“Fuck,” he groaned, shifting his hips as he ground into me, over and over, the movements increasing in intensity until they became feverish, until it felt like I would break apart. My head spun as the bliss built. He felt like he was everywhere, and when he dropped his mouth to my throat, and I felt the scrape of his fangs, it was all too much. Spasms rocked my body in tight, slick waves, throwing me so high, I didn’t think I’d ever come down as he followed me into that bliss, shuddering as my throat muffled his deep moan of release.
We stayed like that for a little bit, joined together, and both struggling to gain control of our breathing. Shaken, it took quite a few minutes for me to come to my senses while he eased himself from me and carefully lowered me to my feet.
With his arm holding me tightly against him, Casteel looked over his shoulder. “You know what? It is a beautiful garden.”
Casteel and I walked hand and hand through the city on the coast of the Seas of Saion, the sun and salty breeze warm against our skin as we stepped out of the seamstress shop, where a Miss Seleana quickly took my measurements. We weren’t alone. Kieran walked on the other side of me, and Delano, along with four other wolven, followed as Casteel took me through the winding, colorful streets full of storefronts painted in yellows and greens, and homes that boasted vivid blue front doors. An orange poppy blossom was tucked in my hair, one Casteel had paid nearly triple for, even though the street vendor tried to give us a dozen for free. Our hands were sticky from the cinnamon pastries we had been given a few blocks from the florist, in front of a shop that smelled like all things sugar and was painted to match the dewy grass. And there was a smile plastered to my face that not even the brief bursts of distrust radiating on and off throughout the afternoon could erase. I only seemed to sense the cautious emotion from the mortal inhabitants and a few of the Atlantians with graying hair. Those were few and far between. Otherwise, all I felt was curiosity and surprise. No one, not even those who bowed with a sense of wariness, was rude or threatening. That could’ve been because of Casteel, Kieran, and the wolven. It could’ve also been the Guards of the Crown, dressed in white that we spotted shortly before picking up the flower, their presence evidence that Casteel’s parents knew we moved about the city.
Or it could’ve been what they had heard about me—about what I was capable of.
Either way, I honestly couldn’t give a fig. I was enjoying myself despite the unanswered questions, the shadow of the Unseen lingering over us, what I’d done for the girl in the garden, and everything that needed to be decided and done.
When Casteel had asked if I wanted to take a walk through the city, I’d hesitated. We needed to speak with his parents. Not only did we owe them that, but there was also the possibility that they held some of the answers to the questions we had. But Casteel had kissed me and said, “We have tomorrow, Poppy, and we have right now. You get to decide how you want to spend it.”
I wanted those answers. I wanted to somehow ensure that his parents didn’t…well, think I was a threat. But with my muscles still lax and my blood still warm from those wicked moments in the alcove, I’d decided I wanted to spend right now exploring. Enjoying myself. Living.
And so, that was what we did.
We were steadily walking toward the lower part of the city and the glistening beaches, past buildings with outdoor dining tables packed with people chatting and sharing food. Kieran had called them cafés, and I knew places like that existed in Solis, but I’d only ever seen them in Masadonia, and from a distance. I’d never been inside one.
Having just experienced an icy treat made of crushed ice and fruit, we didn’t venture into any of the cafés.
Casteel stopped when we came upon a squat, windowless building, though, tugging me to the side. Stone benches sat between the pillars of a wide colonnade. “Didn’t you say you were interested in museums?”
Surprise flickered through me. On our journey to Skotos when we left Spessa’s End, I’d mentioned to Delano and Naill when they talked about the different conservatories in Atlantia, that I’d never been allowed to enter one in Solis. I hadn’t realized that Casteel had been paying attention, nor did I expect him to remember something I’d forgotten.
I nodded as I resisted the urge to wrap my arms around him like one of the furry little creatures that hung from the trees by their tails in the forests near the Elysium Peaks. I didn’t think Casteel would mind, but Kieran would probably sigh.
