“When you did, it was like the moment the damn mist finally cleared. Like when the first rays of sun break through the clouds after a heavy storm,” he said without an ounce of embarrassment. “Your laugh is as beautiful as your smile, and when I told you it was like hearing something familiar? It wasn’t a lie.”
Letting out a shaky breath, I opened my eyes. The gold leaves glistened even more brightly now. “I…I didn’t know that I was still doing that, and it makes me wonder if I did that before you. Smiling and laughter wasn’t becoming of a Maiden, according to the Duke.”
“I want to kill him again.”
“As do I,” I murmured.
We traveled on for a bit, Kieran was still far enough ahead that I couldn’t see much of him. I thought about what I’d seen last night, what I did actually remember. “Do you remember the night I said that creepy rhyme in my sleep?”
“Not something I’m likely to forget,” he replied dryly.
“My father used to say it to me.”
Casteel stiffened behind me. “Come again?”
“Not the last bit—the part about picking the flower and watching it bleed,” I told him. “I still don’t know who said that. It could’ve been the Duke or some twisted part of myself. I don’t know, but the first part—the pretty poppy part. I forgot that. He would say that to me. How could I forget that?”
His arm curled tighter. “I don’t know, but bad memories always seem to have a way of being remembered over the good.”
Wasn’t that the truth?
“Did you dream of your father?”
“I did. I remembered finding him that night. At least, I think I did.” My brow creased. “No, I’m sure that was real. I was looking for him. That’s how my mother found me. He used to call her Cora.” That was another thing I’d forgotten.
“Was that not her name?”
“Her name was Coralena.”
“That’s a beautiful name,” he said, and it was. “What was your father’s?”
“You don’t know that?”
“No. I only knew that your name was Penellaphe at first, and it took a damn long time to discover you had a brother. And that was how I learned your last name,” he told me. “To be honest, I didn’t look into your parents. I didn’t think there was a reason to.”
“If you did, I doubt it would’ve given you any indication that I was…half-Atlantian.” It still sounded strange to say that. “His name was Leopold, but my mother called him Leo or…or Lion.”
“Lion,” he repeated. “I like that. It fits that a Lion would have such a fierce daughter.”
I smiled then, and I only knew that Casteel had seen it because he pressed his lips to the corner of my mouth. It felt like a thank you.
His arm squeezed me. “But back to the gods seeming to like you. Nyktos gave us his blessing basically. If that was Aios last night, and gods, it just might’ve been her, she woke to ensure your safety,” he said, and there was a bit of awe in his voice. “I’m going to repeat that, Princess. A god woke from hundreds and hundreds of years of sleep to protect you. That is not something that has ever happened before as far as I know.”
My pulse skittered. “Then why would it happen now? Why would they step in for me?” As soon as that question left me, Duchess Teerman’s words came back to me. You are Chosen. Lies. Duchess Teerman had only spoken lies. “I mean, I’m not special.”
“I’m going to have to disagree with the idea that you’re not special. You are to me, and you are to the Kingdoms of Atlantia and Solis,” Casteel said. “Together, we can change the now and the future. That’s not the only reason you’re special, but that could be why you’ve caught the sleeping eyes of the gods.” He took my left hand in his. Our marked palms met, and there was that strange jolt of energy. “The gods favor you. Either way, this is good news, Poppy.”
I threaded my fingers through his. “If the gods accept me, how can your parents not? How can your—” I caught myself. “How can our people not?”
“Exactly.” He kissed my cheek.
And for the first time since all of this started, hope sparked. Real hope that gaining the acceptance of his parents, of the people, would be possible. That they would stand beside us now when we returned to Solis to free his brother and to gain territory. That they would stand beside us afterward, when we returned. And if one day I became more than a Princess.
A lightness filled me, a warmth that made it impossible for that coldness to return.
We rode on then, eventually catching up to Kieran, and it wasn’t too long before the sun-dappled gold-leaf trees gave way to lush green. I knew then that we’d passed the mountain and we were truly at the edge of the actual Kingdom of Atlantia.
