Page 88 of The Primal of Blood and Bone (Blood and Ash #6)

CASTEEL

Poppy stood just inside the narrow hallway of our new quarters, fidgeting once more with the buttons of her robe. She would snap them off if she kept it up.

“While you wait for me,” I said, “you should investigate the bathing chamber. I think you will find something of interest.”

Interest sparked in her eyes, but it was dull. I hated to leave her after what’d happened in Ironspire, but there were a few things I needed to tend to.

I placed my hand on her lower back and pressed a quick kiss to the corner of her lips. “I’ll be back shortly.”

Poppy’s gaze flicked behind me as she nodded. Closing the door, I ran a weary hand over my face.

Fuck. I really needed to shave.

Dropping my arm, I turned. My gaze immediately locked on eyes as familiar as mine.

Kieran leaned against the wall at the end of the hall, arms crossed over his chest. He didn’t speak until I reached his side.

“Should I get Tawny?” he asked.

“She’s not ready to see anyone,” I said. Tension gathered in my shoulders as I looked back at the closed doors. Her reluctance to end the Ascended was expected, but her hesitation to see Tawny? Knowing how important she was to Poppy, I didn’t get it.

“I noticed she didn’t seem too keen on doing so.”

“Her anxiety spiked again when I mentioned visiting with her while we were at Ironspire,” I said, turning back to him.

“I felt that when you brought Tawny up while we ate.” Kieran tipped his head back against the wall.

“She’s been through a lot, and I have no clue about half of it.

” His gaze slid to mine before darting away.

A moment passed. “So, I assume the generals will be conveniently unavailable until tomorrow?”

It was annoying how well he knew me. “Sounds about right,” I said, knowing Poppy would be pissed if she knew about this. But like Kieran had said, she had been through a lot. She needed time to settle.

There was a beat of silence. “You need to feed.”

“That’s why you’re here.”

A brow rose.

“Not from you.” I scratched my fingers through my hair, not even allowing my mind to go there. “I’ll handle speaking with the generals and everything.” That everything included speaking with our…what had Poppy called it? Our Shadow Council.

His gaze returned to mine. “I can handle that.”

“I know.”

He eyed me for a moment before nodding. Yet again, it really fucking annoyed me how well he knew me. Because I didn’t have to say a word. He could sense the tension thrumming beneath my skin and the edginess coiling tightly in my gut, stretching every nerve.

“Then will you feed?”

Exhaling slowly, I gave him a bland look.

“Yeah, I know me repeatedly asking that is annoying as fuck, but I also know you’re reluctant to feed on anyone but her.”

“I’ll feed,” I said. “I shouldn’t be gone too long, but someone needs to be near her until I return.”

“You okay with me being that someone?”

Tension spread to my neck and then my jaw. “She’s not a threat to herself or others. So, yes.”

Kieran’s lips twisted into a strained smile. He shook his head and let out a dry, cutting laugh.

Anger rose, bitter and noxious. “I say something funny?”

“Absolutely fucking not,” he shot back and then stretched his neck to the side.

“Good,” I bit out, the essence stirring.

A muscle started ticking in his clenched jaw as he eyed me. He’d sensed the rise of eather in me.

I pushed the shit down as irritation at him, at me, at Poppy—at all of us—for being in this fucking situation grew. There was another reason I wanted to talk to him. “I haven’t said shit to her about what happened.”

He inhaled sharply. There was no need to elaborate.

“I just want to make sure we’re on the same page,” I continued.

Kieran pushed off the wall and started to turn toward the Solar and the doors to the antechamber. The moment he faced me, I recognized the stubborn, wide-legged stance for what it was. “So, are you planning to not say anything?”

“What’s there to say?”

He stared at me, his nostrils flaring. “Don’t play that shit with me.”

I smirked, my stance mirroring his. “Who’s playing, Kieran?”

“You.” He stepped forward, ignoring the look on my face that surely warned him to shut the fuck up. “There’s a whole lot of shit to be said. And you know what else?”

“No, but I have an unfortunate feeling you’re going to tell me.”

“There’s also a whole lot of shit that needs to be thought about,” he said, just like I knew he would. “Something you clearly haven’t done.”

“And what is it you think I haven’t thought about?”

Kieran didn’t hesitate. The bastard never did. “The same damn thing I told you to ask yourself—why she asked me to make that promise and not you.”

Ice trickled through my veins. He had to be fucking kidding me.

As if every moment I didn’t spend thinking about Poppy, Kolis, and the kingdom wasn’t spent on that very fucking question.

It was eating me up. It’d damn near consumed me while we were at Ironspire, and she said she knew she could come to me.

