The knowledge of what was to come followed as Ash and I shadowstepped into the Bonelands.
I knew the moment we arrived. The humidity and sweet scent of the cavern disappeared, replaced by a cooler breeze that reminded me of spring in Lasania.
Ash’s arms didn’t loosen from around me as I lifted my head. The mist started to dissipate around us as the chatter of birds faded, revealing green— lots of lush green foliage. I saw low, ground-hugging evergreens, bushes that bloomed with pale flowers, and trees with vine-covered trunks and sweeping limbs heavy with broad leaves.
“Huh,” I murmured, holding the Star diamond in my right hand. Ash drew up a hand, his fingers tangling in my wet hair. “What?”
“I’m kind of confused.” I looked to my right, seeing more of the same.
“For a place called the Bonelands, I expected to see a bunch of bones.” “Look down, liessa.”
My gaze darted back to him, my eyes widening. Part of me wasn’t sure I wanted to, but curiosity always, always won out.
The corners of my lips pulled down. “All I see is dirt and grass.”
“If we stood in this exact spot at the end of the Ancients’ time, we’d be standing upon the remains of those who fell to them in battle,” he said. “And those bones are still here, only retaken by the lands over the millennia. Nearly everything east of the Skotos to the Cove has grown from the remains of
those who perished.”
My upper lip curled as I resisted the urge to hop into Ash’s arms. I’d seen a lot of gross things. Did quite a bit of them myself. But I somehow found
this far more disturbing. “Knowing we’re basically standing on the graves of the gods only know how many skeletons kind of freaks me out. And it feels a little disrespectful.”
“The draken would agree with you.” His fingers trailed through my hair. “They see the Bonelands as sacred.”
I’d heard that. I tilted my head back. Stippled sunlight glanced over the curve of Ash’s cheek and jaw. “What exactly caused the war with the
Ancients?”
“One thing.” His gaze drifted over my face. “And yet many things.” “That’s a helpful answer.”
A faint grin appeared. “The Ancients never felt things like mortals do, or even the Primals of my father’s age before the first of them fell in love. They just were not…created that way,” he said, sliding his hand from my hair to my chin. “But that didn’t mean they were apathetic to the needs of their children or the mortals who eventually populated the lands west of Iliseeum. They were full of empathy…until they weren’t.”
“What caused that to change?”
“The same things that happen to any being who sees too much time pass.” His thumb glided over my lower lip. “They lost their connection to those who came from their flesh and the mortals, seeing less and less of what made
those who inhabited the realms beautiful over time. My father said they began to see anything not created by them as parasitic. The changes mortals made in their realm didn’t help. The Ancients were particularly displeased with the disruption of land in the name of advancement. Too many forests were cut down, replaced by farms and manors. Roads replaced soil. Cities were built upon meadows. When they looked at the mortal realm, they only saw death.”
“Really?” I drew out the word.
Ash nodded. “My father said the Ancients were not only able to see but could also connect to the souls of every living creation. That included higher forms of life such as you and me, but also animals and plant life.”
Creases formed between my brows. “Plants have souls?” “That is what my father said the Ancients claimed.”
“So, I take it that neither you nor the older Primals can see such a thing?”
“Correct.” His thumb made another sweep across my lip. “The Ancients came to believe that mortals and the lands could not coexist. They figured they had to make a choice.”
“Mortals or…or the trees?”
“Mortals cannot exist without the bounty of the land,” he said. “So, to them, the choice was easy. They decided to cleanse the lands and clear it of mortals.”
“Dear gods,” I murmured. “And they could do that?”
“The Ancients were…well, remember what was said about a Primal of both Life and Death? How such a being could both destroy the realms and remake them in the same breath?”
“Yeah.” I shivered, thinking of Kolis having such power. “The Ancients could do that?”
“At first. Luckily, some realized the dangers of any being having such limitless power and took steps to lessen theirs long before the first mortal breathed. And they did that by creating offspring from their flesh.”
“Primals like your father?”
“Yes. They transferred parts of their energy—their essence—into each of their children, thus splitting their abilities among them and, therefore, creating a balance of power that was shared.”
Something about what he’d said struck a chord of familiarity.
“When the Ancients decided to cleanse the land, the Primals and gods joined forces with the mortals, draken, and their ancestors, to fight back.” He halted. “Even Kolis fought side by side with my father. It was a different time then.”
It was hard to imagine a time when Kolis and Eythos were on the same side.
The low, warbling trill of a draken drew our attention to the trees. “They’re waiting for us.”
