Sharpest Sting Read online

  Back at the Circle cemetery, Tucker said that Mason had killed my father because he had been jealous of Tristan. Maybe that had been part of it, but I thought that Tristan’s betrayal was the thing that had truly driven Mason over the edge, much like Fletcher’s deception had wrecked me over the past few days.

  Being betrayed so thoroughly by a loved one brought a whole host of emotions along with it—anger, disbelief, embarrassment, and, most of all, a dark, seething bitterness.

  Mason had embraced that bitterness, reveled in it, and so many people were dead as a result, including most of my family.

  I didn’t want to be like my uncle. I didn’t want Fletcher’s betrayal to linger, to fester, to warp me like Tristan’s betrayal had warped Mason. If it did, I would never be able to trust anyone ever again, not even my closest loved ones. The uncertainty, worry, and paranoia would slowly eat away at my relationships and would be far worse than any physical torture Mason could ever inflict on me. I needed my friends, my family, now more than ever, and there was only one way to make peace with everything that had happened.

  “I forgive you, Fletcher,” I said in a soft voice.

  As soon as the words left my lips, I felt lighter, freer, and that sharpest sting in my heart faded to a slightly more manageable throb. Oh, the wound would ache for quite some time, but the hard part was done, and now I could work on moving past the hurt Fletcher had caused me. It might take me a while—it might take me a long, long while—but I’d get there eventually.

  I traced my fingers over my spider rune that the old man had carved into the wood so long ago. Then I grabbed the ledger, got to my feet, and headed inside the house to tell Silvio and Liam what I’d found.

  A weapon to utterly destroy Mason fucking Mitchell.

  * * *

  GIN BLANCO WILL RETURN

  About the Author

  Jennifer Estep is a New York Times, USA Today, and international bestselling author, prowling the streets of her imagination in search of her next fantasy idea. She is the author of the following series:

  The Elemental Assassin series: The books focus on Gin Blanco, an assassin codenamed the Spider who can control the elements of Ice and Stone. When she’s not busy battling bad guys and righting wrongs, Gin runs a barbecue restaurant called the Pork Pit in the fictional Southern metropolis of Ashland. The city is also home to giants, dwarves, vampires, and elementals—Air, Fire, Ice, and Stone.

  The Crown of Shards series: The books focus on Everleigh Blair, who is 17th in line for the throne of Bellona, a kingdom steeped in gladiator tradition. But when the unthinkable happens, Evie finds herself fighting for her life—both inside and outside the gladiator arena.

  The Mythos Academy spinoff series: The books focus on Rory Forseti, a 17-year-old Spartan girl who attends the Colorado branch of Mythos Academy. Rory’s parents were Reapers, which makes her the most hated girl at school. But with a new group of Reapers and mythological monsters on the rise, Rory is the only one who can save her academy.

  The Mythos Academy original series: The books focus on Gwen Frost, a 17-year-old Gypsy girl who has the gift of psychometry, or the ability to know an object’s history just by touching it. After a serious freak-out with her magic, Gwen is shipped off to Mythos Academy, a school for the descendants of ancient warriors like Spartans, Valkyries, Amazons, and more.

  The Black Blade series: The books focus on Lila Merriweather, a 17-year-old thief who lives in Cloudburst Falls, West Virginia, a town dubbed “the most magical place in America.” Lila does her best to stay off the grid and avoid the Families—or mobs—who control much of the town. But when she saves a member of the Sinclair Family during an attack, Lila finds herself caught in the middle of a brewing war between the Sinclairs and the Draconis, the two most powerful Families in town.

  The Bigtime series: The books take place in Bigtime, New York, a city that’s full of heroic superheroes, evil ubervillains, and other fun, zany, larger-than-life characters. Each book focuses on a different heroine as she navigates through the city’s heroes and villains and their various battles.

  For more information on Jennifer and her books, visit her website at www.JenniferEstep.com. You can also follow her on Facebook, Goodreads, BookBub, and Twitter, and sign up for her newsletter.

  Happy reading, everyone!

  Other Books

  by Jennifer Estep

  The Crown of Shards series

  Kill the Queen

  Protect the Prince

  Crush the King

  The Mythos Academy spinoff series

  featuring Rory Forseti

  Spartan Heart

  Spartan Promise

  Spartan Destiny

  The Mythos Academy series

  featuring Gwen Frost

  Books

  Touch of Frost

  Kiss of Frost

  Dark Frost

  Crimson Frost

  Midnight Frost

  Killer Frost

  E-novellas and short stories

  First Frost

  Halloween Frost

  Spartan Frost

  The Black Blade series

  Cold Burn of Magic

  Dark Heart of Magic

  Bright Blaze of Magic

  The Bigtime series

  Karma Girl

  Hot Mama

  Jinx

  A Karma Girl Christmas (holiday story)

  Nightingale

  Fandemic