“How did Setti end up here?” Poppy jumped in before Attes could respond.
The Primal was silent for several moments. “I figured he would be better served here while I was in stasis.”
“That is a vague-as-fuck answer,” Kieran noted.
Attes lifted a shoulder as Poppy eyed him, her eyes slightly narrowed. Her lips parted—
“Sera’svellámis the same,” Reaver announced.
“What?” Poppy shrieked again, causing Kieran to jerk. “Wait. Does that mean—?” Her shoulders deflated. “No, it doesn’t.” She never looked more crestfallen than when she twisted toward me. “I don’t have Courts, so I don’t get avellám.”
Fighting a laugh, I patted her hip. “Well, you do get Kieran and me. We’re not as amazing as the essence of a dragon.”
Reaver rasped a laugh.
“But I like to think we’re pretty amazing.”
“Yeah.” Poppy sighed, deflating even further.
“Wow,” Kieran murmured.
“Sorry,” she said. “But the essence of adragon?”The wistfulness in her voice was adorable.
I doubted this Naberius was. “Can it be killed?”
“Other than by killing Kolis? Cut off its head or take it out with eather. Only a fool would get close enough for the former—unless Nab is sleeping, which I imagine is often,” Attes said, and my brow furrowed. “And only a very powerful Primal can do the latter.”
“Could you?” Poppy asked. “When you ruled Vathi?”
Attes’s features did something that made the scars stand out less. His expression softened. “I could do some damage to Nab, but I couldn’t kill him. I’m not even sure Seraphena could.”
“Damn it,” Poppy muttered, and I saw Reaver’s head start to tip down. I hoped he smacked it off the table.
“There’s no way you can get close enough to Kolis then,” I said to Poppy, not feeling even an ounce of shame for the relief I felt.
Attes tensed, the skin at the corners of his mouth turning white. “I’m about to say something your husband won’t like.” His gaze flicked to Kieran. “The other one probably won’t like it either.”
“Then don’t say it,” Kieran advised.
“He doesn’t need to,” Poppy said as she leaned into my chest. The moment she did that, I knew Attes had been right. I wouldn’t be happy. “Naberius won’t attack me because…because Kolis won’t.”
Kieran’s spike of eather matched mine.
“I don’t like it any more than you two do.” Attes dropped his hand. “But it’s the reality. One we have to deal with.”
“I know,” Poppy said quietly. “And they do, too.”
Maybe Kieran did.
I didn’t.
“I just need you all to make sure I get to him. Then…this will all be over.”
“Finally,” Attes whispered.
My thumb stilled against Poppy’s hip as I focused on the Primal. He wasn’t looking at me or Kieran. He was back to staring at her. The control I had on my anger was already weakening. The current topic didn’t help. And I was so fucking done with him looking at Poppy like…she was special to him.
“You know what I would like to know, Attes?” I asked, the eather thrumming in my chest.
