Kingdom of the Cursed (Kingdom of the Wicked, #2) (120)

“I have one final question for now, your highness.” I placed my hand on his chest, feeling the steady thumping beneath my touch. His attention dropped to that tiny connection before he dragged it back to mine. “Pretend there’s no curse. No magical betrothal. Or romantic urges created by our bond. Would you choose me? To reign beside you. To be your queen. Your friend. Your confidant. Your lover.”

“Emilia…”

“You tricked me into a blood bargain with you before I crossed into the underworld. Do you recall what you said?” I swore his heart stuttered a beat before furiously picking up its pace. “You told me to never make a bargain with the devil. ‘What’s his is his.’”

“It was a figure of speech. A blood bargain does not equate possession.”

“Perhaps not technically.” My hand fell away and I stepped back. “You did it as another means of protecting me. In case I didn’t want to accept our bond. You claimed no other prince of Hell would be stupid enough to challenge you. It was your secret way of offering me a way out of any contract with another demon House. The blood pact I made with Pride included. Am I wrong?”

“No.”

“Don’t answer now, but I want to know if what you said then stands.”

“You’ll have to be more specific. I said a great many things.”

“If I am still yours.”

He stilled. My words hung between us, heavy and lingering. Like his gaze.

“If I am, I would tell you that you are mine. That I am choosing you as my husband. There is no one I’d rather confront my demons with, no soul I’d travel through Hell with. And no one else I want standing beside me when I go to the Shifting Isles tomorrow.”

He was quiet for a long moment, seeming to gauge my sincerity and weigh it against his own feelings. “And if I don’t require time to think it over?”

Thank the goddess.

I exhaled quietly and moved from the balcony into his bedchamber, tugging the strings of my tunic loose as I passed by him. I glanced over my shoulder, noting with satisfaction the desire darkening his gaze as I slipped the shirt from my body and let it drop to the floor.

“Then I suggest coming to bed, your majesty.”





ACKNOWLEDGMENTS


Writing a book during a global pandemic was quite a challenge, and I am immensely thankful for the following people who cheered me (and this story!) on.

Stephanie Garber—I am forever grateful to the hours of brainstorming and talking through scenes. But even more than that, I am so thankful for our friendship outside of publishing.

Anissa de Gomery—our friendship and love of books and food and all things romance is the best, just like YOU.

Isabel Iba?ez—I am so happy I get to call you a dear friend. Thank you for reading early and giving stellar notes and for literally driving the extra mile(s) to come visit me with everyone. (Shout out to our lunch crew: Kristin Dwyer, Adrienne Young, Stephanie Garber, and my sister Kelli!) To my family—I love and appreciate you beyond measure. Special thanks to my sister Kelli (Dogwood Lane Boutique) for reading early and whose store continues to inspire so many details in my books.

Barbara Poelle, my agent, friend, and forever champion, cheers to a DECADE of being partners in publishing crime.

To my teams at IGLA, Baror International, and Grandview—Maggie Kane, Irene Goodman, Heather Baror-Shapiro, and Sean Berard, thank you a million times over for all that you do.

To my new team at Little Brown Books for Young Readers and the NOVL, you took over this series with excitement and enthusiasm and your love of the characters shines brighter than Wrath’s metallic tattoo. From my publishers, to the editorial team, marketing, library and publicity, the amazing production crew, the art department, and our sales and sub-rights departments, I am forever thankful for all of the hard work you do behind the scenes.

Special thanks to my editor Liz Kossnar for fully embracing the romance in this book, Virgina Allyn for creating the stunning map, Alvina Ling, Siena Koncsol, Savannah Kennelly, Stefanie Hoffman, Emilie Polster, Victoria Stapleton, Marisa Finkelstein, Scott Bryan Wilson, Tracy Shaw, Virginia Lawther, Danielle Cantarella, Shawn Foster, Claire Gamble, Karen Torres, Barbara Blasucci, Carol Meadows, Katharine Tucker, Anna Herling, Celeste Gordon, Leah Collins Lipsett, Janelle DeLuise, Elece Green, Michelle Figueroa, audiobook narrator Marisa Calin, and my publishers Megan Tingley and Jackie Engel. Publishing a book is no small feat, and you all made magic happen during a pandemic.

JIMMY Patterson Books—I’ll always remain grateful for all this team and James Patterson has done to help launch my books into the world.

My UK family at Hodder & Stoughton—Molly Powell, Kate Keehan, Maddy Marshall, Laura Bartholomew, Callie Robertson, Sarah Clay, Iman Khabl, Claudette Morris, and the whole team, you are such rock stars and I am so happy I get to work with each of you.

To booksellers, librarians, indies, bloggers, Instagrammers, the Bookish Box, FairyLoot, the Librarian Box, and beloved, enthusiastic BookTok fans—you are the true magic makers. Thank you for talking about this series, for handselling it, and for all of the positive word of mouth. Each and every one of your efforts is appreciated more than you will ever know. I hope the magic you help create comes back your way tenfold.