“They are.” Ash guided my gaze back to his. “They can wait a few more moments.” Eather churned restlessly in his eyes. “How are you feeling?
Honestly?”
Out of reflex, I started to tell him that I felt fine, but there was no point in lying. It also wasn’t fair to him. Or to me.
I took a breath that didn’t seem to inflate my lungs fully. It was a different feeling than the one that accompanied the anxiety-fueled breathlessness. This felt like a part of me simply no longer worked as well. “I’m…I’m tired.”
Ash’s expression revealed nothing, but his throat worked on a swallow. “How does your head feel? Your jaw?”
I wished I were still lying to him. “Just a dull ache right now.”
“Okay.” He dipped his head and kissed my brow. “Promise me you’ll let me know if the pain gets worse.”
“I promise.”
Ash stayed as he was for several moments, his cool hand against my cheek, and his lips against my brow. Then he stepped back and took my left hand, moving like he planned to lift me into his arms.
“What are you doing?”
His brows knitted. “I was going to—”
“Please, do not say you were going to carry me.” “I want you to conserve your energy.”
“Walking doesn’t take any energy.”
The scowl deepened. “Along with not understanding what arguing is, I don’t think you get how the body works.”
My eyes narrowed. “I can walk, Ash. I’m dying,” I said, forcing my tone to be light as I swatted his chest, “but I’m not dead.”
The eather went unearthly still in his eyes. “That is not something to joke about.”
I sighed. He was right. “Which direction?” “West.”
“West?” I looked left and then right before turning my stare to him. “Do I
look like a compass?”
His lips twitched. “This way, liessa.”
With my hand held firmly in his, he started to our left. “We don’t have to walk far,” he said, his voice a little rougher than usual, drawing my gaze to his face. He stared ahead, his features impossible to read.
I squeezed his hand.
He gave me a faint smile, one that didn’t reach his eyes. “Careful,” he instructed. “There are a lot of small rocks and branches. I don’t want you tearing up your feet.”
That made me smile, and also made my heart hurt a little because he was worried about me hurting my feet. My feet. They could be chopped off, and it wouldn’t really matter.
Okay, it would probably hasten the inevitable, but his concern was sweet and…and it felt loving.
With the diamond in my hand, I walked with Ash for a few minutes, him leading me around fallen branches and scattered pebbles that wouldn’t pierce my skin even if I jumped on them. Eventually, slivers of white—dull white marble or limestone pillars—appeared through the trees.
“Is that a Temple?” I squinted.
“One of them.” He reached up, holding a branch out of the way. “And before you ask, I’m not sure who it once honored.”
“I wasn’t going to ask.”
A lock of reddish-brown hair fell against his cheek as he sent me a sidelong look.
“Whatever,” I muttered, falling quiet for about two seconds as I eyed a fallen, moss-draped tree. “So, mortals did live east of the Skotos?”
“They did.” Letting go of my hand, he gripped my hips and lifted me over the fallen tree with such ease that I couldn’t help but feel dainty and delicate. “Used to live right up to the foothills of the Carcers.”
“Wow.” Portions of the flat, square roof of the Temple came into view. “I didn’t think they ever lived that close to Iliseeum.”
“Primals and gods interacted more closely with mortals then, visiting
villages and spending time with them,” he explained, taking my hand once more. “That was before the Primals’ abilities matured, and their effects began to influence the mortals.”
Ahead of us, something—no, a tall and lithe someone dressed in black moved between the trees, walking at a fast clip toward us.
“Who is that?” I asked.
“Bele.” His lips thinned. “You don’t—”
“Finally!” Bele yelled. Above us, limbs trembled as the silent birds took flight, scattering into the air. “I was starting to get worried.”
My lips began to curve as Bele came more into view, her skin a light golden brown in the fractured sunlight. She strode toward us, the midnight- hued tail of her shoulder-length braid bouncing as her pace picked up.
As usual, Bele was strapped to the teeth with weapons. Daggers were sheathed at her thighs, the bands on her forearms secured smaller blades, and the hilt of a sword on her back jutted out at her waist. Over her shoulder, I
saw the curve of a bow.
Bele was…she had been fierce before she Ascended, confident and sometimes a little scary. But now?
Now, she was drenched in power and strength, moving through the thicket like a predator on the hunt.
My steps slowed. She was now the Goddess of the Hunt. Or rather the Primal Goddess of the Hunt and Divine Justice. The last I’d heard, no one
knew if Bele had Ascended into actual Primalhood, but that had been before
Hanan’s untimely demise. If she had, though, wouldn’t I have felt her approach?
