It was not just him and his father who came down the cobbled pathway. A tall, striking figure was behind them, her skin the beautiful shade of night-blooming roses and thin, narrow braids hanging to her waist.

Vonetta.

Confusion rose as I glanced at her brother. He appeared just as surprised as I was by her presence. She had remained in Spessa’s End to help protect and build the city, only planning to return when her mother gave birth.

My gaze shot back to Casteel. Muscles tensing with awareness, I drew in a deep breath. Visions of the Duchess’s gifts filled my mind, along with the fires they’d set at Pompay. “What happened?”

“A convoy of Ascended has arrived at Spessa’s End,” he answered.

“Does it still stand?” I asked, fighting back the horror his response triggered.

He nodded, his eyes locked with mine. “They have not attacked. They wait,” he said as a different kind of dread filled me. “For us. They have requested an audience.”

“Is that so?” His mother’s hands lowered to her sides as she let out a short, harsh laugh. “A random Ascended thinks they have the right to ask for such a thing?”

“It wasn’t a random Ascended,” Vonetta spoke as she stepped forward. Casteel’s jaw flexed. Unease coated her skin, and I knew that whatever she was about to say, she didn’t want to. “He claims to be your brother. Ian Balfour.”

Chapter 30

I was moving before I realized it, coming to stand in front of Vonetta. “Did you—?” I stopped myself, willing my heart to slow. I had no idea if Vonetta had traveled here by horse or in her wolven form. Either way, I knew she hadn’t stopped. A thread of weariness clung to her. I reached for her, clasping her hands. “Are you all right?”

“I’m fine,” she stated. “You?”

“I don’t know,” I admitted, feeling as if my heart were about to come out of my chest. “Did you see him?”

There was a moment of hesitation before she nodded, and every part of my being zeroed in on that second. “You spoke to him? Did he look okay?” I asked as Casteel placed a hand on my shoulder. “Did he look happy?”

Her throat worked on a swallow as she sent a quick glance over my shoulder to Casteel. “I don’t know if he was happy, but he was there and appeared in good health.”

Of course—how would she know if he was happy? And, seriously, I doubted it was a warm introduction between the two. I opened my mouth, closed it, and then tried again. “And he was…he was Ascended?”

“He showed at night.” Vonetta turned her hands, grasping mine as she exhaled roughly. “He was…” She tried again. “We can sense the vampry. He was Ascended.”

No.

Even though I should’ve known better—should’ve expected this—who I was at my very core rebelled against what she said as a shudder worked its way through me.