He raised his brows, a small smile playing on his lips. “You were saying, my Queen?”

  “I was asking how the meetings have been received,” I said.

  “There have been many questions, and from what I gathered, a fair amount of denial,” Kieran answered when Casteel looked at him. “But the town halls have been going relatively well. I can request a more detailed report from Perry and Delano. They have been overseeing them.”

  “I would like that,” I said, clearing my throat. I felt so out of the loop, almost detached from everything that had happened or had been decided while I was in stasis. “What about curfew? Can that be lifted?”

  “While I would like to allow them to regain some normalcy, I’m not sure it would be a good move,” Casteel said after a moment. “The war is not over, and there is a greater threat than the Ascended among us.”

  “Plus, some mortals benefited from the Blood Crown’s rule,” Kieran added. “They won’t wish to deviate from the status quo. There’s not much we can do to keep them separate from the general public, but we can stop them from attempting to free the Ascended as soon as the sun sets and thus getting themselves killed.”

  That made sense. “Do the people realize there is a greater threat among us?”

  “We’ve informed them that the Blood Crown is still a threat,” Casteel said, and I tensed when he dipped his pinky between the tops of my thighs, causing the gown to pull taut.

  My gaze shot to him. He winked and picked up a piece of melon. Gods, he was so…him. And I knew what he was doing. He was being purposely distracting, making sure I didn’t dwell on what we’d decided when it came to the Ascended. It was working a little too well. “So, no mention of Kolis then?”

  “They know who the Ascended are.” Kieran eyed the biscuit on my plate. “They’ve never heard of Kolis. Bringing him up by name would likely only muddy the waters.”

  And muddied waters often led to doubt. “It would be difficult to convince them of a threat they’ve never heard of. They know who the gods Rhain and Rhahar are. Not Kolis.” I paused as that damn pinky of his began moving. Reaching out with my senses, I found his pine-and-spice mark. Meeting his half-hooded stare, I lifted the fork. I’m going to stab your hand with this fork.

  One side of his lips kicked up, revealing his dimple. You would never.

  I arched a brow and flipped the fork so it pointed downward. You want to rethink that?

  Thick lashes lowered as he drew his lower lip between his teeth. The tips of his fangs peeked out. My Queen, he said, his finger skimming a very, very sensitive part of me and nearly sending me out of my chair. Your threats of violence are making me incredibly hard.

  I inhaled sharply, heat flooding my veins.

  “You two do realize it’s rude to have a private conversation,” Kieran drawled, “when I’m sitting right here, yes?”

  “Is it not rude for you two to do the same while I’m sitting right there?” I countered.

  Kieran’s mouth snapped shut.

  I smiled at him. “And trust me when I say you are lucky you’re not a part of this conversation,” I muttered, returning my fork to the table.

  “I’m sure I can guess what it’s about,” he replied, passing a knowing look between Casteel and me.

  My face flamed, and Casteel chuckled. He ceased his taunting, pulling his fingers back, but his hand didn’t stray far from my thigh, his thumb sliding back and forth across a less inappropriate place. “You were saying?”

  It took me a moment to collect my thoughts. “I was just saying that the people don’t know Kolis. They don’t know about Seraphena or the Ancients. But I’m not sure keeping them in the dark is wise.”

  “I agree with that,” Kieran said. “But what can we tell them when we don’t know what Kolis’s motivations are or what he wants?”

  A muscle flexed along Casteel’s jaw as he sat back and withdrew his hand. I missed the weight of it immediately.

  “Did the Fates tell you anything about what he planned? Or does your special—but apparently sometimes faulty—vadentia know?” Kieran continued as he reached over and gently tugged on a strand of my hair when my eyes narrowed on him. “Has it told you anything?”

  Unfortunately, I knew what Kolis wanted—or at least what the Arae said he did. “The Fates told me what he wants.”

  They went quiet.

  Knowing that what I was about to say would likely go over as well as being swarmed by barrats, I helped myself to some liquid courage. “He wants to become the true Primal of Life and Death.”

