Total pages in book: 241
Estimated words: 229266 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1146(@200wpm)___ 917(@250wpm)___ 764(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 229266 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1146(@200wpm)___ 917(@250wpm)___ 764(@300wpm)
And he didn’t stop.
He kept moving over me, in me, his mouth gliding over mine. He took me, and I seized him. We were a tangle of legs and arms, of flesh and fire, and the build was slower. Everything was slower as we took our time, acting as if we had all the time in the world, even though we didn’t. And when we were finally spent, we didn’t let go of each other. Not even as he finally drifted to sleep, his arms still tight around me. Not even when I joined him, my cheek resting upon the place I’d once thrust a dagger into.
And that was how we woke hours later, after the sun had set, to the long trill of a songbird. A call that was answered.
A signal.
I sat up, staring into the darkness beyond the terrace doors.
Casteel’s chest pressed to my back a moment before he kissed my shoulder. “They’re here.”
Chapter 38
Moonlight glinted off the golden swords strapped to Casteel’s side as we walked across the Rise. Delano, who had met us at the door, had given them to him.
The short-sleeved, lightweight cloak I wore over the dark blue tunic and leggings had been Casteel’s idea. If any Ascended were among those nearing Spessa’s End, they may be able to see me with their heightened vision. That was the only condition Casteel had given when I rose from the bed.
“The hood goes up as soon as they arrive, and it stays up for as long as it can,” he’d said. “Don’t make yourself a target.”
“I have good news, potentially bad news, and hopefully good news,” Emil said as he met us just outside a battlement. “Our scouts have reported that it’s the smaller group that’s set to arrive.”
“How many?” Casteel asked.
“About two hundred.”
“I think I can guess what the potentially bad news is,” Casteel said. “Since it wouldn’t have taken this long to arrive, they waited on the larger army and for night to fall.”
Meaning, there were most likely vampry among them, and there was at least several hundred more not far behind.
“That and they’ve brought what appears to be catapults with them,” Emil said. “These walls may be damaged by whatever they plan to throw at us, but I doubt they will have anything that can take them down if they remained standing throughout the War of Two Kings.”
“These walls will not fall,” Casteel vowed.
“What is the hopefully good news?” I asked.
“Since they waited for their larger armies to join them, it’s hopefully given us time for reinforcements to arrive,” Naill answered as he crossed the Rise.
“Hopefully being the operative word,” Emil added. “There are a lot of what-ifs here. Alastir and Kieran would’ve had to travel nonstop. A sizable group of our soldiers would’ve had to be near Saion’s Cove and ready to travel.”
Fear trickled through me, but I didn’t give it room to breathe—to grow. Having fear wasn’t a weakness. Only the foolish and the false claimed to feel no fear, but that emotion could spread like a plague if given too much thought. I couldn’t think of what could happen—if we weren’t able to hold off the Ascended. If Kieran and Alastir hadn’t been able to send reinforcements in time.
“And that’s not taking into consideration the mist in the Skotos and how it would’ve responded to such a presence.” Emil paused. “Your Highness.”
I jolted at the title. “Excuse me?”
Casteel glanced at me, a slight grin appearing in the moonlight. “In case you’ve forgotten, I’m a Prince.”
My eyes narrowed. “I haven’t forgotten.”
“And we’re married,” he continued. “Which makes you a Princess.”
“I know that, but the Princess thing isn’t official. I haven’t been…crowned or whatever.”
“It’s customary to refer to you as Your Highness or my Princess, even before the crowning,” Naill explained.
“Can we not?” I asked.
“It would be considered a great dishonor.” Naill paused. “Your Highness.”
I looked at him, and the Atlantian smiled innocently at me.
Casteel snorted.
“By the way, congratulations on the marriage,” Emil said, drawing my gaze to him. My senses told me he was sincere. “I have a feeling you will make a very interesting Queen.”
Queen?
Oh gods, how in the world did I forget that in the whole this-marriage-is-now-for-real thing? There was no way Malik would be in any shape to lead the kingdom once and if he was freed. Casteel would take the throne. Eventually. And I would be…
Okay.
I was not going to think about that.
“Then we will be calling you—Your Majesty,” Emil said, winking at me. “Isn’t that right, Cas?”
“Right,” he replied flatly, placing his hand on my hip. “Both of you should be getting into position.”
Emil and Naill made a great show of bowing before they left. “What was that about?” I asked. “You sending them off like that?”
“It’s official,” Casteel said, watching Emil as he stopped to speak to one of the Guardians. “I’m going to have to kill him.”