Total pages in book: 147
Estimated words: 139662 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 698(@200wpm)___ 559(@250wpm)___ 466(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 139662 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 698(@200wpm)___ 559(@250wpm)___ 466(@300wpm)
Finn gasps and stares at me in awe. “The crown,” he whispers.
I turn to the water and see my reflection, see the Crown of Starlight glittering atop my head. And my scar—the symbol of the crown, my sun and moon—has returned to my wrist.
What did you do, Sebastian?
“Sacrifice,” Sebastian whispers, cringing as he rolls to his side. “You said sacrifice is what makes a good king. And I always wanted to be a great king.”
Relief is so sudden that I feel weightless. Laughter slips from my lips. “You’re okay.”
“He’s . . . mortal,” Finn says, shaking his head at his brother. “How . . .”
“The bloodstones,” I whisper. “Arya searched for them, but when her prisoners found one, Sebastian stole it before she could get her hands on it.”
“We believed they were gone.” Finn draws in a long, ragged breath. “Where’s Arya’s crown?”
“I still have it,” Sebastian says. He coughs and groans. “That hurt like a bitch.”
Did it? I didn’t feel . . .
I tug down my dress to expose the tattoo that symbolizes my bond with Sebastian, but it’s gone. “The bond.”
“It survived the end of your mortal life through the magic you gained becoming immortal, but it couldn’t survive the end of my immortal life,” Sebastian says, pushing back to sit on his heels.
Mortal. “How will you rule a faerie court?” I ask him, shaking my head. “You’ll be so vulnerable.”
“We tell no one,” Finn says. “Juliana can glamour him to appear fae until he can find a priestess he trusts. The rest we can figure out as we go.” Finn wraps one arm around me, pulling me tight into his side, his gaze still on Sebastian. “Thank you, brother. I will not forget this.”
A laughing sob tears through me—relief and grief overwhelming me in equal measure. Mab never said that Sebastian had to die. She said he had to give up his life, and he did—he surrendered his immortal life. For the good of the realm. But I know in my heart he did it for me.
“I forgive you for your deceptions, Ronan Sebastian. You have indeed become the kind of leader this realm needs.”
Chapter Thirty-Two
I don’t remember the journey back to the Midnight Palace. Everyone stayed close, keeping me safe, keeping this crown safe. But it all passed in a blur until suddenly I found myself in the throne room surrounded by my dearest friends, the Throne of Shadows waiting before me. Standing in the center of the throne room is my sister.
It’s true that even when I was human, I dreamed of having the power to save the weak and unfortunate from the powerful and exploitive. But that dream was always a distant second to keeping my sister safe.
The moment I set eyes on Jas, I’m reminded why it was so easy to risk everything for her. She represents everything good in the world. Everything worth fighting for.
“Abriella,” she says, rushing into my arms.
“You’re okay.” I wrap her up in my grasp, holding her as if she might disappear.
She hugs me tightly and I hug her back.
“I have so much I need to tell you,” I say softly. “So much to explain.”
“It’s okay,” she says, but she smiles as she tugs on one of my short curls. “You know how much I love a good story.”
“Soon,” I promise.
“The Throne of Shadows waits for you, Abriella,” Pretha says. “It’s where you belong.”
I draw in a ragged breath and step toward the throne, putting one foot in front of the other. This is how I’ve always done hard things—taking the next step, doing the next right thing.
Lark rushes out in front of me, her dark, silky hair bouncing as she spins to face me. “Wait!”
The whole room seems to hold its breath as we wait to hear what the little seer has to say.
“What is it?” I ask.
“I told you,” she says. “Didn’t I tell you?”
I laugh, and tears spill down my cheeks as I nod. “You did. You told me.” I take another step and find myself at the dais. The spot where I killed Mordeus.
I hesitate, and then Finn’s there, offering me his hand to help me onto the dais. Always helping me, always lending me his strength.
“Come on, Princess,” he whispers in my ear. “Make me call you something else.”
I turn and sit on the Throne of Shadows for the second time. The moment my back hits the stone, my power purrs in approval. This is a throne of the night, of the misfits and the lost. This is the throne for all those who had to endure the darkness to find the stars. This is my throne, and it’s been waiting for me.
Finn stands by my side—the king I choose, the partner I was given and whom I fought for. The match my heart needs. We’ve been given a second chance, thanks to Sebastian’s sacrifice. And as I take Finn’s hand, more power flows through me than I can even describe. Power of the night, power of the shadows, power of every shining star. It’s too intense to label, but it feels a lot like hope.