BooksBarbecue
Back Black Salt Queen Save as PDF
Chapters (50)
  1. Praise for
  2. Title Page
  3. Dedication
  4. City of Mariit: Capital of Maynara Map
  5. One
  6. One
  7. Two
  8. Three
  9. Four
  10. Five
  11. Six
  12. Seven
  13. Eight
  14. Nine
  15. Two
  16. Ten
  17. Eleven
  18. Twelve
  19. Thirteen
  20. Fourteen
  21. Fifteen
  22. Sixteen
  23. Three
  24. Seventeen
  25. Eighteen
  26. Nineteen
  27. Twenty
  28. Twenty-One
  29. Twenty-Two
  30. Four
  31. By Order of General Ojas,On Behalf of Her Majesty Hara Duja
  32. Twenty-Three
  33. Twenty-Four
  34. Twenty-Five
  35. Twenty-Six
  36. Twenty-Seven
  37. Twenty-Eight
  38. Twenty-Nine
  39. Thirty
  40. Thirty-One
  41. Thirty-Two
  42. Thirty-Three
  43. Five
  44. A Coronation Prayer
  45. Thirty-Four
  46. Epilogue
  47. Acknowledgments
  48. Thank You
  49. About the Author
  50. Violetear Books x Bindery Books

Luntok chuckled and pressed his lips to the crown of her head. “I came as soon as I heard of your heroics with the ship. Submit me to your ire if you wish. That is how badly I missed you,” he said. The deep rumble of his voice sent a cool shiver down the column of Laya’s spine.

Oh, but Laya knew far too well what he meant. Her heart sang whenever Luntok showed up at her balcony, and a small piece of it died each time he left.

“Lovesick fool. Have you not an ounce of sense?” Laya said crisply, more to herself than to him.

There are worse mistakes I can make, she thought as she appraised Luntok. He had grown into a beautiful man over the many years she had known him. What his family lacked in repute, he countervailed in passion. He could have his pick of the loveliest brides in the kingdom, but he burned for the one woman to whom he’d been forever barred. The truth had never mattered to Luntok Kulaw. When he fell, he fell deeply. And Luntok loved Laya more than air⁠—everyone knew this.

The court liked to whisper about the pair of them. Not even joyless Bulan could deny Luntok’s devotion. Laya could not help but love him back. Unlike the rest of Maynara, Luntok didn’t stare at her in envy or horror or cowlike worship. When Laya met his eyes, she saw nothing but desire there. He adored both the woman and the god in her. He treasured even the ugliest parts⁠—the parts her own mother refused to love. Luntok was the sole person who would accept whatever storm she sent his way and love her more for it. Although Laya would never admit it, her heart belonged to no one else but him.

“Sense,” Luntok echoed, his breath tickling her ear. “What good ever came from that?”

Laya’s eyes darkened at the hint of a challenge. She kissed him in response, losing her breath against his lips.

They were fools, the pair of them. Laya and Luntok, a Gatdula and a Kulaw. History ordained that they hate each other forever, yet their jagged edges fit together so easily. But Luntok was different. Luntok was nothing like his ancestors. He belonged to her, not to history. The court could chatter as much as they liked. Whenever she was with him, her heartbeat drowned out whatever warnings she’d been told.