Casteel’s fingers curled around my chin, lifting my gaze to his. He held himself completely still, buried inside me. “Are you okay?”

  I flattened my hands against his chest and nodded.

  A muscle flexed along his jaw. “We can stop—”

  “Don’t you dare.” I lifted my hips, making me gasp and him groan.

  “Thank fuck,” he grunted, and then began to move.

  Each of his thrusts was deliberate and powerful, driving into me, over and over. The cool metal of his ring slid across my breasts as I arched off the bed, following his lead, seeking more of the exquisite friction that built with every motion. He hooked an arm under my thigh and lifted it. My head kicked back as the angle took him even deeper, sending bliss darting through me.

  “Look at me,” he commanded, his hand folded around my throat, just below my chin. He tilted my head back until my gaze met his. “Keep your eyes on me.”

  Tension curled low. The command? The…dominant hold? It sent a wicked pulse straight to my core.

  “I need to see your eyes open. I need to know you’re with me,” he gritted out as he held me there, his eyes locked onto mine. There was no escape as his hips moved faster and faster, his pupils dilating.

  Our breaths mingled, ragged and hot, punctuating the rhythm of our hips as thin streaks of silver eather speared the heated honey of his irises. The contrast of silver and gold was startling and beautiful as he held my stare, each thrust igniting fiery desire and sending it throughout my entire body. My breath came in short pants as the chamber echoed with the sounds of skin meeting skin. Pleasure built and spun, coiling tighter and tighter. The gentle sweep of his thumb down my throat was so at odds with his almost punishing thrusts.

  “Casteel,” I gasped.

  “Say it again,” he urged. “Please.”

  “Casteel,” I cried out, the heat within me too intense, the pleasure too exquisite. I clung to him, my nails digging into the skin of his shoulders, urging him on. “I love you.”

  As he lifted himself, the rumble that came from his chest sounded different and deeper. It was almost beastly, and my body shamelessly reacted to it with tiny shockwaves of pleasure. I could feel his climax building, his breath hitching in his chest, his body hardening, cooling…

  My eyes flew open, and I fixated on where my hand rested against his shoulder. Shadows writhed and twisted just beneath the surface of his flesh.

  I tried to speak as dark tendrils coiled under my splayed fingers, but his thrusts became more insistent, his strokes filling and touching me in places that sent shockwaves of pleasure radiating through my body.

  I watched in helpless fascination as the smoky shadows crept higher, climbing the strong column of his throat and sliding along the carved line of his jaw and the sides of his face. The pattern of those shadows was vaguely familiar in how they pulsed and undulated with each relentless thrust of his hips, but there was also something different.

  Casteel lowered his head, his lips brushing mine as he spoke one word with a low growl. “Mine.”

  “Oh, gods,” I gasped.

  “That’s it.” Casteel hooked his arm behind my head, keeping my body from moving with the force of his thrusts. “Come for me.”

  My body clenched around him as he lifted his head. That deep coil of tension began to unravel. The first wave of intense pleasure rippled through me, and I screamed his name for a third time as the eather in his flesh changed. My gaze snapped to his, the breath catching in my throat.

  My gods.

  “Fuck,” he rasped, his hips rolling against mine.

  Waves of ecstasy crashed through both of us as I felt him spasming deep inside me, each pulse of his cock igniting aftershocks as he held my stare. There was something in his eyes.

  Something that shouldn’t exist within him.

  With a shudder, Casteel dropped his head to the crook of my neck, bracing most of his weight on his arms as his hips slowed, and my heart pounded.

  I watched the essence swirling across his shoulders. It was shadowy but not the shade of onyx I’d seen in my skin. His reminded me of hematite’s dark-gray hue, though Casteel’s was charcoal-gray streaked with crimson.

  The essence of pure, raw death.

  My hand trembled as I slid it up his arm, halted, then spread my fingers with a soft inhale.

  The muscles beneath my hand bunched as the eather pulsed and then slipped under my fingers. I felt the eather as a charge of energy shot up my arm. It was cool and tingling, and it stirred the essence within me. Some of it felt and looked familiar.

  But it wasn’t.

  I’d never felt anything like what I felt radiating from him. It was something infinite, powerful, and…new.

  “Casteel,” I whispered.

  He dropped his forehead to mine, his hips slowing. “Hmm?”

  “Are you…?” I sucked in a breath as I felt his length twitch deep within me. “Are you okay?”

  “My cock is deep inside your warm, wet heat,” he said, the stubble on his jaw teasing my cheek as he dragged his nose over mine. “I’ve never been better.” He pressed a kiss to my temple. “Are you?”

  “Yeah.” I slid my hands over his shoulders, and his entire back arched, reminding me of a feline seeking more pets. “Um, I’m not sure if you realize this or not, but I can see the essence in you.”

