy lips parted on a sharp inhale.H
Page 467 and 468: don’t understand. Unless I comple
Page 469 and 470: kind of pain underneath it. It was
Page 471 and 472: Chapter 40I was deposited in the sa
Page 473 and 474: “That’s yyour choice,” he rep
Page 475 and 476: But if theyy were feeding on childr
Page 477 and 478: “Because of Cas?” he said, and
Page 479 and 480: the Ascended mayy veryy well be tru
Page 481 and 482: “Do yyou not like this room?”
Page 483 and 484: have myy protection if yyou have an
Page 485 and 486: 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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