The Crown of Gilded Bones (Blood and..

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questioning raise of his brows. “I’m sorry,” I said,smothering a giggle. “It’s just that Casteel would argue thatlogic isn’t one of my strong suits.”There was a faint curve of her lips. “That doesn’tsurprise me. Most men wouldn’t know logic if it smackedthem in the face.”This time, my laugh was a lot softer, partly due to herresponse and Kieran’s reactive frown.“But because you do appear to be logical, even whenemotions are involved, I feel that I can be blunt,” shecontinued, and my humor shriveled up. “And that I canadmit that I did have yet another agenda for speaking withyou privately. My husband wants to go to war with theAscended—with Solis. There are many who wish the same.”“The…the Council of Elders?”A shadow flickered across her face. “Most of them wantto see Solis destroyed. The Lords and Ladies of Atlantia?Very many of them, as well. It’s more than just what hasbeen done to our sons. It is what has been done over andover to Atlantia. They want blood.”Casteel had said as much. “I can understand that.”“You said inside that you wanted to bring death anddestruction to Solis,” she pointed out, and I shivered despitethe warmth. “Valyn was probably pleased to hear that hemay have a supporter in you, but I don’t believe youunderstand what that truly means or what has alreadybegun.”I flattened my hands in my lap. “What has alreadybegun?”“Casteel hasn’t been home to see that we’ve beentraining our armies daily outside of Evaemon, nor does heknow that we have already moved a sizable unit to thenorthern foothills of the Skotos Mountains,” she told me,and I sensed Kieran’s cool surprise even from where hestood. “I’m sure he’s being told this now or will be shortly,but we are already on the line of war. And if we cross it, we
will go after every Ascended. There will be no chances forthem to prove they can control their bloodlust, that they canrule without tyranny and oppression.” Her steady gaze heldmine as I stiffened. “Your brother? Ian? Your friend youspoke of? If either proves to be what you hope, they will stillbe destroyed along with the rest. All will be killed.”
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The Crown of Gilded BonesA Blood an
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A lover and heartmate…But the gre
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Also From Jennifer L. ArmentroutCli
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Standalone NovelsObsessionFrigidSco
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Table of ContentsBook DescriptionAb
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DedicationDedicated to the heroes
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Chapter 1“Lower your swords,” Q
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“My Queen,” he breathed, and th
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Beckett’s broken legs—the same
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“She’s right,” Alastir uttere
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And in an instant, I could see it a
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Temple. Of the wolven, only Jasper,
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“But I didn’t touch them, Caste
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His father didn’t. “As long as
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Chapter 2Alastir Davenwell was Cast
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“Wait!” Alastir shouted, his ch
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the vibrant golden swirl across my
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jerking straight and then bowing. T
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Nothing.I felt nothing in him, Kier
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arms. Flipping the dagger in my han
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Chapter 3What a pretty little flowe
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An image of him formed in my mind,
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Nyktos himself who bestowed the pow
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“But he would’ve been greatly i
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skating over the side of a coffin.C
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Realization swept through me in a w
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“Actually, no,” he replied, sur
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Gritting my teeth against the press
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Fury burned through my chest and my
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not have had anger-management issue
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swore an oath to protect Atlantia a
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inn?”He nodded as the torches fli
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“Liar!” I shouted. “Casteel h
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Chapter 5I couldn’t have heard hi
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My stomach hollowed. The idea of be
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marry your great-niece or another f
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“Growing up among the Royals and
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“You?” I laughed. “You want w
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Blessed. The Maiden. And that part
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Numbness swept through my body, dea
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had fallen before Pompay during the
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I forced myself to show no reaction
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“I don’t know. Not that long,
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“A little?” I whispered.“Okay
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hatred. I didn’t try to stop it.
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prepared to deliver a fatal blow. M
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Chapter 7Stunned, I looked up, my e
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“I’m going to fix that. I promi
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“There you are,” he said, his c
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“Then I will deal with what comes
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There was only fire on my skin and
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than all the stars in the sky.”
