The Crown of Gilded Bones (Blood and..

Delano spun around, his chest rising and falling as he
glared at the young woman. She winked at him.
“She has told you all the truth. Your friends are fine.”
Ian’s gaze touched mine. “I can take you to them, and the
Queen will meet us there. You may keep your weapons.”
I looked over at Casteel. His jaw flexed as he nodded
curtly. “Well, we might as well. We are here to see the Blood
Crown.”
And it wasn’t like we had a choice.
Gods, this was why there’d been no guards underneath.
It could’ve also been why we’d had no problem entering the
city. They already knew we were coming in using a different
route, and earlier than expected. We’d lost the upper hand
before we even realized it, and we were the ones caught off
guard.
The guards waited until we started walking, led by the
strange woman. Casteel stuck close to my side as Ian fell
into step beside me.
He stared straight ahead as we traveled the windowless
hall. “I hope you’re well, sister,” he said, and I looked up at
him, staying silent. “And that your travels after we last met
went well.”
My gaze sharpened on him, and he glanced briefly at
me. I could read nothing from those fathomless eyes or from
him, but was he trying to ask about Nyktos’s guards without
giving anything away?
“They did,” I lied.
His features eased in the slightest, and I swore it was
relief. “Good.”
“You’re in—” I stopped myself from blurting out what I
suspected. The woman in front of us looked over her
shoulder. “You’re alone? Where is your wife?”
“Lady Claudeya remains in the capital.”
Casteel’s hand brushed mine as we entered the Great
Hall. Like the hallway, there was no sunlight. Heavy, deep
crimson drapes covered the windows, and a knight was