I nodded.
“All right. I’ll see if I can find the asshole.”
My lips curved into a weak grin. “If you do, can you tell him that I…”
“I’ll tell him,” he said, knowing what I couldn’t say without bursting into tears.
“Thank you.”
Kieran’s warm lips pressed against my forehead. The touch lingered in the minutes after he left. I wished it’d lasted longer because I kept seeing the glassiness in Casteel’s eyes, remembering the feeling and taste of the betrayal he felt.
I smacked my hands over my face and breathed deeply. I couldn’t cry. If I did, I wouldn’t stop. I didn’t have time for that.
Because betrayal wasn’t the only thing I’d sensed.
There’d also been determination.
Casteel hadn’t really agreed to stay back. Deep down, I knew it was impossible.
He wouldn’t be able to.
It wasn’t in him.
And I loved him even more for that.
I just hoped he loved me enough to forgive me for what I was about to do.
Lowering my hands, I looked down at them. The fingertips were smudged with red.
Blood tears.
I wiped them on my pants and not the pretty tunic.
Okay.
I needed to focus.
I was the Queen.
I was the true Primal of Life and Death.
I needed to get my shit together and figure out how to summon a Fate.
Did I just call out to them? No. It was like when I summoned the draken. It was using my will. At least, that’s what thevadentiatold me.
Clearing my mind and closing my eyes, I summoned the eather and willed a Fate to answer.
And waited.
For…nothing.
I cracked an eye open. Then the other. The Solar was empty. Frustrated, I tried again, pushing harder—
Energy charged the air, followed by a powerful, old presence and the scent of sandalwood.
“I told you there’d be a next time.”
Groaning, I turned to find Thorne standing there. “Of course, it had to be you.”
