eyebrow over one shoulder. “Very kinky, Miss Foster.” My face turns beet red, but Jaxon doesn’t seem to notice. “I’m not sure what my plans are, but we have the rest of our lives to sort it out,” Jaxon finally replies and squeezes my shoulder. We make it out of the tunnels and through the creepy dungeon area, and I feel myself relax the second the cell door clangs closed behind us. “What else did you learn about this monster?” I ask as we make our way toward the staircase that leads to the library. We pass through the lounge on the main floor, and while a few people turn to stare, it’s a lot less than it was a couple of days ago. Maybe they really are getting used to having a human/gargoyle around. Now, if I could just get used to the gargoyle portion of that equation myself, I’m pretty sure everything would get a lot easier. “It’s big. Like, beyond-measure huge. Twenty, thirty stories, some say. And it’s very, very old.” “Well, that sounds encouraging,” I say, tongue firmly in cheek. “I mean, who doesn’t want to fight a monster who’s been around forever and is the size of a mountain?” “Right? Although I don’t think it’s quite that big. More like the side of a mountain.” “Well, that makes it so much better,” I tease as we finally make it to the library. But as Jaxon reaches for the door handle, I realize it’s almost completely dark inside. “Oh no! Did Amka close while you came to get me? I’m so sorry—” The Circle is caught in a power play and the Vampire Court is trying to drag me out of my world and into theirs. The only thing Hudson and Jaxon agree on is that leaving Katmere would mean my certain death. Oh my God. Are you high?” I ask. “I’m inside your head, Grace. If I were high, wouldn’t that mean you are, too?”

Crave Series by Tracy Wolff - Goodreads

Keep Your Enemies Close, Unless They Bleed a Lot Jaxon turns to me and frowns. “What are you doing here, Grace? I told you where I was so you wouldn’t worry. I’ve got this.” “No, you don’t.” I shake my head and try to figure out how to explain how I woke up this morning. “Sure I do.” For the first time, he looks uncertain. “I didn’t have anything to do with Cole, and Foster knows it.” “I know you didn’t hurt Cole.” I take a deep breath. “I know you didn’t, because I’m pretty sure I did.” For long seconds, neither Jaxon nor my uncle says anything. They just kind of stare at me like they’re replaying my words in their heads over and over again, trying to make sense of them. But the longer they’re silent, the more confused they look—and the tenser I get. Which is why, in the end, I don’t wait for them to say anything. Instead I pour out the whole story, starting with the trip to the art cottage and ending with my blood-soaked clothes, which I pull out of my bag and hand to Uncle Finn. He doesn’t look excited about taking them, but then, who would? Especially when I just dumped a problem of massive proportions right onto his sturdy wooden desk. “Are you okay?” Jaxon asks the second I finally stop she…lives…in an ice cave it doesn’t take that long to get to from here.” I turn his words over in my head, trying to find a deeper meaning to them. I know there is one—it’s obvious from the way looks are flying between my uncle and Amka. Macy seems oblivious, but that’s obviously because she’s as in the dark about this subject as I am. “She’s brutal,” Amka says after a second. “Completely terrifying. But if anyone knows how to help you, she will.” I’ve got to admit, “brutal” is not exactly a word that evokes confidence in me. Then again, neither is “terrifying.” And considering I’m standing in a room with one of the most powerful vampires in existence and no one here is the least bit afraid of him, I shudder to think of what this Bloodletter person might be like. Especially since even Jaxon seems nervous at the idea of taking me to her. “Do you know her?” I ask as apprehension fills me. “I mean, will she try to kill us on sight or will she at least listen to what we have to say?” “She’s brutal but not completely psychotic,” Jaxon tells me. “And I do know her, yes. She raised me.” He doesn’t say anything else, just kind of drops it out there, like being raised by the most terrifying vampire in existence is a totally normal thing. He might as well have pulled out a fullon South Park impression and said, Move along, people. Nothing to see here. Which only convinces me more that there’s a lot Jaxon’s leaving out. And more concerned that what he’s leaving out is You already started,” the Bloodletter tells me, “before I put you to sleep. You started laying the groundwork instinctively.” “But how did I do that? How do I build this mythical, mystical wall? And what makes you think I’ve already started?” I ask, more confused than