“Would you like to go inside?” Casteel asked.
“I would.” Eager to see some of Atlantia’s history, I managed to proceed up the steps beside Casteel and Kieran, moving at a sedate pace.
The inside was dimly lit and a bit stagnant, smelling faintly of camphor. As we passed a limestone sculpture of one of the goddesses, Kieran explained that there were no windows, so the light didn’t fade the paintings or stones.
And there were a lot of paintings of the gods—both of them together and individually. It was easy to pick out the ones depicting Nyktos since his face was always obscured by either glowing light, or his features were simply not rendered in detail.
“Remember what I told you about how he was depicted with a wolf?” Kieran said, drawing my gaze to a painting of the King of Gods standing beside a tall, grayish-black wolf.
“This represents his relationship with the wolven?”
Kieran nodded. There were many like that, even small sculptures of Nyktos with a wolven by his side. And farther down the long wall was a sketch with a white wolf drawn behind him, symbolizing his ability to take the shape of a wolf.
“I wonder what is in the museums in Solis,” I said as we stopped before a painting of the Goddess Ione, cradling a swaddled infant. “Do they have paintings like this? Did they copy them?”
“Is it true that only the upper class could enter the museums?” Kieran asked.
I nodded, stomach souring. “Yes. Only the wealthy and the Ascended. And so very few mortals are wealthy.”
“That is an archaic and brutal caste system.” Casteel’s eyes narrowed upon a landscape of what appeared to be Saion’s Cove. “One purely designed to create and strengthen oppression.”
“By creating a gap between those who have access to all the resources, and those who have access to none,” I said, my chest becoming heavy. “And Atlantia is really not like that? Not even a little?” The last bit I asked of Kieran, as I thought of those who needed to be reminded of who the wolven were.
“We are not like that,” he said. “Atlantia has never been that way.”
“That doesn’t mean that we’ve been perfect.” Casteel’s hand threaded through my hair. “There has been strife, but the Council of Elders was formed to prevent anyone from making a choice or decision that could jeopardize the people of Atlantia. That doesn’t mean the Crown doesn’t have ultimate authority,” he explained. “But the Council has a say, and it would be very unwise for their opinions to go unheard. It has only happened twice before, and the end results were not favorable.”
“When Malec Ascended Isbeth, and the others started following suit?” I surmised.
Casteel nodded. “The Council was against allowing it to occur, having the opinion that Malec should apologize, make what he did right, and forbid future Ascensions.”
“And what do you mean by make things right?” I had a sinking feeling I already knew.
“He was advised to rid himself of Isbeth, one way or another,” he said. “He did none of those things.”
“And so, here we are,” Kieran murmured.
I swallowed. “And what of the other time?”
A thoughtful expression pinched Casteel’s features. “It was back before Malec ruled, when there were other deities. The Council was started then, when the bloodlines began to outnumber the deities. The Council suggested that it was time for the crown to sit upon the head of one of the bloodlines. That was also ignored.”
Alastir hadn’t mentioned that in his cruddy history lesson. If they had listened to
the Council, would the deities have survived?
A couple with two young children hastily bowed as we rounded a corner. Their shock at seeing us was evident in their widened eyes. As Casteel and Kieran greeted them with a smile and words of hello, I saw that they were most likely mortal. I followed suit with the greeting, hoping I didn’t come across as stiff.
Moving onto a case containing what appeared to be some sort of clay vase, I said, “Can I ask you two a question and have you give me an honest response?”
“Can’t wait to hear what this will be,” Kieran murmured while Casteel nodded.
I shot the wolven a dark look. “Do I seem awkward when I meet people?” I could feel warmth suffusing my cheeks. “Like back there, when I said hello? Did it sound right?”
“You sounded like anyone saying hello.” Casteel lifted a hand, tucking a strand of hair back from my face. “If anything, you seem a little shy, not awkward.”
