The Crown of Gilded Bones (Blood And Ash Series Book 3)

by Jennifer L. Armentrout

  “Do you truly expect us to believe that?” Casteel demanded, his anger rising to the surface.

  “You don’t have to. Both of you can see for yourselves,” Ian replied. His words fell like frozen rain. “That is why I am here.”

  I suppressed a shudder as the spark of hope died. There was nothing familiar about Ian’s tone now, and his words meant more than what was spoken. He wasn’t here out of concern. “The message from the Blood Crown?” I managed.

  He nodded. “The true Queen has requested a meeting with the Prince and Princess of Atlantia.”

  True Queen? I almost laughed. I was surprised that Casteel didn’t. I glanced at him. His striking features had sharpened. “Funny, we wish to speak to the false Queen, as well.”

  “Then she will be pleased to hear that you will meet with her in a fortnight to discuss the future. At the Royal Seat in Oak Ambler,” Ian told us, referencing a small port city just before the Wastelands. “Of course, she extends this offer with a promise that no harm will come to either of you in hopes that you will honor her offer and leave the armies you have gathered to the north.”

  My stomach dropped as a cool shower of surprise echoed from the wolven and Casteel. How did they know?

  “Yes.” Ian smiled then, and it killed me a little when I saw the hint of fangs along both rows of teeth. “The King and Queen know of the armies gathering. They hope that this meeting can prevent unnecessary bloodshed. He glanced to where Vonetta stood. “You are more than welcome to join.”

  My brows crept up on my forehead. Ian had been a bit of a flirt growing up, but wasn’t he married now? Then again, he’d barely spoken of his wife, and it wasn’t like I’d seen a loving relationship between an Ascended pair before.

  “Thanks, but I’ll pass,” Vonetta replied dryly as I sensed a rise in Kieran’s annoyance.

  “Shame,” Ian murmured. “I had hoped to continue our conversation.”

  “Not me,” she muttered, and I so wondered what conversation he was referencing.

  “Why, in either kingdom, would we trust that offer?” Casteel had silently moved to stand beside me once more, something that caused the knights to start forward.

  Ian held up a hand, halting the knights. “Because the Blood Crown has no desire to start another war,” he responded. “One I hope you realize you will not win.”

  “We’re going to have to disagree on that,” Casteel bit out.

  “So we shall.” Ian inclined his head. “But you should also know that if you come with ill will, not only will you be destroyed, but so will Atlantia—starting with Spessa’s End.”

  Rage coated the back of my throat, and I reached out, curling a hand around Casteel’s arm. A slight tremor coursed through him. His chin had dipped, his features becoming sharp angles. I squeezed his arm, and he briefly glanced down at my hand as if he didn’t know who touched him. It took several seconds for him to wrangle his anger.

  “The Blood Crown is rather confident,” I said, taking on the same tone of nonchalance Casteel had had in the beginning. Dark eyes met mine. “Which tells me that the Queen has no real knowledge of what armies are gathering to the north.” Considering that I had no real idea, it was nothing more than a bluff.

  “Sister,” Ian purred, turning my stomach. “You could have hundreds of thousands of soldiers, half of them wolven larger than the ones before me, and you would not defeat what the Queen has created.”

  Unsettled, I stared at him. “What has the Queen created, Ian?”

  “Let’s hope you never need to find out.”

  “I want to find out,” I insisted.

  “Do you speak of more knights?” Casteel cast a sneer in the direction of those standing behind him. “Because if so, we’re not worried.”

  “No.” Ian continued to smile, while the knights showed no reaction to Casteel’s taunt. “The Revenants are not knights. They are not Ascended, mortal, nor Atlantian. They are something far more…unique than that.”

  Revenant? I had no idea what that could even be.

  “I must take my leave now. It is a long journey back to the capital. I look forward to seeing you in Oak Ambler.” His gaze shifted to me. “I wish to hug you, Poppy. I hope you can look past our differences and grant this favor.”

  I locked up as the weight of the wolven dagger reminded me of the oath I’d made to myself and what I’d promised Casteel. Ian was…he was no longer my brother. There were moments when I saw him, but those seconds truly meant nothing. He was no longer in there.

