The Crown of Gilded Bones (Blood and..

Chapter 33
“Well…” Jasper drew out the word from where he sat in
one of the closed-off rooms beyond the Great Hall of the
fortress. Delano and Lyra were trailing the Ascended to
make sure they left, but the rest of us were here. “That was
unexpected.”
I almost laughed, but I didn’t think that was appropriate.
I was already wearing a path in the stone floor, pacing the
length of the room. I couldn’t sit. Not with how my mind was
racing. Not with my emotions all over the place, bouncing
from sorrow to hope to disbelief.
Ian was still in there.
For him to say what he had, he had to be. And I…I
could’ve stabbed him. My stomach roiled and then lurched.
Ian was still in there. Good gods, I wanted to shout with joy
and also sink to my knees and sob because that meant he
was himself while surrounded by Ascended. What he must
deal with. I couldn’t let myself think about that. He was
smart and clever. Obviously, he was stronger than I ever
realized for him to survive as he had.
But the implications of Ian remaining himself? Being
able to put on a convincing act to survive so young in his
Ascension? There could be others—many more.
“What do you think he meant by Nyktos’s guards?” I
asked.
“That, I am not sure.” Casteel watched me from where
he sat. “It would be hard to imagine that his guards would
leave him.”