The Crown of Gilded Bones (Blood and..

caught as he curled his arm around my waist, drawing me
hard against his chest. The heat of his body quickly seeped
through our shirts. It was like no one else was in the garden
as he lowered his mouth to mine—surely not his father,
because the kiss was fierce and deep, making my heart
race.
When Casteel’s mouth left mine, my breath came out in
short pants. He pressed his forehead against mine, holding
me tightly. His voice was rich and smoky as he asked, “How
many of them did you kill?”
“A few,” I answered, curling my free hand into the front
of his shirt.
His lips brushed my ear. “A few?”
“A decent amount,” I amended.
Casteel kissed my cheek. “That’s my girl.”
A throat cleared, and I suspected it had come from
Casteel’s father. My cheeks heated and then caught fire as
Kieran said, “You have no one to blame but yourself for
Cas’s inability to remember that he isn’t alone.”
King Valyn chuckled roughly. “Good point.”
Casteel kissed the center of my forehead. “You okay?”
“Yes. You?”
“Always.”
I smiled faintly at that, but it quickly faded. I wiggled
free of Casteel’s embrace and turned to the wall, scanning
the entire length of it.
Dammit, the wall was empty.
“He’s gone,” I bit out.
“Who?” Casteel asked.
Frustration burned through me. “There was a man with
these things. He knew about Lockswood.”
“Lockswood?” Casteel’s father echoed.
“It’s near Niel Valley in Solis.” I twisted toward Casteel.
He’d gone unnaturally still, and I could sense his throbbing
anger. “The inn my parents stopped at for the night—the
one the Craven attacked—was in the village of Lockswood.