The Crown of Gilded Bones (Blood and..

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Acknowledgments from the AuthorThank you to Liz Berry, Jillian Stein, and MJ Rose, whofell in love with these characters and world as much as me.Thank you to my agent Kevan Lyon, and to Chelle Olson,Kim Guidroz, the team at Blue Box Press, Jenn Watson, andmy assistant Stephanie Brown for your hard work andsupport. Mega thanks to Hang Le for creating such beautifulcovers. A big thank you to Jen Fisher, Malissa Coy, StaceyMorgan, Lesa, JR Ward, Laura Kaye, Andrea Joan. SarahMaas, Brigid Kemmerer, KA Tucker, Tijan, Vonetta Young,Mona Awad, and many more who have helped keep me saneand laughing. Thank you to the ARC team for your supportand honest reviews, and a big thank you to JLAnders forbeing the best reader group an author can have, and theBlood and Ash Spoiler Group for making the drafting stageso fun and being utterly amazing.None of this would be possible without you, the reader.Thank you.
Table of ContentsBook DescriptionAbout Jennifer L. ArmentroutAlso from Jennifer L. ArmentroutAcknowledgments from the AuthorDedicationMapChapter OneChapter TwoChapter ThreeChapter FourChapter FiveChapter SixChapter SevenChapter EightChapter NineChapter TenChapter ElevenChapter TwelveChapter ThirteenChapter FourteenChapter FifteenChapter SixteenChapter SeventeenChapter EighteenChapter NineteenChapter TwentyChapter Twenty-OneChapter Twenty-TwoChapter Twenty-ThreeChapter Twenty-FourChapter Twenty-FiveChapter Twenty-Six
Page 3 and 4: The Crown of Gilded BonesA Blood an
Page 5 and 6: A lover and heartmate…But the gre
Page 7 and 8: Also From Jennifer L. ArmentroutCli
Page 9: Standalone NovelsObsessionFrigidSco
Page 13 and 14: DedicationDedicated to the heroes
Page 15 and 16: Chapter 1“Lower your swords,” Q
Page 17 and 18: “My Queen,” he breathed, and th
Page 19 and 20: Beckett’s broken legs—the same
Page 21 and 22: “She’s right,” Alastir uttere
Page 23 and 24: And in an instant, I could see it a
Page 25 and 26: Temple. Of the wolven, only Jasper,
Page 27 and 28: “But I didn’t touch them, Caste
Page 29 and 30: His father didn’t. “As long as
Page 31 and 32: Chapter 2Alastir Davenwell was Cast
Page 33 and 34: “Wait!” Alastir shouted, his ch
Page 35 and 36: the vibrant golden swirl across my
Page 37 and 38: jerking straight and then bowing. T
Page 39 and 40: Nothing.I felt nothing in him, Kier
Page 41 and 42: arms. Flipping the dagger in my han
Page 43 and 44: Chapter 3What a pretty little flowe
Page 45 and 46: An image of him formed in my mind,
Page 47 and 48: Nyktos himself who bestowed the pow
Page 49 and 50: “But he would’ve been greatly i
Page 51 and 52: skating over the side of a coffin.C
Page 53 and 54: Realization swept through me in a w
Page 55 and 56: “Actually, no,” he replied, sur
Page 57 and 58: Gritting my teeth against the press
Page 59 and 60: Fury burned through my chest and my
Page 61 and 62:
not have had anger-management issue
Page 63 and 64:
swore an oath to protect Atlantia a
Page 65 and 66:
inn?”He nodded as the torches fli
Page 67 and 68:
“Liar!” I shouted. “Casteel h
Page 69 and 70:
Chapter 5I couldn’t have heard hi
Page 71 and 72:
My stomach hollowed. The idea of be
Page 73 and 74:
marry your great-niece or another f
Page 75 and 76:
“Growing up among the Royals and
Page 77 and 78:
“You?” I laughed. “You want w
Page 79 and 80:
Blessed. The Maiden. And that part
Page 81 and 82:
Numbness swept through my body, dea
Page 83 and 84:
had fallen before Pompay during the
Page 85 and 86:
I forced myself to show no reaction
Page 87 and 88:
“I don’t know. Not that long,
Page 89 and 90:
“A little?” I whispered.“Okay
Page 91 and 92:
hatred. I didn’t try to stop it.
Page 93 and 94:
prepared to deliver a fatal blow. M
Page 95 and 96:
Chapter 7Stunned, I looked up, my e
Page 97 and 98:
“I’m going to fix that. I promi
Page 99 and 100:
“There you are,” he said, his c
Page 101 and 102:
“Then I will deal with what comes
Page 103 and 104:
There was only fire on my skin and
Page 105 and 106:
than all the stars in the sky.”