  Kieran lowered his glass, his eyes snapping to Casteel as the temperature in the chamber turned frosty.

  “And how, pray tell, would he succeed at that?” Casteel asked, his voice as cold and dark as looming death. “Considering you are the only such being?”

  I really didn’t want to answer. “He would…need to take my essence and…” I trailed off as I felt a faint tremor in the floor beneath us.

  The air in the chamber suddenly thickened and charged with power—eather—that wasn’t coming from me.

  “Cas,” Kieran said quietly.

  “And what?” Casteel’s flesh thinned, revealing the gray shadows beneath that I’d seen earlier. But also something…else.

  “That’s it.” My mouth dried as I stared at him in the flickering light of the swaying chandelier. I caught the gleam of something silver under his skin as the shadows pulsed up his neck, swirling into the same pattern I’d seen on the Ancients.

  “Casteel,” Kieran said louder. “You need to calm.”

  Eather pulsed behind his pupils and arced across his irises, twisting with the crimson and shadows. “I am perfectly calm.”

  A short, sharp ping from the nearby glass threw me into action.

  I stretched over and wrapped my hand around the nape of his neck. Kieran cursed under his breath as the shadows in Casteel’s flesh raced down the sides of his throat toward my hand. My skin tingled at the contact. “Kolis will not take my essence,” I told him, eather pulsing through me. “It won’t happen.”

  The sudden whoosh of wings and the sound of fluttering feathers startled me.

  “What the fuck?” Kieran gasped, ducking as black birds—ravens—filled the chamber.

  Dozens of them.

  They flew in tight, spiraling circles around one another, their glossy midnight wings cutting through the air and whipping it into a frenzy.

  “You’re right,” Casteel said as a raven landed on his shoulder. Tiny bumps erupted on my skin as I saw the shadowy essence gathering around Casteel’s eyes and forming in the hollows of his cheekbones. Holland’s and Lirian’s warnings struck like a hammer as I heard the essence of death and…ruin in his voice. I tasted… “He will not lay a single finger upon you because I will see him turned to rot and ash first.”

  “I know.” I threaded my fingers through Casteel’s hair, my heart pounding as Kieran pushed his chair back. The pinging had turned to a ticking, and then I heard a faint crack from somewhere in the chamber. “But you know what?”

  The raven’s head turned exactly when Casteel inclined his. A faint silver glow ignited in the bird’s eyes as it let out a sharp, echoing call that vibrated the air. It didn’t sound even remotely normal as a new scent reached me, one that reminded me of damp soil and moss.

  “What?” Casteel’s voice thundered, yet I didn’t see his lips move as another raven landed on the back of his chair.

  I had no idea what was going on with the birds, but at the moment, it didn’t matter. Cas’s skin continued to thin, and silver gleamed under it around the deepening shadows. “You will have to beat me to it,” I said, curling my lips into a smile. “And I doubt you will.”

  A heartbeat passed as I held my breath.

  The ravens took off, their wings cutting through the air, as Casteel snapped toward me. He moved so fast I barely saw him shift before I felt his icy lips against mine. “Is that a challenge?” His whisper echoed through the chamber and my thoughts, stirring the essence within me. “My Queen?”

  The breath fled my lungs. “It is.”

  His chuckle was as dark as night. “We shall see.”

  Before I could respond, his mouth closed over mine. All thoughts vanished. The way he kissed me… The press of his lips? It was hard, the sweep of his tongue demanding, leaving no option but for me to part my lips. Not that I would have chosen differently. A shiver whirled its way down my spine as the kiss deepened. His tongue curled around mine, and when his lips started warming, the eather drenching the air retreated.

  A shudder ran through Casteel. “It’s a shame, if you think about it,” he murmured, catching my lower lip between his. “To be entombed for over a thousand years, only to awaken to be destroyed.”

  My lips tingled as Casteel sat back, the last of the shadows fading from his skin. He picked up his glass and took a drink like…nothing had happened.

  I lifted my hands to my lips, tasting…bone and ash.

  Ruin.

