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I stared at her hooded figure, my heart thumping. How would she react once she learned the truth of the Ascended—of her precious Queen Ileana? She would eventually discover the truth, sooner rather than later. Based on what I already knew, I didn’t think she would continue going along with the charade the Ascended had fostered for her. But so what?

I could give her a choice once I had Malik, could I not? Allow her to remain with us. Doing so would be tricky, presenting a whole slew of risks that my people nor I needed. They’d signed up to free Malik. Not free him and the Maiden. And would my people accept her? Likely not. Atlantians could hold a grudge with the best of them.

Fuck. Now wasn’t the time to think about any of that shit.

“There’s something I’ve been wondering.” Spying several low-hanging branches, I moved so I walked to her left. “What is it that you do every morning?”

“My daily prayers.” Her hooded head tilted toward mine. “And breakfast.”

I reached out, holding one of the branches up so she could pass underneath. “Would you be angry if I said I didn’t believe you?”

Poppy huffed. “I’ve given you no reason not to believe what I say.”

“Really?” I drawled, lifting another branch. “I think I know.”

“Do you?”

“I just need to ask one question to be sure,” I said as we crossed under thinner branches. Streaks of moonlight pierced the darkness all around us. “Does Vikter happen to be with you during your…prayers?”

Poppy said absolutely nothing.

I smiled, getting my answer without her confirming it. She was likely training how to use that dagger and to fight when she was with him.

“I was wondering something myself,” she said, both arms folded over the book now as if she worried I’d snatch it from her once more. “About you.”

“Yes. I find women who can wield a dagger and nearly knock me on my ass to be extremely alluring,” I answered, glancing in her direction. “And arousing.”

Her soft inhale turned into a gasp as she tripped over something in the foliage. I caught her upper arm, steadying her.

“I was not going to ask that.” She quickly recovered, clearing her throat.

“It’s true, though.”

“That, I couldn’t care less about.”

Little liar. My hand slipped away from her cloak. “What were you wondering?”

She was quiet again for a few moments. “You…you called me Poppy back there, in the Atheneum.”

I had?

“You’d been calling me Penellaphe,” she continued. “Why?”

“Does it bother you?” I asked.

“No.” She peeked at me from under the hood. “You didn’t answer the question.”

I couldn’t answer the question. Hell, I hadn’t even realized that I had called her Poppy. Or that I now thought of her as such. I frowned. It didn’t matter. A name was just a name. “I’m not sure why.” I remembered what Tawny had said. “I suppose that means we’re friends.”

There was another soft inhale, betraying her sharp words. “I wouldn’t go that far.”

I chuckled. “I would.”

Poppy sighed.

Another laugh left me. “We are most definitely friends.”

PRESENT VII

“How badly did you want to stab me when I took that diary from you?” I laughed, the sound echoing in the quiet chamber. “I imagine it was a lot. Would’ve been worth it, though.”

Dipping my chin, I pressed a kiss to the top of Poppy’s head. She was tucked against me, her head resting on my chest and my legs bracing hers. Delano was still at the foot of the bed in his wolven form, a big mound of white fur. Still, I knew he was awake and alert. He hadn’t strayed far from Poppy’s side.

It was near evening, and Kieran was currently making use of the adjoining bathing chamber. Poppy remained as she was, but I didn’t think her skin was as cold as it had been before, and the shadows under her eyes had faded even more. A nearly untouched plate of sliced meat and fruits sat on a nearby table. I managed to eat a few bites and hadn’t fallen back to sleep, but oddly, I wasn’t tired. Neither was Kieran, who hadn’t slept or eaten much more than I had. Sure, there was weariness, but it stemmed from concern. Otherwise, I felt fine, and there was only one thing I could think of to explain that. The bond between the three of us. Poppy’s life force—all that eather in her that Nektas had spoken of—fueled us, keeping us strong. I didn’t think either Kieran or I felt particularly worthy of that strength.

“But when I saw you standing on that ledge? I was furious. I couldn’t even fathom what the hell you were thinking,” I continued. “I couldn’t stay mad long, though. Not after realizing what you had to do just to be able to read a book of your choosing.”

Old anger that was never quite far away rose, and it was hard to push back down. This wasn’t the time or place for that kind of emotion. “I’m glad you took the diary. You know how much I fucking love that book.”