A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire

by Jennifer L. Armentrout

  “Nothing.” Casteel blinked. “You’re ready, then?”

  I nodded.

  Watching me as if I were a coiled snake about to strike, he extended his hand. I started to rise without accepting his palm but caught myself. A quick glance told me that the others waited near the door. Figuring that refusing such a simple gesture wouldn’t be a good start at convincing others that we were together, I placed my hand in his.

  The contact of his skin against mine sent another charged jolt through me. My eyes flew to his, but there was no knowledge to be gained from his heavily hooded gaze this time as he helped me stand.

  “Is everything ready?” Kieran asked.

  “It is,” he replied. “Elijah thinks we’ll make it to Spessa’s End by the end of the week if we don’t make a lot of stops.”

  “It’s doable,” Kieran agreed. “And advisable.”

  “The people here have only a few days before the Ascended send others looking for her,” Casteel said as he reached between us, plucking up the edge of my braid. “They’ll send scouts and probably more knights.” Dropping my plait over my shoulder, he then reached for my satchel.

  Kieran nodded. “Magda returned earlier this morning. She said she thinks most will be ready to travel in a day or so.”

  “Good.” Casteel glanced down at me. Unsure what to do, I decided on silence as the best course of action. After all, it used to be second-nature, even though I’d struggled to remain quiet when I first donned the veil. Kieran thought I asked a lot of questions now, there would be a wolven-shaped hole in the wall in his desperation to get away from me if he’d known me when I was younger.

  Sending me a curious look, Casteel started toward the others. Naill and Delano nodded in my direction, saying nothing. It was Elijah who spoke. “I haven’t gotten a chance to thank you for what you did yesterday—helping those who accepted it.”

  Shifting uncomfortably, I cleared my throat. “I just hope I helped.”

  “You did. Pain is the biggest obstacle healing faces, and you stepping in when you did is a big reason why we won’t be sitting around here for longer than we should.” A big smile parted his beard. “I also haven’t gotten the chance to congratulate either of you on the upcoming nuptials. To be honest, every day I half-expected to find the Prince sliced up in all the ways a man fears.”

  I blinked slowly.

  Casteel chuckled deeply. “You’re not the only one. I expected to be picking up pieces of myself.” He glanced down at me, his lips slightly parted. “But I was once told that the best relationships are the ones where passions run high.”

  My brows started to pucker.

  “I wonder who told you that,” Kieran said.

  “It was me.” Elijah laughed as he clapped his hand on Kieran’s shoulder, causing the wolven to stumble. Skin crinkled around golden-brown hazel eyes, and even though I wished the topic was about anything other than this, I was happy to see him smile and laugh after what’d happened here. But it made me wonder if it was because he’d become so accustomed to the death that the effects weren’t long-lasting. “Told him that if a woman fights with that kind of passion and makes you work that hard to earn even a smile, then that’s the kind of woman you want by your side in and out of the bedchamber.”

  My mouth opened, but I truly had nothing to say.

  “I’ve always thought you had a wolven somewhere in your bloodline,” Kieran commented.

  Elijah scoffed. “Told you before, there’s just piss and whiskey in my line.”

  “Maybe that’s the real bloodline you descend from,” Casteel murmured as he led me past them.

  I raised my brows but said nothing as we entered the empty hall and then exited out into the yard. The snow had stopped, but my breath formed misty clouds. I was so going to regret leaving my cloak behind, even soaked with the stench of Craven blood.

  As we made our way to the stables, unease formed upon the sight of leaves that glistened like rubies in the sunlight. No one was out there staring at it this morning, but I could swear the blood tree had grown even wider than it had been the day before. Crimson hued sap still seeped across the snow in a network of thin lines of red, reminding me of veins or roots.

  Three horses were led out already, their ears perked as a stable hand held their reins, nervously glancing toward the blood tree. Casteel walked us past them, where Setti waited inside the stables. The massive black horse had been named after the God of War’s warhorse. I used to think that the beautiful horse had big hooves to fill, but now, knowing the truth, I imagined Setti filled them just fine.

