The Crown of Gilded Bones (Blood and..

for free. Our hands were sticky from the cinnamon pastries
we had been given a few blocks from the florist, in front of a
shop that smelled like all things sugar and was painted to
match the dewy grass. And there was a smile plastered to
my face that not even the brief bursts of distrust radiating
on and off throughout the afternoon could erase. I only
seemed to sense the cautious emotion from the mortal
inhabitants and a few of the Atlantians with graying hair.
Those were few and far between. Otherwise, all I felt was
curiosity and surprise. No one, not even those who bowed
with a sense of wariness, was rude or threatening. That
could’ve been because of Casteel, Kieran, and the wolven. It
could’ve also been the Guards of the Crown, dressed in
white that we spotted shortly before picking up the flower,
their presence evidence that Casteel’s parents knew we
moved about the city.
Or it could’ve been what they had heard about me—
about what I was capable of.
Either way, I honestly couldn’t give a fig. I was enjoying
myself despite the unanswered questions, the shadow of
the Unseen lingering over us, what I’d done for the girl in
the garden, and everything that needed to be decided and
done.
When Casteel had asked if I wanted to take a walk
through the city, I’d hesitated. We needed to speak with his
parents. Not only did we owe them that, but there was also
the possibility that they held some of the answers to the
questions we had. But Casteel had kissed me and said, “We
have tomorrow, Poppy, and we have right now. You get to
decide how you want to spend it.”
I wanted those answers. I wanted to somehow ensure
that his parents didn’t…well, think I was a threat. But with
my muscles still lax and my blood still warm from those
wicked moments in the alcove, I’d decided I wanted to
spend right now exploring. Enjoying myself. Living.
And so, that was what we did.