  My gaze snapped to the knights. They were shifting uneasily, obviously not excited about Ian’s request or how far away he was now standing from them, and I could feel the wariness coming from all those around me, especially Casteel.

  This…this could be my chance. I would be more than close enough to use the dagger. I didn’t think he’d expect it. I could do it. And in my heart, I knew that to be true. But at what risk? Casteel and the others could easily take the four knights. I didn’t doubt that for one second, but what if the Blood Crown took that as an act of war and Ian had spoken the truth about these Revenants? What if my one act spawned the war that Casteel and I were trying to prevent?

  I…I didn’t want that.

  Relief warred with disappointment so potent that it felt like I’d taken the dagger and used it on myself. However, I would rather carry the guilt of allowing my brother to continue on this way than shoulder the regret of causing countless people to lose their lives.

  “It’s okay,” I told Casteel as I stepped forward. “He won’t hurt me.”

  Ian frowned slightly, but I hoped Casteel understood what I said. Wariness throbbed from all those behind me, and I swore the wolven dagger did the same. But I ignored both things as I stopped in front of Ian. He didn’t smell like the sea and sun anymore. Instead, I caught the floral musk of an expensive cologne. Ian’s skin was cold, even through his shirt, and it all felt wrong as he folded me in his arms. I closed my eyes and let myself imagine just for a second that this was the Ian I remembered—that I was hugging my brother, and he was okay.

  “Poppy, listen to me,” he whispered, and my eyes opened. “I know the truth. Wake Nyktos. Only his guards can stop the Blood Crown.”

  Chapter 33

  “Well…” Jasper drew out the word from where he sat in one of the closed-off rooms beyond the Great Hall of the fortress. Delano and Lyra were trailing the Ascended to make sure they left, but the rest of us were here. “That was unexpected.”

  I almost laughed, but I didn’t think that was appropriate. I was already wearing a path in the stone floor, pacing the length of the room. I couldn’t sit. Not with how my mind was racing. Not with my emotions all over the place, bouncing from sorrow to hope to disbelief.

  Ian was still in there.

  For him to say what he had, he had to be. And I…I could’ve stabbed him. My stomach roiled and then lurched. Ian was still in there. Good gods, I wanted to shout with joy and also sink to my knees and sob because that meant he was himself while surrounded by Ascended. What he must deal with. I couldn’t let myself think about that. He was smart and clever. Obviously, he was stronger than I ever realized for him to survive as he had.

  But the implications of Ian remaining himself? Being able to put on a convincing act to survive so young in his Ascension? There could be others—many more.

  “What do you think he meant by Nyktos’s guards?” I asked.

  “That, I am not sure.” Casteel watched me from where he sat. “It would be hard to imagine that his guards would leave him.”

  Nova frowned from where she stood by the door. “You think he spoke the truth? That this is not a trap of sorts?”

  “He said he knew the truth,” I told her—told the room. Casteel had been close enough to overhear my brother’s whisper. The rest hadn’t. “He had to be talking about the Ascended.”

  “He didn’t sound like he knew the truth about the Ascended,” Jasper remarked with a scowl. “He sounded like every As
cended I’ve come across.”

  “That had to be an act,” I said.

  “Then he’s one hell of an actor,” the older wolven retorted.

  It was a good act, but we were thinking about two different situations. “Growing up, Ian made up these stories and then told them to me. He did it because he knew I was…I was often lonely and bored.” I started walking again, fiddling with the edge of my braid. “Anyway, when he told me those stories, he acted them out, adopting different accents and mannerisms. He was good at it—good enough that he’d be at home on a stage.”

  “And I barely heard what he whispered to Poppy,” Casteel commented. “There’s no way the knights did.”

  I nodded. “He made sure they couldn’t hear. That’s why he moved so far from them—something I could tell made them uncomfortable.”

