“What in the hell are you?” Delano growled.
“A Handmaiden?” I suggested, thinking of the woman I knew as my mother—who could very well have been my mother by blood.
“Yes. That, and many other things.” Unpainted lips curved up in a tight smile as her gaze flicked to us. “But right now, I’m simply your friendly escort.” Her stare was unflinching as the sound of many footfalls echoed from both sides of the hall. “One of many escorts, that is.”
Within seconds, Royal Guards filled both sides of the windowless hallway, swords drawn. Among them were armored knights. There were dozens, and the knights appeared as they had in Spessa’s End. The comb atop their helmets was dyed crimson, and they wore the red-painted masks that covered the upper parts of their faces.
I exhaled raggedly.
“Let him go,” Casteel demanded, his chin dipping low. “And we’ll behave if you behave.”
Those eerie eyes focused on him, and I sensed a quick burst of tartness—a great unease—from the woman. But it was brief, and she smiled broadly then, revealing two rows of…fangless teeth. “Of course,” she replied quite cheerfully. “I excel at behaving.”
I had a feeling that was a lie.
We waited, hearts pounding, and the eather in my chest straining against my skin. I could take them all out, just like I had with the Unseen on the road to Evaemon.
“You’re going to let me go?” Delano asked, and the woman nodded. “Then you have to actually let me go.”
“I will,” she said, those eyes shifting back to me. “But you see, you have all already misbehaved, sneaking in underground.” She tsked softly under her breath, and energy pulsed through me, beneath my skin. “Going where you should not have gone.” Her flat eyes bored into mine. “Seeing what you should not have seen.”
“The man in the cage?”
Her smile faded. “Our Queen will not be very pleased by that, but I am willing to give all of you the benefit of the doubt. Especially you,” she said to me. “Do not try anything. If you do, it will not be your lives you forfeit. It will be the lives of those who were riding toward our east gates.”
I stiffened as disbelief echoed through me. Vonetta and the others wouldn’t have made it to the gates yet. “How?”
“We saw them and expedited their arrival,” she replied, the blades at Delano’s throat and stomach steady. “This morning, to be exact.”
Gods.
“Where are they?” Casteel demanded through gritted teeth.
“They are safe and currently waiting for you all to join them.”
“And we’re supposed to believe you?” Kieran accused.
“She speaks the truth,” came a familiar voice from our right.
My breath caught as I turned, and Casteel tensed as if prepared to launch himself at me. Ian stepped out from the hall, his gaze moving from us to the woman and Delano. He looked...tense, his paler-than-should-be features strained.
“You were told no unnecessary bloodshed,” Ian spoke quietly.
“See?” The woman raised her brows at us. “And I haven’t spilled any. Not even a drop.” Without warning, she released Delano and stepped back, lowering her blades.
Delano spun around, his chest rising and falling as he glared at the young woman. She winked at him.
“She has told you all the truth. Your friends are fine.” Ian’s gaze touched mine. “I can take you to them, and the Queen will meet us there. You may keep your weapons.”
I looked over at Casteel. His jaw flexed as he nodded curtly. “Well, we might as well. We are here to see the Blood Crown.”
And it wasn’t like we had a choice.
Gods, this was why there’d been no guards underneath. It could’ve also been why we’d had no problem entering the city. They already knew we were coming in using a different route, and earlier than expected. We’d lost the upper hand before we even realized it, and we were the ones caught off guard.
The guards waited until we started walking, led by the strange woman. Casteel stuck close to my side as Ian fell into step beside me.
He stared straight ahead as we traveled the windowless hall. “I hope you’re well, sister,” he said, and I looked up at him, staying silent. “And that your travels after we last met went well.”
My gaze sharpened on him, and he glanced briefly at me. I could read nothing from those fathomless eyes or from him, but was he trying to ask about Nyktos’s guards without giving anything away?
“They did,” I lied.
His features eased in the slightest, and I swore it was relief. “Good.”
“You’re in—” I stopped myself from blurting out what I suspected. The woman in front of us looked over her shoulder. “You’re alone? Where is your wife?”
“Lady Claudeya remains in the capital.”