Gold Rock was exactly as I expected. A large, round boulder that shimmered gold in the sunlight.
Jasper and two other groups were already there. Quentyn began waving the moment he saw us.
“Glad to see you made it,” Emil said, bowing from where he stood by his horse. “And you.”
The last part was directed toward me, and I recalled Casteel’s jealousy. I stopped my grin then.
“What about me?” Kieran asked, dismounting.
“Should I lie and tell you I am thrilled?” the Atlantian replied, a hint of a grin on his face.
“It would make me feel like my life’s complete, Emil.”
“Naill and Delano haven’t arrived yet?” Casteel asked as he dropped down. He reached for me as he said, “I figured they’d beat all of us.”
“They haven’t arrived yet,” Jasper answered, looking tired as he leaned against the rock. “I thought you would’ve beat us here.”
“Yeah?”
Jasper nodded as he covered a yawn with the back of his hand. “I cannot wait to become reacquainted with my bed,” he said with a sigh as I started to unhook the buttons of my cloak. “Anyway, I hope the night was less eventful for you all.”
“Nothing of interest happened with us,” Casteel said, meeting my gaze as he brushed my hands aside. He began working the tiny buttons, and a wealth of gratitude rose. Not for him unbuttoning my cloak but for not mentioning what happened. “What about you all?”
“Weird dreams,” Jasper muttered as he watched us—watched me.
“As if that’s all,” Emil commented as he rolled up the sleeves of his tunic. “I’m assuming you guys felt that last night—the shaking of the entire mountain.”
Casteel nodded but didn’t elaborate. I felt Jasper’s attention focused on us—all the wolven that were present, actually—as Casteel folded my cloak and placed it in one of the saddlebags. The rest of our group arrived. None of them looked like they’d slept well, and it was strange to see Beckett in his mortal form and so subdued as we eventually continued on.
The patchy grass gave way to rolling hills that were a lush, vibrant green, and it wasn’t too long before I wished I had changed into the sleeveless tunic.
Lifting a hand, I wiped a fine sheen of sweat from my forehead. “Is it warm like this always? I’m not complaining if it is.”
“It’s warm here, near the sea,” Casteel answered, and I looked around, wondering what body of water he spoke of. “But farther inland, when you near the Mountains of Nyktos, you’ll see more seasonal changes and colder temperatures.”
I started to ask where this sea was when I saw them.
Graceful, gleaming white stone columns that stretched so far into the sky that if there had been clouds, they would’ve reached beyond them. A tumbling motion in my chest took my breath.
“The Pillars of Atlantia?” I whispered.
“Yes.” Casteel’s voice was soft in my ear.
A sense of wonder washed through me, one that ran deeper than curiosity as we drew closer. I could see shadowy grooves in them, markings in a language I’d never seen before. The Pillars were more than just markers or even the resting place of Theon and Lailah. They were connected to a wall of the same stone, what appeared to be limestone and marble. It was as h
igh as any Rise and continued on farther than I could see. We crested the hill, and I saw between the two pillars, seeing what awaited. Tiny bumps rose all over my skin as a hum seemed to vibrate in my blood in a long-forgotten hymn.
Casteel’s chin grazed the side of my neck, followed by his lips. “Welcome home, Princess.”
Chapter 44
Home.
Was this what the voice had meant last night? Was this truly home?
I wanted it to be more than I ever realized.
We passed through the Pillars, my heart thundering as I soaked in the sights before me with disbelieving eyes.
The first thing I noticed were the people along the walls, just inside the Pillars. How could I not see them? There were at least a hundred, dressed in black, sleeveless tunics and pants. Swords with gold handles were fitted to their sides. Crossbows like the one damaged in the fight with the Dead Bones Clan were strapped to their backs. The moment they saw Casteel, recognized him, they bowed, one after another in a wave, but it was those who stood on the ledges above that drew my attention.
