The Crown of Gilded Bones (Blood and..

nodded at Hisa and the other guard. The striking image of
Arden rushing off and biting the Lord’s leg filled my mind,
and I smothered a giggle at the ridiculousness. Arden’s head
swung to me, and then he looked at the one who remained.
Remembering the female wolven, I turned back to her.
“I’m sorry. I thought you were with him.”
“Oh, gods, no, meyaah Liessa. We just happened to
enter the hall at the same time,” she said, and I grinned at
the shamelessness of her response. “I was actually looking
for someone I hadn’t seen in a while.”
“Who? Perhaps I could help you locate them?”
Her smile faded a bit, and unease returned. “You
probably can. I was looking for Kieran.”
Surprised, my brows lifted. “He is with his sister. I think
they were in…” I frowned, going through the many different
doors and rooms in my head. “One of the five hundred
thousand rooms here. Sorry.”
The wolven laughed. “It’s okay.” She looked up and
around, taking in the vaulted ceilings and skylights. “This
place is a lot to get used to.”
“That it is.” My curiosity took over. “I don’t think we’ve
met.”
“We haven’t. I was in Aegea with my family when you
and Cas—you and the King—were crowned,” she said, and I
zeroed in on her words. She’d either almost called him by
his first name or his nickname, which wasn’t all that
surprising since she was looking for Kieran. If she was
friends with one, I was sure she was friends with the other.
“And if we’d met, I’m sure you would remember.”
Her nervousness itched at the back of my throat,
stroking my wariness. “What do you mean by that?”
The wolven’s shoulder’s leveled. “My name is Gianna
Davenwell.”
I inhaled sharply. Her unease made sense now on
several levels. I swallowed as my gaze swept over her
features again. Of course, the one Casteel’s father had