The ​Crown of Gilded Bones (Blood and Ash, #3)

by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Casteel’s arms had fallen to his sides as his gaze swept over me. His chest rose sharply. “Your hair. That gown.” His eyes heated. “You are so beautiful, Poppy.” “Thank you.” I felt my throat warm as my heart swelled. “And you are worthy.” He smiled as he cleared his throat. “Please tell me you’re wearing your dagger.” Fighting a grin, I lifted the right side of the skirt to my thigh. Casteel groaned. “Gods, you’re perfect.” “And you are demented,” I said. “Worthy, but demented.”

I love him ughhhh

“Atlantia believes in due process, but there are exceptions. Namely—you guessed it—treason.” “Still, if people have been misled, they should be given the chance to redeem themselves, Cas.” His eyes flared an intense shade of amber. “You’re not playing fair, Princess, knowing how much I love hearing you call me that.”

“I do not want to be party to forcing you into yet another role you did not ask for nor desire. I will not replace the veil you loathed with a crown you hate. If you do not want to take the Crown, I will support you,” he swore, and the intensity in his words captured me. The irrevocable oath he was making. “And if you decide you want to take what is yours, claim the throne, I will set this entire kingdom on fire and watch it burn if that ensures that the crown sits on your head.” I jolted. “You love your people—” “But I love you more.” Flecks of gold burned brightly in his eyes, churning restlessly. “Do not underestimate what I would or would not do to ensure your happiness. I think you know this by now. There is nothing that I wouldn’t do, Poppy. Nothing.”

Ahhhhhhhhh

“Do you think I don’t fear failing the people? Making the wrong choices? Setting the entire kingdom on the wrong path? Because I do, and I know my parents still do, to this very day. My father would probably tell you that you would most likely do just that if you stopped being afraid of failing. He would also say that kind of fear keeps you brave and honest.”

Love that

But couldn’t that kind of fear make you indecisive, too? Stop you before you even traveled down a road? The fear of failing was powerful, just as fear of the unknown and uncharted destinies was. And I’d felt that kind of terror a hundred or so times in my life.

Me

I leaned back as my gaze swept to Casteel. He was staring at me, golden eyes filled with wonder. “I…” He swallowed thickly. “You…you are a goddess.” “No.” I folded my hands against my legs. “I’m not.”

Sunlight glanced off his cheek as he tipped forward, bracing his weight on the hand he’d placed on the ground. He leaned in, brushing his nose across mine as he cupped my cheek. “To me, you are.” He kissed me softly, scattering what was left of my senses. “To them, you are.”

Awww

Curling a hand against my stomach, I turned back to Casteel. Our gazes met and held as he shifted onto one knee, placing his right hand over his heart and his left on the ground. The gesture…I recognized it. It was a variation of what the wolven had done when I arrived in Saion’s Cove. But I’d seen it before, I realized. The Priests and Priestesses would do it when they first entered the Temples in Solis, acknowledging that they were in the presence of the gods. You are a goddess.

Im literally cryong wtf this is such a beautiiul moment

“Hawke.” The nickname

Ive grown to lovw his name i dont even think of hawke anymore. He doesnt give hawke vibes anymorre hes cas or casteel to mw

“Tried?” King Valyn said with an incredulous laugh that reminded me so much of Casteel. “I would say you succeeded, Maiden.”

Yikes dont call her thag uness u want casteels wrath

But what you will never refer to her as is the Maiden. Do you understand me?” I pressed my lips together. His words. His tone. I didn’t know why, but I wanted to smile.

“Malec had to have been your father, Penellaphe.”

“There’s simply no way that you were ever mortal,”

Ever???

“Because Malik was gone, you showed no interest in taking the Crown, and a descendant of Malec, raised among the Ascended, cared for by a Handmaiden of the Blood Crown, would’ve been able to claim the throne,” his mother said, and I felt Casteel flinch. “And even not knowing the extent of the blood that she carried in her, there was no way that Alastir or either of us believed it to be a coincidence that a Handmaiden was masquerading as the mother of a child who was the heir to Atlantia.” Masquerading as the mother…

“No other deity could do that. Only those who carried the blood of Nyktos. And there was only ever Malec. And he was Nyktos’s grandchild. That was why he was so powerful. That partially explains why you are so powerful, as Nyktos would be your great-grandfather.”

“I think too much value is given to forgiveness when it’s easier to forgive but far harder to forget. That understanding and acceptance is far more important than forgiving someone,” I said. “I understand why he lied. That doesn’t mean I agree with it or that it’s okay, but I have accepted it, and I’ve moved on. We’ve moved on.”

“What my son failed to mention though, is that you’re also incredibly logical,” she added. A laugh burst from me. I couldn’t help it, and it was loud enough that Kieran looked over his shoulder at us with a questioning raise of his brows. “I’m sorry,” I said, smothering a giggle. “It’s just that Casteel would argue that logic isn’t one of my strong suits.” There was a faint curve of her lips. “That doesn’t surprise me. Most men wouldn’t know logic if it smacked them in the face.”

what she was saying without vocalizing the words—I knew what she meant when she continued saying that her generation wouldn’t give the Ascended the chance to negotiate—that neither she nor King Valyn could do that again. Whereas Casteel and I could.

wasn’t a random Ascended,” Vonetta spoke as she stepped forward. Casteel’s jaw flexed. Unease coated her skin, and I knew that whatever she was about to say, she didn’t want to. “He claims to be your brother. Ian Balfour.”