Women.
There were more Guardians. They dropped to one knee in succession, placing their fists over their heart.
I knew my eyes were wide. I knew I was staring, but all of them were staring, too—the men below and the women above—at us. I suddenly wished that I still wore my cloak, even with how warm the air was here. Or that my hair was free. Maybe then I wouldn’t feel so exposed, my scars clearly displayed to these strangers’ eyes.
Strangers I…I wanted to be accepted by.
I looked forward, and then I wasn’t thinking of the scars or being accepted.
Leafy green trees lined the wide road, one smoother than any I knew of in Solis. It was made of some kind of dark stone that seemed fused together. The trees spread out into dense thickets of a lush forest, and ahead…
A city sprawled ahead, dipping and flowing with the valleys and hills—a city twice the size of Carsodonia. White and sand-colored structures gleamed under the sun, arcing gracefully with the landscape, some square and others circular. Some rose high, stretching into sleek towers, while others were buildings as wide as they were tall, and some remained closer to the ground. They reminded me of the Temples in Solis, but they weren’t fashioned to mirror the night but to reflect the sun—to worship it. The roof of every building that I could see was green. Trees rose from them, vines swept down their sides, and bursts of color came from all sides.
Unlike the capital of Solis, where the city was stone and dirt, flashes of green surrounded buildings. Just as it had been in Spessa’s End, no building appeared stacked on top of one another, crowded to the point where they could barely fit. At least not from what I could gather from this distance.
Beyond the city, where specks of white grazed in open pastures, past the heavily wooded area that followed, was a mountain that did disappear into the clouds. And in the face of that mountain were eleven statues that had to be as tall as the Atheneum in Masadonia. Each one held a lit torch from their outstretched arm, the flames burning as brightly as the setting sun.
These were the gods—all of them—watching over the city or standing guard.
I couldn’t even begin to figure out how those statues were built to that size, raised onto the mountain. Or even how those torches were lit—how they remained lit.
“Saion’s Cove is beautiful, isn’t it?” Casteel didn’t need to ask. It was the most beautiful city I’d ever seen, and I could imagine what the capital looked like. “You can’t see the sea from here, but it’s beyond the trees, to our right.”
Thoughts of warm sand and salty air tugged at my heart as I followed his gaze. I saw the tops of columns through the trees. “What is in there?”
“The Chambers of Nyktos,” he answered. “You can see the Seas of Saion from there, and the Isles of Bele,” he added. “And, yes, the Goddess of the Hunt slumbers there.
“I have so many questions.”
“There is not a single person surprised to hear that,” Kieran remarked.
Delano laughed as he turned his head to the sky, basking in the sun.
A bell tolled, startling me. Leaves rattled as a flock of birds took flight from the nearby trees, their feathers a vivid green and blue. The bell tolled five more times.
I tensed. “Is something happening?” I looked around, and no one appeared concerned. I only ever heard a bell ring when there was an attack or something afoot.
Jasper smiled at me. “It is only telling the time. It’s six in the evening,” he explained. “It’ll ring every hour until midnight and then resume at eight.”
“Oh.” That was clever. Ahead, I noticed someone on horseback riding toward us.
Casteel slowed the horse as Jasper said, “Here comes the welcoming party of one.”
“Who is it?” I asked.
“Alastir,” he told me. “He must’ve been waiting for us.”
The advisor to the King and Queen arrived within a few minutes, a smile softening the deep scar in his forehead.
“You cannot believe how relieved I am to see you. All of you,” Alastir said, and the strangest thing happened.
A shivery feeling of icy fingers danced across the back of my neck. Gods, he sounded so much like Vikter, but—
“You must tell me what became of Spessa’s End.” Alastir drew his horse up to our side, clasping Casteel’s hand. “But I must warn you.” His voice dropped low. “Your father and mother are here, and your arrival was spotted. They know you’ve come home.”