  Casteel stilled against me, then turned his head to the side to look at the fading shadows in his flesh.

  He shifted, and being that he was still buried inside me, he hit that spot. I gasped, drawing his attention back to me.

  “That’s why,” he breathed.

  “Why what?”

  “You touched where you saw the shadows, didn’t you?”

  “I did,” I confirmed. “The shadows sort of thickened and spread from your cheeks down your throat.”

  Tension formed brackets at the corners of his mouth. “Did it hurt you?”

  “What? No. Not at all,” I quickly assured him. “All it did was make my fingers feel like they were vibrating a little.”

  His exhale was full of relief. “I felt the eather pushing to the surface when I was in you,” he said, and that flush returned. “I tried to rein it in.”

  “The essence is an extension of your will, right? You would never hurt me,” I said. “So, the essence inside you won’t either. You don’t have to worry about reining it in with me.”

  “You’re right about never hurting you,” he said. “But I’m not sure about that last part.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Until I fully understand what having this essence inside me means, I don’t want to lose control.”

  I understood that. I did. But I didn’t like the idea of him worrying that he’d hurt me. “You said the essence looked like shadows.”

  He trailed his fingers over my cheek. “It doesn’t?”

  “Not exactly,” I said. “It’s more of a deep-gray color with streaks of crimson.”

  His head tilted, causing the ring and chain to pool between my breasts. “It looked like shadows to me, but now that you mention it, it is different. But I didn’t get—” He leaned to the side. This time, a ragged breath left both of us. “I didn’t get to the part about the crimson.”

  “That bit is pretty big.”

  “Like my cock?”

  My lips pursed.

  He chuckled and ran his nose across my jaw. “I’m not sure why it looks different.”

  “Me neither,” I murmured with a slight frown. “It’s obviously the essence of death. True death—” I gasped again, my eyes widening. “Are you getting…?”

  His lips brushed over mine. “Getting what?”

  “You know.”

  “But I don’t,” he murmured, slowly rolling his hips. “I think you should use a gratuitous number of descriptive words, just to make sure I understand what you’re referencing.”

  “You know exactly what I’m referencing.”

  His lips made another slow pass over mine. “Poppy?”

  My breathing quickened again. There wasn’t an inch of space between our hips as his lazily churned against mine. “What?”

  “I’m waiting.”

  “Hard,” I snapped. “I was going to ask how you’re hard again—”

  “Poppy,” He feigned a gasp. “That’s an inappropriate question to ask.”

  “Are you fucking—?”

  He kissed me, capturing my lower lip as he ground his hips against mine. “I’m trying to.”

  “You’re trying to…?” I smacked his chest. “You’re ridiculous.”

  “I think the word you’re looking for is horny.”

  I laughed, unable to stop myself.

  His chest rose with a sharp breath, and then he shuddered and lowered his forehead to mine once more. In an instant, I knew the shield he had put up around his emotions had cracked. I felt them without even trying, and my breath caught as I attempted to decipher what I was picking up from him: the sweetness of love tinged with the spicy flavor of lust. The earthiness of relief and something else. Something faint with just a hint of airiness. I knew what it was despite rarely feeling it from Casteel.

  Peace.

  He stiffened against me, and then the walls he built around his emotions were back up.

  “Casteel?” I whispered.

  “Hmm?”

  My fingers moved idly down his arm. “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah.”

  I wasn’t sure if he was telling me the truth. “You’re shielding your emotions from me.”

  “Habit,” he replied, kissing my shoulder again before easing himself from me. “Are you tired?”

  “Gods, no. How could I be after sleeping for so long?” I said, and he glanced at me with a smile. No dimple was visible. “What about you?”

  Dipping his head, he kissed my forehead. “I’m fine. We still have a lot to discuss,” he said, rocking back as his gaze lifted to mine. His eyebrows shot up.

  “What?” I asked.

  “Your eyes.”

  “Oh, no.” I pressed myself into the bed, slapping my hands over my face. “What about them now?”

  “You’ll be happy to hear this.” He took hold of my wrists and pulled my hands away. “They look more like they did before. They’re mostly green again.”

  “Really?” I blinked. “Are the other colors still there?”

  He nodded. “But they’re like flecks now instead of blotches.”

  “That sounds—”

  “Beautiful,” he interrupted, kissing the tips of my fingers. “And I think I know why.”

  “Do tell?”

  “I fucked you hard enough to change your eyes.”

  Another loud laugh erupted from me. “I’m sure that’s what did it.”

  The smile that tugged at his lips this time was wider, and the dimple in his right cheek winked to life. “Maybe it has to do with your current mood,” he said. “Although, I do prefer my original theory: that it was the power of my—”

  “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.