The Crown of Gilded Bones (Blood and..

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deeply into me. My back arched as I kicked my head back,his name a hoarse shout on my lips. He rolled into me,grinding his hips against my rear.I cried out, and a word snuck out, a demand thatscalded my cheeks. “Harder.”“Harder?”“Yes.” I curled my upper body around, reaching backand clasping his hips. “Please.”“Fuck,” he growled, and I felt him jerk deep inside me. “Ilove you.”There was no chance to tell him the same. He forced anarm under me, curling it just below my breasts. His chestcame down on my back, his weight supported by the armpropped by my head. Then he gave me what I wanted,thrusting into me hard.Casteel was relentless, his body pounding against mine.We became twin flames, burning bright and uncontrollable,lost to the fire. It was a welcomed madness, the frenzy inour blood and our bodies, and it went beyond sex andfinding pleasure. It was all about us taking and giving fromone another, falling and letting go together, being sweptaway in trembling waves of rippling pleasure.But when the tremors subsided and Casteel eased usonto our sides, my promise to him returned like a vengefulghost, there to warn me that I might not be able to keep it.Casteel and I dressed as the last traces of sunlightslipped over the floor, both of us donning the extra blacktunics I’d packed. I did manage to eat some of the roastedchicken that had been delivered to the room, and we wereable to freshen up. I took my time smoothing my hair into abraid.
Vonetta arrived shortly after, her striking features tense.“They’re here.”
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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
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your parents?”Casteel nodded. “
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Casteel joined me, folding an arm a
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The driver’s wide-brimmed hat obs
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“It’s not my fault my thoughts
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couldn’t help but notice how diff
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grown angrier after their shock fad
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Standing by a large window overlook
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“I couldn’t let her die,” Cas
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“That is correct,” he answered.
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respectfully off your tongue. But w
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quickly. “I should’ve said this
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“My wife is far humbler than I am
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deity and an Atlantian had abilitie
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imagined him being able to accompli
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I focused on taking deep, even brea
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fault either. You were trying to fi
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“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 and 424: Telling her that I hoped so probabl
Page 425 and 426: will go after every Ascended. There
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
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Page 435 and 436: Chapter 30I was moving before I rea
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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: intensity, stealing my breath. My e
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
Page 475 and 476: I nodded in agreement. “Are you f
Page 477 and 478: We stopped on the edge of the midni
Page 479 and 480: good Queen, but I want to make thin
Page 481 and 482: “Are you going to cry?”“I don
Page 483 and 484: Heart pounding, I stared into the d
Page 485 and 486: slumbered and that my blood would h
Page 487 and 488: Sitting in between Casteel and Kier
Page 489 and 490: “No.” Surprisingly, I wasn’t.
Page 491 and 492: I looked down, running my finger ov
Page 493 and 494: by nudging the mare with his nose a
Page 495 and 496: signified that there were still Uns
Page 497 and 498: My flesh sparked.Silvery-white embe
Page 499 and 500: Chapter 35“It could’ve been som
Page 501 and 502: you looked, strips surrounding the
Page 503 and 504: Needless to say, I was grateful for
Page 505 and 506: “For once, that bitch spoke the t
Page 507 and 508: 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
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Taking my hand, we walked forward u
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“As you were,” Casteel issued w
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That throaty, smoky voice stopped m
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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
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my Queen? The plan isn’t set in s
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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
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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
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neither Ian nor I really celebrated
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“Whatever.” I bit down on my li
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brother to me and that there is no
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“Nyktos is protected by guards,
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I shuddered.“Sorry.” Casteel ge
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morning—”“Is that what you tw
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“What is in this book? I have a f
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grasped his sister’s hand, pullin
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I exhaled roughly, looking over my
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“I’m assuming that didn’t hap
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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
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“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
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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
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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
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“Good.” I met her gaze, smiling
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“I have to agree,” Hisa spoke u
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The way those two words rolled off
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started, “it might help if you st
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faster, pulling the shirt up and ov
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Pulse pounding, I scanned the page.
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I drew his blood into me, struck fi
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‘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
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“I suppose I was sleeping,” Cas
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Casteel chuckled. “That won’t b
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station guards in these tunnels jus
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to his lower half. The sharp defini
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She was no servant. If the clothing
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“You’re going to let me go?”
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stationed in front of each one. Sev
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thick, cold slush. I looked past th
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Chapter 45“What a happy reunion,
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Ian said nothing.Queen Ileana tugge
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“But I suppose it could be consid
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if you thought that any of us would
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smiled as she drew a thumb across t
Page 645 and 646:
“What about their heads?” Caste
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podium. It was then when I realized
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this entire time that Queen Ileana
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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
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I dug at my throat, panic blossomin
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darkness staining the rose color of
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colliding with the world around me.
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Innocent.Behind her, people scatter
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“You’re wrong. I stopped,” I
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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
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before Nyktos and told him that he
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Eloana rose, collapsing onto the se
Page 679 and 680:
I lifted my left hand, showing her
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“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
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On Behalf of Blue Box Press,Liz Ber
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Chapter 32Chapter 33Chapter 34Chapt
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