Casteel’s hand brushed mine as we entered the Great Hall. Like the hallway, there was no sunlight. Heavy, deep crimson drapes covered the windows, and a knight was stationed in front of each one. Several small tables of untouched food and drinks were situated between a handful of seats and settees before a raised dais. The chairs were occupied. Vonetta rose, followed by Emil, Lyra, and Hisa. Naill was already standing behind them. None of them looked entirely thrilled, but I could feel relief coming from them and us. Someone else remained seated in one of the chairs, partially blocked by—
Vonetta caught my stare and stepped aside.
Air punched out of my lungs as Tawny rose, a beautiful sight in a simple rose-hued gown with long, fluttering sleeves.
“Poppy?” she whispered, stepping forward as she glanced at Vonetta and Emil. “You’re really—”
“It is my sister,” Ian cut her off, and a look passed between my brother and her, one that might have been of warning, but a knot expanded and tripled in my throat because Tawny wasn’t…
She hadn’t Ascended.
I started toward her, but Casteel caught my hand.
“It’s okay,” Ian stated quietly, and the look Casteel shot him said that he didn’t think much of anything my brother said.
But Emil nodded. “It is.”
Casteel’s jaw worked, but he released my hand, and I rushed forward at the same moment Tawny swept past Emil, her mass of brown and gold curls as wild and beautiful as ever. The moment I reached her, I wrapped my arms around her, and when I felt her warm skin under her dress, I shook. I trembled even harder when she curled her arms around me, holding me as tightly as I held her, and I could feel that she was shaking just as badly—I could also feel her emotions. Bubbly and sugary wonder. Earthy and woodsy relief, and the bitter taste of—
“The Queen isn’t what she seems,” Tawny whispered in my ear as her fear coated the back of my throat. “You need—”
“Poppy looks so different,” Ian interrupted, having come up behind us. “Doesn’t she?”
I pulled back, my eyes searching Tawny’s as she nodded. I spared a quick look at Ian and saw that the Handmaiden was eyeing us as she moved slowly behind Casteel and Kieran. Both of them had crept closer. Tawny…she knew the truth about the Queen and the Ascended, and Ian was trying to protect her.
“I know,” I said, meeting Tawny’s gaze. “I do look different without the veil.”
Tawny’s lips trembled, but she forced a smile as she looked between Ian and me. “You look beautiful without the veil.”
I slid my hands to her arms. “I’m so happy to see you. I’ve missed you so much. And I’ve been so worried.”
“As I’ve missed you,” Tawny replied, aware of the guards circling the room. “But there is no reason to worry.” She swallowed as she looked up at where Casteel had come to stand at my side. “Hello.” She paused, eyes narrowing slightly. “Hawke.”
How she said his name and the look she gave him was so Tawny, I almost started crying.
“Hello, Tawny.” Casteel bowed his head. “I am relieved to see that you are well. Although I wish we were confirming that under different circumstances.”
“As do we all,” Ian murmured under his breath.
The young woman drifted closer, her still gaze seeming to miss nothing. Tawny started to glance back at her, but then the Handmaiden’s gaze flicked to the entrance of the Great Hall.
Awareness pressed against the nape of my neck and my back, erupting in icy shivers. Ian stepped back, using his arm to guide Tawny to do the same. I knew before I turned what I would find, but I still moved as if I were caught in thick, cold slush. I looked past the line of guards with their black mantles.
Crimson and black silk skirts flowed like water across the stone floor. The gown’s deep vee cut between the swells of breasts, reaching the impossibly narrow waist encased in rows of rubies chained together. Red-tipped fingers clasped together. Garnets strung and clasped tightly around slender wrists and a pale neck. Lush, red lips tipped up in a faint smile. A turned-up nose pierced with an onyx stone. High cheekbones flushed artfully with rouge. Black eyes glimmered under the golden chandeliers, outlined and winged in black. Arched, deep brown brows. Hair that shone a dark auburn was swept up and back so the mass spilled over an elegant shoulder in thick, loose curls that brushed the rows of rubies at the waist. Carved from pure, polished ruby and consisting of twelve hoops connected by oval pieces of onyx and topped with diamonds crafted into spires, the Blood Crown was one of the most beautiful and horrendous works of art that had ever been created.