The gasp i just gusped

“I understand your need to see your brother. I do,” she said, and I could feel the truth behind those words—and the empathy that fueled them. “But this isn’t just about you and your needs anymore—” “That’s where you’re wrong,” Casteel cut in, his eyes hardening to chips of amber. “It is about her needs, and they come first.” “Son,” his father began, “I can respect your desire to care for your wife’s needs, but the kingdom always comes first whether you’re the Prince or the King.” “It’s a damn shame if you really believe that,” Casteel replied, looking over his shoulder at his father. “Because to me, attending to each other’s needs ensures that the kingdom’s needs can be met. One cannot happen without the other.” I stared at Casteel. He…gods, there were times I couldn’t believe I’d actually stabbed him in the heart. This was one of them.

Damn

“Poppy, listen to me,” he whispered, and my eyes opened. “I know the truth. Wake Nyktos. Only his guards can stop the Blood Crown.”

Oh my godd yes

“I want the crest changed. I want the arrow and sword to be equal.” His dimples appeared then. “I like the sound of that.”

Awwwwwww

Silvery-white embers erupted over my skin, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw Casteel step back, and the wolven retreat. “Get ‘em, girl.”

“What did they really hope to accomplish?” It was clear to me what they wanted. Seeking out Casteel, my gaze locked with his. His eyes, like vibrant chips of glacial topaz, held mine. “They don’t want me to take the Crown,” I said. “They failed. So will anyone else who thinks they can stop me.” A razor-thin smile appeared on Casteel’s face. “Damn straight.”

I glanced at Casteel, grinning when he winked.

Ughh

Eloana shook her head. “Many generations ago, her family did, but by now, she is of a mortal line. I was surprised by your request,” she admitted, turning to me. “The sword represents the strongest one in the union. That would be you, Your Majesty.” Casteel was utterly unfazed by the blunt statement.

“I believe that Casteel and I are of equal strength,” I reasoned, a little surprised that she would even question it. “I want the people of Atlantia to see us as such.” Eloana held my gaze for several moments and then nodded. “I think that is a wise choice,” she said finally.

“I don’t think you’ve had a chance to meet before.” “We haven’t,” Casteel confirmed, as I kept my mouth shut, and the woman smiled at me. “This is Wilhelmina Colyns,” Valyn announced, and every single part of my body flashed hot and then cold. “She joined the Council after you…” Valyn was speaking, but my heart was pounding so fast that I couldn’t be sure if he even spoke a language I understood. Oh, my gods, it was Miss Willa. The Miss Willa. Standing in front of us. How could I have forgotten that she was a member of the Council? A wild wave of amusement rolled off Casteel so strong that I almost laughed. “Wilhelmina,” Casteel drawled, and I looked at him. And then I remembered that this was Casteel, and he could say anything in front of his father—and his mother. And, oh my gods— “We have not met,” I said quickly, reaching down and placing my hand on his arm. I squeezed hard. “It is an honor to meet you.” “A huge honor,” Casteel added while confusion pinched his father’s features. Miss Willa smiled. “The honor is all mine.”

Willa took a drink of her whiskey and not-so-discreetly rolled her eyes.

She is basicallt the reason this isall hppening. Without her sending poppyto casteels roon t the red pearl thwy prob never would have fallen in love and hed still just be usibg her to get his brother back

“You will bow before your Queen.” Casteel eyed the Atlantian coolly. “Or you will bleed before her. It is your choice.”

Willa’s gaze met mine and then Casteel’s. “Whatever you do, do not enter Dalos, the City of the Gods. You will know it when you see it. If you enter, you will never return.”

I have a feeling they are gonna end up entering ir lol

“And it had been many years since I’d been to Masadonia. I had the strangest urge to travel there.” Her strange urge roused my suspicions about exactly what she was. “Why did you send me to the room Casteel was in?” Her red lips curved upward in a slight smile. “It simply…felt right to do so.”

A soft laugh left her. “Some would say that. Some would even say that instinctual accuracy has led me to become one of the greatest Seers Atlantia has ever known.” A Seer. I knew it!

“Can I share something with you?” Willa leaned in, touching my arm. A faint charge of energy danced over my skin. “You weren’t the only one seeking sanctuary that night. He was in need of shelter—one that could bear the weight of his desires, his love, and his pain. And he found it. He may have given you freedom, but you have given him more than you could ever know.”

She inclined her head. “Always. And if you become…curious enough to ask those other questions I’m sure are brewing in your head, I’ll be more than happy to answer them or refer you to a certain…chapter.” Oh. Oh, my.

“Your namesake was so wise, she could see beyond the day before her, but what she saw is not what they believe. You are not the great conspirator, but one of two who will stand between what has awakened and the retribution it seeks to reap against man and god.”