  As we approached the horse, Casteel let go of my hand. My palm missed the warmth, which was something I’d never share. I walked up to Setti as Casteel walked around to secure my satchel to where his own bag hung. My gaze crawled across the barn, stopping on a pole with a deep groove. Knowing what had caused that mark, I resisted the desire to look away from where Phillips had been killed with a bolt fired by Casteel. But I made myself look, to remember. Phillips had somehow figured out the truth, or at the very least, that Casteel was not who he claimed. He’d tried to help me escape, but I hadn’t listened. I had no idea if Phillips had known the truth about the Ascended. He could have, but that didn’t matter. He was dead, regardless.

  Exhaling slowly, I saw the very same bow attached to Setti’s side. It was curved like the ones I’d used, but this one had a handle and an arrow already nocked in place. The weapon was unlike any I’d ever seen. It had to be Atlantian.

  I extended my hand to the horse, allowing him to sniff me. “Remember me?”

  Setti sniffed as Casteel finished with the straps. The horse nudged my fingers, and I grinned as I gently patted the bridge of his nose.

  “I think he missed you.” Casteel joined me. “And I think he’s been spoiled by all the attention you’ve showered upon him.”

  I didn’t think it was possible to spoil any animal too much. I scratched him behind his ear.

  Casteel was closer, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw him stroke a hand down Setti’s mane. Looking to the back of the barn, he lowered his hand. “I’ll be right back.”

  Nibbling on my lower lip, I peeked over my shoulder. Casteel strode across the barn to where an older woman had appeared. She held something dark in her hands. Setti nudged my fingers again, demanding my attention.

  “All right. All right.” I resumed petting him. “Sorry.”

  Stroking the long, graceful neck, I saw that Delano and Naill were already mounted. Kieran walked toward his horse, but it didn’t appear as if Elijah was coming with us.

  A moment later, Casteel returned. “Here,” he said. “You’re going to need this until we reach Spessa’s End.”

  This turned out to be a cloak, a black one lined with soft fur. I turned to take it, but Casteel moved behind me, draping it over my shoulders.

  “I had one of the seamstresses make it since salvaging the old one was out of the question,” he continued as he reached around me.

  I didn’t dare breathe too deeply as his fingers worked the buttons under my throat. I tried not to focus on how close he was or how—I swallowed a gasp as the backs of his fingers brushed my breasts, reminding me of last night. I really didn’t need to think about that.

  His arms grazed my chest. How many buttons were there? I looked down and almost groaned. The line of shiny black discs ended just below the chest.

  “Just so you know, I burned it along with the Craven,” he went on, and my pulse thrummed as his chin grazed my cheek. “We lucked out that one of the seamstresses already had this mostly finished. There. Now, you’ll be less likely to spend the entire trip begging for my body heat. Though, I’d be more than happy to appease such a request.”

  I was sure he would be. “Thank you,” I murmured.

  His hands slipped away from the buttons to my shoulders and then down my arms, leaving shivers in their wake. Shivers that spread down my front. Looking up, I saw Elijah heading our way, and I almost waved at
him in relief.

  “One moment,” Casteel called out, and Elijah stopped. A moment later, he turned me in his arms so that I was facing him. “Are you all right?”

  Lifting my gaze to his, I briefly wondered how he could have such incredibly thick lashes. “Yes.”

  His gaze searched mine. “You’re being very quiet.”

  I was, but how did I explain that it was because I had no idea how I was supposed to behave? I was sure that he’d probably find that silly, my lack of knowledge so great that I had no idea how to even pretend.

  “Is it what you did in the cell?” he asked.

  “No,” I answered quickly.

  “Is it the people here?”

  I shook my head.

  His features tensed. “Then is it about last night?”

  “No,” I said without hesitation. Probably too quickly based on the sudden flare of light in his eyes. “I’m just a little tired.”

  He watched me intently. “I’m not sure it’s that.”

