The Songbird & the Heart of Stone (Crowns of Nyaxia, #3)

by Carissa Broadbent

In times of great darkness, humans crawl to light like flies to the gleaming silver of a spider’s silk.

No one loves you more than someone who has no one else.

This girl was pretty enough, but no great beauty. Smart enough, but no great wit.

Is it Mische? I forget if she wasa turned vampire or not.

And yet, at her command, I wanted to stand.

The house of shadow do mind magic right? Did we already know that?

Shadowborn magic, I realized. The magic of minds and compulsion, illusion and shadow.

Welp could have just continued on I guess lol

A prince of the House of Shadow, murdered by some little bitch he Turned.

Wait what??? Did we already know that???

The King of the House of Shadow leveled his gaze at me, a thousand-year-lifetime’s worth of hatred in their depths.

Is he about to be her Daddy??

Raoul, King of the House of Shadow, might have dwarfed them all.

So maybe not Daddy?

Beside him, a fair-haired woman—his wife, surely—stared at me with rage more subtle but every bit as sharp as her husband’s.

So he's definitely not your Daddy. Shame he sounds like he'd be a hot Daddy.

Neculai was the King of the House of Night before Raihn, before Vincent—he’d died hundreds of years ago.

So old man is cocoa puffs. Hundreds of years of pilferringthrough people's minds will do that to ya

A deep voice boomed through the party.

Daddy??

The Wraith Warden.

The whatie who?

A cold, floral scent wafted over me, naggingly familiar but gone before I could place it.

Omg you know him???????

The underworld will be punishment enough.”

The where now?

and familiar in a way I couldn’t place.

What is so familiar???? Do you know him???

I awoke with a start, my sister’s name on my lips, the afterimage of her corpse burning behind my eyelids.

Is she dreaming of a memory or just a fear she had?

It was funny, I decided.

It is funny

He was also half-naked and covered in blood.

Hot

and more beautiful women than you.

Thats kinda rude

You shouldn’t be impressed.

You should be turned on

My human instincts and my vampire ones clashed, both screaming at me that we were headed somewhere dangerous.

Yeah... The bedroom with his giant cock.

So she likely needs you to bring someone back.”

VINCENT???

“It’s Alarus. You’re going to resurrect the god of death.”

Oh shit....

“Nyaxia’s necromancer will need to travel through the five Sanctums of the Descent between the mortal world and the underworld.

Ooooo we got some games and trials going on here

I thought of my offering day—my wedding day, in all the ways that mattered.

Your wedding day??? What does that even mean Mische??? Did you fuck this god??

They’d been casual worshippers of Vitarus,

That's the god from Six Scorched Roses right?

the night after it more of a physical offering than a lovemaking session.

So you did fuck him?? I just wanna make sure I understand....

But Atroxus was not frightening at all. He was always kind to her. He laughed with her at her silly games and did not even mind at all if it messed up her hair or her dress.

Wait.... Is Atroxus a pedo who groomed her?

He wore the same black pants and black shirt and a long leather jacket.

So he's like a witchy Angel??

But it’s just—aren’t we in a basement right now?”

She's really just so astute isn't she?

“A bridge to the underworld.”

This would have been a great place for a chapter break.

“Intimidating,”

Another great spot for a chapter break but nooooo

Even Luce halted, the hair at the back of her neck rising.

Wait she has fur????

Elias was the kind of man who saw a threat and swung something sharp at it until it was dead.

In this case it'll be him who's dead

I was starting to realize that Asar often gave advice that wasn’t very useful.

Idk that seems useful

I looked up to see that the ceiling was even higher now, the mushrooms reaching far, far above us.

I'm picturing one of the mushroom caves from Legend of Zelda...

A monumental bird wearing a golden skull face soared above us, wings extended, talons bared. Flames engulfed its massive body.

Moltres?????

No one could say he didn’t have balls.

Only that he won't when this whole ordeal is done.

All dogs liked head scratches.

and butt scratches.

“It will be a week or two before we reach the doorstep of Breath.

A week?? Damn they'll have plenty of time to fall in love then

He put down the apricot and lowered his mouth to mine, his lips still damp with another mortal pleasure.

So you're telling me this god groomed you....

Gods, why did his blood smell like that? Better than human.

Matesssss is mates a thing in this world? I forget

His shirt, once white

Wait i thought it was black??

He said this like it greatly pained him to admit it. I’d gathered by now that Asar enjoyed rules.

I feel that

be a dead priestess, blindfold over her eyes.

An Archesson??

Asar sounded more shaken than I might have expected.

He likes herrrrrrr

Elias scoffed.

Why is this guy even here rn

It was just a matter of deciding whether we were food for ghosts or food for gods.

Can you really be food for ghosts?

“Death is not the same as failure,”

“Do. Not. Touch. Her.”

Oooo are we feeling a touch her and die moment?