The deep breaths cleared the blood-drenched fog from my thoughts. As clarity arrived, so did the realization that there was still a chance that Ian wasn’t completely lost. He was likely only two years into his Ascension, and they trusted him to travel from Carsodonia to Spessa’s End? That had to mean something. That who he was before the Ascension hadn’t been completely erased. The Ascended could control their bloodlust. They could also refuse to feed from those who were unwilling. Ian could be one of them. He could’ve maintained control. There was still hope.

I latched on to that. I had to because it was the only thing that tamped down the rage—the ugly want and need that nearly boiled over inside me. When I opened my eyes to see Vonetta staring at me, her mouth pressed into a thin, tight line, some semblance of calm returned. “I...I didn’t hurt you?” I glanced at Kieran, seeing that he, too, was paler than usual. I didn’t hear the wolven, but I saw Lyra and the other three wolven crouched behind Casteel’s parents as if they were waiting for a command. My gaze swept back to Vonetta. “Did I?”

She shook her head. “No. No. I just…” She let out a ragged breath. “That was wild.”

The tense lines of Kieran’s features eased. “You were very angry.”

“You could feel that?” Casteel asked over the top of my head. “What she was feeling?”

The brother and sister nodded. “Yeah,” Vonetta said, and my stomach flipped. I knew the wolven could sense my emotions, that it could call them, but it had seemed like Lyra and the other wolven were waiting to act. Luckily, I didn’t think Casteel’s parents had been aware of what was happening. “I felt that a couple of days ago. All of us wolven in Spessa’s End did.” Vonetta’s gaze flicked over us while I looked at Lyra. She and the other wolven had relaxed. “I have a lot of questions.”

“Great,” Kieran muttered, and Vonetta shot her brother a dark look.

Casteel lowered his chin to my cheek. “You doing okay?”

I nodded, even though I wasn’t right then. But I would have to be. I placed a hand on his forearm. “I didn’t mean to do that—call to the wolven.” My gaze found Casteel’s parents. Both stood unnaturally still, and at that moment, I couldn’t bring myself to even wonder what they were feeling or thinking. I refocused on Vonetta. “My brother is there? Waiting?”

She nodded. “Him and a group of soldiers.”

“How many?” Casteel’s arms eased from around me, but he kept a hand on my shoulder.

“About a hundred,” she answered. “There were also Royal Knights among them.”

Meaning there were Ascended trained to fight among the mortal soldiers. That also meant that Ian was well protected in case any in Spessa’s End decided to act. I hated the relief I felt. It was wrong, but I couldn’t help it.

“He said he had a message from the Blood Crown,” Vonetta told us. “But that he would only speak with his sister.”