Tension crept into his body, and he lowered his gaze. “We moved you to one of the cells beneath Wayfair,” he said as more of the muslin wrinkled in my grip. “I didn’t want to do it.” Thick lashes lifted, and his eyes locked with mine. When he spoke again, his voice had thinned and roughened. “I fucking hated putting you in a cell—”
“You had to,” I interrupted, knowing he was thinking of New Haven and what had happened there. “I’m glad you did.”
Casteel stared at me for a moment and then let out a hoarse laugh. “Kieran…” He shook his head. “He said you’d understand.”
“He was right.” I took a step toward him. “I don’t want you to feel guilty about something I don’t even remember.”
He leaned toward me, resting his arms on his legs. “But I remember.”
My heart squeezed. “You did what you had to—” A faint, fragmented image or memory formed. Me running. Being grabbed from behind and spun around to see vivid, wintery eyes. Was this when I had tried to escape? I thought so.
“Poppy?” Concern filled Casteel’s voice.
Swallowing, I glanced at the chamber door for the dozenth time. “Did I hurt Kieran?”
“You punched him when you were trying to keep us away from you. That is all.”
I cringed. That wasn’t as bad as hitting Reaver with the essence. “What…?” A tremor ran through me. “What about you?”
“I already told you. You pushed me away and made sure I didn’t get too close.”
I wanted to believe that. Gods, Ineededto believe that I hadn’t hurt him. “How did he forge such a connection with me?”
Casteel sighed. “He marked you.”
I flashed cold, then hot. “What?”
“With the symbol of Death,” he said. “From what I understand, he was able to reach you while in stasis, and that was how it happened.”
I didn’t understand how that was possible. How he could forge some sort of demented bond and mark me without me even knowing—
The floor felt like it moved beneath me. “That voice.”
Every part of Casteel tensed. “What voice?”
“I…I heard a voice while I was in the nothingness.” I moved, unable to stand still. “It was like a whisper.”
“That’s why you asked if anyone else visited with you?”
“Yes.” I went to the window and took my first look at the capital since waking. Or at least, Ithoughtit was the first time since. Scattered light broke up the sea of darkness.
“Do you remember what he said?” he asked.
I shook my head. “Just whispers that…kind of sounded familiar. But that doesn’t make sense. I never heard him speak—” I turned to Cas. “I hate that I don’t remember any of this.”
“What’s important to remember is that you could’ve really hurt us, but you didn’t.” Casteel’s eyes, shining like polished topaz, met mine as he stressed, “You did nothing you should worry about.”
“I will decide later whether to worry about what I may or may not have done because we don’t have time for that right now,” I said, and his nostrils flared. “How do you know he’s not still in me?”
My breath caught as I turned sharply. Bile rose, and there was a really good chance I might have vomited if I’d eaten something recently. He’d beeninsideme. He could still—
The air cooled as a charge of energy enveloped the chamber, sending a shiver racing down my spine. I spun around, eather swelling and pressing against my skin as it responded to the source of power.
Casteel.
He’d moved without me hearing and now stood not even a foot away, towering over me. My lips parted as I looked up at him. His face…
Shadows had darkened the skin above and beneath his eyes and in the hollows of his cheekbones. And his irises? Silver eather laced with crimson swirled through the amber.
