A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire (Blood and Ash 2)

He arched a brow. “You will become a Princess, Poppy. You will need to be crowned. Then you’ll have the same authority as I do. Your position in Atlantia then cannot be questioned by the King or Queen of Solis.”

“That…that seems like semantics.”

“More like politics. And since King Jalara was alive during Atlantia’s rule, he will know that a Prince or Princess not recognized by the Crown holds no power or authority in Atlantia.”

I shook my head as I faced forward. Politics was nonsense to me. We’d crested the hill and reached the woods. With the setting sun, there was only the faintest traces of sunlight filtering through the trees. “And you believe that your parents will accept our marriage?”

“They will.”

“You do realize that Alastir doesn’t quite believe our engagement is genuine,” I pointed out. “If your parents don’t believe us, why do you think they will crown me?”

“Because we will convince them,” Casteel said, and he said it like there was little possibility of anything else occurring.

But I wasn’t so sure.

“What are you thinking?” Casteel asked after several silent moments.

“I’m thinking many things,” I admitted. “But I know you’re lying.”

Casteel stiffened behind me. “I’m not—”

“I don’t mean that you’re lying to mislead me,” I quickly added. “But you’re lying to protect me. You’re more concerned about the Soul Eater thing than you’re willing to admit. And you’re more worried about your parents’ reactions than you’re willing to say. That is why you want to marry now.”

Casteel still remained tense. “Are you reading my emotions?”

I smiled faintly. “I don’t need to read your thoughts to know any of that.”

He was quiet and then said, “Poppy—”

“Not that you’ve asked, and I’m assuming you were getting around to it, but yes,” I cut him off. “I will marry you in Spessa’s End.”

Chapter 30

“I don’t think this is wise,” Alastir said as he sat in the chair across from Casteel and me the following day.

Casteel stretched out his legs, crossing them at the ankles. He looked utterly at ease but I knew better. I hadn’t opened my senses. Part of me was half afraid that if I did, I would start glowing silver even though I hadn’t when I tested it out on Casteel upon returning to our rooms the night before.

But I knew.

It was as if I had opened myself up to him. There were no tastes in the back of my throat, but I knew he was annoyed with Alastir and struggling to remain patient. I knew he was also bored with the conversation five seconds after it began. These were not speculations. I knew this to be true, because when I did open myself up to him, I felt those exact emotions.

Just like I had when I woke this morning to Casteel watching me from where he lay beside me and knew he was hungry. Not for blood. Hungry like he had been when we stood outside Vonetta’s house. What I’d felt from him had brought forth a heady reaction from my body, and when he left the bed without touching me, I felt his confusion.

Then, when Vonetta showed up with clothing that I had yet to go through and a basket of powdery doughnuts, I’d looked at her and had known that she felt no ill feelings toward me. There was curiosity and a low-level buzz of wariness, but she didn’t distrust or dislike me. When I opened my senses to her, what I felt confirmed that.

And now, I could feel Alastir’s dismay simply by looking at him. It was thick like curdled milk.

What I felt was not my imagination, that much I knew. This was my abilities changing yet again, possibly even growing stronger.

“I do not think you should marry without the King’s and Queen’s permission,” Alastir said.

“You know I don’t need their permission.”

“But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t request it. Even if they reject this marriage, you can still proceed, but at least you would be doing so with their knowledge,” Alastir argued. “Marrying here or in Saion’s Cove without their consent or knowledge will cause a spectacle, Casteel.”

“It would only cause a spectacle if people realize they were unaware.” Casteel crossed his arms. “Which is something no one should realize since it’s not improbable for me to have sent word home to them.”

Alastir leaned forward. “Casteel, I really think—”

“You’re not going to change his mind,” I interjected, nearly as weary with the conversation as Casteel was.

“And what about yours?” Alastir demanded. “Would you wish to meet your future mother-in-law before or after you’ve married her son? Or does what you want even matter?”

The pulse of fury from Casteel was a warning, but it was my irritation with that question that led me to say, “If I hadn’t agreed with Casteel, we wouldn’t even be having this conversation with you.”

