All the Stars and Teeth (All the Stars and Teeth, #1)

by Adalyn Grace

The cliffsides are thickly shrouded with bioluminescent flora, which, while beautiful in the daylight, will steal a person’s breath when they spread their brilliant purple and pink petals beneath the moon.

I am Amora Montara, Princess of Visidia and heir to the High Animancer’s throne. There is no ship I cannot sail. There is nothing I cannot master.

Ikaeans have enchanted the torchlight, blanketing the crowded path beneath my balcony in dazzling shades of pinks, blues, and purples.

No longer are her eyes the rich brown that match Father’s—they flash a bright, piercing pink, there for one moment and back to brown the next.

I unhook the satchel from my hip and ready the teeth and bones that wait within.

Magic spreads welcome heat through my veins and across my temples, and I sink into the power, relishing it.

“Listen to me. I don’t want you to abandon Visidia.” He pulls back his coat to reveal my dagger and satchel tucked into his belt. “I want you to save it.”

“Welcome to the crew.” His words drench my skin with warmth. I soak them into myself like a sponge and feed them to my hungry, eager soul.

I am the right choice. The only choice. And I will protect my kingdom.

“Are you flirting with me? It’s a bit hard to tell, considering how terrifying you are.”

“You were watching me all night, then?” Bastian rolls his eyes when I ask this.

“The world doesn’t work with only your eyes, Princess. There’s truth in more than what you can see.”

The amusement laced in his voice is like a honey cake, warm and sweet.

I laugh. I’m fine. Perfect.

“Except your eyes are different. His tell lies with their smile, bright enough to make you believe them. But you?” Those bitter green eyes flick to me for the briefest moment before her hands start up again, hammering away. “You glare. Like something’s wrong, and you’re the only one who can fix it.”

“Dismemberment for anyone who ever tried to touch me. The tongue flayed from those with wicked mouths. And the hearts eaten from any man who’s ever told me to smile.”

There’s something richly satisfying in giving all of yourself up to an act of creation. It’s like magic. It demands your focus and requires a small piece of your soul to complete.

We’ve shared an experience only a few people will understand, and it’s marked our souls. The sea is a beast more fearsome than even the Lusca.

But even our idols—even those we want to love and trust more than anything—can let us down. It’s time we accept it and face the reality they left us with.

I’m not building an army; I have one. And you’re out of time.”

“Bow to High Animancer Amora, your new Queen of Visidia!” And everyone does.