Crown of Midnight (Excerpt)

As everyone is well aware, I adore the Throne of Glass series. Sarah J. Maas has created a world that I've fallen in love with, complete with a corrupt political scene, strongly drawn characters and a story filled with twists, turns and magic. I've pretty much shouted my love for the series all over Twitter and the blog (see 1 & 2 for proof!), so it's extra exciting for me to be able to announce that I'm one of the ambassadors for Throne of Glass. What does this mean exactly? Well, I'll be sharing exclusive content and hosting a few giveaways for Throne of Glass and its sequel Crown of Midnight for the next few months! It's going to be a grand ol' time, as I get to basically gush about the series, the characters and Sarah herself.

Before I move on to today's post, why don't you check out my review of Throne of Glass and the Throne of Glass novellas? I've also got the book trailers for Throne of Glass and Crown of Midnight! I've also gone dress shopping and book shopping with Celaena, our sassy and kick-ass main character. There's also this digital story generator. You answer a couple of questions and boom - you're a part of Throne of Glass!

-----

Today's post is a very special one, and I'm very, very excited about it! I get the chance to join the other ambassadors in sharing exclusive scenes from Crown of Midnight. The excerpt that I get to share today is absolutely wonderful, and I'm really happy because it's one of my favorites. Without further ado, here is my part of this scene:

So much depended on this meeting—so much that she didn’t dare let herself think about it. And certainly not in front of Chaol, who could read her face with unnerving ease. 

So she grinned before he could turn to glimpse her face, to discover the doubt and fear underneath.

Absolute confidence, absolute arrogance: her best shields and most beloved masks. 

“I hope His Majesty has a decent spread of food for me to eat while I’m being interrogated.”

“Watch your mouth or the only thing you’ll be eating is hot coals.”

“Do you actually make people do that?”

His eyes narrowed. “What kind of person do you take me for?”

“You are the Captain of the Guard of the most powerful man in the world. Wyrd knows what horrible things you’ve done to people.”

“You must be nervous as hell if you’re resorting to taunting me.”

She wouldn’t let that shake her, wouldn’t allow the grin or the swagger to pause for an instant. But she halted before the wide, sweeping front steps into the castle. The best lies were always mixed with the truth—let him believe what he would. 

“You know my history with His Majesty.” After all, he’d been the one to bring her to that meeting with the king on the first day of the competition. He’d seen her near-panic at the thought of meeting him, seen her go pale.

Undoubtedly, he was thinking of the same encounter. His eyes softened, and he put a hand on her shoulder. “Just—be polite. Submissive.”

“Now that is a true challenge worthy of me.”

A half-smile. “If you’re well-behaved, I’ll have a chocolate-hazelnut cake sent to your rooms during our lunch.”

“Our lunch?”

A hint of wariness, but a growing smile. “Unless you had someone else you’d prefer to dine with?”

She chewed on the inside of her lip, looking toward one of the stone towers—the tower in which Dorian had his rooms. She’d meant every word she’d said to the Crown Prince that day she’d ended things between them, and had kept away ever since. 

So no—there was no one else she’d rather eat with today, not even Nehemia. “I suppose I could endure lunch with you,” she said.

She couldn’t help but wonder if his grin was from amusement or something else. But the full force of his smile was enough to make the world pause.

“I missed you,” she admitted.

Chaol’s smile faltered, and he again stared at her—questioning, calculating, wondering. She waited for him to look around, to factor in the people swarming the grounds and how best to respond, but he just kept looking at her. As if the world had paused for him, too.

And then he chuckled under his breath, more to himself than to her, and said, “It was boring as hell without you.”

She laughed, and ascended the steps into the castle. And though she didn’t reach for him, and though he didn’t offer his arm, they walked a bit closer as they made their way to the king.

You can read the previous parts from this scene here: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3!