“Penellaphe, trust me when I say that this is not something either of you needs to rush into,” he said, gentling his voice, but I felt a thread of…anger that was not mine or Casteel’s. “You have time. All the time in the world.”

But we didn’t. “In a perfect world, I would’ve loved to have been courted in a way that didn’t involve kidnappings or fleeing the Ascended.”

“Or being stabbed,” Casteel murmured under his breath.

I turned to him.

He winked.

He actually winked at me.

Taking a deep breath, I focused on Alastir. “But that is not the real world. The reality is that I’d rather marry before learning all the ways his parents will most likely object,” I told him, and that was the gods’ honest truth. Temporary or not, who in their right mind would want to subject themselves to that?

Alastir’s features softened. “You don’t know that they will.”

“Yes. I do,” I stated, aware of Casteel’s gaze and the absence of the all-too-brief amusement. I sat forward. “The only people here who have been even remotely friendly to me are the wolven and some of the men who traveled with you. None of the people of Spessa’s End have, and I know exactly how they feel about me.”

Any denials died on Alastir’s tongue.

“There is no reason for me to believe that his parents won’t share the same worries or concerns as the people do,” I continued. “I’d rather marry without actually being able to replay all of their concerns in my head during the ceremony.”

Alastir sat back, rubbing his fingers over his brow. “I can understand that. I really can, but our King and Queen—”

“Will be shocked and probably greatly annoyed that I have married someone they have never laid eyes on, not to mention someone who is only half-Atlantian and was once the Maiden,” Casteel interrupted. “But as soon as they get to know her, none of that will matter. They will come to love her as fiercely as I do.”

My heart stuttered and squeezed as I looked at Casteel, and I knew—I knew he hadn’t planned to say that last part, or at least he hadn’t meant to say it like that. His surprise was sharp and cool, and the moment his gaze met mine, I looked away.

I swallowed the ragged breath I wanted to exhale. “How is Beckett?” I asked. Vonetta had said that the young wolven was walking with barely a limp, but it was time to change the subject.

“It is like he wasn’t injured at all,” Alastir replied. “What you did for him—”

“I was only trying to ease his pain,” I said again. “I don’t even know if I’ll be able to do something like that again.”

Alastir nodded, but he didn’t seem too convinced of, well, anything. And then, he left. Alone, I turned to Casteel.

“That was fun, wasn’t it?” he asked.

I didn’t know what it was about how he’d said that, but I laughed. “Almost more than I could handle.”

He smiled, his body finally relaxing to match his posture. “I could tell.”

My gaze flickered over him, and I…I knew the anger and frustration had faded. The sadness was there, lingering beneath it all, but there was a strange sense of contentedness, too.

“Are you reading my emotions?”

“No.” I paused. “Sort of?”

“What does that mean?”

“I’m not sure what it means.” I glanced down at my hands. “Ever since I woke this morning, I can read emotions without opening myself—without having to concentrate. I focus, and if I want to know…I know.”

“And if you don’t want to know?”

I frowned. “Then I don’t. I don’t know if crowds will be different.”

“Because they sometimes overwhelm you.”

He remembered. I nodded.

“That’s…” He trailed off, and I looked over at him. “What am I feeling now?”

“I…you’re feeling curiosity. Not concern.”

His head tilted. “Why would I feel concern?”

“Aren’t you worried that I will develop more empath traits?”

“If you’re thinking that I’m worried about you becoming a Soul Eater and feeding off my emotions, you’d be wasting your energy.”

I frowned at him. “I would hope you wouldn’t think that.”

“What I do think is it’s all amazing,” he said. “You’re amazing.”

I rolled my eyes.

“Especially when you shut Alastir up. That is a talent that even I haven’t mastered.” He sat forward, stopping so that we were nearly at eye level. “My parents will likely be displeased, but they will welcome you. I’m not saying that to make you feel better. I mean it. Their anger or disappointment will not be directed at you.”

I actually believed that.

And I almost believed what he said to Alastir about his parents loving me as fiercely as he did. Heartmates.