{"product_id":"the-ever-queen-isbn-9780593955062","title":"The Ever Queen","description":"\u003cb\u003eThe second in the TikTok sensation Ever Seas series, now with bonus material!\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWith his queen missing, the king’s wrath knows no boundaries.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eCaptive. Challenger. Queen.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eEnemies took her from the man who holds her heart. They might see her as weak, as a pawn in wicked games, but they’re no match for the first Ever Queen.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLet them think they’ve won. Her heart belongs to a beautiful monster, and she will never stop fighting until she’s back in his arms.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eCaptor. Villain. King.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThey’ll die for touching her.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHis heart belongs to a stunning little bird. He will never stop searching for her light across the skies. Not until the blood of his enemies spills at her feet, and his queen wears their bones around her neck. | “\u003ci\u003eThe Ever King \u003c\/i\u003eis one of the most enchanting love stories I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading. The world building is unique and captivating.”—\u003cb\u003eR.L. Caulder, \u003ci\u003eUSA Today\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eBite of Loyalty\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e “Sexy, dangerous, and dark, The Ever King kept me hooked from the first page to the last.”—\u003cb\u003eJM Kearl, author of \u003ci\u003eBow Before the Elf Queen\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“LJ Andrews is redefining the romantasy genre and the definition of what it means to be a morally gray book boyfriend, and we are so here for it.”—\u003cb\u003eElle Madison \u0026amp; Robin D. Mahle, \u003ci\u003eUSA Today\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling authors of the Lochlann Feuds Series\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e“\u003ci\u003eThe Ever Seas\u003c\/i\u003e instantly gripped me as the first few pages unfolded; I am in awe of how vivid a picture LJ Andrews creates with her magical writing! The Serpent and Songbird will forever remain 2 of my favourite characters- the slow burn, passion and ending was to die for.”\u003cb\u003e—EJ Lindell, author of \u003ci\u003eThrough Mists of Time\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“If you’re looking for a heartbreaking romance that leaves you yearning for a broken fae male, just so you can stitch your own heart to his while being whisked away in a fantasy world that feels like home, The Ever Seas needs to be at the top of your list. This is one of the top romantasy reads I’ve ever encountered.”\u003cb\u003e—Stephanie Blair, author of \u003ci\u003eWhen the Stars Were Devoured\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“\u003ci\u003eThe Ever King \u003c\/i\u003eswallowed my heart and soul. I loved this book.”—\u003cb\u003eMaggie Brown, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Gatekeeper Duet\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e“A mesmerizing tale of love and loyalty set in an immersive world. Erik and Livia's story will capture your heart and linger long after the final page!\"—\u003cb\u003eEllie Fowler, author of \u003ci\u003eBattle of Ash and Flame\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e“LJ Andrews is a powerhouse within the romantasy genre.”\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e—\u003c\/i\u003eOlivia Rose Darling,\u003ci\u003e USA Today \u003c\/i\u003ebestselling author of\u003ci\u003e Fear the Flames\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e | \u003cb\u003eLJ Andrews\u003c\/b\u003e is a \u003ci\u003eUSA Today\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eSunday Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of fantasy romance. She mystically brings to life worlds of dark Nordic and Viking myths bound by conflicts that bring together impassioned heroes and heroines. In her non-author moments, she is courageously corralling her four children to the myriad of life activities that involves, along with spending time with her favorite hero, her husband. Add two high maintenance dogs and a sassy conure to the mix and that sums it up. LJ Andrews thrives spending time in the Rocky Mountains where she lives in Utah.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTo learn more about LJ Andrews and her series, including The Ever Seas, Broken Souls and Bones, Broken Kingdom, and more, please visit her online at https:\/\/ljandrews.net | 1\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Serpent\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFor Livia.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHer name kept rushing through my head with every kick, every strike from the earth fae warriors.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI needed to live for her. I needed to return to the Ever Ship and find her. All I needed to do was survive long enough for Aleksi to speak for me.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eJonas, a prince from one of the earth fae realms, sneered at me as his men shoved a dirty scrap of leather into my mouth. I swallowed against the musty taste of it, as though it had been tucked down sweat-soaked trousers and baked beneath a hot sun.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eJonas gripped my arms and forced me up. Fire lit in my thigh, as though a flame were devouring the bone.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Send a signal to the shore watch,\" Jonas commanded. \"There could be more of these sods in the tides.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA little longer. Survive a little longer.