Immortal Longings (Flesh and False Gods #1)

by Chloe Gong

Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale Her infinite variety. Other women cloy The appetites they feed, but she makes hungry Where most she satisfies. For vilest things Become themselves in her, that the holy priests Bless her when she is riggish. —Shakespeare, Antony and Cleopatra

But at any point, gene or no gene, a body holding a single person’s qi can be invaded, especially by someone like August.

But Anton is a Makusa. A family line of palace nobles that goes as far back as the Shenzhis have been royal. He won’t be tossed aside so easily. In fact, he’ll destroy anyone who tries.

“Bold of you to be saying such words when I could have you executed.” “Bold of you to threaten to execute me when I could gut you this very second.”

Calla Tuoleimi, princess of Er. She could do nothing on a throne, but she can do everything with a sword in her hand.

“Oh, Princess,” he says. “We’re about to make something very interesting of the games.”

Good kingdoms don’t need good soldiers. A good soldier dies on the battlefield and lets the people cry for him. Good kingdoms need loyal soldiers, terrible ones.

“This is Calla Tuoleimi’s body,” he whispers, “but you’re not Calla, are you?”

Calla can handle pain. She can handle blood. But this—this is somehow all and none of that at once, a wrenching in her very soul. This is tenderness. And she is more afraid of it than anything else in their forsaken kingdom.