My heart twisted sharply. “Right?”
“Right,” she repeated softly.
My stomach tightened. “Poppy,” I said, dropping my forehead to hers. I found the cord that connected us.Nothing, absolutely nothing, has kept us apart. Weakened us. Not my dumb shit. Not the Blood Crown’s armies. Not Alastir and the Unseen. Not Isbeth. We are strong. Fucking unbreakable. Thereis nothing I won’t do for you. There isn’t anything you won’t do for me. And the same goes for Kieran.
I know, came her whisper.
I held her stare.We won’t leave you, Poppy. We will not fall. Especially not to that fuckboy of a Primal.
“Fuckboy?” she gasped out loud.
“Yeah. Fuckboy.”
A hoarse laugh left her as her thick lashes swept down. “I panicked. All I could think about was losing you—either of you.”
“I know, sweetheart.” That earned me a quick upturn of her lips. “But we’ve got this.”
She exhaled slowly. “We do.”
I searched her gaze. “You remember, right? What you are? Fearless.”
She inhaled, the trembling fading. “I run from nothing.”
I smiled. “And no one.”
Poppy closed her eyes. “Thank you.”
“No need to thank me.”
She took a deep breath and moved. I didn’t want to let her go but thought she needed to stand on her own. And I had to let her.
“I’m sorry,” she started, too much color returning to her cheeks. “I’ve never had anything like that happen before.”
“It’s okay. I know how you felt. Really.” Seraphena slowly sat. “I often have times when I can’t control my anxiety. It’s like I lose control of where my mind goes, and my body decides to feel like it’s trying to kill me.”
Poppy nervously toyed with the clasps on her vest. “Really?”
Seraphena nodded with a smile. “It’s how I knew the breathing technique. I’ve lost count of how many times Ash has had to use it on me.”
I watched as Poppy fell silent. Her breathing was normal, her heart rate slow, but I could still pick up the lingering taste ofembarrassment and the faint metallic taste of doubt. I wanted to get her out of here. My gaze went to Seraphena.
Meeting my stare, she gave me a barely discernible nod. I started to relax.
“I’m about to say something that will upset you both,” Seraphena said.
There went the slight feeling of ease. My jaw clenched.
She placed her hands on her knees, and my stomach twisted when her gaze slid to me. “And I’m going to need you to remain calm.”
“I’m calm,” I replied coolly, receiving a look of doubt from Seraphena.
“He is.” Poppy stepped forward.
“Okay.” She tapped her fingers on her knees. “There is a reason Eythos believed Sotoria would be able to kill Kolis—the reason I couldn’t, and why I said only you can. It is the Primal’s weakness. Love.”
I stiffened, my mind immediately going to something Isbeth had said. Shit. Not just her. Millicent also.
“Love,” Poppy repeated, and Seraphena nodded. “You’re telling me Casteel would be able to kill me because I love him? That love ismyweakness?”
