Once Tavius’s intended—a political marriage to be sure—Kayleigh becomes Queen of Lasania’s neighboring kingdom. But she also keeps company with some interesting friends, like Delfai, a God of Divination, which many thought had died out.

There’s something very intriguing about Kayleigh. Maybe it’s because I see the tie between her, Coralena, Leopold, and Poppy. It could be because she’s descended from the last oracle. But perhaps not. It could be even more I do not yet know.

Hair: Long, thick, brownish blond.

Eyes: Green.

Body type: Straight shoulders.

Facial features: Pink, sun-kissed skin. Heart-shaped face.

Personality: Kind. Good listener.

Habits/Mannerisms/Strengths/Weaknesses: Prefers Cauldra Manor to Castle Redrock.

Other: Has a black-and-white cat.

Background: Was betrothed to Prince Tavius of Lasania. Conspired with Sera to make herself sick to avoid the wedding. Has seen enough Primals to know their eyes are silver.

Family: Father = King Saegar. Mother = Queen Geneva. Descendant of the last oracle.

KAYLEIGH’S JOURNEY TO DATE:

Let me start out by just saying that I am so happy that the Princess was able to get out of marrying Prince Tavius.

Sera once found her crying in the gardens after Tavius hurt her, and Kayleigh wasn’t surprised when Sera warned her about her stepbrother. Afterward, she and Sera concocted a plan to make her unavailable for the Royal engagement announcement. Sera gained a potion from a Healer that would make Kayleigh appear very ill, thus necessitating a postponement of the engagement. Kayleigh convinced her parents that it was the warmer, more humid climate that made her sick.

When Sera searches for Delfai, she uncovers his location when using the Pools of Divanash, seeing that he’s at Cauldra Manor with the Princess. After Sera and Nyktos arrive in Irelone, Kayleigh recognizes Sera immediately and knows that her companion is a Primal. She’s fearful because she knows that Primals are easily offended if not given the proper respect.

When Sera asks about Delfai and describes him, Kayleigh calls him the scholar and confirms that he is, indeed, at Cauldra. She goes on to say that he’s been there for a few years and is teaching her how to read the old language.

Confronted with the opportunity, Kayleigh thanks Sera for her help with Tavius and the engagement. As they talk more, Nyktos apologizes for how other Primals have been. When Kayleigh asks about his Court, she’s shocked to discover that he’s from the Shadowlands. She asks Sera how she came to be with him, and Sera tells her it’s a long story.

The couple asks her to take them to Delfai. She reveals that Irelone learned Ezmeria had taken the throne of Lasania, and Nyktos tells her that Tavius is in the Abyss. She’s relieved and laughs before revealing that she worried about being forced to return to him and kept waiting for word that he’d become betrothed to another. The news that she is now free brings tears to her eyes.

Kayleigh realizes that Sera was never the Queen’s handmaiden. When Nyktos tells her who Sera really is and was meant to be, Kayleigh doesn’t seem surprised.

SERA

AND ASH‌

Click here to see this image by Alicia MB Art full size.

EXCLUSIVE SCENE ~ ALWAYS SAFE WITH

ME

‌

~Ash~

“Godsdamn it,” Sera growled, the essence of the Primals swelling inside her and spilling into the air around us.

Her rising frustration called forth a rough chuckle as I pulled her back against my chest. Her vanilla and lavender scent surrounded me. “Now, how would you get free from me?” I asked, staring down at all her glorious, silvery-blond hair. My fingers itched to sink into those soft strands.

Unfortunately, that wouldn’t help her gain control of the essence thrumming through her body. “You can’t reach that dagger or any other weapon, even if you had one. What would you do?”

She struggled against me, not accomplishing much but making me fully aware of all her lush curves. “Scream loudly?”

My lips twisted as my gaze flipped to the gray stone walls of the underground chamber deep beneath the House of Haides. “No.”

“Beg?”

Smiling then, I tilted my head toward the graceful length of her throat. “There are very few things I would be interested in hearing you beg for,” I told her, feeling her tense against me. “And your life is not one of them.”

My touch? My bite? My cock? I wouldn’t mind hearing her beg for those things using that pretty mouth of hers. My jaw clenched.

I needed to fucking focus.

What we were doing down here was important. It had nothing to do with her begging or my cock. “I can feel the essence in you ramping up. It’s there. Charging the air. You can summon the eather. Will it to manifest into energy that can break my hold. You won’t hurt me.”

She turned her head slightly toward mine. “I’m not worried about hurting you.”

“Then what’s stopping you?”

“Those few things you’re interested in hearing me beg for.”

I went rigid. Immediately, my mind flashed to what I’d thought of seconds earlier.

My touch.

My bite.

My cock.

Three things I’d never wanted to hear anyone beg for—not before her.

Then again, she wouldn’t have to beg. That should concern me. Greatly. Instead, it sent a bolt of lust arcing through me. Fast and hard.

Sera tipped her head back against my chest, and I saw her lips curve slightly. “I bet I can guess at least one of those things.”

“And what would that be?”

She turned her head toward mine. “I don’t know if I should speak it. It may be too bold.”

What an interesting thing for her—of all people—to say. “There is not a single part of me that believes you’re worried about being too bold.”

“But you may find me speaking it to be…distracting.”

Find her distracting? There hadn’t been a moment since I came upon her in that sweetly scented passageway when she wasn’t distracting.

I should be used to it by now.

Which also meant I should be able to overcome it. Focus. Behave.

But it was like I was a different person when I was around her. Someone with no past. Someone not tethered to the present or a future and all the shit that came with it. I wasn’t even a Primal. I was just a man who…

Wanted.

I moved my arm before realizing what I was doing—or maybe I knew exactly what I was doing. I drew her onto the toes of her boots and brought that plump ass of hers against my cock. I knew the moment she felt me. I immediately sensed her spicy, smoky passion. “I’m already distracted.”

She drew her lower lip between her teeth. “You may be more

distracted.”

Knowing I could block out her rising arousal and should, I still didn’t. That someone else I became around Sera wanted to drown in her. “Tell me what you think I’d like to hear you beg for.” I paused, enjoying the slight

wiggle she gave her hips. “Or is it you who has become nothing more than talk?”

Her laugh was pure music, a sound not heard enough, and even more distracting as she stretched farther up, dragging her ass against my cock.

Godsdamn.

Her mouth was less than an inch from mine. “Your cock,” she whispered.

Godsdamn.

Dull pain suddenly erupted in my foot as Sera brought her boot down on mine. Hard. Surprise rippled through me, quickly followed by a burst of amusement. It was just a second, but long enough for her to take advantage.

Breaking free of my hold, she spun toward me. A look of pure, unfiltered smugness settled into the tilt of her full lips as she walked across the hard soil and stone. “That’s how I’ll get free.”

Eather pulsed through me as the beast inside me stirred, awakened by the smugness in her smile. “Is that your grand battle plan when you have no access to weapons? Speak of cocks?”

“If it works, why not?” Her gaze lowered, and a faint pink stain spread across her freckled cheeks. “And it most definitely worked.”

Understatement of the century. “Perhaps a little too well.”

Her breathing pattern picked up as her gaze finally returned to mine.

The emerald green was heated. “Is that so?”

I stalked toward her, feeling more like the wolf inside me than the god.

Duty and responsibility fell to the wayside as I saw the challenge in her stare. The want.

Sera stayed still as I neared her, but I knew better than to trust she wouldn’t try anything. She, too, was distracted. But she was alert.

Sera liked to win.

Maybe the only thing she liked more than my touch, my bite, or my cock.

As expected, Sera made her move when I was about a foot from her. She darted to the left, stroking my wolf’s need to catch her—and mine.

Anticipation burned through me as I spun, snagging her with an arm across her chest.

I tugged her back against me, keeping my arm folded over her upper chest. “That was far too easy, Sera.” I flattened my other hand against her

lower stomach, smiling tightly as she jumped. “I don’t think you’re seriously trying to evade me.”

“What…?” Her breath hitched as I drew my hand down and over the delicate laces running along the front of her leggings. “Do you think?”

“I’d say it’s obvious.” Feeling her stance widen, I knew what she wanted. I slipped my hand between her thighs and the taste of her desire sharpened in the back of my throat. She gasped as my fingers pressed against her center. “You wanted to be caught.”

“I don’t like being caught.” Her hips twitched as I began moving my finger in slow, small circles. “Ever.”

I laughed. “Liar.”

A shiver went through her, and she clutched the forearm I had over her upper chest. “Though being caught this way isn’t all that bad.” A quiet, breathy sound escaped her as my fingers found that sensitive little jewel of hers through her thin pants. “Do all Primals fight this way?”

My fingers halted. The mere idea of another touching her this way brought a brutal growl from deep within me.

Sera’s amusement sweetened the taste of her desire. Yanking on my arm, she kicked back as she twisted, curling her leg around mine.

Or she attempted to.

Done with the training, I wasn’t having it. I had other things in mind now.

“Wrong move.” Lifting her off her feet, I turned us toward the old stone table, where her dagger was still embedded in its surface. “But I don’t think you tried very hard then, either.”

She really hadn’t.

I was stronger and faster than her, but she was far more skilled in fighting than what she now displayed.

Sera made a sweet sound as I carefully forced her upper body onto the table. Her feet barely reached the floor, causing her heart-shaped ass to rise into the air. That was also a sweet sight. She started to flip on me, but I was faster. Pressing down on her, I worked my leg between hers to prevent her from using them against me.

She could do some real damage with those muscles.

Her legs were powerful, whether she was kicking the shit out of an enemy or using that strength to clamp down on my hips.

Not wanting her far-too-delicate skin against the rough slab of the table, I worked my right arm beneath her cheek and leaned over her, trapping her between the table and me.

I breathed in her exquisite scent, letting it invade every part of my being. A low, vibrating hum emanated from my chest. The feel of her beneath me, soft, warm, and yielding, was like a miracle, filling me with sensation. One of homecoming? Of belonging? I wasn’t sure, but whatever it was, I couldn’t get enough of it—of her.

Sera may taste like sunlight, but she was more like the moon and compelled like the tides, time, and light.

I would never get enough of this feeling. Ever.

My jaw tightened with need. A throbbing pulse of lust raced to the tip of my cock. Titling my head, my breath stirred the faint wisps of hair at her temple.

I fought through the fog of rising desire and the pounding need to take control—to take her. I knew she didn’t like it when I read her emotions, but what she felt, what she could possibly be thinking, was too important for me not to. Opening my senses to her as her fingers curled against the rough stone, I searched for any signs of panic or fear, but all I found was the sharp, sultry spice of her passion. The need I felt was amplified in her, increasing with each moment I had her pinned beneath my body.

I sucked in a breath, sudden understanding hitting me as I closed off my senses to her. “You like it,” I rasped, stunned by the realization. Sera, my brave, beautiful fighter wasn’t just excited. She was highly aroused by being dominated. Surprise gave way to wonderment as I slid my hand to her hip. I’d sensed the same from her the night I’d first fed from her. I’d chalked it up to her reaction to my feeding. “You like it like this.”

Sera didn’t say anything, but I felt a faint shiver coursing through her body. There was no escaping what she felt—that spike in her arousal was so potent it broke through my shields. I knew I was right.

“I can taste your desire.” My lips brushed against her cheek. “Spicy.

Smoky.” I growled as I rocked my hips against her ass. Sera shuddered. “I don’t even have to try to read you.”

Dragging my palm across her lower body, I dipped my hand between her thighs. She pushed her body against my questing fingers. “I…I do.”

Even through the pants, her heat was scorching—fucking divine—as I tried to reconcile the two vastly different sides of her that I’d only seen once

before. “Why? Tell me.”

“I…” Sera moaned as I stroked her. “I don’t know.” Little liar.

“I think you do know.” I shifted my arm, lifting my hand to the laces of her pants. I found the knot and easily loosened it. Her sigh brought a smile to my face. “Or maybe I’m wrong, and you don’t know.” I slipped my hand beneath the gap between her pants and waist, eager to get between her thighs, but I made sure to give myself time to feel her—to marvel at the warm softness of her skin, belly, and then finally lower, where she was the softest. Where she was so wet. “But I am not wrong about you liking it like this.”

Sera tipped her ass up just a little bit, a silent request I would do everything in my power to answer. I knew what she wanted. Dragging in her sweet scent, I eased a finger inside her tight heat.

“I like…” Sera made a breathy sound as I let more weight settle on her back.

“Like what?” I asked as her thighs clamped down. “Being dominated?”

Her entire body shook as she gripped the hand I’d placed near her. “I like…submitting to you.”

“Fuck.” I jerked against her, eyes briefly closing. I’d already known what her answer would be. I wouldn’t have continued like this if I hadn’t. But hearing her say it drove home how much more this was—it was more than lust and sex. More than getting off. I let out a ragged breath. “You never submit to me.”

Sera turned her head, and those beautiful eyes locked with mine. “I’m submitting now.”

A strange, intense sensation swept through me, seizing my gut as I felt eather bleed to the surface of my flesh. Blood pounded through me, muting the soft sounds of rushing water in the pool. “Is that what you want? Now?” I knew it was, but I needed to hear her say it. “Like this?”

A flush hit her cheeks. “I think you can feel that it is.”

Oh, I could feel it. And I’d heard it when I curled my finger inside. “I can.”

Her throat worked on a swallow. A moment passed, and then she whispered, “I know I can let this happen.”

I went completely still. What I’d felt earlier was right. This was so much bigger. It was about trust.

And she trusted me.

Me.

I wasn’t sure what I’d done to deserve it. Not when I could still see her flinch—could still taste the shame I’d made her feel when it was quiet.

“I think I understand,” I said, feeling a little unsteady on my feet.

Her lips parted as I held her gaze. I thrust my finger into her once and then twice before slipping my hand free. I didn’t look away. Neither did she. Heart pounding, I gripped her pants and shoved them down to her knees before doing the same with mine. Her breathing picked up as I grasped my cock, dragging the head over the curve of her ass. Neither of us spoke as I pushed between her thighs, entering her tight, damp heat.

Fates.

The feel of her clamping down on my cock caused every muscle in my body to tighten. Pure, raw pleasure coursed through me, stroking the beast in me once more. It wanted me to fuck. I wanted to fuck, hard and fast. But I could feel my god form beginning to slip. I could see it in the hand she held so tightly. The flesh was starting to thin, revealing the shadows beneath.

Fuck.

If I let go and took her in my Primal form? A shudder of fear went through me. She was mortal, and I was the furthest thing from that.

She was…she was too important to me.

I couldn’t lose control. I wouldn’t. Because I could be as strong as she was. Sera deserved that.

Holding on to that, I let out a harsh breath. Seconds ticked by, moving both too fast and yet too slow. In control, I pulled back, feeling every damn inch. My nerve endings fired off bursts of pleasure as I nestled just the tip at Sera’s entrance and then plunged back into her. Her moan got lost in my groan.

Her nails scraped across the stone and dug into my flesh as I picked up my pace. Each thrust felt like a thousand tiny explosions, jolting our bodies. My hips moved faster and faster, pushing us ever closer to the edge of what felt like insanity.

“Harder,” she gasped, fingers pressing into my fist. “Take me.” I shuddered, plunging into her.

Sera strained against my hold, and her voice was fevered as she whispered, “Fuck me.”

My breath was ragged against her cheek as I held her in place just as she wanted—as she needed from me.

And I gave it to her.

I drove my cock into her slickness, over and over. Thrust harder as I turned my hand beneath hers. I took her as I threaded our fingers together. Fucked her as I took her hand in mine, holding it.

Her moans brought forth a rush of savage satisfaction. I drove my cock into her, each stroke going deeper as I felt her tightening around me.

Dragging the bridge of my nose over her jaw, my lips coasted over her throat as I pounded into her. My mouth opened when I ground against her, and I scraped my fangs along the skin of her neck.

Sera began to tremble as her release took hold, and she let go of all the pleasure that had been building in her core. Ecstasy powered down my spine. When she came, she took me with her over that cliff. I sealed our bodies together, leaving no space between us. Our moans mingled. I wanted to feel every tiny contraction of her muscles. I needed her to feel each pump of my cock as my body found the same pleasure as hers.

We rode the aftershocks, and I slowed my movements against her as she went utterly limp beneath me. As the tension left her body, a sweet taste gathered in the back of my throat, reminding me of chocolate—chocolate and berries.

Unsure what I was picking up from her, I lifted my mouth and made sure I hadn’t pierced her skin.

I hadn’t.

“You are always safe with me, liessa,” I promised. That was an oath I’d never break.

Because she trusted me.

And that was a gift. One I would cherish and protect.

‌

NYKTOS

Also known as Ash

The Primal of Death / King of the Gods in the Blood and Ash timeline Court: The Shadowlands

Click here to see a full-size image of Nyktos by Alicia MB Art.

Click here to see a full-size image of Nyktos’s crown by Creatively Agnes.

Hair: Thick. Reddish brown. Wavy. Falls against his cheeks.

Eyes: Silver.

Body Type: Unbelievably tall. Broad shoulders. Lean stomach. Defined chest.

Facial features: Skin a luscious golden-brown like wheat. High and broad cheekbones. Straight nose. Full, wide mouth. Thick lashes. Looks to be in his early to mid-twenties.

Distinguishing features: Wears a silver band around right biceps. Scar on chin. Black lines on the insides of hips that curve downward, creeping along the sides of his body—blood drops; one hundred and ten. Ink also stretches across his entire back. At the center of his spine, the ink is a circular, twisted swirl that grows larger and lashes out in thick tendrils that wrap around the front to his waist and connect to the ones down his hips.

The drops represent the lives he’s had to take. His marriage imprint is on his left hand.

Preternatural features: Swirling eather in his eyes. When using power, he sometimes glows. When he becomes full Primal: shadows bloom under his skin and swirl, glowing white veins appear. Eather-laced midnight pours out of him. Air thickens and sparks as eather wings spread out behind him. Skin becomes the color of midnight streaked with pure eather and gets hard as stone. Wings can turn solid like a draken’s—a seething mass of silver and black. Eyes spark with so much power the pupils disappear.

Personality: Stoic. Private. Doesn’t like attention from the other gods.

Habits/Mannerisms/Strengths/Weaknesses: Deep, husky laugh. Can sense and taste emotions. One of the strongest Primals. Young for a Primal. Able to call his horse Odin to him at will, the equine turning into shadow and sinking into the skin around his silver band when not needed—a part of him. Can see the souls of the departed. Can shadowstep anywhere, no matter the distance. Can summon a soul with a touch. Can use compulsion. Can shift into a silvery-white wolf. Doesn’t make a habit of punishing mortals for speaking their minds. Fights gracefully. Bites his lip when attraction flares. Used to like to read. Doesn’t particularly like to be touched

—except by Sera. A quick learner when it comes to sex. Views love as a weapon—an unnecessary risk. Loves to swim; spent plenty of time at the lake when he was young. Has beautiful penmanship.

Other: Two hundred and twenty years old. Smells citrusy and fresh.

Tastes woodsy and smoky—like whiskey. Blood tastes like honey but smokier. Had kardia removed, so is incapable of love. Also called: The Asher. The One Who is Blessed. The Guardian of Souls. The Primal God of Common Men and Endings.

