Oh, gods.
Tawny didn’t deserve this.
“Hey,” Casteel said quietly, moving his hand to my cheek. He turned my head toward his.Talk to me.
I opened my mouth, but I couldn’t say anything as I looked at her.Not like this. I couldn’t read her emotions, but I knewshe was worried now, just as I knew she had been happy before. Excited. I couldn’t take that from her. Not right now.
At least that’s what I told myself—and it was partly true. What was also true was that I was a coward.
But I could live with that for a little while. So could Tawny.
Casteel swept his thumb over my cheek. “Poppy?”
Taking a deep breath, I forced a smile and pulled myself together. “I’m fine.”
The look Casteel gave me said he knew better. And he did. I found his mark through thenotamand said,I’ll tell you later.
“Are you sure?” Tawny asked at the same time Casteel’s voice whispered that very question in my mind.
“Yes. I think I’m still having weird moments since I woke up,” I lied smoothly. Too smoothly. Having been raised by the Ascended, I’d had plenty of practice doing so.
Tawny’s gaze intently searched mine. “Howareyou feeling?” she asked.
“I’m good. I promise.” Taking a deeper breath, I exhaled slowly. “I really can’t believe you’re here.”
“More like you can’t believe I made it here alive.” She tipped her head to the side, sending a pale curl against her rich-brown cheek as Casteel slipped away. “And I’m shocked, too. I actually camped, Poppy.Camped.In the woods, on the ground, with only the gods know how many bugs and small critters with long, thin tails.”
The tension in me eased as I laughed. I couldn’t picture Tawny sleeping on the ground. It wasn’t that she had a delicate disposition or disliked the outdoors, but she wasn’t someone who particularly enjoyed it. “Now I reallyamshocked that you made it here.”
She grinned. “I did it for you.”
My stomach twisted as my mind filled with all the horrible things that could’ve happened to her on the road to Carsodonia—the horrible thing that hadalreadyhappened to her without her knowing. “Not that I’m ungrateful or unhappy to see you here, but why would you do that? The trip had to be dangerous.”
“The King summoned me.”
My gaze darted to Casteel as curiosity rose. “He did?” I asked.
“I hoped her presence would get you to wake or, at the very least, help you retain your memories,” he said, and it made my heart feel all…gooey and warm despite, well…everything.
“In reality, all my presence did was annoy him,” Tawny quipped.
“That is true.”
The gooey warmth vanished, and I narrowed my eyes at him, where he had returned to his position by the wall, watching us.
Watching Tawny.
I briefly closed my eyes and found his mark.You don’t have to worry about Tawny when it comes to me.
He didn’t respond.
“And yeah, it wasn’t exactly a nice evening stroll in the park,” Tawny said. “More like a mad dash through the Blood Forest being chased by a Craven or five.”
“And it was just Gianna and a few guards with you?” I asked. When she nodded, I yanked her into my arms again, my stomach dropping. “You could’ve been…”
“Killed?” she suggested, making my stomach roil. “I wasn’t.”
“Obviously not.” I cleared my throat. “But traveling with only a wolven and a handful of guards through a war-torn kingdom is bad enough. Through the Blood Forest?” I said. “That was…reckless.”