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTwo warriors were trudging toward the trap in which both Alek and Tait had fallen. Soon enough, they'd realize their error. I would face the earth bender-on my damn knees if needed-and we would bleeding sail back to the Ever and find my queen.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI didn't fight when Jonas commanded two warriors to bind my wrists. I didn't fight when they tugged me forward to where a row of earth stallions awaited their riders. The charges were strange-looking. I'd seen them before, but unlike the horthane of the Ever, these beasts hardly seemed capable of swimming in the tides. Dull teeth, rounded hooves, and swishing tails that looked like fae hair.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Henrik.\" Jonas nodded at a warrior. \"On second thought, let the other sea fae rot for a bit. I want the focus on the king.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe warrior dipped his chin and halted ten paces from the sinkhole in the knoll. Shit. They were leaving Aleksi.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFrom here, the muffled shouts of Alek's and Tait's voices were there, but wholly unintelligible. Perhaps it was a spell, a curse of fate, but they sounded like nothing more than men shouting through a door far away. Alek's own people did not realize they'd ensnared a prince. A prince whose voice and support I desperately needed.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA rush of panic tightened in my chest. Through the rancid gag in my mouth, I grunted and protested. Jonas merely freed a chuckle laced in venom, mounted his charge, and yanked on the tether around my wrists. I stumbled at the pull.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eJonas leaned over his leg, eyes narrowed. \"Keep up, Bloodsinger.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI was dead.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe prince tugged on the rope again, and I limped forward, the weight of suffocating failure pressing on my spine with each shuffled step.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhat would happen to Livia if I did not reach her? Would Gavyn find her? Perhaps he could bring her home, get her free of the troubles of the Ever. She could . . . return to the peace I'd shattered.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMy face tilted toward the sky. The stars were different here. Only Voidwalker would be recognizable, but he was at my back, hovering over the sea.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhen I was gone, I hoped . . . I hoped the gods might let me live in both skies like Voidwalker. That way, I could always see her.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe warriors kept a steady pace. There were times I stumbled, and the earth prince didn't slow, merely told me to get up and quicken my steps. By the time we reached the ominous gates of the main fortress, sweat coated my brow; my leg had long ago shifted from burning pain to sharp, numbing pricks, like stitching needles dug into every pore.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFrom one of the watchtowers, a warrior blew a curved horn. The procession halted for a bit at the gates, giving me time to catch my breath through the lump of sweaty leather.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIron chains clanked; thick rope stretched and groaned as a heavy portcullis broke free of its resting place, allowing the warriors entry.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eEyes studied us, every damn move, as we made our way inside. Murmurs followed like shadows when the folk within the gates recognized the sight of me.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAt the wide arched doorway that would lead into the main hall, we stopped.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eJonas kicked a leg over the furs atop the back of his steed and dropped to the dirt. He leaned into a guard at the door. \"Where is King Valen?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"The tower, My Lord.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Fetch him. Now!\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe guard seemed startled at the briskness of the prince's tone. It didn't take much to guess he did not speak in such a way often. No doubt, most of the earth fae folk behaved differently since I'd robbed them of their princess.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNot so long ago, the windows had been draped in festive ribbons and shades. Stacks of sticky breads and sugared sweets had lined the table for their masque. Now, inside the hall, sweets had been replaced with pungent ale, swords, and scrolls of poorly drawn maps of what I guessed was their version of the Ever.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThey were drawn wrong. They'd never find Livia by guessing, and they'd never get through the Chasm with their slender ships that looked more like sea serpents than vessels.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI couldn't die here, or she would die.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI knew Larsson could kill, and ruthlessly. I'd seen enough to give him the damn name of Bonekeeper.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eChatter ceased when Jonas pulled on the rope. \"We have Bloodsinger!\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA few gasps followed. Blades were pulled off the table. With a great shove, Jonas knocked me down onto my knees. The leather fell from my mouth, and laughter rose against the rafters overhead.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTwo boots, scuffed and coated in mud, stepped in front of me.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Pick him up, Stieg,\" someone shouted from behind.