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)
“We’ve informed them that the Blood Crown is still a threat,” Casteel said, and I tensed when he dipped his pinky between the tops of my thighs, causing the gown to pull taut.
My gaze shot to him. He winked and picked up a piece of melon. Gods, he was so…him. And I knew what he was doing. He was being purposely distracting, making sure I didn’t dwell on what we’d decided when it came to the Ascended. It was working a little too well. “So, no mention of Kolis then?”
“They know who the Ascended are.” Kieran eyed the biscuit on my plate. “They’ve never heard of Kolis. Bringing him up by name would likely only muddy the waters.”
And muddied waters often led to doubt. “It would be difficult to convince them of a threat they’ve never heard of. They know who the gods Rhain and Rhahar are. Not Kolis.” I paused as that damn pinky of his began moving. Reaching out with my senses, I found his pine-and-spice mark. Meeting his half-hooded stare, I lifted the fork. I’m going to stab your hand with this fork.
One side of his lips kicked up, revealing his dimple. You would never.
I arched a brow and flipped the fork so it pointed downward. You want to rethink that?
Thick lashes lowered as he drew his lower lip between his teeth. The tips of his fangs peeked out. My Queen, he said, his finger skimming a very, very sensitive part of me and nearly sending me out of my chair. Your threats of violence are making me incredibly hard.
I inhaled sharply, heat flooding my veins.
“You two do realize it’s rude to have a private conversation,” Kieran drawled, “when I’m sitting right here, yes?”
“Is it not rude for you two to do the same while I’m sitting right there?” I countered.
Kieran’s mouth snapped shut.
I smiled at him. “And trust me when I say you are lucky you’re not a part of this conversation,” I muttered, returning my fork to the table.
“I’m sure I can guess what it’s about,” he replied, passing a knowing look between Casteel and me.
My face flamed, and Casteel chuckled. He ceased his taunting, pulling his fingers back, but his hand didn’t stray far from my thigh, his thumb sliding back and forth across a less inappropriate place. “You were saying?”
It took me a moment to collect my thoughts. “I was just saying that the people don’t know Kolis. They don’t know about Seraphena or the Ancients. But I’m not sure keeping them in the dark is wise.”
“I agree with that,” Kieran said. “But what can we tell them when we don’t know what Kolis’s motivations are or what he wants?”
A muscle flexed along Casteel’s jaw as he sat back and withdrew his hand. I missed the weight of it immediately.
“Did the Fates tell you anything about what he planned? Or does your special—but apparently sometimes faulty—vadentia know?” Kieran continued as he reached over and gently tugged on a strand of my hair when my eyes narrowed on him. “Has it told you anything?”
Unfortunately, I knew what Kolis wanted—or at least what the Arae said he did. “The Fates told me what he wants.”
They went quiet.
Knowing that what I was about to say would likely go over as well as being swarmed by barrats, I helped myself to some liquid courage. “He wants to become the true Primal of Life and Death.”
Kieran lowered his glass, his eyes snapping to Casteel as the temperature in the chamber turned frosty.
“And how, pray tell, would he succeed at that?” Casteel asked, his voice as cold and dark as looming death. “Considering you are the only such being?”
I really didn’t want to answer. “He would…need to take my essence and…” I trailed off as I felt a faint tremor in the floor beneath us.
The air in the chamber suddenly thickened and charged with power—eather—that wasn’t coming from me.
“Cas,” Kieran said quietly.
“And what?” Casteel’s flesh thinned, revealing the gray shadows beneath that I’d seen earlier. But also something…else.
“That’s it.” My mouth dried as I stared at him in the flickering light of the swaying chandelier. I caught the gleam of something silver under his skin as the shadows pulsed up his neck, swirling into the same pattern I’d seen on the Ancients.
“Casteel,” Kieran said louder. “You need to calm.”
Eather pulsed behind his pupils and arced across his irises, twisting with the crimson and shadows. “I am perfectly calm.”
A short, sharp ping from the nearby glass threw me into action.
I stretched over and wrapped my hand around the nape of his neck. Kieran cursed under his breath as the shadows in Casteel’s flesh raced down the sides of his throat toward my hand. My skin tingled at the contact. “Kolis will not take my essence,” I told him, eather pulsing through me. “It won’t happen.”