The Crown of Gilded Bones (Blood and Ash 3)

Casteel’s hand slipped away from me. “You lie.”

“Why would I lie about that?” She shook her head as she followed the trail of light to the steps. “Malec was a god.”

“Why would he pretend to be a deity if he was a god?” Casteel demanded.

“Because he grew tired of being held in Iliseeum while the children, generations removed, were allowed to explore beyond the Mountains of Nyktos, and he could do just that. Nyktos’s children were born in the mortal realm, just as his Consort was.”

I jolted, remembering what Nyktos had said about the Primals’ powers in the realm beyond Iliseeum. Only those born within the realm could retain their powers here.

I spared a brief glance at Casteel as she said, “Come now, you do know your own history? I lived it, Casteel. How do you think Malec managed to kill the other deities? Seize power like he did? A deity couldn’t have done that, not even one descended from Nyktos. And there were no deities of that line. There has only ever been the two sons.”

A long moment of silence passed, one where I could feel the chains of disbelief loosening and falling away as we stared at the Blood Queen, who clearly was not a vampry.

“Did my mother know what he really was?” Casteel forced out.

“That is at least one lie she didn’t tell. And as I said, I am not a vampry, and I am not a deity.” Her gaze focused back on me. “Because a god Ascended me, I became one.”

“That is not how that works,” Casteel growled, and while I didn’t know much about the gods, I had to believe he was right. One couldn’t just be made into a god.

She raised a brow. “It’s not?”

Vonetta and Lyra inched toward Casteel and me, just as Naill and the others were also doing—and had been attempting for several minutes. Their loathing and fear matched that of Delano and Kieran, and that said something. If she truly was a god, wouldn’t they be drawn to her like they were to me?

“But back then, many of the Atlantians didn’t know that, and when they started Ascending others, they just assumed that I was the same.” Her eyes were closed. “Malec told me his plans. That he would pretend to side with Eloana and the Council and help eradicate the Ascended. Said that it was the only way. Because you see, he couldn’t let the Ascended continue. He understood their threat better than most did.” She laughed then, the sound without humor. “Even exiled, he would stay behind and fight because he had honor. But I bet no one speaks of that, do they?”

Eloana had, in a way. She had said that Malec was a good man and King for the most part. Just not a good husband.

“So, he snuck me out of Atlantia when the war had just begun, but I had to leave alone. It would’ve been too risky to bring anyone with me, even our son.”

My heart turned over as Casteel asked hoarsely, “A son?”

She nodded. “I had him before I was poisoned, and he was…he was like you, Penellaphe. A blessing. He was the most beautiful baby boy there ever was. And even as a small child, he had the touch. The gift.” A fine tremor ran through her. “Malec would find me. He promised that once he was able to leave, he would. He would keep our son safe and bring him to me, and we would simply spend an eternity together—just the three of us, no Crown and no kingdom. He promised to take us to Iliseeum.”

Her eyes opened, and they…they glistened with tears. “Years went by, and the war spread across the lands. I had to…I had to hide what I was. With my dark eyes, the other Ascended never questioned what I was, so I hid from the daylight and stayed among the Ascended, still believing that Malec would come for me. I never lost faith. I met many who sheltered me, and it was Jalara of Vodina Isles who I discovered would be gathering his forces outside of Pompay, where a sizable Atlantian force had gathered. I knew that was my chance to learn what’d happened to Malec and my son.” Her nostrils flared. “He would’ve been on the cusp of manhood by then, and he probably wouldn’t have recognized me, but I didn’t care. I knew I would help him remember.”

She came down a step. “So, I joined Jalara at Pompay, and you know what I saw? The newly crowned King Valyn Da’Neer, leading the Atlantian army. And I knew.” Her hands closed into fists as her voice quavered. “I knew then that my son was gone. That he had probably been gone since the moment I left Atlantia, and they would’ve only been able to get to him if they’d done something to Malec. For years, I waited for them, never giving up, and they took that from me! He was all I ever wanted,” she screamed, and I shuddered at her words. Her chest strained the gown as she inhaled deeply. “They took everything from me. My son. My Malec, and I did nothing wrong but love, and gods, I will never love like that again. That was all. That was it.” She sliced her hand through the air. “They could’ve stopped this at any point. They just had to tell the truth about Malec and I. That I was not a vampry. That he was exiled wrongly. But in doing that, they’d have to confess what they’d done. Tell all their lies. Admit to murdering children,” she hissed, and I flinched then because I…I knew that they had. “And they would have to give back the Crown if that was what Malec wanted. So, of course, they didn’t. And here we are,” she said quietly. “All of this?” She lifted her hands and spread her arms wide. “All of this is because of them. They created this fire and fanned it, and now it’s out of control because I am the fire, and I will take everything from them.”