Page 80 of The Primal of Blood and Bone (Blood and Ash #6)

“I had planned to get your opinion on doing so, but it was one of those moments where I was deterred,” Kieran added.

“It was a smart call,” Casteel told him.

Forcing a breath, I asked Cas, “Why did your father go to Pensdurth?”

“He escorted the envoy to ensure they made it through the Blood Forest with the least number of losses,” he answered, his hand moving once more to pick up some cubes of cheese, which, unsurprisingly, also ended up on my plate.

“ You sent him?” My voice rose. “And please put some food on your plate.” I glanced at Kieran. “You, too.”

Kieran inclined his head. “Yes, my Queen.”

I dropped my hand to the table with a loud thump.

His lips twitched.

“My father found himself growing restless,” Casteel explained, finally plating his own food after he poured more wine. “I gave him something to do.”

Kieran let out a barely audible snort, which, based on Casteel’s flat amber stare, he heard.

“Why was he restless?” I asked, worry for his father growing.

Valyn Da’ Neer was well-trained and strong.

He’d make it through the Blood Forest. However, we had no idea what was truly happening in Pensdurth or who was there.

We did know that gods loyal to Kolis had awakened, though.

What was stopping them from entering the mortal realm? Nothing.

Taking a bite of chicken, Kieran returned Casteel’s stare from across the table.

Cas raised a brow.

“Okay.” I looked between them. “Someone tell me why.”

“I barred my father and most of the generals from entering the city,” Casteel answered.

“Why would you do that?”

“Many of the Atlantian forces still remain outside the Rise. Having them in the city would have added to the people’s stress and concerns.” Casteel frowned in my direction. A moment later, I felt his left hand land on my knee and heard his voice whisper through my thoughts. Eat, my Queen.

My eyes narrowed on him as I slowly lifted the fork and took a bite. The fish had been marinated in a blend of spices and citrus and was quite tasty.

Squeezing my knee, Casteel smiled and speared a slice of red pepper.

I ignored that smile. “And the other reason?”

“My father would’ve wanted to speak to you. And, obviously, that wasn’t possible.” He stopped to chew, his gaze sliding to mine. “I wasn’t going to let him see you in that state.”

My breath caught as I stared at him.

“Very few are aware of what really occurred.” Kieran balanced a small heaping of rice on his fork. “We knew you wouldn’t want many to know, especially if…”

Especially if I had no memory of myself.

Or was possessed by a potentially demented Primal of Death.

I took a breath around the swelling in my chest and stared at Casteel’s profile. “Thank you,” I whispered, clearing my throat. I looked at Kieran. “Thank you both.”

“No need to thank us for that.” Casteel glanced at my plate. “You need to eat more.”

“I am.” Because Casteel showed me once again how…freaking perfect he could be. How sweet both of them were and how well they knew me. So, I made a point of shoving several forkfuls of buttery vegetables and roasted beef into my mouth.

Casteel watched me for several moments. “Good girl.”

My hand froze halfway to my mouth. A piece of chicken fell from the fork, hitting the pile of rice with a soft plop.

Two very distinct emotions swirled through me.

One was disbelief because…did he seriously just say “ good girl ” to me?

The other was more of a sharp throb in an area I refused to acknowledge.

The dimple appeared on his right cheek, and his eyes went from amber to gold. The hand on my knee inched up my leg.

Scooping up the lost piece of chicken and some rice with it, I cleared my throat. “What about the other cities?”

“The ones we took remain under our control.” Kieran finished off the vegetables on his plate and reached for more.

“What about Masadonia?” I asked as the food I’d scarfed down began to weigh heavily in my stomach. “Have we heard from the forces we sent to take the city?”

Casteel chewed and swallowed the piece of beef on his fork. “We have not.” He looked over at Kieran as he picked up a bowl of fruit. “Were scouts sent?”

“They were.”

I frowned as I took a drink of the sweet, slightly citrusy wine.

Were the scouts sent so recently that Casteel was just now asking about them?

Silence from the regiment I’d sent to Masadonia likely meant things had not gone well.

And that made the rice and chicken I’d just swallowed feel like it got stuck in my throat.

My next thoughts went to Kieran’s sister.

We’d named her the Crown Regent, giving her the authority to rule in the event that neither Casteel nor I could, and ordered her to remain in Padonia with fifty thousand soldiers.