Bele’s slightly rounded cheeks lifted as a smile spread across her face, and then she was no longer several feet away but right in front of me. I didn’t even have time to gasp. Her arms went around me with such force that I almost dropped The Star, and would’ve toppled over backward before she steadied me if not for Ash’s hold on my hand.
Bele…was hugging me. Like really embracing me, with both arms and her head buried against my shoulder.
Shock rippled through me as my gaze darted to Ash. He raised a brow. Bele wasn’t the hugging type. Or really that emotional at all. She was more like the compliment-whilst-insulting-you-at-the-same-time type, which was probably why we got along. Somewhat. Both of us also seemed to thrive on irritating others.
I folded one arm around her and then my other once Ash slowly and reluctantly let go of my hand.
But he hovered close. “Take it easy on her, Bele.”
Her hold on me loosened a little. I felt her chest rise. “Thank you.” “For what?” I murmured into her braid, patting her back awkwardly
because I officially gave the worst hugs.
“For Aios,” she whispered hoarsely, reaching between us to touch the necklace. “If I’d lost her…” A tremor went through her.
I squeezed my eyes shut, having forgotten there was the hint of something intimate between the two, something more than just friendship. “You don’t
have to thank me for that.”
“I just did. I’m not taking it back.” Her voice strengthened. “And you can’t reject it.”
My lips quirked. “Okay.”
“Glad we’re on the same page.” Bele drew back then. “I hate to ruin this reunion but…” She trailed off, inhaling sharply. She dropped her arms as her mouth opened, then closed. Eather lashed across her eyes—irises that had
once been a shade of hazel that leaned more toward gold but were now silver. “Please tell me you got at least one good beatdown in on that motherfucker.”
For a moment, I wasn’t sure what had provoked the question, but then I realized she was looking at my neck—the bruises and the wound left by the scrape of Kolis’s fangs.
“She got in more than just one beatdown,” Ash stepped in, taking my hand again.
Bele’s chin lifted. “Really?”
“Yeah.” My normal tendency to be a braggart when it came to gaining the upper hand in any fight wasn’t there, which likely meant I was more tired than I realized. “He’s down for the count right now.”
Approval flashed across her stunning features, along with a savage smile. “I wish I’d been there to see it.”
I started to smile when I realized something about her. Bele had Ascended as the Primal Goddess of the Hunt, but her arms were bare. “You don’t have a cuff like the others?”
“Not yet.” Bele eyed the one around Ash’s biceps. “Apparently, it will appear when I’m ready.” She squinted at Ash. “And exactly when will that be?”
“I am under the impression it varies. Odin didn’t appear until a few years after I became a Primal of Death.”
“A few years? That’s annoying.” Bele rolled her eyes. “Anyway, we heard that Kolis was out of commission from some god named Elias, but we didn’t let him say much more before we bound his mouth.”
I blinked. “Before you did what?”
“We tied him up and bound his mouth,” she repeated. “Why are you looking at me like that? I don’t know him. None of us does. All that we know is that Attes popped in, dropped the asshole off with his gold-painted face, and then said he’d be back before any of us could even address the fact that that fucker was here.”
“Oh, my gods,” I muttered as Ash made a noise that sounded a lot like a laugh. “Elias is not a bad guy. And Attes…I’m not explaining all that again.” I shot Ash a glare. “Is Nektas here? He would know all of this.”
“Nektas is doing his draken thing.”
“As if he couldn’t have shifted into his mortal form at any point to tell you all that Elias didn’t need to be bound?” I started walking toward the Temple, where I assumed Bele had come from.
“Yeah, he could have. He didn’t.” Bele fell into step beside Ash and me. “Look, the god’s alive. No harm. No foul.”
I wasn’t sure tying someone up fell under no harm, no foul.
“By the way, I apparently have even more bad news for you.” Bele glanced at me. “Veses is—”
“Freed. I know. I saw her,” I said. “Was anyone hurt?”
Bele shook her head. “We didn’t even realize she had escaped at first.
Went down there and saw that she’d basically chewed her damn arms off. I think she was more concerned with getting the hell out of there than
vengeance.”
So Veses had been telling the truth.
The trees thinned out, revealing more of the old Temple I now saw sat below some rocky cliffs.
“See.” Bele gestured at the sweeping columns. “The god is alive.”
