The Queen of All that Dies (The Fallen World Book 1) (22 page)

“Shut up,” he growls.

“Fuck you.”

He takes a fistful of my hair and smashes my head into the ground.

Once my wrists are bound, a black bag is dragged over my head, and the world goes dark.

I’m pulled up to my feet and led out of the room, and the men who’ve captured me start barking out questions I don’t have answers for. Questions they expect answers to.

“
Where is the king?
”

“
Why did you betray your country?
”

“
How do you kill the king?
”

When I don’t respond, they begin hitting my injuries until my body simply gives out and they have to drag me away.

I’m bound and blinded, but those are not nearly so constricting as the confusion running rampant in my head.

There are only a handful of things I understand with complete clarity at the moment: I’m a woman without a past, and these people need to access it. And if I can’t remember it soon, I’m going to die a very painful death.

I know I’m someone powerful, someone dangerous. A grim smile tugs at my lips despite my current circumstances. I know I’m not afraid of pain or death. And these men and women? They should be afraid of me. Because whoever I am, I am violent, and I will be having my revenge.

Keep a lookout for the sequel:

The Queen of Traitors

Coming January 2016

Be sure to check out the Laura Thalassa’s new adult science fiction series

The Vanishing Girl

Out now!

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Be sure to check out the Laura Thalassa’s young adult paranormal romance series

The Unearthly

Out now!

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Acknowledgements

Dan Rix, you
will always hold the place of honor in every one of my novels because, simply speaking, they wouldn’t exist without you. Thank you for always encouraging me to write, for our ridiculous discussions on books, for designing my beautiful covers and formatting my manuscripts. But more than anything else, thank you for your unconditional love and unfailing support through thick and thin.

A huge thank you to Sunniva Dee, who edited this novel while juggling the release of not one, but three books of her own. Your comments and edits were, as usual, not only helpful, but also insightful and warmhearted.

To all the writer friends I’ve made along this journey, thank you for the laughs and encouragement. I’m ridiculously lucky to call you all my friends and colleagues.

I’m not sure what the fate of this book would be without the support of some of my most dedicated readers. Your emails, tweets, Facebook and Goodreads messages made me realize that Serenity’s story was one that you wanted to read. Your excitement and your patience truly touched me.

Lastly, this book is dedicated to my mother, one of the strongest women I know. Mom, I hope that one day you’ll truly grasp just how intensely I love you and how much I look up to you. Your life hasn’t always been easy, and there were some times that were downright awful, but you braved on. Thank you for being such a light in my life and for being not just an amazing parent but also my best friend.

Laura Thalassa lives
in Santa Barbara, California with her fiancé, Dan Rix. When not writing, you can find her at www.laurathalassa.blogspot.com