Any day that starts with dragon arguments is going to be bad Kaylin returned from the West March in one piece. Now that piece is fraying. She’s not at home in the Imperial Palace—and she never intends to be. All she wants is normal garden-variety criminals and a place of her own. Of course, normal in her new life involves a dragon as a roommate, but she can handle that. She can’t as easily handle the new residents to the city she polices, because one of them is Nightshade’s younger brother. On a night when she should be talking to landlords in perfectly normal buildings, she’s called to the fief—by Teela. A small family disagreement has become a large, complicated problem: Castle Nightshade’s latent magic is waking. And it’s not the only thing.
Praise for New York Times bestselling author MICHELLE SAGARA and The Chronicles of Elantra series
“No one provides an emotional payoff like Michelle Sagara.” —Bestselling author Tanya Huff on The Chronicles of Elantra series “Intense, fast-paced, intriguing, compelling and hard to put down…unforgettable.” —In the Library Reviews on Cast in Shadow “Readers will embrace this compelling, strong-willed heroine with her often sarcastic voice.” —Publishers Weekly on Cast in Courtlight “The impressively detailed setting and the book’s spirited heroine are sure to charm romance readers, as well as fantasy fans who like some mystery with their magic.” —Publishers Weekly on Cast in Secret “Along with the exquisitely detailed world building, Sagara’s character development is mesmerizing. She expertly breathes life into a stubborn yet evolving heroine. A true master of her craft!” —RT Book Reviews (4 ½ stars) on Cast in Fury “Each visit to this amazing world, with its richness of place and character, is one to relish.” —RT Book Reviews (4 ½ stars) on Cast in Silence “Another satisfying addition to an already vivid and entertaining fantasy series.” —Publishers Weekly on Cast in Chaos “If you are searching for a rich and rewarding fantasy read different from the usual fantasy fare, then you can’t go wrong with Cast in Ruin and The Chonicles of Elantra series. Heartily recommended.” —SciFiGuy.ca on Cast in Ruin “Sagara does an amazing job continuing to flesh out her large cast of characters, but keeps the unsinkable Kaylin at the center.” —RT Book Reviews (4 ½ stars) on Cast in Peril “Über-awesome Sagara picks up the intense action right where she left off…while Kaylin is the heart of this amazing series, the terrific characters keep the story moving. An autobuy for sure!” —RT Book Reviews (4 ½ stars) on Cast in Sorrow The Chronicles of Elantra by New York Times bestselling author Michelle Sagara CAST IN SHADOW CAST IN COURTLIGHT CAST IN SECRET CAST IN FURY CAST IN SILENCE CAST IN CHAOS CAST IN RUIN CAST IN PERIL CAST IN SORROW And “Cast in Moonlight” found in HARVEST MOON, an anthology with Mercedes Lackey and Cameron Haley Cast in Flame Michelle Sagara This year, Worldbuilders (www.worldbuilders.org), Patrick Rothfuss’s charity drive for Heifer International (www.heifer.org), gave me an opportunity to contribute something to their series of auctions. I wanted to do this, in part because I like the charity, and in part because the money is used to make the world a better place. But my contribution was…a manuscript for a book. This one. And in order for that contribution to have any value to the charity, someone was required to step up and bid on and win the auction. I was prepared to thank that person in the dedication to the book—or to thank anyone the bidder chose. I still want to thank Chad for his enormous generosity. Chad, however, bid on and bought the book as a gift for someone else, and he has a few words he wants to say: To that special someone in my life who shall remain anonymous. Mainly because I would not likely be among the living if her true name was mentioned. There are so many things about you that I love, like your stunning smile and laugh, which I never get tired of finding ways of bringing out. The unconditional honesty you are willing to give or how you sneeze when the sunlight kisses your face. And the phrase “Oh Dear” will be forever special to me. Life offers many challenges, but I have never stopped loving you, always have, always will. Contents