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)
“Wise call,” I murmured.
As Kieran disappeared behind the privacy screen, I faced forward. I hadn’t expected that conversation, but it had been necessary.
No expectations.
That was…good, especially since I had no idea what I expected.
“Poppy.”
I squeaked and jerked up, swinging my head to the side.
Kieran stood there, a shirt in hand. “Are you getting out of the tub?”
“Yes.”
He pinned me with his typical bland look, and then his gaze dropped. Muttering under his breath, he dropped the clothing on the stool and pivoted. “I’ll be waiting.”
Dragging my gaze from the shirt, I looked down. My chest was entirely above the water.
And it really sounded like he’d muttered, “No expectations.”
Aaannnd I wasn’t going to think about any of that.
I stepped out of the tub and quickly dried off. Grabbing a smaller towel, I gathered up my hair and folded it in the towel, then picked up the clothing Kieran had left on the stool.
With a frown, I lifted…a shirt. A rather large shirt. Shaking my head, I pulled it over my head. The hem ended at my knees. I walked out, finding Kieran in the dining chamber, rummaging through the light oak cabinet against the wall.
“Do you think this is appropriate attire to meet with the generals?” I asked.
He glanced over at me. “No.”
“Then why the shirt? I saw clothing hanging—where did that stuff even come from?”
“As to your second question, Naill. He’s been able to work with a lot of the material left behind, so he has collected quite a number of outfits for you in a relatively short period.”
“And my first question?” I asked.
“Since we’re not meeting with the generals this evening,” Kieran said, and I stopped, “I figured you’d want to be comfortable.”
I turned to him. “Why are we not meeting with them?”
“Because I doubt Cas will be able to locate all of them in time.” He lifted a bottle containing a clear liquid. “So, he’s going to set up a meeting for tomorrow afternoon.”
“Why do I have a feeling that’s not the reason it’s not happening tonight?”
“I don’t know.” Unscrewing the lid, he gave the bottle a sniff. His lip curled. “Gods.”
“Could it be that Casteel doesn’t want me getting overwhelmed?” I replied.
“He’s not the only one,” Kieran said.
“Neither of you needs to worry.”
“Not going to happen.” He frowned at an oval-shaped decanter. “Would you like a drink?”
“Sure.” I moved farther into the dining chamber. “You know we don’t have time to waste.”
“There’s little to be done between today and tomorrow,” he countered.
I tugged the towel from my hair as my gaze flickered over the intricate detail on the crown molding. It continued along the panes framing the glass in the domed ceiling. “I’m more than capable of meeting with the generals, Kieran.”
“And you will.” He put the bottle back and picked up another, this one containing an amber liquid. “Tomorrow.” He lifted the stopper. “Did you have a nice nap?”
Now I knew who had placed the blanket over me. “I did,” I said as the nightmare crept back to the forefront of my thoughts, sending a chill down my spine.
He looked over at me. “You sure?”
“Yeah.” I cleared my throat and draped the towel over the back of a chair. “So, that’s what Casteel is doing?”
“Yes,” he answered. “And then hopefully feeding.” He paused. “On Emil.”
I laughed. “Why is it always Emil?”
“Honestly?” His blue eyes sparked with amusement. “At this point, I think the Fates are conspiring to ensure that it’s him.”
I snorted. “And here I thought it was your doing.”
“I shall never admit to such a thing,” he said, moving on to a row of decanters and bottles higher up. I had no idea what he was looking for since they mostly looked the same to me. He finally settled on one and poured each of us a glass. Turning, he handed me one and nodded toward the sitting chamber.
“So, how are you feeling knowing you’re a Primal god? I’m sure you weren’t expecting to end up with an extra dose of eather.”
“I can’t say either of us expected that,” he admitted.
“Do you…feel normal?”
One shoulder lifted. “Pretty much.”
“Really?” I eyed him closely. I’d always found it a bit difficult to know exactly what Kieran was thinking.
“Yes.” He dragged a hand over his head. “At first, I was confused by what’d happened—the near-constant hum of energy in my veins and here,” he said, dropping the hand to his chest. “That was…odd at first. But I’ve gotten used to it. I’m fine. Especially now that I know we’re not false Primals. That was messing with my head.”
“Now that you know you’re not a false Primal, will you try to summon the eather? Or don’t you know how?”
An eyebrow rose. “I haven’t, but I’m sure I can figure out how to summon the essence.”
“You sure about that?” I teased.
“I am a wolven,” he replied dryly. “How do you think I change forms?”