“Quite possibly. But my parents will seek to delay the marriage until they are sure it’s true. We cannot afford the time it will take to gain their permission—permission I do not need,” he said. “As I said before, my people want retribution. If they think this is a ploy to get back a Prince they have already mourned, and if they value revenge over life, they will try something. Once you become my wife, you will be protected.”
“Your people seem…” I trailed off. His people seemed barbaric, but mine weren’t much better. Whether I claimed the Ascended as my people or not, I had been raised by them. And wouldn’t I be just as violent if I lived every day, knowing that the Ascended could arrive at any time to slaughter without question or punishment? I would be just as wrathful.
A shudder worked its way through me as I stared at his profile, at the taut lines of his face, and the shadows under his eyes. I realized that maybe Casteel and I weren’t all that different. “I understand.”
His gaze flew to mine, his eyes wide. “What?”
“I understand why you’re doing this. They have your brother, who was captured in the process of freeing you,” I told him, my thoughts shifting to Ian. “I can understand that you’d go to extremes to get him back.”
He turned to me. “Really?”
I nodded. “I would do the same. So, I can understand and still not like it. I can hate that I’m nothing more than a pawn to you and still understand why I am.”
“You’re not just a pawn to me, Poppy.”
“Don’t lie,” I told him, my heart squeezing. “That’s not doing either of us any favors.”
He opened his mouth and then closed it, seeming to rethink what he’d been about to say.
“There’s a reason I understand,” I told him. “You would do anything to free your brother, and I will do anything to get back to mine. I’ll agree to this if you promise to help me get to Ian.”
“Poppy—”
“I know what he is, and you know that I have to see what he’s become.”
He turned fully to me. “And what if he has become just like the others?”
“Just because he’s Ascended doesn’t automatically mean he’s evil—don’t.” I lifted a hand when he moved to speak again. “You said that they can control their bloodlust if they want. Many of the Ascended are evil, but just as many were good people before their Ascensions, and they had no idea what the truth was. My brother…” I drew in a shaky breath, squaring my shoulders. “I have to see for myself what he has become. So that is the deal. I will temporarily marry you and help you free your brother if you help me free mine.”
Casteel’s head tilted as he stared at me for several moments. I had no idea what he saw, but then he nodded. “I agree.”
“Okay,” I whispered.
“You’re not going to fight me on this?”
I considered that. “Not in front of others. Why would I? If them believing we’re getting married keeps me alive, then why wouldn’t I go along with that?” I reasoned, frowning slightly. I would never have guessed that whiskey had such an amazing ability to clear one’s thoughts. “I don’t have a death wish. Neither do I have a desire to be caged and used as a bag of blood.”
He flinched. It was small, but I saw it. “But in private, you’ll fight me tooth and nail?” he surmised.
“Kieran knows what you’ve planned, doesn’t he?”
He nodded.
I met his stare. “Then in front of him and in private, I will fight you tooth and nail. I will not pretend to be the docile fiancée without an audience.”
“Understandable.” He dragged his thumb over his glass. “But if you want to pretend to be just that in private—”
“Not going to happen.”
Something glimmered in his golden eyes. “I think you will find that I can be impossibly charming.”
I glared at him.
“Remember what you said about impossibilities?”
I did. “But this is truly impossible.”
“I guess we will see.”
“I guess we will,” I told him, relaxing. This banter felt normal. At least, for us.
Casteel eyed me. “I feel like this is a trick, and you’re two seconds from trying to plunge that knife into my heart again.”
I coughed out a dry laugh. “What good would that do? You’d only be annoyed, and the knife is not nearly sharp enough to sever your head or pierce your incredibly thick skull.”