I did see Elias. It was kind of hard to miss him since they’d tied him to
the middle pillar of the Corinthian-style Temple, bound at the legs, arms, and mouth. But it was the shadows falling over the Temple that drew my attention. Two draken flew overhead, the larger of the two the black-and- gray-scaled one. Branches along the tops of the nearby trees swayed as
Nektas circled the lowest cliff overlooking the Temple, while the onyx-hued
draken slowed, extending his wings. He landed on the Temple’s roof, his claws digging in as the entire structure shuddered under his weight.
Dust and stone rained down. My lips parted as several smaller pieces smacked harmlessly off the ground while a spiral, scroll-like ornament broke off, coming right down on Elias’s head and shoulders. The god gave a muffled grunt before his body slumped.
Slowly, I turned my head to Bele. “No harm, no foul?” Bele’s eyes were wide. “He’ll live.”
My brows lifted.
“That is not my fault.” She crossed her arms. “Not like I knew Ehthawn would decide to land there of all places.”
The ache in my temples increasing, I turned back, watching Ehthawn extend his neck to lower his diamond-shaped head. He nudged the
unconscious god before tilting toward us. Vertical pupils surrounded by crimson focused on me as he made a low, chuffing sound.
“He’s apologizing,” Bele explained. “Uh-huh.”
Ehthawn sniffed, his warm breath ruffling the strands of hair around my face. He let out a soft, almost mournful squall.
Ash’s hand tightened around mine, seeming to respond to the sound the draken made. I glanced at him. Like before, his features were locked down.
Ehthawn moved in closer to me, his eyes closing. I tugged my left hand free, then hesitated. Other than little Jadis, I didn’t often touch a draken in this form, but he didn’t pull his head away. I lightly pressed my palm to his
powerful jaw. The scales were smooth and dry, only the ridges of each rough. A trilling noise, almost like a purr, radiated from Ehthawn.
“It’s okay,” I told him, even if I doubted he was really apologizing. My gaze flicked over his flat, broad nose. Thickness coated my throat as I glanced at the blue, cloudless sky above, not seeing another draken.
“Orphine?”
Ehthawn made that mournful sound again. My heart began squeezing.
Bele had fallen silent.
“Orphine fought bravely,” Ash said quietly. “She did so until her dying breath.”
Fingers curling against Ehthawn’s scales, my eyes closed. Sorrow rose, slicing through my chest. I wasn’t sure I could call Orphine a friend or say she really even liked me, but I had been closer to her than Davina, who’d
fallen in the fight against the entombed gods. I respected Ehthawn’s twin, and she’d respected me. And if we’d had more time, I thought maybe we
could’ve become friends.
Grief lodged in my throat as I opened my eyes. “I’m sorry,” I whispered to Ehthawn as Ash stepped in closer to me, coolness coming off his body in contrast to the heat of the draken’s scales.
Ehthawn gave another chuffing noise and then drew back. More dust fell, coating Elias’s shoulders.
“Get him down from there before the whole roof collapses on him,” Ash ordered.
Bele sighed. “Fine.”
Ash threaded his fingers through mine as Bele stalked forward, unsheathing one of the shadowstone daggers on her forearms.
“I should’ve told you about Orphine,” Ash said in a low voice. “With everything going on…”
“It’s okay.” I let out a ragged breath. “Did she…?” I pressed my lips together. “Was it quick for her?”
“I believe so.” Ash tucked a curl behind my ear. “She is at peace now in Arcadia.”
I wished knowing that lessened the grief. I watched Bele slice through the rope at Elias’s shoulders. The god pitched forward and then crumpled to the mossy ground…headfirst.
“Whoops,” Bele exclaimed, returning the dagger to its sheath. “He’ll live.”
I sighed.
Lips twitching, Ash led me toward the Temple steps as Bele hoisted the unconscious god over her shoulders. Mindful of the vines trailing up the steps, we climbed the stairs, the stone warm beneath my feet. Not even halfway up, my breathing became labored, and sweat broke out across my forehead. I refused to let it show, though, forcing my legs to keep moving.
We’d only taken a few more steps when Ash stopped just above me, dipping his head to mine. “Let me help you.”
My back stiffened as I stared ahead, lifting one protesting leg and then the other so I stood on the same step as he did. “I’m fine.”
“Liessa, look at me.” “What?”
A salty breeze lifted the hair from his shoulders as he said, “There is no shame in needing help.”
My cheeks warmed.
“And there is only strength in accepting aid.”
“I can climb stairs,” I persisted, even as my muscles screamed in denial. “I know. That doesn’t mean I can’t help you.” Eather spun in his eyes.
