The Crown of Gilded Bones (Blood and..

slick sword until it stopped a mere inch from Alastir’s neck.
He’d severed their heads. All of them except Alastir. In a few
heartbeats.
I sucked in the breath that seemed to leave Alastir’s
body. The wolven was so still that it was like he was made of
stone.
“You betrayed your King and Queen,” Casteel said, his
voice showing no emotion. And I…I felt nothing from him as
he held the blood-soaked edge of the sword to Alastir’s
neck. “You betrayed me, and you betrayed Atlantia. But
none of those are the worst of your sins.”
Alastir turned his head just enough to look up at
Casteel. “I did—”
“The unthinkable,” Casteel said.
“The prophecy—”
“Is utter bullshit,” Casteel snarled.
Alastir was silent only for a few moments. “I am sorry
for the pain I have caused you, Casteel. I had to do it. She
had to be dealt with. I hope you will understand that
someday.”
A tremor coursed through Casteel as I felt his temper
rise, hot as the molten ore used to forge steel. For a
moment, I thought that Casteel would do it. That he would
end Alastir’s life right there. And, honestly, I wouldn’t have
held it against him. If Alastir had done this to Casteel, I
wouldn’t be able to stop myself.
But Casteel did.
With awe-inspiring self-control, he pulled the sword
away from Alastir’s neck and lowered it, slowly using the
tunic Alastir wore to wipe the weapon clean.
The insult heightened the color on Alastir’s cheeks.
“You are responsible for the years of nightmares that
have plagued Poppy, aren’t you?” Casteel asked as he
finished cleaning his sword. “And then you befriended her.
Looked her in the eyes and smiled at her, all the while
knowing that you left her to die a horrific death.”