  “It is,” I told him. “It’s not what happened last night or anything else. You know I didn’t get a lot of sleep.”

  He eyed me in a way that said he wasn’t quite sure he believed my response, but after a moment, he nodded. Stepping back, he motioned for Elijah to join us.

  “I still think you’ll make good time,” Elijah said as he grasped Setti’s reins.

  “Let’s hope so.” Casteel’s hands settled on my hips.

  I froze.

  “Put one foot in the stirrup,” he reminded me gently. “And then grab the horn. I’ll lift you.”

  Feeling about seven different kinds of inadequate, I reached up and gripped the horn. Most people learned to ride by the time they hit their teens.

  “You’re not familiar with horses, eh?” Elijah asked.

  I shook my head, expecting to hear mockery in his tone, or at the very least, disbelief. I didn’t hear any of that.

  “Never would’ve guessed that, seeing you over here all comfy with this temperamental ass.”

  “Hey,” Casteel said. “You saying things like that is why he’s a temperamental ass towards you.”

  Elijah laughed as Setti’s ears lowered. “Make sure he teaches you how to ride,” he said as Casteel lifted me with ease. “You seem like a natural.”

  “That’s on an exceedingly long to-do list of things I plan to teach her,” Casteel replied as I settled in the saddle.

  Did he really plan to do that? Excitement sparked. If I could ride and control a horse, I’d be able to travel easily once I was free. It would be a necessary skill, to be honest.

  Wait.

  What were the other things he planned?

  The grin Elijah sent to Casteel didn’t go unnoticed. “I bet you do.”

  Heat flooded my face, even though I only had an inkling of what the innuendo meant.

  “You still think you’ll have the first group out within two days?” Casteel asked as he swung up behind me with startling ease. I was sure if I tried that, I’d end up belly-flopping across the saddle and then sliding off it.

  “I hope to get the first group out by tomorrow morning,” Elijah told him.

  “Good. I’ll be waiting for them to arrive in Spessa’s End before I continue on to Atlantia. At least then, I will feel a little better about crossing the Skotos,” he said. “But I don’t want you to wait too long. Just because the western roads are clear now, you know they won’t stay that way for long.”

  “And you know I’m not leaving until the last one is well on the way home.”

  Thinking of all the people being forced to abandon their homes saddened me. It didn’t matter that it had been planned long before my arrival. I’d sped up those plans.

  “I know. That is why you’ve been entrusted with these people.” Casteel took the reins Elijah handed him. “I expect to see you home, my friend.”

  “You will.” Elijah looked at me. “Keep our Prince in line and do so vigilantly. I expect to hear many stories that involve you throwing down with him.”

  “You really don’t need to encourage her.” Casteel curled an arm around my waist, and a heartbeat later, I was nestled between his thighs, my back pressed to his front.

  Although I hadn’t forgotten about the lack of personal space while on horseback, my memories of it had dimmed. I wasn’t sure I needed the cloak, but I knew from past experience that there was no point in sitting straight as a pole. All I would succeed in doing was causing my back to ache and my bones to feel jostled. And besides, I didn’t think a happy…fiancée would pull away from their intended husband.

  And, truthfully, I didn’t want to. I had no idea how much of that desire had to do with avoiding how uncomfortable it would be, or if it was because of last night, his gift, the pantry, the secrets he shared, and all the moments in between.

  Elijah bent his arm, pressing his fist to his heart. “From blood and ash.”

  “We will rise,” Casteel finished, and my stomach dipped in response. Those words were the mark of the Dark One, his promise to his people and his supporters scattered throughout the kingdoms that they would rise once again.

  Those words had once been a harbinger of chaos, the bringer of pain and death. And now, the Dark One sat behind me.

  I was to marry him.

  Temporarily.

  And I’d allowed him to kiss me. To touch.

  Because we were pretending.

  None of this was real.

  “Until next time.” Elijah bowed in my direction.

