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“I’m sorry for trying to...
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I’m not a deity.” “I don’t think we know what you are exactly,” Casteel stated. “I’m not a deity,” I protested.
Death is power, the old kind.” “Death is power?” I repeated, not entirely sure at first how that made sense. But then it occurred to me. “Death and life are two sides of the same coin. Nyktos is…” “He’s the God of Life and Death.”
But how could I not have other amazing abilities if I was indeed a descendant of the King of Gods? Well, killing people by turning their emotions back on them would probably count as an amazing ability—a scary one—but why couldn’t I morph into something like a dragon? That would be incredible.
those women were trained in every manner of death known.”
“I wanted to kill him,” I admitted. He lowered his lips to my hands, kissing the top of both of them. “Well, Princess, do you remember when I said I would give you whatever you wanted?” “Yeah?” He smiled again, and this time, it was a smile that promised blood. “Alastir is still alive.”
“He’s all yours, Poppy.”
“That was…impressive.” My brows knitted. “What was?” “You just hoisted yourself onto Setti,” Casteel said. “So?” The corners of my lips turned down. “You didn’t use the stirrup,”
“Hit me,” Casteel urged. “I don’t want to hit you.” “That would be a first,” he replied, his eyes twinkling in the sunlight. “I don’t want to hit you right now,” I amended. Casteel was quiet for a moment and then turned to Kieran and Naill. “Did I ever tell you guys about that time I discovered Poppy perched outside a window, clutching a book to her chest?” My eyes narrowed as Naill said, “No, but I have a lot of questions.” “Cas,” I started. He shot me a slow smile of warning. “She had this book—it’s her favorite. She even brought it with her when we left Masadonia.” “I did not,” I stated.
...more
“You think I’ve gotten stronger?” “Think?” Casteel laughed. “I know. You’ve always been able to hit hard, but that was something else.” “I actually didn’t hit you as hard as I could,” I said. He stared at me. “Well, damn.”
“I don’t think I’ll ever get used to seeing that,” I whispered. “Which part?” Casteel asked. “The shifting, or Kieran stripping?”
“With death.” “By your hand or mine?” he asked, his lips grazing the curve of my jaw. “Mine.”
Whatever Casteel had sensed that was different about me, they felt it, too. I saw it in the way the Guardians stiffened, their hands reaching for their scabbards and then halting as their heads tilted to the side while they tried to understand what it was they sensed.
“And I don’t feel the need to tear out anyone’s throat.” Casteel’s gaze slid to mine as a faint thrill of amusement reached me. “What?” I whispered. “I feel that’s necessary to point out.”
“If you think that what I did was a shock, then you need to understand that I will do anything and everything for my wife.” Casteel’s gaze latched on to his father’s. “No risk is too great, nor is anything too sacred. Because she is my everything. There is nothing greater than her, and I do mean nothing.”
King Valyn turned to his son. “I can only assume what you plan to do with Alastir and the others who are held below, but I want your assurance that he will not survive the night. If he does, he will be executed in the morning,” he told Casteel. “And while the crown still sits upon my head, it is an order I will personally ensure is carried out.”
For that alone, I should kill you.” Casteel sheathed his sword. “But I won’t.” “W-what?” Alastir’s head jerked in his direction. “You…you offer me a reprieve?” “I’m sorry.” Casteel didn’t sound even remotely apologetic. Emil was right. He was amused. “I think you misunderstand. I said I should kill you, but I won’t. I didn’t say you wouldn’t die tonight.”
A white-haired woman stood on a balcony of one of the high-rise buildings, the wind tugging at the blue gown she wore. Holding onto a black railing, she slowly lowered herself to one knee and placed her fist over her thin chest. Her head bowed as the wind whipped her snowy hair. On another balcony, a man with gray hair in a long, thick braid, did the same. And on the sidewalks… Men and women whose skin and bodies bore the signs of age lowered themselves to their knees, among those who stood. “Liessa!” a man shouted, slamming a hand against the sidewalk, startling me. “Meyaah Liessa!”
“Liessa! Liessa!” Liessa. I had heard that before when I’d had that nightmare in the Skotos Mountains and heard Delano’s voice. He’d said those words. Or I had dreamed him saying them, at least.
“Liessa?” “It’s old Atlantian. The language of the gods,” Casteel said, his voice rough. He cleared his throat as he squeezed my hand again. “Meyaah Liessa. It means: my Queen.”
“Welcome to the land of hot water at your fingertips.”
No matter how much I trained with weapons and my body, my waist would never be narrow, nor would my hips ever be slender like the Ladies in Wait in Solis. I liked cheese and bacon and chocolate-covered everything too much for that.
“You’re beautiful.” Casteel’s voice was like a balmy summer night. “And you’re mine.”
