The Crown of Gilded Bones (Blood and..

slumbered and that my blood would help us enter
unharmed.
But during dinner, we didn’t talk about any of that, even
though everyone present knew what was about to happen.
Instead, Kirha and Jasper had entertained us with stories
about their children and Casteel when they were younger—
much to their annoyance and reluctant amusement. I didn’t
think I’d ever laughed as much as I had that night. And
later, when Casteel and I were alone, I didn’t think it was
possible to be loved more thoroughly than I was.
I held onto those two things as we left Saion’s Cove
early the next morning, dressed in buttery-soft black
leggings and a matching, quarter-length-sleeve tunic that
hugged my chest and then flared at the hips. I’d grinned
when I saw that she’d left a slit in the right side for me to
easily reach my dagger. Jasper remained behind with Kirha,
and I was pleasantly surprised to learn that Vonetta would
travel with us to Evaemon. I had expected her to stay with
her parents or return to Spessa’s End, but she’d said that
she wanted to see Casteel’s and my coronation.
She wasn’t the only one.
Dozens of wolven traveled with us, many that I hadn’t
met yet, and a few, like Lyra, that I was just getting to know.
Emil and Naill were also with us, and listening to those two
bicker about everything from the best-tasting whiskey to
whether a sword or an arrow was a better weapon was quite
entertaining. All were alert, though, just in case the Unseen
made an appearance.
The content feeling kept everything at bay, as did my
continuous practice with speaking to the wolven through
their imprints. Even the nightmare that, if true, possibly
confirmed what Alastir had claimed.
That he hadn’t killed my parents.
I couldn’t focus on that as we traveled north through
Atlantia. There would be time later to deal with that
possibility, but if I’d learned anything in the last several