His sister.

My breath caught.

“Did he say anything else?” King Valyn asked.

“He swore that they weren’t there to create more bloodshed,” she explained. “That doing so would start a war that he had come to prevent.”

“That is highly unlikely,” Casteel’s father growled, even as a spark of hope blossomed in me—a tiny, overly optimistic spark of hope.

But I turned to Casteel. “We have to go to Spessa’s End.”

“Wait,” Eloana said, stepping forward. “This needs to be thought over.”

I shook my head. “There is nothing to think about.”

Her gaze found mine. “But there is a lot to think about, Penellaphe.”

I didn’t know if she was talking about the kingdom, the Unseen, or even Casteel and me. It didn’t matter. “No. There is not,” I told her. “My brother is there. I need to see him, and we need to know whatever message the Blood Crown may have for us.”

“I understand your need to see your brother. I do,” she said, and I could feel the truth behind those words—and the empathy that fueled them. “But this isn’t just about you and your needs anymore—”

“That’s where you’re wrong,” Casteel cut in, his eyes hardening to chips of amber. “It is about her needs, and they come first.”

“Son,” his father began, “I can respect your desire to care for your wife’s needs, but the kingdom always comes first whether you’re the Prince or the King.”

“It’s a damn shame if you really believe that,” Casteel replied, looking over his shoulder at his father. “Because to me, attending to each other’s needs ensures that the kingdom’s needs can be met. One cannot happen without the other.”

I stared at Casteel. He…gods, there were times I couldn’t believe I’d actually stabbed him in the heart.

This was one of them.

“Spoken like a man in love and not someone who has ever ruled a kingdom,” his father retorted. “Who has very little experience—”

“None of that matters,” his mother interrupted, her irritation nearly as strong as her grief. “This is likely a trap designed to lure not only one but both of you out.”

“It very well could be, but my brother is just beyond the Skotos Mountains with a message from the Blood Crown. I cannot think of anything else until I see him.” My gaze sought out Casteel’s. “We need to go,” I told him. “I need to go.”

A muscle along Casteel’s jaw ticked. I couldn’t pick up any emotion from him, but he nodded curtly. “We will leave for Spessa’s End,” he announced, and his father cursed. He sent the King a look that brooked no room for argument. “Immediately.”

Casteel’s parents protested—loudly and strongly—but neither of us would be swayed. They weren’t even remotely thrilled when we left the estate, and I didn’t blame them for that. My arrival had pushed the Crown to the edge of chaos, and we would lose vital time by going to Spessa’s End. But there was no way I could have done what the Queen had asked of me if I remained. I wanted to see all I could of Atlantia, but my brother was more important than a gilded crown or a kingdom.