“Neither am I,” I admitted, some of the rigidity easing from my muscles. “At least you didn’t wave at me.”
“Well, that’s not as bad as me staring at…” Her gaze flicked to Casteel, lingering for far too many seconds before sliding to Kieran, who was staring at her like…well, like he was staring at the actual person responsible for the creation of his people. “Who, I assume, is your husband.” Her arched brows rose. “Or husbands?”
I didnothear her correctly.
There was no way.
Casteel or Kieran—possibly both—made a sound similar to a choked laugh. I knew then that I had heard her right.
“In case you haven’t realized, you’re making things more awkward.” Reaver strode toward the credenza and picked up a small carving knife I’d had no idea was there or why. “The onenearly standing on top of her is the husband.” He pulled an apple from a sack. “Not sure what you’d call the wolf.”
Said wolf sent him a glare.
“I hadn’t been expecting such awarmwelcome,” Seraphena tacked on, sarcasm dripping from her tone.
“Sorry about that.” I shot Casteel a look that promised we would most definitely be talking about that later. He simply raised an eyebrow in return. “But you were staring at them in a…quite concerning way.”
Seraphena’s gaze slid back to them, eather streaking across her eyes. “Because Iamconcerned.”
Essence pressed against my skin as I pulled away from Casteel, my senses heightening.
Obviously picking up on the rise of eather, Seraphena’s gaze flicked to mine. “I’m concerned about what I’m picking up from them. They feel like…”
“Primals?” I suggested. Both Kieran’s and Casteel’s head jerked in my direction.
“Yes.” A slight crease formed between her brows as she looked at Kieran. “You feel as if you carry the embers of life inside you.” Silver streaked through her eyes as she addressed Casteel. “And you. You feel like you carry the embers of death. Attes mentioned something like that, but it’s impossible.”
Again, I felt a weird twinge in my chest upon hearing his name.
“How?” she demanded.
“They areDeminyen,” I said. “Or the three of us are, rather.”
Reaver halted mid-slice, and I realized he may not have overheard us when he waited in the hall.
“Deminyen?” Seraphena repeated. Her gaze lowered and then shot back up. “Did the three of you complete a Joining?”
That was the very absolute last question I wanted mygrandmotherto ask me. I could feel the heat creeping into mycheeks as I forced my voice to level. “Yes. It was, um, a very run-of-the-mill type of Joining.”
“Run-of-the-mill?” Casteel murmured under his breath.
I ignored him.
“It seems to have had some…” Kieran tilted his head to the side. “Unexpected results.”
Seraphena’s laugh was short and throaty, and I felt some of Casteel’s wariness ease. “I would say.” Her smile was a little wider now, more genuine. “This…could be good. Really good.”
“That’s your opinion,” Reaver muttered.
Kieran smirked at him as awareness pulsed through me again. Another draken was nearing the castle. More than one. Aurelia and Nithe. Had Thad returned from Pensdurth?
Reaver paid no attention to that as he sliced into the apple. “By the way, Millicent isn’t around. Not sure where she is.”
“That’s a shame,” Seraphena said with a soft sigh of disappointment. Her gaze drifted back to Casteel and Kieran, then to me. “I think…we’ve gotten off on the wrong foot.” Her brows furrowed a little again as her gaze roamed over my features once more. “I would’ve been here earlier, but…we had to deal with some issues.”
“We heard,” Casteel said.
Surprise flickered across her face. “You did?”
