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

by Jennifer L. Armentrout

“I…I tried to eat Kieran.” “He won’t hold it against you.” “I tried to eat Kieran while I was naked.” “That’s probably why he won’t hold it against you.”

“She’s embarrassed about it,” he went on, “because it’s a sex book. And not just any sex book. It’s full of all kinds of dirty and unimaginable—” I snapped forward, punching him in the stomach. “Fuck,” Casteel doubled over with a grunt as Naill let out a low whistle. “Gods.” I crossed my arms. “Happy now?” “Yeah,” he exhaled raggedly. “I will be once I can breathe again.”

“I promise you if anyone else was involved in this, they will be found, and they will pay. The same goes for anyone else who seeks to threaten you. No matter who.”

Fast forward to book 6 where he is constantly out of control of his emotions and reactions which is why Poppy made the deal with Fate

“And I promise the same to you. I will allow no one to harm you,” I swore, the center of my chest thrumming.

“Obviously, I don’t have experience in the whole marriage department, but be that as it may, you’re my wife. That means we don’t pretend anymore, correct? That, always and forever, we are real with one another.” “Yes.” I nodded. “Not about anything. Not even when you don’t want me to worry. I know you’re strong and so resilient it’s fucking unbelievable, but you don’t have to always be strong with me. It’s okay to not be okay when you’re with me,” he said, and my breath caught. “It’s my duty as your husband to make sure you feel safe enough to be real. You don’t have to pretend that you’re okay with everything that has happened, Poppy.” Oh… Oh, gods. His words wrecked me. Tears scorched my throat and rushed to my eyes. I did the only mature thing possible. I smacked my hands over my face. “Poppy,” Casteel whispered, folding his fingers around my wrists. “That sounded like it hurt.” “It did.” My voice was muffled. “I don’t want to cry.”

My eyes started to narrow as I stared at the book he held. It looked awfully familiar. “What are you reading?” “Your favorite book.” His eyes slid to mine knowingly, and I jerked upright. “You know, I have this theory about Miss Willa Colyns.” “I can’t believe you still have that damn journal.” “She mentions something here, in chapter twenty-three, that got me thinking.” He cleared his throat. “‘Andre was the most uninhibited of all my lovers—’” “You do not need to read it to tell me your theory.” “I disagree,” he replied. “‘He was quite shameless in his search of pleasure as he was with his willingness to give, but his most impressive seduction was not his manhood.’” He looked over at me. “You do remember what manhood means?” “Yes, Casteel. I remember.” He smirked as he returned to that damnable journal. “Where was I? Oh, yes. Something about his manhood.” “Why do you like saying that word so much?” “Because you like hearing it.” “I do not.” I shoved my hair back from my face. “Stop interrupting me. This is a very important observation,” he replied. “‘But his most impressive seduction was not his manhood. It was the dark, wicked kiss of our kind, one he was all too eager to bestow in the most scandalous locations.’” I realized what Casteel was getting at. The dark, wicked kiss of our kind. But my mind got stuck on the bestowing the kiss in the most scandalous locations part. Casteel hadn’t bitten me in that very scandalous location in the shower, but he’d drawn blood.

“I do believe that Miss Willa was either Atlantian or of Atlantian descent. Perhaps even one of another bloodline,” he noted.

“Foursomes?” Kieran repeated, his gaze shifting to me. “I imagine you had a lot of questions about that.” “I did not,” I snapped. “I don’t believe that for one second,” Kieran stated, a half-grin forming. “You probably asked how it was possible.” I had totally been wondering that, but those words never once passed my lips. “Would you like to explain it to her?” Casteel asked. “That won’t be necessary,” I cut in as Kieran opened his mouth. “I have a vivid enough imagination, thank you very much.” He looked a little disappointed.

The dimple appeared in his right cheek. “Common sense. That must be a new thing for you.”

“Let me guess,” he said. “You have a question.” I frowned as I crossed my arms over my chest. “What?” He glanced over at me. “Nothing.” I exhaled heavily. A moment passed. “Kieran?” “Yeah?” “I have a question.”

“You can stand? Or have I blown your mind and your muscles?”

“I imagine Wilhelmina knows—” Casteel choked on his drink as my mouth dropped open. Jasper’s eyes narrowed. “You okay over there?” “Wait,” Casteel coughed again, eyes watering. “Wait a godsdamn second. Wilhelmina? Who is Wilhelmina?” Jasper frowned, clearly confused. “You never met Willa?” Oh, my gods. There was no way. “What is her last name?” Casteel asked. Please don’t say Colyns. Please don’t say Colyns, I repeated over and over as Kieran’s father stared at Casteel as if he’d lost his mind. “I think it’s Colyns.” My jaw was now in my lap. Godsdamnit, Casteel’s theory had been right. Miss Willa was an Atlantian. I couldn’t believe it—wait. Did that mean she was here, in Atlantia? Oh, wow, if so, I had…so many questions for her.

