The Crown of Gilded Bones (Blood and..

A sickness I now knew stemmed from the Ascended’s
blood hunger.
I wasn’t the only one who stared at the poor souls. They
also caught Kieran’s and Delano’s attention. The wolven’s
dismay and suspicion clouded the already stifling streets.
Casteel and I ditched our hats but kept our hoods up as
we reached the inner parts of the city, while Delano and
Kieran left their cloaks behind for whoever needed them.
Dressed in all black and equipped with bloodstone short
swords, they looked like any guard one would see in a city
within the Kingdom of Solis.
The difference between the district near the Rise and
the area which sat nestled below Castle Redrock was
striking. This was where air flowed between spaced-out
houses, and alleys gave way to winding courtyards and
gardens. Where electricity powered restaurants and homes
instead of oil, and fewer wagons and more carriages
occupied paved, even streets free of waste and litter. The air
was cleaner, the sidewalks and lawns maintained. We were
forced to slow our steps here unless we wanted to attract
the attention of the guards who patrolled, keeping those
who did not need protection safe from those who did.
Passing couples dressed in fur-lined cloaks and jeweled
gowns headed into shops and climbing into carriages,
Casteel folded an arm around my waist as I hunched my
shoulders. I imagined with a cursory glance, it looked as if
Casteel were trying to keep me warm while out for a stroll
under the canopies of bushy ferns and overhead walkways.
Ahead, the castle resembled dried blood caked in the
daylight as we crossed the wide, tree-lined road and entered
a heavily forested park at the foot of the secondary wall that
surrounded Castle Redrock. Once shielded by the woods,
Casteel and Kieran led us through the maze of trees and
wild berry bushes. No more than half an hour later, the
outer wall of Redrock became visible.
“Are we going to scale the wall?” I asked.