The Crown of Gilded Bones (Blood and..

but a black void and the sound of screaming wind. The force
blew my braid back and tugged at my tunic.
“Rude,” I muttered, nearly choking on the scent of stale
lilacs.
Black, oily smoke spilled from the skeleton’s mouth,
thickening and solidifying as it poured to the ground,
forming thick ropes that slithered forward—
“Oh, my gods!” I shrieked. “Not ropes! Not ropes!
Snakes!”
“Holy shit,” Delano gasped as Casteel shoved his sword
through the back of the screaming skeleton. “That is so not
right.”
“I regret the decision to join you all,” Emil announced. “I
regret this decision very much.”
Snakes. Gods. I hated snakes. Bile rose in my throat as I
danced out of the way of the serpents. My scream built in
my throat as several of the other skeletons howled. More
black smoke followed. More snakes.
Twisting, I shoved my dagger into a soldier’s chest. I
would have to table what I was seeing and deal with the
lifetime of nightmares later.
Casteel took out a soldier as he slammed his boot down
on a snake. The smoke-serpent flattened into an oily stain,
turning my stomach.
I’d also have to vomit about that later.
“Poppy.” His head jerked up. “I know you said you didn’t
think you should use the eather, but I really think now would
be a good time to go full deity on these fuckers.”
“Second that,” Vonetta called as she kicked a serpent
away from her. It landed near her brother, who shot her a
dirty look.
I had to agree as I thrust my dagger into the chest of a
soldier. The freaking smoke serpents outweighed whatever
risks using the eather in Iliseeum introduced. I sheathed my
daggers. Focusing on the hum in my chest, I let it come to
the surface of my skin. No, I realized. I summoned it to the