Total pages in book: 401
Estimated words: 390373 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1952(@200wpm)___ 1561(@250wpm)___ 1301(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 390373 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1952(@200wpm)___ 1561(@250wpm)___ 1301(@300wpm)
That muscle in his jaw was throbbing again as he looked away.
“But you’re also wrong.”
His gaze shot back to me.
“You need to recognize that you have limits for what you can and can’t do—limits that I love you even more for,” I said. “You need to stop…”
“Stop what?”
Part of me wanted to apologize again. Do and say whatever was needed for things to return to normal—if things could. And, gods, that thought didn’t just terrify me. It threatened to break me. But I needed to say this because this wasn’t only on me.
It wasn’t on him or Kieran.
It just was.
“I know I’ve hurt you, and I hate,”—my throat scratched with the force of that word—“that. I know I fucked up.”
“Poppy.” Kieran turned his head toward me.
“No. It’s true,” I said, meeting Casteel’s eyes. “And you need to stop lying to yourself.”
His lips parted.
“You cannot go with me tomorrow. This doesn’t change that.” I pressed my hands together. “Nor does it mean I don’t trust you. All it means is that I will not risk you—either of you.”
He turned sideways and stared at the wall for what felt like a small eternity. “You agree with this?”
“No,” Kieran answered. “But she’s right. Our presence will be a distraction, and neither of us will allow the Fates to harm her.”
Casteel’s jaw rolled as he shook his head. “That’s bullshit.”
“Cas,” Kieran said. “It’s what she meant about lying to yourself.”
His hands twitched at his sides as he turned back toward me. “You are risking yourself and demanding that I accept it.”
Blinking back tears, I said, “He won’t kill me.”
“You don’t know that!” he shouted, causing the glass in the room to rattle. “You have no idea what he feels now. The fucker has been entombed for how long? That’s a hell of a lot of thinking.” He thrust his hand through his hair. His fingers shook. “He tried to use you to seduce me. What man in love would do that?”
“You asked me that before, and my response is the same. Who the fuck knows why he does anything? He’s the one who fell in love with someone after seeing them pick flowers. He’s not exactly logical.”
“You’re not being logical,” Casteel snapped. “You’re just going off what others said.”
“He’s been watching us!” I yelled back. “Why else would he be doing that?”
“Because, like you suggested, he’s fucking out of his mind?” His chest rose. When he spoke next, his voice was softer. “What if I’m right? What then? We won’t be there to back you up.”
“I will have Attes.” The moment I said it, I realized it was the absolute wrong thing to say.
Casteel’s flesh thinned until shadows appeared in the hollows of his cheeks, and silver bone gleamed in his jaw. “Yes. Attes. The Primal who not only can control himself but is clearly in love with you.”
“What?” I screeched as Kieran jerked toward Casteel.
“It’s the only reason he would’ve been so willing to burn his fucking hand off for you.”
“He did burn it off,” Kieran said. “But it came back.”
“And you saw how painful that was. I also know you’ve seen how he’s always looking at her,” Casteel went on. “He’s only been here for a day and looked at you more than I do in a week. And I’m constantly staring at you.”
“It’s because I look like—”
“You look like yourself, Poppy.”
“I…” I pressed my hand to my chest. “I can’t even think about or consider that right now. Because that’s…”
“What?” he demanded.
“Fucking disturbing!” I screamed, causing Kieran to jerk. “He’s your great-grandfather.”
“I didn’t say it was fun,” he muttered.
“Oh, my gods.” I turned, tugging my hair back.
Casteel’s chest rose. When he spoke, his voice was softer. “We are stronger together, not apart. We could defeat Kolis together. You wouldn’t even need to get close to him.”
“Maybe,” I said tiredly. “But there will also be a Fate there who would surely intervene.”
“One who won’t intervene if it’s you?”
“They are the ones who told me I needed to be the one to kill Kolis. Not the three of us,” I argued. “And he’s going to let me get close.”
“That comment doesn’t help,” Kieran interjected.
“But it’s the truth.” I moved toward Casteel, stopping short of reaching for him again. I couldn’t bear to see him step away from me or tell me not to touch him. “I’m sorry. I know this is hard—or maybe I don’t know. But you need to stay here. Both of you.”
Casteel inhaled through his nose. “That’s it? An order from the Queen?”
“It’s an order from your wife,” I said. “One I beg you to listen to.”
“Okay.” Casteel blinked, and the break in my heart widened when I saw the glassy sheen in his eyes, and I sensed his emotions for just a second. “So be it.”
He turned without a word and started toward the door.