Background: Was forced to kill his friend Lathan—something that haunts him still. Made a deal with Veses many years before meeting Sera to keep her safe. Mother was killed while Nyktos was still in her womb.

Initially rejected Sera because of what he felt from her on that day— determination, anguish, and hopelessness. Had just finished his Culling when the deal was made with the Mierel family. All of Eythos’s power and responsibilities transferred to Nyktos upon his father’s death. Was once forced to feed until he killed. Knows what it’s like to be a prisoner. (See below for additional background information.)

Family: Mother = Mycella †. Father = Eythos †. Uncle = Kolis. Second Cousin = Aios.

NYKTOS’S JOURNEY TO DATE:

My, oh my. What do I say about dear Nyktos? Beautifully tortured.

Unbelievably caring. Dealt a bad hand literally from birth yet prevailed and even persevered. What I know of the Primal of Death is only what I was able to cobble together from research and my sparse visions. I wish I had seen him and Sera as clearly as I have Casteel and Poppy, but alas that was not to be. Still, what I have learned and seen of Nyktos has made me fall quite in love with him—generally speaking, of course. Seraphena is one lucky Primal.

To start with, some history…

In a vengeful rage, determined to punish his twin for causing him to lose his love (Sotoria), Kolis murders his sister-in-law, Mycella, while she’s pregnant with Nyktos. Somehow, Nyktos survives. It is unknown how, exactly, but it earned him the “One Who is Blessed” part of his title. Nyktos grew up seeing constant sadness on his father’s face at the loss of his Consort. Later, after seeing that and realizing that love could become a weapon and was a dangerous and unnecessary risk, he asks the goddess Maia to remove his kardia, thus making it impossible for him to love.

We find out later that that later was right before Sera came to the Shadowlands, and it’s because of a vision he had of what would happen if he fell in love with Sera and then lost her.

Nyktos had barely finished his Culling when his father made the deal that affected the Mierel bloodline—which Eythos told Nyktos about before he died, though he never explained why he did it. It didn’t impact Nyktos then because he was not yet the Primal of Death. But when Kolis murdered Eythos after switching roles with him, all his father’s power and responsibilities transferred to Nyktos.

When Phanos, the Primal of the Sky, Sea, Earth, and Wind destroys Phythe over a perceived snub, Saion and Rhahar flee the Triton Isles.

Unfortunately, defection from one’s Court is considered an offense often punishable by death. Nyktos intervenes on their behalf, meeting with them while in captivity and touching each of their shoulders. The next day during court, he informs Phanos that the Primal cannot punish gods who no longer belong to him and tells Phanos they belong to him now. You see, he took

possession of their souls when he touched them, making them his and no longer a part of the Triton Isles, thus allowing them to leave as they both wished. After, they become incredibly loyal to Nyktos and part of his inner circle.

Acting as the Primal of Death and knowing that he is now responsible for the deal made with Roderick Mierel, Nyktos checks on Seraphena occasionally, curious about her. He witnesses her at her lake and finds it soothing.

He actually started checking on her as a child. He saw her collecting rocks, swimming in her lake, doing other things. And all of that started because of a dream he had on the day she was born, showing him what could happen in the future.

During his earlier days as the Primal of Death, Kolis used to make him come to him in Dalos, whereupon Nyktos would have to pretend that he didn’t hate his uncle with every fiber of his being and convince Kolis that he was loyal to him. In reality, Nyktos never accepted his way of life and had been looking for a way to destroy his uncle or entomb him since he Ascended. Seeing how Kolis treated his favorites only reinforced the loathing Nyktos felt for his kin. And being forced to do things like rip out a godling’s heart for daring not to bow properly to Kolis, or feed until he killed, only increased his hatred.

Before the mortals started losing faith, he used to be summoned to the mortal realm often. He would sometimes grant the petitioner’s request to take the life of another if they were evil and deserved it. Other times, he killed the summoner if the request was for profit or a petty slight. As time went on, he visited the mortal realm less and less.

Until he was summoned to accept Sera as his Consort.

He’d already had Ector and Lathan watching her once she turned seventeen—before he was forced to take Lathan’s life. But when the Priests summon him to Lasania to claim Seraphena and honor the deal her ancestor made, he arrives at the castle with a rumble, extinguishing all candles before sending the flames surging toward the ceiling. As the air splits, eather pours out, and he appears, surrounded by churning shadows. He senses Seraphena’s feelings and whispers to her that he has no need of a Consort before extinguishing the candles again with a whoosh and disappearing with another rumble. When the candles flame anew, he’s gone.

He says he was never summoned again, even though Sera was led to believe he had been.

The next time Nyktos sees Sera in person, she’s older, and he is in the mortal realm—something he still doesn’t do often. Posing as Ash, he sees her trailing the same gods he has been keeping an eye on and grabs her before she rushes in. She fights and rails at him, which does little but greatly amuse him. He questions her about what she was planning and tells her that him jumping in to save her interfered with his plans. He also makes her aware that he doesn’t have a single decent bone in his body.

Sera attacks him, and he pins her between him and the wall, realizing who she is in the process. He promises her that the three gods will pay for what they’ve done. When he senses Taric, Madis, and Cressa returning, he tells Sera to wrap her legs around him and kiss him as a way to hide in plain sight. She gets feisty and bites him. He kisses the hell out of her and bites her back, sucking blood from her finger. After, he clarifies that he wasn’t pretending to enjoy the kiss and admits that maybe he has one decent bone in his body.

If you ask me, Nyktos is made of good. While no Primal can be good per se, Nyktos is the best of the best. And while he may not like to admit it, I am sure I’m not the only one who sees it.

Taking stock, Ash doesn’t believe the other gods sensed him and tells Sera to go home. When she challenges him and asks if he’s leaving, he informs her that he’s not.

Later, he startles her outside the Kazin home they’re both investigating and confirms he was following the gods, too. Once again amused by her spunk, he suggests they look around together since they seem to have common goals. He informs her that the gods have done this before and confesses that he planned to try to capture one of them and chat. While he has every intention of getting to the bottom of things, he warns her that she should let it go.

Sera, not afraid of much—apparently even a god, as she thinks Ash is— brings her shadowstone dagger to his throat. He questions her about the weapon given shadowstone is rare in the mortal realm. After they discuss it, she tells him she stole it from her stepbrother—a lie. When he asks her if she knows what would happen to her if she tried to use it on him, and she says she does, he confesses that knowing she’d still try makes him think of their kiss earlier and her tongue in his mouth.

Cheeky devil.

Ash disarms her and tells her she’s too brave, calling her liessa for the first time. He asks her what drowns out her fear and pushes her so eagerly toward death. She says she doesn’t know. After a little more discourse, she tells him to get on with it: killing her. He’s both surprised and amused that she thinks he would. He tells her to be careful but warns that he’ll be watching.

Following the gods later, Ash enters Joanis Designs. Acting on instinct, Sera stabs him in the chest. He chastises her for being reckless, pulls out the dagger, and destroys it. Not having learned her lesson about self- preservation, she threatens him and seems utterly unimpressed by his show of force and energy. It only makes him laugh.

He asks her what scares her and calls her liessa again, realizing she’s only scared on a superficial level. Unable to stop himself from touching her, he caresses her cheek and tells her that while she may feel terror, she’s not terrified. She snarkily asks him if he’s the God of Thoughts and Emotions, making him laugh again.

She’s clearly trouble, but he can’t keep away.

Ash confesses to Sera that he was alerted to the gods entering the mortal realm. He tells her that he’s kept an eye on her to keep her from getting into any more mischief. When she tells him it isn’t necessary, he replies that he wanted to—something that surprises even him. They share information, and he says he hasn’t discovered anything about the Kazin family murders nor found any evidence explaining why Madis did what he did, though he insinuates the god was lazy this last time.

He explains that the gods’ victims’ souls just cease to exist, which is a fate crueler than being sent to the Abyss, where you’re at least something. When she asks, he confirms that he’s indeed from the Shadowlands and tells her what happens to a soul after someone passes.

As they talk more, Andreia Joanis—who they thought quite dead when they arrived—begins to stir, then rises and attacks them. He kills the seamstress with his shadowstone sword and tells Sera that he’s never seen or heard of anything like what they just witnessed. He knows that Madis didn’t just kill her. He did something else to her—something disturbing.

When Ash tells Sera he has to go, he urges her to do the same, calling her liessa again. When she asks him what it means, he tells her that it has

different meanings to different people but that it always means something beautiful and powerful.

I saw this exchange in a vision of the past, and let me tell you, I swooned.

Sometime later, Ash hides and watches Sera as she spends some time in her lake. When she demands that he reveal himself, he comes out from behind the waterfall and tells her she’s like a goddess made of silver and moonbeams—she really is. Seraphena is absolutely stunning. She gives him hell as she always does, and he calls her a liar when she tells him she doesn’t want him to stay. Their discourse continues, and he admits that he’s aroused but a little afraid of her, and is being careful around her despite the lure he feels to be bad.

When she finally asks his name, he tells her it’s Ash. She inquires if it’s short for something, and he tells her it’s short for many things. She asks about his tattoos, and he hedges, instead telling her to get dressed and promising not to look as she does. Not long after, he realizes they aren’t alone and instructs her to unsheathe her blade, saying that what comes isn’t from the mortal realm.

He explains to her that the nightmare creatures she’s seeing are called Gyrms, Hunters more specifically, out looking for something. Once again, he tells her to go home, and they bicker as they fight the Gyrms. Despite her distracting outfit—a very flimsy scrap of clothing—which he makes sure to point out to her, he says he’s impressed that she can fight and explains how best to kill a Gyrm.

Sera reveals her revulsion for snakes as she discovers what’s inside the Hunters, and Ash teases her about it—naturally. But in her defense, I’m not particularly fond of serpents either. Ash clarifies that what the seamstress turned into is not a Gyrm. He still doesn’t know what happened at Joanis Designs. He explains the different kinds of Gyrms to Sera, and when she asks if the Priests are Gyrms given their stitched mouths and creepiness, he tells her they are.

He suggests perhaps the Hunters were looking for him since he has plenty of enemies. When she implies that he did something to deserve them, he calls her on it and says she’s being awfully judgmental.

Ash then tells Sera a secret: mortal knowledge of the gods, Primals, and Iliseeum isn’t always accurate. Boy, is that true. I swear things change every time I make a note in these files. He goes on to say that some Primals

are extremely young, and many gods have been around longer than they have.

Many Gyrms dispatched around them, Ash tells Sera that taking a life should always leave a mark. Lightening the mood, he ribs her about openly staring at his body. She denies it, and he tells her that she lies prettily and calls her liessa again.

Ash insists they interest each other, which is why they’ve both stayed at the lake. He goes on to say that he feels that way about her because she speaks her mind and has little regard for the consequences of doing so.

A woman after my own heart.

Ash admits to Sera that he’s only killed when he’s had to and never enjoyed it. She says she’s sorry, and it surprises him. He tells her about Lathan and how he was forced to take his life. His surprise soon turns to shock as she shows compassion that he had to kill his friend.

I wasn’t sure anybody had ever done that for him before.

Ash asks her why she’s by the lake. When she says it’s calming, he completely understands. It intrigues him that she comes often and is never followed or escorted. As they talk more, and Sera’s self-deprecating side comes out, it annoys him that she would ever question her beauty. He tells her he was impressed by her fighting skills and then teases her that she likes him.

Sera asks about Iliseeum and the Shadowlands, and he tells her what they’re like, asking if he can touch and play with her hair as they chat. He explains how death has made the Shadowlands less magnificent than it used to be.

He’s able to make her smile a few times as they talk, and he remarks that she’s graced him with those expressions. When she tells him he’s kind, it surprises him, and he quickly denies it. But then he admits that maybe he has one decent bone in his body. At least, when it comes to her.

As I said, Nyktos has plenty of decent bones in his body, he just needs those around him like Sera to make him see that.

Overwhelmed by desire, Ash confesses that he wants and needs to kiss her. She tells him to do it. Admitting that he’s never wanted to hear the word yes more, he tugs at her lip with his fangs. She gasps, and he tells her how much he likes it. He then urges her body down onto the ground and teases her about the kiss being…satisfactory. After the second one, he pauses, a bit overcome, but then kisses her again and drags his fangs down

her neck. When she says his name, he stills and admits that he’s never heard it said quite like that before, then adds that she can call him whatever she wants.

That one kind and decent bone was most definitely being ruled by his wicked and indecent bones. I couldn’t love it more.

He implores her to show him what she likes so he can give it to her, and she demonstrates how he can pleasure her. When he touches her, he tells her she feels like silk and sunshine—be still my heart. Taking control of the movements as she clutches his wrist, he calls her liessa and tells her to fuck his hand. She gladly does. Smart girl. Afterward, he samples her pleasure from his fingers and tells her she tastes like the sun.

The sun… Oh, my gods. The words that come out of this Primal’s mouth… He’s one of a kind for sure.

Sera touches him, but he hesitates. He confesses how badly he wants her

—not her hand—around him but doesn’t want to debauch her on the ground

—he shouldn’t knock a good ground shag—or have her regret anything. He admits that he doesn’t have much experience and then distracts her with more kisses.

As they lie together, he admits how he wants to count her freckles and plays with her hair. When they finally get up and finish getting dressed, he advises her to go home quickly and to be careful.

Ash sends Ector to the mortal realm with a new shadowstone dagger for Sera to replace the one he destroyed so she can keep herself safe. I love that he worries for her but realizes that she can take care of herself, as well.

Days later, Nyktos feels Sera’s emotions across the realms as Tavius tortures and whips her. He intervenes, his fury on full display. Pronouncing that he is the Asher, the One Who is Blessed, the Guardian of Souls, the Primal God of Common Men and Endings, and the Primal of Death, he seems to terrify everyone in attendance—all but Sera.

He demands to know who took part in what was done to her and kills four guards for the transgression. He then turns to Tavius and claims Sera as his Consort. As punishment for what the boy-King did, Ash pins him to the Primal statue with the whip around his throat. The Queen begs for Tavius’s life, further enraging Ash.

Sera asks him to let Tavius go, and he does as she wishes, calling her liessa again when he realizes that she wants to murder the bastard. She carries out her promise to cut off his arms, stab him in the chest, and shove

the whip down her stepbrother’s throat. After some quite normal conversation, something snaps within Sera, and she attacks Nyktos. I can only imagine it’s because of everything he put her through by not claiming her before and not telling her who he was when she met him again. He reminds her that even as a Primal, he feels pain. Once again, he admits that he’s a little afraid of her.

Sera calls him Nyktos in a fit of ire, now knowing his real identity and hating that she can’t take her frustrations out on him. He tells her not to call him that; says he’s not that to her.

Ash informs her what will happen now that he’s claimed her and realizes that she honestly thought he’d leave her to the consequences of her actions regarding Tavius. He tells her he refuses to let her be executed and promises that her family will be safe, even though he doesn’t feel they deserve it.

He explains to her how he knew to come when he did, touching her, unable to stop. She remarks that his touch is cold, and he asks her what she thinks Death feels like. When she wonders why he didn’t tell her who he was before, he questions if she would still have been interested in him if she knew he was the Primal of Death. He stresses that he never lied to her. She assumed.

Heading to the lake to gain entrance to Iliseeum, Ash is amused that she feels such ownership of the body of water and remarks that there’s a reason she’s found it so calming all this time: it is how she can get to him. He admits that he could have—and probably should have—told her who he was earlier, but she was fearless, he was interested, and though he hadn’t wanted or expected everything that’d happened with them thus far, he liked that they were themselves…no deal and no obligations. She wanted him to touch her and didn’t feel she had to let him. He explains that he enjoyed it all and didn’t want it to end.

Once in the realm of the gods, Ash points out that all the hills she sees are draken and explains the difference between a dragon and a draken.

After passing a Rise full of impaled dead, people begin noticing their arrival. He tells her he’d hoped they would have some time before anyone knew she’d arrived, especially since very few know about her yet. He asks if he can introduce her as his Consort, and she agrees.

As they start meeting the gods in the Shadowlands, he gets a little miffed that Lailah brings up the so-called family tradition of kidnapping

mortal girls, alluding to Kolis’s obsession with Sotoria.

Ash calls to Aios to take Sera to her room and have food sent to her. The goddess is startled when she feels a jolt from Sera as they touch and looks at Ash. He only responds with, “I know.” He tells Sera to trust Aios and promises he’ll return soon.

Later, he finds Sera bathing. When he takes in her wounds, he confesses he can’t wait to visit Tavius in the Abyss to make him suffer. He brings her something to help with the pain and healing and offers to wash her hair—a first for him. But he can’t resist her moonlit locks.

Ash wonders what her life was like after he rejected her and learns that a knight trained her in weaponry and hand-to-hand combat so she could defend herself. He’d hoped she would just carry on with her life after his rejection. When she asks why he didn’t return, he tells her that the Priests would never summon him again and tries to get her to understand that what happened wasn’t personal.

Oh, it was personal, all right, but not at all what she thought. It was so much more. And so much sweeter yet heartbreaking.

Ash tells her that she didn’t do anything wrong when he rejected her and explains what he felt from her that day—that she was afraid and felt she had no choice—thus revealing that he can sense and taste her emotions. He tells her that he saw her as brave but still felt anguish and hopelessness— someone forced to fulfill a promise they didn’t make. He had no need of a Consort forced to marry him, and so he told her as much.

She emerges from the bath, and he dries her and tells her he knows what she feels when he touches her—the sounds she makes aren’t forced; she lets him touch her because she likes it. He explains that he reads her body language, though; he doesn’t delve into her emotions.

Being more than interested in certain parts of their union and agreement, he pleasures her again, telling her that he thinks about her and their time at the lake every time he takes himself in hand. He then applies ointment to her back and insists he’s still the same man she met, despite her knowing more about him now and who he really is. He tells her that he revealed things to her he’s never told others, and he never lied to her.

When Sera asks about those she saw impaled on the Rise as they entered, he’s stunned that she thinks he did it. He explains about the politics of Iliseeum, which leads to him revealing that he didn’t make the deal with her ancestor. His father did.

Ash goes into how all powers, responsibilities, and deals transferred to him when his father died, Ascending him into his Primal status. He relays that his parents loved each other very much, and his father was a widower when he made the deal with Roderick. Eythos died loving his wife, so Ash was always confused why he made the deal at all.

Neither he nor Sera consented to the agreement, which is something they have in common. He tells her that he considered coming to her and telling her everything well before now and the events that played out, but felt it was better if he limited contact. He didn’t want to expose her.

The discussion turns once again to the murders, and Ash tells Sera that he doesn’t think they’re connected to her. He explains things about Lathan better, and when she asks why he kept an eye on her given there were no consequences for him regarding the deal, he tells her he isn’t sure and insinuates that perhaps he should have left her be. While she may have been killed by Madis and his crew, dying may have actually been a better fate for her. At least then his enemies wouldn’t also become hers.

Word comes in that Shades are loose in the Dying Woods, so Ash leaves Sera to go and deal with them. When he gets back, he has breakfast with her.