“Allow me this. Please.”
I swallowed a curse. “I think you’ve caught on to how I can’t deny you when you say please.”
One side of his lips kicked up. “I have no idea what you speak of.”
“Sure,” I muttered, but I didn’t resist when he lifted me into his arms. To be honest, I wasn’t sure I could’ve made it to the top.
And that truth didn’t only make me feel pathetic. It also scared me a little.
Ash reached the main floor of the Temple within a few heartbeats,
immediately placing me on my feet as Bele strode past, dropping Elias by one of the pillars. I half-expected her to make a comment, but she said
nothing, her features pensive as she stopped at what appeared to be the base of a statue that must’ve once stood proud. I scanned the Temple floor, seeing several blocks of marble in varying stages of ruin, leading to the far side of
the Temple, where there was an enclosed space. “Thank you,” I whispered under my breath.
Ash pressed a kiss to my cheek then straightened as several figures
appeared along the back columns, passing the enclosed portion of the
Temple. As they crossed the floor, my shoulders tensed in recognition of most of them.
Saion and his cousin Rhahar walked together, their similar, striking features a rich brown in the sunlight. Both wore silver armor over their chests, and like Bele, all manner of weapons were visible on them.
Both drew up short, stopping at the Temple stairs. Behind them, the fair- haired god Kars that I knew as one of the Shadowlands guards appeared, along with another god I remembered seeing in the training fields.
Saion was the first to break free of the small group and approach Ash. I could’ve sworn the god’s dark eyes glimmered as Ash moved to clasp his forearm. Saion didn’t stop there, though. He pulled the larger man forward, into a one-armed embrace.
Surprise rippled through me. I’d never really seen anyone but Nektas get close to Ash, let alone touch him. And anytime they saw me touching him, it seemed like they were witnessing some sort of magic.
Ash hesitated, clearly not expecting the response. I bit down on the inside of my cheek, waiting and hoping he returned the embrace. These people.
Saion, his cousin, Bele—all of them—were Ash’s friends, even if he hadn’t allowed himself to acknowledge that since Lathan’s death. Even if he wasn’t supposed to form bonds with any of them, they already had them. In my mind, not being able to see the journey of a soul or impact where they went wasn’t more important than what one experienced while alive.
So, I disagreed with the Arae. Eternal afterlife wasn’t more valuable.
A shudder of relief went through me as Ash finally moved, folding an arm around Saion’s shoulder. “It’s good to see you,” Ash said roughly.
“Same, brother.” Saion’s voice was no less hoarse. He clapped his back. “Same.”
Rhahar quickly replaced Saion the moment his cousin stepped back. I then saw Lailah making her way forward, her long braids swept back. Her
lips curved into a smile, and my gaze shifted to who walked just behind her.
It wasn’t her twin, Theon.
It was Rhain.
Gods, he looked leagues better than when I’d last seen him. Gone was the blood and the bruised, mangled flesh.
Rhain’s gaze landed on me. His steps faltered at the same moment my heart did. I looked away, lifting my free hand to Aios’s necklace.
Ash was getting a lot of hugs in, so I focused on that. A faint grin tugged at my lips. I could’ve sworn his cheeks were a deeper shade by the time Rhain made his way to him. It was good seeing this—seeing Ash accepting them and their obvious love for him. The next breath I took was easier and steadier.
Ash wouldn’t be alone.
Breathing through a sudden slice of pain in my temples, I went to where Elias had been dumped. Kneeling beside him, I brushed a lock of brown hair back from his face. A thin trickle of blood cut through the golden paint. He was still out. Lifting my head, I looked across the expanse.
From where the Temple was positioned. I could see beyond the tips of the trees to the bumpy, uneven hills dotted with darker shades of green that led to the sandy dunes Kolis had spoken of.
There were large outcroppings of dull white rocks there, some long and slender, and others rounder. They didn’t look like bones to me, but as my
gaze lifted to the sparkling blue waters of the cove, I saw ships. Dozens of
large vessels, their black sails down. Movement to the right of them caught my eye. On the bluffs on the other side of the cove, another black and brown draken lifted its head. Was that Crolee? Ehthawn and Orphine’s cousin? I hadn’t seen the other draken since I’d first arrived in the Shadowlands.
My gaze lowered to the dunes below, focusing on the deep shadows under the bluff. I squinted, seeing movement. Every so often, something silver glinted in the sunlight. Armor. Soldiers.
I rose and turned, swallowing a gasp.
