Page 52 of The Primal of Blood and Bone (Blood and Ash #6)

“Don’t finish that sentence,” I warned, the curve of my lips betraying my amusement.

Chuckling, he indulged in another quick kiss. “Stay here.”

I hummed in agreement as he rose from the bed and picked up his discarded breeches. Rolling onto my side, I shamelessly soaked in the nice view of his rear. He went into the bathing chamber but left the door ajar.

I threw myself onto my back and tilted my head as I saw the painting of the gods on the ceiling. The all-too-realistic glint painted in their eyes made it look as if they were actually staring back at me…while I lay there basically nude.

Who would paint that above a bed?

Quickly tugging up the straps of my nightgown, I sat up. My gaze flickered around the chamber, landing on the shuttered window. No light snuck through the cracks.

My gaze shifted to the door as I heard the splash of water and the faint sounds of someone in the hall. Surprise rolled through me as I realized my hearing had improved.

Finally.

Grinning, I focused on the sound, and instinct took over—or better yet, the eather in me did. I could tell it was an Atlantian in the hall. How? I wasn’t exactly sure. It was just a…feeling. But I knew it wasn’t a wolven. A slight frown pulled at my brow as I wondered yet again where Kieran was.

Running a hand over my hair, I found the tie at the end of the messy braid and tugged it free.

As I worked my fingers through the strands, my thoughts filled with everything that needed to be discussed and decided—the Ascended and those still loyal to them, the Revenants, and all the mortals who were likely concerned about what felt like an uncertain future for them.

And, of course, Kolis—

The image of a golden-haired man with features remarkably similar to Nyktos’s—a man with silver eyes streaked with crimson—flashed in my mind.

My stomach twisted sharply as I closed my eyes. I had no idea what Kolis looked like, but I knew that was him. How?

The bathing chamber door opened, pulling me from my thoughts.

Casteel walked out, his damp hair pushed back from his face.

Walking to the wardrobe, he grabbed a linen shirt and glanced at the table.

He tossed the shirt over the back of the chair and then grabbed what appeared to be a pale, blush-hued dressing gown.

“Hisa found this for you,” he said, walking toward me. “It was the only one she could find that wasn’t white or red.” He paused. “Or revealed more than it covered.”

My brow arched as he walked toward me. Considering that most of the clothing here would’ve belonged to various Ascended, I wasn’t surprised to hear that.

Sitting beside me, Casteel leaned over to kiss my cheek. “Tawny brought clothes for you when she came,” he said, running the bridge of his nose along my temple. “But they were moved to our more permanent chambers.”

“Permanent,” I murmured, taking the robe from him. “It feels weird to think of any chamber here being permanent.”

“Agreed.” He rose.

Something struck me. “Do you…do you think we will have to stay here?”

“Good question.” Lifting the shirt, he tugged it over his head. “When Atlantia ruled the entirety of the realm, Wayfair was used as a secondary residence. I believe it was occupied for at least half the year.”

“Did your mother and…” I trailed off. Mentioning Malec felt awkward for various reasons— “ Ires ?”

Letting go of his shirt, Casteel frowned. “I think you mean Malec.”

“No. I mean…yes.” I shook my head. “I hadn’t thought of Ires until now.” Which sounded pretty bad to say out loud. “Did I find him? Was he okay?”

Casteel lowered his hands, his gaze sharpening on me as he gripped the back of the chair. “What is the last thing you remember?”

“I remember going to find my father, but after that? I don’t know,” I said, my fingers curling into the soft fabric of the robe. “Things are kind of fuzzy.”

“It’s okay,” he assured me, his white-knuckled grip on the back of the chair loosening. “Take your time.”

Drawing my lower lip between my teeth, I thought back to leaving the Bone Temple. That memory was clear. Everything else was kind of cloudy. “We went belowground to find Ires. I knew where he was.” I looked over at Casteel.

He nodded.