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There was a warm, damp touch to my
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eyes wouldn’t open again, but the
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“Her eyes,” the other said as t
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his wrist against my mouth. All tha
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Him. I wanted him.Keeping his wrist
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filled that gnawing, painful hollow
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Chapter 9Casteel shuddered as he wh
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flush to his chest, he ground his h
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He drew back enough that his forehe
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I dragged my thumb along his bottom
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“No. Not that.” Well, I could f
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doing. My eyes narrowed on the bare
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very first time in New Haven, I thi
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“Okay, and a little confused,”
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the kiyou were given mortal form. N
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physical changes. It was why Castee
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Kieran patted my shoulder, or rathe
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not steer you wrong, Poppy. It will
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Chapter 11Casteel’s chest rose wi
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I shut down the unnecessary panic s
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I could tell. I don’t know if the
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Alastir said that he didn’t kill
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what his father or Alastir wanted.
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what Casteel had been about to do,
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I opened my mouth, then closed it,
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scars there. “We have no idea why
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Naill’s brows lifted as he blinke
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you,” I muttered.A dimple appeare
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“They were like that when we arri
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Chapter 12Under a canopy of glitter
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while. But that sleep hadn’t been
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at my cool cheeks as my eyes adjust
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landscape, thickening in the distan
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One of the Atlantians stepped forwa
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friend? Or did he still believe tha
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your entire eye that is.” His hea
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The King of Atlantia rose slowly, c
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everything. There is nothing greate
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always a warning of very bad things
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“They will only know that you are
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Was it my bloodline—the eather in
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Casteel couldn’t even communicate
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Alastir stared straight ahead. “I
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Chapter 14Dawn arrived in vivid str
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Chambers of Nyktos from the road. I
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After he’d Ascended me into…wha
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But how could that happen? If Caste
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appeared frozen, and then an older
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Just curiosity and confusion. I had
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Chapter 15Jasper’s home sat atop
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The male grinned, but I had a feeli
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“You’ll get used to it,” Kier
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the ones from when we’d first ent
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how close I’d come to losing an e
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my heart…and I hoped that didn’
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“I think these straps are very im
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me. It’s okay to not be okay when
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get some food in us, and eventually
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A deep, rough sound came from the b
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deity or a goddess. Not when those
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my breast wrung a gasp from me as h
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had I been this exposed to him. A f
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finger, against his mouth. The sigh
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explain it, but it was like his uni
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Chapter 17Upon his return, I figure
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“Why do you like saying that word
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“True.” His arm eased off me, a
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My brows knitted. “All of that so
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I tipped toward him. “I know that
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“I’m sure you are,” I muttere
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feed from me, or that I saw you nak
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“What?” I didn’t know that.He
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Atlantians. “And things that have
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“And you think there’s somethin
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about to ask that. “It may have h
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Chapter 18My stomach tumbled as I s
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concern. It was a new experience to
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I swallowed hard as instinct demand
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As the other creature started to re
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then brought the dagger down, a dir
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Where my parents died. Alastir obvi
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The King turned to us—to me. “W
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them to be seen and heard, they wor
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“I think it is,” I said. “It
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“I wouldn’t.” Casteel came to
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“No one has spoken the name of th
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Crown—knew that one of your paren
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Other than his mother, as unlikely
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sealed his lips over the tingling s
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“Shocker,” I murmured.While Cas
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there wasn’t much for this artist
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There was that word again. It tugge
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crypt and remove the bones of the d
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“That’s because you’re both i
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“Very few who are still alive.”
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My mind was…well, it couldn’t e
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It could’ve been last night, when
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And I didn’t need to hide my scar
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His brows lifted. “At the time, n
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I took a shallow breath. “If the
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I kind of was, but I wasn’t confi
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The line of his jaw hardened. “If
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I sat back, weighed down by the tru
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Chapter 22“Why not?” I pitched
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“I imagine. I don’t know for su
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lied to you. That because of those
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never see Ian as anything but a vam
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He nodded. “Do you think I don’
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asked as Casteel looked over his sh
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one look, he picked up his pace, en
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“But the child, Your Highness. He
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while Kieran had gone still, all ex
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echoed around me as a faint silver
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My heart tripped over itself as I s
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hedge around hundreds and hundreds
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moments of wild abandon. That littl
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for free. Our hands were sticky fro
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“Remember what I told you about h
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“You sounded like anyone saying h
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“Not sure,” Kieran said. “Not
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celebration of a wedding,” he exp
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because I wanted to live. And I fou
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skinned man also danced alone, his
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“What?” he asked as he led me a
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propriety there was, demanded that
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as he trailed those fingers up the
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our relationship was never one of r
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He choked out a rough laugh. “You
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Chapter 25Casteel and I had spent t
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“Neither do I.” He tapped his f
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pit. The gray stone patio led strai
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My stomach dropped so fast I almost
Page 373 and 374: your parents?”Casteel nodded. “
Page 375 and 376: Casteel joined me, folding an arm a
Page 377 and 378: The driver’s wide-brimmed hat obs
Page 379 and 380: “It’s not my fault my thoughts
Page 381 and 382: couldn’t help but notice how diff
Page 383 and 384: grown angrier after their shock fad
Page 385 and 386: Standing by a large window overlook
Page 387 and 388: “I couldn’t let her die,” Cas
Page 389 and 390: “That is correct,” he answered.