Saion was right in front of me, bowing deeply. “Consort, we’ve missed you.”
My grin turned wry. I didn’t think he lied. I liked to believe that Saion and I had moved past the threatening-my-life part of our relationship, but the only thing the gods had probably missed was the absence of the drama my
presence caused.
“We are also glad to see you here.” Rhahar joined his cousin. “We knew Nyktos wouldn’t return without you.”
“More like she wouldn’t return without me,” Ash corrected, having appeared beside me in that silent, quick way of his.
Rhahar’s brows lifted. “Is that so?”
“It was she who took Kolis down for the count,” Bele chimed in, having hauled herself up onto the stone base. She was carving a…where had she gotten an apple? “Not our esteemed, fearless leader.”
My lips pursed.
“Damn,” Lailah murmured, her hand resting on the hilt of her broadsword. Eyeing Ash, her smile spread. “I’m going to need details.”
“She also freed me,” Ash told them. “I stand here because of her.” “As do I,” a quiet voice added.
Kars turned, stepping to the side to reveal Rhain as he said, “I don’t think many of us would be standing here if not for you.”
Feeling like my face was likely the color of Rhain’s hair, I shifted from foot to foot as I heard several shouts of affirmation.
“That is still something we all have questions about,” Kars stated.
My gaze shot to Rhain. He hadn’t told them about the deal? My grip tightened on the diamond as relief swelled inside me. Rhain hadn’t been
conscious when Kolis made his demands, but it would take no leap of logic to
work out what it likely entailed.
“It…it was nothing,” I said, unsure of what I was responding to or whom. “I only did what any of you would do.”
Rhain nodded as he looked away. My gaze snagged on Ash. He watched me in a way that further confirmed my belief that he knew.
“Okay. I think we need storytime. Oh!” Bele swallowed a piece of apple. “Still haven’t found any boots. Not a lot of opportunities around these parts.”
“It’s all right,” I told her.
Ash’s head cut to the right. “Storytime will have to wait.”
“Got to be Attes,” Bele said, frowning as she eyed the horizon. “Feels like more than just him.”
My stomach dropped as Rhain asked about Attes. All I caught of Ash’s response was that he could be trusted. I should’ve been listening, but I…I couldn’t feel Attes.
There was no hum signaling another Primal’s arrival.
I could still feel the essence thrumming faintly inside me, but that was probably a bad sign.
“Sera?” Ash questioned softly.
Inhaling deeply, I fixed a smile on my face and I looked up at him. Before anything could be said, Ehthawn pushed off the roof, sending plumes of dust falling as he took to the sky. On the horizon, I could make out the shape of wings—large wings stretched wide.
Rhahar and Saion stepped forward as a unit, both reaching for their swords.
“There’s no need for that,” Attes’s voice rose from the steps. “It’s only Aurelia. She will harm none of you.”
“Yeah, well, can’t blame my people for being wary.” Ash shifted his
stance so half of him blocked me. At his side, his hand fisted as there was a round of hasty bows that neither Ash nor I joined in on.
Bele didn’t either.
She cut off another chunk of apple and popped it into her mouth.
I pressed my hand against Ash’s back as Attes crested the top of the stairs. “I can’t.” Attes glanced out to sea as his draken grew closer to Ehthawn,
who rumbled a low warning. Attes’s jaw tensed. “I hope your draken is just overly friendly.”
Well…
“Ehthawn will not strike at Aurelia unless he’s given reason to,” Ash advised. “But it’s not him you’re really worried about.”
Nektas snorted smoke from where he remained on the cliff.
Attes tilted his head. “I assume Seraphena is all right and still in possession of The Star?”
“The what?” Bele murmured.
“I am.” I sidestepped Ash, looking behind him and seeing no one. “Keella?”
“She’s here.” Attes did a double-take as he spotted Elias. “I had her give us a couple of minutes just in case we needed them.” He looked pointedly at Ash. “Hopefully, those minutes aren’t needed.”
“They’re not,” Ash replied, folding his arms over his chest. “Yet.”
“They won’t be needed.” I shot Ash a look as Ehthawn veered toward who I assumed was Crolee.
“It’s nice to deal with someone reasonable.” Attes’s smile softened the scars on his face.
A growl came from a much, much closer source.
Attes’s smile kicked up a notch as he ignored the warning of violence building in Ash. The Primal of War and Accord scanned those on the Temple as his draken flew overhead, her scales a mix of green and brown in the sunlight.
“Um,” I murmured as the draken cleared the Temple, dipping low. The end of her spiked tail skimmed the side of the cliff directly above Nektas, sending a shower of dirt down on him.
