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)
Kieran followed my gaze to the door with a frown. My attention darted to Casteel. He, too, was eyeing the door.
“So, you can feel it?” I asked, curious. “That a draken is near?”
“Unfortunately,” Cas murmured.
I shot him an arch look as I concentrated on the faint hum of eather. The draken didn’t have unique imprints—marks—like the wolven. At least, not to me. And I’d never been able to know which draken was approaching before I saw them. But now? There was a sense of knowing that told me who was coming.
Reaver.
“Can either of you tell who it is?” I asked.
Kieran shook his head and picked up a linen to wipe his hands. “But I can hazard a guess.” Tossing the linen onto the table, he looked over. “You?”
I smiled. “Yes.”
There was a slight curl to the corner of his lips. “You look incredibly…smug.”
At the sound of someone’s approach, Casteel set the bowl down. “It’s Reaver, isn’t it?”
I nodded.
“Great,” Kieran muttered, rising.
“I don’t know why you two have such an issue with him,” I said.
“Is that a serious question?” Casteel countered.
“You barely know him.”
“I know enough.”
“You just don’t like him because Kieran doesn’t.” Sitting back, I crossed my arms. “He’s been extremely helpful, especially while freeing you,” I reminded him. “And he’s also very—”
“If you say he’s nice,” Casteel interrupted, “I’m going to have serious questions regarding your definition of the word.”
“She thinks you’re nice,” Kieran tossed over his shoulder as he went to the door. “I already question her definition.”
I snorted. “He has a point.”
“Uh-huh,” Casteel murmured, taking a drink. “I’m surprised it took him this long.”
Frowning, I started to ask what he meant, but then Kieran cracked the door open. “What?”
I sighed at the less-than-friendly greeting.
“She’s awake,” came Reaver’s low, raspy voice.
Kieran remained firmly planted in front of the door. “And?”
“Kieran,” I snapped, shoving back from the table. “Let him in.”
He extended an arm, pushing the door open farther in the slowest manner possible. I stood. Just when I thought I would have to tell Kieran he also needed to move aside, he did.
Kind of.
Reaver wasn’t small by any means, but all I saw of him as he squeezed past Kieran was a glimpse of a bare chest.
Having no idea if Reaver was actually wearing clothing, I dared a quick glance. Relieved to find he was wearing loose black pants instead of a curtain or nothing, I stepped toward him.
He stopped a few feet inside the chamber and tilted his chin down, sending shoulder-length blond hair swinging forward. “It is good to find you awake.” He lifted his head as Kieran pushed the door closed. “And that you appear to be yourself.”
I shifted on my feet, my toes curling against the stone. “Glad to be…back to myself.” I clasped my hands together as a vague memory of seeing Reaver flying backward surfaced. “And I’m sorry for anything I might’ve done while—”
“No need,” Reaver interrupted.
“For once,” Casteel said, setting his glass down, “I agree with him.”
I glanced at the fine cracks in the wall and winced. “I really feel like there is a need, though.”
“You were not yourself.”
I hadn’t been, but still. “That’s no ex—”
“I didn’t come here for an unnecessary apology, Poppy.”
“Shouldn’t you address her as meyaah Liessa?” Casteel asked, his gaze fixed on Reaver as his finger tapped the side of his glass.
I hadn’t even caught that he hadn’t called me what roughly translated into my Queen in old Atlantian.
“The Queen of the Gods is awake,” Reaver replied, his tone flat. “Therefore, she is meyaah Liessa.”
Casteel’s finger stilled, and Kieran stiffened. “That is not what you said the last time we spoke.”
“What I said was that it has never applied to Nektas or me,” Reaver replied, crossing his arms.
“You never said Poppy was no longer your meyaah Liessa,” Casteel said, his voice dropping low.
Too low.
It was time for me to step in. “It really doesn’t matter.”
“Disagree.” Casteel’s stare remained on Reaver.
“I’d honestly prefer if he called me Poppy,” I said, stepping to the side so I stood between them. “And you know that.”
“That’s not the issue, my Queen,” Casteel said.
“The issue is that this would be really inconvenient timing for the draken to no longer serve you,” Kieran advised, his voice tight.
I tensed, my gaze swiveling back to Reaver. Did that mean the draken would be returning to Iliseeum?
“I never said we no longer served her,” Reaver responded, his tone as dry as the biscuit I’d given Kieran. “Only that the true Queen is now awake and—”
“It’s okay.” I stopped him with a wave of my hand. “Are you…leaving?”
Reaver’s brow furrowed. “Leaving to where?”
“To return home.”
“Why would I do that?” The crease between his brows deepened.
“Seraphena is awake and…?”
“You woke us and secured our pledge to give you aid,” Reaver said. “That has not changed.”
“Could it?” Casteel questioned.
“If Seraphena summons us, then yes,” he answered. “But I do not foresee that happening unless…”