ever. “I knew you’d started the minute you began hearing Hudson’s voice. Because he didn’t talk to you when he was free to take control of you. It’s only after you started to impede that freedom that he had something to say.” “That’s not true!” Hudson throws his hands up. “I’ve been trying to get your attention all along. You just couldn’t listen until Yoda here taught you how to make an illusion real.” “Wait a minute.” I turn to the Bloodletter in horror. “You mean I’ll still be able to hear him, even after I wall him up?” Just the idea turns my stomach. “I thought the whole point was to get rid of him.” “The whole point is to make sure he can’t take you over anymore. The wall will prevent that, at least for a while. But now that he’s figured out how to get your attention…” She shakes her head. “I don’t think we’ll be able to do anything about that.” Jaxon balls his fists at this statement, but he doesn’t say a word. I do feel like the story built up to a pretty intense climax, much like Crave, and definitely has a Crave-style ending that is going to make some readers mad, and others excited. I’m unsure of how I feel about the developments of the ending, but I am POSITIVE it’s going to make for some pretty intense drama in the next book. We also get to see a new perspective come into the story, and I’m eager to find out just how this is all going to play out. That completely changes in this novel. Grace is constantly asserting her independence and strength throughout Crush, prompting discussions of agency at almost every turn and with every new plotline.But I can’t just lie here all night letting the gargoyle thing, the memory thing, and the mating thing all run through my head on a continuous loop. I’d watch TV, but I don’t want to disturb Macy. It’s late, close to two in the morning, and she has a midterm tomorrow. Which means I need to get out of here. I roll off the bed, trying to make as little noise as possible, then grab a hoodie from my closet—the castle can be cold and drafty at night. Next, I slip on my favorite pair of daisypatterned Vans and tiptoe to the door as quietly as I possibly can. I have a moment’s hesitation when I go to pull open the door—the last time I wandered the castle alone in the middle of the night, I nearly got tossed outside in the snow. I definitely do not want that to happen again. Mate or no mate, I can’t go around expecting Jaxon to rescue me whenever I get into trouble. Not that I imagine he’ll be all that thrilled to rescue me anyway tonight. Especially since I canceled my plans to meet up with him, claiming exhaustion. But things are different now than they were four months ago. No one’s got any reason to try to kill me, for one. And for another, even if they wanted to, no one would ever deliberately go after Jaxon Vega’s mate. Especially not after Jaxon nearly drained Cole for trying to drop a chandelier on me. Plus, I’m a gargoyle now. If someone tries to hurt me, I can always just turn to stone. As exciting as that sounds. Of course, I have absolutely no idea how to do that. But that’s a problem for another day, already filed away. So we can go to the Dragon Boneyard on Thursday? Or should we go before?” “Definitely not before,” Flint answers in an “obviously” kind of tone. “The Boneyard is dangerous. If one of us gets hurt, we’ll risk losing Ludares. No way am I going to let that happen.” “Good point,” Macy says. “If we lose, we don’t get the bloodstone.” “Pretty sure Flint is more worried about the bragging rights than the bloodstone,” I tease. “But either way, I agree. We can’t risk being hurt going into the tournament.” “But we can risk being hurt in the Dragon Boneyard?” Macy asks. “I mean, not to sound like a baby, but what kind of hurt are we talking about? A broken finger or full-on dismemberment? Because I can deal with a couple of broken bones, but I need my limbs.” Jaxon laughs. “Pretty sure we all need our limbs, Macy.” “Yeah, but now that Grace is a gargoyle, I have the highest chance of actually losing a limb in this whole group. And I just want to go on record as saying, I’m not okay with that,” Macy says. “Fair enough,” Flint tells her. “Ludares and then a trip to the Boneyard with absolutely no dismemberment. I think we can pull that off.” “So Boneyard on Thursday night,” Jaxon says. “And if no one loses a leg, we can plan on going after the Unkillable Beast on Friday or Saturday—depending on what shape we’re in?” it.” “Byron’s parents have decided to donate…” He does a little drumroll on the dining table. “A bloodstone! And not just any bloodstone. It’s one of the queen’s favorites, from the royal collection, that she gifted his parents on the eve of his mate’s death.” Everything inside me stills as