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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

Too much time had passed since Millicent had asked the question. She was taking too long to answer, and the failure stuck in her throat like a dry pill. Millicent raked her eyes over Emily as she waited for the response, taking her time as if counting every one of her infinite freckles.

“Death?” Emily offered, heart skipping a beat as its pace increased to match her nerves.

“Oh, not a bad guess at all. Yes, death can be an effective motivator. But, no, death motivates only from fear. The brave and the foolish alike do not fear death, at least not as they should.” Millicent leaned forward onto her elbows, bending in closer to the girl. “Money is also quite powerful, of course. A man with no title can still buy the lands, the forces, the wine and women and the obedience of others. But money, like death, is motivated by selfishness. Selfishness can be predictable. It has its limits.”

Millicent stood from her chair, leaning on the edge of her desk. Emily remained seated, her unease growing as the woman in black continued to speak. “Knowledge,” she said, “has kept universities running, it has kept politics flowing, it has aided in the ebbs and flows of kingdoms. Yes, knowledge is certainly important.” She took a few steps around the desk and was now on the same side as Emily. The choking vanilla cloud intensified. They were within an arm’s reach of each other. Millicent shifted her hip, perching on the edge of the desk, looking down at the young woman as she leaned against the piece of furniture.

Moments like these, she was reminded of how truly powerless she was. Her discomfort meant nothing to Millicent. She couldn’t get up and leave. She wanted space. Emily wished the wooden desk had stayed between them. The closer Millicent drew, the thicker the constricting fog of vanilla became.

The woman continued talking, but she was only speaking to herself. She purred, “Power for power’s sake is preferential, as it requires little effort aside from being born a crowned prince, but who amongst us outside of the royal family can claim true power in and of itself? Even the royals probably have limits, as they’re not the goddess herself.”

Emily looked up helplessly.

“No? No guesses?”

Emily shook her head, desperately wishing this lesson would end so she could leave.