“And I never will again,” Poppy whispered.
My heart pounded as Lady Hawley threw her head back. Eather spilled into her eyes, burning them from the inside and pouring out of her mouth. The Ascended shuddered, fissures racing across her flesh. Her skin cracked and flaked off, the bits drifting up before fading.
Within seconds, Lady Laural Hawley was gone, except for a pile of clothing. The Lord tried to run but didn’t make it far with Delano and Malik there. They drove him to the cold marble floor while I stared at Poppy as she rose, the green in her eyes vivid.
It was Poppy. Her eyes. The rage that swirled through her. But that voice? When she said she’d never belonged there—would never be thereagain.
It hadn’t sounded likehervoice.
CHAPTER 43
POPPY
“We need to talk about the Ascended,” Casteel announced to what he’d coined our Shadow Council.
Though with Vonetta not due until tomorrow now, it wasn’t our full Council gathered to eat and for discussion.
“I was hoping you’d invited us all to supper to talk about the fact that the Queen of the Gods was here in the flesh—live and in person,” Emil stated. I frowned at him.
“We’re not discussing the Queen,” Casteel interrupted.
“But—”
Kieran raised his hand to silence the Elemental. “Please, continue,” he said to Cas.
“Malik showed Poppy and me something this afternoon,” he continued as my gaze moved to Malik.
His presence was a surprise. I’d half-expected him not to show. He was the last to arrive in the Solar, but was here now, sitting at the large oval table beneath the glass dome.
“We met with several Ascended today,” Casteel continued. “Ascended who call themselves the Unbound—those who do not feed on mortal or Atlantian blood but that of beasts.”
Kieran looked at his glass, his shock splashing against my skin like cold rain. I was surprised that Kieran hadn’t been informed before the meal since Cas had retrieved him right afterwe returned to Wayfair. It left no room for us to speak but definitely gave them time to do so.
“They do not feed at all?” Kieran questioned.
As Casteel explained what it meant, I forced myself to take several bites of the food heaped on my plate. I wasn’t sure how much Kieran and Cas thought I ate.
“And how many of these Unbound do you think there are?” Naill asked.
“Several hundred in Carsodonia,” Malik answered.
Naill blinked slowly and leaned back. “And the Descenters support this?”
Malik nodded.
I cleared my throat. “Before we took Oak Ambler, I offered the Ascended there a choice,” I reminded those at the table. “They had to agree to no longer feed off the unwilling, be willing to forfeit any and all positions of authority over mortals, and concede to Atlantian rule.”Temporarily, I mentally added, knowing I still needed to discuss with Casteel that I didn’t think we should rule over mortals.
“They didn’t accept the offer,” Kieran stated.
“But the Ascended there likely never knew there was another way to live or that it was even possible. We didn’t know,” I said. “And now that we do, the offer can be made under new terms. They can choose to live as the Unbound or die as the Blood Crown did.”
Silence greeted me.
“I know having death as an option doesn’t seem like much of a choice,” I said, figuring that was what had caused the silence, “but we cannot have the Ascended preying upon the people.”
“If they accept the terms, the mortals will not be happy.”
The one who spoke surprised me. I turned my head to where Tawny sat at my right. She wasn’t officially a part of the Shadow Council, but she had shown up right before everyone elsearrived. I’d asked her if Gianna might be interested in joining us, which had earned me a very amused look from Casteel, but I figured if anything needed to be discussed that neither should be privy to, we could wait until they left. But Tawny had declined for the wolven, explaining that Gianna was on patrol in the Luxe.
