A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire (Blood and Ash Book 2)

Very few things were more important than what Casteel was saying, what he was admitting to me—and what was left unsaid.

The sky being on fire was one of them.

Casteel watched with near unnerving intensity as I pulled on a pair of leggings and then added the cloak over the ridiculous nightgown. Shoving my feet into my boots, I hurried to where he waited between the two rooms. We went to the main door, but Casteel stopped before opening it.

He turned to me, his gaze immediately finding mine. “This conversation isn’t over.”

“I know,” I told him, and I did. “I have a lot of questions.”

The laugh was quick, but nothing like the one before. It was real, and some of the sharpness faded from his features. “Of course, you do.”

Emil was waiting for us beyond the terrace, and as I stepped out into the courtyard, my mouth dropped open.

A hazy, burnt-orange-red glow illuminated the sky beyond the Rise.

“What in the hell?” Casteel demanded.

“The sky really is on fire,” I whispered. “Is it another omen? From the gods?”

“I sure hope not,” Emil responded. “Because if so, that can’t be good. Delano already left to see if he can find out what it is.”

Casteel nodded. “I don’t think it’s that.” He started walking around the corner of the fortress, but then stopped. Turning to me, he extended his hand.

I placed mine in his without hesitation. His grip was warm and strong, and that jolt of energy was there, traveling up my arm.

I have no idea how you can even bear my touch.

I wanted to tell him right then that I could bear his touch because I loved him.

But it didn’t seem like a good idea with the sky being on fire.

Casteel prowled forward. “How long ago did you guys realize this was happening?”

“Ten minutes, if that. Are you going up onto the Rise?” Emil asked as we crossed the courtyard, heading for one of the entry points to the Rise.

“I figure it would give us a better view.” He led me inside a stairwell lit by oil lanterns. “Did anyone go with Delano?”

Emil followed behind as we climbed the spiraling stone stairs. “I think Dante went out with him. Probably thought it would be safer.”

“Possibly,” Casteel murmured.

Reaching the top of the Rise, my steps faltered for a moment. What appeared to be the entire western sky was aglow.

“Good gods,” Emil muttered, coming to a stop.

Casteel and I walked across the roof of the Rise, the cool air chilling my skin. Several people stood in and near the parapets, their bodies outlined in red.

One of them turned. Kieran. His father was beside him, facing the glowing sky. A Guardian stood on the ledge, the moonlight glinting off the golden swords strapped to her sides. She looked over her shoulder, placing her fist over her heart.

Casteel greeted her with the same gesture as a gust of wind lifted the wispy strands of her hair that wasn’t held back. Mine also blew as I slipped my hand free of his and entered an empty peak. The wind…an acrid scent carried on it, reminding me of…

I placed my hand on the stone. “I don’t think it’s the sky that’s on fire.”

The Guardian looked over at me, saying nothing as Casteel entered the parapet. “Neither do I.”

“While I’m relieved it’s not the sky burning,” Jasper said. “Something is.”

Something big was, but what could it be? There was nothing but fields and ruined cities that way.

“How far away do you think the fire is?” the Guardian asked.

“Hard to tell.” Casteel placed his hands beside mine. “I would say about a day’s or more ride, maybe even farther depending on the size.”

“A day’s ride?” I frowned. “That would be…what? Pompay? What could burn there to create this?”

“If it’s farther out, it would have to be a massive fire to be seen from here,” Casteel said, shaking his head. “Delano is fast. In his wolven form, he’ll reach Pompay in no time. We’ll know soon enough what the cause is.”

“Until then, Your Highness?” the Guardian asked.

“Until then, we make sure there is no panic. Those who were at the dinner will have most likely seen this and are taking tales of the burning sky home. Go and make sure there is no panic, Nova.”

The Guardian nodded and then stepped off the ledge. She strode across the roof, disappearing into one of the stairwells.

“And what do we do?” Kieran asked as he stared at the unnatural sky.

“We wait,” Casteel said. “That’s all we can do for now.”

Dawn crept across Spessa’s End in splashes of violet and pink, but to the west, it looked like the sun had fallen to the land. With each passing hour, the scents of smoke and burning wood grew.

Pulling the halves of the cloak around me, I stared down at the dirt road ahead, searching for signs of Delano or Dante, but I saw nothing. I couldn’t even see the Guardians I knew were out beyond the wall, hidden in the tall grass. Endless hours had passed since we’d climbed the Rise, and though I didn’t need to remain, I wanted to be here the moment we found out what burned—and, hopefully, what’d caused it.

Leaning against the parapet wall, I glanced over my shoulder. Casteel stood several feet away, speaking to Kieran and Alastir. I sensed…concern from all three of them, and I wondered if they had the same fear that I wasn’t willing to voice.