  Kieran stood, blinking several times as he stared at Casteel. “You level?”

  “As a board,” Cas replied idly, but his grip on his glass was tight.

  “Good.” Kieran stepped around the chair. “Because I need to ask what in the fuck was up with the ravens?”

  A crease formed between Casteel’s brows. “What?”

  “There were ravens,” I said. “Dozens of them. One even landed on your shoulder. Another on your chair.”

  “You didn’t notice them?” Kieran asked, sitting again.

  “No.” The frown increased. “I was somewhat focused on not caving to the overwhelming desire to level the entire city.”

  As I stared at Casteel, no part of me doubted his words. I couldn’t even deny it to myself. I’d tasted the ruin on his lips. The Arae’s warning crept through my thoughts as I leaned back.

  “Well, good thing you were focused on that, then,” Kieran murmured, picking up his glass and downing the wine in one swallow. Winter-blue eyes met mine. “Can you summon a flock of ravens?”

  “I have no idea,” I said, picking up the biscuit Kieran had been eyeing and dropping it on his plate. He looked like he needed it. “But I’m going to be really annoyed if he can, and I can’t.”

  The furrow between Casteel’s brows smoothed out, and one side of his lips tipped up. “More like you’re going to be jealous.”

  My lips pursed.

  Kieran immediately started tearing the biscuit into tiny, bite-sized pieces as Casteel looked at me. “Don’t even try to lie,” he said, “and say you wouldn’t be.”

  I wasn’t going to.

  Because I so would be.

  I rolled my eyes, holding back the laugh bubbling up my throat. It was bizarre and funny to me how they could be teasing after that. But they could.

  I could.

  And, gods, if that wasn’t an indicator of how much I’d changed, I didn’t know what was. It wasn’t just Casteel or Kieran who’d given me space to change. It was Delano and Emil, Naill and Vonetta. And—

  Something occurred to me. “We should let the others know about our plans for the Ascended.”

  “Others?” Kieran glanced at me, popping a piece of torn biscuit into his mouth.

  “Like Naill and Emil. Delano. Your sister if she’s here,” I explained. “Even Malik. I’m sure they’re wondering what we plan to do, and they’re like our…I don’t know. Our Council.”

  “Like our Inner Council?” Kieran suggested.

  “More like our Shadow Council,” Casteel remarked. “You sure you’re comfortable with Malik being a part of that?”

  “Yes,” I said, not even having to think about it despite what he’d been involved in. “Malik isn’t working with the Blood Crown or Kolis.”

  “I know.” Casteel rested his elbow on the arm of his chair and drew his fingers down the length of the gold chain around his neck. “I wasn’t asking because of that.” His jaw flexed and then loosened. “Malik is partly responsible for your nightmares.”

  My stomach clenched. “He is, but…” But he was Casteel’s brother. My sister’s heartmate. “He thought he was doing what was best…” I took a drink as his gaze hardened to a cool amber. “I’m fine with him being there. Are you?”

  His gaze flickered away, and a moment passed. “I am.”

  Kieran looked up from where he had been tracing the veining in the table. “I suggest we not openly acknowledge that we have a Shadow Council.”

  Casteel snorted.

  Kieran sat back, his gaze on Cas as he said, “We need to keep talking about Kolis.”

  “As I said,” Casteel replied, his middle finger tapping the stem of his glass, “I’m level now.”

  Kieran eyed him for a moment and then shifted his attention to me. “So, if Kolis wants to Ascend to become such a Primal, I think we can safely say he wants what the Blood Crown wanted: absolute power and domination.”

  Unease blossomed. Was Kolis like far too many others? Wanting power and domination over all? While the Blood Crown needed power over the realm to survive, I wasn’t sure what Isbeth had wanted.

  I wasn’t certai even she knew what she wanted.

  Once again, that feeling from before returned—that we were thinking about Kolis through the lens of what we would do or want.

  “From what little I know of him,” Casteel said, “I’m betting he won’t stop at seizing control of the mortal realm.”