As they discuss the dynamics in the House of Haides, he explains that keeping her in her chambers is a necessary evil, but if she thinks that’s what being held against her will feels like, she has no idea. He admits that he’s unfortunately well-acquainted with the feeling, referring to his time in Dalos.

I hate that she will experience that for herself soon enough.

Ash returns the dagger he gifted her, now with a sheath, and apologizes for upsetting her and keeping her sequestered.

Talk turns to feeding, and he explains how it works and why being weakened comes into play, admitting that he doesn’t feed anymore. Ever. He just makes sure to never get that weak. When she asks if he was a prisoner before, referring to what he’d said about being well-acquainted with the feeling of being a captive, he tells her that he’s been many things, leaving it at that and not elaborating. She tries to get him to say more by offering up that they should learn more about each other. Ash admits that he doesn’t want them to be strangers and would very much like them to be as close as they were at the lake. However, he isn’t willing to discuss his imprisonment.

He quickly changes the subject, and they talk about the draken. Ash explains that he’s been around them long enough that he can understand them, even while they’re in their draken forms. He feeds little Jadis some bacon and admits that Nektas will likely burn him alive if he finds out Ash is giving it to her.

He teases Sera about stabbing him in the chest in the mortal realm, letting her know he’s hopeful she won’t do it again. Then he explains that Nektas knew Ash wasn’t seriously injured that day because of their bond. If he were, the draken would have come for him. Sera remarks that she really needs to get a better handle on her anger, and he confesses that he finds it… interesting.

Later, Nyktos returns from a duty and talks to Sera about her future in the Shadowlands. When she accidentally bumps into him, he jerks and hisses, telling her not to touch him, afraid to reveal his weakness. When Sera alludes to the fact that she doubts his attraction, it stuns him, and he tells her he’s very interested. He goes on to say that it’s becoming real and potent—like its own entity.

She tells him he’s a lot of talk and no action, so he backs her against the wall, needing to make things clear. He explains that the last thing he wants to be is in control or decent when he’s around her. He wants to be so deep inside her he forgets his name—and knows she wants it, too. He licks and nips at her. Sera, ever the contrarian, insists she doesn’t like him, and he tells her it’s probably better that way.

He gives Sera a tour of the House of Haides and then heads to the library to discuss more rules. While there, he reveals that he injured his back during his skirmish with the Shades—which explains the flinching. Though poor Sera doesn’t know that until much, much later and thinks he’s put off by her for some reason.

As he relays more about the rules and how things work in Iliseeum, he tells her that the do-not-harm-the-Consort rule was broken only once, and because he wants to make sure she’s safe, her coronation will be in a fortnight.

When she asks about the Ascension, Ash gets uncomfortable and tells her what it entails, explaining that she won’t Ascend. None of this was ever her choice, and he refuses to force someone into a near eternity of what he’s gone through.

it.

See? What did I tell you? Considerate—even if he doesn’t like to admit

Sera calls him Your Highness for the first time, and it arouses him, even

though it was said with a hefty dose of smartassery. Not long after talking about his mother’s death and her father, he tells her that love is a dangerous and unnecessary risk.

A few days later, Ash holds court and looks directly at Sera where she hides in an alcove, thinking how it’s the longest she’s been in his presence in days, even though she thinks he doesn’t know she’s there. Not long after, Theon announces that Veses has arrived, and Ash has Ector escort Sera to safety as he leads the Primal goddess into his office.

Sera sneaks away and enters the Red Woods. Ash goes after her, appearing just as a group of entombed gods rise and attack. He tells her to be silent and explains about the gods and the blood trees. He then asks Saion to escort Sera back to the palace and to grab Rhahar to join Ash in checking the tombs. Unfortunately, Sera succumbs to her wounds from the fight.

After he and Rhahar square things away in the woods, Ash returns and admits to Sera that he used compulsion to get her to drink the antidote, calling her liessa again as they discuss the attack. He divulges that the gods were carefully set free, likely by another god to see what might happen. He says they would have swarmed whoever opened the tomb.

He explains that the Shadowlands are dying and is surprised when she tells him she believes it has to do with the deal her family member made. It’s not that at all.

As talk turns to Veses, Ash realizes that Sera is jealous. He tells her that he hates every moment of being in the Primal’s presence and calls her a pit viper.

Ash admits that he told everyone to give Sera space after her ordeal, and that he’s been actively avoiding her. He tells her that being around her for more than a handful of minutes makes desire overcome his common sense. Not able to stop himself, he kisses her, then gives in to his other desires and tells her to be still as he pleasures her with his hand. Once again, he laps her essence from his fingers and then kisses her once more, letting her experience her delectable taste.

Ash tells Sera he hopes there’s no doubt when it comes to his interest in her and relays that he’s counted her freckles—she has thirty-six. He then

asks if he can lie with her and admits he’s a virgin, explaining that he’s never let it get that far with anyone because it’s too much of a risk. When she asks him why he’s risking it with her, he confesses that he can’t help himself, even though he knows they’ll both end up regretting it. They wind up sleeping beside each other, but he rises and leaves before she wakes.

Ash takes care of some things at the Pillars and then goes to see Sera after her seamstress fitting. He’s surprised to learn that mortals still think the Chosen are Ascended. He tells her the true fate of the Chosen under Kolis’s rule and admits that he doesn’t know why the Rite is still held. He explains that he hides the Chosen away in an effort to protect them, even though he prefers for people to think he sits back and does nothing. He then tells Sera how some Chosen have simply disappeared. They’re just…gone.

Out on the balcony that night, Ash confesses that he always thinks about the Chosen and asks her to join him. When she does, he tells her that part of the reason he couldn’t sleep was because he was staring at the adjoining door in their chambers and thinking about her.

As talk turns to his role, Ash tells Sera that he finds it difficult to judge souls and explains that he used to answer summonses but stopped when the deaths quit leaving a mark—something he feels should always happen.

Though he enjoyed the justice when mortals realized who he was and that he could kill them and have their souls for eternity.

He learns that Sera has killed, too, mostly bad people but also others when her mother commanded her to do so. He reassures her that he doesn’t think she’s a monster and feels a jolt when they touch, going on to say that a monster wouldn’t know—or at least think—they are one.

Kissing his scar, Sera asks about his ink. When he explains, she tells him that he isn’t responsible for others’ actions. She smiles at him, and he tells her not to, saying there’s nothing he wouldn’t let her do when she does. She takes that as an invitation and pleasures him with her mouth.

The next day, he is required to hold court again and tells Sera she can’t be there—it’s too risky. After her arguments, he once again questions her recklessness, saying that most mortals don’t live as if their lives are forfeit.

Gemma is attacked while Ash is away, and he arrives just as she dies.

Sera starts to glow, and he calls out to her, stunned. He watches as she brings Gemma back to life and remarks that Sera carries an ember of life.

Once he realizes what’s going on and what his father did, awe gives way to wonder, which turns to hope. Shadows swirl under his skin as he

demands that no one speak of what they witnessed. He then tells Sera that her doing what she did likely created a big ripple of power that would be felt throughout Iliseeum and detected by many gods and Primals. He warns her that others will come searching for the source of that surge. Suddenly, he realizes that he’s felt it before but couldn’t pinpoint the location at the time. He knows this wasn’t the first time she brought someone or something back. He tells her that the Hunter Gyrms and murderous gods in the mortal realm were searching for her.

As his emotions heighten, the shadows behind him coalesce into the shape of wings. He asks why she didn’t tell him about her gift. When he learns that she has indeed brought someone back before, he laughs— Marisol, the wolf, what happened in the Red Woods…

Ash explains that his father was the true Primal of Life and assumes the ember she now carries was his—and Ash’s once upon a time before Eythos’s twin stole it.

He relays the story of Eythos, Kolis, and Sotoria and then explains why Primals haven’t intervened. He says the ember in her is a chance for life and details how the poppies have started growing again after being gone for hundreds of years. He also shares that Kolis has Eythos’s soul.

When she brings up the deal, he tells her the Rot is a byproduct of Kolis losing the powers he stole and has nothing to do with what Roderick did.

Sera starts acting strangely, and Ash becomes concerned, thinking she’s feeling too much for it to be just shock or confusion. Then she reveals her motivations—her true plan. How she was trained with one purpose in mind: to end the deal in favor of the summoner by making him fall in love and then ending him. When she tries to apologize, he snarls at her and tells her not to.

A horn sounds, interrupting them, warning that the Shadowlands are under siege. After he warns anyone within earshot to never speak of what they’ve learned—the embers or the deception—he sends Saion, Bele, and Rhahar to find out what’s going on.

After arming himself, he’s told about the ship capsizing. When Sera mentions feeling strangely, he is surprised to find that she can feel death and tells her what she’s experiencing. He bids her to remain with Ector and Rhain and tells the gods to make sure she stays alive. Then Ash, Saion, Rhahar, and Theon ride out of the gate.

They head down the bluffs, engaging the dakkais as the creatures advance on the homes in Lethe. He, Bele, Saion, Rhahar, and Theon crouch on horseback, firing arrows at the enemy. When he gets next to the bay, he recalls Odin to his arm and fights hand-to-hand.

Suddenly, several dakkais about to attack him from behind drop dead, and Ash finds Sera firing arrows at them.

The draken incinerate the dakkais, and Ash looks up to check on Sera. Nektas takes the enemy draken down, and Ash orders Rhain and Ector to return Sera to the palace. He arrives later with Saion and Nektas and asks her if she got injured. He confirms that Kolis was behind the attack and likely knows something is in the Shadowlands but doesn’t know the source.

Ash tells Sera that his father wouldn’t have put the ember in a mortal body without a reason, and until they figure out what that was, Kolis absolutely cannot get his hands on her.

When Sera feels shame for what she’s done, he laughs, thinking she’s a very good actress. He adds it to the list of her many talents and decides to shame her more by discarding her pain. It made me sad to see that, because it was so very clear that he was lashing out because he was hurt.

Sera tells him off for reading her emotions and promises that none of her actions or feelings have been fake. She then adds that she’s glad he didn’t take her three years ago because it means she doesn’t have to do what’s been expected of her.

Nektas whispers something to Ash, and he tries to send the draken to the wall, telling him he’s fine. Finally, he admits that most of the blood on him is his.

Despite the pain he’s in and his increasingly weakening state, he doesn’t believe that Sera’s ember is powerful enough to work on a god or a Primal

—which we find out later he’s quite wrong about. Regardless, he doesn’t trust her enough to let her try to heal him.

Ash orders Nektas to put her somewhere safe, even from herself since she clearly doesn’t value her life. When Nektas eventually brings her to

him, he gets irritated. Nektas says he thought he was following orders— matchmaking draken!

When Sera suggests that he needs to feed, it raises Ash’s ire, and he sends her away. But before she leaves, he asks if she truly has no fear of dying.

She still doesn’t leave, and he roars at her to go, warning her that if she doesn’t get out, he’ll feed from and then fuck her. She taunts him, and he calls her reckless, admitting that he might kill her if he takes from her—he hasn’t fed in decades.

Giving in, he feeds and tears off her gown, unable to stop the flood of emotions bombarding him. When she suggests he hasn’t taken enough, he tells her it has to be enough. As the feelings from the bite ramp up, Sera begins pleasuring herself. One thing leads to another, and he feeds more as he takes her, watching where they’re joined, the dark, hazy outline of his eather wings forming behind him as he fights his true nature.

He tells her he’s never felt anything like what he’s experiencing. When she echoes his sentiment, he asks her not to lie, then warns her that her faith in him is reckless.

What else is new? She’s always reckless.

In the afterglow, he can’t stop himself from asking her how she can be so convincing. She takes offense and tells him off again.

Ash insists he’s had more than enough blood and admits that ripping off her dress will be his favorite memory for years to come.

Coming from someone who’s been lost to the throes of passion and experiencing another lose control, it is quite titillating and something not easily forgotten.

After telling her to rest—which she doesn’t appreciate—he tells her that she’ll never get him to fall for her and reinforces that she’ll never be able to weaken him to the point where she’d be an actual threat. She challenges that assumption—as she challenges just about everything.

Ash spends some time away from Sera. The next time he sees her, he arrives just after Sera fights off Hamid’s attack in the bath. He reveals that he tasted her fear and came running. When she shows ire that he read her emotions again, it both amuses and arouses him.

As he gets the details of what happened, he’s floored to discover that her attacker attempted to strangle her. When Sera states she’ll never take a bath again, it greatly upsets him. He is about to question Hamid when Ector kills him, further irritating Ash.

He takes Sera to her bedchambers and admits that he hadn’t gotten around to assigning a guard to her today. He asks her about the attack and inquires whether Hamid said anything during. He orders Rhain and Aios to sit with Gemma and instructs them to reconnoiter Hamid’s house for clues.

Despite the circumstances and not trusting her, Ash grows concerned when Sera is suddenly in pain and weak. He worries that he took too much blood and wonders if it could be her Culling—which is impossible since she’s mortal. Still, he asks a guard to stay with her and goes to fetch some healing tea.

After Ash returns, Sera mentions that the tea is the same as the one her knight, Sir Holland, used to give her. He’s stunned to find out the teas are the same and wonders how a mortal knew about it. He explains that Sera’s headaches and bleeding gums are symptoms of a god’s Culling and says he thinks the ember inside her is giving her similar side effects. He figures she’ll have a few more weeks or months of symptoms before they subside, but she will not Ascend.

Ash tells her not to wait if the symptoms return and to instead ask for the tea right away. He then asserts that sex between them will not happen again. She’ll be safe in the Shadowlands and become his Consort as planned, but neither of them wanted this, and love was never on the table.

He states that he would never think of her even if he considered friendship and lashes out, telling her she’s merely a vessel for the ember. He can’t help responding to her flare of hurt, but still tells her there’s nothing else to discuss.

Ash is called away to Lethe to deal with an incident: Cressa and Madis led Shades into the city, so he goes to clean up the mess.

When the gods attack, he roars at them for daring to enter his Court and touch what is his. He explodes Cressa and tells Madis to join his sister.

Taric tries to use eather against Ash and it annoys him. Advancing on the god, he grabs Taric’s wrist, shattering the god’s sword into nothing.

Taric taunts him, telling Ash to kill him and calling him the Blessed One. But then says it won’t matter and warns that he won’t stop—he being the false Primal of Life. He says Kolis will tear apart both realms, but it will be nothing compared to what he’ll do to Nyktos. He tells Ash that he can’t stop his uncle, neither could Eythos, and promises that Kolis will have Sera. In answer, Nyktos rips out his heart.

Ash figures out that Taric went through Sera’s memories when he bit her and reminds her not to forget that while she feels fear, she’s never afraid. To punctuate his point, he returns her dagger.

As things start to settle somewhat, he realizes that Bele was taken down in the siege. When Sera goes to her, he tells her that the ember inside her

isn’t strong enough to bring back a god. Aios begs him to let her try anyway. When Sera says it’s her fault that Bele died, it angers Nyktos— because it’s not her fault.

Just before he gives the go-ahead, Ash tells Nektas to be sure the guards are ready for anything and then tells Sera to do what she does. He watches, stunned when it works and Bele revives.

Nyktos tells Sera that what she did is impossible—the ember shouldn’t be strong enough. However, despite that, she just Ascended Bele.

As they discuss what that means, Nyktos tells Sera that Bele can now challenge Hanan for control of their Court.

They talk more about what she did and discuss what happens now. He thanks her again for saving his friend and is shocked that his gratitude surprises her. He helps clean her up because he wants to, not because he feels he has to, and tells her that he summoned the Fates.

Nyktos warns Sera that Kolis will back off momentarily until he figures out what he’s dealing with. They talk more about the Ascension, and Nyktos agrees with Saion that not all gods Sera brings back will Ascend—they must be fated to. He then explains how the lives and deaths of gods differ from mortals.

Asking her if Taric said anything to her, she reveals that they were looking for her in Lasania. The viktors were protecting her. He goes on to say that it’s been a long time since he’s heard anything about them.

When he asks her if she wants to take a bath or rest, he’s uncomfortable when he realizes that she doesn’t want to go back to her room because of what happened with Hamid. He takes her to his chamber instead and falls asleep, waking to Reaver, who tells him that Nektas has returned and is in the throne room. Nyktos tells Sera that means the Fates answered.

Overcome, Nyktos kisses Sera but quickly tells her it changes nothing. The poor Primal just can’t fight what he feels for her, even though he thinks he should.

When they get downstairs, he’s surprised to see the goddess, Penellaphe.

He’s told she’s come about Sera and that she brought an Arae with her. Sera is shocked by the Arae’s appearance, and Nyktos discovers that

Holland was the knight who trained Sera in the mortal realm. He accuses Holland of tampering with destiny while masquerading as a mortal and finally understands how Sir Holland knew about the healing tea.

As Holland and Sera reunite, Nyktos accuses the Arae of learning about the deal and taking the place of someone who was meant to train Sera to kill him. Holland corrects him and says it was just to kill, not to murder him specifically. Nyktos asks why Holland never informed Sera of the pointlessness of her endeavor and displays his annoyance that the Arae intervened at all.

He then asks Holland if he knew what would happen to Eythos. Holland says he didn’t, but if he had, he would have stepped in, the consequences be damned.

Nyktos asks why his father did what he did and is told the better question is what he did. Nyktos learns that Eythos took the ember he passed onto Ash to keep him safe. He also learns that he and Sera are soulmates.

After Sera talks about the sense of rightness she’s felt with him since day one, he confesses he’s felt the same.

He asks what his father’s motivations could have been and learns about Penellaphe’s vision and the prophecy. He thinks the great conspirator and the bringer of death must be Kolis and reveals that he and Eythos were both in the west—in what is roughly present-day Carsodonia.

They discuss timing, and Nyktos vows he won’t let Sera die before she turns twenty-one. When he’s told he can’t stop fate, he says it can go fuck itself.

Holland reveals the threads of destiny, and Nyktos is shocked and furious to find that some of them indicate that he’ll kill Sera. There are many ways he can, but one is unintentional. He’s then floored to learn that his blood will make Sera go through her Culling, which horrifies him because he knows she won’t survive it. Sera tells him it’s not his fault.

Holland shows him the one thread that can disrupt fate—unexpected love—and tells him that he’s right, Sera will not survive the Culling without the sheer will of that which is more powerful than the Fates or even death.

She needs the love of the one who aids in her Ascension.

He further learns that the only way for Sera to survive is with the blood and love of the Primal her ember belonged to. The revelation horrifies him because of things he set in motion many, many years ago.

Many more than Sera knows at this point.

Sera tells him it’s unfair, and he tells her it’s more unfair to her. Then the bomb really drops. He finds out that Sera is the reincarnation of Sotoria, Kolis’s long-lost obsession, and they find out exactly what his father did

and why. No god has risen since Eythos hid the ember in the Mierel bloodline—until Sera Ascended Bele, anyway. The last bit of information they receive isn’t much better. He’s told that life has only continued because the ember is still in Sera. If she dies, everyone and everything will die right along with her.

Which can only mean one thing. Seraphena is the Primal of Life.

