I didn’t make it very far.
Casteel’s arm tightened around me, keeping me in place.
“Poppy,” Kieran said.
My fingers twisted the laces. “Kieran?”
“You do realize that being unable to wake the draken is not your fault, right?” he said.
Nodding, I stared at the embroidery on his tunic, taking a closer look at it. The golden brocade was richly detailed, adorning the collar and shoulders in a series of intertwining suns connected by swirls and flourishes that resembled vines. I thought it had been clothing he’d found here because we hadn’t traveled with anything as fine as what he wore now, but that design?
“Where did you get the tunic?” I asked.
“What?” he said, the frown clear in his tone.
“The tunic you’re wearing,” I pointed out. “Did you find it here or…?”
He glanced down, running his fingers over the panel. “I think the shirt was here, but Naill added the embroidery.”
I stared at the design, thinking how similar it was to the marks I’d seen on the Ancients and Casteel. “He’s really good—”
“I don’t give a shit how good he is with a needle and thread,” Kieran interrupted.
“That’s not very nice,” I murmured, tensing as Kieran crowded me—us—in.
I was trapped.
Between them.
At that moment, my mind took a very inappropriate walk down memory lane, leading me back to the night of the Joining. The positioning had been different; Casteel in front of me and Kieran…
I bit my lower lip. An unexpected tightening in muscles below my navel forced me to take a sharp inhale that carried…spicy and smoky scents. My heart turned over heavily as I lifted my gaze.
The hue of Kieran’s blue eyes had brightened to a color more vivid than the Stroud Sea as Casteel’s hand firmed on my waist. My fingers ceased their mindless twisting.
No expectations.
No expectations.
Heat still crept up my neck as I felt Casteel’s mark brush against my thoughts.I’m actually going to be responsible and ignore that lovely scent of yours.
Every muscle in my body went stiff as my mind flashed between the fact that if Casteel had picked up on that, Kieran had also, and, well, I had no idea. I had no idea what to do or think about any of that. So, I wasn’t going to. Not for a single minute—or even a second. Or…
“Poppy,” Casteel said aloud, and my knees felt a little boneless at hearing the roughness in his tone that spoke of things I wouldnotthink of. He cleared his throat. When he spoke next, the silken promises threaded through my name were gone. “You do know it’s not your fault—Jadis.”
My eyes closed. “I know.”
“Do you?” Kieran asked, and I refused to listen too closely to his voice.
“Yes.”
The hand on my hip slid across my stomach, turning me around. Amber eyes stared into mine. “Don’t lie.”
“I’m not,” I insisted, holding his stare. “It’s just that I…I still feel bad that I couldn’t do what was needed of me.”
“That was their expectation of you. Not yours.” Casteel cupped my cheek. “Youdidwhat was asked of you. And that was all you could do.” His eyes searched mine. “Okay?”
Exhaling slowly, I nodded.