  My stomach twisted sharply as I recalled what Thorne had said to me. Most would jump at the chance to have such power over not only the mortal realm but also that of the gods.

  “He wants to rule both the realm of the mortals and the gods,” I said.

  “Would he stop there?” Kieran asked, and I knew he was asking about the other realm. “Can he cross the Veil?”

  “Yes,” I said, picking up my glass. “I almost wish he’d try that. I don’t think it would work out so well for him.”

  “But as the Primal of Blood and Bone…” Kieran trailed off as a low rumble of warning came from Casteel. He sighed. “Not that it would happen, but Kolis would be—”

  “Unstoppable,” I said. “He’s been a Primal since recorded time. He won’t need a…learning curve like me. But he cannot rule the mortal realm and benefit from it. He’s the true Primal of Death, bonded to a Court. His presence will affect the mortals and every living creature within the realm.”

  Kieran frowned. “You’re right. Then what could he possibly want?”

  My mind flashed to the prophecy. “Death and destruction,” I said, staring at the glass I held. “Kolis can capture souls, just as Nyktos can.”

  “He could keep mortals and Atlantians—anything with a soul—in a state of limbo, trapped between life and death,” Casteel said, following my line of thinking. “So, it wouldn’t be like he has no one to rule over.”

  And he wouldn’t even need to Ascend to accomplish that.

  My hand fisted in my lap. “We need to find him and not wait for him to make the first move.”

  “He’s already made the first move,” Casteel said, his voice cool. I felt the icy eather stir in him. “When he exerted his influence over you.”

  The truth in that sliced through me as sharp as a dagger. Kolis had made the first move, and while I knew little about war, I knew that meant he had the upper hand. Regaining control would be no easy feat.

  “Poppy.”

  Casteel’s voice drew me from my thoughts, and I looked up.

  His hand closed over mine. “You should eat more.”

  “He’s right,” Kieran chimed in. “You’ll need to eat more than usual. And as we discussed before, feed more.”

  A smoky smile formed on Casteel’s full lips. “Something I am looking forward to.”

  Muscles tightened low in my stomach as Kieran sat back with a sigh. “Thanks for sharing that,” he replied.

  “I’m full,” I told them, even as Casteel reached for the bowl of fruit. “I really can’t…” I trailed off as the awareness of a draken crept over me. I glanced at the door.

  Kieran followed my gaze to the door with a frown. My attention darted to Casteel. He, too, was eyeing the door.

  “So, you can feel it?” I asked, curious. “That a draken is near?”

  “Unfortunately,” Cas murmured.

  I shot him an arch look as I concentrated on the faint hum of eather. The draken didn’t have unique imprints—marks—like the wolven. At least, not to me. And I’d never been able to know which draken was approaching before I saw them. But now? There was a sense of knowing that told me who was coming.

  Reaver.

  “Can either of you tell who it is?” I asked.

  Kieran shook his head and picked up a linen to wipe his hands. “But I can hazard a guess.” Tossing the linen onto the table, he looked over. “You?”

  I smiled. “Yes.”

  There was a slight curl to the corner of his lips. “You look incredibly…smug.”

  At the sound of someone’s approach, Casteel set the bowl down. “It’s Reaver, isn’t it?”

  I nodded.

  “Great,” Kieran muttered, rising.

  “I don’t know why you two have such an issue with him,” I said.

  “Is that a serious question?” Casteel countered.

  “You barely know him.”

  “I know enough.”

  “You just don’t like him because Kieran doesn’t.” Sitting back, I crossed my arms. “He’s been extremely helpful, especially while freeing you,” I reminded him. “And he’s also very—”

  “If you say he’s nice,” Casteel interrupted, “I’m going to have serious questions regarding your definition of the word.”

  “She thinks you’re nice,” Kieran tossed over his shoulder as he went to the door. “I already question her definition.”

  I snorted. “He has a point.”

  “Uh-huh,” Casteel murmured, taking a drink. “I’m surprised it took him this long.”

  Frowning, I started to ask what he meant, but then Kieran cracked the door open. “What?”