Nyktos bows to Sera and relays the conclusion he just reached. She says she doesn’t deserve to be the Primal of Life, snapping at him. When she starts having a panic attack, Nyktos calms her and then asks Holland and Penellaphe if they’re positive no one else knows what Sera is. They tell him that Eythos, Embris, and Kolis knew about the prophecy, but the last two didn’t know anything more than that as far as they’re aware.

Sera makes her feelings on prophecies clear, and Nyktos agrees with her. He then tells her that Kolis’s actions killed hundreds of gods, and that the Gods of Divination were hit the hardest. No mortal has been born an oracle since.

Nyktos reminds Sera that only those present at the time it happened know that she Ascended Bele. Neither Hanan nor anyone else knows the full extent of what Eythos did when he put the ember in her bloodline.

Sera reveals that she recently saw Kolis in the mortal realm, and the news stuns Nyktos. He remarks that Sotoria didn’t belong to Kolis then, and Seraphena doesn’t belong to him now.

He tells Penellaphe and Holland that Kolis knows something is in the Shadowlands and has already sent a draken and the dakkais. He assumes that, as the Primal of Life, Kolis can’t enter the Shadowlands and asks Holland to confirm. The Arae refuses to answer.

Nyktos assures Sera that Kolis is no fool and wouldn’t make a move on her in front of others and risk blowing his façade as the fair and rightful King but promises he won’t let Kolis lay a finger on her. When she reveals that she’s not worried about herself but is worried about him, it doesn’t surprise him at all. He tells Sera that he’s more afraid of her running to Kolis than away from him.

He tells everyone that his uncle has not summoned him yet, though he expects it to happen soon, and he can only delay the inevitable, not refuse the command.

Nyktos asks Holland about the Revenants and learns they’re not the only mockery of life Kolis has managed to create. There’s also the Craven

—which he realizes is what Andreia Joanis turned into.

He tries to tell Sera that she didn’t kill her stepfather by way of fate, and explains that while the Arae are cosmic cleaners, their balancing of rules only applies to mortals, not gods. Therefore, there should be no innocent- death fallout from her Ascension of Bele.

As discussions continue, Nyktos clarifies for Sera that a Primal of Life and Death isn’t meant to exist. He says that such a being would be unstoppable and able to destroy realms in the same breath they create new ones.

He tells them that Kolis wants to rule over both realms, and Nyktos imagines his uncle’s creations are meant to aid him in his bid to take over Lasania and the other kingdoms and make mortals subservient to him.

Holland reveals to Sera that Nyktos can’t save her as he is now. When she doesn’t understand, Nyktos tells her that he made sure love was a weakness nobody could ever exploit and had the Primal Maia remove his kardia. He can care about others, but love can no longer sway him.

Discussions return to how to keep Kolis—or anyone else—from snatching Sera out of the Shadowlands, and Penellaphe tells them about a charm. Nyktos is surprised to learn about it.

After thanking Penellaphe for everything she’s done, the goddess leads him away to speak to him privately, but he keeps a close eye on Sera while he talks to the goddess.

Once Penellaphe and Holland leave, Nyktos asks Sera what she’s thinking. He felt her go from anger to sadness to sorrow. He tells her it’s hard not to read her emotions since she projects a lot. She asks him about his kardia, and he’s evasive about when he had it removed—telling her it doesn’t matter. He says that only Maia and Nektas know what he did. He then fesses up to how badly it hurt and reveals that he almost lost consciousness. If he had, he says he would have gone into stasis. But then he explains a bit more about why he did it: he didn’t want to endanger anyone because of how he felt. And he believes he actually cares more because he can’t love. Caring for others is more important to him than loving someone.

Nyktos tells Sera she needs to stay hidden. No one will think her being his Consort and the power they felt is a coincidence, especially if they meet

her and feel the eather inside her. If they do, they’ll definitely question what she is.

Nyktos confesses that her original plan annoyed him but that’s not why he’s mad now. What enrages him is that she doesn’t value her life at all, and hasn’t since the moment they met. He tells her that him saying such a thing isn’t meant to be an insult, it’s just an observation. He then goes on to tell her that her safety is worth everything—even the Shadowlands, and stresses that he means it with every part of his being.

Nyktos is such a softie, despite how tough and powerful he is.

When he tells her the embers are too important to risk her, he sees the hurt on her face and realizes she was likely offended that he mentioned the embers and not her. Before he can say anything, though, Rhahar interrupts and tells him there’s a problem at the Pillars.

He assures Sera they’ll finish their conversation later.

After hearing about the entombed gods swarming the woods, Nyktos heads deep into them with Rhahar and Saion to round them up.

Sera gets hurt. In his Primal form, Nyktos kills the freed gods with eather, ripping the last one in half with his bare hands—something Sera admits she finds hot.

Nyktos realizes that she is wounded and carries her inside the House of Haides, feeling and tasting her pain the entire way. Placing her in an unused chamber on the first floor, he closes the door and moves a chair with his eather before lighting the fireplace.

Sera tells him about the god in the courtyard who stood by and would have let her die as Nyktos checks her wounds. He informs her that she needs blood and says that while she won’t die, he doesn’t want her to remain in pain, either. Plus, she won’t be able to heal herself while in the Culling.

He asks her to let him help her. Even says please. She agrees, and he thanks her, then tells her he’s sure she’ll enjoy it. As she drinks from him, he can’t stop the shudders that ripple through his body. Brushing her hair back, he pulls his wrist away and explains that his blood is making her feel the way she does—the wanton look in her eyes is obvious. He explains it will likely be the longest few minutes of his life and says he’s drowning in her desire.

She tells him to drown with her.

He reiterates that it’s his blood making her say things like that, not him, and she tells him she always feels this way when he touches her. He urges her to pleasure herself and tells her not to stop, even when Nektas checks on them through the door. Controlling her rhythm with his hand, he brings her to climax and sucks her release from her fingers.

Later, when he readies for the debriefing, he’s surprised by Sera’s request to join him. Once with the other gods, he tells Bele that he needs her in the Shadowlands where she’ll be the safest. He doesn’t want her to hide forever, but until others see that she Ascended, they can’t know for sure.

When Rhain suggests that Veses knows what Sera looks like, Nyktos agrees and then declares that no one in the Shadowlands would betray her identity to another Court. Sera argues the point and reminds him about Hamid.

Sera leaves the palace, only to be attacked by Shades in the Dying Woods. Nyktos goes to her, but she runs from him. He tackles her— absorbing the impact—and asks why she ran. His fury shoots out of him, shattering the trees around them and turning them to ash.

Let me tell you…it was so sexy.

Then he asks why she left and is stunned when she tells him she was trying to save him. She breaks his hold, but he catches her—long enough for her to put her blade to his throat.

He tells her to make sure to cut all the way to the spine. And even then, he’ll only be down for a minute. She won’t make it out of the Shadowlands.

They fight and wrestle, and he asks her to tell him that he’s wrong about what she was doing. He takes his true form and slams his wings into the ground as she explains. Once she finishes, he tells her that he will gladly suffer anything Kolis dishes out so long as his blood is spilled and not hers. He reiterates that the embers are important. Sera screams in frustration, and power explodes from her, throwing him into the air.

As he’s lifted, trees shatter, and the temperature drops to freezing as silvery light snaps and ripples all over Nyktos’s body. Nektas arrives, sensing the conflict. It scares Sera, but Nyktos tells her that the draken isn’t threatening her, he’s protecting her…from Nyktos. The draken is worried the Primal will retaliate out of reflex. Later, Nyktos confesses that he almost did.

It takes him several minutes to recover, but he finally does. He’d assumed her Culling would be like a godling’s, not a god’s. Explaining the

difference to Sera, he tells her that her embers are definitely making her stronger.

She asks him if he needs to feed, and he tells her they’ll just make sure nothing like that happens again.

Sera changes the subject and tells Nyktos about the Shade she touched, and how it started to come back to life. They ask Nektas if that’s even possible. When they decipher what the Shade said, and Nektas finishes sharing about Eythos, Nyktos realizes he never knew his father could raise the dead.

As they return to discussing Sera taking off, Nyktos tells her he’ll never let her go. Whether she stays as a prisoner or as his Consort is up to her. He reiterates that her destiny is not to die at Kolis’s hand, and there may yet be a way to prevent her death entirely if she gives him some time and peace to think.

After calling Odin forth, he tells Sera the horse is very unhappy with her

—he would be, they are one and the same in many ways—and that the next time she puts a dagger to someone’s throat, she’d better mean it. Especially if it’s his.

Nyktos orders her to her room, and she outs them as lovers with her grumbling. He catches up to her on the fourth floor and warns her against another outburst. Sera tells him that if his guards knew the truth about what she attempted, they would have helped her and would be happy to see her gone—or dead. He demands to know why she thinks that, but she refuses to answer. He then makes a decision and informs her that she’ll be sleeping within arm’s reach from now on.

When they get closer to their chambers, Nyktos realizes she escaped her room by climbing down from the balcony. It impresses him, but he tells her she’s too brave. Still, a small, twisted part of him kind of wants her to use her eather on him again.

He carries her to his chambers, but she refuses to undress. He does it for her and then unbraids her hair. After turning off the lights with magic, they go to bed—within arm’s reach.

Later, Nyktos begins shaking and panting, scaring Sera awake. He makes her promise never to go after Kolis again.

The next day, Nyktos gathers everyone in the throne room and tells them that Sera tried to go after the King of Gods to protect the Shadowlands. He emphasizes that her bravery is unmatched and praises her

willingness to sacrifice herself for them, believing she was the cause of the recent attacks. He whispers that none will harbor ill will toward her and will see her as she is: brave and daring. He then warns those in attendance that if they don’t, any negative thoughts about her will be their last. He says he’ll destroy them, no matter how loyal they are to the Shadowlands. Making sure she understands that he meant what he said, he reiterates: she’s brave and strong and a Consort more than worthy of them.

Nyktos joins Jadis, Nektas, and Sera after dressing down his guards, then cuddles Jadis for a moment before badgering Sera about eating. He says the Culling will weaken her, and if she doesn’t eat enough, she risks going into stasis.

He tells her that he wants to get the embers out of her, saying that if they can remove them, she’ll be like any godling entering their Culling, and his blood would ensure she survives the Ascension. He then tells her the alternative is unacceptable and alludes to the fact that she might Ascend into a god.

Nyktos reveals what Penellaphe said to him in private since it’s been nagging at him. She told him that Delfai would welcome Sera. He explains to Sera who that is.

When talk turns to how to find this Delfai and get more information, Nyktos tells Sera he moved the Pools of Divanash to the Vale, where neither he nor Kolis can go. That way, Sotoria could stay hidden. Sera projects her excitement, but Nyktos tells her he won’t allow her to go until after the coronation—for her protection. He can’t stop creatures or other Primals from attacking her until she’s officially claimed.

Sera then asks if removing the embers will have the same effects on her as it did when Kolis did it to Eythos. Nyktos tells her it won’t. The embers will go to him, and he’ll become what he was originally destined to be.

Nyktos explains to Sera what happened to Halayna, Nektas’s mate, and tells her that Nektas was the first draken, the one who helped Eythos create the mortals. Draken can live as long as Primals. Only the Arae are immortal, though the viktors are eternal in a different way given their constant reincarnation.

He tells her that only a few know of the plan to remove her embers—the usual suspects in the Shadowlands—and they know there’s more than one ember in her and support the plan…including her Ascension. Only Nektas

knows about Sotoria’s soul, however. It would be too dangerous for others to know about that.

When talk turns to Kolis’s creatures, Nyktos says he doesn’t think the Revenants and the Craven are the same and hopes the missing Chosen haven’t been turned into either of them.

He then explains that if their plan works, he’ll Ascend again, and others will feel that Kolis isn’t the Primal God of Life any longer. And while he is the oldest Primal alive, and they may never be able to kill him, they might be able to weaken him enough to entomb him.

Sera once again asserts that she’s the key, but Nyktos denies it, stating he will never accept that as the truth.

They discuss the Rot, and he says he believes it will vanish if things work out as they hope.

Talk turns to the coronation and the fact that everyone needs someone to watch over them—even him.

Nyktos grabs the Book of the Dead, but before he can do anything, Saion interrupts and tells him there are Cimmerian at the gate. Nyktos asks Sera to remain inside and reminds her she has no protection until she’s crowned, even with the charm Vikter placed on her. He urges her not to push back about his directive.

Heading outside to assess the situation, Nyktos verbally squares off with Dorcan, realizing they must have come from Hanan’s Court because of Bele. A battle ensues, and he kills a Cimmerian who throws a dagger at Sera, then smiles when she kills one attacking him from behind.

He goes to her on the Rise, realizing she’s been injured—he can smell her blood. While he wants to taste her, he tells her to listen for once and stay on the Rise and then goes to deal with Dorcan.

Before he gets there, Saion informs him that Dorcan saw Sera. When they speak, Dorcan tells him that refusing Hanan will end badly for Nyktos. More will come. In answer, Nyktos beheads the Cimmerian.

Afterward, he heads to his office and scolds Sera for risking both her life and Saion’s since he was tasked with protecting her and keeping her out of trouble. Nyktos orders Rhain and Ector to get him some supplies to clean her wound and then tells Sera to listen to the instinct to value her life. He reminds her that it isn’t an insult; he’s just trying to understand how she became the way she is. He asks her what kind of life she led. When asked

what he’s sacrificed—referring to what Ector said to Sera while Nyktos was outside—he refuses to answer.

He sees that her wound isn’t deep enough to require blood, so she need not worry he’ll take advantage of her. She reminds him that he didn’t before and that she’s attracted to him.

Nyktos tells Sera that Taric would have tasted the embers when he bit her and took her blood, but vows that no one will feed from her again.

He feels like she wants to murder someone and asks her why. She brings up her stepbrother, and he asks if Tavius hurt her before the day Nyktos came for her. She hedges, but he knows he did. She tells him about Tavius and his proclivities and about Kayleigh, and he realizes that Sera was being punished for him not taking her as his Consort. When he learns what would have become of her had he not come for her, it enrages him. He’s surprised that she defends those who knew and did nothing about it. In a sad turn of events, he realizes that he didn’t give her freedom by refusing her. He says he’s sorry and tells her that his sympathy and apology are there if she ever needs them.

Nyktos tells her she should rest, saying that shadowstone would have killed a mortal or godling, even his blood in her wouldn’t have stopped it. It makes him wonder how else the embers are protecting her…

That night, Nyktos visits Sera in her bedchambers in shadow form, watching as she pleasures herself and reaching out to stroke her with titillating tendrils of darkness, seeking shadow fingers.

It’s one of the most erotic images I’ve ever received via a vision. I’m fanning myself just thinking about it.

Later, Sera asks if he plans to go to war with Kolis, and he tries not to answer. Then he tells her about the Books of the Dead.

Sera goads him, trying to get a reaction out of him by mentioning other lovers. He tells her she will be very selective whom she spends her time with and how, so long as she’s his Consort. Translation: she will be with nobody but him. He then adds that what he did to the murderous gods in the throne room will pale in comparison to what he’ll do to any who dare satisfy her needs.

Suddenly, he realizes they’re about to have company and asks if she has her dagger on her. He orders her to remain on his lap and apologizes for how he’s about to behave.

Attes arrives, arrogance on full display and asking questions Nyktos doesn’t want to answer. He tells the other Primal that Sera is a godling on the cusp of her Culling, then threatens to cut his eyes from his sockets and feed them to Attes’s war horse, Setti, if he keeps looking at Sera as he is.

Attes asks Nyktos why he killed the Cimmerian and especially Dorcan, saying he thought the two were friends.

The other Primal inquires how a god Ascended in the Shadowlands, and Nyktos says it must have been Kolis. When Attes suggests that Nyktos still has embers of Life, he laughs. All the questions and insinuations make Nyktos wonder if Attes came out of curiosity or on Kolis’s behalf. Then, to make an already unpleasant visit worse, Attes informs Nyktos that Kolis is denying the coronation and will be summoning the couple to his Court soon.

Nyktos tells the other Primal to leave before he needs to be carried out.

When he finally goes, Nyktos tells Sera to argue with him to distract him from going after Attes, because if he does, it won’t end well. When she asks him about what will happen in Dalos, he explains that he’ll lie—he’s had to convince Kolis of many things over the years.

He goes on to tell her that Attes was provoking her and explains how.

He reveals that only another Primal would be immune to Attes’s gifts, which could out her true nature. He says it could have been worse. Kolis could have forbidden him from taking a Consort at all. While things aren’t good, he once again promises not to let Kolis touch her.

Sera argues with him, telling him that she won’t be the reason for more death. He pushes back and says she never was. He knows she won’t hide, but he won’t put her in danger.

Nyktos goes to her room later and reminds her that she promised not to go after Kolis. He also remarks that he lives in constant fear of not being able to control himself around her. He apologizes for questioning her motives earlier, then promises not to hide the summons from her.

During training later, he squares off with Sera. She cuts his hair during their sparring, and he tells her he’d never dare cut her hair—we know how much he loves it. As they face off, she makes a list of demands, saying he’s flesh and blood and she’s flesh and fire. He tells her that all she had to do was ask to train—that being her first request. He asks her what her other demands are. As she lists them, he tells her he’s not just keeping the embers safe, he’s also safeguarding her. He disarms her but stiffens when she

reminds him that he won’t claim her. Catching him off guard, she holds a dagger to his throat, and he says he’ll be the one to train her.

Nyktos runs a bath for Sera later, telling her to use his tub at her discretion, knowing she likely still has post-traumatic stress about hers.

What a sweetie.

When she takes longer than expected in the tub, he checks on her and finds her asleep. He warms the water for her with a touch, and when she wakes, he’s surprised that she lets him still look upon her unmentionables. As he watches her, he breathes that everything she does is seductive.

She tells him that it’s her choice to want him and says she’s at least brave enough to admit it. He confesses to wanting her and thinking about being with her, even when he’s not looking at her. He’s been dwelling on the deal she offered in his office—pleasure for the sake of pleasure—and tried convincing himself she hadn’t known he was in her chambers the other night as shadows. He admits he wants her. Enjoys her boldness and rebellion. Then asks her if what he said was a brave and real enough confession.

Sera taunts and teases Nyktos, prompting him to call her liessa again.

She finally pleasures him, and he gets into the tub. He lifts her onto the ledge and returns the favor. As he feeds slightly from her most delicate places, she calls him Ash, reestablishing some of their connectedness and making him growl. When they finish playing in the tub, he calls her beautiful and carries her to bed.

Nyktos learns that Sera was not to be known in her kingdom. She was kept hidden away as if she didn’t exist. He also learns she was veiled and never acknowledged as a Princess. She was virtually a ghost. He tells her she was never a ghost to him.

I love that so much. All anyone wants is to be seen. Understood. Even if you don’t particularly like or engage in socialization, as with Sera, we just want someone to look and see. We want to be alive for someone other than ourselves.

After he holds court in the city, Nyktos and Sera discuss their intimate endeavors and how Nyktos can heal the wounds he creates. They have dinner together, something she requested when they sparred, and he tells her about his day. He realizes that Sera is used to blaming herself for just about everything and reminds her she didn’t fail. He states that he expects her to live longer than it takes them to transfer the embers.