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe man knelt. Slowly, I lifted my gaze to meet the warrior.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eStieg still had scars on his jaw that crept out from beneath his braided beard. One scar cut through his eyebrow, given to him while trapped in that room with me as a prisoner all those turns ago.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIf anyone would listen, it would be the warrior.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"I didn't harm her,\" I rushed out in a quick breath. \"I didn't harm either of them. You must listen-\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"I warned you,\" Stieg said, a touch of sadness in his tone. \"I cannot protect you now, Ever King.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Listen to me,\" I gritted out. \"Your prince is trapped in the knoll, Stieg.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe use of his name furrowed his brow. Stieg rose, lifting me back to my feet. He kept his hold on my arm and spun me to face the hall, but flicked a hand at two men beside a narrow doorway.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhen the men abandoned the hall, I dared hope.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTwo paces away, Jonas still wore a vicious kind of grin, and now stood beside a man who shared his face. A brother. Livia had mentioned there were twin princes.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBlack like the thickest ink spilled through the whites of their eyes with their dark magic.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAround the princes were warriors gripping blades until their knuckles whitened. Men, women, all of them studied me as if they hoped their eyes would peel the flesh off my bones. Close to Jonas was the woman who'd been beside Livia the night I took her.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eShe tapped a dagger against her dainty palm. Runes were inked down her forehead, chin, and throat. She, perhaps, looked the most ferocious of them all.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDoors to the side of me slammed against the walls, knocking two shields from their hooks, and the hall silenced like a wave leaving the shore.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThere in the doorway, the earth bender king stood, axes in hand, shoulders lifting and falling in heavy, angry breaths. Eyes that once had pity for a boy at the end of the war now burned in malice I could taste.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eStay, Erik Bloodsinger.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe man standing across the hall was not looking for peace. He wanted blood.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRed lined his black eyes with a touch of bloodlust. Dark hair spilled over his brow, unkempt and wild. A king of might and dignity during the war, now he seemed more beast than man.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI didn't have time to take in much of anything before Valen Ferus, killer of my father, spun one of his blacksteel battle-axes in his grip. Long Night Folk fae legs had him across the hall in less than ten strides.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eStieg abandoned me in the same moment my back slammed against the stone wall. Air fled my lungs from the blow, then was blocked from returning when Valen used the handle of his axe to crush my throat.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Where is she?\" he roared in my face.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHis words from so long ago filtered through my mind-Stay.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI was certain the earth bender king would see to it I would always remain. He'd make it so my bones littered this land until they turned to dust.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e2\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Songbird\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe air was strange, smooth, and too rich with spices like cardamom and citrus. I drew in another long breath, seeking the clean sea and heat in the breeze from the royal city.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI groaned, shifting on a pulpy surface. It was plush as bunches of moss under my spine, but pain bloomed through my chest as though someone took a rusted spike and rammed it through my body, pinning me in place.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI cracked one eye. My lashes were crusted in salt, from tears or the sea, I couldn't recall. Truth be told, I couldn't recall much for a few breaths until . . .\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLarsson.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMy other eye snapped open, sacrificing a few dried lashes to my wet cheeks. I shot upright, half expecting to be yanked backward by iron chains or a collar around my throat.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThere were neither. All around were arched lancet windows, unlatched and allowing a morning breeze inside a . . . room. Rounded edges of a tower tapered up to sturdy rafters of a pointed rooftop.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhere the hells was I?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThick green-and-gold drapes were hung around four impressively carved posts of the bed, a woven rug of pinks, oranges, and blues of a sunset on the sea coated the rough-cut floorboards, and a chestnut vanity, complete with silver brushes and combs and oils for perfuming the skin, was pushed against one wall.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSomeone had dressed me in a thin shift that was clean and made of handspun silk. My hair was in a tangled plait over my shoulder, as though I'd slept on it more than once, and it needed to be brushed. Only faint bruises from where I'd been tossed onto the deck of Larsson's boat remained on my hip.