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)
I had a feeling I knew what scent he was picking up from me that he’d smelled on Poppy, but I asked anyway. “Which scent?”
His gaze went back to Poppy. “Death.”
That’s what I figured. I rubbed at my jaw. “I think the Joining had some unexpected…side effects.”
“You don’t say?”
I snorted.
A moment passed. “Kieran feels different, too. But he doesn’t smell like you. His scent is…warmer. Fresher.”
“Rude,” I murmured.
“You know what I mean,” he replied, and I did. His gaze returned to mine. “Speaking of Kieran…”
Tension crept into my muscles. “What about him?”
“He’s not here.”
I said nothing.
Delano stared at me. A second turned to three and then tripled. “That’s not normal.”
How in the fuck did Delano realize things weren’t so-called normal when the shit went down only an hour or so ago? “He’s got things to do.”
“Is that what you’re going with?”
My fingers began tapping on the arm of the chair. “Yes.”
“Cas—”
“I think you should leave,” I stated. “I don’t want you here when Poppy regains consciousness.”
“She wouldn’t hurt me.” He leaned back, bracing his weight on a hand. “Or is it because you don’t want to talk about Kieran.”
“I don’t know what Poppy will do, but I won’t risk it.”
“And Kieran?”
“I’m not getting into it.”
His eyes narrowed slightly. “So, there is something.”
“Delano.” I sighed.
He held up his hands. “Hey, I’m just worried. It’s not often you two are pissed at each other.”
A muscle began ticking in my temple. “Did I say we were mad at each other?”
“It’s obvious. He told us what was going on and then nearly bit Naill’s head off when he walked up and asked.”
My fingers kept tapping. “Do you not have something to do?”
“He’s not here,” he continued as if I hadn’t spoken. “And you’re not asking for one of us to find him.”
Irritation surged. “I’m sure Perry is looking for you.”
His mouth quirked, and an eyebrow rose. “That’s not normal. Something went down.”
“For the gods’ sake, you wolven are worse than my mother and her favorite lady’s maid nosing around in everyone’s business,” I muttered.
“Something big went down.”
“Are you hearing anything I’m saying to you, Delano?”
“I’m selectively hearing what you’re saying.”
“Well, selectively hear this.” I held his gaze. “Nothing is going on between us. He just has something to do. That’s all.”
“Sorry. I didn’t hear that.”
“Delano.” My fingers stilled. “Enough.”
He stiffened, hearing the warning in my tone. His eyes flashed an intense winter-blue. Wolven never liked being told what to do. Or being told no.
“Fine.” Delano pushed himself up. “All I’m going to say—”
“Is goodbye.”
“Is that you two had better fix that nothing before she wakes and knows herself,” he said, meeting my glare. “Because the last thing she needs to deal with is you two being pissy with each other.”
Pissy? My lip curled in a tight, cold smile as I watched him leave. As if what was going on between us was just us being pissy with each other. His eyes met mine as he quietly closed the door instead of slamming it like I knew he wanted to. My smile immediately disappeared.
My attention shifted back to Poppy, my mind the fucking definition of troubled. I scanned every inch of her features, searching for hints that something—someone—else was lurking beneath the faint freckles and creamy skin.
Eather throbbed intensely in my chest. My grip tightened on the arm of the chair, fingers sinking through the upholstery as I thought of him being inside her. Doing what? Talking to—
The memory of her believing I’d called her weak, and how she’d stared at me as if I were someone else resurfaced. She’d seen someone who scared her.
Was that what he was doing? Telling her shit? Making her see things? Rage clawed its way through me, and I felt the wood under the upholstery crack.
Sucking in a sharp breath, I blinked to see fine dust sifting through the air, falling from the…trembling ceiling.
Fuck.
I needed to calm myself.
Taking a deep breath, I briefly closed my eyes and concentrated on the essence rushing through me. I approached it like I would if pulling back a compulsion, cutting off the flow of power. It took a few seconds longer than it should have—and I’d had a lifetime of knowing how to handle the essence in my blood. How Poppy had managed to gain such control was beyond me.
I told myself that Reaver would find someone who would know what to do and could help us. I had to believe that. I had no other choice.
Once I was sure I wouldn’t bring the whole damn castle down on top of us, I opened my eyes. Thankfully, Poppy remained still.
I lifted my hand from the ruined section of the chair and stretched my fingers, staring at the missing pointer finger. I calmly considered what I knew about the true Primal of Death, which was nothing. The gods, Rhain and Rhahar? The ones we were told were gods of death? At that moment, I couldn’t recall anything about them that might tell me how Kolis could get inside Poppy’s mind. I doubted even Kieran would’ve been able to come up with something.