“It is a great honor that I introduce He who is born of the First Kingdom, created from the blood and ash of those who fell before him, the second son of the former King Valyn and Queen Eloana—Casteel Hawkthrone Da’Neer, the King of Blood and Ash.”

Ahhhh

“He is joined by She who carries the blood of the King of Gods, the Liessa, and the true heir of Atlantia—Penellaphe Balfour Da’Neer, the Queen of Flesh and Fire.”

“They’re sending a message,” Eloana said from behind us. “What kind?” Casteel smiled down at me. “That they are yours. And that, if need be, they will go to war for you.”

Im gonna cry

“They are waiting for your response.” My response? “I have a feeling that a thank you would not suffice.” Casteel choked on what sounded an awful lot like a laugh. I looked at him, my brows raised. “Sorry.” My eyes narrowed. “You don’t sound sorry.” He bit down on his lower lip, but the corners of his mouth curved up. Not one but two stupid dimples appeared. “You’re so annoying,” I muttered. “Endearingly annoying,” he corrected, and his father sighed. “More like it’s a good thing you’re pretty,” I grumbled under my breath. Casteel tugged me back to his side, folding an arm around me. Before I could protest, he lowered his mouth until it was only an inch or so from mine. “More like it’s a good thing you love me unconditionally.” “That, too.” I sighed. Casteel lowered his head, kissing me, and there was nothing quick or chaste about the way his lips claimed mine. It might’ve even been a little inappropriate—or a lot—but so was the way I sank against the length of his body. I jerked as howls and cheers erupted from the wolven and the Atlantians in the yard and from the city, mingling with catcalls and hoots. Casteel chuckled against my lips as he pressed his forehead to mine. “Our people are really into displays of public affection, in case you haven’t noticed.” “I noticed.” Face surely the color of a blood tree, I looked out at the city—to our people.

“It’s not always like that, my Queen.” My Queen. I liked that. Almost as much as I liked it when he called me Princess. Not that I’d admit that to him. “How does it feel?”

“The…draken either went to sleep or protect the resting place of the gods, right?” Kieran took the drink that Casteel offered him. “Yes.” My stomach dropped to my toes. “And the guards that Ian told us we need? Would they happen to be the ones protecting Nyktos’s resting place?” Casteel put my drink in my hand. “Are you just now realizing who and what Nyktos’s guards are?” Yes. Yes, I totally was.

Hah i didnt realie it eaither. I knew the drgons would apper at some point but i forgot their origins tory

I reached out, gripping the back of Casteel’s shirt without really thinking about it. I’d gotten into the habit of doing so whenever the walls or ceiling pressed in.

thats so cute for literally.no reason

More food? Maybe a little pouch of cheese? I was hungry again.

I think she needs blood

“I’ve got you. Let go of whatever the hell you’re holding onto.” “I think it’s a root.” “Thanks for sharing,” Emil said. “Let go of the root and reach for Kieran.”

HAahah idl whhy thats so funny

“How did you do that?” Casteel asked as Emil stood. “I pictured it. Like you said.” My heart still hadn’t slowed. “And I just hoped it didn’t…you know, break her bones.” Vonetta halted in the process of rising, her gaze finding mine in the dim firelight. “You didn’t know if it wouldn’t do that?” “No,” I admitted sheepishly. She put her hands on her hips. “Gods, I think I need to lay down again.”

Hahhahhah this kis so funnny

Emil, forcing him back several steps. He coughed. “That was rude.”

He gives ridoc ivibe

“What?” Vonetta demanded, reaching for her swords. “Details. They would be helpful at the—” Between Casteel and I, the bleached bones of a hand appeared, fingers digging into the loose soil. “What in the world of nightmare fuel is this?” Casteel muttered. Those fingers were connected to an arm—an arm that was nothing more than a skeleton. The top of a skull appeared. My eyes widened in horror. Dirt poured out of empty eye sockets. “Skeletons!” Vonetta shouted, unsheathing her swords. “Couldn’t you have said that you saw skeletons in the hole?” Casteel cursed as another bony hand appeared, this one clutching a sword in its grip. “Armed skeletons!” Vonetta yelled. “Couldn’t you have said you saw armed skeletons in the hole?”

Hahahhah

“Cutting off the head does not work,” Emil shouted, and I turned to see a…a headless skeleton tracking the dumbfounded Atlantian. “I repeat. It does not work!”

A skeleton soldier ran forward on bony feet, sword raised. Its jaws unhinged, opening wide to reveal nothing but a black void and the sound of screaming wind. The force blew my braid back and tugged at my tunic. “Rude,” I muttered, nearly choking on the scent of stale lilacs. Black, oily smoke spilled from the skeleton’s mouth, thickening and solidifying as it poured to the ground, forming thick ropes that slithered forward— “Oh, my gods!” I shrieked. “Not ropes! Not ropes! Snakes!” “Holy shit,” Delano gasped as Casteel shoved his sword through the back of the screaming skeleton. “That is so not right.” “I regret the decision to join you all,” Emil announced. “I regret this decision very much.”

This is so funny and iss totally givinf quest squad vibees ahhhah