Estrella arches up into me. She rotates her wrists in my grasp, struggling to escape, but I hold fast. Clearly, she wants my touch just as much as I want hers. I circle one nipple with my tongue, scrape my teeth across it, pluck the other like harp string. Groans tumble from her lips. She’ll tell me
Estrella“My hair wouldn’t stay. It’s too fine.” Candace runs her fingers through her cornsilk tresses sadly.“You’ve never had your hair braided by Tess,” I say. “She is simply a genius for it. Allow her to try, and you’ll be surprised.”Tess smiles shyly. “I am happy to make an attempt.”Candace g
Candace winces slightly at the curse but settles on the opposite couch so Tess can keep working.“Tell me.” My heart climbs into my throat. Something is severely wrong. I’ve never seen Nessa so agitated. “Whatever it is, I can help.”“I’m really counting on that.” She laughs and lets out a sob. “Jus
Anwen‘Nessa just confirmed everything,’ Candace says through the mind-link.‘What?’ I reply, trying not to look like I’m talking to anyone.“If we put the targets in the west field, the sun will be in everyone’s eyes by noon.” Taner, Kieran’s Beta and representative at the meeting, taps the rough m
“Why not?” King Andri asks.“She’s been keeping to herself lately.” I shrug like I have no idea what could be causing that. “I worry.”King Andri looks severely at Floyd, who swallows visibly.“She’s been under the weather,” he says. “I will have her pay you a visit soon.”I incline my head. “Much a
EstrellaCandace jerks in her seat. I look up from where I’m pacing the room to see a grin spread across her face.“He’s on his way,” she says.Tess, who long ago finished braiding the princess’s hair, squeezes my hand. I don’t need to ask who’s coming. My heart thuds like a racing horse. Soon, Anwe
“I love you.” I drop a kiss on his lips. “And, Goddess forgive me, I trust you. But you must take Castor.”Anwen grimaces. “Will do. The rest of the women should stay here with you.”Tess makes a disdainful noise.“I can’t leave her unprotected,” he tells her.I twist and watch my best friend soften
AnwenWith Nessa’s list in hand and all three of us dressed in plain, heavy clothes, Baz, Castor, and I sneak down into the city proper, through my favorite secret passage so even the guards don’t know we’re gone. My whole body hums with adrenaline. I couldn’t—can’t kill Floyd. Not yet. But this fuc
Kash frowns. “Then how’d she find out? See a mark?”“In effect.” Hollis stares at the rocky floor.“He’s softening it.” I bite my lip. “We didn’t not pursue as much as we intended to, and she caught us. We made a terrible, selfish mistake that’s caused a lot of problems, and we just want to fix them
Candace“This is a bad idea.” Ingrid crosses her arms and glares at her door, like Hollis is just outside of it.He’s not. He’s in my room, waiting for me to come back after I told him his idea was a bad one and that I needed to get someone else’s opinion first.“Is it a bad idea because it’s Hollis
“Lord Soren,” Candace says numbly. “Where is he?”I grimace at the memory of our return home. Soren greeted the caravan at the gate, redder than Father with rage. His bellowing was hard to follow, threading together fights from their childhodbetween him and Father with ancient slights between our fa
Hollis“Come in?” Candace calls hesitantly through the door of one of the lesser guest rooms.I suck in a deep breath. I can smell her even through the door, blackberries and sunshine. Knocking—rather than just tearing down the door like I wanted to the second Lord Gunnar told Father about the addit
“Coming up!” the driver on the front of the carriage calls.Ingrid presses her face to the window. I try to look and almost end up tumbling into Taner’s lap. But finally, the carriage pulls to a stop, and someone opens the door for us to exit.According to protocol, Kieran exits first, with Taner ri
CandaceWhen the sun rises the next morning, it finds me crouching in the stables, sandwiched between one of Finn’s favorite stallions and Ingrid. It lights the wild grin that’s barely left her face since I barged into her drawing practice yesterday and declared Kieran didn’t control me. She immedia
That leaves me with Kash as company. He likes to walk through the castle with me while I point out places where different things happened. And to eat every meal together. And to spend almost every second that I’m not asleep by my side–making up for lost time, always. By the second day, I’m making up
CandaceI fold dresses into my trunk and listen to the commotion of the rest of the encampment breaking down outside. Kieran decided that letting King Andri cool off would yield the best results, so we’re leaving just as quickly as everybody else. This weird pocket of time with so many people in one
“What?” Ingrid scowls. “You’d think assassinating your own father would be enough to prove that you didn’t agree with him. Throw Mother in the dungeon with Hollis, when we get around to that stage.”Anwen winces.“We’re not throwing Hollis in the dungeon,” Kieran says tightly. “Not least because, in