I remembered walking through the cavernous hallway. The ceiling started to shake. My eyes widened. “Penellaphe really was asleep beneath the Atheneum.”

“She was.” Casteel let go of the chair. “And after that?”

I tried to see through the haze in my mind before sighing in frustration. “I remember walking down the halls, but nothing more.” I was half-afraid to ask. “I found him?”

“You did.”

A heavy breath left me. “And he’s okay?”

“As far as I know, he is,” he told me. “Nektas took him back to Iliseeum, along with Malec.”

That was a relief, but thoughts of Malec dampened the comfort. Malec was in such a bad state after being entombed and then stabbed. I had no idea how he could still be alive.

Drawing in a deep breath, I remembered what I’d asked him. “So, did your mother and Malec stay here?”

“They did.”

I glanced over at him as I ran my fingers down the robe’s small pearl buttons on my lap. “Does that mean we have to?”

Leaving the shirt untucked, he returned to my side. “I’m guessing we feel the same about the idea of living here.”

“If you’d rather camp in the Blood Forest, then yes,” I remarked, earning a grin.

My gaze flickered around the chamber once more.

This room looked like dozens of others I knew were here.

But the idea of roaming these halls again while knowing what had happened behind the castle’s closed doors and beneath its floors?

I shuddered. “My memories of Wayfair weren’t bad—at least from what I can remember.

But none of those memories feel real now that I know the truth.

I wish that weren’t the case because so many of my memories here involved Ian and my…

and Coralena and Leo—” I cut myself off, frowning when I said their names.

Something didn’t feel right. But what? I wasn’t sure.

I shook my head. “I don’t think I could ever be comfortable here.

” Sighing, I looked at Casteel. “And I know you could never be comfortable here. Not truly.”

He tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. “I think we can do whatever we like.”

“I’m not sure it’s as simple as that,” I said quietly.

“Why not?”

“I don’t think doing whatever one likes makes for a good King and Queen.”

He eyed me for a moment, and then a small smile played across his lips.

I tilted my head. “What?”

“I was just thinking about the irony. You know? I was raised by a King and Queen and attended my brother’s training, yet you are better prepared to rule than I am.”

I snorted like a little piglet. “I don’t know about that.”

“It’s true. When I was held captive, you kept it together. You didn’t…” He looked away. “You didn’t neglect your duties. The same can’t be said about me while you were in stasis.”

“What do you mean?”

“It took a lot of convincing for anyone to get me to leave your side for any reason,” he admitted.

“Am I supposed to be disappointed to hear that?” I asked. “Because I’m not. And it sounds like you took care of things when you needed to.”

“Yeah.” He exhaled. “Either way, where, when, and how long we live somewhere isn’t something we need to decide now.”

I nodded. “Why aren’t we staying in this chamber?”

“We need something a bit larger and more secure,” he said. “Preferably somewhere pieces of a Revenant weren’t scattered about.”

I stiffened, unsure if I’d heard him correctly. “Pieces?”

“Let’s just say I lost my temper and left him in many, many small pieces scattered across the floor.”

I slowly turned my head to him as I felt the essence pulse within him. An aura of eather pulsed behind his pupils as small red flecks appeared in his golden irises. “He tried to touch you.”

My breath caught, and my body—well, it had a completely inappropriate response to the sound of his voice and the growing flecks of crimson. It was smoky, cold, and full of power. Neither of those things should be arousing.

A low sound rumbled from his chest as he ran his teeth over his lower lip. “Get your mind out of the gutter, my Queen.” He paused. “Or should I say get your mind out of Miss Willa’s journal?”

The flush that hit my cheeks was immediate and spread down my throat. I lifted my chin and breathed in deeply, regretting it as I took in his scent. “I’m going to choose to ignore that.”

“You do that.”

“Anyway,” I said, “has this Revenant…pieced himself back together?”

