“Malec’s not my father. It’s Ires,” she said. “Malec’s twin. He’s the cave cat—the one we saw in the cage.”
Surprise blasted through me, but it made sense. Isbeth had no idea where Malec was. She hadn’t even realized that he was still alive—at least technically. I should’ve caught onto that when Isbeth asked about where Malec was.
“She’s taken my father and you,” Poppy said, her throat working on a swallow. “She’s taken—”
“She is nothing to us,” I said, hating the pain building in her eyes. “Nothing.”
She searched my face closely as her fingers curled against my chest. “This is real,” she whispered.
I nodded, dragging my thumb over the jagged mark on her cheek. “Heartmates.”
Her lips trembled. “I have so many things I want to say. So much I want to ask you. I don’t know where to start.” Her eyes briefly closed. “No. I do. Are you okay?”
“Yes.”
“Don’t lie to me.”
“I’m not.” I totally was.
She reached for my wrist, and I knew why. I knew what she wanted to see, and what she would see wasn’t real. “Don’t,” I told her as she froze, her eyes dampening. “Are you okay?”
“Are you seriously asking me that?” Disbelief filled her voice. “I’m not the one being held captive.”
“No, you’re just the one at war.”
“Not the same thing.”
“We’ll have to agree to disagree on that.”
Her eyes narrowed. “I’m okay, Casteel, but I got what she sent—”
Fury entrenched itself deep within me at the thought of what she must have felt. “I’m here. You’re here. I’m okay, Poppy.”
I could see it—the struggle. The battle that she won because, of course, she would. She was that damn strong.
Her chin lifted. “I’m coming for you.”
Those four words set off a conflicted flurry of emotions. Anticipation. Dread. The need to really have her in my arms and hear her voice outside of this dream. To see her smile and listen to her questions, her beliefs, her everything. It battled with a great sense of alarm—that we didn’t know exactly what the Blood Queen planned. What it really had to do with Poppy.
“We’re close to Three Rivers,” she told me.
Holy shit, she was close.
“Kieran is with me,” she said, and my heart—fuck, it was beating fast again. “And I have the draken.” Her face tensed, paling. “Actually, only Reaver is with me. But I also have this Primal spell—”
“Wait. What?” I stared down at her, my thumb stilling just below her lip. “The draken? You have them now?”
“Yes. I was able to summon them.”
“Holy shit,” I whispered.
“Yeah.” She drew out the word. “I think you’ll like Reaver.” Her nose scrunched in that adorable way of hers. “Or maybe not. He tried to bite Kieran.”
My brows lifted. “A draken tried to bite Kieran?”
She nodded.
“My Kieran?”
“Yes, but at this point, if Reaver tries to bite him again, Kieran has it coming. All of it is a long story,” she quickly added. “We’ve…we’ve lost so many—” Her breath caught, and my chest ached at the sight of the pain in her eyes. “Draken. Wolven. Soldiers. We lost Arden.”
Damn it.
I pressed my lips to her forehead. Arden was a good man. Damn it. And to hear that draken had already fallen? Gods.
She took another breath and then pulled back. “Can you tell me anything about where you’re being held? Anything?”
“I…”
“What?” She bit down on her lower lip, drawing my attention. “Are you about to leave me again?”
“I never left you,” I said at once.
Her stare softened as she leaned in to me. My arm tightened around her lower back. “Can you tell me anything? Even the smallest detail, Casteel.”
Uncertainty built. “I don’t want…”
“What?”
“I don’t want you anywhere near Carsodonia,” I admitted. “I don’t want you anywhere near—”
“I’m not afraid of her,” Poppy cut me off.
“I know.” I slid my thumb over her brow. “You’re not afraid of anyone or anything.”
“That’s not true. Snakes scare me.”