Chapter Thirty

Alastir confronts Casteel and Poppy, warning that marrying without the Atlantian King and Queen’s consent will cause scandal. Casteel insists he needs no permission and could plausibly have sent word home. Poppy defends the decision, fearing familial objections and the town’s prejudice; Alastir relents only slightly, still concerned.

After Alastir leaves, Poppy reveals her empathic abilities have intensified: she can read emotions without formally opening her senses. Casteel views her changes with curiosity and admiration, not fear. He reassures Poppy that his parents’ displeasure would not target her and inadvertently declares how fiercely he loves her, surprising them both.

Casteel takes Poppy riding to guarded meadows of medicinal poppies, then to a hidden cavern network connected to Atlantia, ending at large lilac-draped hot springs. He offers quiet respite and privacy. The setting prompts reflection on loss, safety, and their complicated history.

In the springs, attraction escalates. Casteel seeks explicit truth and permission, proposing they could “pretend,” but Poppy wrestles with doubt and desire. As they touch, she chooses honesty over denial, rejecting pretense and acknowledging her real feelings and wants. They embrace intimacy as themselves—Poppy and Casteel—cementing a deeper, mutual bond.