Eclipse of the Crown (Villains & Virtues, #3)

by A.K. Caggiano

Damien averted his gaze to focus on one of the chamber’s paintings, a man with a rope about his ankle, dangling over a chasm, Chthonic words scrawled at its bottom to read, Hang in there, baddy.

But Xander had told her that scheming was twice as important as striking, and he’d managed to stay alive this long despite being very murderable.

Damien has proven himself quite abductable lately. Like, maybe a little too abductable considering how close together these two abductions happened. In fact, if someone were telling me about this, I would probably think the pacing was a little off.” She ran hands through her curls and cleared her throat.

Everything will be destroyed. “Well, no, we’re not doing that.” Xander pouted. “Oh, what, now you get to make all the decisions because you’ve got the end times inside you?”

At his side, Xander reached out and grabbed Pippa, dragging her close to him in his excitement and forcing the terrified priestess to watch. “This is going to be so good,” he whispered. “Archibald,” Damien grunted, meeting the man’s eyes, “would you please consider releasing my father, Zagadoth the Tempestuous, from his occlusion crystal?” The king sniffled, his brow pinched, and then shook his head. Damien tipped his head slightly. “But…please?” Archibald’s horrified eyes went narrow. “No?” Damien clicked his tongue, straightened, and crossed his arms. “Well, that didn’t work.”