I remember the Bloodletter telling us that she would take care of getting the bloodstone to us. This must be what she meant. A glance at Jaxon’s face tells me he thinks so, too—and that he isn’t the least bit surprised by this bit of news, either. He obviously had a good idea what the Bloodletter would do. Which also makes his interest in playing Ludares right now —in the middle of everything we have going on—make so much more sense. If the only way to get the bloodstone is to win the tournament, then it looks like hell really has frozen over. I just need to figure out how not to be a total burden—and, oh yeah, how not to be the first death—on the Ludares field in the history of Katmere. different. “Oh, he’ll definitely try something,” Uncle Finn tells me. “The only question is when.” I don’t know what to say to that, don’t even know what I’m supposed to feel. Except tired. So tired. I barely made it through the last homicidal maniac who was gunning for me, and now, here comes another. I mean, yeah, I obviously did something to provoke this one, but that doesn’t make any sense to me, either. Why would my gargoyle try to murder Cole when I have no reason to do so? I mean, I’ve let what happened last semester go. Or at least I thought I had. This whole thing is scary as hell. When is this new life of mine going to feel normal? When is it going to feel less like the Hunger Games and more like high school? My wrist starts hurting, and I reach down to rub it, only to realize I’m rubbing the scars from Lia’s bindings. And that Jaxon, Macy, and my uncle can see exactly what I’m doing. I drop my hand, but it’s too late. Jaxon wraps his arms around me from behind and rests his hands on mine, his thumb gently stroking my wrist. “He’s already proven he’s willing to kill to get his way,” Macy says after an awkward pause that makes me feel even worse. “And that was before his reputation was on the line. Now that he stands to lose the only thing that matters to him? Yeah, he’ll try something. We just have to be ready for it.” “We will be ready for it,” Jaxon tells me, his midnight-sky eyes never leaving mine. “If he actually comes after you, I’ll —” Everything feels off—especially me. I’ve returned to Katmere Academy, but I’m haunted by fragments of days I have no recollection of living and struggling to understand who, or what, I really am.

Crush - Tracy Wolff - Google Books Crush - Tracy Wolff - Google Books

We will. Don’t even worry about it.” She pauses before clearing her throat. “So did you, umm…” She coughs. “I mean, did you…” She coughs again, then finally manages to ask, “What did you think of Xavier?” And because Hudson’s diabolical nature has obviously rubbed off on me, I respond with, “Xavier who?” Hudson snort-laughs but must realize I plan to chat with my cousin for a bit because, with an arched brow, No Exit magically appears in his hands once more, and he opens it up to somewhere in the middle. Macy’s mouth drops open at my question. Like, literally drops open, and she sits there for what feels like ten seconds just staring at me, mouth ajar. “Xavier!” she finally says. “You know, the guy in the gray shirt? With the green eyes and the funny jokes?” “No.” I shake my head, give her a puzzled look. “Doesn’t ring a bell.” “How can it not ring a bell?” She sits up, all aflutter. “We just spent, like, ten hours with him! Xavier.” “You know, you’re a terrible person,” Hudson says with a very British sniff as he continues to read. “Truly horrible.” “Xavier,” I say musingly. “Xavier. Xavier. Xavier.” “Yes!” she squawks. “Xavier! You know—” “Do you mean the great guy with the gorgeous face who you were making googly eyes at all day?” I ask slyly. “The one who spent an awful lot of time showing off his muscles right in front of you? Yeah, I might have a general idea of who Xavier is.” What are we supposed to protect?” I ask, blood humming with the promise of what’s to come. “Magic itself,” Jaxon tells me. “And all the factions who wield it in all their different ways.” “So not just witch magic, then.” “No, not just the witches. Gargoyles kept the balance among all the paranormals—vampires and werewolves, witches and dragons.” He pauses. “Mermaids and selkies and every other not-just-human creature on the planet—and also humans.” “But why did your father kill the gargoyles, then? If they were the ones keeping everything balanced, why would he want to get rid of them?” “Power,” Jaxon says. “He and my mother wanted more power, power they couldn’t just take with the gargoyles watching. And now they have it. They sit at the head of the Circle—” “Amka mentioned the Circle to me. What is it?” I ask. “The Circle is the ruling body that governs paranormals all over the world. My