Talk turns to the Pools of Divanash, and they realize that time isn’t on their side. The plan is to go in three days. Nyktos confesses that he worried Sera would feel like he was trying to control her and didn’t like it. He then admits that he’s having a hard time finding balance between protecting her and doing what needs to be done.

They talk about her demands and discuss Dorcan. Sera tells him it’s okay to have friends and apologizes that he had to kill another because of her. He argues that it’s not okay to care for others if doing so gets them tortured and killed.

They discuss Kolis a bit more, and he tells her that the King of Gods treats him and all the other Primals the same, and they fall out of favor as often as he changes clothes. Sera tells him she hopes their plan works, but not because she’s thinking about the future. He reminds her that he’s not good, tells her not to mistake his handling of her as him being good, and urges her to keep that in mind.

He’s good. He’s so very good…he just doesn’t like to admit it. But with Nyktos, his goodness is a strength that not many have, and countless others can only hope to achieve.

He reminds her that she was willing to sacrifice herself for others and is thus good, but there is no such thing as a good Primal. He adds that the embers don’t make her good or bad either.

Nyktos counts Sera’s freckles as he disrobes her and decides he needs to name the constellation of birthmarks on her thigh. They make love, and his appearance shifts—skin becomes harder, shadows gathering under his flesh, eather filling the veins in his eyes. He calls her liessa again as he finds his release.

Before she wakes, he leaves, but returns to draw her a bath and have breakfast. As they set out for the mortal realm, he promises to bring her back to her lake once it’s safe enough to do so, and tells her she can go as often as she’d like. He then explains to Sera what mortals sensing him feel, and relays that their self-preservation instincts don’t bother him.

Once in Lasania, Nyktos takes Sera’s hand as they approach Ezra, remarking that she’s holding a town hall. He scares a guard into going to the new Queen. When Sera talks to Ezra about some of the things that have happened, Nyktos is shocked that Ezmeria seems to believe her without question.

Ezra confesses to doubting that Sera could make him fall for her and admits she thought she’d likely just get impatient and stab him, getting herself killed in the process. It makes him laugh.

Calliphe appears, and Nyktos tells her that he wanted to kill her right along with Tavius when he came to claim his Consort, but her daughter spared her the Abyss. He adds that she should thank Sera.

Later, he retires to his office and is writing in the Book of the Dead when Sera comes in. He takes her to the basement in the House of Haides and tells her about the bone chains. Then, he takes her to the pool room, knowing she’ll enjoy it.

Nyktos reveals to Sera how he used to check on her before her seventeenth birthday and tells her how he was drawn to her lake. He says he’s wanted to show her his pool for a while.

His plan is to draw the eather out of Sera, so he goads her into using it on him. He tells her that he finds it amusing that she hates when he says “please” and relays that he’ll reward her with a swim and sex if she behaves. They fight hand-to-hand to draw out the eather.

Nyktos can feel it ramping up in Sera and knows she can summon it and use it with will alone. He tells her to do so. Eventually, he pins her to the table, and Sera tells him that she likes submitting to him. He has his wicked way with her right there on the stone and tells her she’s always safe with him, calling her liessa once more.

They float in the pool, and he tells her about Lathan’s anxiety, discussing the breathing techniques both she and Lathan used. He tells her she’s one of the strongest people he’s ever met, both physically and mentally—mortal or otherwise. With or without the embers. They play for a while more and then go about the rest of their day.

Nyktos trains in the yard with the guards while Sera spends time with Aios and the younglings. Later, he tells Sera about the Primal notam and explains why he thinks Nektas’s eyes flashed blue for her when they did—it could mean she’s closer to Ascending than they realize.

They ready themselves for their trip to the Pillars, and he kisses her in full view of the guards, telling her he’s been looking for a reason to. She tells him he doesn’t need a reason to kiss her and can do it whenever he wants.

He gives her a horse named Gala, thinking nothing of it since it’s customary to give a gift for a wedding. When she worries that she doesn’t

have something for him, he tells her the embers are his gift.

The plan is to ride on Gala with her to the Pillars and then take Odin back to the House of Haides. During their journey, he reveals that he hasn’t accepted his way of life and has been planning to destroy Kolis or entomb him since the moment he Ascended. He explains what will happen if it comes to that and how many will likely die. He tells her he felt incapable of avoiding war until he learned she had the embers. Now, he has hope. But he warns her that Kolis has already started setting his sights on the mortal realm.

He’s confident his plan will work, and Kolis will be stripped of his glory and weakened enough to be entombed. Still, he knows he won’t go down easily. Nyktos shows Sera the poppy flower he’s talked to her about before and tells her that it gives him hope—like she does.

He asks her if the need to use the embers wears on her and knows she’s lying when she tells him it doesn’t. He confirms that having embers is enough to make Sera feel like Eythos did, and then repeats what Nektas said to her before—that she is stronger than she realizes. He adds that she is strong, not the embers.

He and Nektas tell Sera about the riders when they come upon them, explaining that their names mean war, pestilence, and hunger. When they ride, they bring about the end to wherever they travel because death always follows them. Nyktos is awed when they bow to Sera and says he’s never seen them do that before.

He gives her two swords to take with her, just in case, and tells Nektas that Sera is very important to him. She suddenly blurts out that she wants to be his Consort, freezing him to the spot. He reminds her to breathe and stay calm, then kisses her hands and tells her he’ll be waiting for her when she and Nektas return from the Pools.

Veses shows up to collect on her end of their bargain, and Nyktos finds himself on the settee in his office, white-knuckling the arm as the Primal straddles him and feeds from his throat. Unfortunately, Sera sees what’s going on and doesn’t take it well. She heads down to the pool chamber and loses it, nearly destroying the entire palace. He tries to calm her but is eventually forced to use compulsion on her, something he apologizes for.

When Sera wakes, Nyktos is at the Pillars, dealing with some nervous souls. He returns and goes to see her, apologizing again for the compulsion and what she thought she saw. He still won’t tell her what’s happening,

though. When Sera lashes out, saying he was with Veses just hours after she told him she wanted to be his Consort, he flinches and apologizes again. He adds that he never wants to hurt her and reiterates that he was a virgin when they met and has never wanted anyone but her. Ever.

Sera asks him what she saw if it wasn’t what she thought, and he tells her it’s complicated. She breaks off their pleasure-for-the-sake-of-pleasure deal and tells him she wants her freedom from him once the embers are out of her.

Later, Sera comes to talk to him about Irelone and going to see Delfai where the God of Divination is with Kayleigh Balfour. Nyktos tells her she can have all the time she wants and says he’s going with her—he needs to know exactly what’s said so he can remove the embers correctly. However, he asks her to wait another day since Kyn’s draken is near.

He reveals that other Primals know he has a sizable army, though nobody knows how big it is. Grudgingly, he tells her that he realizes he needs to learn to deal with her wanting to help and needing to fight, even though he worries every second that she’ll be killed.

Nyktos informs her they’ll shadowstep to Irelone since there are no gateways near that Nyktos trusts. He brings up the nymphs she and Nektas encountered on their way back from the Vale, saying she shouldn’t have been able to kill one, and then remarks that he doesn’t like how things have become between them. She’s acting like she was trained to—empty and without emotion. He doesn’t like it at all.

Kolis summons them, a reddish black circle with a slash through it appearing in the center of Nyktos’s palm, burning and stinging and causing his eyes to fill with eather.

He tells Sera and everyone that Kolis will sense she’s not an ordinary godling like he tried to get Attes to believe. He hopes to use the excuse that she’s taken his blood to explain it away.

He reiterates that they’ll go to Delfai first and then answer the summons, but Sera insists they go to Dalos first.

Nyktos realizes that things are different now, but he tells her they need to act like they did with Attes. She tells him she was never pretending to be infatuated with him. It was never an act. He asks her if it’s too late for her wanting to be his Consort and to serve the Shadowlands and Iliseeum. He’s not sure why he brings it up, but he wants to know why she wanted something he could never give her. He then tells her she deserves someone

who will love her unconditionally and irrevocably. Someone who’s brave enough to tell her how they feel.

Nyktos informs Sera there will be war if Kolis recognizes her as Sotoria and tries to keep her. He says he’ll leave Dalos in ruins if the King of Gods makes even a single move for her. Sera pleads with him not to intervene if Kolis recognizes her. He snarls and tells her the embers aren’t the only important thing. She is. He adds that she’s asking him to do what he’s had to do his whole life: leave others behind to suffer. To live and be dead inside.

He tells her that even if he had his kardia, he’d be unable to love after what he’s had to do. If he were to leave her to Kolis, any goodness remaining in him would be gone for sure, and he’d become something worse than the false Primal of Life.

He prepares her for their shadowstep and tells her what to expect, explaining that one hundred and ten of the blood drops tattooed on his flesh are from lives Kolis made him take. He reminds her she’s good and not a monster, and then they step into Dalos.

They arrive to bodies strung up, and Nyktos tries to calm Sera when she sees them, her eather running wild. She tells him to stop her, and he kisses her, calling shadows to block out her light and reaction.

Attes interrupts, and Nyktos doesn’t hide his ire, telling him he seems bound and determined to lose his eyes.

Later, talking to Dyses, he reinforces that Sera is his Consort. Dyses lashes out and tells Sera to bow. Nyktos orders her not to and tells Dyses she’ll bow to those deserving respect. He shadowsteps behind the male and rips out his heart, saying he will bow to Sera. Later, he remarks that, like Dyses, none of Kolis’s servants have felt right for a very long time. He sensed no soul in Dyses when he killed him.

They talk about random things—Nyktos’s jealousy, Dyses, the family crest, the significance of the wolf and the hawk… When Sera says she saw a silver hawk in the Dying Woods, he tells her it’s not possible, insisting that not even they would enter those woods—we know that’s not true, since it was Attes in his nota form.

Hanan riles Nyktos about the Ascension of a god in his Court and him killing those he sent to the Shadowlands, and Nyktos threatens him, then throws him across the floor. When Hanan rails about Bele’s Ascension,

Nyktos plays dumb, saying it had to be Kolis, and then taunts Hanan about doubting his King’s power.

Nyktos helps Sera breathe and bow and then tells Kolis that Sera’s father is a god, and her mother is mortal, trying to throw him off about her eather. He reiterates that Kolis is only sensing Nyktos’s blood in her. When Kolis moves to touch Sera’s hair, Nyktos catches his hand and tells Kolis he’ll do to him what Kolis has done to those who touch things that belong to him, then announces that Sera is not to be touched by anyone but him.

Playing his part, Nyktos apologizes to Kolis for not seeking approval for the coronation. When questioned about what he did to Dyses, he simply says he didn’t like the male’s tone. He then tells Kolis that he, too, felt a god Ascend and searched for the source, finding nothing. He assumed it was Kolis. Hanan challenges him again, and he argues that only the Primal of Life can Ascend a god.

Dyses enters the room, alive and well, making Nyktos stiffen. Still, he tells Kolis he was surprised by the Ascension for the same reason Attes was: it’d been a long time. He states that the dakkais in the Shadowlands surprised him, as well. He’s told it was simply bad timing. The dakkais were dispatched because Nyktos didn’t seek approval to take Sera as his Consort.

I call bullshit.

Sera tries to take the blame, saying it was her fault and trying to intervene. It makes Nyktos furious. He’s told to be quiet, or it will not be he who suffers.

Kolis plays his sick little game and asks Nyktos what the penalty is for disrespect. He answers that it’s a life. Kolis explains that Sera must kill a young draken—Thad—as recompense. Nyktos tries to intervene again, but he’s told to stay silent or Kolis will rip out Sera’s heart, and then warns that if anyone else pays the price for her, she will pay with her blood.

After the horrible ordeal, and once they return to the Shadowlands, Sera asks him to take her to Vathi. He tells her that the draken are like gods; therefore, her bringing someone back to life will not result in someone else losing theirs. However, she can’t do anything to help the young draken. It would be felt.

He ends up taking her to Vathi anyway and orders Attes to retrieve Thad. Nyktos tries to comfort Sera, telling her not to thank him and explaining that Kolis was making Kyn their enemy by forcing her to take

the life of a draken from his Court. When questioned, he tells Sera that it’s too late for them to wonder if they can trust Attes.

Sera goes to the young draken, and Nyktos tells Attes to never speak of what he sees, threatening that he’ll level Vathi and hunt the other Primal down if he does.

After Sera brings Thad back to life, Nyktos orders Attes to keep the lad hidden and then tells him to bring him to the Shadowlands where Nektas can keep him safe. He warns Attes that Kolis may send dakkais after feeling the power surge and asks why the other Primal didn’t go to Kolis with his suspicions to gain favor. Attes says that he remembers who Nyktos’s father was and who Nyktos was meant to be.

Nyktos tells Sera that he trusts Attes with the secret and assumes he’ll keep quiet, at least until the coronation. He then asks Sera why she spoke out. He laments that she doesn’t deserve to have this done to her and is surprised when she says that he doesn’t either. He quips that he’s used to it and is stunned when she says that she did it for him. He insists he doesn’t deserve it.

They discuss Dyses’ resurrection and the Revenants. Nyktos hopes Kolis doesn’t have a lot of them. He knows Dyses isn’t a demis—a false god created when a god Ascends a mortal—and is certain that Kolis doesn’t have embers of life any longer. So, he’s not sure what to think of his

creations.

Nyktos remembers what Gemma said about what she saw and surmises that she encountered Revenants in different stages of creation. No matter, Kolis found a way to bring about life without the necessary embers— something to convince other Courts that he still has the power.

Nyktos knows there’s no way Kolis believes that he actually thinks it was the false Primal of Life who Ascended Bele. He was only saving face. He just wishes they could have talked to Attes about Dyses.

Nyktos reminds Sera that Kolis doesn’t recognize her as Sotoria. He feels rage and asks what’s up, saying it felt different. Tasted different. She tells him it wasn’t only her anger. It was also Sotoria’s. Nyktos surmises that Holland was wrong. Sera’s not the reincarnation. There are two souls in her—hers and Sotoria’s.

Nyktos leaves to deal with a bunch of roaming Shades. When he gets back, Bele informs him that Veses knows about Sera. He blasts the other Primal with eather after telling her to shut up when she’s trying to explain

why she attacked Sera. He orders that Veses be locked in one of the cells under the House of Haides.

He’s told that Veses wanted to kill Sera, not tell Kolis, and she freaked out after nearly killing Reaver and seeing Sera save him. After everything that happened, Nyktos knows it was Veses who set the Shades free. He then learns that she also sent the draken that attacked them and released the entombed gods.

Taking care of Sera, Nyktos laughs at her stabbing Veses and urges her to feed. He gets her to take blood and allows her to see his memory of her training request. He explains it to her, and then tells her he’ll wait for her in his chambers.

Sera admits to Nyktos she doesn’t hate him, and it enflames him. He orders her to fuck him and tells her that nothing feels like she does. She reminds him that he can feed if he wants, but he doesn’t—won’t—he doesn’t think he deserves it.

Nyktos realizes he can’t keep Veses locked up, but he also can’t release her because she’ll go to Kolis and likely won’t respect the Court rules. He explains to Sera how Veses could feel her but not Kolis—it’s because she’s the Primal of the Rites.

Later, the day of the coronation, Nyktos comes to Sera and takes her from Aios, telling her to breathe and calling her liessa. He uses shadows to block them from view as she calms herself and informs Sera she doesn’t have to wear the crown after tonight. She tells him that she still wants to be his Consort and calls him Ash. It touches him deeply.

During the coronation, he takes the crown from Rhain and then bows to Sera, surprising everyone in attendance. He crowns her, revealing her title

—the One who is born of Blood and Ash, the Light and the Fire, and the Brightest Moon. The imprints appear, shocking everyone, and he declares that the Arae have given them their blessing. He explains that the imprints and blessings belong to her and admits he fibbed a little so everyone would think the Fates had blessed the union.

Nyktos tells Sera about Keella, the Primal of Rebirth. When asked if the Primal knows about Sotoria’s soul being in Sera, he says he isn’t sure since it wasn’t really a rebirth.

Sera says she likes her title, and it gladdens him. There is some of Penellaphe’s prophecy in it, but he kept thinking about her hair and how it

reminds him of moonlight. When she asks about the blood and ash part, he tells her the different symbolism.

Attes asks for a moment to speak with them, and while cool in the exchange, Ash agrees and says he will make time. He feels satisfaction from Sera and asks her why. She tells him that it’s because she’s being included. That prompts him to say that he hates she was made to feel unimportant for so long and loathes that he ever contributed to it. He makes sure she understands that she’s both seen and heard and calls her liessa, telling her she will always matter as he kisses her temple.

When Sera meets Keella, the Primal remarks that Sera’s title may be another blessing. Nyktos is asked about his inspiration for it, and he confesses it was because of her hair. Before she leaves, Keella tells him that his father would be proud of him.

Nyktos keeps his hand on Sera’s where it rests on her lap to ground her during the greetings. Finally, the crowns are removed, and Nyktos tells Sera the soldiers will make sure the road ahead to Irelone is safe. He asks her to sit with him and massages her neck. When she calls him Ash again, he tenses. She asks him if he doesn’t like it, and he confesses that he missed hearing it from her.

He asks her what changed her mind about the coronation and made her want it. When she tells him, he reveals what’s been on his mind: her calling him Ash in her coronation dress, seeing her out of the dress, seeing her naked on the throne, and seeing her bare with nothing but the crown on. He then wonders if he’s worthy of exploring those obsessions and decides he doesn’t care if he is. He’s too greedy and selfish to care. When he finds her dagger, he tells her that seeing her with nothing on but her dagger has taken second place, and that first place has been replaced by her calling him Ash when she comes. It’s the only thing he wants.

Sera tells him she needs him inside her and does, indeed, call him Ash with her pleasure.

They talk about her thoughts on the coronation, Vathi, the dakkais, and Keella and Sotoria. He tells her that Keella is one of the few Primals he somewhat trusts. The discussion then shifts to their meeting with Delfai, and he tells her he’s excited about learning how to transfer the embers. He reiterates that her life being saved is what matters most, not him becoming the Primal of Life.

When he asks about what changed her mind about the coronation, she tells him that her emotions didn’t change, only how she wanted to proceed. Sera projects, and Ash tastes chocolate and strawberries.

Love!

She confesses that she knows the whole story about Veses, and he shatters the glass in his hand. She digs out the slivers, and he asks if she’s only calling him Ash now out of pity. She denies it and tells him she’ll kill Veses if he doesn’t. He tells her about things with Veses and how Veses really wants Kolis. He thanks Sera for simply being herself and kisses her, about to share a wish. Only he stops himself before he gives it voice.

He mentions being hungry, and she urges him to feed. He does and has sex with her, once again saying he wishes…but never finishing the sentiment.

They go to Irelone, and Nyktos comforts Sera, telling her the embers will be out of her soon. He can taste her anxiety and asks her what it feels like. She tells him, and he says he wishes he could do something to change how it feels for her.

