Chapter Forty

Poppy is returned to the chamber where Casteel once saved her with his blood and where she stabbed him. Guarded by Kieran, she notes Casteel’s absence and is surprised she’s not imprisoned. Seeking clarity, she questions Kieran about Atlantia and learns it endures beyond the Skotos Mountains, hidden by an unnatural, protective mist that turns most travelers back.

Frustrated and exhausted, Poppy retreats to bathe. As she washes away blood, she contemplates the unraveling of her beliefs: Casteel’s blood healed instead of turning her, his bite and kisses did not curse her, and the Ascended are vamprys who use fear and the Craven to control Solis. She confronts the implications for the Rite, the missing third and fourth children, and the Priests and Royals’ complicity, struggling with the possibility that her brother Ian is now part of that evil.

Poppy recognizes that she cannot be safe with the Ascended or among Atlantians who hate what she represents. Despite her feelings for Casteel, she cannot trust him due to his deceptions and the deaths tied to him. She admits to herself that she loves him but distinguishes lust from love and loyalty, questioning what—if anything—he truly promised her.

Weighing her options, Poppy decides she must escape, find Ian, and reassess, though she knows evading a wolven and Casteel will be near impossible. She drifts to sleep in the tub and awakens to Kieran checking on her. Their tense, intimate exchange underscores cultural differences and the wolven bond, as Kieran remarks that Casteel wants her even knowing it could end in tragedy.