My nose scrunched. “And where is Jadis in Ironspire?”
“She entombed herself beneath the citadel, and I couldn’t…”
Letting go of my arm, Casteel looked over at Reaver. His chin had dipped, and his hair hung like a curtain to shield his face.
Reaver let out a dry cough before continuing. “I couldn’t reach her in her sleep.”
Sorrow lodged in my chest as I stared at him. He rarely showed emotion, but what he struggled with now was in every strained word he spoke.
“I know…” Reaver eased the tension in his throat. “I know that, uh, there is a lot you need to get caught up on.” He lifted his head, and his gaze slid toward Casteel. “Since I doubt either of them were wise enough to spend the time since you woke and returned doing anything but copulating—”
“Copulating?” I exclaimed.
Casteel’s hand slid down my back. “It means—”
“Iknowwhat it means,” I said, deciding against pointing out that Reaver’s statement hadn’t included only the two of us, and focused on something else he’d said. “You knew I was gone?”
“I felt it the moment you left the realm.”
“Oh,” I whispered, glancing at Kieran. He had returned to the table and grabbed the last biscuit from the bowl.
“I know there are things you must do,” Reaver reiterated, “it’s just that Jadis…” He closed his eyes, and I saw the ridges of his scales become more apparent. Casteel stepped closer to me, and Kieran halted in tearing up more of his biscuit. “I don’t know how long she’s been entombed like that. And I don’t know why she did it. But I can… I know she’s not in good shape.”
“I understand. So does Casteel. And I’m sure anyone else would, too,” I said. “We’ll take care of her now.”
“Thank—” Reaver inhaled deeply, the sound reedy as he blinked rapidly. “Thank you.”
I really hoped he had a reason to thank me. I turned to look for my boots. “Do you happen to know how I can wake her?”
“Nektas believes your touch may do it since it woke him before,” Reaver said.
Based on how Casteel’s jaw tightened, and the way the eather behind Kieran’s eyes pulsed, I could tell that neither of them was thrilled with that. “I don’t know why that worked, and I don’tknow if it will…” Shouldn’t the foresight tell me? I inhaled deeply and closed my eyes—
“What are you doing?” Kieran asked.
“Trying to see if thevadentiawill tell me why or how it works,” I said.
“How’s that working out for you?”
My eyes popped open, and I sent him a glare.
He smirked. “Not good, I see.”
“I’m never giving you another biscuit,” I muttered, turning to see that Casteel had retrieved my boots and placed them by the chair I’d been sitting in. “At least he’s being helpful.”
“And I’m not?” Kieran replied.
I shook my head, sat, and picked up my boot.
Casteel knelt before me. “There’s time for you to get changed, you know.”
“No one will see her,” Reaver said. “I’ve made sure Ironspire remains unoccupied.”
“Then I don’t need to change.” My eyes met Reaver’s. “Jadis has waited long enough.”
“I think I’ll stay behind,” Kieran announced, glancing at me. “Someone has to.”
“Sounds good to me,” Reaver commented.
