“Angelika was a good friend of mine, and the sacrifice she made for her kingdom will live on far longer than she has.”
I asked bluntly, “How did you know this would work?”
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“Raihn made your deal”—caved to your blackmail—“to save me. Yet for him to hold up his end, he had to win the Kejari. Why would you think he would kill me after he had saved me?”
Septimus smirked. Exhaled smoke. “I didn’t. He’s clearly a romantic.”
I kept my face blank, but did not understand this answer.
He chuckled and straightened. “I told you I don’t make bets that I can lose. And every bet I’ve made on you has been a winning one, dove.”
He offered me the box of cigarillos. I shook my head.
“I hope you can find it in your heart to call me a friend,” he said, as he slipped the box into his pocket. “You may find we have more in common than you think. We’re the only ones here who know what it’s like to fight against time. Counts for a lot in this world, doesn’t it?”
He sauntered away without another word, just in time for Raihn to return to my side. He eyed Septimus’s departing form warily.
“What was that about?”
“Nothing.”
Raihn looked unconvinced. He took my arm. I stiffened and pulled away, but followed him as he walked.
“What now?” I said.
He led me into the ballroom. To our right, floor-to-ceiling windows displayed a tableau of Sivrinaj, domes and spires gleaming beneath the star-dusted sky. The night was still hazy with smoke and white with fire, bright as inverted sunshine spilling across the ballroom’s marble floors.
“Good question” Raihn said. “Guess we have to build a kingdom.”
On the surface, his voice held the lilt of a flippant joke. It did little to mask the blatant fear beneath it.
I was afraid, too.
Afraid of the enemies beyond these walls, and within them. The enemies that surrounded Raihn, and the ones that surrounded me. The allies ready to betray us both.
Afraid of the fire consuming the kingdom that raised me, and for the countless innocent humans who would be caught within it.
Afraid of the danger of the future, and the secrets of the past.
Raihn took my hand.
And this time, I let him.
Our eyes met at the same moment, united in our mutual terror—united in all the ways we were the same, even if we weren’t ready to admit it. For one moment, it was all laid bare.
My friend. My enemy. My lover. My captor.
King and slave. Human and vampire.
And perhaps the only other person who had ever really understood what it was like to have a heart that bled both red and black.
I hated him. And I loved him.
And I couldn’t even try to deny how beautiful he was, with his life-marked face doused in the flickering light of our world falling to ash.
“And what about you?” he murmured. His thumb stroked my cheek, traced the line of my jaw. “Are you going to kill me, Oraya?”
He said it just as he had a lifetime ago, as dawn encroached on an alleyway in the human slums. And just like that night, I didn’t pull away from his touch.
Instead, I pressed my palm flat to his chest. Behind him, my kingdom burned.
I thought, Maybe.
“Not tonight,” I said.
END of BOOK I
Oraya and Raihn’s story will continue in The Ashes and the Star-Cursed King, coming soon.
AUTHOR’S NOTE
Thank you so much for reading The Serpent and the Wings of Night! I hope you loved reading it as much as I loved writing it. We have five more books in this world, and I’m really excited to explore all of its dark and bloody corners with you! Oraya is one of my favorite characters I’ve ever written—both the toughest and the most deeply sensitive. I hope you fell in love with her as I did, and that you enjoy the next phase of her—and Raihn’s—story.
If you enjoyed this book, I would truly appreciate if you’d consider giving a review on Amazon or GoodReads. I can’t overstate how important reviews are to authors!
And if you’d like to be the first to know about new releases, new art, new swag, and all kinds of other fun stuff, consider signing up for my newsletter at carissabroadbentbooks.com, hanging out in my Facebook group (Carissa Broadbent’s Lost Hearts), or joining my Discord server (invite at linktr.ee/carissanasyra!).
I would love to keep in touch!
ALSO BY CARISSA BROADBENT
If you liked The Serpent and the Wings of Night, check out The War of Lost Hearts trilogy, an epic romantasy trilogy full of romance, revenge, and redemption — and best of all, it’s complete and ready to binge.
Book 1: Daughter of No Worlds
Book 2: Children of Fallen Gods
Book 3: Mother of Death and Dawn
Available on Amazon and free to read in Kindle Unlimited.
GLOSSARY OF TERMS
Acaeja - The goddess of spellcasting, mystery, and lost things. Member of the White Pantheon.
Alarus - The god of death and husband of Nyaxia. Exiled by the White Panethon as punishment for his forbidden relationship with Nyaxia. Considered to be deceased.
Asteris - A form of magical energy wielded by Nightborn vampires, derived from the stars. Rare and difficult to use, requiring significant skill and energy.
Atroxus - The god of the sun and leader of the White Pantheon.
Bloodborn - Vampires of the House of Blood.
Born - A term used to describe vampires who are born via biological procreation. This is the most common way that vampires are created.
Celeba - A continent in the human lands to the east of Obitraes.
Coriatis Bond - A rare and powerful bond that can be forged only by a god, in which two people share all aspects of their power, linking their lives and souls. Nyaxia is the only god known to grant Coriatis bonds, though any god is capable of doing so. Those who are bound are referred to as each other’s Coriatae. Coriatae share all aspects of each other’s power, typically making both stronger. Coriatae cannot act against each other and cannot live without each other.
Dhaivinth - A poison that temporarily paralyzes.
Dhera - A nation in the human lands. Vale is currently living there.
Extryn - The prison of the gods of the White Pantheon.
Obitraes - The land of Nyaxia, consisting of three kingdoms: The House of Night, The House of Shadow, and the House of Blood.
Heir Mark - A permanent mark that appears on the Heir of the Hiaj and Rishan clans when the previous Heir dies, marking their position and power.
Hiaj - One of the two clans of Nightborn vampires. They have featherless wings that resemble those of bats.
The House of Blood - One of the three vampire kingdoms of Obitraes. Two thousand years ago, when Nyaxia created vampires, the House of Blood was her favorite House. She thought long and hard about which gift to give them, while the Bloodborn watched their brothers to the west and north flaunt their powers. Eventually, the Bloodborn turned on Nyaxia, certain that she had abandoned them. In punishment, Nyaxia cursed them. The House of Blood is now looked down upon by the other two houses. People from the House of Blood are called Bloodborn.
The House of Night - One of the three vampire kingdoms of Obitraes. Known for their skill in battle and for their vicious natures, and wielders of magic derived from the night sky. There are two clans of Nightborn vampires, Hiaj and Rishan, who have fought for thousands of years over rule. Those of the House of Night are called Nightborn.
