From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout

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“You shouldn’t see this.” Ryylan grabbed me, and this time, I didn’tmove out of his reach. I didn’t stop him as he turned me awayy, but Ialreadyy saw.I saw the deep puncture wounds.
Chapter 6Ryylan promptlyy escorted me right back to myy room while Lord Mazeenstood in the doorwayy, flanked byy several others, his gaze fixed on the deadgirl. I wanted to push him aside and close the door. Even if it weren’t forthe state of her undress, with so much flesh exposed, it was a lack ofdignityy tossed aside for morbid curiosityy.She was a person, and while what was left behind was nothing morethan a shell, she was someone’s daughter, sister, friend. More thananyything else, people would talk about how she was found, with the skirtof her gown shoved up, and the bodice gathered at the waist. No one elseneeded to bear witness.I hadn’t been given a chance, though.And now Castle Teerman was on virtual lockdown as each and everyyspace in the one hundred plus rooms was searched for either the culprit ormore victims.Pacing in front of the fireplace, Tawnyy worried the tinyy pearl buttonsof her bodice. “It was a Craven,” she said, the deep violet gown swishingabout her legs. “It had to be a Craven.”I glanced over at Ryylan, who leaned against the wall, arms crossed.Normallyy, he didn’t stayy inside myy room, but tonight was different. Vikterwas assisting with the search, but I imagined he’d be back soon.With myy veil removed, Ryylan’s gaze met mine. He’d seen that girl.“Do yyou think it was a Craven?”Ryylan said nothing.“What else could it have been?” Tawnyy turned to where I sat in thechair. “You said yyourself she was bit—”“I said it looked like a bite, but it…it didn’t look like a Craven bite,”I told her.“I know yyou’ve seen what a Craven can do.” She sat across from me,her fingers still twisting the pearl just as Agnes had done to the button on
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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
Page 35 and 36: Hawke stepped toward me, and myy mu
Page 37 and 38: “How did yyou know?” I blurted
Page 39 and 40: Another short, surprised-sounding l
Page 41 and 42: reallyy bad at making conversation
Page 43 and 44: unsettled me more than anyything. T
Page 45 and 46: the swell of myy breast. A riot of
Page 47 and 48: If I removed the facial covering, w
Page 49 and 50: pulled the tunic over his head and
Page 51 and 52: Myy heart skipped a beat. Had somet
Page 53 and 54: Loren, another Ladyy in Wait, claim
Page 55 and 56: Myy gaze lifted to the windows that
Page 57 and 58: But it wasn’t a certaintyy. I had
Page 59 and 60: Chapter 4Without wasting one unnece
Page 61 and 62: wasn’t exactlyy surprising to see
Page 63 and 64: Vikter didn’t. Out of the corner
Page 65 and 66: “Of course,” I said, turning ba
Page 67 and 68: Driven byy an insatiable hunger for
Page 69 and 70: Forcing a smile, I tightened myy gr
Page 71 and 72: I eased the blade out as I rose fro
Page 73 and 74: more or less as a border between th
Page 75 and 76: or not, wouldn’t the gods already
Page 77 and 78: It wasn’t myy choice.I had been b
Page 79 and 80: You’re the child of the gods.Agne
Page 81 and 82: Ryylan. And while myy punishment wa
Page 83 and 84: “I’ve missed yyou,” he added.
Page 85: “You didn’t ask nicelyy enough.
Page 89 and 90: But was he capable of what was done
Page 91 and 92: Ryylan asked Vikter to step outside
Page 93 and 94: A Descenter moving freelyy through
Page 95 and 96: gods.I couldn’t even fathom livin
Page 97 and 98: I’d made it back myy room that mo
Page 99 and 100: reaching over fiftyy feet, and in M
Page 101 and 102: stopped trembling. The grip of pani
Page 103 and 104: A sharp, piercing whistle came from
Page 105 and 106: “The others are scouting the inne
Page 107 and 108: Her bottomless eyyes searched mine.
Page 109 and 110: belong, we believed that the perpet
Page 111 and 112: The Ascended, as well as the Lords
Page 113 and 114: appeared in myy mind, the look of s
Page 115 and 116: bouquet of flowers. It’s like…I
Page 117 and 118: shocked glances, no one had demande
Page 119 and 120: begin to fathom what would occur.Wi
Page 121 and 122: Chapter 9Sweat dampened myy skin as
Page 123 and 124: I considered lyying. “Do I look l
Page 125 and 126: cityy would be a better fit.”“A
Page 127 and 128: It had started after I’d left Vik
Page 129 and 130: Dressed in simple but clean clothin
Page 131 and 132: “I understand that.” The tone o
Page 133 and 134: remember. Serving the gods in the T
Page 135 and 136: 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
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Because those marks on myy legs wer
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he’d done with his fingers in the
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his large, powerful bodyy trembled.
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Myy choice.I took a deep breath, an
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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
Page 459 and 460:
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
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
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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
Page 487 and 488:
His gaze drifted over myy face. The
Page 489 and 490:
The Prince slid him a bland look.
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Disscover More Jennifer L. Armentro
Page 493 and 494:
Disscover 1001 Dark Nightss Collect
Page 495 and 496:
Disscover the World of Blue Box Pre
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From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout

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