ood from the corner of my mouth with the back of

enly raised his voice, putt

there? I heard stra

fter. He was signaling the nobles and guards gathered

m was already turning thick and hot from the candles and the incense, sticking to my skin. I could feel the h

they burst in and saw me half-dressed with the Crown

ead sharply t

wall, above the second-floor

ut a cold laugh, a ruthless g

uld be letting them

ndlelight. In our world, silver was the only metal that could burn away a werewolf's healing power an

to the hallway and slaughter t

are walking right into their

ed them, and then the cold anger in his eyes sharpened into something far more calculat

ack to the bed and swung his silver blade,

ric, the canopy collaps

is sword to flick several thick burning candles st

nd bright orange flames shot up l

and cracked, drowning out the pounding at the door, and the smoke clawed at my throat until each breath bu

ew frantic, and Bret's voic

there smoke coming from un

the trial to believe he had. While Casimer turned toward the mattress, I darted to the door, tore a strip of silk from

urning mattress, and yanked off the white bedshe

he hard way-the sickly, dying prince the court whispered about was a mask, and beneath it was a warrior w

e proof of a virgin's first marking-inside his coat, he moved

ov

d to my side and wrapped one

g my spine stiffen. The heat of his hand seared straight through the fabric, and I c

me off my feet and charged toward the ta

t, he kicked the center of the

eafening crash, sending colorful sha

ames into a roaring sea of fire that swallowed the entire Marking Chamber. The sud

my face from the glass, Casimer leaped out

ront of his shirt. The wind screamed past my ears, sharp and cold, and for one endless h

rs while the burning t

outside the terrace, his powerful Alpha legs

ack, putting polite distance between us as

ed flames lick the stone window frame w

r finally crash open above us, followed by Bret's fur

up the night, I curled