SECRET OF THE ASHES AND CROWN

r face. A blade h

L

was a tradition

the Five Kingdoms flocked to the capital

ne wor

yone

r, the lies

ing Grita pin her hair in a way only royal spies would

mark: I

r mask was carved moonstone-cool, sharp, emotionless. H

look like

d like re

A

Gala's courtyard, wearing th

The mercenaries called him "The Ghost"

toast their sins i

lip poison into a rival

with a boy half her age and

en-he

mask. Moving like sh

ir

ything not t

through the cro

MO

weeping chandelier

dn't

er di

offered

too

hey d

song

alty and ruin like n

paper slipped into his

ey twirled behind

the vault door. The map is hidden inside the armory

t be

ooke

was

SI

ght n

of the marble staircase. "To alliances!" s

was alre

the stage. Uninvi

ed through

ognized he

removed

n's smil

rang out, calm

e people the

ed with stolen grain, st

I give th

rew a

't hit

e royal crest hangi

hell bro

A

already

smoke an

nto the private vault chamber where the map of the kingdom's

ed the w

waxed vellum. Labeled only wit

ps behi

n, bla

was

El

y V

e come back, peasa

t have threatened

they

autiful in the way

t not witho

nished into the shadows with t

L

Fire had broken out in the gallery. Someone screamed. A n

ael ap

ap in hand. Breathing

idn't

idn't

into the underground tunnels Elira's fat

alized what had happened

r, Kael collapsed by the fire,

e map," she

aiting in the

issed

sn't

was

the p

ingle page left be

rved into th

away now holds you

e is h