Until later.
Later, she would regret every moment spent with me.
Kissing the top of her head, I pressed my cheek to the soft strands of her hair. I needed to get her back, safely tucked away in her chamber. Things would be happening soon, or perhaps they’d already started, which meant Kieran had to be close.
“I need to get you back, Princess.”
Poppy’s grip tightened on me. “I know.”
I chuckled. “You have to let me go, though.”
“I know.” She sighed, remaining where she was. “I don’t want to.”
I held her to me, likely a little too tight. A bit too long. But I was reluctant to let go of her warmth and weight because the feel of her in my arms like this, relaxed and trusting, elicited an array of emotions that came at me fast and hard. I couldn’t describe most of them.
Except for one.
A feeling of rightness.
As if pieces fell where they were supposed to be and clicked together. I knew it sounded fantastical and made little sense, but it left me unsettled.
“Neither do I,” I admitted, then I shut it all down. I was good at doing that. Just like I did when the memories became too harsh and dark. It was like separating myself into two people. There was Cas. Then there was this, the one that had control.
I stood, gently lifting Poppy to her feet, but we were still holding on to each other, our bodies pressed tightly together. Maybe I wasn’t all that in control.
Poppy was the one to step back. Chest oddly hollow, I grabbed her hand. My hold on her was gentle as was my tone when I spoke, but inside? Man, anger and frustration built. “Ready?” I asked.
“Yes,” she whispered.
I led her out from under the willow in silence, taking us back to the lamplit walkway. The garden was quiet but for the wind rattling the stems and branches. We neared the fountain when a familiar scent reached me—
Vikter.
Fuck.
That was all I could think.
Fuck.
Kieran was ready. He was here. I needed to take her, but I’d stayed too long beneath the willow and now…now Vikter was an obstacle I’d have to go through, and I was about to erase the good memory of the garden I’d just given Poppy, replacing it with one even more horrifying than what had happened with Keal.
Every part of my being rebelled. I couldn’t do it even though I’d snapped one Royal Guard’s neck tonight. I’d done much worse to the Duke, but I couldn’t take out Vikter in front of her.
Fuck.
My thoughts quickly raced. This wasn’t a big deal. Just a slight change in plans. I would have to take her later tonight—make use of that servants’ door.
We rounded another corner, and Poppy jerked back a step as we came upon a maskless Vikter. My grip on her hand tightened as I turned to catch her, but she’d regained her footing.
“Oh, my gods,” she whispered. “You about gave me a heart attack.”
Vikter’s hard gaze flicked from her to me. His nostrils flared as he looked down to where I still held Poppy’s hand.
I probably should’ve let go, but I didn’t. Couldn’t fucking explain why as Vikter lifted his glare to my face.
Poppy tugged on my grip, and not breaking eye contact with the man, I held on for a moment more before letting go.
“It’s time to go back to your room, Maiden,” Vikter growled, facing Poppy.
She winced.
Fuck. I didn’t like that. “I was in the process of escorting Penellaphe back to her room.”
Vikter’s head whipped in my direction. “I know exactly what you were in the process of doing.”
“Doubtful,” I murmured, purposefully stoking Vikter’s ire.
“You think I don’t know?” Vikter came level with me. “It only takes one look at both of you to know.”
He was probably right. “Nothing happened, Vikter.”
“Nothing?” Vikter snarled. “Boy, I may have been born at night, but I wasn’t born last night.”
“Thanks for pointing out the obvious, but you’re stepping way over the line.”
“I am?” Vikter choked out a laugh. “Do you understand what she is? Do you even understand what you could’ve caused if anyone other than I had come upon you two?”
Poppy moved toward him. “Vikter—”
“I know exactly who she is,” I cut in. “Not what she is. Maybe you’ve forgotten that she’s not just a godsdamn inanimate object whose only purpose is to serve a kingdom, but I haven’t.”
“Hawke.” She spun.
“Oh, yeah, that’s rich, coming from you. How do you see her, Hawke?” Vikter was so godsdamn close, only a gnat could get between us. “Another notch in your bedpost?”
Poppy gasped, whirling back around. “Vikter.”
“Is it because she’s the ultimate challenge?” he continued.
“I get that you’re protective of her.” My chin dipped as my voice dropped. “I understand that. But I’ll tell you just one more time, you’re way out of line.”
“And I’ll promise you this…it will be over my dead body before you spend another moment alone with her.”
I smiled then, my anger calming, but that wasn’t good news for Vikter. I tended to do the worst things when I was calm, and I could make his promise come true. Right here. Right now. End him and take Poppy. That’s what I should be doing.
But I didn’t want to do that in front of Poppy. “She thinks of you as a father,” I said softly. “It would hurt her greatly if something unfortunate were to happen to you.”
“Is that a threat?” Vikter demanded.
“I’m just letting you know that is the only reason I’m not making your promise come true this very second,” I said. “But you need to step back. If you don’t, someone is going to get hurt, and that someone won’t be me. Then Poppy will get upset.” I turned to her. She stared with wide eyes. “And that’s the sixth time I’ve said it,” I told her, and she blinked. I faced Vikter once more. “I don’t want to see her upset, so step. The fuck. Back.”
Vikter looked like he was going to do the exact opposite.
My grin kicked up a notch.
“Both of you need to stop.” Poppy grabbed Vikter’s arm. “Seriously. This is escalating over nothing. Please.”
I held Vikter’s stare even as another scent reached me. I looked straight into Vikter’s eyes and let a little bit of what I was come to the surface. Just enough that he recognized who we really were to each other at the end of the day.
Predator.
And the prey.
Then, Vikter stepped back. The man had balls. I had to give him that.
“I’ll be guarding her for the rest of the evening,” Vikter told me. “You’re dismissed.”
I smirked, my eyes dropping to where Vikter took hold of Poppy’s arm and turned away from me. The grip was gentle. That was the only reason he still had an arm.
Stepping back, I gave Poppy one last glance, taking in the fall of now-tangled hair and the lush curves I’d had my hands on. Then I moved into the shadows of an unlit pathway. The wind picked up, tossing several strands of hair across my forehead as I walked under the jacaranda trees. I caught a faint acrid smell as I spotted Kieran leaning against one of the older, moss-adorned statues, dressed in the black of the City Guard. No one, not even Nyktos himself, would’ve gotten him to wear the red of the Rite.