The Crown of Gilded Bones (Blood and..

Eloana rose, collapsing onto the settee, her glistening
amber eyes fixed on me as I strode forward, gripping the
back of a chair. The legs scraped against the floor as I
dragged it so it was before her.
Slowly, I lowered myself to the chair, my eyes meeting
hers as Kieran and Vonetta moved so they crouched on
either side of me. Naill and Hisa remained at the door. “Ask
me whose blood stains my clothing.”
Eloana’s lips trembled. “Whose blood—?” Her voice
cracked as she glanced at the wolven. “Whose blood stains
your clothing?”
“My brother’s.” I flattened my palms against my knees.
“He was slaughtered when I refused to join the Blood Crown,
uniting the kingdoms under the sovereignty of Solis. He
didn’t even see it coming. They cut his head from his
shoulders, and he did nothing to deserve that. Nothing. She
did it because she could.” My fingers curled into my knees,
where the material was stiff with dried blood. “Now ask me
where your son is.”
Her eyes started to close—
“No.” I tipped forward. “Don’t you dare close your eyes.
I didn’t when I watched a sword slice through my brother’s
throat. Don’t you dare close your eyes. You’re stronger than
that.”
Her chest rose with a heavy breath as her eyes
remained open. “Where is my son?”
“She took him,” I forced out, the words cutting into my
skin. “And you know why? You know exactly why she wanted
your sons. It’s not just to make more Ascended. It’s
personal.”
Her lips moved, but no sound came out.
“You knew. This whole time. You knew who Queen Ileana
really was.” Rage heated my blood, sparked off my skin. She
leaned back an inch. “You knew she was Isbeth and that she
was never a vampry.”
“I…”