Chapter Nineteen

Jolted awake by a nightmare of her mother’s bloody death and the scent of burning wood, Poppy spirals into panic. Casteel calms her, gently disarming her and offering a way to replace fear with sensation. In the dark, they choose to “pretend,” and Poppy lets Casteel pleasure her, finding relief and sleep in his arms.

Morning brings preparations to leave New Haven. Poppy, unsure how to act within their public engagement, stays unusually quiet. Outside, the ominous blood tree appears larger, its crimson sap veining the snow. In the stables, memories of Phillips’s death surface, but Casteel presents Poppy with a new fur-lined cloak, mindful of her comfort, and checks on her unease.

Elijah arrives with updates. He thanks Poppy for easing wounded townsfolk’s pain, congratulates the couple, and jokes with Kieran. Elijah and Casteel coordinate: Elijah will begin evacuations immediately, while Casteel aims to reach Spessa’s End by week’s end and wait for the first groups before crossing the Skotos.

Casteel lifts Poppy onto Setti and mounts behind her, their closeness echoing the night before. Elijah bids them farewell; he and Casteel exchange the vow “From blood and ash, we will rise,” underscoring the broader rebellion. They ride out past the blood tree as Poppy confronts the point of no return in Casteel’s plan.

On the road, Casteel fusses over Poppy’s gloves and warmth, while Poppy pushes back against his possessive phrasing, asserting she belongs only to herself. He teasingly asks for a “piece” of her, but Poppy withholds words, privately acknowledging he already holds parts of her. Their departure cements their course toward Spessa’s End and then Atlantia.