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September 30 - October 2, 2025
“Unbelievable,” I snarled as Casteel jerked me back again. “Actually, it’s completely believable. Was it Lirian’s dumbass idea?” Thorne chuckled, the sound eerily familiar.
“Don’t be angry with me,” Thorne advised. “I don’t make the rules.” I threw up my arms. “Actually, you do!” “Oh, yeah. I do.” A pause. “Kind of.”
“Is there a fucking reason you’ve been staring at me?” Casteel demanded. “Without blinking? Once?” Thorne hadn’t blinked. “Yeah,” Thorne answered, then finally blinked and looked away from Casteel. “Can I call you Poppy yet?”
“Do you know how many there are? I’ve met that jackass, Holland, and Lirian.” “There’s also Aydun,” Casteel said. “I know of two more.” Attes frowned. “Why?” I let out an aggravated breath. “I need to know how many can die before the realms unravel.” “Fucking gods,” muttered Malik as Attes slowly turned to me.
“It’s a common practice—or it was during my time—whenever a meeting between two or more Primals was held, and there was a concern that things could go sideways or agreements not be honored,” Attes explained. “The one requesting the meeting would summon a Fate to oversee it. Normally, the Fate would be the one to deliver the message to the other Primal.”
“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.”
“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.
His smile kicked up a notch, and again, there was something familiar about it.
“I went to the Solar,” he murmured. “We thought you would be there.” He paused, and I had a feeling he was sending a glare over my head at Kieran. “I was afraid I would be too late.” I smiled against his chest. “You aren’t.” His arms tightened around me. Gods, Delano gave good hugs. “I’ll be waiting for you,” he said quietly. “So don’t take too long.”
Attes remained silent, and for some reason, possibly the vadentia, the image of a large bird of prey flashed in my mind. I sucked in a short breath. “Have you been watching me—watching us—while in stasis? Like Seraphena did?”
The difference is, we’re not acting like assholes, Kieran reached out through the link again. You’ve already said some nasty shit. You don’t need to add to that. I said some truthful shit. Nasty, truthful shit I had also spewed at Malik concerning a certain missing Revenant. If you want me to stop, you know what to do.
“He took a direct hit for you—for someone who doesn’t even remember all he’s done for you. All he sacrificed for you.” Kolis’s fingers trailed over my temple. “Or perhaps I should say all he forced others to sacrifice for him.”
Casteel Da’Neer was my everything, and I would never stop loving him. Not in this life, whether it be my last, or if I was brought back. I would always love him. I held on to that image for as long as I could, my lips moving soundlessly, speaking three words…I love you. I love you. Over and over I spoke them as I began to shake, as the air around us charged and hissed. I love you. I love you—
The fluttering of smaller wings came, flapping wildly as snow began to fall. I suddenly understood Aydun’s words about our union because something was rising from within me. It was a thing—a powerful thing that had always been there. Waiting. Watching. Caged. And it was cold. Unending. And it tasted of ruin and wrath. It promised death and destruction. And I would unleash it, from the west to the east, laying waste to all in between.
Was this some sort of mirage? No one had seen her since Poppy was in stasis. But no, it was her. Poppy’s sister. She strolled down the center of the hall as if out for a fucking walk in the park, her fitted cloak swishing around the ankles of her pointed-toe boots.
he saw Cas—saw the face that was part shadow and part silver bone and flesh. Saw the golden eyes pierced by strands of dark crimson.