When the guards refuse them entry to the keep, he lets loose a display of power and leaves them riches.

He and Sera meet with Kayleigh, and he apologizes for his behavior and that of others like him, then tells her who he is and who Sera was meant to be.

They meet Delfai and find him a rambling sort. Nyktos interrupts the God of Divination and explains why they came. They learn about the Star diamond and how it’s used, and Nyktos is stunned to find out how easy the ember removal process is.

Then they learn that Kolis has the embers, but they’re not needed to remove the ones in Sera. When Delfai refers to Sera as a vessel, it infuriates Ash. The god apologizes and goes into more detail on how to remove the embers from Sera. But…there’s a catch. Ash will have to Ascend her, and that means she will die.

Ash is close to losing control when he learns they cannot transfer the embers without killing Sera. He refuses to believe it and argues. He then learns that his father only survived it because he was born a god and destined to Ascend. The embers belonged to him. They don’t belong to Sera; they were only hidden in her. He’s told there are three options: Nyktos becomes the true Primal of Life and restores the balance to the realms,

someone else takes the embers, or Sera completes her Ascension—meaning she’ll die anyway.

Nyktos shadowsteps and grasps Delfai by the throat, snarling that he won’t kill Sera and saying the option is unacceptable. He takes his true form and plans to send Delfai to the Abyss, but Sera pleads with him not to hurt the God of Divination and says he doesn’t deserve it. And Ash doesn’t deserve another mark. Finally, he drops Delfai.

Sera urges Ash that he has to do it. He refuses and confesses that he figured draining her completely was a possibility, but he knew that wasn’t how Kolis did it, so he figured there was another way. He considers getting The Star and using that, but she reminds him that removing the embers will kill her either way. Still, he’s thrilled when she admits that she doesn’t want to die—it’s about time she values her life.

She reveals she wants to live but the realms need to. And that’s all that matters. He erupts, telling her that she matters, not the realms. She calls him Ash again, and he begs her not to do that when she’s talking about him killing her.

When she insists that he did nothing wrong—meaning him removing his kardia—he gets furious. He laments that he could have saved her. She argues that there was no guarantee he would have loved her. He tells her he would have. That nothing could have stopped him.

She orders him to kiss her, and he does, loosing a soul-torn groan. They have sex, and he confesses that he wishes he’d never had his kardia removed. He never wanted to know love before her. His eyes glaze over in red as he cries Primal tears of grief.

Sera asks him to take her to her lake when the time comes so she can die there, and he promises.

When they return to the Shadowlands, they realize something is wrong. They’re under attack. He jumps from the balcony to the ground, and Saion updates him. He checks his emotions and finds bodies in the west courtyard, stumbling back at the horror. Saion informs him where Kyn is, and Nyktos orders him to summon the armies.

He takes his true form and rises into the sky to fight Davon, the draken, becoming a storm. He notices that Sera, Rhain, Rhahar, and Saion are unable to get to the House of Haides, so he pours Primal mist out of himself, telling Sera to run in her mind.

As shadows swallow the courtyard, Ash shouts for Sera and sees Attes with her. He repeatedly roars and shouts for her, trying to get to her. He tears a Cimmerian apart. Vaporizes a dakkai with a touch. She is only yards away, her eyes locked on his, and then…she disappears, swallowed by smoke and shadows.

The next time he sees her, he waits outside of Cor Palace, crouched amid the trees.

As a silvery-white wolf.

He watches as Sera succumbs to Kolis’s sick obsession and attacks. He ends up killing Hanan and tells Kolis to get his hands off his wife. He threatens to kill his uncle and they battle, Kolis telling him that he’s started a war.

Sera compels him and Kolis to stop fighting and threatens to take her life. He pleads with her not to. Eventually, Kolis injures him enough by stabbing him repeatedly that he is taken into custody and imprisoned in the Carcers.

While in stasis, he shares dreams with Sera and tells her to make Kolis aware that only he can Ascend her. Once she does, she should then summon the Fates.

During his time in the Carcers, Kolis watches him and then incapacitates him after he wakes. He can’t blame him. Not really. He was prepared to do anything to get to Sera.

When Sera takes Kolis down, it weakens the wards. Between that and feeling what Sera is, he escapes and comes for her. He takes out any and all in his path, and then finds her nearly collapsed.

Sera can barely talk but manages to ask if she’s dreaming. He tells her it’s real. When she asks if he’s okay, he laughs, reminding her that she was also imprisoned and likely dealt with much more than just some retaliation and sleep.

They discuss Veses a bit and what to do about Kolis. They also talk about what happened to her in Dalos, and Sera has to soothe his anger. She tells him he needs to take her somewhere safe and remove the embers.

Elias comes in, and Ash almost kills him until Sera assures him that he’s a friend and the god swears his fealty to Sera.

Attes arrives and urges them to get moving. When Ash moves to attack him, Attes pleads his case, and Sera tells Ash the other Primal can be trusted

—he saved her life more than once.

She gets dizzy, and notices she’d started shifting into her Primal form.

Just as they’re about to shadowstep, Sera remembers The Star and tells them they need to get it. They talk how to go about doing that, and she tells Ash that his father’s soul is in the diamond. He asks if she’s sure, and she confirms.

Ash can’t feel the soul within the diamond, but Sera assures him it’s in there. She wonders how they can put Sotoria’s soul in the stone, and Ash says Keella should know how to get a soul both in and out.

He shadowsteps them to some hot springs in the mortal realm and listens as Sera relays what she knows about his father and uncle. When he asks to hold The Star, she doesn’t let him, explaining that she doesn’t want him to see what she did.

He and Sera take some time for themselves and get lost in each other for a bit.

As they spend time together, they talk about everything that’s happened and catch one another up, talking about what things mean and what’s next. They discuss his nota and Primal forms, then he heads to the Bonelands to get them some clothes.

Talk turns to Attes, and Ash makes it clear that he still doesn’t trust the Primal, but Sera tries to make him understand why Attes could never be loyal to Kolis. Then, she tells him what Phanos did. He starts thinking of the ways he could use that to his advantage to save her, but she stops him and insists that nobody else will give their life to save hers.

He takes her to the Bonelands and tells her how the Ancients, connected to all living things, became displeased with what the mortals were doing.

They concluded that mortals and the land could not coexist and chose to cleanse the land. They then created the Primals, splitting their essence between them and sharing the balance. The Primals and gods eventually joined the mortals to battle the Ancients.

He asks Sera how she’s feeling, and she admits that she’s tired and achy.

Sera struggles to climb the stairs, and Ash helps her. Saion and Rhahar arrive, and both embrace Ash. Then Lailah joins, followed by Rhain.

Ash tells the assembled group that Sera saved him, and Rhain says many of them wouldn’t be there if it weren’t for her.

They all discuss The Star, and Keella comes forward, telling them what they need to do. Sera pulls Eythos free and then falls unconscious.

Ash takes Sera to Keella’s Court when she passes out. After she wakes, she apologizes to him for cutting his time with Eythos short, and he tells her his father was ready to go. He relays that Eythos told him he was proud of him and then told him to remember what they said to each other by the Red River. The problem is, he doesn’t remember what that was.

Realizing that Ash gave her blood, she chastises him. They bicker as usual, and Nektas arrives, laughing that they’re arguing.

Attes, Ash, and Sera argue about Sotoria, and Sera makes them understand that the soul is alive. Attes mentions how he met her after Kolis brought her back. Then they all discuss what happens if the embers die with Sera. They talk about The Star being able to hold both the embers and a soul, and what needs to happen for them to end Kolis.

Sera says there will be war, and Ash insists he only cares about her.

Attes says it’s way bigger than that, and Ash says she matters. Sera tells him she loves him, and he feels overwhelming emotions toward her.

Keella asks Ash if he has sensed dual souls. He says he only ever feels Sera’s. Keella tells him he needs to anchor himself to his Consort’s soul. He does.

Ash walks up as Sera is talking to Rhain. He reads her emotions, and she tells him to stop.

Saion comes then and jokes that they’re fighting again. Rhahar joins, and they settle a bet. Saion said they couldn’t go more than an hour without arguing. Sera turns to Ash and jokes that they’re his friends. He says they were, giving them a look.

Sera tells Ash to take her to the lake, reminding him that he promised.

He can do nothing but obey, even though it breaks his heart.

He watches as the gods all bow to his wife and give her the utmost respect.

Sera tells Ash there’s something she wants to talk about. He can’t look at her. When she notices, he tells her that even if he’s not looking at her, she is all he sees. She tells him she loves him and says it’s not his fault, making him understand. He tries but then lists all the things he’d rather be doing.

Anything but what they are. She continues, telling him she wants him to live. Be King. He argues that it’s her place, and she tells him she doesn’t want him to be alone. She wants him to love.

He gets angry, and she makes him promise. Begrudgingly, he does. Then, they show each other with their bodies how much they care and

cement that their connection goes beyond the realms.

He tells her all the things he adores about her and says he never wanted until her. Thunder booms, and Ash realizes that Kolis has been found. Sera laments being out of time but tells him everything she wanted and says that he gave her all of it. She tells him that she loves him again and then says it’s time.

He takes her into the water and feeds. She begins to fade, and Ash says fuck the embers and tells her to take his blood. He says he won’t let her go. He’ll Ascend her.

She asks what she’ll become, and he says he isn’t sure. She begs him to take the embers, but he tells her to shut the fuck up and says if he loses her, the realms and everything in them are gone—he’ll destroy it all. He tells her not to die. Says fuck the greater good. She tells him he’s good.

Finally, she drinks. When she wakes, a shockwave bursts free and knocks him back.

Ash tells Sera stories while she’s in stasis. He tells her how unprepared he was for how alive he feels with her. He admits he could still feel after his kardia was removed, just not strongly. Not until her. He says he should have known from their first kiss what they were to each other.

He reminisces about their first few meetings, her bravery in going to Kolis alone, her misplaced loyalties.

When Ash says he wanted to be strong like Eythos, Nektas says it had nothing to do with strength. He talks about how Eythos was after Mycella’s death, and Ash says he would have destroyed the realms and everything in them if he’d lost Sera.

Nektas reminds Ash that he saved her, and Ash tells Sera he’ll be waiting for her.

She starts to wake, and Ash tells her not to rush it. He reminds her of how they are together. How they like to be. He tells her she needs him. His blood. Says he’s hers.

She intones that the Primal of Life has never fed from the Primal of Death before. They’re meant to be two halves of a cycle but separate. He insists that all of him is hers, and she feeds.

After, he asks if she knows him, and she says she always will.

Ash tells her he was terrified he’d lose her. She says he didn’t; he saved her. He adds that he was afraid she wouldn’t remember and that he’d still lose her. She insists he won’t. Ever. He tenses and tells her that when he

releases her, she should run, saying he needs her too much and won’t be able to control himself. He’ll become his other self. She says she trusts him. Tells him she’s his. Urges him to take her.

He does, using his shadow tendrils to bring her extra pleasure. He tells her that he loves her and says he’s not sure when it started. She says she thought she’d die without ever knowing what his love felt like. He says he would never allow that and that he’ll spend eternity making sure she knows how deeply his feelings run.

Nektas asks if they’re okay, and Ash threatens him. When Sera says she’s now the Queen, Ash agrees and adds that he’s her Consort. She corrects him and calls him her King.

He agrees.

The King then fucks his Queen.

Ash feels Sera tensing when he goes to feed and knows that more happened in Dalos than she’s letting on. He hopes she will tell him eventually. He mentions that every Primal felt her Ascension and makes her understand that they’ll deal with whatever comes. Together.

He comes clean about why he didn’t take her as his Consort initially.

Part of it was to keep her unknown to Kolis, but also because he had a dream the night she was born. It was her at her lake, smiling at him. Then, he saw her dying, and him destroying everything. It terrified him so much he had his kardia removed right before he brought Sera to Iliseeum.

He laments what his choices meant for her life and insists he was a coward. She denies it, but he tells her what the vision showed him. His actions showed that he’d fallen in love. So, he tried to stop it. He tells her he fell in love anyway, and she tells him she felt more than love when he held her in the lake. Ash says there’s only one reason for that. They’re heartmates.

He talks about how when the Arae see threads of fate joining, they cannot intervene. He says their joined souls created the first-ever Queen of the Gods. They talk about the Arae pushing the boundaries of what’s allowed and what’s considered interference.

When Sera goes out onto the balcony, he follows her, and they take in the life that’s returning to the realm.

Ash and Sera share declarations of love, and he tells her that he wants them to trust each other, adding that he’ll always see her as strong no matter what. He hints that he thinks he knows what happened to her in Dalos, and

they talk more about Rhain. She urges Ash not to do or say anything about what happened when her plans were first revealed. He agrees.

Sera tells Ash what Holland really said to her the day he came with Penellaphe. That love is more powerful than the Fates. They think and talk about how powerful life is.

She asks Ash to tell her again that he loves her, and he does. Repeatedly.

Happily. And then they make love.

‌

EYTHOS †

‌Primal of Life turned Primal of Death Court: Dalos to The Shadowlands

Hair: Shoulder-length. Black.

Eyes: Silver.

Facial features: Bronze skin. Strong jaw. Broad cheekbones. Straight nose. Wide mouth.

Personality: Clever. Strategic. Wise. Kind. Generous. Fair. Protective.

Habits/Mannerisms/Strengths/Weaknesses: Fascinated by silver hawks. Partial to wolves—can even shift into one. Fascinated by life— especially mortals.

Other: Not able to see souls but knew their names and lives. Things that represent him = silver, winged masks like the silver hawk.

Background: Was the Primal God of Life until Kolis switched fates; then he became the Primal God of Death.

Family: Consort = Mycella †. Son = Nyktos. Twin = Kolis.

EYTHOS’S JOURNEY TO DATE:

My knowledge of Eythos only comes in the form of stories. So, that is how I shall relay Eythos’s journey…

A very long time ago, a powerful Primal befriended the dragons. He wanted to learn their stories, and being young, was rather impulsive. He knew one way to talk to them was to give them a voice by bestowing on them a godly form—allowing them to shift between the two. This Primal was Eythos, the then Primal God of Life. But the draken aren’t the only creatures the young god gave dual lives to.

Eythos had an identical twin—Kolis. One brother was fated to represent life, and the other death. Eythos was the Primal of Life, and Kolis was the Primal of Death. They ruled together for eons as they were meant to.

Until…Kolis fell in love. Or, more accurately, he became obsessed.

But things began even before that. It all started long before Lasania was even a kingdom in the mortal realm. It’s unknown if the relationship between the brothers was always strained, or if there was peace between them at one time. Regardless, they were always competitive. And there was also an issue of jealousy.

The Primal God of Life was worshipped and loved by gods and mortals alike, and Eythos was a fair King, kind and generous. He was fascinated with all life, especially the mortals. Even when he became the Primal God of Death—which I’ll get to in a minute—he was awed by everything mortals could accomplish in what even gods would consider an incredibly short time. He interacted with them, as many Primals did at the time.

Kolis, on the other hand, was respected but feared and never really welcomed as a necessary step in life, a doorway to the next stage. When Kolis entered the mortal realm, those who saw him cowered and refused to look him in the eye.

On one trip, Kolis saw a beautiful young woman picking flowers for her sister’s wedding. This woman was named Sotoria. Kolis watched her, and it was love at first sight. He was utterly besotted with her and stepped out of the trees to speak with the beauty. Back then, mortals knew what the Primal God of Death looked like since paintings and sculptures captured his features, just like his brother’s, the Primal God of Life. Sotoria knew who Kolis was when he approached her and ran away in fear, plummeting to her death from the Cliffs of Sorrow.

Kolis begged Eythos to restore Sotoria’s life, an act Eythos could do and had done in the past as the Primal God of Life, but he had rules that governed when he granted life. One of those guidelines was that he would not take a soul from the Vale. Yes, Sotoria had died young and far too soon, but she had accepted her death. Her soul arrived in the Shadowlands, passed through the Pillars, and entered the Vale within minutes of her death. And Eythos would not pull a soul from the Vale. It was wrong and forbidden to both him and Kolis.

Eythos tried to remind his brother of that. When that failed, he attempted to get Kolis to understand that it wasn’t fair to grant life to one, only to refuse another of equal worth. But that was also one of Eythos’s flaws. He believed he could decide if a person was worthy or not. And maybe as the Primal God of Life, he could… But still.

Maybe it was hubris, but Eythos didn’t realize his power could be turned on him—especially not by his brother. If he hadn’t used his gift on the mortals, then perhaps Kolis wouldn’t have expected him to do it with Sotoria. But Eythos’s refusal to do as his twin asked with the woman he believed he loved started everything—hundreds of years of pain and

suffering for many innocents. Eons of Eythos regretting what he chose and chose not to do.

Nothing happened at first, and Eythos believed Kolis had accepted his decision to maintain the balance. Eythos even met his Consort, Mycella, during that time, and life was normal. Good, in fact. But, in reality, a clock was counting down.

Kolis spent the next several decades attempting to bring Sotoria back to life, though he couldn’t visit her in the Vale, at least not without risking the destruction of her soul. After years of searching, he realized there was only one way to accomplish what he desired. Only a Primal with the power over life could restore Sotoria’s. So, he found a way to become that.

He was successful in trading places and destinies with his twin, though nobody but the brothers know exactly how he accomplished it. We only know it required the Star diamond and some powerful magic. Regardless of how it happened, the act was catastrophic. It killed hundreds of gods who served both and weakened many Primals—even killing a few and forcing the next gods in line to rise from godhood to Primal power. Many draken were also killed, and the mortal realm experienced earthquakes and tsunamis as Kolis’s actions offset the balance. Many places were leveled, and pieces of land just broke off, some forming islands while others simply sank.

Eythos knew immediately why his brother had done it. He’d warned Kolis not to bring her back, stating she was at peace in the next stage of her life, and that it had been too long. He warned that if he were able to do what he planned, Sotoria would not return as she was. It would be an unnatural act and would upset the very unsteady balance of life and death.

Still, Sotoria rose, and as Eythos warned, she was not the same. She was morose and horrified about what had been done to her. When she eventually died again, Eythos did something to ensure that his brother could never reach her. Something only the Primal of Death could do. With the aid of the Primal, Keella, Eythos marked Sotoria’s soul—making her destined for rebirth. Meaning, her soul would never enter the Shadowlands to be judged. It would, instead, be continually reborn, over and over. Her memories of previous lives wouldn’t be anything of substance—if she had any at all.

Eythos hoped that would bring the poor girl some semblance of peace.

As centuries passed, Kolis kept up his search. He knew she would be born in a shroud because of what Eythos and Keella did, so he continued to

look for her in the mortal realm.

Both Eythos and Keella paid dearly for what they did. Kolis grew to despise his brother and vowed to make him pay. Eventually, he killed Mycella while she was pregnant because he believed it was only fair that Eythos lose his love just as he had. To add insult to injury, Kolis also destroyed her soul, ushering in her final death. Losing her took a piece of Eythos that he never regained.