My stomach fell beyond my feet. I hadn’t planned on meeting his parents this quickly. They were supposed to be in the capital.”
Casteel was of like mind. “What are they doing here?”
“They came as soon as they learned of the trouble in Spessa’s End. Your damn father was about to cross the mountain. I assured him that our forces would make it…” He trailed off as he caught sight of the ring on Casteel’s left hand. He turned Casteel’s palm upward. His skin blanched. “You did it.” He twisted in his saddle, looking toward my left hand. His gaze met mine. “You actually did it.”
“We did,” Casteel said. “Just like we told you.”
“You missed it,” Jasper chimed in as I picked up on the disbelief and concern radiating from Alastir. Which wasn’t surprising. He’d wanted us to wait until Casteel spoke with his parents. “Day turned to night at the end of the ceremony. Nyktos gave his approval.”
Alastir blinked as if he hadn’t expected that. “Well, that is…that is good news. Perhaps that will be of aid when the King and Queen are made aware, but I need to speak with you Casteel, in private.”
“Whatever you need to say to me, you can say in front of my wife,” Casteel replied, and my already unstable stomach flipped.
Wife.
Why was that such a shock to hear? It was a pleasant surprise, though.
“This is a conversation regarding the kingdom and I mean no offense, but she is not a part of the Crown yet,” Alastir replied. “Nor privy to such information.”
Casteel stiffened behind me, and I knew he was about to push back, and the last thing I wanted was him to be standing here arguing with Alastir about what I was privy to when his parents arrived.
“It’s okay. No offense taken,” I said, tapping his arm. “I would like to stretch my legs a bit anyway.”
Casteel wasn’t at all happy about that, but Beckett offered, “I can show her the Chambers of Nyktos. It’s not very far from here,” he said. “That is, if you’d like.”
“I would like that,” I readily agreed, latching on to the offer as if it were a lifeline. “That’s what I would like to do.”
“Then that’s what you will do,” Casteel replied.
My heart was pumping so fast as Casteel dismounted and helped me get down that I wouldn’t have been surprised if I fainted. How embarrassing would that be? The first time to faint…at the feet of my father and mother-in-law, the former the King who still planned to
use me as a message.
But that would change. It had to. Not just because the gods favored me, but because what Casteel and I shared was real.
“One second.” Casteel motioned at Beckett as Quentyn went to the young wolven’s side. He drew me slightly away from the others, under the shade of one of the nearby trees. “I’m sorry about this,” he said. “I had no idea they’d be here. I wanted to give you some time before I introduced you. That was what I planned.”
“I know, and honestly, I’m glad that Alastir was here to warn us and that he wants to talk to you. It will give me some time to…I don’t know.” I felt my cheeks flush. “Prepare myself.”
“You don’t need to be nervous.”
“Really?” I replied dryly.
“I’m trying to be helpful.” A half-grin appeared and then vanished. “We’ve faced scarier things than parents caught off guard, and we will face far more frightening things. Just remember that this,”—he picked up my left hand and turned it over—“is real,” he said, echoing my earlier thoughts. “We’re real. No matter what.”
I stared down at the dazzling gold swirl on my palm. “No matter what.”
Curling a finger under my chin, he lifted my head, and his lips found mine. He kissed me, and it was no short peck on the lips. People watched us, but Casteel took his sweet time, and by the time he lifted his head, I felt faint for a whole different reason.
“No matter what,” he repeated.
Nodding, I pulled away from him and turned to where Beckett waited, shifting his weight from one foot to the other.
“Poppy?”
I turned back to Casteel, and the moment I saw him, I felt the breath I took catch in my throat. The way he stared at me, the intensity in his fiery golden eyes, rooted me to the spot. What I felt from him…it tasted like the smoothest chocolate and the sweetest berries.
Casteel’s chest rose with an uneven breath. “I’ll come for you.”
I love you.
That was what I thought Casteel was going to say. That was what I felt from him, but those words didn’t pass his lips.
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