“Oh, gods, please don’t,” Poppy said quickly. “No one has to…” She trailed off as about half a dozen dropped to one knee, their heads bowed as they echoed Malik’s greeting. “Do that,” she finished.
“They didn’t do that when they last saw me,” I drawled. Unable to be upset by the show of respect. I bent down to whisper, “Don’t forget to tell them they can rise.”
A soft sigh escaped her. “You may rise.” She waited as they stood. “And you do not need to do that again.”
“Disagree,” I murmured.
Her head snapped in my direction, her glare burning straight through the shadows of her cloak. Slowly, she turned her head back to those before her. “I…I command that you do not bow to either me or Casteel.”
My brows flew up as my surprise was echoed in those before us. The steadiness in her tone…
Fuck.
I was getting hard.
Behind me, Kieran chuckled. “Someone is catching on.” He paused. “Finally.”
Malik stared at her and then rose, snapping out of his stupor. “You’re…”
Or perhaps he had not snapped out of it.
Poppy stepped forward, Delano right with her. “Awake? Yes.”
My brother started to move but clearly thought better of it as his wide, amber eyes shifted to me and then darted back to her. “It’s good to see you, Penellaphe.”
“It’s good to be awake,” she replied.
Malik gave her a faint smile that was more brittle grimace than anything. “Though, I wish you were not here.” His gaze met mine. “She doesn’t need to see this.”
“Shedoes,” Poppy said. Her voice remained soft, but there was no mistaking the thread of steely resolve beneath it. “We were told you were the one who notified Naill.”
Malik let out a short breath and nodded. “Yeah, I was in the area and—”
“Why?” I asked.
His shoulders tensed. “No reason other than I like—likedthe area. I don’t think I will after tonight.” He dragged a hand through his hair and pulled it back from his face. “Reminds me of home.”
My eyes narrowed on him. Nothing about Stonehill, besidesmaybethe scent of salt in the air, could even remotely remind him of our homeland.
He lowered his hand. “I saw that Viktoria’s house was dark.”
“Viktoria?” Kieran asked.
“She works at one of the taverns in Lowertown,” he explained. “She and her husband Jathen both do. They would’ve been home by now and still up. At first, I didn’t think too much about it, but then I saw this.” He jerked his chin toward thehouses. “The whole street was dark, and it…it didn’t feel right. So, I went and knocked on their door. When nobody answered, I tried the knob and found it unlocked.” A muscle ticked in his temple. “That’s when I found them and got Naill.”
“I’m sorry,” Poppy said and then proved once more how much better she was than me when she reached out and placed a hand on his arm, comforting the man who had once planned to end her life.
Malik looked down at her hand for several moments, likely reminded of the same thing. That she was better than him, too.
“Thank you,” he rasped, stepping back. He swallowed. “I didn’t know about the others at that point.”
“Can you show us?” Kieran asked.
“Perry is in one of the houses,” Malik replied, turning with a frown. “But you can enter any of them and find the same.”
Poppy stopped, her hand lifting to press against her upper stomach. “The whole block?”
“And the next one over,” Malik confirmed.