Kolis destroyed all records of the truth—both in the mortal realm and in Iliseeum. It was then that the Primal God of Death was no longer depicted in artwork or literature. He went to great extremes to hide that he wasn’t supposed to be the Primal of Life, even when it became apparent that something wasn’t right. He started losing his ability to create and maintain life. The destiny was never his to wield, just as that of the Primal God of Death was never Eythos’s.

When Penellaphe’s prophecy emerged, Eythos took it upon himself to thwart his brother’s plans and hopefully restore balance at some point. Even after the shifting of destinies, Eythos retained some of his ember of life. Just as Kolis retained some of his ember of death. So, when Ash was conceived, part of that ember of life passed on to him—just a flicker of power. Not as strong as the ember that remained in Eythos, but enough. Eythos took that ember from him before Kolis could even learn of its existence, added it to what remained in himself, and put them both in the Mierel bloodline. He hid it where it could grow in power until a new Primal was ready to be born

—in the one being that could weaken Kolis. Then, he made a deal with the King of Lasania and gave the mortals and his son at least a chance to do something. To stop the fallout of what Kolis did—the unnatural climate, the Rot, the destabilization of the balance.

Unfortunately, Kolis eventually killed his brother and used what was left of his ember of death to seize his soul. When Eythos died, it severed the bond between him and his draken and upset the balance even more. So, even though Ash was born to Ascend and assume the role of the Primal God of Death, it wasn’t entirely his. Not to mention, his ember of life now lived in a vulnerable mortal vessel with an expiration date.

In addition, because the state of things wasn’t natural, no Primal was born after Ash. Seraphena has the only ember of life in both realms. She is why life continues. And if she dies, there will be nothing but death in all the

kingdoms and all the realms. She has become what Eythos was always meant to be: the Primal God of Life.

‌

MYCELLA †

‌

Primal of Death’s—Eythos—Consort Court: Lotho to The Shadowlands

Hair: Deep, red wine color.

Eyes: Silver.

Facial features: Rosy-pink skin. Oval-shaped face. Strong brow. High cheekbones. Full mouth.

Habits/Mannerisms/Strengths/Weaknesses: Ability to read emotions.

Background: Family came from the Court of Lotho. Used to tell Aios stories.

Family: Husband = Eythos †. Son = Nyktos. Cousin = Aios. Had an aunt or uncle from the Court of Kithreia.

MYCELLA’S JOURNEY TO DATE:

After Eythos told his twin that he would not interfere in Sotoria’s soul journey, he met Mycella, and she became his Consort.

Sometime during the decades that Kolis searched for a way to bring Sotoria back to life, Mycella conceived Nyktos/Ash.

Kolis took his revenge on his brother by killing her while Nyktos was still in her womb—somehow, he survived, which is why they call him The One Who is Blessed. Kolis then destroyed her soul, ushering in her final death.

‌

KOLIS

‌Primal God of Death turned Primal God of Life Court: The Shadowlands to Dalos

Click here to see a full-size image of Kolis by Jemlin C.

Click here to see a full-size image of Kolis’s crown by Creatively Agnes.

Hair: Golden. Nearing shoulder-length.

Eyes: Silver with streaks of gold.

Body type: Muscular.

Facial features: Bronze skin with shimmers of gold. Strong, carved jaw. Sharp cheekbones. Lush, wide mouth.

Distinguishing features: Golden band encircling biceps. Voice carries a sharp, bitter edge.

Preternatural features: As the Primal God of Death, he could see and summon souls (unknown if he still can). Can shift into a golden hawk.

Personality: Reckless. Wild. Entitled. Competitive. Reserved. Cold.

Prefers solitude. Deceptively charming when he wants to be. Manipulative. Jealous.

Habits/Mannerisms/Strengths/Weaknesses: Hates Nektas for abandoning him. Loves the color gold. Prefers redheads and blondes. As the

Primal God of Death, he claimed souls if people pissed him off. Views other Primals as annoying, whiny, sniveling brats who’ve forgotten the ways. Keeps his favorites in gilded cages for ages. Believes mortals should be in service to the gods. Has loyalists amongst the Courts.

Other: Sigil of his Court is a circle with a slash through it.

Background: He used to be the Primal of Death until he stole his twin’s embers and switched fates, becoming the Primal of Life—all because of an infatuation. Murdered Halayna. (More background is detailed below).

Family: Twin = Eythos †. Nephew = Nyktos.

KOLIS’S JOURNEY TO DATE:

As the Primal God of Death, Kolis ruled alongside his twin brother, Eythos, for eons. During a trip to the mortal realm, Kolis saw a young woman picking flowers. He watched her and instantly fell in love. As he stepped out of the trees to speak with her, she got startled and ran, plunging to her death from the Cliffs of Sorrow.

After, Kolis begs his brother to restore Sotoria’s life, but Eythos refuses to pull a soul from the Vale. He says it’s wrong and forbidden and tries to remind Kolis of that. When that fails, he adds that it isn’t fair to give life to one and refuse another of equal worth.

Kolis spends the next several decades attempting to bring Sotoria back from the Vale. As the Primal God of Death, he can’t visit her there without risking the destruction of her soul. After years of searching and growing to despise his brother, he takes revenge by killing Eythos’s Consort, Mycella, while she’s pregnant, then destroying her soul. He believes his brother should feel the same pain he has in losing the one he loves. When he realizes there is only one way to do what he desires, he takes action to find a way to become the Primal God of Life and switch places with his brother.

Executing his plan, Kolis manages what he set out to do—we assume with the Star diamond he received, possibly from a Fate. He swaps destinies with his brother, making himself the Primal God of Life, and Eythos, the new Primal God of Death, then destroys all evidence of how things were.

Eythos knows why his twin did it. Still, he warns Kolis that bringing Sotoria back to life is unnatural and would upset the fragile balance of life and death, not to mention she won’t come back the same—it has been too long, and she’s at peace in her next stage of life. Kolis doesn’t listen and

pulls her from the Vale. As Eythos warned, she isn’t the same. She’s morose and horrified by what he did.

When Sotoria dies again, Eythos and Keella intervene, marking her soul and ensuring Kolis can’t find her. Still, he looks for her. Given what he knows about what was done to ensure her reincarnation, he knows she will be reborn en caul, so he searches the mortal realm for any who are.

After he takes his brother’s place in Dalos, he summons Nektas’s mate, Halayna, at some point and murders her to punish the draken for not sticking by his side.

The night Sera is born in the mortal realm, her father, King Lamont, summons Kolis and tries to make another deal to save his child and best the deal that King Roderick made with Eythos after he became the Primal God of Death.

Kolis retained some of the embers of death in him, just like Eythos retained some of his embers of life. And it’s enough power for Kolis to capture and hold a soul. So, he does with his twin.

While Kolis’s control as the Primal of Life wanes, his innate power does not. He is the oldest and the most formidable of the Primals. He can kill any Primal, but then what? A new one can’t rise. Not without life. And he has lost that ability. That doesn’t stop him from going about his cruel rule.

While draken generally are bonded to Primals by choice, the bond can be forced, and Kolis does that often.

He also takes great pleasure in selecting favorites and putting them in gilded cages. He provides them with everything they want and need— except for their freedom. However, when he grows tired of them, he revels in their torture and death.

When Gemma enters the Land of the Gods as a Chosen, Kolis takes to her. He keeps her close to him and talks about the power he’s felt, almost obsessing over it. He tells her he’ll do anything to find his graeca—an old Primal word meaning love and life—though he never speaks of it as if it’s a person, something living and breathing. He leads Gemma to believe it’s an object, a possession. He never tells her what he plans to do with his graeca once he finds it, but she knows he’s doing something to the Chosen. Many of them disappear and come back…not right. Different. Cold and lifeless.

Some stay indoors, only moving during the brief hours of the night, and their eyes change, becoming the color of shadowstone. We know the others have eyes almost leached of color. They’re as terrifying as Kolis is, and he

calls them his reborn, his Revenants. He says they’re a work in progress and that all he needs is his graeca to perfect them.

Kolis hasn’t set foot in the Shadowlands since he switched fates with Eythos, though it’s unknown whether he can. Still, it’s assumed that he knows about the embers of life and thinks he can use them. It’s also presumed that he knows about Taric and the other gods Nyktos dispatched, and that Bele’s Ascension has unsettled him and the other Primals.

Kolis sends Attes to the House of Haides to let Nyktos and Sera know that he disapproves of the coronation, and orders them to come to him in Dalos when he issues the command.

The day Sera arrives at Cor Palace, Kolis enters the atrium, followed by the stench of stale lilacs. Gold-laced eather spills across the floor and collapses, coiling like a viper around his feet. He orders everyone to sit— everyone but Sera. He shadowsteps to her and tries to force her with eather to look at him.

He remarks that she doesn’t feel like a godling as he’s been told and notices she’s been warded with a charm. He calls Nyktos clever. When he tries to touch Sera’s hair, Nyktos blocks and threatens him. Kolis tells Nyktos that he pleases him but warns him to release him immediately.

Kolis claims to be hurt that Nyktos didn’t seek his approval for his union and asks if Nyktos knows why they’ve been summoned. Hanan speaks up, and Kolis scolds the Primal for talking without permission, flexing his power.

As the discussion turns to the Ascension that’s been felt, he confirms that he is the only one who can restore life and Ascend a god, knowing that’s not true. He turns his attention to Hanan again and chastises the Primal for his lack of faith, ordering him to leave and not return until summoned. He then apologizes to Sera.

Kolis brings forth Dyses, his Revenant, and remarks that Attes and Nyktos seem surprised by him. He then asks if they have the same doubts and lack of faith as Hanan does. They both simply say that it’s been a long time since the Primal of Life restored life. Nyktos adds that he was shocked by the dakkais, too, and Kolis says the attack was punishment for his nephew’s failure to seek approval.

He adds that he will not let Nyktos’s disrespect go unpunished. Sera says it was her fault, and Kolis calls her brave. He then turns his attention to Nyktos and says Sera must earn permission the same way he would.

Kolis turns to Kyn and asks the Primal if he brought what he was ordered to and then instructs Sera to kill a young draken. Nyktos speaks, and Kolis tells him to be silent and that it won’t be him who suffers if he disobeys.

Sera inquires about what will happen if she refuses, and Kolis chuckles when Thad tells her it won’t matter. Kolis then tells her to pay the price, or he will by killing Thad, her, and a draken from the Shadowlands.

Sera asks Kolis what he’ll gain by making her do what he asks, and he tells her that it will tell him everything he needs to know.

Sadly, we know that’s true.

Nyktos tries to intervene, and Kolis warns him again, telling him that he’ll rip out Sera’s heart if he does it once more. He then turns back to Sera and tells her that the draken is young enough that hitting the head or heart will do, then adds that if anyone but Sera pays the price, he’ll demand she pay it with her blood.

Sera kills the draken, and Kolis laughs. Then, smugly, he gives the couple permission for their union and the coronation and dismisses them.

After Attes kidnaps Sera, Kolis enters through a partitioned wall and remarks that he’s happy to see she’s awake. He calls her brave again and tells her she betrayed him the moment she left by using what wasn’t hers to snatch away the life she owed him—by going to Kyn’s Court and bringing Thad back to life.

Sera asks him what Blood and Ash means. He tells her about the prophecy and has Callum recite most of it, only finishing the end. He asserts that he knows Sera’s heard it. When she remarks that he is the great conspirator, he laughs.

They try to dissect the prophecy, and he states that he believes Mycella was the first daughter, and Sera is the second. He also thinks the middle section of the prophecy is something that will happen at some point in the future. He thinks the end of the prophecy is all about her.

He tells her she is the bearer of two crowns and he needed her to restore a draken’s life to know that the embers had reached the point of power where they would ensure the rest of the prophecy came to be. He calls her clever and tells her she’s just a vessel to give him what he wants.

He remarks that the Ancients didn’t imagine he’d do anything to change what they foreshadowed, and it seems it was foretold that Eythos would set

it all into motion. However, they underestimated him by thinking he’d just stand by and let it happen.

He says there’s no need for any other Primals if there’s one of Life and

Death, then reveals that if he does nothing, he’ll die.

When Sera asks why he needs more power, he answers, “Power isn’t limitless or infinite. Another can always rise. Power can always be taken.” He then grabs her by the throat and tells her that Nyktos would have taken the embers from her the moment he felt he was ready to and insinuates that he could raise Eythos if he took them.

He goes on about why Eythos hated him and confesses that if his brother had brought Sotoria back, it wouldn’t have changed anything; though it would have saved all the lives Nyktos had to take in place of him. He tells Sera he’s going to drain her, take the embers, and rise, completing his final Ascension. He then taunts her that she knows what will happen to his nephew when he does.

He boasts that absolutely nothing will be forbidden or impossible, not even what has been hidden from him, and then strikes, biting Sera just above the shackle on her neck. She tries to save herself by telling him she’s Sotoria reborn, and he calls her a liar. Attes interrupts their exchange and reminds him that Keella helped to find her, even though he’s hunted down every mortal who bears an aura. He then suggests that Kolis couldn’t find her over the past few centuries because she had been reborn and reminds him that Eythos was clever and would do this just to fuck with him.

Shaking, he lets Sera go but catches her, then falls to his knees and hugs her to him with horror etched on his face as he realizes who he has to kill again—Sotoria.

Kolis tightens his hold and asks if it’s really Sotoria. Callum urges him to take the embers from Seraphena and Ascend, while Attes tells him if he doesn’t save Sera, his graeca will be lost.

A storm of gathering power builds, and Kolis sees Nyktos in his nota form changing into his Primal form. His nephew calls him out. Still holding his love, he watches as his nephew kills the Primal God of the Hunt and Divine Justice.

He gently lowers his graeca to the floor and turns to his nephew when Nyktos orders him to take his hands off his wife. He tells Nyktos he can see how powerful he’s become and chastises him for hiding it. He gives him a chance to walk away, but only because they’re family.

He tells Nyktos to go to his Court and tell Bele to appear before him and swear fealty immediately. Instead, Nyktos moves to pick up Sera, and Kolis knocks him back, telling him he’s started a war. His nephew says the moment he strayed from tradition and faith he started it.

Kolis taunts him, saying he killed Eythos and Nyktos swore fealty.

Nyktos attacks, and Kolis accuses him of treason.

When Nyktos says that Sera was never Kolis’s, the false king argues that if she is who she claims to be, she was never Nyktos’s to crown. They fight, and Kolis incapacitates Nyktos.

Attes calls to him, telling him that Sotoria needs his help. He goes to her and lifts her, then tells his guards to put Nyktos in the cells.

Sera wakes while in his arms and he tells her that she’ll live as long as she is who she claims to be. He gets into the water and summons Phanos. The Primal arrives, and they talk about Sera being Nyktos’s Consort. Kolis tells him it’s irrelevant. As Phanos asks more, Kolis gripes that he asks too many questions and says he needs Phanos to make sure Sera doesn’t die.

Phanos asks Kolis why he can’t just make her a Revenant, and he tells the Primal that they’re just death reborn. The Primal of the Skies and Seas asks if she’s Kolis’s graeca, and Kolis tells him he believes she is. He tells Phanos he’s been holding her soul in her body, but he can’t much longer.

Phanos wonders if Kolis knows what he’s asking, and Kolis says he’s

not asking.

Phanos finally takes Sera, and Kolis watches as he takes her deeper and then one ceeren after another floats to the surface, dead.

When Sera comes back out, she asks him why, and he tells her that he won’t allow her to die. She says she doesn’t want anyone dying for her, and he lets her know she has no choice, then taunts that if she were Sotoria, she would know that.

Sera runs from him and grabs a sword. Kolis tells the guard to leave and remarks that he expected her to run.

He urges her to put down the sword and she tells him to make her.

Before he can react, she stabs him in the chest.

He is not amused.

She starts to run, but he stops her. They fight some more, and he hits her, then immediately feels bad about it. She mouths off and he tells her he never wanted to be a villain. He blames his brother for that. She asks him if there’s anything he doesn’t blame Eythos for.

He tells her not to push him and calls her so’lis. To keep her in line, he threatens Nyktos. She insists she doesn’t care, but he doesn’t believe her and tells her as much. Upset, he grabs her by the throat, not even realizing what he’s doing until she points out that he’s killing her. Again.

He tells her they’re going home and then compels her.

After Sera attempts to escape, he goes to see her and asks what she and Callum were discussing. Callum tells him they were talking about Antonis, who Kolis found out turned Craven. He tells Sera that they’re an unfortunate side effect of creating the Ascended.

Sera points out the differences between him Ascending the Chosen and his brother, and it angers him. He tells Callum to leave and asks Sera if she’s been resting. He orders her to have a drink.

When Sera asks about Nyktos, he wants to know why. She tells him it’s merely curiosity. Then she asks about the armies. He tells her they haven’t left the Dalos border and are still in the Bonelands to the south along the coast beyond the Carcers.

She asks him why he hasn’t forced them out, and he tells her about how the mortals are becoming complacent. He says he plans to take a more active role when he’s the Primal of Life and Death.

I’ll just bet he does…

She then asks if him taking her will cause issues, and he tells her only if the other Primals think him taking her is worth going to war over.

He asks about her relationship with Nyktos and listens with anger as she answers. She tells him that Nyktos only wanted the embers, not her, and never knew what Eythos did. He thinks she’s lying.

Not able to help himself, he asks her if she’s fucked Nyktos. She tells him they are attracted to each other, so…yes. He tells her that someone doesn’t go to war or kill for someone they’re just attracted to. She argues that people kill all the time for all sorts of reasons. His rebuttal is that Primals don’t.

He informs her that his nephew is in stasis and watches her reaction.

When she asks why he didn’t go to ground sooner, he explains that the earth can’t get through the shadowstone in the chamber.

Sera tells him Nyktos had his kardia removed, and he says he believes it

—it sounds like something Nyktos would do to stop Kolis from using those he loves against his nephew. Especially since he never wanted to end up like Kolis.

When Sera starts to glow and taps into the embers, it angers him and he tells her to calm herself. He orders her to sit and tells her he doesn’t believe what she said about her feelings. He insists that the marriage imprint is proof that there’s love. She explains the difference between loving someone and being in love with them, and he admits he loves Sotoria. Says he’s in love with her.

She asks him to prove it by letting Nyktos go. He says her demand proves that she loves his nephew, and she argues that it would prove that Kolis would do anything for her. He lists for her what he’s already done, but she tells him that’s the bare minimum needed to show someone you love them.

Kolis asks her why she would be interested in falling in love, and she tells him that she’s never known it and wants to.

He asks her if she thinks he’s a fool and reminds her that she tried to kill him. She tells him that she stabbed Nyktos, too, which surprises him. He asks her what will change if he releases Nyktos, and she tells him that she will submit to him. He warns her that if she’s lying, he’ll own her soul in both life and in death.

Kolis has her made what he deems presentable so he can hold court in her chambers. As the gods come in, he notices how they look at her and decides to play with them a bit. When Uros looks a little too hard and long, Kolis tells the god that he offended him and implodes him. Feeling uptight, he excuses himself for a bit.

