The War of Two Queens (Blood and Ash 4)

“Do you think he did something?” A cold wind of worry swept through me.

“Anything is possible with that fucker.”

Dread built. Everything looked the same as ten steps back. I began to fear that we’d been played, and I would have to kill Malik in this underground maze.

We rounded a corner, and the scent of musty decay reached us. Damp, torch-lit walls came into view, as well as a long, straight hall with just one cell to the left. A deep, awful growl rumbled from within.

A frayed sort of sound left me. I picked up my pace and then broke into a run, passing Malik.

“Poppy,” Kieran shouted as I rushed through the opening—

Jerking back, I choked on a scream as the creature chained to the wall lunged forward, its arms outstretched. Shock seized me. My feet slipped out from under me, and I went down hard on my ass, not even feeling the impact of the fall.

I barely recognized him.

His skin was ghastly pale, almost like a Craven’s. The striking lines and planes of his face were contorted, lips peeled back, and fangs thicker and longer than I’d ever seen. His eyes… Good gods, they were pitch-black—not a hint of amber visible. And his chest…

A jagged hole mangled the center of his torso, just below his heart. Blood covered his stomach. The floor. I realized it was what had caused me to slip.

“Oh, gods,” I gasped, my heart cracking open.

Casteel snapped at the air, the chains groaning as he pulled them taut. The shadowstone band cut into his throat, but it didn’t stop him from swiping at me and snarling.

“No.” Kieran grasped my shoulders, hauling me clear as his agony pummeled my senses. He stared at the man who was more than just a friend to him. “No.”

My senses opened, reaching out to Casteel as Kieran lifted me to my feet. I came into contact with no wall. No anger or pain. Not even a hint of anguish. There was nothing but a yawning, crimson void of insidious, unending hunger.

No sign of Casteel remained in the thick, red haze of bloodlust.

“He wasn’t like this yesterday.” I shuddered. “That wound—”

“Callum,” Malik snarled, entering the cell. He stuck close to the wall as Casteel whipped to the side, tracking his brother’s movements. His bloodied chest vibrated with sound. “He did this.”

Fury exploded, stirring up the Primal essence. “I want him dead.”

“Noted,” Reaver said from the entrance.

“We need to get him calm.” I started to move closer. “Then we—”

Kieran’s arm came around my waist, pulling me tight to his chest. “There is no way you’re getting close to him.”

Casteel’s attention snapped in our direction. His head tilted as he snarled.

“He’s…he’s too far gone,” Kieran said, his voice hoarse.

My heart stuttered to a painful stop. “No. He’s not. He can’t be.” I rubbed the blood off my palm. The golden swirl was dim in the fading candlelight. “He’s still alive.”

“But he’s in bloodlust, Poppy.” Kieran’s voice was loaded with broken shards of pain. “He doesn’t recognize you.”

Casteel snapped forward again. The chain jerked him back sharply. I cried out as he staggered and went down on one knee.

“That is not Cas,” Kieran whispered, shaking.

Those four words threatened to destroy me. “But we can get him back. He just needs to feed. I’ll be fine. He can’t kill me.” I pulled at Kieran’s arm. When he didn’t let go, I twisted toward him, our faces inches apart. “Kieran—”

“I know.” Kieran clasped the back of my neck, pulling my forehead to his. “He needs to feed, but he doesn’t recognize you, Poppy,” he repeated. “He will hurt you. I can’t stand here and allow that. I don’t want to see that happen to you. I don’t want to see how it will fucking destroy him when he comes out of the bloodlust and realizes what he’s done.”

Another shudder hit me. “But I need to help him—”

“What my brother needs is to feed and have the time for that to pull him out of bloodlust. He may need multiple feedings. Something we don’t have the time for here,” Malik said, shoving shorter strands of hair back from his face. “We need to get him out of here. Someplace safe where we have time.” A muscle throbbed in his temple as he stared at his brother. “I know of a place. If we can get him there, we’ll be good for at least a day or two.”

“Are you serious?” Kieran exploded as Casteel’s head whipped around. “You expect us to trust you?”

Malik’s lips thinned. “You don’t have much choice, do you?”

“Literally walking out of here and into the arms of that bitch Queen is a better choice,” Kieran spat.

“Come on, man. You know we can’t feed him here. You know he needs time.” Malik’s eyes were as bright as citrine jewels as he faced off with Kieran. “If we try to do that here, we’re going to get caught, and all of us—yes, all of us—are going to wish we were dead.”