“But you’ll likely end up in stasis…for a time,” he finished.
The sharp rise of eather came from where I had been seated, both icy and hot.
“I don’t see the point in this conversation,” Casteel stated.
“What would you do the moment the Fate moves to put me in stasis?” I demanded to the back of his head. “Would you allow it?”
Casteel didn’t respond.
I looked at Kieran. “You?”
He stared at me with an almost desperate look in his eyes. “Poppy—”
“Neither of you would allow it,” I interrupted. “I don’t know if they can kill either of you, but I do know you would attack them. And I cannot—I refuse—to allow that.”
“You refuse?” Casteel’s voice was soft.
“Yes. I refuse.” I made another pass between the pillars. “The last thing I need to worry about is what is going to happen to you while I’m there to kill the true Primal of Death.”
“And what if there is no Fate?” Casteel shot back. “What if this is just a trap?”
My stomach dove. “That’s…possible. But he won’t kill me.”
“How can you say that?” Vonetta asked.
“Because I can. I know.” I kept moving as the eather thrummed in my chest. “I’ll have to—”
“Explain it later?” Delano finished, his brows raised.
“Yes. Later. After I deal with the asshole,” I said.
Emil frowned as he leaned forward. “You guys did the Joining, right?”
I inhaled deeply, really wishing that hadn’t been brought up with Casteel’s father present. “Yes,” I clipped, refusing to look in Valyn’s direction.
“Then even if Kolis attacks one of them—”
“Death by Kolis’s hand or by his will severs any bond,” I stated, and for the third time, the table went silent. “They will have no protection.”
“That doesn’t matter,” Casteel stated.
“It does.” I stopped behind him. “The point is, I will survive—”
“The point is you think we won’t be able to control ourselves,” Casteel bit out. “Or is it just me you think won’t be able to, even if it jeopardizes you?”
My brows snapped together. “That’s not what I’m saying.”
“That’s exactly what you’re saying—what you’vebeensaying,” Casteel fired back. “You don’t trust that I will do the right thing.”
Air hitched in my lungs. “And I don’t understand now, just like I didn’t understand before, why you would say that.”
Casteel didn’t respond.
“Can you explain it?” I asked, my heart thumping.
“I’m sure Kieran can.”
“What?” My gaze shot to Kieran. He shook his head, his eyes closing. “What are you talking about?”
