Chapter Forty-One #2
I swallowed. “I only did what I could—what anyone with my abilities would do.” At least, that’s what I hoped. “Some of them wouldn’t let me.”
His fingers trailed over the damp skin of my back. “Some of them are idiots.”
“They are your people.”
“ Our people,” he corrected softly.
My breath caught, and a bit of panic and unease sparked at the realization that they were my people whether they liked it or not. “I’m…I’m sorry about Elijah and all of them. I liked him, and Magda was nice. But they…they were your friends.”
His lashes lowered as he exhaled raggedly. “I’ve known Elijah since he was a boy, and I know how crazy that sounds since I look younger than him. He knew the risks, and I know he fought back. I know all of them did, but he didn’t deserve that. None of them did.”
“No, they didn’t,” I agreed softly.
“I should’ve made them all leave. Risked drawing the attention. I should’ve—”
“You did what you could. Some of those people couldn’t travel because of their injuries, and none of them were ready to leave immediately,” I argued. “What happened there isn’t your fault.”
Casteel said nothing.
“You know that, right? That was the Ascended. They are responsible. Not you.”
He nodded slowly. “I know that.”
“Do you?”
Swallowing, he nodded, and I wasn’t sure if that was the case. “I was told something odd earlier, when I returned to Spessa’s End.”
“I’m half afraid to ask.”
There was a brief grin. “You remember when the wolven showed up during the battle?”
“How could I forget that?”
“Glad you haven’t because that was when you had a knife to your throat—”
“I was trying to save you and the people,” I reminded him. “We’ve already covered this.”
“We did, but Kieran told me that he heard you calling him. He said the other wolven felt it, too. That they all veered in our direction. Jasper confirmed it,” he said. “He said the same thing.”
“I didn’t. I mean, how?” I swallowed. “I was obviously feeling a lot in that moment. I felt like, I don’t know, like I was about to lose control. But how is that even possible?
“I don’t know, Poppy. I’ve never seen anything like that.
I don’t know how they could’ve picked up anything from you.
” He tugged on a strand of my wet hair and draped it over my bare shoulder.
“Neither do they. I asked them when they came by just now. Both said they felt you calling for them—calling for help.”
Goosebumps broke out over my skin. “Delano. Oh, my gods….”
“What?”
“When we were in New Haven and I was kept in the room, he burst inside at one point, swearing he heard me calling for him. But I hadn’t.”
Casteel’s brows slashed over his eyes. “Did something happen at that time? Because if so and I wasn’t told about it—”
“Nothing happened. I was mad—mad at you, because I was locked in the room,” I explained. “He then said it must’ve been the wind, and it was windy then, so I forgot about it.”
Casteel lifted another strand of hair. “That’s bizarre.”
I stared at him. “That’s all you have to say to them feeling my call? That’s bizarre?”
“Well, the definition of bizarre is something strange and unusual—”
“I know what bizarre means,” I interrupted. “Is that another empath trait manifesting?”
His gaze met mine. “I’ve never heard of an empath being able to do that.”
My stomach dipped. “Just like glowing silver and being able to heal—”
“You could be of two bloodlines,” he cut in. “We talked about that before. It could be possible.”
More possible than Queen Ileana being my grandmother.
I had no idea what to think of the whole hearing my call thing, but what if that was an empath ability?
People could project their pain and fear.
What if that was what I was doing, and the wolven, for some reason, picked up on it? That seemed like it made logical sense.
“What do we do now?” I asked.
“Right now? At this very moment?” His smile was smoke as his gaze traveled over the bare skin he could see, which wasn’t any of the interesting parts. “I have so many ideas.”
“That’s not what I was talking about,” I said, even though I was glad to see the somberness leave his eyes.
“I know, but I’m distracted. It’s not my fault. You’re naked.”
“You can’t see anything.”
“What I can see is enough.” He lowered himself to his knees as he rested his arms on the edge of the tub. “So, I’m thoroughly distracted.”
“You being distracted sounds like your problem and not mine,” I told him.
He chuckled as he bent his head, kissing the patch of my knee that wasn’t covered by my arms. “We’ll leave for Atlantia tomorrow. The Atlantian armies that arrived will remain behind just in case the Ascended want to make a very bad life choice. Spessa’s End will be protected.”
There was a whooshing sensation in my chest. “So soon?”
“We would’ve already been there if things had gone as planned.” He leaned back. “We are married, but you haven’t been crowned yet. That needs to happen.”
I worried my lower lip. “I get that the crowning makes things official, but what will that really change? Your…” I briefly closed my eyes. “Our people still don’t trust me or like me. Whatever. And your father still has his plans, right? For me?”
His brows lowered. “My father’s plans have changed.”
“What if they haven’t?”
He studied me for a moment. “Did someone say something to you?”
Not wanting to potentially get the older wolven in trouble, I gave a slight shake of my head. “It’s just…I know many don’t accept me, even after the marriage and last night. You’re the Prince and all. But he’s the King—”
“And you’re starting to sound like Alastir,” he interrupted. “I’d almost think he got you all worked up again, but he stayed in Atlantia.”
“It’s not Alastir,” I said. “But he did say that, and he has a point. I know you wanted to marry me partly because it offered me a level of protection—”
“Originally, Poppy. And that was only because I’d convinced myself that was the reason,” he stated. “It wasn’t the only reason. Neither was freeing my brother or preventing a war. I wanted you, and I wanted to find a way to try to keep you.”
There was a different kind of snag in my chest now in response to his words. “You have me,” I whispered the words I’d said to him in the carriage.
“I know.” His gaze held mine. “And no one, not even my father or my mother, will change that.”
I believed him.
I really did.
“No one will harm you,” he vowed. “I will not allow it.”
“Neither will I.”
He smiled then, both dimples appearing. “I know. Come.” Rising, he reached for the towel. “If you stay in there any longer, you will start to grow fins.”
“Like a ceeren?”
A grin appeared. “Like a ceeren.”
I didn’t move though. “I lied to you.”
Casteel arched a brow. “About?”
“You asked me if the Duchess had said anything to me before I killed her, and I said no. That was a lie.”
A heartbeat passed. “What did she say?”
“I…I asked her about my brother and yours. She said they were together, but that’s all she would say about them.
” I watched him return to kneeling beside me.
“She told me that Tawny was going to Ascend without waiting—that it could’ve already happened.
She said that the Queen knew how much I cared for Tawny and wanted her to be there, so when I returned home, I would feel comfortable. ”
“Gods.” Casteel leaned over, cupping the back of my head. “You don’t know if any of that is true. Any of it, Poppy. Your brother. Mine. Tawny. She—”
“She said that the Queen will be thrilled when she learns we’ve married. That if she knew that had happened, none of what took place last night would’ve been necessary,” I told him, and he stilled. “She told me that I accomplished the one thing the Queen never could. That I took Atlantia.”
“That doesn’t make any sense, Poppy.”
“I know,” I said. “Neither does what she said about the Queen being my grandmother. It makes no sense at all. It’s so far out there that, so unbelievable that I…I can’t help but wonder if some of it is true.”