As was the woman who wore it.
Queen Ileana looked just like I remembered—beautiful in a sultry way few could ever achieve and carrying a warmth to her features even fewer Ascended had ever been able to master. Our gazes locked, and I couldn’t look away as memories of her brushing my hair back from the ruined side of my face, of reading to me when I couldn’t sleep, of holding me when I cried for my mother and father, rushed into me, over and over.
And maybe that was why I didn’t see who stood just behind her, to her right. Maybe that was why it took more than a moment for me to register the sudden explosion of icy shock rolling off Casteel, and that he’d jerked back a step. My gaze shifted to the man who stood there. It wasn’t King Jalara.
This man’s hair nearly reached his shoulders and was a light brown that showed hints of blond, but the sharp cheekbones, the straight nose, and the proud line of his jaw were uncannily familiar. And then his full mouth curved upward, as he stared up at us. And a…a dimple appeared in his left cheek. The smile, though, it was all wrong, lacking warmth and any trace of humanity.
“Brother,” the stranger said, and a rolling tide of shivers shot straight down my side at the deep, gritty sound of his voice. “It has been far too long.”
Casteel had stiffened beside me. “Malik.”
Chapter 45
“What a happy reunion,” Queen Ileana announced, her smile tight as she took in the two brothers staring at each other.
I hardly heard her—was barely aware of the Handmaiden drifting in and out from between us like a wraith, coming to stand on the other side of the Queen.
What I was staring at didn’t make sense.
And I wasn’t the only one who appeared frozen in shock as we stared at Prince Malik Da’Neer. How was he even free? Standing beside the Blood Queen, seemingly healthy and whole? He looked nothing like the emaciated, frail man we’d seen in the cage below. His golden bronze skin lacked the haggardness of starvation. His hair gleamed, and the polished shine of his boots, the cut of his breeches, and the tailored shirt and deep grey vest he wore dripped with wealth and privilege.
It didn’t make sense.
Or it couldn’t, because the only reason he’d be here was unfathomable.
“Gods,” Kieran uttered, lifting a hand and then halting.
“Malik.” Casteel’s voice was hoarse, and the agony slicing through him stole my breath. I reached out, grasping his hand. His gaze swung between his brother and the Blood Queen. His—and all the others’—shock pelted me like icy rain. “No.”
His brother’s head tilted as his gaze flicked to where my hand was wrapped around Casteel’s. “I see you’ve gotten yourself married, Cas,” he said, and Casteel flinched as the breath he took punched from him. “Wish I could’ve been there.” Bright, golden eyes met mine, and I felt Kieran shudder from where he stood beside me. “Congratulations.”
“What has she done to you?” Casteel demanded, rattled to his very core.
“Opened my eyes,” Malik replied.
“To what?” Casteel choked.
“To the truth.” His head straightened, and I reached out with my senses, finding a thick wall shielding his emotions. “Just as she will open all your eyes.”
Casteel took a step back, his disbelief as potent as his sorrow. “This can’t be real.” His head swung toward the Queen. He started toward her, but I tightened my grip on his hand as several of the knights stepped forward. They weren’t my concern. It was the Handmaiden, whose gaze sharpened on Casteel. “What in the fuck have you done to him?”
“Casteel.” Her voice reached us like a snake in the grass.
His entire body went rigid beside mine, and her red lips curved up as she extended a hand toward him.
I reacted without thought, grabbing her arm. The silk of her sleeve wrinkled under my grip. “You will never lay a finger on him again.”
The Handmaiden stepped forward, but Queen Ileana held up a hand as her dark gaze slid to mine. “Penellaphe.” Those dark eyes roamed my face, touching briefly on the scars and then continuing on. And I thought…gods, I thought her features softened and warmed. “I have no interest in laying a hand on your husband. That would be incredibly disrespectful.”
“As if you care for what is respectful,” I shot back.
Her brows rose, and then she laughed softly. “Ian,” she called, and I saw my brother stiffen from the corner of my eye. “You didn’t tell me that our dear Penellaphe not only found her tongue but also sharpened it.”
Ian said nothing.
