“Like the ridiculous marriage thing?”
“Something like that.” Kieran shifted the conversation as we rounded the corner and entered the common area where the air was free of the stench of death. “Do you feel pity for the mortal? The one Cas helped escape the Ascended with his family?”
Cas.
Gods, that sounded like such a harmless nickname for such a dangerous man.
I glanced at Kieran as we entered the narrow stairwell, noting that he was without his short sword and bow as he moved in front of me. But he was far from defenseless, considering what he was. I didn’t even bother to make a run for it. I knew I wouldn’t make it more than a foot. Wolven were incredibly fast.
Kieran stopped without warning, spinning around so suddenly that I backed up, hitting the wall. He took a step toward me and dipped his head to mine. Every muscle locked as he inhaled deeply.
Was he…？
His head lowered, the bridge of his nose brushing my temple. He inhaled again.
“What are you doing?” I jerked to the side, putting space between us. “Are you smelling me?”
He straightened, his eyes narrowed. “You…smell different.”
My brows lifted. “Okay? I don’t know what to tell you about that.”
He didn’t seem to hear me as his eyes brightened. “You smell like…”
“If you say I smell like Casteel again, I will punch you in the face,” I promised. “Hard.”
“You do smell like him, but that’s not it.” He shook his head. “You smell of death.”
“Wow. Thanks. But if I do, that is not my fault.”
“You don’t understand.” Kieran eyed me for a moment longer and then turned, starting up the stairwell once more.
No. I didn’t understand, and I really didn’t want to.
I sniffed the sleeve of my tunic. It smelled like…roasted meat.
“Earlier, you said you didn’t feel sympathy for any of them,” he said as I followed him.
“That hasn’t changed,” I said. “They wanted me dead.” We stepped out of the stairwell and onto the covered walkway. Damp, cold air greeted us. “But I can’t help but feel pity for Mr. Tulis.”
“You shouldn’t.”
“Well, I do.” Shivering, I ducked my chin against the sharp gust of wind. “He was given a second chance. He threw it away. I feel pity for that choice and for his wife and son. And I guess I feel sorry for the families of any of them that are now on that wall.”
Kieran fell into step beside me, taking the brunt of the wind. “The pity for the families is rightfully placed.”
I stopped in surprise but said nothing.
“What?”
“Nothing,” I murmured.
He issued a soft chuckle. “You think I’m not capable of compassion?”
I glanced out over the yard below. A fine layer of snow shone brightly in the moonlight. Beyond, I saw nothing but the thick darkness of the encroaching woods. It was strange to look out and not see a Rise, the often-mountainous walls constructed from limestone and iron mined from the Elysium Peaks. The sleepy town of New Haven had one, but it was much smaller than what I was accustomed to in both Masadonia and Carsodonia.
“I don’t know what you’re capable of,” I admitted, touching the banister’s cool wood as the wind picked up, lifting the shorter strands of my hair that had escaped my braid. “I hardly know anything about the wolven.”
“My animal side doesn’t cancel out my mortal one,” he replied. “I’m not incapable of emotions.”
My gaze cut to his. “I didn’t mean it like that. I just…” I trailed off. What had I meant? “I guess I did mean it like that. I’m sorry.”
“You don’t need to apologize. It’s not like you’ve met many wolven,” he reasoned.
“Yes, but that’s no excuse.” I gripped the railing with one hand. “There are a lot of different people from various places that I haven’t met and know nothing about. That doesn’t mean it’s okay to make assumptions.”
“True,” he replied, and I almost cringed. How many times had I made assumptions about the Atlantian people? The Descenters? Biases were taught and learned. Maybe that wasn’t my fault, but that didn’t make it acceptable.
But nobody at that table had even twitched in their seats as Casteel killed Landell. What did that say about them? “Is what happened tonight common?”
“Which part? The marriage proposal or the open-heart surgery?”