Pulling her stare from Casteel, she nodded. “Thank you for trying.”
I shifted, uncomfortable with the gratitude when I hadn’t been able to do it. “Nektas thought I could wake her.”
“You will be able to,” she said, sounding so damn confident my stomach tumbled. “Jadis just needs…coaxing.” The skin around the corners of her mouth pulled taut. “But the eather inyou? Even being a baby Primal, it’s powerful enough to wake her. She just has to want to.”
The iron doors groaned as they opened, and I dared a quick peek in that direction.
“At least he’s wearing pants instead of carrying them this time,” Casteel muttered.
I cracked a grin.
Reaver approached, his chin down and fair hair shielding most of his face.
Seraphena stepped forward and placed a hand on his arm. “Ready?” she asked softly.
Reaver nodded, then led us toward the northern hall. We followed, hoping Seraphena was right, and I could wake Jadis this time.
“You mentioned seeing Holland and Lirian,” Seraphena said as we crossed the large vestibule. “Was that when you crossed the Veil? Or when you were in Iliseeum?”
Surprised, I glanced over at her as something that felt a lot like disappointment rose. She’d known I was there but hadn’t come to see me?
“I sensed your presence there,” she continued as we passed under the arched opening. “But I wasn’t in the right frame of mind to come to you.” Her gaze slid to mine. “In other words, I was quite pissed off that Holland had stopped me from crossing the Veil. We had it out once I sensed his return.”
My disappointment eased as I wondered if that was what had delayed him. “I met Holland in the Continents—that’s what the place was called,” I explained, scanning the imposing liminite statues. In the sunlight of dawn, the stone was more gray than lavender. “Then Lirian while I was at Mount Lotho. Then there was…” I trailed off, frowning.
“Aydun,” Casteel finished for me. The sudden feeling of something not being as I remembered rose.
Seraphena jerked to a halt. “Aydun?” she repeated. Reaver stopped and faced us. “The…Fate, Aydun?”
“If we’re speaking about an Aydun who has his nipples pierced,” Casteel replied as I scanned the hall—nothing looked different, “then yes.”
Seraphena’s lips flattened. “When did you speak with him?”
“When Poppy crossed the Veil,” he explained as we started walking again. “He was there to make sure I…behaved myself.”
Seraphena let out a breathy laugh.
“They were worried he would follow me to the other realm,” I added, not missing how she’d responded to his name. “I’m guessing you’re aware of him?”
“Unfortunately.”
“He did sound like he was familiar with you and Nyktos,” Casteel commented. “And he eats more than that draken does.”
“Reaver is still a growing youngling,” Seraphena said, and my eyes tracked the pink staining his cheeks before he faced forward again. “He needs to eat often.”
“Aww,” Casteel mocked, an amused smirk playing across his lips. “Does Reaver-butt also need extra nap times?”
Reaver’s head snapped around, and his upper lip peeled back. A low rumble started from deep in his chest—
“He does need extra sleep,” Seraphena answered.
Casteel’s smirk spread. “And does—?”
I smacked his chest with the back of my hand.
“Ouch.” He laughed and looked down at me. He moved so quickly that I nearly tripped over my feet when I felt the sharp nip of his fangs against my earlobe. “So incredibly violent,” he purred. “I like.”
Flushed, I shot him a look of warning.
