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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

“Why have you come, Luntok?” she asked in a broken voice. “Did you wish to humiliate me further?”

“I came to see how you were doing,” he said.

“I have been imprisoned. Tortured in my own home. And a few hours ago, I learned that to spare my family from Imeria Kulaw’s wrath, I must marry the man who engineered our destruction.” Laya let out a bitter, high-pitched laugh. When she opened her mouth again, her voice shook, on the verge of tears. “I truly did fall in love with you, you know. You played your part admirably. Your mother must be very proud.”

Luntok joined her on the balcony. “But I do love you, Laya. I never lied about that,” he said hoarsely. He reached for her arm out of instinct. The moment he touched her, she shrank back. He could not hurt her the way his mother had hurt her, but his touch burned.

“You’ve locked me up in chains, Luntok. Is that what love is to you? By the gods.” Laya sagged against the balustrade. Her shoulders shook, and she finally broke down in sobs. She could fight them no longer. This time, when he reached for her, she folded into his embrace. “I should despise you after everything you did. I should want to claw your eyes out and curse your name,” she gasped between shuddering cries. “I loved you once, Luntok, gods help me. But you betrayed me. Betrayed my family. How can I ever forgive you?”

His arms tightened around her. He held her until her breathing calmed. When her sobs quieted at last, he drew back and pressed his forehead against hers. “I can’t take back the pain I’ve caused, Laya, but I can promise to keep your family safe. To keep her from hurting you ever again.”

Laya met his gaze. Her muscles still quivered in the aftermath of Imeria’s torture. “Even if you wanted to protect me, how would you stop her?” she asked. “No one can match Imeria’s power.”

“I swear no one will touch you,” he said, an impassioned growl creeping into his voice. “Not when you are my queen.”

His queen. A faint blush spread over Laya’s cheeks. “Don’t tell me this was all part of some ruse you concocted simply to marry me.”

“Of course not, Laya. It’s more complicated than that. You wouldn’t understand,” Luntok said, turning away.

“Then help me to,” she said firmly. “I want to know what would push a man like you to do such a terrible thing.”