“I have so many questions.”
“There is not a single person surprised to hear that,” Kieran remarked.
Delano laughed as he turned his head to the sky, basking in the sun.
A bell tolled, startling me. Leaves rattled as a flock of birds took flight from the nearby trees, their feathers a vivid green and blue. The bell tolled five more times.
I tensed. “Is something happening?” I looked around, and no one appeared concerned. I only ever heard a bell ring when there was an attack or something afoot.
Jasper smiled at me. “It is only telling the time. It’s six in the evening,” he explained. “It’ll ring every hour until midnight and then resume at eight.”
“Oh.” That was clever. Ahead, I noticed someone on horseback riding toward us.
Casteel slowed the horse as Jasper said, “Here comes the welcoming party of one.”
“Who is it?” I asked.
“Alastir,” he told me. “He must’ve been waiting for us.”
The advisor to the King and Queen arrived within a few minutes, a smile softening the deep scar in his forehead.
“You cannot believe how relieved I am to see you. All of you,” Alastir said, and the strangest thing happened.
A shivery feeling of icy fingers danced across the back of my neck. Gods, he sounded so much like Vikter, but—
“You must tell me what became of Spessa’s End.” Alastir drew his horse up to our side, clasping Casteel’s hand. “But I must warn you.” His voice dropped low. “Your father and mother are here, and your arrival was spotted. They know you’ve come home.”
My stomach fell beyond my feet. I hadn’t planned on meeting his parents this quickly. They were supposed to be in the capital.”
Casteel was of like mind. “What are they doing here?”
“They came as soon as they learned of the trouble in Spessa’s End. Your damn father was about to cross the mountain. I assured him that our forces would make it…” He trailed off as he caught sight of the ring on Casteel’s left hand. He turned Casteel’s palm upward. His skin blanched. “You did it.” He twisted in his saddle, looking toward my left hand. His gaze met mine. “You actually did it.”
“We did,” Casteel said. “Just like we told you.”
“You missed it,” Jasper chimed in as I picked up on the disbelief and concern radiating from Alastir. Which wasn’t surprising. He’d wanted us to wait until Casteel spoke with his parents. “Day turned to night at the end of the ceremony. Nyktos gave his approval.”
Alastir blinked as if he hadn’t expected that. “Well, that is…that is good news. Perhaps that will be of aid when the King and Queen are made aware, but I need to speak with you Casteel, in private.”
“Whatever you need to say to me, you can say in front of my wife,” Casteel replied, and my already unstable stomach flipped.
Wife.
Why was that such a shock to hear? It was a pleasant surprise, though.
“This is a conversation regarding the kingdom and I mean no offense, but she is not a part of the Crown yet,” Alastir replied. “Nor privy to such information.”
Casteel stiffened behind me, and I knew he was about to push back, and the last thing I wanted was him to be standing here arguing with Alastir about what I was privy to when his parents arrived.
“It’s okay. No offense taken,” I said, tapping his arm. “I would like to stretch my legs a bit anyway.”
Casteel wasn’t at all happy about that, but Beckett offered, “I can show her the Chambers of Nyktos. It’s not very far from here,” he said. “That is, if you’d like.”
“I would like that,” I readily agreed, latching on to the offer as if it were a lifeline. “That’s what I would like to do.”
“Then that’s what you will do,” Casteel replied.
My heart was pumping so fast as Casteel dismounted and helped me get down that I wouldn’t have been surprised if I fainted. How embarrassing would that be? The first time to faint…at the feet of my father and mother-in-law, the former the King who still planned to use me as a message.
But that would change. It had to. Not just because the gods favored me, but because what Casteel and I shared was real.
“One second.” Casteel motioned at Beckett as Quentyn went to the young wolven’s side. He drew me slightly away from the others, under the shade of one of the nearby trees. “I’m sorry about this,” he said. “I had no idea they’d be here. I wanted to give you some time before I introduced you. That was what I planned.”