The lie I spoke had tasted bitter. “I’m not having this conversation with you. ”

“Why?” Kieran demanded. “Because you don’t want to admit to yourself—”

“Because I don’t want to knock your fucking ass through a wall,” I said. “And then have to explain it to Poppy, who would be pissed.”

“Will knocking my ass through a wall get you to pull your head out of your ass?” Kieran challenged. “Because if so…” He spread his arms wide. “Have at it. I’ll tell Poppy it was an accident.”

The ice in my veins spread to my chest. The offer was almost too tempting. “Kieran.”

“Come on,” he pushed, and I felt the summery heat of his power brushing against my skin. A faint golden sheen appeared beneath his flesh. “Do it. I’ll even let you get the first couple of hits in.”

The laugh that left me caused the light from the sconces in the hall to flicker. “She just woke up.” I stepped toward him, leaving only a few inches between us. “And even if she isn’t saying shit, you know she’s overwhelmed. I’m not going to add to that.”

Kieran’s mouth snapped shut.

“And contrary to my actions, I do have restraint.” I held his stare. “But you also know more than anyone that it only lasts for so long.”

The silver aura behind his pupils pulsed as he stood there silently. His power retracted, and the golden sheen faded from his skin. Figuring he’d gotten the message, I stepped back.

I was wrong.

“Do you really think she won’t notice this shit between us?”

Not a single part of me thought that. Poppy was very observant—annoyingly so.

“You won’t be able to keep this from her,” he said, his voice low. “She’ll notice—”

“She’s not going to notice shit because you and I aren’t going to act as if there is any shit between us.”

Kieran’s laugh was less biting this time. “Are you kidding me? Someone blind, deaf, and half-dead would notice that things aren’t right. And she’s already asked.”

He had a point. And she had asked.

“Then we’d better get our shit together,” I said with a tight-lipped smile. “But if you can’t handle it, you have the room closest to the Solar. If you prefer not being in the Solar, you’ll still be able to hear if anything happens.”

Kieran snorted. “With Poppy awake, I pity any idiot who attempts to make a move against her.”

“As do I,” I replied. “But I’m not worried about the typical idiot. Kolis is out there. He could still be a wraith, or he could have a physical form now. Either way, he can project his whatever the fuck it’s called.”

“His vellá, ” Kieran said.

Of course, he remembered that. For a moment—just a second—the normalcy was a relief.

I ruined that in the next breath. “Can you handle it?”

“I can handle it,” he gritted out.

“Perfect.” I moved back. “Now, if you don’t mind, I need to go find the fucking generals.”

“Murin is beyond the city’s Rise.” He paused. “I believe he’s holding afternoon training if that is what you’re looking for.” His gaze met mine. “And that’d better be what you’re looking for.”

Tension continued building in the muscles of my back.

Because he knew what I was like when I was wired too tightly.

He knew what I needed. Fight. Fuck. Or pain.

One of the three in excess worked. But since the kind of fucking it took was out of the question, that left the other two.

So, I knew what he was getting at. And it was like a fucking punch to the gut.

“I’m past that point in my life,” I bit out, holding his stare. “I know who I am.”

“I would hope.”

“You should.” I rolled my shoulders back. “After the generals, I’m going to feed on someone who is hopefully not fucking Emil.”

“That may be a problem.”

I briefly closed my eyes and took a deep breath. “Why?”

“Naill and Perry are both on patrol, and Hisa is with Lizeth,” he shared, smirking. “Emil is the only one in Wayfair you trust enough.”

Fuck me.

I pivoted.

“Cas.”

Every muscle in me locked, forcing me to stop.

“I won’t say anything to her.” He paused. “For now.”

My hands fisted at my sides.

“But as you know, my restraint only goes so far, too,” he said, his voice low. “I know you don’t want to put this shit on Poppy and make her feel guilty, but I don’t know how the fuck you think she’ll feel when you do finally get around to dealing with this if you keep it from her.”

I inhaled, tasting the bitter chalkiness of ash as I stared ahead. Yeah. I didn’t want to put that on her. But if she learned that I knew? If she realized what it had caused? It would break her heart.

“So, I suggest you get on with it,” Kieran said. “Because I’m not going to let you do this to her—to us.” The breath he took was shaky. When he spoke again, his voice had turned coarse. “I won’t let you do this to yourself.”

POPPY

The sky looked… different .

My hands rested on the balcony’s smooth stone railing as my gaze traveled the endless expanse. There weren’t many clouds.

But there were stars.

Thousands of them blanketed the sky like diamonds had been scattered across it.