The Crown of Gilded Bones (Blood and..

and the true heir of Atlantia—Penellaphe Balfour Da’Neer,
the Queen of Flesh and Fire.”
I jolted, my heart stuttering. There was silence, acute
and so intimidating—
Howls came from behind, startling me. Long, keening
calls that were answered throughout the city. Below and
farther out, men and women, the old and young in mortal
form, answered in deep, throaty howls ending in highpitched
whoops.
Then a loud thump came from the yard. A man had
slammed his foot into the dirt. The woman beside him
followed, and then another and another, just like the day I’d
arrived in Saion’s Cove. But these were not just wolven.
They were Atlantian and mortal, their feet pounding the dirt,
and their fists striking stone, the sound reverberating
through the yard, the streets, the balconies, and from the
terraces. Many were on their knees, slamming their hands
down.
“This…this is good, right?” I asked.
“They’re sending a message,” Eloana said from behind
us.
“What kind?”
Casteel smiled down at me. “That they are yours. And
that, if need be, they will go to war for you.”
War was what we were trying to prevent, but…I
supposed their willingness was good to know. “You mean
that they are ours.”
His smile grew, but he didn’t answer.
The slamming of fists and feet ceased, and silence fell
around us. Tiny hairs rose all over my body as I slowly
looked out at the city. Tens of thousands of heads were lifted
now, watching us—or me—expectantly.
Casteel squeezed my hand. “They are waiting for your
response.”
My response? “I have a feeling that a thank you would
not suffice.”