As soon as I reach for the doorknob, the one on the right hops up. “Hey! You can’t go down there.” “Sure I can,” I tell him. “I’m the princess. I can do whatever I want.” “No, you can’t.” The one on the left is up now, too. “We have it on strict authority from the king himself not to let you down
*Kieran* The library smells like binding glue and old paper. I have no idea why anyone would ever want to spend more than a few moments here. When I was younger, our governess used to herd all of us in here–Anwen, Candace, Finn, Ingrid, and me. We’d sit next to her and listen to her read from story
“None of your damn business.” I slide the book back onto the shelf, knowing it’s not going to help me. Nothing can. I even went to speak to my father’s magician about the Haze earlier today, and he backed up what my father had to say. Of course, Wordsworth is probably the worst magician in the unive
*Blanca* “And if you leave this room without my permission one more time,” Mother says as she stands next to her henchman, Ardesia, “you can rest assured I will break your legs so that you cannot leave again.” The lash hits my upper thighs, my back, my bottom as I stare at the wall above my bed, t
She holds up the key. “Mother isn’t very good at keeping hold of this.” I almost laugh, but then, I have no idea why she’s here. It can’t be for anything good. I don’t ask. Instead, I take a few hesitant steps toward her. Candace is eighteen years old, three years younger than me. Unlike me, she l
*Kieran* The blood splattered all across the stone wall and floor is fresh. The birds continue to caw at me, and it feels as if they are scratching the inside of my brain. I want to yell at them to get the fuck out of here, but I also don’t want to anger them. Besides, I need to know what the hell
Blake’s mouth twists slightly into a crooked grin. “Some.” “The royals?” That’s how the stories always go. All of my father’s enemies had such great magical powers. Yet, he was able to defeat them through his wit, power, and strength. “Mostly.” Blake’s voice cracks such that it’s difficult for me
*Blanca* “I need to get out of here.” It’s the only thought I can allow to enter my mind. It’s the same thought that has kept me going ever since I was old enough to understand that I am not like the others. I need to get the hell out of here and never look back. I’m sitting on my bed with my leg
She groans. “I really think that might count as two parties.”With a laugh, I let them lead me out of my new bedroom in my new home and down to the temple to start the rest of my life. Ingrid, Estrella, and Raven leave to join the crowd, but Eva stays with me. According to Snowcrest tradition, she w
CandaceI drag a comb through my thin hair and stare at myself in the mirror on my vanity. More accurately, the new mirror on my new vanity. Hollis and I had to exchange one more goodbye because I had to return to Dun’s Crossing long enough to pack up my life. Some things weren’t worth the trouble o
I press my mouth to hers, mapping the curve of her smile with my tongue. She laughs up into me, breathless with relief. I trace the fullness of her cheek, the slope of her neck. She nips my lower lip. I climb into the bed with her, careful of her many injuries. Someday, we’ll talk about her mother,
Hollis‘Got some more over here,’ Zain calls through the mind-link.I drag the heavy cart across the red-mottled snow toward my Beta. My muscles burn with exertion, but I’m not stopping until this whole battlefield is clear. I won’t let a wolf suffer longer than they have to.Zain nudges ice off a h
“No!” Nessa shrieks. “I warned you about this, about her. She’s twisting your mind.”Eva laughs in her face. “She’s twisting things?”Nessa darts to Soren’s side and grabs his arm. “We can’t stop. Rowena said there would be hell to pay if—”Hollis gestures sharply with the arm I’m not holding onto.
CandaceMy heart hammers in my throat. Our weapons shine dully in the snow, Hollis’s sword dwarfing my dagger. Eva drags her gaze from them up to our clasped hands. My other arm throbs, a reminder that I don’t think I could fight her off if I wanted to.She adjusts her grasp on her knife to a stabbi
Eva scoffs and smashes the hilt of her knife into my fingers around her arm. “When have we ever had trouble talking to each other?”“Exactly.” My fingers throb as I wrap them around my sword. “That’s why it was so hard.”“Bullshit!” Her voice cracks. “Just tell me. Four little words. I found my mate
HollisAt the same moment as I reach the wide ring of defenders and ranged fighters encircling the heart of the battle, Candace limps to a stop at my side. Blood stains her gray coat in a dozen places, and my heart leaps into my throat. I meet her huge, dark eyes. She melts into a human before me. H
There. The break I need. ‘Gavin wouldn’t let you lead, would he?’The shield flickers for a moment, and I crash through it. Sweet air courses into my lungs. I can’t waste the moment, so I charge at her blindly.‘I kept him as my figurehead,’ she howls. ‘I did not need his permission to act. I needed