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Chapters (64)
  1. Front Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright
  4. Contents
  6. Pronunciation Guide
  7. Prologue
  8. Part One
  9. One
  10. Two
  11. Three
  12. Four
  13. Five
  14. Six
  15. Seven
  16. Eight
  17. Nine
  18. Ten
  19. Eleven
  20. Twelve
  21. Thirteen
  22. Part Two
  23. Fourteen
  24. Fifteen
  25. Sixteen
  26. Seventeen
  27. Eighteen
  28. Nineteen
  29. Twenty
  30. Twenty-One
  31. Twenty-Two
  32. Twenty-Three
  33. Part Three
  34. Twenty-Four
  35. Twenty-Five
  36. Twenty-Six
  37. Twenty-Seven
  38. Twenty-Eight
  39. Twenty-Nine
  40. Thirty
  41. Thirty-One
  42. Thirty-Two
  43. Thirty-Three
  44. Thirty-Four
  45. Thirty-Five
  46. Part Four
  47. Thirty-Six
  48. Thirty-Seven
  49. Thirty-Eight
  50. Thirty-Nine
  51. Forty
  52. Forty-One
  53. Forty-Two
  54. Forty-Three
  55. Forty-Four
  56. Forty-Five
  57. Forty-Six
  58. Forty-Seven
  59. Epilogue
  60. Excerpt from The Sun and Its Shade
  61. The Night and Its Moon Playlist
  62. Acknowledgments
  63. About the Author
  64. Back Cover

Feet slapped down the hall, and Nox knew she had exactly fifteen seconds before she would be called upon. She folded her hands in her lap, straightened her back, mimicked the most sanctimonious expression she could think of. It was a day intended to honor the All Mother, after all.

The door to her dormitory flew open. The wood banged against the stone wall behind it as it swung on its hinges. Agnes had brushed her peppered hair into a familiar bun, its muted grays matching her dull linens. The matron’s temper more than made up for any subdued appearance.

“He’s early,” Matron Agnes hissed.

Nox nodded. “I’ll be right there.”

“Your hair isn’t braided?” Agnes asked.

Nox blinked with genuine surprise. “He’s early! You said it yourself. Do you want me to fix it first—”

“No.” The woman gaped in horror at the suggestion. “Get downstairs now!”

Nox turned her temper inward, fueling an ever-burning irritation. She gathered the linens of her skirt into her fingers as she ran down the stairs, joining the matron in the foyer. Agnes pulled her shoulders back and released a long, slow exhale. She painted a reverent, placating smile onto her otherwise bitter features before she opened the door.

Agnes bowed as she ushered the man into Farleigh. “Your Excellency.”

Through trial and error, Nox had learned better than to speak in the bishop’s presence. She kept her eyes on her soft leather shoes but could see the steepled press of his fingers from her peripherals.

The bishop was the only adult male Nox had ever officially met, and it had taken roughly thirty seconds upon their first encounter for her to know that she hated him. The man was impeccably dressed and appeared to be in his early fifties. He was always dressed in the whites and golds of his station. Agnes was of similar age and equally intimidating stature, but she was cunning enough to play whatever games of diplomacy were required of her.

Nox had learned more about games and how to play them from Matron Agnes than from anyone else. The Gray Matron had the sort of wicked cleverness that allowed her to see several moves ahead of her opponent at all times. Agnes acted accordingly, and Nox made an excellent student. The Gray Matron often won the game without the competition realizing they were playing at all.