“I think so.” I turned my palms up, watching the water form shallow puddles. It bordered on almost too hot, just like I liked it.
I may just move into the shower and never leave.
One side of his lips curved up. “Good girl.”
“Honeydew.”
“But just in case, if anyone comes in here, stab first and ask questions later. You should be familiar with that mentality.” “Why does everyone act like I run around stabbing people?” Casteel stared back at me and then looked pointedly at his chest. “Whatever,” I muttered. “You deserved it.” “I did.”
“Princess?” My lips curved up. What had started as a nickname had become a reality. “Yes?” His mouth moved over mine. “I love you.” The smile on my face grew as my heart did a little skip in my chest. “I love you.” He made that rough, rumbling sound. “I will never get tired of hearing that. Say it over and over, a hundred thousand times, and it will feel like I’m hearing it for the first time.”
Upon his return, I figured Casteel was relieved to learn that I hadn’t needed to stab anyone. Or maybe not. I think he liked it when I stabbed people. Especially him.
“What are you reading?” “Your favorite book.” His eyes slid to mine knowingly, and I jerked upright. “You know, I have this theory about Miss Willa Colyns.”
“I do believe that Miss Willa was either Atlantian or of Atlantian descent. Perhaps even one of another bloodline,” he noted. “I wonder if she still lives. If so, I also wonder if she’s planning for a volume two.”
While partygoers celebrated the birthday of some young lady, Andre coaxed me out into the gardens, where he and his confidant, Torro, celebrated me.’”
“I dislike you.” “That’s a lie.” “I know.” Another deep laugh came from him, and I smiled because I loved that sound. How deep and real it was.
“My father has always had more of an aggressive mentality toward achieving that goal.” One of his father’s more aggressive ideas was to send me back to the Queen of Solis in pieces.
What had Casteel told me once before? Don’t borrow from tomorrow’s problems? I needed to start living that way.
“Hi.” “Hi.” He stretched out his long legs, loosely crossing them at the ankles. I stared at him. He stared at me. I picked up the small plate from the platter. “Cheese?” A faint grin appeared as he shook his head. “You’re going to make this weird, aren’t you?”
There cannot be equality in power if there is no choice.”
“To be quite honest, I’m glad I can’t. I imagine your mind to be a constant cyclone of questions, one fighting the other in a deathmatch to see which one has the honor of being asked.” I frowned at him. “That was kind of rude.”
“Just kill them.” “Oh, well, I was thinking about keeping one.” Cold, clammy fingers grazed my arm as I whirled around. “You know, as a—” “If you say pet, I’m going to think you’re more demented than Cas.” “I was going to say friend.” Kieran looked over at me, brows arched. “That’s even worse.”
Gods. Could I not meet Casteel’s family under normal circumstances?
“Hello,” I murmured, straightening. King Valyn’s brows lifted, and then he lurched toward me, his sword rising. My heart stuttered as panic seized me. I froze in horrified disbelief. He was going to— Grabbing my arm as he thrust out with his sword, he yanked me to the side. Air punched out of my lungs as I stumbled, finding a masked Gyrm impaled on the King’s sword. “T-thank you,” I stuttered as the thing shattered. Amber eyes flashed to mine. “Did you think my strike was meant for you?” he asked. “I…” Good gods, I really had.
“How many of them did you kill?” “A few,” I answered, curling my free hand into the front of his shirt. His lips brushed my ear. “A few?” “A decent amount,” I amended. Casteel kissed my cheek. “That’s my girl.”
A familiar half-grin appeared on the King’s face, and damn if there wasn’t a hint of dimples.
Entanglement sounded vastly less awkward than capture, so I had to give it to her. She knew how to be tactful.
“I have a lot of questions,” I announced the moment Casteel ushered me back into our room, and King Valyn left. “Not a single person in the entirety of either kingdom would be surprised by that,” Kieran stated as he closed the veranda doors behind him. “Not even remotely.”
“I know it sounds like something made up to scare children—” “Like the lamaea?” I asked. He stopped and looked at me, glass halfway to his mouth as Casteel coughed out a quiet laugh. His pale eyes shot to the Prince. “I don’t even need to ask which one of you told her about that. Out of the things you could’ve shared with her, you chose that?”
“The lamaea were never real. It was just a thing really twisted parents made up.”
“We tried once—Casteel and I—when we were younger. We tried to take a ship as close to the coast as we could, to see if any part of the land was habitable,” Kieran said. “We damn near drowned in the process.” “That’s because you’re both idiots,” Jasper replied, and I blinked. Casteel took a healthy drink of his whiskey. “Can’t really argue with that.”
Bloody things usually followed his usage of that tone. “I don’t think there needs to be any sort of killing,” I ventured. “That’s rich coming from you,” Kieran commented.