I turned back to the western sky, unsettled by the reddish-orange glow. Whatever burned was no normal fire.

“The sky brings back old memories.”

I jolted at the sound of Jasper’s voice. He’d entered the parapet without me realizing. The silver-haired wolven was tall—taller than his son and Casteel. He propped a hip against the wall and stared at the burning sky.

“Entire towns were burned,” he continued. “Some by accident. Others on purpose. There’d be weeks where, no matter what direction you looked, the sky appeared to burn. It was something I’d hoped never to see again.” His gaze slid to mine. “I don’t think we’ve been officially introduced.”

“No, we haven’t.” I found nothing but concern and curiosity whirling through him. “Penellaphe Balfour.”

“Jasper Contou,” he told me, and I realized I’d never known Kieran’s last name. “Balfour? That is an old Solis name.”

“Alastir said the same.”

“He would know.” Jasper glanced to where the others stood. “So, I was under the impression I’m to officiate a wedding?”

I bit down on my lip, wondering if Casteel still planned to marry me while here. We’d only planned to be in Spessa’s End until the first group from New Haven arrived, which should be today. But with the fire?

“A highly anticipated and yet also extremely unexpected wedding, I might add.” He smiled then, and I felt a trickle of amusement from him.

 Perhaps the day before, I would’ve responded with something appropriately vague, spoke in a way that was becoming of the Maiden, but that part of me was gone. “I don’t know if Casteel still plans to marry me while we’re here,” I answered, meeting his pale gaze. “You speak for the wolven?”

He nodded.

“So, I imagine you probably expected him to marry someone else.”

His amusement rose a notch. “Considering that Casteel has never once indicated that he was interested in settling down with anyone, I didn’t expect anything from him.”

There was a catch in my heart. It wasn’t that I didn’t believe Casteel when he said that he hadn’t agreed to marry Gianna, but it was…well, it was a relief to know that the wolven who spoke for his people hadn’t expected the marriage. “But did you expect him to marry a wolven? From what I’ve learned, there has been discontent among the wolven, and I’m guessing there was hope that a marriage between Casteel and a wolven would ease those troubles.”

There was a slight hardening of Jasper’s jaw, and I felt a hot spike of anger. “I am of the same mind as Casteel. A marriage between our two peoples would’ve done very little to assuage concerns or to end the need for retribution against the Ascended. Valyn is also intelligent enough to know that,” he said, referring to the King by his first name. “But when you hear enough whispers, you begin to believe whatever those whispers tell you.”

I frowned as I looked at Casteel—at those who stood with him. Was Jasper suggesting that the union between Casteel and a wolven had been an idea fed to the King? Alastir was an advisor to the Crown, but while he had doubts regarding our relationship’s authenticity, he didn’t appear against it. But what had Casteel said to Alastir last night at dinner? That he knew why he’d brought up the expectation. Perhaps it had been Alastir’s idea in hopes that it would help ease the unrest. I couldn’t exactly fault him for that.

“I imagine I will still be officiating a wedding,” Jasper mused.

I lifted my brows as I refocused on him. “You don’t doubt our intentions?”

“Not after meeting you.”

“I’m not sure if that was a compliment or not,” I admitted, even though nothing I sensed from him indicated that he was being facetious.

His grin grew even wider. “You seem to have no problem speaking your mind for someone raised to be the Maiden.”

“Not always,” I confessed, shivering as a gust of smoke-tinged wind whipped across the roof. “You seem to have no issue speaking with me even though I was the Maiden.”

“And are apparently capable of healing broken bones with just the touch of your hands.”

I looked at him in surprise.

“I heard what you did for Beckett. I told Alastir that little idiot shouldn’t be out here.” There was a fondness to his tone. “Young wolven can be very accident-prone due to their general curiosity about literally everything, which leads to a near-catastrophic level of inattentiveness.”

I grinned. “But he’ll be okay.”

“Because of you.”

Looking back at the sky, I exhaled softly. “I’ve never done that before.”

“I heard that, too. From my daughter and son. They also said you appeared…old.”

Good gods, I’d forgotten about that amidst everything that’d happened after that conversation. “Do I smell like death to you, too?”

He laughed. “You do not smell of death, but you do have a…different scent. One I can’t exactly place, but that feels familiar.” Jasper was quiet for a moment, and I suddenly remembered the wolven in New Haven—the one who had spoken Jasper’s name and said that Jasper would be interested in meeting me. “When Delano said you most likely descend from an empath bloodline and Kieran confirmed such, I didn’t believe them. And now I really don’t.”

My gaze shot to his. “Why not?”

The wolven inclined his head. “Because very few empaths could actually heal with their touch, and I’ve never heard of an empath who glowed like the moonlight. That doesn’t mean none ever did, but the ones I knew sure as hell didn’t.”

Unease stirred. “Are you suggesting that I’m not descended from that bloodline?”

“I don’t know.” Honesty rang in the silver-haired wolven’s words as he studied me. “You are a mystery in many ways, Penellaphe.”

Casteel’s approach silenced any response I might have had. “I truly hope you’re not filling her head with tales about me.”

“Are they tales I should know?” I asked.

“Depends.” Casteel eyed Kieran’s father. “If they involve anything that happened between when I was a babe through my Culling, the answer would be no.”

My brows rose. “Well, now I’m definitely interested.”

Pushing away from the wall, Jasper chuckled. “I haven’t spun any tales.” He paused. “Yet.”

Casteel’s eyes narrowed as he stood beside me. “How about you keep spinning tales to a minimum?”

“But I’m very interested in spun tales,” I remarked.

Jasper grinned again, and this time, with the light of the sun, there was no mistaking the resemblance between him and Kieran. “We have time. I’ll make sure of it.” He winked in my direction before clasping a hand on Casteel’s shoulder and leaving the parapet.

“It’s amusing to me that Alastir knows to keep his mouth shut when it comes to embarrassing stories concerning my most formative years, and yet speaks freely about things that should be given a second thought,” Casteel said, watching Jasper join his son and Alastir. Beckett had arrived, and when he smiled up at Jasper, I couldn’t help but think of the bolt of fear I’d felt from him. “And yet, meanwhile, Jasper is the exact opposite.”

“I’m really interested in your formative years.”

“I’m sure you are.” Casteel angled his body toward mine, and it was the first time since Emil had knocked on the door that we were somewhat alone.

There was so much to say as we stared at one another. So many questions and words left unsaid, but neither of us spoke as he gathered the edges of my cloak, pulling the thin material tighter around me. His hands remained there, balled in the material below mine as his gaze roamed over my face.

“You don’t need to stay up here, Poppy,” he said after a moment.

“I know, but I want to be here when Delano comes back.” I looked down at his hands. “Besides, I doubt I’d be able to sleep.”

“You could try.”

“So could you.”

“Even if I wasn’t the Prince, I would be up here,” he replied.

I lifted my gaze to his. “Even if I wasn’t about to become a Princess, I would be up here.”

Casteel became so still, I wondered if he breathed. I sensed an acute rush of emotions flow through him, so swift and sudden, I couldn’t make out what they were. That could’ve been my shock, though, because I’d never felt anything like that from him before.

Then he moved, lifting a hand. He hesitated as if to see if I would pull away. When I didn’t, he cupped my left cheek. His fingers splayed across the scars. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard you refer to yourself as the Princess.”

Had I not?

His gaze searched mine, and a long, tense moment passed. “There is so much we still need to talk about.”

“I know,” I whispered. “But it has to wait. I know that, too.”

“But until then?” He stepped into me, causing my breath to snag. “I am honored that you are standing beside me now.”

I didn’t know what to say, and I realized that sometimes nothing needed to be said.

“Are you hungry?” he asked. “Thirsty?”

I shook my head as he lifted his gaze to the western sky.

“But you’re cold.”

“Just a little.”

“A little is too much.” He lowered his hand to my shoulder and turned me so I faced the west. I allowed it.

And when he folded his arms around me, pulling my back against his front, I only tensed for a few seconds. I allowed that too and relaxed into his warm embrace, letting my head rest against his chest. Casteel seemed to let out a breath, and for several minutes, we just stood there. Together.

It was in those moments that I thought about what the wolven had said. “Jasper sort of indicated that he doesn’t think I’m descended from the empath bloodline.”

“He did?”

“He said he’s never heard of or knew any that glowed silver.”

“Neither have I,” he said. “But no other bloodline makes sense. The only other thing I can think of also doesn’t make sense.”

“And what would that be?”

“That neither of your parents were purely mortal. But if that were the case, and you’re a mixture of two lines, it seems hard to believe that both your mother and father would’ve gone unnoticed by the Ascended.”

“And that would mean that Ian would also be part Atlantian.”

“Possibly.”

My heart tripped over itself. Casteel was right. It didn’t make sense. Because why would Ian have Ascended then?

If he actually had.

“It is possible that you come from an empath line that was rare and older,” Casteel said. “Just because we haven’t heard of or seen it, doesn’t mean it didn’t exist.”

He was right.

Something occurred to me then as I watched the western sky. “Was Jasper chosen as the speaker for his people because Alastir was already your parents’ advisor?”

“Alastir could’ve been both, but Jasper…well, he has a sense for things. Not like you. He’s just more in tune with people and even animals.”

I thought about that. “Kieran’s the same way, isn’t he?”

His chin grazed the top of my head. “Jasper once said there was a Seer somewhere in his bloodline—a changeling—and he’d gotten a watered-down version. When I was younger, I used to think he was just telling stories, but he seemed to know things. Like when it was about to storm, or what side to hedge his bets on. Sometimes, he knew what I was going to do before I even did it.”

Just like Kieran.

“And Vonetta isn’t like that?”

“She takes after her mother more—well, except for the cooking, but definitely the ass-kicking,” he said.

I smiled. “I asked Jasper if he expected you to marry.”

There was no tensing or stiffening as he said, “And what did he say?”

“That he didn’t,” I told him, closing my eyes. “That’s what I don’t understand.”

“Poppy—”

“I mean, I don’t understand how the speaker for the wolven doesn’t expect you to marry a wolven, but some of your people do. Other wolven did.” Namely Landell. “And, apparently, your father. And I guess even Alastir at one point.”

“Well, Alastir did expect it. I know that for sure. I’m almost confident it was his idea,” he said, confirming my suspicions. “After all, Gianna is his great-niece—Beckett’s older cousin.”

“What?” I opened my eyes just as I heard the distant call of a songbird. A signal that was answered with a closer call and then by one of the Guardians, who stood at the other end of the Rise.

“They’re back,” Casteel said.

I turned in his arms, our gazes meeting for the briefest of moments, and then we both moved. We weren’t the only ones hurrying to the courtyard. Alastir and Jasper were right behind us, along with Kieran.

Emil and Vonetta lifted the barricade, and the heavy iron doors parted as Casteel strode to the center. I squinted, seeing nothing—

Then ahead, on the dirt road, a white blur racing towards us—white fur matted with reddish-brown.

“Shit,” Casteel grunted, running out the doors. Someone else cursed, shouting for him to stay back, but he was already halfway to Delano.

Who was hurt.

Who was also alone.

I took off, the cloak billowing out behind me.

“Dammit.” That was definitely Kieran.

I didn’t slow down, reaching Casteel and Delano just as the wolven collapsed, sending clouds of dirt into the air. My heart stopped as I read the fiery agony in him. The physical pain snapped my senses open in the way they had before I woke the day before. The cord stretched out, connecting with him, and the pain caused my steps to falter.

Kieran caught my arm, righting me. I started to thank him, but he was already past me as Casteel dropped to his knees.

I reached them just as Jasper did. “Why am I not surprised that both the Prince and our soon-to-be Princess are outside the walls of safety?” he said.

“Welcome to my world,” Kieran muttered.

“He’s in pain,” I said, moving to where Casteel knelt. Once I did, I could see the wound in Delano’s side, under his front leg—his right arm. The blood there was fresher, leaking from a puncture wound.

“He’s unconscious,” Casteel bit out, looking up the empty road and then back at me. “Can you—?”

I was already on my knees on the other side of Delano, my hands tingling with heat. “I don’t know what will happen,” I said, glancing over at Casteel. “I don’t know if I will ease his pain or anything more beyond that.”

Eyes like chips of amber met mine. “Do whatever you can.”

Aware of the Guardians surrounding us as Alastir knelt behind Casteel, I sank my hands into the soft wolven fur. Like with Beckett, before I could start to pull from the all-too-shallow well of good, happy memories, the heat intensified. A faint glow surrounded my hands as I felt Delano’s pain rise suddenly, sharply, and then ease.

“Gods,” Jasper whispered hoarsely.

“I’m glowing again, aren’t I?” I asked.

“Yes,” Casteel answered. “Like moonlight. Beautiful.”

Delano shuddered as I felt the last of his pain trickle away. His ears twitched and then perked. A moment later, he lifted his head, stretching to look back at me as I lifted my hands.

“Hi,” I said, and I swore the wolven smiled.

“Delano?” Casteel leaned forward. “Can you shift?”

The wolven turned back to Casteel and shuddered again. As the fur thinned, Kieran whipped off his shirt, draping it over Delano’s midsection just as his legs lengthened, claws retracted, and pale skin replaced fur. A moment later, Delano was in his mortal form.

I rocked back. Watching a wolven change forms would never cease to amaze me.

Delano lifted his right arm as he sat up, wiping the blood off to reveal no wound. Just a pinker, ragged patch of skin. He lowered his arm, eyes meeting mine.

“Delano,” Casteel said. “What in the hell happened?”

Tearing his gaze from me, he turned to Casteel, his chest rising and falling with steady breaths. “They’re coming. The Ascended.”