“I know enough.”
“You—”
“He said he was friends with Sotoria, yet he still breathes.”
All the wonderful heat vanished from my body.
“And he still breathes because he clearly didn’t intervene on Sotoria’s behalf.” His eyes searched mine. “You can’t tell me that hasn’t crossed your mind.”
Obviously, it had. I had just been thinking about it. “There has to be more to it.”
“I’m sure there is.” He tucked a stray hair behind my ear. “And I probably won’t like that either.”
“Cas,” I repeated. “Can you justtryto get along with him? He is helping us—hehashelped us. That is all that matters right now.”
His jaw flexed. “Would it make you happy?”
“Yes.”
“Then…I will try.”
“Promise?”
He sighed and briefly closed his eyes. “Promise.”
My head cocked. “Why did promising that sound like you just suffered a mortal wound.”
“Because it felt like I did.”
A laugh escaped me. “You’re ridiculous.”
An eyebrow rose. “Ridiculously—”
“No.” I placed my fingers over his lips. “Don’t finish that.”
Chuckling, he nipped at my fingertip. “I’ll be nicer. For you.”
“Thank you.” I smiled. “I wonder if he has spoken to Valyn. Or talked to Malik.”
“They were talking when I saw them—Valyn and Attes. Malik just showed up as I left. Hopefully, Father spoke to him last night. If not, well…”
It would be awkward.
And talk about timing. If Valyn hadn’t returned yesterday?
“You ready?” he asked.
I nodded.
Casteel straightened, dropping his hand to mine. He took the lead, seeming to know my mind wasn’t in the right place. I felt a rise of eather—
“Wait!” I shouted.
Casteel slowly turned his head toward me. “I think I just lost an eardrum.”
I rolled my eyes. “No, you didn’t.”
He arched a brow.