“No. He’s dead,” Casteel shared, and my lips parted. “And, no, it wasn’t a draken. Either tearing a Rev to pieces prevents them from regenerating, or something else was at play.”

“That should be impossible, though.” I eyed him, feeling a crease forming between my brows. Casteel shouldn’t be able to kill a Revenant, but… A faint tingling erupted along the base of my neck. “Maybe it has to do with…what you’ve become. I mean, with the essence that was transferred to you.”

“Maybe so,” he said after a moment. “I wonder if that means you’ll be able to kill them, too.”

“I couldn’t before.” I rubbed the back of my neck. “But I…I think so.” I lowered my hand, unsure of why I thought that. “Do we know how many Revenants are still out there?”

“Millicent and Malik hunted down all they could locate in the city,” he said. “But we don’t know how many are still out there or in cities ruled by the Blood Crown.”

“Cities like Masadonia and Pensdurth,” I said under my breath, my thoughts racing. “Not to mention the smaller towns scattered between the capital and the north, ones isolated by the Blood Forest.”

Casteel nodded and then drew in a deep breath, taking my hands. “There’s something we need to talk about before we get too deep into the shit with the Ascended and the kingdom.”

I tipped my head back, unease immediately springing to life. “Well, that sounded…foreboding.”

I’d expected him to say something teasing, but he didn’t. “Remember how I told you that you’d woken up briefly?”

The unease grew. “After the Revenant attack.”

He swallowed. “When you lent your power to me, it interfered with your Culling—the Ascension itself.”

I stiffened. “Casteel—”

“I’m not saying this as an expression of my guilt,” he quickly said. “It’s just a fact.”

The essence pulsed through me, my frustration rising. “And how do you know it’s a fact?”

“Because it made you vulnerable.”

“To what?” I demanded.

He smoothed a thumb over the top of my hand. “You woke up a second time, Poppy.” He watched me closely. “You don’t remember that at all, do you?”

“I don’t…” My brows drew together. “Was it for a couple of moments like before?”

“No.” He squeezed my hand. “You were awake for about two days.”

“What?” I inhaled sharply as I jerked back. “I was awake for two whole days?” My voice rose as the eather stirred within me. “And I don’t remember it?”

“It appears you don’t,” he said, holding my hand. “I know you probably have many questions.”

I let out a short laugh. “Yeah. Starting with what in all the realms was I doing?” A jolt ran through me. “Oh, gods, please tell me I didn’t embarrass myself by, like, running around nude.”

Casteel blinked. “What?”

“Or try to eat Kieran again,” I continued. “Oh, my gods.” My gaze darted to the door. “Is that why he’s not here? Did I try to eat him?”

“No,” he said, shaking his head. “You didn’t try to bite him.”

“Thank gods.” My shoulders relaxed. “That’s a relief.” My gaze slid back to his. “I think,” I added in a whisper, swallowing hard. “Why do I suddenly have a feeling that trying to eat—”

“ Bite .”

“—Kieran would’ve been better than what I actually did?”

“No. No.” Keeping one hand wrapped around mine, he cupped my chin. “You didn’t do anything wrong, Poppy. In reality, you once again proved how fucking strong you are.” His eyes closed briefly. “I need you to understand that you did nothing wrong.”

My lips parted as I stared back at him. “Tell me what happened.”

He ignored that and instead asked, “Do you?” he insisted. “Do you understand that?”

My inhale was shallow as tiny knots of dread formed in my stomach. “I do.”

His fingers splayed across my cheek. “When you woke up, it wasn’t just you who came back.”

My gaze lowered as my shoulders stiffened. “Something— someone came back with me?” My eyes rose to his as the knots tightened. “Who?”

“Kolis.”

My heart felt like it stuttered. For a moment, all I could hear was it pounding in my ears and that voice. That achingly cold and dry whisper.

I’ve always been with you.

“Tell me,” I heard myself say. “Tell me everything.”

And Casteel did.