Page 107 and 108:
There was a warm, damp touch to my
Page 109 and 110:
eyes wouldn’t open again, but the
Page 111 and 112:
“Her eyes,” the other said as t
Page 113 and 114:
his wrist against my mouth. All tha
Page 115 and 116:
Him. I wanted him.Keeping his wrist
Page 117 and 118:
filled that gnawing, painful hollow
Page 119 and 120:
Chapter 9Casteel shuddered as he wh
Page 121 and 122:
flush to his chest, he ground his h
Page 123 and 124:
He drew back enough that his forehe
Page 125 and 126:
I dragged my thumb along his bottom
Page 127 and 128:
“No. Not that.” Well, I could f
Page 129 and 130:
doing. My eyes narrowed on the bare
Page 131:
very first time in New Haven, I thi
Page 134 and 135:
“Okay, and a little confused,”
Page 136 and 137:
the kiyou were given mortal form. N
Page 138 and 139:
physical changes. It was why Castee
Page 140 and 141:
Kieran patted my shoulder, or rathe
Page 142 and 143:
not steer you wrong, Poppy. It will
Page 144 and 145:
Chapter 11Casteel’s chest rose wi
Page 146 and 147:
I shut down the unnecessary panic s
Page 148 and 149:
I could tell. I don’t know if the
Page 150 and 151:
Alastir said that he didn’t kill
Page 152 and 153:
what his father or Alastir wanted.
Page 154 and 155:
what Casteel had been about to do,
Page 156 and 157:
I opened my mouth, then closed it,
Page 158 and 159:
scars there. “We have no idea why
Page 160 and 161:
Naill’s brows lifted as he blinke
Page 162 and 163:
you,” I muttered.A dimple appeare
Page 164 and 165:
“They were like that when we arri
Page 166 and 167:
Chapter 12Under a canopy of glitter
Page 168 and 169:
while. But that sleep hadn’t been
Page 170 and 171:
at my cool cheeks as my eyes adjust
Page 172 and 173:
landscape, thickening in the distan
Page 174 and 175:
One of the Atlantians stepped forwa
Page 176 and 177:
friend? Or did he still believe tha
Page 178 and 179:
your entire eye that is.” His hea
Page 180 and 181:
The King of Atlantia rose slowly, c
Page 182 and 183:
everything. There is nothing greate
Page 184 and 185:
always a warning of very bad things
Page 186 and 187:
“They will only know that you are
Page 188 and 189:
Was it my bloodline—the eather in
Page 190 and 191:
Casteel couldn’t even communicate
Page 192 and 193:
Alastir stared straight ahead. “I
Page 194 and 195:
Chapter 14Dawn arrived in vivid str
Page 196 and 197:
Chambers of Nyktos from the road. I
Page 198 and 199:
After he’d Ascended me into…wha
Page 200 and 201:
But how could that happen? If Caste
Page 202 and 203:
appeared frozen, and then an older
Page 204 and 205:
Just curiosity and confusion. I had
Page 206 and 207:
Chapter 15Jasper’s home sat atop
Page 208 and 209:
The male grinned, but I had a feeli
Page 210 and 211:
“You’ll get used to it,” Kier
Page 212 and 213:
the ones from when we’d first ent
Page 214 and 215:
how close I’d come to losing an e
Page 216 and 217:
my heart…and I hoped that didn’
Page 218 and 219:
“I think these straps are very im
Page 220 and 221:
me. It’s okay to not be okay when
Page 222 and 223:
get some food in us, and eventually
Page 224 and 225:
A deep, rough sound came from the b
Page 226 and 227:
deity or a goddess. Not when those
Page 228 and 229:
my breast wrung a gasp from me as h
Page 230 and 231:
had I been this exposed to him. A f
Page 232 and 233:
finger, against his mouth. The sigh
Page 234 and 235:
explain it, but it was like his uni
Page 236 and 237:
Chapter 17Upon his return, I figure
Page 238 and 239:
“Why do you like saying that word
Page 240 and 241:
“True.” His arm eased off me, a
Page 242 and 243:
My brows knitted. “All of that so
Page 244 and 245:
I tipped toward him. “I know that
Page 246 and 247:
“I’m sure you are,” I muttere
Page 248 and 249:
feed from me, or that I saw you nak
Page 250 and 251:
“What?” I didn’t know that.He
Page 252 and 253:
Atlantians. “And things that have
Page 254 and 255:
“And you think there’s somethin
Page 256 and 257:
about to ask that. “It may have h
Page 258 and 259:
Chapter 18My stomach tumbled as I s
Page 260 and 261:
concern. It was a new experience to
Page 262 and 263:
I swallowed hard as instinct demand
Page 264 and 265:
As the other creature started to re
Page 266 and 267:
then brought the dagger down, a dir
Page 268 and 269:
Where my parents died. Alastir obvi
Page 270 and 271:
The King turned to us—to me. “W
Page 272 and 273:
them to be seen and heard, they wor
Page 274 and 275:
“I think it is,” I said. “It
Page 276 and 277:
“I wouldn’t.” Casteel came to
Page 278 and 279:
“No one has spoken the name of th
Page 280 and 281:
Crown—knew that one of your paren
Page 282 and 283:
Other than his mother, as unlikely
Page 284 and 285:
sealed his lips over the tingling s
Page 286 and 287:
“Shocker,” I murmured.While Cas
Page 288 and 289:
there wasn’t much for this artist
Page 290 and 291:
There was that word again. It tugge
Page 292 and 293:
crypt and remove the bones of the d
Page 294 and 295:
“That’s because you’re both i
Page 296 and 297:
“Very few who are still alive.”
