The Crown of Gilded Bones (Blood and..

“It’s because I can no longer shift into my wolven form.
When I broke my oath to King Malec, I severed the
connection between myself and my wolven side. So, I
wasn’t able to feel the Primal notam.”
Shock flickered wildly through me. I hadn’t known that.
“Are you…are you still a wolven, then?”
“I still have the lifespan and the strength of a wolven,
but I cannot shift into my true form.” His gaze clouded over.
“Sometimes, it feels like a missing limb—the inability to feel
the change come over me. But what I did, I carried out
knowing full well what the consequences would be. Not
many others would’ve done that.”
Gods, that had to be unbearable. It had to feel like…I
had when they forced me to wear the veil. Part of me was
impressed by Alastir’s loyalty to Atlantia and to the Queen.
And that said a lot about his character—who he was as a
man, a wolven, and what he was willing to do in service to
his kingdom.
“You did that, but you won’t kill me?”
“If we were to kill you, you would become a martyr.
There would be an uprising, another war, when the real
battle lays to our west.” He was talking about Solis—about
the Ascended. “I want to avoid that. Avoid creating even
more problems for our kingdom. And soon, you will no
longer be our problem.”
“If you’re not going to kill me or leave me in here to die,
I’m a little confused by what you plan to do,” I bit out.
“I will give the Ascended what they were so desperate
to keep,” he said. “I will give them you.”