Page 146 of Kingdom of Briars and Roses

He’d be made king now. And he’d know I killed his father.

I glanced back toward the fray where Callan and the guards fought against the Withered who’d come to my aid tonight. Autumn would win, I could see that now, and guilt tugged at me for the danger I’d caused the magicless fae. My choice pained me: Stay to fight alongside them and risk Callan’s wrath for my crime or give myself over to the Midnight Court.

In the end, I never got to choose.

With a final push, Rydian forced me into the carriage. The doorslammed shut, locking me inside with some kind of spell I couldn’t break. The horses lurched forward, their hooves pounding into the night.

The carriage rattled as we sped through the open front gates and away from Grey Oak.

My heart pounded against my ribs, the carriage walls closing in as I processed everything. Rydian hadn’t saved me. He’d kidnapped me and delivered me to the enemy. Worse, he’d handed me over to the only court more cowardly than Callan himself. I would find no friends in Midnight’s court. No allies or aid.

Rydian had made me a prisoner again. And he’d done it using my feelings for him as a distraction. Or as bait.

The hurt of his betrayal tore a hole through my heart. I gritted my teeth against the pain, crafting it into rage and resolve instead. As the carriage rolled on, I vowed to the Fates to make Rydian pay for what he’d done to me. For this, I would become my father’s daughter. A Furiosity with Hel’s fire in my veins. And before it was over, the entire realm would feel my flames.

Thank you for reading! Aurelia’s story continues in Prince of Secrets & Shadows! Find out what secret Rydian has been keeping from Aurelia…

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And if you enjoyed Kingdom of Briars & Roses and want more from this world, snag the prequel story called A GLAMOUR OF SMOKE & SHADOWS to find out how Sonoma ended up having a secret baby (Aurelia) with a demon king of Hel against the wishes of the Aine and why Heliconia is dead set on killing them all…

CLICK HERE FOR THE BONUS >

Want a completed ROMANTASYseries while you wait for Prince of Secrets & Shadows? Don’t miss the Accidental Alchemy Series, starting with the reader favorite, ONE DARK SPARK. Paige has always been clumsy but when she spills her pumpkin spice latte and accidentally conjures a naked dragon king from the pages of a book, the library—and Paige’s mundane life—will never be the same again.

CHECK OUT ONE DARK SPARK >

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Sneak Peek of ONE DARK SPARK…

ChapterOne

Paige

This particular Thursday starts out like every other. I’m early to rise, quick to coffee, and off to work. The fact that my workplace is the ancient and very secret library that exists one floor below my small Boston apartment is just a bonus that means I don’t have to deal with rush hour traffic or, well, humans in general.

Then again, it’s not my choice to remain separate from the humans, so I’m not sure that’s actually what I’d call abonus.But I’ve made my peace with it. There is—unfortunately—no other option. The work I do here is too important to risk creating any attachmentsout there.

As an intern for the Athenaeum, the creatures I interact with are few and far between—and rarely ever human. Trolls, giants, elves, fae, shifters—the clientele that come to study or search the library are diverse and strange. Have you ever met a banshee bookworm with a top-secret clearance? It’s not a combination one might expect. Also, not to stereotype, but banshees are just weird in general.

With my earbuds streaming a spicy alien romance audiobook, I spend the morning patrolling the ogre section andwatching for anything sneaky or out of place among the quiet stacks.

The Athenaeum has one purpose, and that is to contain the threats trapped among the pages of the volumes kept inside it. As the library’s newest—and most hopeful—intern, my job is to make sure nothing inside the books contained here makes it out again.

Unfortunately for the Athenaeum, I kind of suck at it.

As if to prove my point, a large tome on the end of the shelf shakes ominously as I pass it. A single, gnarled green finger pries itself from between the pages, attempting to push the book open. I rush forward, adrenaline surging. With two hands, I grab the book and squeeze it shut again.

“Clauseruntque,” I hiss and the green finger withdraws as the book seals itself shut at the command of the magic.

Exhaling, I re-shelve the book into its proper place then let go and back away, bumping into the shelf at my back. Several books vibrate with the impact, and I suck in a breath, jumping clear of them before my clumsy ass can do any more damage.

A moment passes, and the books fall silent again.

Damn, that was close.

It happens far more often than I care to admit. As though, for some reason, the booksenjoytoying with me. Truthfully, I wonder if they can sense how afraid I am of screwing things up. They don’t act like this for the full-fledged keepers, that’s for sure.

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