The Crown of Gilded Bones (Blood and..

Drawing in a shallow breath, I nodded and then turned,
following the King of Gods. He stood before the open doors,
extending a hand toward the shadowy interior. Hoping I
walked back out, I entered.
“Make sure they behave, Nektas,” the god requested.
I turned to see Casteel and the others rise while the
draken thumped its tail off the diamond-strewn ground. The
doors closed without sound, and I was suddenly alone with
the King of Gods. Whatever idiotic bravery had invaded me
earlier quickly vanished as Nyktos said nothing and simply
stared at me. I did what I hadn’t allowed since I first saw
him. I opened my senses, letting them stretch—
“I wouldn’t do that.”
I sucked in a startled breath.
“It would be very unwise.” Nyktos dipped his chin. His
eyes burned a bright silver. “And very impolite.”
Air tightened in my throat as I wrangled my senses back
in. My gaze quickly flicked around, looking for another exit
without turning my back to him. There was nothing but
black walls and sconces. But who was I kidding? I knew
running would do no good.
Nyktos moved then, striding forward. I tensed, and a
smile appeared. “Minding your manners now?”
“Yes,” I whispered.
He chuckled, and the sound…it was like the wind on a
warm day. “Bravery is a fleeting beast, isn’t it? Always there
to get you into trouble, but quick to disappear once you’re
where you want to be.”
No truer words had ever been spoken.
The scent of sandalwood brushed over me as he passed.
I turned, finally seeing the rest of the chamber. Two large
doors were closed. Winding shadowstone staircases rose on
either side.
“Sit,” he offered, gesturing to the two white chairs in the
center of the chamber. A round table sat between them—a
table made of bone. On top sat a bottle and two glasses.