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“Poppy wouldn’t do that,” I said.
“How was she supposed to know that?” Malik countered from the doorway.
I started to respond, but there was no way for Millicent to have known that. However… “You’re not someone who strikes me as being afraid of death.”
Millicent’s gaze flicked back to me. She said nothing, and I was right. Millicent wasn’t afraid to die, be it final or not. It wasn’t her death she’d been afraid of.
I looked at my brother and cursed under my breath. “She sleeps—in stasis until she fully completes her Culling,” I said quietly, and that was all I said. Neither she nor Malik needed to know there was a chance—a small one—that Poppy could wake with no knowledge of herself.
Millicent jerked. “Is that common?”
“You don’t know?”
She shook her head. “I know what stasis is, how they can go to ground. How long will it last?”
“Not much longer.” I hoped.
Kieran slowly backed off, sinking onto his belly beside Poppy. Delano did the same, returning to the foot of the bed but remaining on the floor.
And Millicent…she stared at the bed. “She looks the same,” she said after a few moments. “I mean, she’s paler than normal.”
I didn’t tell her it had been much worse before. I noticed she was twisting her fingers again. I glanced at Malik. There were things I needed to ask—about how the fuck Revenants were made, and everything with Callum, but now wasn’t the time.
“Do you want to visit with her?”
Millicent’s head jerked toward me. She said nothing, but she nodded. I looked once more at Malik. He’d quietly stepped back into the hall. I needed to talk with him, but…
Kieran rose from the bed and quickly shifted. His eyes locked with mine. “I’ll stay with them.”
“Are you going to put some clothing on?” Millicent asked.
“Do I need to?”
“I mean, it’s your dick hanging out, not mine.” Millicent shrugged and then came forward, eyeing Delano but not Kieran as she sat on the very, very edge of the bed.
I caught Kieran’s eye, and he nodded. I tossed him the dagger. He smiled at Millicent. “Are you afraid of wolven?”
“That’s like asking if you’re not afraid of draken,” she retorted, glancing at Delano. I’d swear the fucking wolven smiled. “Everyone should be afraid of anything with claws and sharp teeth.”
I walked out then, pulling the door after me but leaving it cracked open. Malik didn’t protest. He knew Kieran wouldn’t do anything unless given reason to, and I supposed that also said he knew Millicent wouldn’t give cause.
I glanced to where Emil stood with Naill. “Can you give us a moment?”
Naill nodded, but Emil said, “I kind of want to witness this awkward meet and greet—”
“Emil,” muttered Naill, catching the back of his tunic. “I swear to the gods.”
Malik watched Naill drag the other Atlantian down the hall. “I see Emil really hasn’t changed.”
“What the hell happened to you?” I asked.
He faced me. “I’m not sure what you’re referencing, exactly.”
“Your face.” I crossed my arms. “Looks like you’ve been in a fight.”
“I was. We were, actually.”
“With?”
“Other Revs.” He leaned against the wall. “Those loyal to Isbeth.”
Surprise flickered through me. “And how did that go?”
“Bloody. There are still a few out there, running about, but we took out most of those who would be a problem.”
“And by took out, you mean killed? ’Cause that’s interesting.” I eyed him. “I was under the impression that draken fire was the only thing that could kill them.”
One side of his lips twisted up. “There are things that can kill a Rev.”
“Really?” I wasn’t sure if I believed him. This wasn’t what we’d been told.
“The Primal of Death can, and I assume that means both of them,” he said, referencing Nyktos and Kolis. “Since Kolis created them—and before you ask, I don’t know how he did it. And she can. The Primal of Life.”
“And Poppy.”
Malik’s jaw tightened.
“But neither of you is either of those two things, so how the hell did you kill some of those troublesome Revs?”
A muscle ticked in his temple.
“I get it,” I said when he didn’t answer. “You don’t want me to possess the knowledge of how to kill one, which is idiotic, considering my wife is one of those ways, but mainly because if I wanted knowledge on how to kill Millicent, I wouldn’t have left her in the chamber with Poppy.”
“You didn’t leave her alone with Millie,” he countered. “Not really.”
I stepped closer to him. “Would you have if the roles were reversed?”
“No.” Malik’s laugh was dry. “Draken fire and draken blood can kill them,” he shared. “Lucky for us, Millie knew where Isbeth kept vials of it. You either make them ingest it or dip a blade or arrow in it. As long as it gets into their heart or head, they’re done. I got the impression that Reaver was unaware of that—where is he?”
