Page 178 of The Primal of Blood and Bone (Blood and Ash #6)

Squashing the disappointment, I nodded. He squeezed my hand, which was almost as good as glimpsing the dimple.

Almost. We continued up what felt like a never-ending staircase.

By the time we reached the short hall, my calves were burning, which I felt was quite ridiculous, considering I was a Primal god.

Stealing a quick glance at Casteel as I heard Emil, I saw that he appeared utterly unbothered by the fact that we’d just climbed a thousand steps.

Of course.

“He won’t kill me,” Emil said, his hushed voice reaching us.

“Emil,” was Vonetta’s quiet whisper.

Oh, dear.

“While I normally find your confidence attractive—”

“You find everything about me attractive,” Emil cut in.

“I also find it inflated in this situation,” Vonetta continued. “He may not kill you, but he will definitely break something. Many somethings.”

“As long as it’s not my dick—” Emil’s head snapped up as we rounded the corner. Vonetta hastily stepped back. A wide smile broke out across Emil’s face. “There you two are. We were starting to get worried.”

“Sure, you were,” Casteel replied.

Vonetta stared at the floor as if she might find the answers to life written in the limestone. I fixed my gaze on her, and she cast me a quick look, her lips pursing.

“We were,” Emil insisted. “What would we tell the crowd if our Queen and King went missing?” He stepped aside, his easy grin not fading. “Everyone is waiting for you inside.”

As we passed between them, Casteel looked at Emil. “By the way,” he said, not even trying to keep his voice down, “he is definitely going to do worse than break your dick.”

My head snapped toward Cas as Kieran stepped out at the end of the hall. “Why are we talking about breaking dicks?” His gaze moved behind us. “In front of my sister.”

“We aren’t,” I said before Casteel could open his mouth. “Only he is. And no one knows why.”

Kieran frowned.

So did Casteel. Why would I be talking about breaking dicks?

Good question. I didn’t have to look behind me to know Emil had likely gone as pale as an Ascended. And Kieran’s not going to do that to Emil.

Want to bet?

I rolled my eyes. No. Because I would win. At least, I thought I would. But based on how his smirk grew, I was beginning to think I was overconfident.

Kieran eyed his sister and Emil. “And what are you two doing out here?”

That question didn’t help.

“I was making use of the privy, if you must know,” Vonetta replied. “It’s that time of the—”

“Never mind,” Kieran interrupted. Now, he appeared as sickly as a Craven. “Forget I asked. Gods.” He held the door open. “Everyone is inside.”

As we entered the High Chamber, I glanced at Vonetta.

She sent me a quick grin.

Keeping my face blank because I could feel Kieran’s stare boring into me, I faced forward. The High Chamber consisted of two rooms, and people were scattered across both spaces. But my gaze was immediately drawn to a head full of tight, snow-white curls.

My stomach twisted sharply. I still hadn’t told Tawny what I’d done. And I’d had ample time at this point. I was being a coward. As she stepped out from behind Perry and his father, I noticed she wasn’t alone.

The only wolven who wasn’t a child and shorter than me stood beside Tawny, her golden-blond hair falling over her shoulders in loose waves.

With her flawless golden skin, wide-set winter-blue eyes, and absurdly perfect figure, Gianna Davenwell was as beautiful as the first time I’d seen her—even more so as she smiled at something Tawny said.

Casteel’s gaze followed mine as Hisa skirted Delano and Naill. So…do you think they have something going?

I don’t know , I told him. Tawny had never expressed such interests before, unlike when a male caught her eye.

But I didn’t think that meant there hadn’t been any, especially considering the world we came from.

Such attraction wasn’t outright forbidden in Solis among the nobility, but it hadn’t exactly been something welcomed.

Tawny might not have felt comfortable discussing her attraction.

Or perhaps she, like me and many of the second sons and daughters, simply hadn’t gained enough experience to know what she liked.

I wanted to ask, but I also didn’t want it to seem like a big deal. Because it wasn’t. Not to me or anyone else in this chamber.

Well, that wasn’t exactly true.

Tawny’s relationship with anyone was a big deal because of what I’d turned her into.

She turned, and a smile crossed her lips. When she smiled like that, it was impossible to think of her becoming cruel and cold.

Tawny sidled up to me, her voice low as she drawled, “Sooo, Attes?”

Looking around, I didn’t see him, even though I felt he was nearby. Maybe he was in the other room. “He just arrived last night.”

“He is quite…virile.”

“Virile?” I coughed.

Her lips were mashed together as she smiled, which was quite the expression. “Yes.”

“I hadn’t noticed.”

“That’s because you’re… dickmatized .” Tawny’s gaze traveled across the chamber.

“Tawny,” I whispered, swallowing a laugh as I saw Kieran frown.

