The Crown of Gilded Bones (Blood And Ash Series Book 3)
The Crown of Gilded Bones: Chapter 33

“Well…” Jasper drew out the word from where he sat in one of the closed-off rooms beyond the Great Hall of the fortress. Delano and Lyra were trailing the Ascended to make sure they left, but the rest of us were here. “That was unexpected.”

I almost laughed, but I didn’t think that was appropriate. I was already wearing a path in the stone floor, pacing the length of the room. I couldn’t sit. Not with how my mind was racing. Not with my emotions all over the place, bouncing from sorrow to hope to disbelief.

Ian was still in there.

For him to say what he had, he had to be. And I…I could’ve stabbed him. My stomach roiled and then lurched. Ian was still in there. Good gods, I wanted to shout with joy and also sink to my knees and sob because that meant he was himself while surrounded by Ascended. What he must deal with. I couldn’t let myself think about that. He was smart and clever. Obviously, he was stronger than I ever realized for him to survive as he had.

But the implications of Ian remaining himself? Being able to put on a convincing act to survive so young in his Ascension? There could be others—many more.

“What do you think he meant by Nyktos’s guards?” I asked.

“That, I am not sure.” Casteel watched me from where he sat. “It would be hard to imagine that his guards would leave him.”

Nova frowned from where she stood by the door. “You think he spoke the truth? That this is not a trap of sorts?”

“He said he knew the truth,” I told her—told the room. Casteel had been close enough to overhear my brother’s whisper. The rest hadn’t. “He had to be talking about the Ascended.”

“He didn’t sound like he knew the truth about the Ascended,” Jasper remarked with a scowl. “He sounded like every Ascended I’ve come across.”

“That had to be an act,” I said.

“Then he’s one hell of an actor,” the older wolven retorted.

It was a good act, but we were thinking about two different situations. “Growing up, Ian made up these stories and then told them to me. He did it because he knew I was…I was often lonely and bored.” I started walking again, fiddling with the edge of my braid. “Anyway, when he told me those stories, he acted them out, adopting different accents and mannerisms. He was good at it—good enough that he’d be at home on a stage.”

“And I barely heard what he whispered to Poppy,” Casteel commented. “There’s no way the knights did.”

I nodded. “He made sure they couldn’t hear. That’s why he moved so far from them—something I could tell made them uncomfortable.”

“Truth or not, the fact that Ian even brought up Nyktos makes me think that he knows about your heritage,” Kieran began, leaning against the table beside where his sister sat perched on the edge, her feet resting on a chair. “And that means the Blood Crown likely does, as well. Which isn’t exactly a surprise, but it could mean they have some understanding of your abilities.”

“They may.” I stopped playing with my braid and instead started worrying the skin of my thumb. “I mean, it sounded like they orchestrated my creation,” I said without going into too much detail. It was strange how twenty-four hours ago, I had been caught up in the knowledge that Malec was my father. Now, replaced by something far more important, it felt like a non-issue. “Then they probably have a good idea of what my gifts could grow into. But these Revenant things? I’ve never heard of them before.”

“Neither have I,” Casteel said, which was unsettling since he’d spent time in the capital far more recently than I had.

“But whatever they are, they must be bad for Ian to say a large army couldn’t beat them.”

“That is if what he said is true,” Kieran pointed out.

“It may not be. It just might be.” Casteel squinted as he drew his thumb along his lower lip, watching me. “Wake Nyktos.”

Our gazes connected. What my brother told me to do sounded too bizarre to even consider, but…

“I doubt any god would be all that happy with being awakened, let alone Nyktos,” Vonetta said. “What if he said that in hopes the god takes you out?”

My stomach tumbled at the thought. Angering a god would be a surefire way to remove me from the picture. But I also thought about what the Duchess had said. That I had succeeded where she couldn’t. Could waking Nyktos be a part of that?

I didn’t think so. Duchess Teerman referenced Atlantia, and I truly believed that Ian was trying to help us.

“But the Blood Crown wants Poppy alive,” Casteel pointed out. “And they want her at this meeting. If the plan is to get her killed by waking Nyktos, why set up the meeting?”

“Good point.” Vonetta’s fingers tapped on her bent knees as she glanced between Casteel and me. “You two are seriously thinking about it, aren’t you? Waking Nyktos?”