“Look at us, agreeing on who to kill and who not to.”

There was no constant need to be inside her in every way imaginable, and even ways not yet thought of. I never found myself constantly hungering,

I think this is going back to Cas being some type of ancient - hence the new...additions he is growing in book 6

“But the Da’Neer bloodline is purer than his thoughts.”

“It’s not my fault my thoughts are less than innocent,” Casteel countered, waving as someone stopped to bow. “I didn’t introduce myself to the world of Miss Willa.”

“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.”

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

“We wanted to ask if you would do us the honor of being the Advisor to the Crown,” Casteel began. “I had this whole speech planned in my head about how you have been a brother to me and that there is no one I trust more, but now things are just kind of awkward, so…yeah. We would like for you to be our advisor.”

“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?” “Sorry.” Emil unhooked his swords. “I was kind of taken aback by the sight of fully functional, fucking skeletons with weapons. My apologies.”

“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!”

“I regret the decision to join you all,” Emil announced. “I regret this decision very much.”

“If this thing comes to life, I am out of here,” Emil grumbled. “You will never see an Atlantian run faster.”

“Do not get yourself killed,” he ordered. “I will be very angry if you do.”

Of course, the one Casteel’s father had wanted him to marry would have to be so fascinatingly beautiful and not resemble a Craven.

Relief started to seep through her. “I have no feelings for your husband,” she said. “Not before, and definitely not now.” “Good.” I met her gaze, smiling. “Because if you did, I would probably tear you apart, limb by limb, and then feed what remained to a pack of hungry barrats,” I said. “Now, would you like to find Kieran? I think I remember which room he’s in.”

My lips pursed. “I might’ve said something like I’d tear her apart limb by limb and feed her to barrats.” He stared at me. I sighed. “It wasn’t one of my finer moments, I admit.”

The fur retracted into skin that smoothed and became a golden, wheatish tone. Long, russet-colored hair fell forward, brushing the floor of the cage, shielding much of the nude man kneeling behind the bars, his upper body tucked close to his lower half. The sharp definition of the bones and muscles along his shoulders and legs showed how frail he was, but through the matted hair, vivid green eyes locked with mine once more. The man shuddered again, and as quickly as he’d appeared mortal, he was once more a large feline. The cat was flat on his belly now, trembling and shivering, his head lowered. “I’ll ask again,” Kieran said. “What in the actual fuck?”

Oh, hey...look...it's Ires

It took everything in me to leave the room, the man’s intense stare taking up space in my mind. I didn’t think he was a wivern or a changeling, because why would the bones of a deity be needed to cage one of them? Surely that couldn’t be… “Could Malec change forms?” I asked as we entered a narrow stairwell. “No,” Casteel answered from in front of me. “I know what you’re thinking. That’s not him. He was not the kind of deity that could shift forms.” Somehow, that didn’t relieve me as it should.

“She is not a vampry,” Ian said, looking at me. His features were drawn. “And she speaks the truth. She is your mother.”

“Coralena was Ian’s mother. Leopold was his father,” Queen Ileana said, placing her empty glass on a marble podium.

THIS WOULD MAKE IAN THE SECOND SON OF LEOPOLD!

I wasn’t the Maiden. I wasn’t a Princess or even a Queen. I was a god. And I was so over this

“It’s my fault.” “No shit,” I snapped.

“And their son?” I said. “What did you do with Isbeth and Malec’s son? Did you have him killed? Was it Alastir who carried it out?” Pressing her lips together, she looked up at the ceiling. “Alastir did. He knew of the child before I even did. Valyn doesn’t know about the child at all.”

Golden eyes locked with mine. “And if you fail?” “I won’t.”

“Ires was lured from Iliseeum some time ago,” Nektas said. “Drawn into the realm with my daughter while we slept. We have not been able to look for Ires. Not without being summoned, and he…he has not called for us. But we know he lives.” My thoughts raced, settling on the painting I’d seen in the museum of Nyktos and the two…the two large cats. “Oh, gods…” “What?” Kieran looked at me. I swallowed, almost afraid to ask. “Could Ires shift forms?”

The one who stands to your left reeks of decay and rot.” The Revenant frowned. “I do not.” He plucked at the front of his tunic. “Rude.” “Oh, I’m sorry.” I stared up at the Blood King. “Is it you who taints the air instead?”

His brows flew up so fast and so far, I was surprised they didn’t topple his precious crown.

“The only message I will deliver for you is one of submission.” “I’m sorry. I misspoke,” I said, forcing a silly little laugh. “It’s you that’s the message.”