  “I hope your travels are uneventful,” I said, surprising myself, and maybe even Casteel, because his arm tightened in response. I meant it, because…well, I liked the way Elijah always laughed.

  Even when it annoyed me.

  And the people here didn’t need to experience any more violence or heartbreak.

  “As do I.” Elijah grinned, stepping back. “Though I doubt she needs it, keep her safe, Prince.”

  “I always keep what is mine safe,” Casteel murmured, and my eyes narrowed as he gave Setti a soft nudge.

  Setti trotted forward. The other three were waiting, and we ended up in the middle of the group as we rode out into the yard and passed the eerie warning the gods had left behind. My heart matched the steady thud of Setti’s hooves as I gripped the pommel.

  “Where are your gloves?” Casteel asked.

  I found my voice after a moment. “In the satchel.”

  “They won’t do any good there.” He switched the reins to the hand that was at my waist, and then he was handing them over. “Spessa’s End is farther south. It will be warmer there.”

  I took the gloves, slowly pulling them on while my heart leapt. Up ahead, the roofs of homes came into view. Sparing a look behind me, I saw only the edges of the stone keep before it too disappeared.

  The mixture of nervousness and anticipation swirling inside me was a strange companion as I turned back around. In a few minutes, once we left the Rise surrounding New Haven, there would be no more chances to escape if I wanted to. We would be traveling too far to the east. I had to be fully committed to this deal I’d struck with Casteel—to his plan. Because now, there was no turning back.

  “By the way, I’m not yours,” I told him. “I don’t belong to anyone but myself. Nothing changes that.”

  “What if I just wanted a piece of you?” He shifted the reins to his other hand. “A tiny piece that belonged to me? I can think of a few I would love to have, Princess.”

  My cheeks warmed. “I bet you can.”

  His laugh was rough and deep. “Tell me what piece of you I can have. It can be any piece of your choosing. Whatever it is, I’ll take it.” His chin grazed my cheek. “It will be my most prized possession.”

  I didn’t offer Casteel a piece of me as we rode forward, joining the others. There was no reason to because what he didn’t know was that he already held too many of them.

  Chapter 20

  “You’ve been entirely too quiet today,” Casteel pointed o
ut again, several hours into the ride to Spessa’s End.

  “Have I?” I asked, knowing full well there was no point denying it. The back of my neck tightened. Conversation had hummed all around me. Jokes had been shared. Playful insults were often traded, and while Casteel was their Prince, his status didn’t give him immunity. Few questions and comments had been directed at me, mostly about my training and how I was able to keep it hidden. Other than explaining how I trained with Vikter, I remained silent.

  There was less opportunity for me to mess up that way.

  “You have,” he said.

  Aware of how close Delano and Naill were, riding only a few paces behind us, I said, “I’ve been…caught up in the scenery.”

  “The scenery?” he repeated. “You’ve been engrossed in staring at…trees?”

  My brow creased as I nodded. Tall pines crowded the road to Spessa’s End, growing so close to one another, their branches stretched from tree to tree. Very little could be seen beyond them.

  “I had no idea you were so invested in the common evergreen.”

  The corners of my lips turned down as I stiffened, pulling away from where I’d been leaning into Casteel. “I would think you’d be grateful that I’m quiet.”

  “Why in the world would you think I’d be grateful for that?”

  I sent him an arched brow over my shoulder. “Really?” I drawled in a low voice.

  His eyes narrowed, and as I returned to staring at the snow-tipped pines, he nudged Setti forward. The large horse responded at once, drawing ahead of the group. “What’s really going on with you?” he asked, his voice low.

  “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” I lifted my head at the flutter of wings. A bird, larger than I’d ever seen, took flight from the top of one of the pines, soaring gracefully into the sky. The wingspan was enormous, at least several feet. “Good gods, what kind of bird is that?”

  “I do believe it’s a silver hawk. They’re known to snatch small animals and even children if they’re hungry enough.”

  My eyes widened. “I’d heard stories about birds that could pick up children, but I thought they were just tales.”