Casteel still held my gaze. “If what Ian said is true, we may need Nyktos’s guards. Either way, Atlantia has lost the element of surprise when it comes to our armies.”

I nodded in agreement. “Are you familiar with Oak Ambler?”

A smoky smile appeared as he shared a quick glance with Kieran. “We’ve been to and infiltrated Castle Redrock.”

My brows lifted. “Do I want to know why you did that and what the outcome was?”

His gaze sharpened, burned. “Probably not.”

“Let’s just say some Ascended there won’t be missed by those who call Oak Ambler home,” Kieran commented. “It’s probably best if you don’t know more.”

“It would be wise for us to arrive before they expect us,” Casteel said, and I nodded.

“I can agree with that. I can also say for sure that your father will be pissed when he hears that the Blood Crown knows that Atlantia has been gathering forces to the north,” Jasper muttered, dragging a hand down his face as he looked at Casteel. “Hell.”

I stilled, my gaze replaceing Casteel’s once more. When Ian had dropped that unexpected tidbit, I couldn’t understand how they knew. Now, I did. “Alastir.”

Casteel’s jaw hardened. “From what my father said, only the Council was aware of the true purpose behind the armies being moved to the north. The public believes it’s a training exercise, but Alastir knew.”

“And he’d been communicating with the Ascended.” I shook my head. “How in the world could he have justified sharing that kind of information with the Ascended as something that would’ve benefited Atlantia?”

Jasper snorted. “I think Alastir had a lot of beliefs that didn’t make sense, but maybe he did that in hopes that Solis would strike first, forcing Atlantia’s hand. A backup plan in case all else failed.”

That made unfortunate sense. “Who knows what else he could’ve told them?”

That quieted the room, and in the silence, my mind returned to bouncing between Ian and what it meant for the Ascended before finally settling on something I hadn’t really allowed myself to think about.

The Crown.

The plans already in place wouldn’t change with the news that Ian wasn’t evil incarnate—and it was possible that other Ascended were the same. Once the King learned that Solis was aware of the Atlantian armies, it would spur an attack. Ian and any Ascended like him may die if the Atlantian armies were successful. If not, and these Revenants were something terrible and powerful, able to devastate the Atlantian armies? Not only would Spessa’s End fall, but the entire kingdom of Atlantia could. Either way, innocent people would die on both sides. I stopped as I neared Casteel’s chair. He looked up at me, his gaze searching my face.

Casteel and I could stop this.

That meant only I could stop it.

My pulse picked up as I stared down at him. I knew what we had to do—what I had to do. It felt like the floor shifted under my feet. A kernel of panic bloomed, and I used everything in me to shut it down.

Casteel reached out, extending a hand. I placed mine in it. “What?” he said quietly.

“Can we talk?”

He rose at once, sending the group a quick glance. “We’ll be back.”

No one said anything as we slipped from the room and then moved through the empty Great Hall where the Atlantian banners hung on the walls.

“Where do you want to go?” Casteel asked.

“The bay?” I suggested.

And that’s where we went, Casteel leading the way around the half stone wall that remained. Under the bright light of the moon and in the much cooler air of nighttime, the grass and dirt gave way to sand as the scent of lavender surrounded us.

We stopped on the edge of the midnight bay, the waters so dark they captured the stars above. Stygian Bay was the rumored gateway to the Temples of Eternity. I suppressed a shudder at the thought that the God of Common Men and Endings slept under the still waters.

“You doing okay?” Casteel asked.

Knowing he was talking about Ian, I nodded. “It’s strange. When I decided not to give Ian peace, I was both relieved and disappointed.”

“What made you decide not to do it?” Casteel pulled his gaze from the bay and looked over at me. “Because I really thought you were going to do it.”

“I was. It was the perfect chance. I knew you all would’ve been able to handle the knights. But besides the fact that we have no idea what these Revenants are, we’re also trying to prevent a war. If I’d ended Ian, the Blood Crown could have taken that as an act of war against them and struck at Spessa’s End. I couldn’t risk that.”

He reached over, rubbing his hand down my back. “I’m proud of you.”

“Shut up.”

“No. Seriously.” A faint smile appeared. “You made the call before Ian spoke to you, when you thought he was truly lost to you. You didn’t think of what you wanted, but what was best for the people of both Solis and Atlantia. Many wouldn’t have done that.”

“Would you?”

