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)
My gaze shot to his. “Why not?”
The wolven inclined his head. “Because very few empaths could actually heal with their touch, and I’ve never heard of an empath who glowed like the moonlight. That doesn’t mean none ever did, but the ones I knew sure as hell didn’t.”
Unease stirred. “Are you suggesting that I’m not descended from that bloodline?”
“I don’t know.” Honesty rang in the silver-haired wolven’s words as he studied me. “You are a mystery in many ways, Penellaphe.”
Casteel’s approach silenced any response I might have had. “I truly hope you’re not filling her head with tales about me.”
“Are they tales I should know?” I asked.
“Depends.” Casteel eyed Kieran’s father. “If they involve anything that happened between when I was a babe through my Culling, the answer would be no.”
My brows rose. “Well, now I’m definitely interested.”
Pushing away from the wall, Jasper chuckled. “I haven’t spun any tales.” He paused. “Yet.”
Casteel’s eyes narrowed as he stood beside me. “How about you keep spinning tales to a minimum?”
“But I’m very interested in spun tales,” I remarked.
Jasper grinned again, and this time, with the light of the sun, there was no mistaking the resemblance between him and Kieran. “We have time. I’ll make sure of it.” He winked in my direction before clasping a hand on Casteel’s shoulder and leaving the parapet.
“It’s amusing to me that Alastir knows to keep his mouth shut when it comes to embarrassing stories concerning my most formative years, and yet speaks freely about things that should be given a second thought,” Casteel said, watching Jasper join his son and Alastir. Beckett had arrived, and when he smiled up at Jasper, I couldn’t help but think of the bolt of fear I’d felt from him. “And yet, meanwhile, Jasper is the exact opposite.”
“I’m really interested in your formative years.”
“I’m sure you are.” Casteel angled his body toward mine, and it was the first time since Emil had knocked on the door that we were somewhat alone.
There was so much to say as we stared at one another. So many questions and words left unsaid, but neither of us spoke as he gathered the edges of my cloak, pulling the thin material tighter around me. His hands remained there, balled in the material below mine as his gaze roamed over my face.
“You don’t need to stay up here, Poppy,” he said after a moment.
“I know, but I want to be here when Delano comes back.” I looked down at his hands. “Besides, I doubt I’d be able to sleep.”
“You could try.”
“So could you.”
“Even if I wasn’t the Prince, I would be up here,” he replied.
I lifted my gaze to his. “Even if I wasn’t about to become a Princess, I would be up here.”
Casteel became so still, I wondered if he breathed. I sensed an acute rush of emotions flow through him, so swift and sudden, I couldn’t make out what they were. That could’ve been my shock, though, because I’d never felt anything like that from him before.
Then he moved, lifting a hand. He hesitated as if to see if I would pull away. When I didn’t, he cupped my left cheek. His fingers splayed across the scars. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard you refer to yourself as the Princess.”
Had I not?
His gaze searched mine, and a long, tense moment passed. “There is so much we still need to talk about.”
“I know,” I whispered. “But it has to wait. I know that, too.”
“But until then?” He stepped into me, causing my breath to snag. “I am honored that you are standing beside me now.”
I didn’t know what to say, and I realized that sometimes nothing needed to be said.
“Are you hungry?” he asked. “Thirsty?”
I shook my head as he lifted his gaze to the western sky.
“But you’re cold.”
“Just a little.”
“A little is too much.” He lowered his hand to my shoulder and turned me so I faced the west. I allowed it.
And when he folded his arms around me, pulling my back against his front, I only tensed for a few seconds. I allowed that too and relaxed into his warm embrace, letting my head rest against his chest. Casteel seemed to let out a breath, and for several minutes, we just stood there. Together.
It was in those moments that I thought about what the wolven had said. “Jasper sort of indicated that he doesn’t think I’m descended from the empath bloodline.”
“He did?”
“He said he’s never heard of or knew any that glowed silver.”
“Neither have I,” he said. “But no other bloodline makes sense. The only other thing I can think of also doesn’t make sense.”
“And what would that be?”
“That neither of your parents were purely mortal. But if that were the case, and you’re a mixture of two lines, it seems hard to believe that both your mother and father would’ve gone unnoticed by the Ascended.”