“Not much longer.” I hoped.
Kieran slowly backed off, sinking onto his belly beside Poppy. Delano did the same, returning to the foot of the bed but remaining on the floor.
And Millicent…she stared at the bed. “She looks the same,” she said after a few moments. “I mean, she’s paler than normal.”
I didn’t tell her it had been much worse before. I noticed she was twisting her fingers again. I glanced at Malik. There were things I needed to ask—about how the fuck Revenants were made, and everything with Callum, but now wasn’t the time.
“Do you want to visit with her?”
Millicent’s head jerked toward me. She said nothing, but she nodded. I looked once more at Malik. He’d quietly stepped back into the hall. I needed to talk with him, but…
Kieran rose from the bed and quickly shifted. His eyes locked with mine. “I’ll stay with them.”
“Are you going to put some clothing on?” Millicent asked.
“Do I need to?”
“I mean, it’s your dick hanging out, not mine.” Millicent shrugged and then came forward, eyeing Delano but not Kieran as she sat on the very, very edge of the bed.
I caught Kieran’s eye, and he nodded. I tossed him the dagger. He smiled at Millicent. “Are you afraid of wolven?”
“That’s like asking if you’re not afraid of draken,” she retorted, glancing at Delano. I’d swear the fucking wolven smiled. “Everyone should be afraid of anything with claws and sharp teeth.”
I walked out then, pulling the door after me but leaving it cracked open. Malik didn’t protest. He knew Kieran wouldn’t do anything unless given reason to, and I supposed that also said he knew Millicent wouldn’t give cause.
I glanced to where Emil stood with Naill. “Can you give us a moment?”
Naill nodded, but Emil said, “I kind of want to witness this awkward meet and greet—”
“Emil,” muttered Naill, catching the back of his tunic. “I swear to the gods.”
Malik watched Naill drag the other Atlantian down the hall. “I see Emil really hasn’t changed.”
“What the hell happened to you?” I asked.
He faced me. “I’m not sure what you’re referencing, exactly.”
“Your face.” I crossed my arms. “Looks like you’ve been in a fight.”
“I was. We were, actually.”
“With?”
“Other Revs.” He leaned against the wall. “Those loyal to Isbeth.”
Surprise flickered through me. “And how did that go?”
“Bloody. There are still a few out there, running about, but we took out most of those who would be a problem.”
“And by took out, you mean killed? ’Cause that’s interesting.” I eyed him. “I was under the impression that draken fire was the only thing that could kill them.”
One side of his lips twisted up. “There are things that can kill a Rev.”
“Really?” I wasn’t sure if I believed him. This wasn’t what we’d been told.
“The Primal of Death can, and I assume that means both of them,” he said, referencing Nyktos and Kolis. “Since Kolis created them—and before you ask, I don’t know how he did it. And she can. The Primal of Life.”
“And Poppy.”
Malik’s jaw tightened.
“But neither of you is either of those two things, so how the hell did you kill some of those troublesome Revs?”
A muscle ticked in his temple.
“I get it,” I said when he didn’t answer. “You don’t want me to possess the knowledge of how to kill one, which is idiotic, considering my wife is one of those ways, but mainly because if I wanted knowledge on how to kill Millicent, I wouldn’t have left her in the chamber with Poppy.”
“You didn’t leave her alone with Millie,” he countered. “Not really.”
I stepped closer to him. “Would you have if the roles were reversed?”
“No.” Malik’s laugh was dry. “Draken fire and draken blood can kill them,” he shared. “Lucky for us, Millie knew where Isbeth kept vials of it. You either make them ingest it or dip a blade or arrow in it. As long as it gets into their heart or head, they’re done. I got the impression that Reaver was unaware of that—where is he?”
“He took Malec back to Iliseeum.”
“Shit,” he said, brows raised. “He was still alive?”
“Barely, from what I gathered.” I glanced down the hall. “Are there more of those vials?”
His stare sharpened. “There are.”
“And do either you or Millie know if the draken Isbeth got that blood from is being held?” I asked, even though we knew. “That’s Nektas’s daughter—you know, that big-ass draken.”
“I was kind of temporarily dead when he came through,” he said, and my stomach twisted sharply. Malik had died. I’d seen that, too. “So, I didn’t see him in that form, but to answer your question, I don’t. Millie? Possibly. There were many things she wasn’t supposed to know that she found out, but I seriously doubt that draken will be in a good way. So, when you go for her, make sure another draken is with you. They can fuck up a Primal really bad.”
“Noted,” I murmured.
“I’m surprised our father hasn’t arrived yet,” Malik stated.
“We delayed him a bit.”
“Because of Poppy?” When I said nothing, he laughed. “You don’t trust him, either.”
“There’s only one person I irrevocably trust. Not taking chances with anyone else.”
Malik eyed me. “You’re a little overprotective of a being who is literally immortal.”
Just because Poppy was a Primal didn’t mean she was indestructible. I didn’t know a lot about Primals. None of us did. But there were always checks and balances. Besides, I didn’t fear my father attempting to harm Poppy.
It was that slim chance that Poppy didn’t remember who she was when she woke.
“Why do I have a feeling there’s something you’re not telling me?” he asked.
I said nothing to that.
“All right.” Malik smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. I realized none of his smiles had since we’d been reunited. “So, what is your game plan here, Cas? You took down the Blood Crown, but there’s been no public address. Only Descenters on the streets, acting as Priests and Priestesses, preaching the goodness of Atlantia and their new King and Queen.”
“Poppy and I are not their King and Queen.”
His brows shot up. “I’m sorry, you two rule Atlantia, correct? You just seized the capital and destroyed the reigning monarch. Does that not make you their sovereign rulers?”
I got what he was saying, but this was another thing that Poppy and I hadn’t had a lot of time to really hash out. “No decisions on that will be made until she’s awake.”
“Okay, then, but they think you two are their new rulers—an Atlantian and a god, by the way. They have no idea she’s a Primal—”
“I know.” I rubbed my temple. “Those are bridges we’ll cross when we get there.”