When he returns, Kyn shows. He asks if the Primal brought news. Kyn tells him that he spoke to one of the Shadowlands’ commanders and says they’re unwilling to stand down. They talk about how the forces are separated and discuss what to do about it. Kyn says something needs to be done, and Kolis asks him if he has suggestions. The Primal asks if he can take his forces and attack those to the east. Kolis warns him that they’ll all die. Nektas is there. Kyn asks if he can finish what he started then and take the Shadowlands while the strongest are away.

Kolis wonders what Attes thinks, and Kyn tells him he’s more attuned to accord than war. Kyn then assures Kolis he’s not worried about retribution or Nektas. Kolis tells him he’s brave and loyal and has his gratitude. The Primal kisses his ass.

When talk shifts to the embers, Kolis says he’s maintained the balance this long and that won’t change anytime soon. He asserts they won’t make

any moves against the Shadowlands unless provoked. When Kyn asks what happens then, Kolis says he’ll do what must be done. They talk about Nyktos, and when Kolis notices Kyn looking at Sera, he tells the Primal she draws the eye and asks her to move closer. He wonders what Kyn thinks, and the Primal agrees with Kolis. He then says that if it comes out that she isn’t his graeca, he will gift her to Kyn after he’s finished with her. Kyn humbly accepts, then tells him he’s happy he brought a gift, as well.

Someone wearing a black hood is brought in, and Kolis finds out it’s Rhain. He remembers his father and brother and what they could do. Rhain seethes as Kolis talks about his father and calls him a traitor. He wonders if Rhain allowed himself to be captured and if finding Nyktos wasn’t really his end goal.

He searches the god and finds a pouch with a necklace in it. He assumes it’s his trigger object, slightly confirmed when Sera says it’s hers, but insists she didn’t know what Rhain could do. He listens to Kyn and Sera bicker and tells them to stop. Turning to Rhain, he says he believes Sera; therefore, he’ll make his death quick. Sera argues, saying he’s only being loyal to the Primal of his Court, Kolis insists he should be loyal to him—his King.

When Sera tells him that he should be thrilled that Rhain is worried about Nyktos, it confuses him. She explains that the gods in the Courts should care about their Primals. If they don’t, how can they care about their King?

Sera tells him she’ll do whatever he wants if he lets Rhain go. He asks her why she’d want to save the god, and she says she’s trying to prevent a war. She reiterates that she’ll do anything if he promises that Rhain will be returned to the Shadowlands in the same condition he’s in now. He agrees and dismisses Kyn, then informs Sera they’ll be sharing a bed.

Once Sera is bathed and dressed, he comes in and tells her she’s far bolder than before, then asks if what he requested of her was a surprise. She tells him it only surprised her because he offered her to Kyn just moments before. He tells her that her advice to release Rhain was wise and shows that he’s reasonable, fair, and worthy of loyalty. He mentions that the god is back home.

They go to bed.

The next day, Kolis brings Ione to meet Sera. He tells her that the goddess can see into others’ thoughts to uncover truths, lies—all that is needed.

He tells Sera it won’t take long and assures her that Ione will be quick and efficient. He orders her to sit. Kolis takes in her demeanor and says she seems nervous. She replies it’s because a god did this to her before, and it hurt.

Callum fills Kolis in about Taric, and he asks Sera if the god found her.

She says it wasn’t just him, it was him, Cressa, and Madis. She wonders why he had Taric searching for the embers if he already knew where they were, and he tells her that he ordered Taric to look for his graeca, not the embers.

Kolis then asks Sera if the other gods fed from her, and she says only Taric did. He wonders if the god told her what he saw, and Sera says he didn’t have a chance to say anything before Nyktos killed him.

Kolis watches as Ione is pushed from Sera’s mind and demands to know what she saw. The goddess says the embers in Sera are strong, and he gets exasperated. He asks if Sera is his graeca, and Ione tells him she carries the one called Sotoria. That she is her.

He feels nothing but joy.

Kolis asks her more questions, which the goddess answers to his satisfaction

He gets all emotional, and Callum says it has to be a lie. Ione tells him she doesn’t lie and has no reason to.

Discussions rise about how Sera doesn’t look like Sotoria, and Ione explains why. She tells Kolis she’s glad he found his graeca.

After she asks Kolis if he requires anything more of her, he thanks her for her assistance. When she turns to leave, she addresses Sera as Consort. It pisses Kolis off and he interjects that the coronation was neither recognized nor approved.

The goddess leaves, and Sera snaps that she was always telling the truth.

Kolis says he sees that now and dismisses Callum. He approaches her, telling her she looks more like Sotoria when she smiles. When Sera asks about Nyktos and Kolis honoring their deal, he gets angry and can’t stop himself from biting her.

He loses control and finds release. He insists it’ll never happen again and begs her to say something. All she says is she needs a bath.

Later, Kolis walks into Sera’s chambers and asks her and Callum why they always look like they’re about to go at each other’s throats. Sera tells

Kolis that Callum still doesn’t believe that she’s Sotoria. Kolis tells her the Rev is in denial, then reveals that Callum is Sotoria’s brother.

Sera continues bickering with the Revenant, and Kolis comments on their fighting reminding him of how he used to quarrel with Eythos. He then tells Sera—as Sotoria—how she had two siblings: Anthea and Callum.

He informs Sera how he went to Sotoria’s family to apologize when she left him, remembering how her parents cowered. Only Callum remained unafraid. He tells her that they talked, and Callum shared details about Sotoria.

He continues, saying Callum mourned his sister and felt responsible.

When Sera asks why he would feel that way, Kolis tells her that Callum was supposed to be with Sotoria but was instead screwing the baker’s daughter.

She asks how Callum became a Revenant, and Kolis tells her how the boy used a small knife to cut his throat. He tells Sera how he held them both as they died, adding that he couldn’t allow Callum to perish, so Death gave life.

She asks him if Revenants are demis, and he tells her they’re not, adding that they’ll discuss it more when there aren’t more pressing matters to attend to. Kolis tells Callum to leave them.

He wants to talk to Sera about the deal they made. He tells her that Nyktos has not been released, adding that he’s not reneging, but his nephew is in stasis, and that needs to be resolved.

She asks what that means, and he tells her that Ash lashed out when he woke, and Kolis had to ensure he behaved.

Sera asks how he is, and Kolis admits that telling her would likely upset her. She argues that not knowing will only make her worry more. Seeing her so affected by news of another bothers him. He tells her as much and adds that he practically feels the worry seeping from her pores.

He wonders what inspires her care for Nyktos and her fear for him, saying she wasn’t afraid of him at first but that’s since changed. He then mentions Eythos having heightened intuition and foresight and says he gets why she seemed frightened after he threatened someone she cares about and saw him as Death, but he doesn’t understand the timing of the changes in her.

She seems shocked, and he reasserts that he apologized and said it would never happen again. She insinuates that he forced himself on her.

He says he realizes his display of love was intense, and she argues it was much more than that.

He asks what will make it okay. She tells him she needs some time.

He gets angry and tells her that his word should be sufficient to garner trust, and she tells him she doesn’t know him. That hits him hard. He gets more upset and yells that he’s the King of Gods.

When she seems afraid, he pulls back and then orders her to say something. She begrudgingly utters a thank you.

Kolis apologizes once more and then scolds her for using the embers.

She argues that Callum provoked her, and he says the essence does not belong to her and is not hers to use.

He takes care of some things and then watches his so’lis sleep. When she wakes, he asks who she was dreaming of—she was smiling. He then notices the scents of mountain air and citrus.

She says she doesn’t remember her dreams, and he informs her that they’ll start fresh. He asks how he can make that easier for them and tells her there’s no limit to what he’ll do for her. He offers her things he can think of, and she tells him she wants out of the cage.

It makes him happy that she wants to spend time with him. She asks him what he plans to do about the embers, and he tells her he’ll take them and Ascend her. When she asks what Ascension will mean for her, he says she’ll become an Ascended.

She wonders what will happen when he Ascends, and he tells her he will ensure loyalty in both realms.

Kolis lets her out after breakfast. They walk, with Elias guarding them. Sera asks if it’ll be night anytime soon, and he tells her it will be in about a week, explaining that it’s only night once per month. When she seems shocked she’s been in Dalos for so long, Kolis tells her that she slept for several days after her escape attempt.

She asks Kolis how many live within the City of the Gods, and he tells her there aren’t many left. When she asks what happened, he tells her they’re dead at the hands of the Fates. He admits that he had a hand in some of the death, too.

When Sera sees all the alcoves, Kolis notices the look on her face and asks about it. She replies that it’s just a lot of sex. He wonders if it bothers

her, and she says it doesn’t. Still sensing her confusion, he explains that being near Death makes the living want to live.

They get to the Council Hall, and he notices her nervousness. She says it’s the crowd. He tells her she needn’t worry. When she says she knows, it makes him happy that she’s coming to trust him.

Kolis takes the throne, and Callum brings in a floor pillow for Sera. A server brings around a tray, and Kolis tells Sera to have a drink.

He notices Keella and says he hasn’t seen her in a while. She says she’s come because of Sera and knows who she is. Kolis tells her she should; after all, she knows who she really is. He then asks if she knew about Sotoria before the coronation.

Keella addresses Sera using her Shadowlands title and asks about Nyktos. Kolis gets irritated and says the Primal-killer is where he should be. Keella then inquires if he did it to protect his Consort. Kolis doesn’t really answer but says his nephew’s actions could have had lasting consequences.

Keella says another has risen. It should be celebrated and seen as a blessing. Then she asks if Kolis is going to stop what he’s doing since it goes against tradition and honor.

He tells her that he didn’t sanction the coronation. Turning to Kyn, he asks if he gave permission, and Kyn backs him up.

Keella asks if Sera will be released when Nyktos is, and Kolis tells her she’s not going back to him at all. When the Primal asks if she is there of her own free will, Kolis suggests she ask Sera herself. Sera says she’s in Dalos by choice.

Noticing an exchange between one of the servants and a god, Sera asks if the Chosen have free will. He says they’ve had nearly all their choices made for them all their lives, then looks at the couple and says it appears as if the servant is enjoying herself. Sera disagrees. He tells her that where they couldn’t be touched or spoken to in the mortal realm, they can in Dalos. He says Sera views them as victims, whereas he sees those starved for what’s been forbidden. He tells her that the Chosen have opportunities in Dalos. They can shed their veils or Ascend.

He reveals that the couple’s names are Orval and Malka, and they are known to each other. She asks what would happen if they weren’t, and Kolis asks her if it matters. She emphatically says it does, and he points out another couple. He mentions the servant’s name is Jacinta and tells her the god is Evander. He then adds that Evander is turned on by pain. Looking at

Sera, he asks her what she would do if she could. She says she’d kill him and then asks what Kolis would do to her. He tells her he wouldn’t do anything.

Sera stands abruptly and asks for a weapon. Kolis calls for Elias, and the god hands over one of his daggers.

Amused, Kolis watches her walk up to Jacinta and Evander, grab the god by the hair, and tell the woman to leave. Then, she strikes.

And the screaming starts.

Kolis orders his people to remove Jacinta and Evander’s body. When Naberius moves toward Sera, Kolis tells him to stand down.

Sera returns to the dais, and Kolis asks her why she thinks she knew what was going on. She clearly starts to say that he told her, so he interrupts and says he merely asked her what she would do. He never said that Evander was forcing Jacinta.

Sera argues that she saw the tears on Jacinta’s face, and Kolis asks her if they were tears of pain or pleasure. He goes on to say that she only hears what she wants to hear and thinks about herself. Just like his nephew. Just like his brother. She argues some more and then asks whose Court Evander belonged to. Kolis tells her he was from the Thyia Plains.

Which means he got a little retribution on Keella for questioning him, too.

Attes calls to Kolis, telling him it’s time to start court. He orders Sera to sit. He talks to two gods and decides he’s had enough of disrespect. He kills the god who accused another of cheating and refused to show his King what he’s due.

Sera appears displeased and asks if this is really how he wants them to spend time together. He tells her he’s multitasking. He wants to be with her, but he has things to do. She adds that she never expected this when she asked for time out of the cage, and he asks what she means. She tells him that he’s only shown her death. He questions more, and she mentions Evander. He says that’s on her, and she breaks down the errors in that statement, then adds that he killed a god for calling another a cheat.

He says it’s about maintaining control and balance. She questions that, and he says every action has a reaction. Disrespect is met with an appropriate response: death. She asks if she is to be sentenced to death, and he tells her she’s different. He won’t punish her.

And he won’t. Unless she makes him.

He tells her to stand and come to him, ordering her to sit on his lap. He continues with what he was saying, repeating that he won’t punish her but will rethink their deals. He asks if she understands. When she says she does, he tells her he’s capable of more than just death.

He wishes people would see that. I can’t imagine how they could…

Veses addresses Kolis, and he beckons her forward. They talk for a bit. Kolis asks Veses if she recognizes Sera. The Primal says she isn’t sure,

and Sera calls her out as a liar. She tells Kolis they met in the Shadowlands.

He finds that very interesting, since the Primal never told him that.

Veses and Kolis talk some more, and Kolis goads Veses, thoroughly enjoying himself. She’s just so easy to manipulate. He insinuates that Veses would do anything he asked of her, she agrees, and he can see the distaste on Sera’s face.

Good, Sotoria doesn’t like the idea of him being with another. He’s delusional…

Veses asks Sera why she’s there, saying she thought she was the Shadowlands’ Consort. Kolis tells her she’s wrong and says he never gave permission. Veses then assumes that Sera’s presence must be punishment, and he corrects her. Veses says she could find something less crushing for Kolis to use to warm his lap if that’s what’s going on, and it pisses him off. He orders the Primal goddess to apologize and tells Veses she’s speaking to his graeca. She says it’s impossible and must be a lie, but he insists he had it confirmed.

When Kolis orders her to apologize again, Veses does, but not happily.

Then she tells him she’s happy for him. He doesn’t believe that for a minute.

Before she leaves, Kolis summons her back and says that she still disappointed him and must be punished. He calls Kyn over, and watches in amusement as he begins carrying out the punishment.

Sera tries to stop it, and Kolis asks her what she’s doing. She says that what he’s doing isn’t right and asks him to stop. He pushes back, and she tells him it’s the right thing to do. Furious, he rises and tells her they’re returning to her quarters. Before they leave, Phanos tells Kolis he needs to talk to him. He says he’ll be right back.

They return to the cage, and Kolis chastises Sera, reminding her that he told her not to question him or use the embers, yet she did both. He details

what he’s done for her and says she isn’t appreciative. He tells her that he wanted to show her what he’s risking for her and orders her to obey her King.

Weeping, he chains her, saying he wants to hate her for making him do this to her, but he can only love her. When she acts as if she doesn’t believe him, he tells her she’s still alive. Nobody else who questioned him would be. And that’s proof of his love.

After court, Kolis reenters and releases the shackles. Sera cries out and sags into his arms. He apologizes.

The Chosen bring in stuff for a bath, and Kolis tells her to bathe, rest, and all will be well.

After Sera wakes, he comes back and tells her she looks lovely. She apologizes, and it shocks Kolis, but he tells her he understands.

He asks her to walk with him and has Callum and Elias trail along after them. He takes her into a side chamber and calls for Iason and Dyses, who bring in a Chosen named Jove.

She tells him he doesn’t have to prove anything, and he insists he must show her what he can do. She tries to talk him out of it, and he simply instructs the Chosen to unveil himself. Kolis asks Jove how he is and tells him he’ll be blessed.

Jove replies that it’s an honor. Sera tries again to stop Kolis, and he tells her she’s always had a kind heart.

He insists she needs to know why it’s so important. Balance is necessary.

She asks if he can at least make it so it doesn’t hurt and he thinks that’s easy enough. Instead, he makes sure Jove finds pleasure.

As the steps are completed, Kolis explains the process of what he’s doing and calls Elias over to give Jove his blood. He tells her that without the embers of life, the Chosen become the Ascended, but he’s been working on the drawbacks, like their sun intolerance and bloodlust.

Sera wonders what happens if they can’t control their hunger, and he says they’re put down. He adds that gluttonous gods were killed under Eythos’s rule, as well, and he was used as the weapon to do it.

He talks about the creation of life and how he cares. She asks about the difference between the Ascended and the Craven, and he explains that the Craven are dead, then elaborates.

He assures her that the newly made Ascended are watched. The one she encountered would have been, too, if she hadn’t tried to escape and pulled the guards from their posts.

She asks what happens if an Ascended chooses not to feed, and he tells her they will weaken, their bodies eventually giving out. They discuss how everything created or born has the potential to become a murderer.

He tells her the Primal of Death is supposed to remain distant from anyone they may have to judge—all but the other Primals and the draken. He complains that it wasn’t that way for the Primal of Life and goes on to say that it made sense to the Arae, and it all comes back to the balance established when the Ancients created the realms.

Sera chimes in that she thought Eythos created them. Kolis tells her that he created some but not the realms. The Ancients were not the first Primals, nor can any Primal become an Ancient. He tells her there must always be a true Primal of Life and a true Primal of Death.

Later, Kolis suggests another walk, and Sera asks him where Callum is. He tells her that he sent him away to handle something important. She asks about the Revs, wanting to know if they need things like friendship, love, and sex. He tells her they don’t, just like they don’t need food or blood.

They are only driven by their desire to serve their creator.

She says she can’t imagine not wanting anything, and he counters that he thinks it would be freeing.

She returns to the topic of Callum, noting his uniqueness. Kolis agrees, revealing that the Revenant is driven by intense desires and needs. As they approach the stairs, he instructs Elias to stay back and ascends with Sera. He reflects on how he once heard that motivation influences creation, suggesting that feeling leads to becoming. However, he admits uncertainty, as his attempts with others have failed.

Kolis takes her high above to view the City of the Gods. When she inquires about the Fates clearing the city, he explains that they act as they please, especially when the balance is disturbed.

He recounts offering the gods in Dalos a choice: serve him as the Primal of Life or face death. He killed half, which displeased the Fates, leading them to annihilate the rest. He concedes that he could have been less impulsive.

Seeing Sotoria in Sera, but more intense, he wishes she looked as she once did, which offends Sera. He doesn’t understand and asks what she needs to forgive him.

When she mentions a unique silver diamond she once desired, he offers to retrieve it for her. She doubts Calliphe still has it, but he reveals he possesses one. At her request to see it, he obliges, taking her back to the cage and summoning the cluster, transforming it into a star-shaped silvery diamond.

He explains it’s called The Star, created by dragon fire long before Primals shed tears of joy, and that he found it by chance.

When she asks why he keeps it hidden, he says it’s with what he cherishes most. Allowing her to hold it, he observes her reaction.

Suddenly, she exclaims, “You cried,” startling him. He demands to know what she saw and snatches the diamond back, returning it to its place. His Primal form emerges, and she counters with the embers. He warns her that the consequences are her responsibility.

He traps her, but she seizes control, dismantling the cage and chamber. She attacks him, and despite his pleas to stop, she throws his own words back at him.

Realizing she witnessed his brother’s final moments, he doesn’t resist as she moves to stab him with a bone. She gets close, declaring she wants him to remember her desire to kill him. She stabs him repeatedly, leaving him weakened and in stasis.