His forehead creased as his attention returned to the bay. “I’m not sure. I’d like to think I would have, but I think it’s something you really can’t know for sure until you’re in that position.”

Silvery moonlight glanced off the curve of his cheek and jaw as if the light of the moon were drawn to him. “So, you believe that Ian isn’t like the others? That what he said is true?”

He didn’t answer for a long moment. “I believe in things that make sense, Poppy. Him telling you to wake Nyktos because his guards can defeat the Blood Crown only makes sense if he was trying to help us. I cannot think of how that would help the Blood Crown. Like I said in there, they have not indicated that they want you dead. I do think he’s trying to help you—help us—at great risk to himself. For him to be willing to do that to help his sister has to mean that he’s still in there. A normal Ascended would be looking out for only themselves. He’s not like them.”

I briefly closed my eyes, nodding. Hearing that Casteel believed that Ian was still in there erased the tiny doubts I still had and made what we needed to talk about easier. “And that could mean that some Ascended, young ones like Ian, who might not have had years and years to control their bloodlust, aren’t a lost cause.”

“It could.”

“And Atlantia is preparing for war—to kill all the Ascended. Your mother told me it wouldn’t matter if Ian wasn’t like the others. They wouldn’t take that risk.” I moved to what was left of a pier, sitting on a stone post. “I can’t let that happen. We can’t let that happen.”

Casteel turned to me, remaining quiet.

I took a deep breath as I looked up at him. “It’s not just about my brother. Yes, he’s a big reason. I know your mother wants me to choose the Crown because I love Atlantia, but there isn’t enough time for me to feel that way. I…I don’t know if I need to right now. Because I am already protective of Atlantia and her people. I don’t want to see them used by the Ascended or harmed during a war. I also don’t want to see Solis ravaged. I know you don’t either.”

“I don’t.”

My hands started to tremble, so I folded them between my knees. “I have no idea how to rule a kingdom, but I know that can be learned. You said so. Your mother said so. I don’t know if I’m ready for that, or if I would ultimately make a good Queen, but I want to make things better for the people in Solis and in Atlantia. I keep thinking about how the Ascended need to be stopped. I know that needs to happen, and that has to mean something, right? And I have to believe that being able to possibly prevent war is worth figuring that out. People’s lives are worth that, including my brother’s. You’d be by my side. We’d rule together, and we’d have your parents to help us.” And maybe I would come to love Atlantia as deeply as he and his parents did. It already felt like home to me, so it was possible. But there was also a little guilt. I wanted his mother to approve of why I decided to take the Crown. I swallowed, but a knot remained in my throat. “That is if you want this. If you can be happy with this. I don’t want you to feel forced into it,” I said as he took a quiet step toward me. “I know you said that part of you knew it would happen eventually, but I want you to know for sure that this is what you want and not…not do it just because I’m choosing this,” I finished, watching him and waiting for a response. When he stopped before me, saying nothing, the knot expanded in my throat. “Are you going to say something?”

Casteel knelt in front of me, resting a knee in the sand. “I told you before that if you wanted the Crown, I would support it. I would be right there with you. That hasn’t changed.”

“But what do you want?” I insisted.

He placed his hands on my knees. “This isn’t about me or what I want.”

“Bullshit,” I exclaimed.

Casteel laughed. “I’m sorry.” He dipped his chin, grinning. “You’re just adorable when you curse.”

“That’s weird, but whatever. It’s not just about me.”

“It’s about you because I know what ruling a kingdom entails. I grew up with a Queen as a mother and a King as a father. I also grew up knowing that I could ascend to the throne.” Golden eyes met mine. “Even though I’ve held off assuming the role, it wasn’t because I didn’t want to be King.”

“I know,” I said quietly. “It was because of your brother.”

“I know I can do this. I know you can. But it’s not such a shock to me.” Casteel worked his fingers between my knees, releasing my hands. He held them loosely in his. “I want to protect my people and the kingdom, and if sitting on that throne will do that, then it’s what I want. But,” he stressed, “I want you to have the choice—the freedom. I also want you to know that you don’t have to justify or explain your reasons for taking the Crown. Not to me. Not to my mother. And there is no one right reason, as long as it is your choice. So,” he said, running his thumbs over my knuckles, “is it your choice to take the Crown?”

