Chapter 40 · Untitled Chapter

"Kneel, Nora Bell." The corpse beneath the throne hooked both hands over the stone and dragged itself into the open.

Nora slammed into Lucan's chest. His arm locked around her waist before her boots could skid across the black marble.

"Don't touch me."

"I'm not the one touching you."

"Your arm's around my throat."

Lucan loosened his hold by half an inch. Not enough to let her go. His breath brushed her ear, hot against the copper stink filling the throne room.

"Stay behind me."

"You keep saying that like you can stop what's coming."

The dead woman hauled one knee over the dais. Her crown had sunk into gray flesh. Black roots crawled through the gold, twitching beneath her skin.

Her empty sockets found Nora.

"Kneel. Your blood belongs to the crown."

Nora shoved Lucan's arm away and stepped forward.

"My blood belongs to me."

The queen's jaw cracked open too wide. "That temper. That mouth. Yes. You have her blood."

Lucan moved in front of Nora so fast his coat struck her knees.

"You don't get to call her by that name."

The corpse smiled with someone else's teeth. "Still pretending in front of her?