“Really?” I asked hopefully. “Because I…well, I’m not used to actually interacting with people. In Solis, people didn’t really acknowledge me unless it was in a situation where it was allowed. So I feel weird, like I’m doing it wrong.”
“You’re not doing it wrong, Poppy.” The lines of Kieran’s face softened. “You sound fine.”
Casteel dropped a quick kiss to the bridge of my nose. “We swear.”
Kieran nodded.
Feeling a little better after hearing that, we continued on. If I were to become Queen, I supposed I’d have to get over these annoying insecurities.
Unsure of how that would happen, we slowly made our way past paintings and statues, many depicting the gods or fantastical cities that stretched into the clouds. Casteel claimed those were the cities in Iliseeum. They were all beautiful, but I stopped in front of a charcoal drawing. Some of it had faded, but it was clearly a sketch of a man seated upon a large throne. The lack of features told me it was Nyktos who sat there, but it was what sat at his feet that snagged my attention—and held it. Two extraordinarily large felines rested before him, their heads tilted in his direction. My eyes narrowed as I cocked my head to the side.
“This is a really old drawing,” Casteel said as he idly ran his hand up and down my back. “Supposedly drawn by one of the deities.”
It took me a moment to realize what those sketched cats reminded me of. “Are they cave cats?”
“I don’t think so,” Kieran answered as he stared up at the drawing.
“They look like them,” I said. “I saw one of them once…” I frowned as the dream I’d had while in the crypts resurfaced. “Or maybe more than once.”
Casteel glanced down at me. “Where did you see one? In a painting or drawing like this?”
“No.” I shook my head. “There was one caged in the castle at Carsodonia.”
Kieran’s brows lifted. “I don’t think that’s what you saw.”
“I saw a cat as large as you are in your wolven form,” I told him. “Ian saw it, too.”
He shook his head. “That’s impossible, Poppy. Cave cats have been extinct for at least a couple of hundred years.”
“What? No.” I looked between them. Casteel nodded. “They roam the Wastelands.”
“Who told you that?” Casteel asked.
“No one told me that. It’s just…” I trailed off, my gaze returning to the drawing. It was something that was just known. But in reality, it was the Ascended who had said as much. The Queen had told me that when I asked about the creature I’d seen in the castle. “Why would they lie about something like that?”
Kieran snorted. “Who knows? Why have they erased entire gods and created ones that don’t exist like Perus? I think they just like to make things up,” he countered—and he had a good point.
I stared at the two cats. “Then what was in that cage?”
“Possibly another large wild cat,” Casteel answered with a shrug. “But I think these two felines are supposed to symbolize the children of Nyktos and his Consort.”
“When you say children, are you talking about Theon or all the gods?” I asked.
“His actual children,” Casteel confirmed. “And Theon was never his actual son. That’s another thing the Ascended either lied about or they simply misunderstood due to his many titles.”
It was very possible it was a mistranslation. I stared at them, thinking how one of them was responsible for Malec. “Could they shift into cats?”
“Not sure,” Kieran said. “Nothing that I remember reading ever said as much, and I don’t believe Nyktos’s ability to shift was something passed on to his children.”
Of course, not. “What are their names?”
“Like with his Consort,” Casteel said, “they are not known. Not even their genders.”
I raised a brow. “Let me guess, Nyktos was just super-protective of their identities?”
Casteel smirked. “That’s what they say.”
“Sounds like he was super controlling,” I muttered.
“Or maybe just really private,” Kieran suggested as he reached over and tugged gently on the strand of hair Casteel had tucked back earlier. “Being the King of Gods, I’m sure he sought privacy wherever he could.”
Maybe.
As we continued on through the museum, it was hard not to think back on that painting or the creature I’d seen in that cage when I was a child. I remembered the way the animal had prowled in its confines, desperate, and with a keen intelligence in its eyes.
Chapter 24
We ended up sharing a dinner of freshly grilled fish and roasted vegetables in one of the cafés closest to the water, joined by Delano, who had shifted into his mortal form at some point. I had asked if the other wolven wished to join us, but they had chosen to remain in their wolven forms, watching over any and all that ventured near us, including the Crown Guard.
