I wince. I didn’t even realize I slipped back into old habits already. “I’m not sure, but I can tell you we were in the East when Father read it to me.”She glances at me. “Either you’re serious about the ‘total honesty’ thing, or you have the least ego about your lies of any politician I’ve ever me
AmvalI lay on my side, sucking in mouthfuls of beach air and twirling my wrist lazily to suction the sand out before it reaches my lungs. Violets and ink fight the salt spray for attention. Someday, I’ll figure out how to play the way they smell together. Constraint and wildness, light and dark, th
Amval is dedicated, focused. He uses every part of his mouth, his whole face, dancing as deftly as he did over his ney. I see the apex of pleasure only a few seconds before it hits me, hard as a boulder. Shaking, clutching him, I scream my euphoria.When it’s over, I try to climb off, but his grip d
Because I am going to kill my mate.I lunge across the sand again, claws sprouting from my fingertips. The element of surprise has been the cornerstone of my training. If I don’t shift, no one sees me coming. Not even my so-called mate. I slash out, shredding his uniform to pieces and drawing blood.
IngridI can’t breathe. I can’t loosen my grip on my lute, even though I can hear the strings groaning. I just….I can’t be right. I can’t have seen what I thought I saw in the shadows of Sash’s lifted veil.“What?” He leans back, fixing his veil to cover more. “No, I took a vow—”“I don’t give a fu
“But everyone knows you play the lute.” I grimace behind the veil at my mistake. “At least, I’ve heard about it on the few occasions I’ve left the palace, so I assume it’s well known.”She laughs, but it sounds tired, perhaps forced. “No, you’re right; everyone knows. I just decided that being happy