“Because they sometimes overwhelm you.”
He remembered. I nodded.
“That’s…” He trailed off, and I looked over at him. “What am I feeling now?”
“I…you’re feeling curiosity. Not concern.”
His head tilted. “Why would I feel concern?”
“Aren’t you worried that I will develop more empath traits?”
“If you’re thinking that I’m worried about you becoming a Soul Eater and feeding off my emotions, you’d be wasting your energy.”
I frowned at him. “I would hope you wouldn’t think that.”
“What I do think is it’s all amazing,” he said. “You’re amazing.”
I rolled my eyes.
“Especially when you shut Alastir up. That is a talent that even I haven’t mastered.” He sat forward, stopping so that we were nearly at eye level. “My parents will likely be displeased, but they will welcome you. I’m not saying that to make you feel better. I mean it. Their anger or disappointment will not be directed at you.”
I actually believed that.
And I almost believed what he said to Alastir about his parents loving me as fiercely as he did. Heartmates.
Casteel curled his fingers around my chin, drawing my gaze back to his. “What?” His gaze searched mine. “What are you thinking? I know you are thinking about something. You always get this look on your face when you’re thinking about something you don’t want to share.”
“What kind of look do I get?”
“Your nose wrinkles.”
“What? It does not.”
“It does.”
I couldn’t tell if he was being serious or not. “I wasn’t thinking anything.”
“Lies.” His thumb swept over my bottom lip. “Tell me.”
His gaze caught and held mine, and my heart started pounding. I fell into his warm amber depths, and I could feel my mask cracking. “I was thinking…I was thinking that you can be very convincing when you speak to others about how you feel about me.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes,” I whispered.
He dragged his lower lip through his teeth as his lashes lowered. “But not convincing enough.”
I knew he spoke of Alastir, but I thought if he were any more convincing, I would start to believe him.
His lashes lifted. “There’s something I want to show you.”
Astride Setti once more, Casteel controlled the reins as he led us through the woods, riding in the kind of companionable silence I’d felt with few people before. He hadn’t gone straight, toward the town. He veered left, where the canopy of trees was quite a bit thicker and the woods were dense for as far as I could see.
“Look,” Casteel said, nodding toward our right.
Turning my head, there was no stopping the smile that lifted the corners of my lips and spread across my face. Before us was a stunning field of flowers with showy red petals and black whorls, swaying slightly in a breeze.
“Poppies.” A light laugh escaped me at the unexpected sight. “I’d never seen so many in one place.” My gaze swept over them. “It’s beautiful.”
“Yeah,” he agreed after a moment, clearing his throat as he shifted behind me. “It is.” The horse started to move along the edge of the woods and the poppies. “They’re grown here in the meadows for medicinal use.”
I arched a brow. “You don’t worry about people using them for other reasons?”
“Do the fields look empty to you?” When I nodded, he tapped my hip lightly with his fingers. “There are sentries in there, camouflaged so they’re hidden. The fields are monitored at all times so no one with the knowledge of how to cultivate the poppies can use them for ill-gotten gain.”
“Goodness,” I murmured, half expecting someone to pop up from the rows. “That’s smart. I’ve heard it’s becoming a problem in some of the cities.”
“While I was in Carsodonia, it ran rampant, and I saw it taking hold in Masadonia, too. But can you really blame those who live under such conditions, desiring an escape, no matter how temporary? Many of them who lose hours and days in opium dens are those who gave their children to the Court or to the Temples,” he said. “It may not be right, but I can understand why.”
“I can, too. I mean, they’re seeking peace, even if it doesn’t last.” Sadness crowded out the beauty of the field.
“This is only part of what I wanted to show you.” He urged Setti forward, pulling me from my thoughts. “Something I think you will appreciate.”