Wait. Wasn’t that the draken Nektas had visited to get information from?
And hadn’t Reaver said he thought Nek was sweet on her?
Nektas grumbled, shaking off the dirt as he raised his head. Eyes narrowing, his head swiveled, thin wisps of smoke wafting from his nose. Aurelia tucked her wings to her sides, landing on a cliff above and off to the side of Nektas.
She was larger than both Ehthawn and Crolee, but Nektas dwarfed her as he rose onto all fours, baring his teeth—
Aurelia was fast, stretching out her neck and snapping at Nektas as the frills around her neck vibrated.
I tugged on the back of Ash’s shirt. “Should we be worried about this?”
“Should we? Probably,” he replied dryly. “Since this is their idea of flirting, and it tends to get a bit…aggressive.”
“Kind of like how you two flirt,” Saion tossed out as he strode past us. “Rude,” I muttered.
Ash chuckled, sending a little quiver of surprise through me. Normally, he would’ve threatened Saion, or at the very least, shut him up with a glare, but
the Ash I’d first met in the mortal realm? He was more relaxed, more playful. I was seeing a bit of that now, his more teasing nature—
Nektas yelped as Aurelia nipped his neck when he got too close. He jerked back, his chest rumbling.
“Just think,” Attes neared us, “if they hook up, we’ll be kind of related.” “What a thrilling prospect,” Ash stated.
Dragging my gaze from the two draken, I remembered the other draken Attes had spoken of. “Where’s Basilia?”
“Still making sure Kolis’s draken are busy,” Attes answered, his smile deepening as he turned from Ash. One dimple appeared. “Lailah, it’s been ages since I’ve seen you.”
“Has it?” the goddess remarked nonchalantly.
“It has.” A hint of a fang appeared as Attes strode past Kars, who gave him a wide berth. “The last time I visited the House of Haides, Theon claimed you were indisposed.”
“I was.” Lailah raised a brow as I saw Saion start to grin while his cousin scratched at his short, cropped hair. “I had a headache.”
“A headache?” Attes repeated.
“Yes.” She shifted her weight. “Strangely, it’s starting to return.”
The Primal laughed, and both dimples appeared. “I do believe you are insinuating that I am the cause of this headache.”
“You’re so incredibly astute.” She blinked her wide-set gold eyes. “Perhaps you should’ve been the Primal of Wisdom.”
“I detect sarcasm. You wound me.” Attes pressed his hand to his chest. “Deeply.”
“Not deeply enough,” muttered Lailah.
I tugged on Ash’s shirt again as I whispered, “Are they aggressively flirting?”
Ash’s eyes narrowed on them.
Lailah and Theon were from Vathi. How they’d ended up with Ash was a story not yet shared with me, but the way Attes eyed the goddess had me thinking there was history there that might also involve…aggressive flirting.
Ash faced the stairs. A moment later, Keella appeared, lifting a hand as everyone started to bow again. “Not necessary,” she assured the gods, but Kars and Rhain stilled bowed. She smiled at them. “I hope all is well?”
“Perfect. One second, please.” Ash’s head snapped to where Attes was currently circling Lailah. “Knock it the fuck off.”
Attes looked up through a lock of sandy-brown hair. Quiet fell across the Temple as Keella clasped her hands in front of the pale blue cloak she wore.
“She no longer serves in your Court,” Ash reminded him.
“Thank fuck,” Attes replied. “I would’ve lost complete control of my Court if she still did.”
That statement piqued my curiosity and then some.
Lailah’s response didn’t help. “It’s okay, Nyktos. I know how to handle him.”
“I can one hundred percent confirm that,” Attes said, sending a wink in Lailah’s direction. “With the fondest memories.”
Lailah’s eyes rolled.
Okay. Now, I was really curious.
“Yes.” Keella lifted her chin. “Everything seems completely…perfect.” She turned from them. “Attes filled me in. You have The Star?”
Blinking, I stopped paying attention to…well, whatever was going on. “I do.” The moment Keella’s stare landed on me, I did everything to keep from thinking about the last time she’d seen me. I lifted the wrapped diamond. “And he told you everything?”
Keella nodded as she glided forward, her sorrow-filled eyes lifting to Ash.
“So, back to the important stuff.” Bele hopped off the stone, tossing her
apple core toward the draken. Nektas moved to catch it, but Aurelia got there first. “What is a star?”
“I assume it’s not what’s in the sky,” Rhahar said as the apple core—or half of it—got flung toward Nektas.