Page 391 and 392: respectfully off your tongue. But w
Page 393 and 394: quickly. “I should’ve said this
Page 395 and 396: “My wife is far humbler than I am
Page 397 and 398: deity and an Atlantian had abilitie
Page 399 and 400: imagined him being able to accompli
Page 401 and 402: I focused on taking deep, even brea
Page 403 and 404: fault either. You were trying to fi
Page 405 and 406: “That was some four hundred years
Page 407 and 408: “I…” My stomach tumbled some
Page 409 and 410: “It is possible,” Kieran began,
Page 411 and 412: flesh-eating butterflies were in my
Page 413 and 414: “There was supposedly another bef
Page 415 and 416: several centuries ago, around the t
Page 417 and 418: Penellaphe. He was a deity—the mo
Page 419 and 420: I nodded. “He planned to use me a
Page 421 and 422: eyes as I glanced at her. Her lips
Page 423: Telling her that I hoped so probabl
Page 427 and 428: “I would say that doesn’t sound
Page 429 and 430: “And millions could die,” she a
Page 431 and 432: “It’s not that I don’t want t
Page 433 and 434: morning and could then take as many
Page 435 and 436: Chapter 30I was moving before I rea
Page 437 and 438: Skotos Mountains and descend upon S
Page 439 and 440: protected in case any in Spessa’s
Page 441 and 442: Atlantia, but my brother was more i
Page 443 and 444: things, I gave him a quick rundown.
Page 445 and 446: Chapter 31As we left Saion’s Cove
Page 447 and 448: wave of awareness. None of us was s
Page 449 and 450: ago, when Casteel and I had finally
Page 451 and 452: “You know I will never stop you f
Page 453 and 454: being a trap. Like I said, they kno
Page 455 and 456: A dimple appeared in his right chee
Page 457 and 458: intensity, stealing my breath. My e
Page 459 and 460: Vonetta arrived shortly after, her
Page 461 and 462: her. “This stress is the last thi
Page 463 and 464: “Thank you for explaining,” I s
Page 465 and 466: Lifting my chin, I heard myself spe
Page 467 and 468: storm brewing beside me. “Alone.
Page 469 and 470: he’d barely spoken of his wife, a
Page 471 and 472: Relief warred with disappointment s
Page 473 and 474: Nova frowned from where she stood b
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I nodded in agreement. “Are you f
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We stopped on the edge of the midni
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good Queen, but I want to make thin
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“Are you going to cry?”“I don
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Heart pounding, I stared into the d
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slumbered and that my blood would h
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Sitting in between Casteel and Kier
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“No.” Surprisingly, I wasn’t.
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I looked down, running my finger ov
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by nudging the mare with his nose a
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signified that there were still Uns
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My flesh sparked.Silvery-white embe
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Chapter 35“It could’ve been som
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you looked, strips surrounding the
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Needless to say, I was grateful for
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“For once, that bitch spoke the t
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been. I was surprised to hear that
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coated the inside of my mouth. Perr
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Although this was the Temple, a wic
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golden, shining bone. I hadn’t se
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Chapter 36Eloana unclasped her hand
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A tremor coursed through me. I reac
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throughout Evaemon that their new K
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kindness and strength, and to lead
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manager—or the magician of the pa
Page 525 and 526:
Taking my hand, we walked forward u
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“As you were,” Casteel issued w
Page 529 and 530:
That throaty, smoky voice stopped m
Page 531 and 532:
take seats at the table but took tw
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paid dearly for their sins.” My g
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bay,” Casteel said, making it cle
Page 537 and 538:
my Queen? The plan isn’t set in s
Page 539 and 540:
Chapter 38After Willa’s unsettlin
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shoulder to the door. “And I knew
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Hisa stood at the doors. The Elders
Page 545 and 546:
A laugh bubbled up, but I managed t