  “Truth or not, the fact that Ian even brought up Nyktos makes me think that he knows about your heritage,” Kieran began, leaning against the table beside where his sister sat perched on the edge, her feet resting on a chair. “And that means the Blood Crown likely does, as well. Which isn’t exactly a surprise, but it could mean they have some understanding of your abilities.”

  “They may.” I stopped playing with my braid and instead started worrying the skin of my thumb. “I mean, it sounded like they orchestrated my creation,” I said without going into too much detail. It was strange how twenty-four hours ago, I had been caught up in the knowledge that Malec was my father. Now, replaced by something far more important, it felt like a non-issue. “Then they probably have a good idea of what my gifts could grow into. But these Revenant things? I’ve never heard of them before.”

  “Neither have I,” Casteel said, which was unsettling since he’d spent time in the capital far more recently than I had.

  “But whatever they are, they must be bad for Ian to say a large army couldn’t beat them.”

  “That is if what he said is true,” Kieran pointed out.

  “It may not be. It just might be.” Casteel squinted as he drew his thumb along his lower lip, watching me. “Wake Nyktos.”

  Our gazes connected. What my brother told me to do sounded too bizarre to even consider, but…

  “I doubt any god would be all that happy with being awakened, let alone Nyktos,” Vonetta said. “What if he said that in hopes the god takes you out?”

  My stomach tumbled at the thought. Angering a god would be a surefire way to remove me from the picture. But I also thought about what the Duchess had said. That I had succeeded where she couldn’t. Could waking Nyktos be a part of that?

  I didn’t think so. Duchess Teerman referenced Atlantia, and I truly believed that Ian was trying to help us.

  “But the Blood Crown wants Poppy alive,” Casteel pointed out. “And they want her at this meeting. If the plan is to get her killed by waking Nyktos, why set up the meeting?”

  “Good point.” Vonetta’s fingers tapped on her bent knees as she glanced between Casteel and me. “You two are seriously thinking about it, aren’t you? Waking Nyktos?”

  Casteel still held my gaze. “If what Ian said is true, we may need Nyktos’s guards. Either way, Atlantia has lost the element of surprise when it comes to our armies.”

  I nodded in agreement. “Are you familiar with Oak Ambler?”

  A smoky smile appeared as he shared a quick glance with Kieran. “We’ve been to and infiltrated Castle Redrock.”

  My brows lifted. “Do I want to know why you did that and what the outcome was?”

  His gaze sharpened, burned. “Probably not.”

  “Let’s just say some Ascended there won’t be missed by those who call Oak Ambler home,” Kieran commented. “It’s probably best if you don’t know more.”

  “It would be wise for us to arrive before they expect us,” Casteel said, and I nodded.

  “I can agree with that. I can also say for sure that your father will be pissed when he hears that the Blood Crown knows that Atlantia has been gathering forces to the north,” Jasper muttered, dragging a hand down his face as he looked at Casteel. “Hell.”

  I stilled, my gaze finding Casteel’s once more. When Ian had dropped that unexpected tidbit, I couldn’t understand how they knew. Now, I did. “Alastir.”

  Casteel’s jaw hardened. “From what my father said, only the Council was aware of the true purpose behind the armies being moved to the north. The public believes it’s a training exercise, but Alastir knew.”

  “And he’d been communicating with the Ascended.” I shook my head. “How in the world could he have justified sharing that kind of information with the Ascended as something that would’ve benefited Atlantia?”

  Jasper snorted. “I think Alastir had a lot of beliefs that didn’t make sense, but maybe he did that in hopes that Solis would strike first, forcing Atlantia’s hand. A backup plan in case all else failed.”

  That made unfortunate sense. “Who knows what else he could’ve told them?”

  That quieted the room, and in the silence, my mind returned to bouncing between Ian and what it meant for the Ascended before finally settling on something I hadn’t really allowed myself to think about.

  The Crown.

  The plans already in place wouldn’t change with the news that Ian wasn’t evil incarnate—and it was possible that other Ascended were the same. Once the King learned that Solis was aware of the Atlantian armies, it would spur an attack. Ian and any Ascended like him may die if the Atlantian armies were successful. If not, and these Revenants were something terrible and powerful, able to devastate the Atlantian armies? Not only would Spessa’s End fall, but the entire kingdom of Atlantia could. Either way, innocent people would die on both sides. I stopped as I neared Casteel’s chair. He looked up at me, his gaze searching my face.