It wasn’t until after the sun had begun its steady descent into the horizon that we made it to the beaches. The first thing I did was unstrap my sandals. The very moment my feet sank into the gritty sand, a smile tugged at my lips as a barrage of memories rose within me—memories of my parents and Ian, walking along another beach. As my sandals dangled from my fingers, and Casteel wrapped his hand firmly around mine, I looked out at the sea, watching the clear waters turn a shade of silver as the moon rose. Those afternoons on the beaches of the Stroud Sea felt like a different lifetime, eons ago, and that saddened me. How long before they became memories that felt as if they belonged to someone else?
Delano, who walked ahead, turned to face us. “If you’re not tired, there’s something ahead you might enjoy, Penellaphe.”
“I’m not tired.” I looked up at Casteel. “Are you?”
A faint smile appeared as he shook his head.
Delano’s gaze flicked from Casteel to Kieran before returning to me as he walked backwards. “There is a celebration of a wedding,” he explained. “Just around the bend.”
“Are we able to join? I mean, they don’t know me—”
“They will welcome you,” Delano cut in. “Both of you.”
“You want to?” Casteel asked. Of course, I did. I nodded. He looked over his shoulder to where I knew the members of the Crown Guard followed several paces back. “Thank you for your watchful eyes. That will be all for tonight.”
I turned just as I saw several guards bow and then pivot. “They’re actually leaving?”
“They know they don’t belong at a celebration like this,” Kieran explained. “It’s not personal. It just is.”
Just is?
My feet sank into damp sand as we made our way around a dune, the sounds of laughter and music growing louder. There was so much to soak in—the shouts of happiness, the canopies rippling in the salty breeze, the thick blankets and cushions scattered about the sand, and the groups of people huddled about, dancing and talking. There was so much life, so much warmth and joy, that it flooded my senses, leaving me exposed like a live wire but in a way that was pleasant for the first time. In a way th
at I wanted. My gaze bounced everywhere, stopping on those moving around the flames.
“During these kinds of celebrations, only the wolven can dance around the fire,” Casteel explained, following my gaze. “Though I bet they’d allow you. You’re their Liessa.”
“It’s strange to be the wolven’s Queen and not be a wolven,” I said, watching people envelop Delano as the wolven who’d been trailing us all day rushed forward, disappearing into the crowd.
“Tonight is about celebration,” Kieran told us. “You don’t have to worry about anyone bowing or beating their fists off the sand tonight.”
A tiny grin appeared. “Was my awkwardness the last time really that noticeable?”
“Yes,” both Casteel and Kieran answered.
“Wow,” I said, ducking my chin against Casteel’s arm as I smiled.
But Kieran was right. As he broke away from us, joining several others who stood near a few of the canopied tents, only waves and smiles greeted us. Taking my sandals from me, Casteel dropped them onto the sand and then unstrapped his swords, lying them on a blanket—a sign that he felt it was safe to do so here. Sitting, he pulled me down so I was nestled between his legs, facing the bonfire.
I’d completely lost sight of Delano as I relaxed in Casteel’s embrace, but I found Kieran a few moments later, talking with a tall, dark-haired female. That was about all I could see of her from a distance. “Who is Kieran speaking to?” I asked.
Casteel looked over the top of my head. “I think her name is Lyra. If that’s who I think it is. She’s a bit younger than Kieran and me, but her family is close to his.”
“Oh,” I whispered, watching them and thinking of what Kieran had once said about loving and losing someone. He’d never expounded on that, but what I’d felt from him when he spoke was the kind of anguish one felt when the person they loved was no longer in the realm of the living. It made me happy to see him with someone, even if they were just talking and laughing. Not that I would share that with him. He’d probably consider it a question.
The Crown of Gilded Bones (Blood And Ash Series Book 3) Page 32