The Gilded King (Sovereign, #1)

by Josie Jaffrey

ended up curing yourself when you drank from them. That would have been ironic.’ Laila looked down at the vials, rolling them in her fist. ‘Indeed.’ It was the pause before she answered that gave her away. If it hadn’t been for that, Cam wouldn’t have listened for the beat of her heart, or scented the air to find the humanity beneath the lingering shine of Silver. ‘Oh,’ he said. She put the vials back into her pocket, her eyes unfocused as she looked beyond Cam. ‘Do you remember what he used to say?’ she asked. ‘We are not moral creatures. He knew it, your Primus.’ ‘You can be loyal to someone without believing everything they say.’ ‘Perhaps,’ she said, ‘but I think he was right about that, if nothing else. I am not a moral creature, Cameron. I’m not sure I even remember how to be human.’ Cam almost gave in to the urge to comfort her, but after all she had done, she didn’t deserve his sympathy. ‘I expect you’ll work it out,’ he said, then he turned and left her there, sitting alone in the shell of her broken palace.