parents have the highest positions of power on the council, positions they inherited when my father instigated the destruction of all the gargoyles,” Jaxon explains. “He instigated the murdering of all the gargoyles,” Hudson says from where he’s still near the window, “because he convinced his allies that the humans were planning another war, used the Salem Witch Trials to prove his point. And gargoyles were going to side with them.” “He killed them all because of a war that never happened?” There goes my mind, blowing up all over again. “Like…?” “Like in Hawaii, there’s a school that specializes in water shifters.” “Water shifters?” I repeat. “Yes,” Flint answers with a laugh. He must know what I’m thinking, because he adds, “Mermaids are real. So are selkies and nereids and sirens, among other things.” “Seriously?” I ask. “Seriously.” He shakes his head in obvious amusement. “You look dazzled.” “I feel dazzled.” “Vegas has Ceralean,” Hudson adds from near my head. “It’s a school for succubi, among others.” Out of all the mythological creatures, that’s what you come at me with? I give an exaggerated eye roll. A creature known for its sexual appetites? “Hey, I was just adding to your knowledge base.” The look he gives me is so innocent that I’m amazed he doesn’t have a halo sparkling…right around his feet. “You’re the one who asked.” I don’t even bother to say anything this time. I just roll my eyes again…at least until I realize Flint is staring at me like he suddenly thinks something is really wrong with me. I’m proven right when he asks, “Umm, do you have something in your eye?” “Yeah, I just got some dirt in there or something.” I rub my eye. “All better.”However, this is not at all due to negligence as there are so many teases for answers to burning questions that get explicitly pushed away until later. So, going in to Crush, know that you’ll just have to accept the fact that you won’t receive the answers you’re after. You may receive more context to the questions themselves, but few resolutions. Obviously.” I don’t mean to sound snarky; I really don’t. I know he just wants to help. But what am I supposed to do here? I can’t just go around assaulting people. The whole Idon’t-remember thing is going to get old fast. God knows it’s already old for me. Macy steps between us. “So what do we do, Dad? How do we stop this from happening again?” I wrap my arms around my waist and hold on tight. “You’re not going to call the police, are you? I didn’t mean to hurt him. Honestly, I still can’t figure out how I did hurt him. He’s—” “No one’s calling the police, Grace,” Jaxon tells me firmly. “That’s not how we handle things here. And even if we did, you can’t be held responsible for something you did when you weren’t aware. Right, Foster?” “Of course. I mean, we’re going to have to watch you, make sure this doesn’t happen again. You can’t go around assaulting other students.” “Even if they deserve it,” Macy interjects. “I know it’s wrong, but after everything Cole did to you last semester, I’m having a hard time feeling sympathy for the guy.” Jaxon snorts. “I should have killed him when I had the shot. Then this never would have happened.” “No, you shouldn’t have,” I scold him. “That’s a horrible thing to say.” “Horrible,” Macy agrees, “but also a little bit true.” I shoot her a what-the-hell look, but she just kind of shrugs, as if to say, What did you expect? comfortable chair in existence…and finally reach for a book. I just hope it has some of the answers I need.And I wouldn’t mind a good memory retrieval spell, too… What? Me?” I ask, my eyes going huge. “I mean…I don’t think… Can gargoyles really compete?” I know Amka said I could, but I thought she was just teasing me. And, by the way, please let the answer be no. Please let the answer be no. I’m not fabulous at sports to begin with, let alone paranormal sports where the goal is not to die, but there is no guarantee. Not to mention the fact that I have no idea what my powers are yet… I mean, besides turning to stone, which doesn’t seem very helpful in a game anyway. “Ludares is open to every junior and senior in the school,” Flint tells me. “So, hell yeah, you can compete. Plus, I’m totally down with having a gargoyle on my team. Who knows what you can do?” “Nothing,” I answer. “I can do nothing. That’s the problem.” “That’s not true,” Hudson tells me from where he’s still leaning against the wall. “You can do things. You just don’t know what they are yet.” “How do you know?” Equal parts terror and excitement thrum through me as I lean forward. “Did you see me do something when we were together?” The whole table is staring at me again. I ignore them because apparently this is my life for now. I hadn’t meant to