I did. “We don’t have time for this.”
“You’re right. What in the fuck were we even talking—?” The Primal’s shoulders squared. “I remember.” He exhaled heavily. “Are you certain there are no marks? Did you look everywhere?”
The implication in his words made my skin crawl. Sucking in a sharp breath, I drew back as Kieran turned to me.
“Casteel.” Attes’s tone had softened, becoming placating as he held up his hands. “I can see that this is difficult for you, but we need to find his mark.”
I backed up, my fists clenching. I’d seen a lot of Poppy since she’d awakened. All of her except for what the sleeping gown obscured. The idea of his mark being there…
“Breathe,” Kieran murmured.
My too-tight chest rose as I breathed through the icy heat of eather throbbing in every cell of my being. “I will have to check her.”
Attes nodded. “If she’s still asleep…”
“She could wake when the door opens. She did last time,” I said. “If I go in alone, we’ll have to open the door again. And if she—orhe—sees you?”
“We’ll go in with you,” Attes replied. “Give you space while you check her over.”
I rubbed at my chest. “Then let’s do this.”
Attes eyed me for a few more seconds. “There’s just one more thing.”
“For fuck’s sake,” I muttered. “What?”
Attes stared at me, a slight frown pulling at his brow. He looked like he was figuring something out. I could be wrong, though. Honestly, I didn’t really give a fuck as I stalked past him, resisting the urge to bump his shoulder with mine.
“Before we go in,” Attes said, and I stopped in front of the door, closing my eyes. “If Kolis gets control, he will recognize me. And he will know why I’m here. You two need to be prepared for him to fight.”
In other words, be ready forPoppyto fight.
I nodded curtly. “Understood, but… She’s weakened. So is Kolis.”
“That’s good,” Attes said, even though his tone suggested otherwise. “We should get this over with as quickly as possible.”
I took a deep breath to prepare myself and quell the storm brewing inside me. It was futile. A lifetime couldn’t have prepared me to knowingly hurt her. So, I did what I had to do when I bound her wrists. I shut myself down as I unlocked the door and slipped into the role of who I used to be.
The rumored Dark One, the merciless Atlantian capable of doing anything to get what I wanted. Whether that was playing a potential suitor to the Duchess of Goldcrest Manor to earn her trust or cutting down any—guilty or otherwise—who stood between my goal and me.
“Casteel,” Kieran whispered softly, his concern thick in my throat. “I’m going in with you.”
It was a statement.
And a warning.
“Fine.” I cleared my throat as I stared straight ahead. The shit that had gone down between us had no place beyond this door. “I’m going to need your help in there.”
“You have it,” he said, his voice low. “Always.”
CHAPTER 6
CASTEEL
The dim light from the corridor spilled into the cell, illuminating Poppy’s sleeping form on a pile of thick blankets. She was as I’d left her, her back to the door and the collar of the loosened robe draped around her upper arms.
As the door quietly shut behind me, I heard Kieran’s sharp intake of breath. My stomach clenched, knowing what had caught his attention.
“Casteel, what…?” Kieran’s voice was barely a whisper, but his shock was evident in the seconds before he shielded his emotions.