Page 298 and 299:
My mind was…well, it couldn’t e
Page 300 and 301:
It could’ve been last night, when
Page 302 and 303:
And I didn’t need to hide my scar
Page 304 and 305:
His brows lifted. “At the time, n
Page 306 and 307:
I took a shallow breath. “If the
Page 308 and 309:
I kind of was, but I wasn’t confi
Page 310 and 311:
The line of his jaw hardened. “If
Page 312 and 313:
I sat back, weighed down by the tru
Page 314 and 315:
Chapter 22“Why not?” I pitched
Page 316 and 317:
“I imagine. I don’t know for su
Page 318 and 319:
lied to you. That because of those
Page 320 and 321:
never see Ian as anything but a vam
Page 322 and 323:
He nodded. “Do you think I don’
Page 324 and 325:
asked as Casteel looked over his sh
Page 326 and 327:
one look, he picked up his pace, en
Page 328 and 329:
“But the child, Your Highness. He
Page 330 and 331:
while Kieran had gone still, all ex
Page 332:
echoed around me as a faint silver
Page 335 and 336:
My heart tripped over itself as I s
Page 337 and 338:
hedge around hundreds and hundreds
Page 339 and 340:
moments of wild abandon. That littl
Page 341 and 342:
for free. Our hands were sticky fro
Page 343 and 344:
“Remember what I told you about h
Page 345 and 346:
“You sounded like anyone saying h
Page 347 and 348:
“Not sure,” Kieran said. “Not
Page 349 and 350:
celebration of a wedding,” he exp
Page 351 and 352:
because I wanted to live. And I fou
Page 353 and 354:
skinned man also danced alone, his
Page 355 and 356:
“What?” he asked as he led me a
Page 357 and 358:
propriety there was, demanded that
Page 359 and 360:
as he trailed those fingers up the
Page 361 and 362:
our relationship was never one of r
Page 363 and 364:
He choked out a rough laugh. “You
Page 365 and 366:
Chapter 25Casteel and I had spent t
Page 367 and 368:
“Neither do I.” He tapped his f
Page 369 and 370:
pit. The gray stone patio led strai
Page 371 and 372:
My stomach dropped so fast I almost
Page 373 and 374:
your parents?”Casteel nodded. “
Page 375 and 376:
Casteel joined me, folding an arm a
Page 377 and 378:
The driver’s wide-brimmed hat obs
Page 379 and 380:
“It’s not my fault my thoughts
Page 381 and 382:
couldn’t help but notice how diff
Page 383 and 384:
grown angrier after their shock fad
Page 385 and 386:
Standing by a large window overlook
Page 387 and 388:
“I couldn’t let her die,” Cas
Page 389 and 390:
“That is correct,” he answered.
