Who Dies At The End Of 'Cities Of The Plain'?

This is the story of Millicent Walker, a mysterious orphan who arrives in the small coastal town of Crimson, mute, nameless, and with no memory of her life before. Hired out by the orphanage to pay for her room and board, her strange appearance and mannerisms lead her to be seen as a freak. To many, she was seen as having less value than the rags she used to clean the floors. When a blight comes to Crimson, the dragon demands a virgin "of marriageable age" as a sacrifice in exchange for his assistance. Seen as strange, even cursed, Millicent was an easy choice for the sacrifice. Loved and wanted by no one, there was nobody to fight for her when they chained her to the cart and left her at the base of the hill to be defiled or devoured. Little did they know, her sacrifice would be their biggest mistake.

Sold like a circus animal. Collared, forced into misery and self-hatred. With a single blow, she hopes to change her life, only to find herself trapped again. Ocean has no idea what freedom means, but she desires nothing more than a taste of it. The secrets hidden from her will unfold before her eyes, no one can escape the truth. ~~~ The book excerpt: "Here, I have a key to your heart," I left the key in my palm, metal, and skin together. I stumbled upon the ancient artwork in the locker rooms. It caught my attention because it resembles a dagger, so I took it and waited for the perfect opportunity. "Silly girl, that is not the key to my heart. Pathetic attempt." Vladimir growls in disgust. If I'm lucky, I'll be free by the end of the night. Taking the first step toward my destruction, I grin and move my hips in time with the slow music in the background. Vladimir swallows, his Adam's apple bobbles in his throat. The vampire's eyes focus on the crook of my neck as I stop directly in front of him. I place my palm on his chest, guide my fingertips down to his abdominal muscles, a corner of my lip twitches in disgust. When he closes his eyes, I take the opportunity to plunge the key directly into his heart, smiling as his eyes shoot open and he looks down at me in horror. "Are you still convinced I don't have the key to your heart?" I ask, grab him by the collar, and pull him closer. My lips nearly touch his ear as I whisper, "It fits."

*THIS NOVEL HAS CERTAIN GORY SCENES AND MURDERS, PLEASE READ WITH CAUTION* Welcome to Main City, a place where when each child turns thirteen, they must go through a process known as Testing to see which role in society they fit-and it they're deemed worthy enough to live. Jonathan Lee is seven years old when they take him from his home, and just nine months into it, he's announced dead. However, Jonathan isn't dead, testing a bit too well on all the experiments they make him do. Labeled as a threat in the case that if he went rogue, the Higher Ups make the decision to off him. Miraculously, Jonathan survives, and escapes, hiding out in an unknown town far from Main City. Ten years later, Jonathan is still haunted by his past, though he gains a sidekick, a prodigy child by the name of Celia. Everything changes when Destry comes around, seeking to meet a friend in Cyder Hill. Everything changes when he decides to help Celia go back home.

Sienna Calder swore she’d never touch her father’s world—Dorian Ashford, shipping mogul and billionaire king, left her mom to rot while he built his empire. She’s there to curse his grave when he dies, not to claim a dime. But his will traps her, naming her co-heir to his $50 billion legacy alongside Roman Valtieri, the brooding, hard-edged protégé who’s clawed his way into Dorian’s shadow—and now into hers. They’re to run the empire together or lose it all, and Sienna hates him for it: too slick, too close, every look a spark she doesn’t want. Then a letter from Dorian’s cold hand ignites the fire—he was murdered, and Roman’s name’s scratched beside the truth. A silver key and a vial of blood—hers, his—drag her deeper, promising answers locked in Ashford estate.But the walls crash in fast: Ezra Locke, a scarred snake with a grin like a blade, wants that key, and he’ll drown the place to get it. Roman’s her lifeline—gun drawn, hands steady, pulling her from the flood—and she loathes how his touch burns, how his voice steadies her when the water’s at her throat. Caught between rage and a pull she can’t name, Sienna fights the heat growing with every near miss—Roman’s too damn solid, too damn close, and she’s torn between shoving him away and pulling him in. The empire’s crumbling, the cliff’s falling, and Ezra’s not the only shadow circling—something darker watches, waiting. Love’s a gamble when blood’s the stake, and Sienna’s playing with a deck her father rigged. Can she trust Roman’s hands to hold her up, or will the crown they’re fighting for crush them both in its ashes?

For a thousand years, the Night Empire has prospered under the rule of the feared Vampire King, Lucien Draven. To preserve the balance between life and death, every new king must perform the Crimson Vow during the Blood Eclipse, a sacred ritual meant to bind him to his destined Vampire Queen. But this time, the ritual goes terribly wrong. Instead of summoning a vampire bride, Lucien accidentally binds himself to Death herself, the immortal guardian who has guided every soul into the afterlife since the beginning of creation. Their impossible marriage shatters the natural order. Souls stop crossing into the afterlife. The dead refuse to stay buried. Ancient monsters imprisoned beyond the Veil begin to awaken, sensing that Death can no longer fulfill her duty. As vampire nobles plot to overthrow their mysterious new queen and kingdoms descend into chaos, Lucien discovers the woman beneath the legend. Death is not cold or cruel. She is lonely, compassionate, and exhausted by an eternity of watching every love story end. For the first time in existence, Death is forced to choose between duty and desire. If she remains Queen, the world may perish. If she leaves, she must take the soul of the man she has fallen in love with.

On the day I receive my Distinguished Service Medal, I also receive word that my grandma has passed away. My superior grants me special leave to return to my hometown to mourn her death, so I rush to my ancestral home at once. But when I reach the ancestral graveyard behind the hill, I witness something that makes my blood boil. The graves of my deceased family members have been razed to the ground. Even my parents' graves have been brutally dug up. Their urns are now placed under flower pots filled with blooming red roses. Grandma's coffin has been pried open as well.Her body now lies strewn on the ground and has started to rot. I also see Lucy Stewart, my autistic younger sister. Melissa Abbott, my wife's assistant, orders Lucy around like a maid, forcing her to move heavy construction materials around. Enraged, I grab Melissa by the throat and throw her to the ground. "How dare you destroy my family's ancestral cemetery and make my sister do hard labor! Do you want to end up buried here too?" Melissa coughs up blood before crawling back onto her feet, her expression vicious and scornful. "I'm simply carrying out Ms. Fuller's instructions. She says that your ancestral cemetery is located in a good spot. It's also the perfect size to be turned into a private horse ranch and a garden for her future husband. "Ms. Fuller calls the shots here in Joverton City. Who the hell do you think you are, huh?" Resisting the urge to put an end to her life, I call up Eva Fuller, my wife. "I heard you call the shots here in Joverton City. Well, I shall put that to the test today!"