The Crown of Gilded Bones (Blood and..

spiked tail slammed into his chest.
Well, that was not a part of the plan, I thought as I
watched the Revenant fly sideways, crashing into rock. He
hit it with a fleshy smack. Sliding onto his knees, he pitched
forward onto his hands with a groan.
Slowly, I looked over at Reaver. “Really?”
He made a chuffing sound as he swung his tail back,
narrowly missing taking out Kieran in the process. The
wolven’s ears flattened as he growled.
“Calm,” I warned him as I stepped over Reaver’s tail.
“That’s not a battle you’re going to win.”
Everything about Kieran’s stance said he’d like to try as
I approached the moaning Revenant. He quieted as I knelt in
front of him, clutching his chest.
“That was part of the message that I want you to deliver
to your Queen,” I said, and it was the kind of message
Casteel would send.
The Revenant looked up, blood leaking from his mouth.
His gaze only left me long enough to see what Delano had
dropped at his feet.
It was King Jalara’s head.
“Fuck,” the Revenant groaned.
I took the ruby crown Delano handed me. “I want you to
deliver that to her. Let her know that I have his crown. It’s
mine now. I want you to thank her for me, for teaching me
to fight like a god. Tell her that was for Ian.”
The Revenent’s flat eyes met mine.
“Now this is the really important part. I need you to
make sure she understands that I’m coming for her. That I
will burn every Revenant that stands between her and me. I
will strike down every Ascended who defends her. I will
topple every castle she seeks to hide in. Make sure she
understands that her survival hinges on Casteel. She will
release him, or she will see each and every one of her cities
leveled. If she touches him again, I will destroy her precious
Malec, and I can. I know where to find him. He lives. For