Garden of Serpents (The Demon Queen Trials, #3)

by C.N. Crawford

Find a new man, one less murdery.”

“I wanted revenge,” I whispered. “You took it from me.”

“Do not try to win my favor by hurting her.” Orion’s voice boomed. “The ancient laws of the demon trials protect her, and I will personally tear out the heart of anyone who lays a finger on her.”

Rowan terrified me every bit as much as Mortana did. Mortana had been a sadist with my life in her hands. Rowan, on the other hand, has my heart in her hands.

I had one other secret: I would love Rowan until I died.

“You’re right,” said Kas. “It makes much more sense to see who can hunt down the magic crown from a dead witch first.”

Kas held my gaze for longer than seemed normal, his amber eyes studying me. He reached up and brushed a flyaway strand of my red hair from my face.

Stop it

“I don’t know the Lilu songs,” I whispered. “You’ll learn them,” he said quietly. Those didn’t sound like the words of a man who intended to get rid of me.

BITCH HE LOVES YOU

I’d simply wanted her to realize that little blond pretty boy Kas had nothing on me. Quite simply, jealousy was making me act like a fucking idiot.

“You’re the Lady of Chaos,” I breathed. She touched the side of my face. “What?” “Lady of Chaos. Ever since I first ran into you in that bar, you’ve lit every one of my plans on fire. You’ve destroyed everything I thought I understood.”

just wanted you to think of me and not Kas when you’re going to sleep.” Sweet Lucifer, why had I admitted that out loud? Idiot.

Kas pulled off his flower crown and dropped it on the ground. “Seems like a brilliant ploy to get you to trust him. Maybe he even hoped you’d call off the trials.”

Why do you trust this demon you just met? He seems so untrustworthy

Shai was right about his voice. It really was nice.

STOP IT

“Somewhere, there’s another world where you and I met before my soul died in the dungeon.”

“Doppelgängers are mortal. They don’t have claws.”

Its obviously Kas trying to get rid of the monarchy

my heart hammering. Giuseppe Esposito, 8 Gallows Hill Road, Osborne MA. Missing since September. Believed to use glamour to appear older. Likely dangerous. Missing.

Nooooooo

The only people who knew exactly what was happening today were Orion and my three friends—and

NOT YOUR FRIENDS

But the fact was, at this point, I trusted Orion more than I trusted them.

As you should

I dropped him on the ground. He started scrambling to get away from me, and I reached for him again. This time, I let my claws out a little, piercing his skin when I lifted him above me.

GET HIM

“I announced that we would rule together. A king and queen in the City of Thorns.

Aww why didnt we get his pov for this?

“Also, traditionally, the king publicly mates with his lover during the celebration,” he murmured. “It symbolizes the primordial coupling of light and dark.”

Oh.

Ashur had shown up right after she’d died, I think. Mom and I had been the last ones, then Ashur.

Oh :(

“Kasyade has deceived you,” I shouted above the winds, hoping the crowds could hear. “He used his magical glamor to take the form of your king. But he’s a poor substitute, a shadow of your true king. Kas was not blessed by the gods as we were. He’s an illusion, a commoner, and nothing more than a charlatan.”

Do not mistake me for a hero. I’d destroy the entire world to save the person I loved the most.