Casteel arched a brow but said nothing.
Anger and embarrassment was a dangerous mix. I was furious over being locked up all day and embarrassed by the knowledge that both of these men knew how I responded to Casteel—how easily my body sang for him. “You’re no better than the Ascended.”
Casteel didn’t move.
Kieran didn’t speak.
Silence stretched out so long between us that unease blossomed, sending my heart pounding. I shouldn’t have said that. I knew that the moment it left my mouth, but I couldn’t take it back.
“I need to show you something,” Casteel bit out, all but lifting me off the bench. He started walking, tugging me along behind him, his grip on my hand firm but not painful.
I struggled to keep up with his long-legged pace as he crossed the banquet hall. “There is nothing you can show me that I want to see.”
“You won’t want to see this. No one does. But you need to see it.”
Confused by that statement, I looked over my shoulder to see Kieran leaning back, arms resting on the table, his long legs stretched out in front of him. He waved at me.
I did something that Ian had once taught me, something that I’d seen the guards do to one another—sometimes in humor and other times in anger. It was considered a foul gesture, and I’d never done it in my life.
I gave Kieran the middle finger.
Throwing his head back, the wolven laughed loudly and deeply.
Casteel glanced back at me, brows raised as his eyes flicked to Kieran. “Do I even want to know what you just did?”
“It’s none of your business,” I grumbled, cheeks feeling hot.
“You’re in a lovely mood today.”
“I’m beginning to doubt your comprehension skills. You’ve kept me—”
“Locked away in a room all day. I know,” he interrupted as we walked through the empty hall. “I would’ve preferred not to. Believe it or not, the idea of keeping you confined is something I find distasteful.”
I wanted to believe him. I really did, but I wasn’t that na?ve. “Then you can simply not do it.”
He coughed out a dry laugh. “And risk you running off again, unprepared and unprotected? I think not.”
“I’m not going to try to run away—”
Casteel laughed again, this time as deeply as Kieran had. I figured there was a good chance I might explode as we entered the common area. People lingered in the space, and I had no idea what they thought when they saw Casteel and I walk past them. I imagined one or both of us looked as if we were charging off to do battle.
Up ahead, one of the men by the door opened it for us, and I had no idea where we were going as Casteel led me outside. Regardless, I was glad he wasn’t taking me back to the room. I’d definitely lose it then.
The snow was coming down in a light, slow flurry, having eased off a bit from before. We trudged through several inches on the ground as we crossed the yard.
“Why are we going into the woods?” I asked, wondering if I should be concerned, even though I knew I was no good to him dead.
“We aren’t going very far.” Having slowed down so I could walk at his side, he glanced over at me. “Are you cold?”
I shook my head.
“We won’t be out here for very long,” he said.
I lifted a hand as we walked, momentarily distracted by the snow. I watched it fall and melt against my skin. After a moment, I became aware of Casteel’s intense gaze on me. Closing my hand, I lowered it to my side.
“It snowed in Masadonia, didn’t it?” he asked quietly as we reached the edge of the forest. “Were you ever able to enjoy it?”
“It would’ve been unseemly for a Maiden to be romping around in the snow.” I frowned as we stepped under the trees. Snow dusted large areas of the forest floor and drifted in higher piles where there were breaks in the trees. “But a few times when I was able to sneak out at night I saw it, but it wasn’t often. A couple of times with Ian. Once with Tawny.”
Tawny.
My heart hurt as I thought of her, almost wishing I hadn’t. Gods, I missed her. She was the second daughter of a successful merchant, given to the Royal Court at the age of thirteen during the Rite. She had been tasked to be a companion of sorts to me, but she had become far more than that. I often worried that our friendship was nothing more than a task, a duty to her. But I knew better now. She genuinely cared for me.
“Everyone seemed to go outside in the snow,” I continued. “So, going out without being seen wasn’t always feasible.”