Page 391 and 392:
respectfully off your tongue. But w
Page 393 and 394:
quickly. “I should’ve said this
Page 395 and 396:
“My wife is far humbler than I am
Page 397 and 398:
deity and an Atlantian had abilitie
Page 399 and 400:
imagined him being able to accompli
Page 401 and 402:
I focused on taking deep, even brea
Page 403 and 404:
fault either. You were trying to fi
Page 405 and 406:
“That was some four hundred years
Page 407 and 408:
“I…” My stomach tumbled some
Page 409 and 410:
“It is possible,” Kieran began,
Page 411 and 412:
flesh-eating butterflies were in my
Page 413 and 414:
“There was supposedly another bef
Page 415 and 416:
several centuries ago, around the t
Page 417 and 418:
Penellaphe. He was a deity—the mo
Page 419 and 420:
I nodded. “He planned to use me a
Page 421 and 422:
eyes as I glanced at her. Her lips
Page 423 and 424:
Telling her that I hoped so probabl
Page 425 and 426:
will go after every Ascended. There
Page 427 and 428:
“I would say that doesn’t sound
Page 429 and 430:
“And millions could die,” she a
Page 431 and 432:
“It’s not that I don’t want t
Page 433 and 434:
morning and could then take as many
Page 435 and 436:
Chapter 30I was moving before I rea
Page 437 and 438:
Skotos Mountains and descend upon S
Page 439 and 440:
protected in case any in Spessa’s
Page 441 and 442:
Atlantia, but my brother was more i
Page 443 and 444:
things, I gave him a quick rundown.
Page 445 and 446:
Chapter 31As we left Saion’s Cove
Page 447 and 448:
wave of awareness. None of us was s
Page 449 and 450:
ago, when Casteel and I had finally
Page 451 and 452:
“You know I will never stop you f
Page 453 and 454:
being a trap. Like I said, they kno
Page 455 and 456:
A dimple appeared in his right chee
Page 457 and 458:
intensity, stealing my breath. My e
Page 459 and 460:
Vonetta arrived shortly after, her
Page 461 and 462:
her. “This stress is the last thi
Page 463 and 464:
“Thank you for explaining,” I s
Page 465 and 466:
Lifting my chin, I heard myself spe
Page 467 and 468:
storm brewing beside me. “Alone.
Page 469 and 470:
he’d barely spoken of his wife, a
Page 471 and 472:
Relief warred with disappointment s
Page 473 and 474:
Nova frowned from where she stood b
Page 475 and 476:
I nodded in agreement. “Are you f
Page 477 and 478:
We stopped on the edge of the midni
Page 479 and 480:
good Queen, but I want to make thin
Page 481 and 482:
“Are you going to cry?”“I don
Page 483 and 484:
Heart pounding, I stared into the d
Page 485 and 486:
slumbered and that my blood would h
Page 487 and 488:
Sitting in between Casteel and Kier
Page 489 and 490:
“No.” Surprisingly, I wasn’t.
Page 491 and 492:
I looked down, running my finger ov
Page 493 and 494:
by nudging the mare with his nose a
Page 495 and 496:
signified that there were still Uns
Page 497 and 498:
My flesh sparked.Silvery-white embe
Page 499 and 500:
Chapter 35“It could’ve been som
Page 501 and 502:
you looked, strips surrounding the
Page 503 and 504:
Needless to say, I was grateful for
Page 505 and 506:
“For once, that bitch spoke the t
Page 507 and 508:
been. I was surprised to hear that
Page 509 and 510:
coated the inside of my mouth. Perr
Page 511 and 512:
Although this was the Temple, a wic
Page 513 and 514:
golden, shining bone. I hadn’t se
Page 515 and 516:
Chapter 36Eloana unclasped her hand
Page 517 and 518:
A tremor coursed through me. I reac
Page 519 and 520:
throughout Evaemon that their new K
Page 521 and 522:
kindness and strength, and to lead
Page 523 and 524:
manager—or the magician of the pa
Page 525 and 526:
Taking my hand, we walked forward u
Page 527 and 528:
“As you were,” Casteel issued w
Page 529 and 530:
That throaty, smoky voice stopped m
Page 531 and 532:
take seats at the table but took tw
Page 533 and 534:
paid dearly for their sins.” My g
Page 535 and 536:
bay,” Casteel said, making it cle
Page 537 and 538:
my Queen? The plan isn’t set in s
Page 539 and 540:
Chapter 38After Willa’s unsettlin
Page 541 and 542:
shoulder to the door. “And I knew
Page 543 and 544:
Hisa stood at the doors. The Elders
Page 545 and 546:
A laugh bubbled up, but I managed t
Page 547 and 548:
Casteel choked on what sounded an a
Page 549 and 550:
And there were many indecent things
Page 551 and 552:
neither Ian nor I really celebrated
Page 553 and 554:
