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“They’re not your responsibility,” Naill said, knowing where my mind was with this. Not surprising. Besides Kieran and his family, Naill had known me the longest. “You’ve done enough.”

But I hadn’t even begun. Still, I nodded. I didn’t thank them. This wasn’t something you expressed gratitude for.

“Speaking of bloodied hands,” Elijah began, his feet back on the desk, “I see Jericho is missing one.”

My gaze flicked to the half-Atlantian. “He earned that.”

“No one in this room is surprised to hear that,” Delano remarked.

“He hasn’t said what made you take it. Neither has Ivan or Rolf,” Elijah said, referencing the two who had been with Jericho in Masadonia. “You going to key us in on what caused that? Dying to know.”

“He was told not to harm the Maiden. He did. So, I took his hand,” I explained. “And the same goes for all of you and all who reside at New Haven. No one is to harm her.”

“Understood,” Delano said when my stare met his. Naill nodded.

“Your wish is my command, as always,” Elijah said with a cheeky grin. “But I got questions.”

“I’m sure you do.”

He lifted one large shoulder in a shrug. “I’m nosy, what can I say? I’m assuming the Maiden is unaware of who you are—who we are.”

The knot returned to my chest. I nodded. “At this time, yes.”

Elijah’s bushy brows lifted. “At this time?”

“She expects that we will only be here for the night,” I explained. “When we don’t leave in the morning, she’ll start asking questions.”

“And?” Delano asked.

“I will tell her what I can of the truth. Who I am. Who the Ascended really are,” I said, knowing that conversation was coming, likely by the time the sun set tomorrow.

Elijah met my stare. “I’m also assuming she isn’t going to handle it well.”

No, she likely wouldn’t.

“Then what?” Naill asked.

“I will handle her,” I told them, chest icing over. “No one else will.”

UNWORTHY AND UNDESERVING

Magda had proven once more how she always thought ahead, giving Poppy a chamber on the second floor of the keep, accessible only by the covered outdoor hall. Escape options were limited in these chambers, with only one door and a small window.

I had a feeling I’d be thanking Magda for that later because I didn’t believe Poppy would take the truth well. I wouldn’t expect her to.

Before I checked on her, I used a room near hers to grab a quick bite to eat, bathe, and change into fresh clothing. When I stepped back out into the outdoor hall, more snow had fallen, and it was still coming down, blanketing the courtyard and the nearby pines in about an inch or so. I went to Poppy’s door and stopped.

The meeting with the others had taken longer than expected, and considering how hard we’d been traveling, Poppy was likely asleep. She could use the rest, but I also needed to talk to her. I had to find out what I could about her abilities before I told her everything else. I doubted she would be exactly forthcoming with information from that point forward. Or maybe she would once she learned the truth. Poppy was smart and kind. Forgiving—I stopped those thoughts. None of that mattered. Poppy could be understanding or not. She could take my offer of eventual freedom or not. Either way, she would not forgive me. I didn’t deserve it. That much I knew.

Dragging my hand through my damp hair, I knocked on the door before opening it.

Poppy wasn’t sleeping.

In fact, she was standing by the bed with her dagger in hand.

“Hawke,” she breathed.

My brows rose. “I thought you’d be asleep.”

She lowered the dagger. “Is that why you barged in?”

“Since I knocked, I don’t consider that barging in.” Shutting the door, I took a closer look at her. She wore a velvet robe of some dark color somewhere between green and blue. All that damp hair was down and curling at her throat and flushed cheeks. She looked beautiful, even more so with the dagger in her hand. “But I’m glad to see that you were prepared just in case it wasn’t someone you wanted to see.”

“What if you’re someone I don’t want to see?” she asked.

“You and I both know that’s not the case. At all,” I said, speaking the truth for the time being. Later? I had a feeling I would have to take that dagger and all sharp, heavy, and blunt objects from her.

She placed the weapon on the nightstand and then sat on the edge of the bed. “Your ego never fails to amaze me.”

“I never fail to amaze you,” I corrected her.

Poppy smiled, and it was a rare one—big and bright. “Thank you for proving what I just said.”

I chuckled. “Did you eat?”

She nodded. “You?”

“While I bathed.”

“Multi-tasking at its finest.”

“I am skilled.” I came closer, stopping a few feet from her. “Why aren’t you asleep? You have to be exhausted.”