My heart skipped a beat. “It is,” I whispered. It was only two words, but they were life-altering and terrifying, and it was strange. To think that before I could remember being called the Maiden, forces had been at play that strove to stop this very moment from happening. There was a bittersweetness to this, but there was also a sense of…rightness that buzzed through my veins, in the blood of the gods. Like what I felt when I first stood at the Chambers. I almost expected the ground to tremble and the skies to open.

All that happened was Casteel bowing his head as he drew our joined hands to his heart. “My Queen,” he murmured, lashes sweeping up as his eyes met mine. And that connection—the one tied to my heart and soul was just as life-changing. “I guess I will have to stop calling you Princess.”

My lips twitched. “You’ve barely called me that since we got here.”

“You noticed?” His brows rose as he kissed my hands. “Didn’t feel right calling a Queen a Princess. Didn’t matter if you never took the Crown.”

“You’re being sweet again.”

“Are you going to cry?”

“I don’t know.”

Chuckling, he let go of my hands and stretched up, cupping my cheeks. “You’re sure about this?”

My heart gave another leap. “I am.” Something occurred to me. “I want the crest changed. I want the arrow and sword to be equal.”

His dimples appeared then. “I like the sound of that.”

I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Okay.”

“Okay,” he repeated, nodding. “We need to rest here for the night, but I’ll send someone ahead of us to Evaemon. Tomorrow, we will leave for the capital.”

Where we would take the Crown.

And then we would travel to Iliseeum and wake the King of Gods.

“You’ve got to let go, baby. You need to hide, Poppy—” Momma stilled, and then she wrenched her arm free, reaching inside her boot. She pulled something out, something black as night and slender and sharp. She moved so fast—faster than I’d ever seen her move, spinning around as she rose, the black spike in her hand.

“How could you do this?” Momma demanded as I scooted to the edge of the cupboard.

A…a man stood a few feet from her, cloaked in scary shadows. “I’m sorry.”

“So am I.” Momma swung out, but the shadow man caught her arm.

“Momma!” I screamed, and glass cracked.

Her head jerked around. “Run. Run—”

Glass shattered, and the night spilled into the kitchen, tumbling down the wall and hitting the floor. I froze, unable to move as the gray-skinned creatures rose, their sunken bodies and red-smeared mouths scaring me. They swarmed the kitchen, and I couldn’t see her. “Momma!”

Bodies snapped in my direction. Mouths dropped open. Shrill howls ripped through the air. Bony, cold fingers pressed into my leg. I screamed as I scrambled back inside the cupboard—

“Shit,” the dark man cursed, and a spray of something rotten hit my face. The thing let go of my leg. I started to twist away, but the shadow man reached inside the cupboard, grabbing my arm. “Gods, help me,” he muttered, yanking me out.

Panicked, I pulled at his grip as those things came at him. He swept out an arm. I twisted, struggling. My foot slipped in the wetness. I turned sideways—

Momma was there, her face streaked with red. She thrust that black spike into the center of the shadow man’s chest. He grunted out a bad word. His grip loosened and slipped away as he fell backward. “Run, Poppy,” Momma gasped. “Run.”

I ran. I ran toward her—

“Momma—” Claws caught my hair, scratched my skin, burning me like the time I’d reached for the kettle. I screamed, straining for Momma, but I couldn’t see her in the twining mass on the floor. Teeth sank into my arm as Papa’s friend silently backed away. Fiery pain roared through me, seizing my lungs and my body—

What a pretty little flower.

What a pretty poppy.

Pick it and watch it bleed.

Not so pretty any longer…

I jerked awake, a scream burning the back of my throat as my wide-eyed gaze swept across the dark bedchamber.

“Poppy,” Casteel called, his voice thick with sleep. A second later, his chest pressed into my back as he folded an arm around my waist. “It’s okay. You’re safe. You’re here.”

Heart pounding, I stared into the darkness, telling myself that I was in Spessa’s End. I wasn’t trapped in Lockswood, alone and—

My breath caught. “I wasn’t alone.”

“What?”

I swallowed, my throat sore. “There was someone else in that kitchen where I was hiding in the cupboard. Someone my mother knew. I know she did.”

“Alastir—”

“No,” I whispered hoarsely, shaking my head. “It was someone else. He was like…like a shadow, dressed in black.” I twisted in Casteel’s embrace, barely making out his features in the darkness. “He was dressed like the Dark One.”