  Casteel and I could stop this.

  That meant only I could stop it.

  My pulse picked up as I stared down at him. I knew what we had to do—what I had to do. It felt like the floor shifted under my feet. A kernel of panic bloomed, and I used everything in me to shut it down.

  Casteel reached out, extending a hand. I placed mine in it. “What?” he said quietly.

  “Can we talk?”

  He rose at once, sending the group a quick glance. “We’ll be back.”

  No one said anything as we slipped from the room and then moved through the empty Great Hall where the Atlantian banners hung on the walls.

  “Where do you want to go?” Casteel asked.

  “The bay?” I suggested.

  And that’s where we went, Casteel leading the way around the half stone wall that remained. Under the bright light of the moon and in the much cooler air of nighttime, the grass and dirt gave way to sand as the scent of lavender surrounded us.

  We stopped on the edge of the midnight bay, the waters so dark they captured the stars above. Stygian Bay was the rumored gateway to the Temples of Eternity. I suppressed a shudder at the thought that the God of Common Men and Endings slept under the still waters.

  “You doing okay?” Casteel asked.

  Knowing he was talking about Ian, I nodded. “It’s strange. When I decided not to give Ian peace, I was both relieved and disappointed.”

  “What made you decide not to do it?” Casteel pulled his gaze from the bay and looked over at me. “Because I really thought you were going to do it.”

  “I was. It was the perfect chance. I knew you all would’ve been able to handle the knights. But besides the fact that we have no idea what these Revenants are, we’re also trying to prevent a war. If I’d ended Ian, the Blood Crown could have taken that as an act of war against them and struck at Spessa’s End. I couldn’t risk that.”

  He reached over, rubbing his hand down my back. “I’m proud of you.”

  “Shut up.”

  “No. Seriously.” A faint smile appeared. “You made the call before Ian spoke to you, when you thought he was truly lost to you. You didn’t think of what you wanted, but what was best for the people of bo
th Solis and Atlantia. Many wouldn’t have done that.”

  “Would you?”

  His forehead creased as his attention returned to the bay. “I’m not sure. I’d like to think I would have, but I think it’s something you really can’t know for sure until you’re in that position.”

  Silvery moonlight glanced off the curve of his cheek and jaw as if the light of the moon were drawn to him. “So, you believe that Ian isn’t like the others? That what he said is true?”

  He didn’t answer for a long moment. “I believe in things that make sense, Poppy. Him telling you to wake Nyktos because his guards can defeat the Blood Crown only makes sense if he was trying to help us. I cannot think of how that would help the Blood Crown. Like I said in there, they have not indicated that they want you dead. I do think he’s trying to help you—help us—at great risk to himself. For him to be willing to do that to help his sister has to mean that he’s still in there. A normal Ascended would be looking out for only themselves. He’s not like them.”

  I briefly closed my eyes, nodding. Hearing that Casteel believed that Ian was still in there erased the tiny doubts I still had and made what we needed to talk about easier. “And that could mean that some Ascended, young ones like Ian, who might not have had years and years to control their bloodlust, aren’t a lost cause.”

  “It could.”

  “And Atlantia is preparing for war—to kill all the Ascended. Your mother told me it wouldn’t matter if Ian wasn’t like the others. They wouldn’t take that risk.” I moved to what was left of a pier, sitting on a stone post. “I can’t let that happen. We can’t let that happen.”

  Casteel turned to me, remaining quiet.

  I took a deep breath as I looked up at him. “It’s not just about my brother. Yes, he’s a big reason. I know your mother wants me to choose the Crown because I love Atlantia, but there isn’t enough time for me to feel that way. I…I don’t know if I need to right now. Because I am already protective of Atlantia and her people. I don’t want to see them used by the Ascended or harmed during a war. I also don’t want to see Solis ravaged. I know you don’t either.”