Queen Ileana tugged on her arm, but I held on for a moment more. I didn’t know why. Maybe just to prove I could, that my tongue wasn’t the only thing about me that now had sharpened edges. I slowly let go, lifting one finger at a time.
An eyebrow rose as she stared at me. Then she leaned her head in, and the scents of rose and vanilla reached me. “Poppy,” she said softly, holding my gaze. As close as she was, I thought her eyes…weren’t as dark as an Ascended’s normally were. I could see her pupils. I opened my senses, but I felt nothing from her, which wasn’t a surprise. “How quickly you’ve turned on me, after all the years I protected you, cared for you, and kept you safe.”
Her words did nothing to my heart. “You mean after spending years lying to me and keeping me in a cage?”
“You were not caged, child. I am sure your dear Prince can tell you that.”
Casteel’s head whipped in her direction, and his fury blasted my skin. “A room and a life of lies is still a cage,” I bit out, refusing to look away. “And I am not a child, nor is he a Prince.”
Queen Ileana’s brows knitted and then smoothed out as she glanced at Casteel. Another soft laugh left her as she pulled back. “Well, that explains so much.” She looked over her shoulder at Malik. “The younger brother surpasses the eldest.” She turned back to us. “And the Maiden becomes the Queen.” The corners of her lips lifted again. “Just as I had always hoped for you.”
Warning bells rang, but they’d been ringing since she entered the room with Prince Malik at her side, as if he were her Consort. “Where is the King?” I asked.
“In the capital,” she answered, eyeing Kieran. She reached to straighten the collar of his tunic but caught my move toward her. “Territorial, aren’t you? Never would’ve expected that. I have a question for you, dear. One that may make Ian very uncomfortable.” Her crown glimmered as she tipped her head back. “Are you Joined to this wolven? Or is it the pretty blond one? Or one of those oh-so-gorgeous females?”
The fact that she knew of the Joining didn’t e
scape any of us. “I’m bonded to them,” I answered, waiting for her gaze to settle on me. “To all of them.”
Her eyes widened slightly, and then she clapped her hands together, surprising me. Casteel shot me a quick glance as the Queen looked over her shoulder at Malik. “Look at what you’ve missed out on.”
“I’m looking,” he replied dryly. “And I’m seeing.”
“What in the hell is that supposed to mean?” Casteel snarled, his shock at seeing his brother—at the betrayal— giving way to fury that tasted of blood instead of anger.
“You see, I’ve always seen my dear Penellaphe as the future Queen of Atlantia.” Queen Ileana turned to Delano, her grin resurfacing as his lip curled in disgust. She raised a hand and snapped her fingers. I tensed, but it was a small horde of servants who answered her summons, filtering into the room, carrying trays of glasses. “Just married to the wrong brother.”
I choked on my breath as Casteel stared at her. “What?” I couldn’t have heard her right.
“Drinks anyone?” Queen Ileana offered, and none of us accepted, not even Emil or Naill, who both looked as if they could use an entire bottle at the moment. One shoulder lifted in a delicate shrug in response to their refusal.
“What was that supposed to mean?” Casteel pressed.
“I had planned for my Penellaphe to marry Malik,” she answered, and yes, I had heard her correctly the first time.
“It’s true,” Malik confirmed, plucking up a glass of what I sincerely hoped was red wine. He lifted it toward me. “I was your Ascension.” His lips curved into a smirk. “Or at least that’s what we could call it.” He winked and took a drink. “But I suppose it could be considered an Ascension of the…flesh?”
Casteel exploded.
He shot toward his brother, lips peeled back, and fangs bared. He was fast, but Kieran launched himself at Casteel, wrapping both arms around his waist. “That’s what they want,” Kieran said. “Don’t give it to them, brother. Don’t.”
Queen Ileana’s laughter was like tinkling windchimes as she helped herself to a glass. “Please, do,” she said, and I saw the knights and guards back away from Malik and Casteel. “I’m curious to know who would win this fight. My bet is on Casteel. He has always been a fighter.” She grinned as she lifted one of Vonetta’s braids as she drifted past her. Vonetta’s lips peeled back in a silent snarl. “Even when he was on the verge of being broken.”
The Crown of Gilded Bones (Blood And Ash Series Book 3) Page 59