The Crown of Gilded Bones (Blood and..

Casteel was quiet for a moment and then turned to
Kieran and Naill. “Did I ever tell you guys about that time I
discovered Poppy perched outside a window, clutching a
book to her chest?”
My eyes narrowed as Naill said, “No, but I have a lot of
questions.”
“Cas,” I started.
He shot me a slow smile of warning. “She had this book
—it’s her favorite. She even brought it with her when we left
Masadonia.”
“I did not,” I stated.
“She’s embarrassed about it,” he went on, “because it’s
a sex book. And not just any sex book. It’s full of all kinds of
dirty and unimaginable—”
I snapped forward, punching him in the stomach.
“Fuck,” Casteel doubled over with a grunt as Naill let out
a low whistle. “Gods.”
I crossed my arms. “Happy now?”
“Yeah,” he exhaled raggedly. “I will be once I can
breathe again.”
I rolled my eyes.
“Damn.” Casteel looked up at me, his eyes slightly wide.
“You are…strong.”
“Told you,” Kieran commented. “I told you she was
strong.”
A memory of Kieran telling Casteel that after I’d tried to
eat him flashed. My stomach dropped as my arms loosened
and fell to my sides. “You think I’ve gotten stronger?”
“Think?” Casteel laughed. “I know. You’ve always been
able to hit hard, but that was something else.”
“I actually didn’t hit you as hard as I could,” I said.
He stared at me. “Well, damn.”
“Do not ask me to hit you again. I’m not going to do it,”
I told him.
A slow smile crept over his face, and I tasted…lush
spice against my tongue. “There is something so wrong with