The Crown of Gilded Bones (Blood and..

“We’re committed,” Casteel advised as the rush of hot
anger joined my irritation. “Very.”
“I do not doubt that,” his father drawled. “I think one
would have to be blind to not notice that.”
I thought of the way Casteel had kissed me in front of
his father, and my cheeks warmed. “Is that all Alastir said?”
I asked. “Did he know that I was a descendant of the
deities?”
“Alastir told us who you were and what you could do,”
Queen Eloana acknowledged. “We knew what that meant.
No average mortal with Atlantian blood could have those
abilities. Any of us who is old enough to remember the
deities would’ve known—though maybe not at first. No one
would even be thinking of that. But at some point, Alastir
became aware of your heritage and realized who you were.”
“But you knew the moment you saw me,” I said,
remembering the look on her face as if I had seen it
yesterday. “Alastir told you that it wasn’t too late.”
“Because he knew what it meant for the Crown, as did I
when I saw you—saw how you radiated light. I knew what
you were,” she told us. “I didn’t understand what he meant
in the Chambers when he said it wasn’t too late, but after
becoming aware of his plans, I imagine he believed we’d
support what he hoped to accomplish.”
“Which was to hand me over to the Ascended so they
could kill me?” I said, suppressing the shudder that rose at
how close he’d come to succeeding. “Just like those in the
Chambers who attacked me before you all arrived. I tried to
stop them—”
“Tried?” King Valyn said with an incredulous laugh that
reminded me so much of Casteel. “I would say you
succeeded, Maiden.”
Casteel’s head snapped toward his father, tension
stiffening his broad shoulders. “Her name is Penellaphe. And
if you get my wife’s permission, you may call her that. If not,
then you may call her Princess. Whatever rolls more