“Fucking gods,” Kieran muttered as Lizeth’s gaze shot to the silent storm brewing to my right.
“Which means he will not use his will against me,” I forged on. “Anyone else? He will. And that includes everyone in this chamber.”
He cannot kill us, Kieran reminded me as if I’d forgotten.
That doesn’t mean he can’t harm both of you to the point where you are as good as dead,I sent back to him.
Kieran inhaled and held the breath.
“That also means that no one and no army will be able to get close enough to him,” I said, pushing the essence down as it stirred inside me. “But I can.”
Sven’s mouth moved with no sound as he leaned back.
“Exactly what,” Casteel drawled, and I stiffly turned my neck to look at him, seeing the glow of eather in his eyes burning brightly, “are you suggesting, Poppy?”
I knew both he and Kieran could feel my heart pounding, but I couldn’t calm it. “That I should go to Pensdurth. Alone.”
“Out,” Casteel ordered in a voice barely above a whisper. Still, it landed like a punch to the chest. “Everyone out. Now.”
His stare held mine, and chairs scraped against stone as everyone made a hasty exit.
Well,almosteveryone.
“Leave, Reaver,” Casteel ordered.
The draken huffed out a hot breath we felt on the other side of the chamber and lowered his head, his curled upper lip revealing massive, sharp teeth.
“He’s not going to leave,” I whispered.
“Nor will I,” Kieran said.
“Fine.” Casteel smiled tightly. “We will have an audience then.”
“I don’t think—”
“Correct. You don’t think. That, we agree on.”
My head jerked back. “That’s not what I meant.”
“But it is true.” He leaned in, his chin lowering until we were at eye level with each other. “Because that is the only thing that explains why you would think, for one fucking second, Poppy, that Kieran or I would ever agree to you going to Pensdurth alone.”
“He’s right,” Kieran said.
“No one asked you,” I snapped. “Or you,Casteel. I am an adult. A Queen and a Primal god. I do not need to ask permission of either of you.”
The sharp edges of Reaver’s frills skimmed the ceiling as he tilted his head.
“All of what you said is true,” Kieran began.
“The only thing I agree with is that you are a Queen and a Primal god.” Casteel’s unflinching gaze remained locked on me. “However, you are not behaving like an adult.”
“Here we go,” Kieran muttered.
Frustration exploded. I pushed back my chair and stood. “That’s hilarious coming from you, who just ordered everyone from the chamber because you could not behave like one.”
His head tipped back to look up at me. “I ordered everyone from the chamber because I didn’t think anyone needed to witness this.” His lips curved up. “As an adult would. It’s…hilariousthat you don’t understand that.”
Slowly, I lifted a hand and extended my middle finger. “Is this also hilarious?”
