Lady Smoke

Alone
 
 
The spiced coffee is sweet on my tongue, made with a generous dollop of honey. The way Crescentia always orders it.
 
We sit on the pavilion like we have a thousand times before, steaming porcelain mugs cradled in our hands to ward off the chill in the evening air. For a moment, it feels just like every time before, a comfortable silence hanging in the dark air around us. I ve missed talking to her, but I ve missed this, too--how we could sit together and not feel the need to fill the silence with meaningless small talk.
 
But that s silly. How can I miss Cress when she s sitting right in front of me?
 
She laughs like she can read my mind and sets her cup down on its saucer with a clatter that rattles my bones. She leans across the gilded table to take hold of my free hand in both of hers.
 
Oh, Thora, she says, her voice lilting over my false name like a melody. I missed you, too. But next time, I won t.
 
Before her words can make sense to me, the lighting overhead shifts, the sun growing brighter and brighter until she s fully illuminated, every awful inch of her. Her charred, flaking neck, burned black by the Encatrio I had her served, her hair white and brittle, her lips gray as the ersatz crown I used to wear.
 
Fear and guilt overwhelm me as the pieces fall into place in my mind. I remember what I did to her; I remember why I did it. I remember her face on the other side of the bars of my cell, full of rage as she told me she would cheer for my death. I remember the bars being scalding hot where she d touched them.
 
I try to pull my hand away but she holds it fast, her storybook-princess smile sharpening into fangs tipped with ash and blood. Her skin burns hot against mine, hotter even than Blaise s. It is fire itself against my skin, and I try to scream, but no sound comes out. I stop feeling my hand altogether and I m relieved for a second before I look down and see

Laura Sebastian grew up in South Florida and attended Savannah College of Art and Design. She now lives and writes in New York City. Laura is the New York Times bestselling author of Ash Princess, Lady Smoke, and Ember Queen. To learn more about Laura and her books, follow @sebastian_lk on Twitter.

Praise for the New York Times bestselling Ash Princess series:

Sure to be one of the summer's most talked about YAs. . . . A darkly enchanting page-turner you won't be able to put down. Bustle

Tense and imaginative, this story of a diminished yet vengeful princess inciting a rebellion to recapture her rightful place of power strikes a timely chord. Ash Princess is a smart, feminist twist on a traditional tale of a fallen heroine, with plenty of court intrigue, love, and lies to sweeten the deal. Good luck putting this one down. Virginia Boecker, author of The Witch Hunter series

The story leaps and twists like a swordswoman, and its blade carves the characters anew and divides them against themselves. This searing page-turner is a compelling examination of the complexities of both evil and resistance. Sarah Porter, author of Vassa in the Night

"Laura Sebastian has created a dark and spellbinding epic in Ash Princess. Brace yourself, because Theodosia Houzzara wounded, driven, and deadly is going to carve out a place for herself in your heart." Sara Holland, New York Times bestselling author of Everless

"Emotionally complex, breathtakingly suspenseful"-Booklist

"For fantasy fans, especially those who enjoy strong female protagonists, this book will be an easy sell. Theo is tough, honorable, and relatable in her emotions [and] Sebastian has built a beautiful and complex world."-VOYA

"A rebel queen fans the sparks of revolution...[and] Theo's first-person narration remains enthralling with emotional immediacy...[while] packed to the brim with intrigue."-Kirkus Reviews

"Through unexpected allies and daring escape plans, [Theodosia's] trip from downtrodden princess to queen is an engaging one that fantasy fans will enjoy...[as well as] fans of The Selection series by Kiera Cass and The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne