The furrow between Casteel’s brows smoothed out, and one side of his lips tipped up. “More like you’re going to be jealous.”
My lips pursed.
Kieran immediately started tearing the biscuit into tiny, bite-sized pieces as Casteel looked at me. “Don’t even try to lie,” he said, “and say you wouldn’t be.”
I wasn’t going to.
Because I so would be.
I rolled my eyes, holding back the laugh bubbling up my throat. It was bizarre and funny to me how they could be teasing afterthat. But they could.
Icould.
And, gods, if that wasn’t an indicator of how much I’d changed, I didn’t know what was. It wasn’t just Casteel or Kieran who’d given me space to change. It was Delano and Emil, Naill and Vonetta. And—
Something occurred to me. “We should let the others know about our plans for the Ascended.”
“Others?” Kieran glanced at me, popping a piece of torn biscuit into his mouth.
“Like Naill and Emil. Delano. Your sister if she’s here,” I explained. “Even Malik. I’m sure they’re wondering what we plan to do, and they’re like our…I don’t know. Our Council.”
“Like our Inner Council?” Kieran suggested.
“More like our Shadow Council,” Casteel remarked. “You sure you’re comfortable with Malik being a part of that?”
“Yes,” I said, not even having to think about it despite what he’d been involved in. “Malik isn’t working with the Blood Crown or Kolis.”
“I know.” Casteel rested his elbow on the arm of his chair and drew his fingers down the length of the gold chain around his neck. “I wasn’t asking because of that.” His jaw flexed and then loosened. “Malik is partly responsible for your nightmares.”
My stomach clenched. “He is, but…” But he was Casteel’s brother. My sister’s heartmate. “He thought he was doing what was best…” I took a drink as his gaze hardened to a cool amber. “I’m fine with him being there. Are you?”
His gaze flickered away, and a moment passed. “I am.”
Kieran looked up from where he had been tracing the veining in the table. “I suggest we not openly acknowledge that we have a Shadow Council.”
Casteel snorted.
Kieran sat back, his gaze on Cas as he said, “We need to keep talking about Kolis.”
“As I said,” Casteel replied, his middle finger tapping the stem of his glass, “I’m level now.”
Kieran eyed him for a moment and then shifted his attention to me. “So, if Kolis wants to Ascend to become such a Primal, I think we can safely say he wants what the Blood Crown wanted: absolute power and domination.”
Unease blossomed. Was Kolis like far too many others? Wanting power and domination over all? While the BloodCrown needed power over the realm to survive, I wasn’t surewhatIsbeth had wanted.
I wasn’t certai evensheknew what she wanted.
Once again, that feeling from before returned—that we were thinking about Kolis through the lens of whatwewould do or want.
“From what little I know of him,” Casteel said, “I’m betting he won’t stop at seizing control of the mortal realm.”
My stomach twisted sharply as I recalled what Thorne had said to me.Most would jump at the chance to have such power over not only the mortal realm but also that of the gods.
“He wants to rule both the realm of the mortalsandthe gods,” I said.
“Would he stop there?” Kieran asked, and I knew he was asking about the other realm. “Can he cross the Veil?”
“Yes,” I said, picking up my glass. “I almost wish he’d try that. I don’t think it would work out so well for him.”