“Twice over,” she added.

I started to turn.

“Meyaah Liessa ,” Gianna spoke, drawing my attention as she dipped her head. She started to bow.

I shot forward, nearly running straight into Malik as Casteel let go. “That’s not necessary,” I assured her.

Gianna straightened, the center of her cheeks flushing. “Sorry,” she said softly. “It’s habit.”

“It’s okay.” I glanced behind me as Malik intercepted Casteel. I faced them, smiling. “Thank you for making sure Tawny got here in one piece.”

“No need to thank me,” Gianna replied, loosely clasping her hands in front of her lavender tunic while Tawny stared at me with raised brows. “It was an honor to do so.”

Tawny laughed. “She is lying. It was likely more of an enormous pain, considering the amount of complaining I did.”

“That’s not true.” Gianna’s perfectly bowed lips spread into a grin. “Entirely.”

I kept smiling, even though Tawny was still staring at me weirdly. “I’m still shocked that Tawny slept outside of four walls and a roof.”

Tawny snorted. “You and me both.” She turned to Gianna as she looped an arm through mine. “I’ll be right back,” she said, starting to steer me around.

“It’s good to see you,” I said to Gianna.

Surprised, Gianna blinked. “Same.”

“Poppy,” Tawny whispered as she all but dragged me past Delano’s curious gaze. “Why are you smiling like that?”

My brows knitted. “What do you mean?”

“You’re smiling with your whole face.” Tawny stopped at the entryway to the second chamber. “Like your whole face.”

“I don’t even know what that means.”

“Really?” Tawny sighed. “You were smiling like this.”

Then, she smiled, her mouth half-open and cheeks so wide they looked like they were full of cotton.

She looked ridiculous.

“I was not,” I hissed.

“You were,” Kieran remarked, his shoulder brushing mine as he entered the other chamber. He looked over his shoulder. “And it was kind of disturbing.”

My mouth dropped open as he joined Casteel and Malik, who spoke in low voices. I turned back toward Tawny. “Was I really?”

She nodded.

I cringed. “Even with my mouth open?”

“Maybe not the mouth part,” she said.

Thank the gods.

“But it was a huge smile.”

I sighed. “I was trying to be…friendly. You know, because I…”

“Threatened to feed her to barrats?”

I didn’t need to confirm that. “And because you two seem…friendly. Close.”

Pale brows arched, creating wrinkles in her warm-brown skin. “We do?”

Okay, perhaps both Casteel and I had misread their relationship. “Or not?”

“I’m kidding. We are friendly.” Tawny giggled, a white curl falling against her cheek as she leaned in. “And close.”

“Exactly how close?”

Tawny grinned as she straightened, brushing an imaginary piece of lint from her gold-hued gown. “Well…”

“Tawny,” I pressed when she fell silent.

She glanced up, her pale, nearly colorless eyes dancing with…joy. Life . So much, that it was a relief to see. It also hurt. “We are—”

“Penellaphe,” Valyn’s voice rang out from the other chamber. He stood in the entryway. “It’s close to time.”

Damn it.

“We’ll talk later,” Tawny said, turning to a serving table.

We would.

We had to.

But not just about Gianna.

“Here.” She all but shoved a glass of wine into my hands. “Drink this. You’ll do great.”

“Thank you.”

The trace of stale lilacs was barely noticeable as she hugged me and whispered, “Just don’t do that smiling thing again.”

“I’ll try not to,” I told her, my voice dry.

She laughed. “There are a lot of people out there, Poppy.” Her arms were slow to loosen. “If it gets to be too much, just look above them. Okay?”

“Okay,” I told her.

Giving me one last squeeze, she let go. I turned to where Valyn waited.

I joined him. “This feels familiar, doesn’t it?” he asked.

My mind flashed to Oak Ambler. “It does.”

“You will do as amazing as you did then.” He ducked as we passed under the archway. “I have complete faith in you.”

“Thank you.” I took a sip of the dry wine. “It will be easier with Casteel here.”

“Perhaps,” he said with a half-smile so similar to his sons’, his gaze finding them standing with Kieran.

A sweet, almost bubbly emotion rose in him as he stopped.

Noticing my stare, he laughed softly. “Sorry. I’m still not used to seeing them together.

Much to my shame, I had accepted…” His voice faded, taking his smile with it.

“I understand.” I touched his arm lightly. “I’m glad what you expected didn’t come to fruition.”

“Me, too.” He exhaled heavily. “Eloana knows Malik is alive and well. I wish I could’ve seen her face when she learned the news.” A wistful smile appeared. “She would’ve cried and then got upset with herself for crying.”

Taking another sip of wine, I nodded. Despite the complicated history between his wife and me, I could sympathize. “I know the feeling.”