Total pages in book: 401
Estimated words: 390373 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1952(@200wpm)___ 1561(@250wpm)___ 1301(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 390373 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1952(@200wpm)___ 1561(@250wpm)___ 1301(@300wpm)
Surprise flickered over her otherwise impassive features. “Their orders?”
“Two of the generals and their chosen guards are to assist with securing the Ascended,” I said.
Her head tilted slightly. “And the third?”
“I want them and their guards stationed at the Shadow Temple,” I advised. “They are to make sure nothing enters or leaves, be it mortal, god, or shadow.”
Naill’s brows lifted. “Is there a reason?”
I exhaled heavily. “I fucking hope not.”
“I heard you were looking for me,” Reaver said the following afternoon, brushing past me and entering the bedchamber.
“Come on in,” I muttered, pushing my temper down as I forced myself to gently close the door instead of ripping it off its hinges and beating Reaver upside the head with it.
The draken ignored the comment as I crossed the chamber. He’d stopped at the foot of the bed, looking down at Poppy. His angular features appeared even sharper. “She doesn’t…”
I waited for him to finish. “What?” I asked when he didn’t.
He went to speak, then shook his head. It struck me then that he hadn’t been this close to Poppy since she went into stasis. None of his feelings showed in his expression, nor could I pick up anything from him. But neither could Poppy.
“What did you want?” he asked.
“You heard what happened last night?” I asked, walking to the table.
“Other than me almost causing Emil to piss himself?”
I almost laughed as I picked up the decanter next to the untouched plate of covered food. “Yes, other than that.”
“And something other than you actually leaving this chamber and stepping up?”
Fingers tightening around the neck of the decanter, I slowly lifted my gaze to him.
Whatever he saw on my face erased the shit-eating grin from his. “I heard something happened with the Ascended,” he said finally. “That they were killed.”
“Someone bit them and drained their blood.” Pulling the crystal stopper from the decanter, I poured myself a glass. “I don’t know how much you know about the Ascended—”
“I know enough,” he cut in as I placed the decanter down. “You aren’t going to offer me a drink?”
“No.” I lifted the glass in a mock toast.
Those vertical pupils contracted as his eyes narrowed. “You’re as annoying as that wolf. Possibly even more so.”
“Thank you.”
“That wasn’t a compliment.”
“So you say.” I took a drink. “Anyway, since you know enough about the Ascended, then I’ll get to the point.”
Reaver was quiet, hopefully listening.
“No one was seen entering or leaving those homes,” I continued. “And those I trust are confident it’s not a situation where one of our people disobeyed orders.”
“That’s…odd.” He cocked his head, sending strands of hair against his cheek. “But I’m not sure what that has to do with me.”
“Nektas said…” I glanced at Poppy, not wanting to discuss this shit while she slept—I didn’t know what she could hear. I lowered my voice when I spoke again. “He said we stopped Kolis from returning to his full flesh and bone form. We assumed that meant he wasn’t entirely corporeal.”
Reaver stiffened, immediately getting where my mind had gone. “You think it was him?” He moved away from the bed and walked to the table. His voice lowered, too. “Just because no one saw anyone committing this crime? Or because someone said they believe your people obeyed orders?”
“It’s not just that.” I leaned against the chair. “The flowers and lawns were dead in front of those homes—and only those homes.”
He opened his mouth.
“The plants were completely gray and shattered with a single touch,” I added. “And it smelled like the houses did. Sweet yet stale. Not only that, one of the homes had dead birds in it.”
Reaver inhaled sharply. “Sweet yet… Like the Revenants smell? Like stale lilacs?”
Taking a sip, I nodded. The Revs did smell like stale lilacs. Except for Millicent—the First Daughter spoken of in that damn prophecy—who was a Revenant yet…not.
Poppy’s sister.
The scent didn’t cling to her. Come to think of it, Callum didn’t smell like stale lilacs either. Then again, they weren’t like the other Revenants.
Reaver’s brows slashed together. “Kolis has to be here. Or, at the very least, close. If not, the Blood Queen wouldn’t have acted when she did. But I don’t sense him. Neither have any of the other draken.”
“Would you have sensed him if he wasn’t fully restored?”
Reaver snapped his jaw shut. A moment passed. “I don’t know.”
“Is it possible for Kolis’s form to be more like a spirit? As in being able to move unseen but possessing enough of a physical form to have fangs.”
A single brow arched. “You do realize how…nonsensical that sounds, right?”
“Yes.” I sighed. “I do.” Taking a drink, I watched him drift away from the table. “So?”
“I suppose,” he said, stopping at the window. “Considering how he was put into stasis and how long he remained in it, there’d be little left of him but a few bones and blood.”