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)
“Cas didn’t want to make the decision regarding what to do with them until you were awake,” he answered. “It didn’t feel right to do so.”
A smile tugged at my lips despite what we were discussing. The fact that I knew Casteel wanted them dead but hadn’t made the call showed how much he valued my input. And that was…well, it meant everything to me.
“Poppy?”
My head jerked up. “Yeah?”
Kieran’s stunning blue eyes, now even brighter with the aura of essence behind them, met mine. “How are you dealing with what happened?”
I sensed he wasn’t talking about what had happened in the Continents.
“With Kolis?” I resumed my pacing. “I don’t know—and I mean that honestly. I don’t remember anything but a sense of having seen or heard something.” I sipped my water. “I have a feeling it’s a blessing I don’t remember.”
“It’s still got to mess with your head,” he said.
Turning my gaze to the window, I drew my lips inward, wincing as I scraped them with a fang. “I haven’t really thought about it.”
“Poppy,” Kieran began, but before he could continue, we both felt Casteel’s presence.
Kieran rose to get the door, and my stomach dipped as he opened it. I peered outside, a mix of excitement and anxiety balling together at the thought of seeing someone out there. The hall was empty, though.
“Naill was stationed outside when I arrived,” Kieran said, seeing where my gaze was as we heard Casteel’s footsteps. “He left when I got here.”
Had he known I was awake? Did Tawny?
Casteel walked in, balancing two silver platters and a bottle of what appeared to be wine. The air immediately filled with the rich aroma of spices and seasoned meat, waking my stomach as Kieran grabbed the bottle and Casteel placed the platters on the table.
Realizing we didn’t have enough seats, I scanned the chamber, spotting another on the other side of the bed. I started toward it—
A faint charge of energy stirred the essence in me, and a second later, the sound of chair legs dragging against the stone brought me to a halt. My brows shot up as the chair lifted into the air.
“Do I even want to know what is happening behind me?” Kieran asked as he lifted the silver dome from the largest platter.
“Probably not.” I watched the deep-gray armchair float over the bed and then lower, coming to rest quietly beside the table.
I turned to Casteel. “Did you just…?”
A dimple appeared on his right cheek. “Perhaps.”
“How is it that you used the eather to…be incredibly lazy before me?”
The dimple on his left cheek appeared. “Because I can.”
“Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should,” I told him as my chin lifted.
Kieran sent me a flat look. “That sounds too logical coming from you.”
Casteel snorted. “More like it sounds like someone is jealous.”
I ignored Kieran’s comment and focused on Cas. “Am not. Using the essence drains you. The more you do it, the more you will need to replenish it.” I said what he already knew. It was the same for Atlantians.
And it was true. So, why was I staring at one of the other chairs and summoning the essence? Because I hadn’t used the essence outside of fighting…and because I was childish. My will formed in my mind. There was usually a couple of seconds’ delay.
There wasn’t now.
The chair immediately lifted straight into the air, almost smacking into the ceiling before I stopped it.
Sighing, Kieran straightened and turned toward me. “Why?”
“Because she was feeling jealous,” Casteel answered. “And left out.”
“I was not jealous.” My head snapped toward him. “I was just…”
Facing me, Casteel cocked his head to the side, his brows rising.
“Whatever,” I muttered.
Casteel grabbed three glasses from the serving table and looked back at Kieran. “Do you also want to lift a chair into the air for no reason?”
I glared at him.
“Not particularly,” Kieran replied, his bright-blue eyes meeting mine as he carried the platter to the serving table. “Please, don’t drop a chair on my head.”
“Wasn’t planning to,” I said, adding, “but I am considering it now.”
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
“I got a little bit of everything since I wasn’t sure what everyone was in the mood for,” Casteel said.
“I can see.” I looked down at the wide array and felt the faint rise of eather. My gaze bounced between Kieran and Casteel. Neither was looking at the other, but I had a feeling they were using the notam.
“Poppy?”
Warm, honey-colored eyes met mine. “Yes?”
“Are you planning to stand while you eat?” Casteel lifted a bowl of steaming, brightly colored vegetables and a plate with various types of cheese from the smaller platter and placed them on the table. “Or do you just want to sit in one of our laps?”
“I wasn’t planning to do either.”
“You sure?”
“Yes.” I reached for the back of the closest chair.