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHow long ago did he take me?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhat sort of game was this?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI'd expected damp cells, piss and refuse around my feet, perhaps even waking in the Otherworld. Not a luxurious chamber reminiscent of my rooms in the Crimson Fort.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFor a moment my feet hovered over the floorboards, like a scaled toothy creature might reach up and bite, until I let them fall, toes wiggling. Pieces of the moment I'd been snatched from the royal city began sliding into place.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA ruse, Larsson had drawn me out of the king's chambers, but . . . gods, Tait!\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHeartwalker, bleeding out on the stone steps near the docks. The image was pungent in my brain, real and fierce until I was certain I could taste his blood on my tongue.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI fisted my hands and pressed them against my forehead. Tait, that scowly bastard. I always thought he despised me, but he'd known something was wrong and came for me all the same. He came to protect me.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI bent over my knees, fingers steepled in front of my mouth. Why was it Larsson?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Brothers.\" The word slid from my lips, a soft declaration to the empty room. My pulse quickened. Clear and poisonous in my mind-Larsson had named Erik as his brother.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe rumors of Thorvald fathering another little hadn't concerned Erik; he was convinced if a child of Thorvald had existed, his position as king would've been challenged by now. But I'd sensed it-the strange bitterness, a claim to a lost birthright-buried beneath the corrupted soil of the darkening.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBy the gods, we'd all been so duped.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA small, unfamiliar sneer pulled at the corner of my lips, a bit of hope-when Erik found Larsson, he'd peel his flesh from his bones. Brother or not. This time, when the darker edge of my heart reared her head, I didn't shove her away.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI pressed my thumbs across my brow, soothing an ache in my skull, and kept filtering through what had clashed with truth and what wasn't clear. Larsson believed he was the true king, and he wasn't alone.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI dropped my hands into my lap, teeth clacking when my jaw clamped shut. Others aided Larsson in his treachery, and one face grew clearer the more fog emptied from my mind.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe sound of a latch clicking drew my focus to an arched door across the room. Constellations were carved along the frame and split when the door opened. I scrambled around to the opposite side of the bed, desperate for a blade, a shard of wood, anything to defend myself.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI'd expected Larsson's face in the dim light. Instead, I met the brilliant gaze of a woman I didn't recognize. Hair the color of silver twilight flowed down her slender spine. Her ears were sharply pointed and pierced in dainty gold chains. But it was her eyes that stunned me. Bright as a bursting star, so blue they nearly glowed.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHer full, darkly painted lips twitched. \"You're awake. I didn't trust the sea witch to actually tend to you, so I took the liberty of supplying a few healing herbs myself.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"You work with Fione,\" I gritted out through my teeth, still searching for something jagged to break the skin on this woman.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe day Larsson took me, porcelain features had met me on the boat. The sea witch, she'd been part of this. To what end, to what depth, I didn't know. If Erik slaughtered Larsson, those darker edges of my heart yearned to be the one to spill her blood.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"I work for no one.\" The woman entered the room like a gentle dance. She was delicate in her hands and features, but her body seemed sturdy enough to lift a blade for a few kills. \"Truth be told, I find the sea witch rather dull. Perhaps a little odious.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMy brow arched. \"Who are you?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe woman drifted to one of the windows and spread the thin, iridescent drapes aside, revealing a crisp black night. She inhaled, filling her lungs, then let out her breath with a whimsical sigh before she faced me again. \"I am more like you than you know.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eShe took a step closer; I took a step away. \"Larsson took you?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Oh, no. Not exactly.\" Silver rings adorned each of her fingers, catching the candlelight when she waved them about. \"This is my home. Though I do not particularly care for some of the houseguests.\" She was oddly calm, yet a flicker of annoyance sparked behind the blue of her eyes.","brand":"Ace","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48759518462181,"sku":"NP9780593955062","price":20.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780593955062.jpg?v=1775598860","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/es\/products\/the-ever-queen-isbn-9780593955062","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}