“Whatever.” I bit down on my li
Page 555 and 556:
brother to me and that there is no
Page 557 and 558:
“Nyktos is protected by guards,
Page 559 and 560:
I shuddered.“Sorry.” Casteel ge
Page 561 and 562:
morning—”“Is that what you tw
Page 563 and 564:
“What is in this book? I have a f
Page 565 and 566:
grasped his sister’s hand, pullin
Page 567 and 568:
I exhaled roughly, looking over my
Page 569 and 570:
“I’m assuming that didn’t hap
Page 571 and 572:
Free from whatever hole it had lite
Page 573 and 574:
surface. Silvery-white light crowde
Page 575 and 576:
back with dirt. The landscape was o
Page 577 and 578:
“You all are staring at diamonds,
Page 579 and 580:
full of intelligence, it awed me. I
Page 581 and 582:
show your gratitude. Should I kill
Page 583 and 584:
Drawing in a shallow breath, I nodd
Page 585 and 586:
decades.”I didn’t touch the gla
Page 587 and 588:
to even process what that could mea
Page 589 and 590:
Chapter 42You always had the power
Page 591 and 592:
for me to learn how to lead an army
Page 593 and 594:
day in the halls as I’d left to e
Page 595 and 596:
wanted him to marry would have to b
Page 597 and 598:
“Good.” I met her gaze, smiling
Page 599 and 600:
“I have to agree,” Hisa spoke u
Page 601 and 602:
The way those two words rolled off
Page 603 and 604:
started, “it might help if you st
Page 605 and 606:
faster, pulling the shirt up and ov
Page 607 and 608:
Pulse pounding, I scanned the page.
Page 609 and 610:
I drew his blood into me, struck fi
Page 611 and 612:
‘Cas.’ Or my mother calling me
Page 613 and 614:
His gaze swept over me, lingering o
Page 615 and 616:
Atlantia. The group that had travel
Page 617 and 618:
crates are loaded, you will take th
Page 619 and 620:
“I suppose I was sleeping,” Cas
Page 621 and 622:
Casteel chuckled. “That won’t b
Page 623 and 624:
station guards in these tunnels jus
Page 625 and 626:
to his lower half. The sharp defini
Page 627 and 628:
She was no servant. If the clothing
Page 629 and 630:
“You’re going to let me go?”
Page 631 and 632:
stationed in front of each one. Sev
Page 633 and 634:
thick, cold slush. I looked past th
Page 635 and 636:
Chapter 45“What a happy reunion,
Page 637 and 638:
Ian said nothing.Queen Ileana tugge
Page 639 and 640:
“But I suppose it could be consid
Page 641 and 642:
if you thought that any of us would
Page 643 and 644:
smiled as she drew a thumb across t
Page 645 and 646:
“What about their heads?” Caste
Page 647 and 648:
podium. It was then when I realized
Page 649 and 650:
this entire time that Queen Ileana
Page 651 and 652:
that I was the same.” Her eyes we
Page 653 and 654:
“All of this for revenge?” I wh
Page 655 and 656:
“I’m not making you do anything
Page 657 and 658:
Her dark eyes glistened with tears
Page 659 and 660:
I dug at my throat, panic blossomin
Page 661 and 662:
darkness staining the rose color of
Page 663 and 664:
colliding with the world around me.
Page 665 and 666:
Innocent.Behind her, people scatter
Page 667 and 668:
“You’re wrong. I stopped,” I
Page 669 and 670:
My gaze lowered to my hand. I turne
Page 671 and 672:
I looked down at my hands—at the
Page 673 and 674:
Chapter 48I stalked through the pal
Page 675 and 676:
before Nyktos and told him that he
Page 677 and 678:
Eloana rose, collapsing onto the se
Page 679 and 680:
I lifted my left hand, showing her
Page 681 and 682:
“I know.” I curled my fingers a
Page 683 and 684:
they send had better be fit to rece
Page 685 and 686:
their parents were en route to Evae
Page 687 and 688:
“And?” he queried quietly. “Y
Page 689 and 690:
Casteel…he had been right.Nektas
Page 691 and 692:
My breath caught, burning my throat
Page 693 and 694:
material, though. Colder weather ha
Page 695 and 696:
Led by Valyn and the Guardians, the
Page 697 and 698:
mortal form. If things went the way
Page 699 and 700:
Slowly, the King turned his head to
Page 701 and 702:
on to his arm, not letting him get
Page 703 and 704:
now. And if she kills Casteel? If a
Page 705 and 706:
the one thing he wants more than an
Page 707 and 708:
Sign up for the Blue Box Press/1001
Page 709 and 710:
TREASURED by Lexi BlakeA Masters an
Page 711 and 712:
On Behalf of Blue Box Press,Liz Ber
Page 713:
Chapter 32Chapter 33Chapter 34Chapt
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