The Crown of Gilded Bones (Blood and..

“What?” Casteel dragged his soap-covered hands over
his face and then through his hair.
It took me a moment to pull my thoughts together. “I
was told that my parents left Carsodonia because they
wanted a quieter life. But that was a lie. They discovered
the truth, or they always knew what the Ascended were
doing and decided they could no longer be a part of it,” I
said, hating to even speak those words. “He also claimed
that my mother was this Handmaiden, trained to fight.” I
hurried over to the stool, grabbing a smaller towel like the
one Kieran had used as Casteel dipped his head, washing
his face, and then ran the water through his hair. “That
could be true, or it could also be a lie. But what if Alastir
spoke the truth? What if someone else was there and led
the Craven to the inn?”
I handed Casteel the towel as I said, “I…I have these
memories of that night,” I said, glancing at Kieran. He’d
donned a black tunic. “I know I heard Alastir’s voice—I heard
him talking to my father. But I…I’ve dreamt of someone in a
dark cloak. Someone else could’ve been there, and Alastir
didn’t make it sound like it was someone who had anything
to do with him. What if…what if that Craven attack had
nothing to do with Alastir or the Unseen?”
“You’re thinking the Ascended may have had something
to do with it?” Kieran asked from the doorway. “But if they
knew what you were, they would want you to stay alive.”
“Agreed.” Casteel dragged the towel over his chest and
face. “Luring the Craven to the inn would’ve been too much
of a risk. Those creatures cannot be controlled by anyone.”
“And all that hinges on whether or not the Ascended
knew what I was before my parents left—before I was
attacked. I still don’t know that for sure,” I said. “Alastir
never confirmed that.”
Casteel rubbed the towel through his hair. “But if they
did know, that would mean that the Ascended—the Blood