The Crown of Gilded Bones (Blood and..

“They will only know that you are neither vampry nor
mortal. What they feel will not tell them what occurred,” he
explained, and that was definitely a comfort to know. But
what about the trees of Aios? That must have alerted the
people of Atlantia that something had happened. “Am I free
to go, then?” he asked of his son, and I couldn’t determine if
that was a serious question or not.
Casteel nodded. Kieran and the others tracked the King
as he walked toward us, stopping a few feet away as he
stared at his son. Neither of them spoke. I wasn’t naïve
enough to believe that no damage had been done to their
relationship, even though I wished that wasn’t the case. I
only hoped it was repairable.
King Valyn’s gaze shifted to mine. “I am sorry for what
was done to you when you arrived and what has happened
since. This is not who Atlantia is. Neither Eloana nor I would
have allowed something like this to happen if we’d known
what Alastir had planned,” he told me as empathy pushed
through the walls he’d built, reaching me. “And I also know
that my apology does very little to change or rectify what
has happened—what could have been the outcome of such
treachery and evil. And that is what Alastir and those who
conspired with him have committed.”
I nodded. “It’s…” I stopped myself before telling him it
was okay. Because it wasn’t—none of this was. So, all I could
do was nod once more.
King Valyn turned to his son. “I can only assume what
you plan to do with Alastir and the others who are held
below, but I want your assurance that he will not survive the
night. If he does, he will be executed in the morning,” he
told Casteel. “And while the crown still sits upon my head, it
is an order I will personally ensure is carried out.”
While I was glad he didn’t demand leniency for Alastir,
the part about the crown sent a wave of anxiety through
me. I knew what he meant without him having to say it