by C. L. Wilson
By C. L. Wilson
CROWN OF CRYSTAL FLAME
QUEEN OF SONG AND SOULS
KING OF SWORD AND SKY
LADY OF LIGHT AND SHADOWS
LORD OF THE FADING LANDS
Crown of Crystal Flame
Rain knew loss. He knew what it was to wish for death. Ellysetta traced a pattern across the skin of his chest. She ran a hand down his torso, fingertips stroking the silky-smooth skin. All she had to do was touch him to set her world to rights. “Rain…”
“Aiyah?”
“About what you said earlier to Dorian. The bit about my leaving if the battle grows grim.”
He caught her hand, stilled it. “I’ve already commanded your quintet to take you to safety when the time comes.”
She rolled away and propped herself up on one elbow so she could see his face.
“Lord Hawksheart said we should stay together,” she reminded him. “‘Do not leave your mate’s side,’ he said. ‘You hold each other to the Light,’ he said. And he said we could only defeat the Darkness together.”
“He said many things. Most of which I don’t trust.”
“The safest place for me is at your side. Whatever happens, we face it together.”
His eyes closed and he nodded. “Doreh shabeila de.” So shall it be.
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
AVON BOOKS
An Imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers
10 East 53rd Street
New York, New York 10022-5299
Copyright © 2010 by C. L. Wilson
Map by C. L. Wilson
“Eternal Song” copyright © 2010 by Arabella Hancock
“Shadow’s Eyes” copyright © 2010 by Jennifer Huizar
“My Shei’tan” copyright © 2010 by Janet Reeves
“Tairen’s Chant to His Beloved” copyright © 2010 by Ashley Denman
“Dahl’reisen’s Lament” copyright © 2010 by Rebekah Lyness
“Dahl’reisen’s Plea” copyright © 2010 by Ashley Denman
“Shei’tanitsa Sonnet” copyright © 2010 by Helen Thompson
“Call to War” copyright © 2010 by Colleen Billiot
“Flight of the Tairen Lovers” copyright © 2010 by Phyllis Bright
“Majestic Flight” copyright © 2010 by Janet Reeves
ISBN 978-0-06-201896-0
www.avonromance.com
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
EPub Edition © SEPTEMBER 2010 ISBN: 978-0-062-01329-3
First Avon Books paperback printing: November 2010
Avon Trademark Reg. U.S. Pat. Off. and in Other Countries, Marca Registrada, Hecho en U.S.A.
HarperCollins® is a registered trademark of HarperCollins Publishers.
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
EPub Edition © SEPTEMBER 2010 ISBN: 978-0-062-01329-3
About the Publisher
Australia
HarperCollins Publishers (Australia) Pty. Ltd.
25 Ryde Road (PO Box 321)
Pymble, NSW 2073, Australia
http://www.harpercollinsebooks.com.au
Canada
HarperCollins Canada
2 Bloor Street East - 20th Floor
Toronto, ON, M4W 1A8, Canada
http://www.harpercollinsebooks.ca
New Zealand
HarperCollinsPublishers (New Zealand) Limited
P.O. Box 1 Auckland,
New Zealand
http://www.harpercollinsebooks.co.nz
United Kingdom
HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.
77-85 Fulham Palace Road
London, W6 8JB, UK
http://www.harpercollinsebooks.co.uk
United States
HarperCollins Publishers Inc.
10 East 53rd Street
New York, NY 10022
http://www.harpercollinsebooks.com
