The Crown of Gilded Bones (Blood and..

“What?” I didn’t know that.
He nodded. “He was able to take the shape of a wolf—a
white one. You haven’t seen much of Atlantia, but when you
do, you will see paintings and statues of Nyktos. He’s often
depicted with a wolf either at his side or behind him. When
the wolf is behind him, it symbolizes the shape he can take,
and when the wolf is beside him, it represents the offer he
made to the kiyou.”
I let that sink in, and of course, my mind went to one
place. “And yet I can’t shift into anything.”
“You’re really hung up on that, aren’t you?”
“Maybe,” I muttered. “Anyway, did some of the kiyou
refuse?”
Kieran nodded. “Some did because they did not trust
the god, and others simply wanted to remain as they were.
The ones who took his offer were given mortal form and
became wolven. We were here before an Atlantian ever
was.”
It made me wonder why a wolven didn’t rule then,
especially considering that they were viewed as equal to the
elemental Atlantians and the deities. Were other wolven in
positions of power like Jasper? Like…Alastir had been? “Has
a wolven ever wanted to rule Atlantia?”
“I’m sure some had the desire to, but that pack instinct
from our ancestors remains inside of us. We prefer to watch
over our packs to this day. A kingdom is not a pack, but
several wolven are Lords and Ladies and oversee smaller
cities and villages,” he told me, shifting onto his side and
resting his weight on an elbow so we were facing each
other. “The Lords or Ladies in Atlantia are often land or
business owners. They’re not all from an elemental line.
Some are wolven, some are half-mortal, and others are
changelings. They aid in ruling alongside the Queen and
King. There are no Dukes or Duchesses, nor do titles
necessarily stay within families. If land or a business is sold,
the title and its responsibilities transfer with it.”