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 didn’t answer because I knew he wanted to be right where I was.
“The only reason I’m able to is because I know you’d be going out of your mind if not beside her,” he said when I stayed silent. “Terrified that something might happen to her or she’d wake up when you’re not here.”
That was true.
“That’s why I’ve stepped up. For the most part, it hasn’t impacted the running of Carsodonia or the kingdom. But that doesn’t mean there haven’t been problems or concerns. The people are worried and confused by everything that’s happened. Learning the truth of who and what the Ascended really are and the fact that we remain at war with those who still support the Blood Crown. Then there are the wolven patrolling the streets,” he went on as I started to frown. “We also had a godsdamn god waking from under the city Atheneum. Then there’s the people’s general distrust of Atlantians. And don’t get me started on the vamprys’ entitled fucking demands.”
“You forgot the draken flying over the city every hour,” I tacked on.
“Yes, there is that,” he said with a dry laugh.
“Why are the wolven patrolling the streets in that form?” I asked.
Kieran arched a brow. “Are we required to hide our nature?”
I shot him a flat, unblinking look. “No.”
“But?”
“But the vast majority of the mortals here believed the wolven were extinct,” I reasoned—pretty fucking logically, if I did say so myself. “Seeing a wolf the size of a pony would be understandably frightening.”
He smirked. “They’ll get used to it.”
I shook my head at him.
“There’s also the fact that news has spread of what their new Queen actually is,” he continued. “You have no idea how many people have come to pay homage to Poppy. Naill and Perry keep running them off.”
Gods. Hearing that would make Poppy so uncomfortable. But damn straight, they should be paying homage to her.
“Then there are the others.” Kieran loosely folded his arms. “The ones who still support the Blood Crown—the wealthy land and business owners. While we set a curfew for their safety, at least until we can be sure all Ascended are accounted for, we haven’t been able to keep people in their homes.”
“I know.” My gaze shifted back to Poppy. “People have to work. They need to bring food home. They have families to care for.”
“And while they’re doing that, people are talking. Asking why neither the King nor the Queen has made any public appearances since we overthrew the Blood Crown,” he went on. “They fear they are being misled once again. And those who remain loyal to the Blood Crown are sowing that fear.”
My head cut to Kieran. “You want me to address them? Without my Queen beside me?”
“That’s not what I’m saying. You know I don’t think an address serves any real point at this moment in time.”
“Good.” My gaze tracked its way back to her. “Because right now, no one really knows what’s going on. They don’t even know for sure that we are in the capital. If I go out there,” I said, jerking my head toward the window, “people will know, without a doubt, that something is up. And it would take no leap of logic for them to believe that she is injured or in a position where she is unable to rule. That could give others ideas, including anyone loyal to the Blood Crown, the Revenants still roaming around, and Kolis.”
The unease that blew off Kieran at my mention of the true Primal of Death matched mine.
“Considering that motherfucker is apparently non-corporeal or whatever, he could be anywhere,” I said, even though he didn’t need the reminder. “That’s the last person we need thinking that Poppy has been weakened. That is…” I trailed off, unable to finish the thought as I drew my thumb around the ring now laying against my chest.
Kolis may already know.
Fuck.
We knew so little about the true Primal of Death. We didn’t know what he was capable of or if he could still gain strength and take on his physical form. We didn’t even know what his ultimate goal was.
Things happened too quickly after Poppy ended that bitch of a Queen for us to have any real, in-depth conversations about Kolis. Poppy had briefly fallen unconscious, and when she woke, finding her father and the missing draken became the top priority.
We’d only been able to accomplish one of those things before Poppy entered stasis to complete her Ascension.
And while Reaver was more familiar with Kolis than any of us, he had only been a child during the true Primal of Death’s reign. The only other individual who could give us more information was Nektas, and none of us had seen him since Poppy went into stasis.
“Agreed,” Kieran said. A few moments passed. “You know, when you were taken captive, Poppy wanted to come straight to the capital and burn through the kingdom to get to you.”