Oh, cute. They were…sharing food.
“It’s something no one but the Arae should possess.” Keella eyed the bundle I held. “Or should’ve ever created.”
“I can agree with that.”
“But if they hadn’t, then you would not be standing here with him.”
Keella stopped in front of me. “There is always good in the bad.” Her gaze met mine, and the intensity of her stare made me squirm. “I understood then, just as I do now.”
I sucked in a short breath, knowing she was speaking of the last time we’d seen each other.
“Understand what?” Ash asked.
“That there is often good behind the bad,” she said. “Are you sure of what you saw in the diamond?”
Grateful for the subject change, I nodded as I glanced at Ash. I didn’t know if he wanted anyone else here to know.
Ash’s gaze held mine, then flicked to the others before returning to the diamond. “It’s my father’s soul. It’s in there.”
Bele’s mouth dropped open.
“Are you…?” Rhain had paled. He came forward, stopping several feet from us to stare at what I held.
“I am certain.” I carefully unwrapped the diamond, letting the flimsy torn silk drift to the floor.
The milky-white light throbbed inside The Star, pressing against its edges. “Attes told you about Sotoria?” When Keella nodded, I could practically
feel the questions bursting to break free of Bele, but she remained quiet.
“It’s doable, then?” Ash’s chest rose with a heavy breath. “Once my father’s soul is free?”
“Yes.”
“And you know how that is done?” he asked. “Will I be able to do it?” “I do not imagine it’s like drawing out other souls,” she said, her delicate
brows knitting. “If it works like transferring the embers, then the soul could
likely only be summoned by the one who placed it there.”
Attes cursed, having left Lailah’s side. “That’s not going to happen.” “There have to be other ways.”
The breeze tossed a few strands of her russet-colored hair across her jaw. “The Arae could draw the soul free.”
What had Ash claimed in the dream? “You said I could summon them, right?”
Before Ash could answer me, Keella said, “Yes, but they would likely take The Star back.”
Damn it.
“That won’t work either.” Frustration filled Attes’s tone.
“There is one more way,” Keella said. “The true Primal of Life can summon it.”
Of course.
“Absolutely not,” Ash stated.
A tremor went through my arm. “How?” Ash stepped into me. “Sera—”
“You would simply will it, and it should happen,” Keella explained as
Ash cursed. “The Primal of Life—”
“Say no more,” Ash growled as he blocked her. “You cannot do this.”
Aware of the confusion surrounding those around us, I smiled at him. “If it’s just willing it, that won’t take a lot of energy.”
“That’s not how it works.” Ash grasped my shoulders. “And you know
it.”
I did.
“I have to,” I told him. “It’s your father, Ash.” Even if we didn’t need to
get Sotoria’s soul out of me. “I need to do this.”
His nostrils flared as eather briefly pumped through his flesh. “You don’t need to do any of this.”
“You’re right.” Focusing on the embers, I felt them throb weakly throughout my entire body as I joined my will to them. “I want to.”
“Sera—” He went rigid, seeing something in me that told him it was too late. His fingers pressed into my shoulders. “Liessa…”
I felt no swell of energy, just an awareness of what I’d willed coming into creation. I looked down.
The Star heated in my palm as it started to hum and vibrate. The high- pitched whirring sound came from it again. Tiny streaks of milky light seeped
out of the diamond.
Nektas let out a low, trilling sound as the light in the diamond pulsed brightly once and then twice—
Essence poured out of it, forcing Ash to stagger back a step. There were several gasps. A soft, warbling sound came from one of the other draken.
Eyes wide, I watched the whitish-silver light spilling into the air between us, becoming a throbbing indistinguishable mass.
Several of the gods backed up as the light reflected off their faces. Even Attes moved away, his eyes wide.
The mass of light twisted and stretched, turning toward Ash.
His breathing seemed to halt as his father’s soul hovered beside him. It throbbed and then extended, forming what appeared to be an arm, and then…
A hand and fingers.
That brushed Ash’s cheek.
Ash’s eyes slammed shut, his large body shuddering as he rasped, “Father.”
Tears blurred my vision as Eythos’s soul began to lift and drift upward. “I understand,” Ash whispered.
Understand what? Had he heard his father? I blinked, trying to clear my
vision, but it didn’t—
I felt my heart stutter, then speed up, beating twice in the place of one. I tried to drag in a breath, but a sudden, stunning pain ripped through my chest, taking with it my sense of sight, sound, and…everything else.