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Casteel choked on what sounded an a
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And there were many indecent things
Page 551 and 552:
neither Ian nor I really celebrated
Page 553 and 554:
“Whatever.” I bit down on my li
Page 555 and 556:
brother to me and that there is no
Page 557 and 558:
“Nyktos is protected by guards,
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I shuddered.“Sorry.” Casteel ge
Page 561 and 562:
morning—”“Is that what you tw
Page 563 and 564:
“What is in this book? I have a f
Page 565 and 566:
grasped his sister’s hand, pullin
Page 567 and 568:
I exhaled roughly, looking over my
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“I’m assuming that didn’t hap
Page 571 and 572:
Free from whatever hole it had lite
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surface. Silvery-white light crowde
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back with dirt. The landscape was o
Page 577 and 578:
“You all are staring at diamonds,
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full of intelligence, it awed me. I
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show your gratitude. Should I kill
Page 583 and 584:
Drawing in a shallow breath, I nodd
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decades.”I didn’t touch the gla
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to even process what that could mea
Page 589 and 590:
Chapter 42You always had the power
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for me to learn how to lead an army
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day in the halls as I’d left to e
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wanted him to marry would have to b
Page 597 and 598:
“Good.” I met her gaze, smiling
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“I have to agree,” Hisa spoke u
Page 601 and 602:
The way those two words rolled off
Page 603 and 604:
started, “it might help if you st
Page 605 and 606:
faster, pulling the shirt up and ov
Page 607 and 608:
Pulse pounding, I scanned the page.
Page 609 and 610:
I drew his blood into me, struck fi
Page 611 and 612:
‘Cas.’ Or my mother calling me
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His gaze swept over me, lingering o
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Atlantia. The group that had travel
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crates are loaded, you will take th
Page 619 and 620:
“I suppose I was sleeping,” Cas
Page 621 and 622:
Casteel chuckled. “That won’t b
Page 623 and 624:
station guards in these tunnels jus
Page 625 and 626:
to his lower half. The sharp defini
Page 627 and 628:
She was no servant. If the clothing
Page 629 and 630:
“You’re going to let me go?”
Page 631 and 632:
stationed in front of each one. Sev
Page 633 and 634:
thick, cold slush. I looked past th
Page 635 and 636:
Chapter 45“What a happy reunion,
Page 637 and 638:
Ian said nothing.Queen Ileana tugge
Page 639 and 640:
“But I suppose it could be consid
Page 641 and 642:
if you thought that any of us would
Page 643 and 644:
smiled as she drew a thumb across t
Page 645 and 646:
“What about their heads?” Caste
Page 647 and 648:
podium. It was then when I realized
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this entire time that Queen Ileana
Page 651 and 652:
that I was the same.” Her eyes we
Page 653 and 654:
“All of this for revenge?” I wh
Page 655 and 656:
“I’m not making you do anything
Page 657 and 658:
Her dark eyes glistened with tears
Page 659 and 660:
I dug at my throat, panic blossomin
Page 661 and 662:
darkness staining the rose color of
Page 663 and 664:
colliding with the world around me.
Page 665 and 666:
Innocent.Behind her, people scatter
Page 667 and 668:
“You’re wrong. I stopped,” I
Page 669 and 670:
My gaze lowered to my hand. I turne
Page 671 and 672:
I looked down at my hands—at the
Page 673 and 674:
Chapter 48I stalked through the pal
Page 675 and 676:
before Nyktos and told him that he
Page 677 and 678:
Eloana rose, collapsing onto the se
Page 679 and 680:
I lifted my left hand, showing her
Page 681 and 682:
“I know.” I curled my fingers a
Page 683 and 684:
they send had better be fit to rece
Page 685 and 686:
their parents were en route to Evae
Page 687 and 688:
“And?” he queried quietly. “Y
Page 689 and 690:
Casteel…he had been right.Nektas
Page 691 and 692:
My breath caught, burning my throat
Page 693 and 694:
material, though. Colder weather ha
Page 695 and 696:
Led by Valyn and the Guardians, the
Page 697 and 698:
mortal form. If things went the way
Page 699 and 700:
Slowly, the King turned his head to
Page 701 and 702:
on to his arm, not letting him get
Page 703 and 704:
now. And if she kills Casteel? If a
Page 705 and 706:
the one thing he wants more than an
Page 707 and 708:
Sign up for the Blue Box Press/1001
Page 709 and 710:
TREASURED by Lexi BlakeA Masters an
Page 711 and 712:
On Behalf of Blue Box Press,Liz Ber
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Chapter 32Chapter 33Chapter 34Chapt
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