She hadn’t been thrilled about it, but we needed her healthy and whole. “Vonetta’s still in Padonia?”

“She is, but not for long,” Kieran said with a mixture of annoyance and fondness. “Apparently, like Valyn, she was growing restless. She sent word that she will be en route to the capital, quote, ‘whether we like it or not.’”

A wry grin tugged at Casteel’s lips. “She’s flat-out disobeying orders now?”

“Are you surprised?”

“No.”

I grinned. “What about those who remained in Padonia?”

“They’re under the leadership of Commander Centren,” Kieran said. I thought that was a wolven somewhere between Kieran’s age and his father’s, which, well…could be any age. “We need to discuss the generals. They remain in Carsodonia for now, but we need to decide if that should continue.”

It took me a moment to remember where we had placed each general before the battle at the Bone Temple. “General Cyr is still in Oak Ambler?”

“Correct.” Casteel frowned at a strawberry and dropped it back into the bowl. He picked up another. “Keeping them here will be risky, leaving the secured cities vulnerable. While sending them and their regiments back to their posts could potentially leave us vulnerable.”

“The cities are not completely unguarded.” Kieran shifted and stretched out a long leg. “However, they’re still not as protected as they could be.”

They were far more experienced in strategy than I was, so I stayed quiet and watched them.

As they discussed the merits and cons of what could be done with the generals, the pressure that had been weighing on my chest since I’d picked up on their unusual behavior started to lift.

While Casteel continued to inspect the fruit, they spoke normally with each other, volleying opinions and options back and forth.

Perhaps, Kieran had been telling the truth before.

He looked over at me then as he added some grapes to my plate. “What do you think?”

My brows lifted. “I think you’re both right. It’s a risk either way.” I smiled as Casteel placed a glistening strawberry near my fork. “Do we have any idea how many Blood Crown soldiers remain?”

“From our estimates, about thirty percent were killed after the battle at the Bone Temple,” Kieran said, his brows pinching.

My stomach twisted. That many died? While I had been sleeping? I sat back, stunned. It wasn’t that I didn’t expect people to die. I knew they would. But… “Where and when did that occur?”

“Much of it happened immediately after the battle while we were in the vaults beneath Wayfair and then in skirmishes beyond the capital as they fled,” Casteel explained. “The rest were those who refused to disavow the Blood Crown.”

“Did we suffer any losses then?”

“About five thousand,” Kieran confirmed.

My heart sank even further. It could’ve been worse.

Many more than that had died during the battle at the Bone Temple—many whom I cared dearly for.

They were all given a second chance thanks to the Queen of the Gods and Nyktos…

and me , but it still hurt to think that second chance was short-lived. “How many disavowed the Blood Crown?”

“I believe…” Kieran squinted. “About fifteen thousand.”

I swallowed. “That’s all?”

“It’s more than I expected,” Casteel noted, biting into the first berry he picked from the bowl without paying much attention to it.

His comment surprised me. He’d spent time with the men when he was a Rise Guard.

“But those are mortals, many who came from the poorest areas of each city and joined the Crown Guard as a way to escape poverty or were given no choice,” I reasoned.

“You know they didn’t lift their swords out of love for the Blood Crown. ”

“That may be true for many of them.” Casteel’s fingers absently traced the stem of his glass. “But you know they were raised to fear Atlantians—entire generations of their families told lies. We are their enemies and have yet to prove that we are different or show what our rule means.”

And if we lost our hold on Carsodonia, other Ascended and those who support Kolis would rise to take Isbeth’s place. All who renounced the Blood Crown would then face repercussions, both for themselves and their families.

“But it goes deeper for many, even those treated the most unfairly by the Blood Crown.” His fingers stilled, and his gaze met mine.

“They were still bound by the oath they made—an oath to their kingdom that gave them a purpose. An identity. To them, disavowing the Blood Crown meant disavowing an intrinsic part of who they are. For many, that is all they have.”

Taking in what he’d said, my hands lowered to my lap, and I sat back. Several moments passed as I stared at the food on my plate. “I didn’t expect everyone who stood against us to suddenly stand with us. I just…”

“You just don’t want to see lives lost unnecessarily,” Casteel finished, and I nodded. “They weren’t.”

My gaze shot back to him.