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“You carry the Primal embers of life. You have from birth, thanks to my brother.” The golden flecks stilled in his eyes. “And now you are the bearer of two crowns.”
Two crowns.
I inhaled, chest tightening. The crown of the Consort and the crown of a Princess. “That was why you waited. For me to be crowned?”
“Yes.”
“Then why did you delay—?” Bringer of life to mortal, god, and draken. My stomach cramped. “You needed me to restore the draken’s life.”
That smile of his returned and sent a dual bolt of dread and anger through me. Because Attes had been playing us even then with Thad’s life.
“I needed to make sure the embers had reached that point of power. That you were at the point the prophecy referenced for the rest to take place.”
What had Kolis said when I demanded to know what taking Thad’s life would give him? He’d said it would tell him everything he needed to know. And it had. “Is there more to the prophecy?”
Callum’s laugh echoed behind me.
Kolis nodded. “‘And the great powers will stumble and fall, some all at once, and they will fall through the fires into a void of nothing. Those left standing will tremble as they kneel, will weaken as they become small, as they become forgotten. For finally, the Primal rises, the giver of blood and the bringer of bone, the Primal of Blood and Ash.’”
My lips parted as my eyes widened. “The Primal of Blood and Ash…” A shudder of disbelief coursed through me. A being that should not exist. “A Primal of Life and Death.”
“Clever girl,” Kolis remarked.
“I’m not a girl,” I snapped, my arm falling to my side. “And one does not have to be that clever. It’s literally said right in the prophecy.”
“No, you’re not a girl,” he purred, sending a curl of disgust through me. “You are the vessel who will fulfill what the Ancients dreamt of. Who will give me what I want.”
“And that’s…to do what? Rule over Iliseeum and the mortal realm?” I laughed. “Sounds to me like it will only give you what you deserve.”
“And that is?”
“Your death.”
Kolis’s still eyes met mine, and several seconds ticked by as tiny bumps spread across my flesh. “You would think that. Perhaps that is what it originally foreshadowed, but I suppose the Ancients never thought I’d try to change it. That I’d dare to do so. Apparently, it was acceptable—even foretold—that Eythos set things in motion.” A sneer accompanied the mention of his brother. “But me?” He laughed coldly. “No, they thought I’d just stand by and do nothing. They should’ve foreseen that, but even in their dreams, they underestimated me. What I will do to not only stay alive but also get what I want. And that is to be the one, Seraphena. The begi
His eyes began to glow. “There will be no need for mortal Kings. There will be no need for any other Primal. Not when a Primal of Life and Death has risen.”
A new horror descended over me. “You…you want to kill all the Primals?”
“Most of them. Yeah. What?” He snorted. “You look surprised. Come now, you’ve met a few of them.” He shook his head. “You’ve seen firsthand how fucking a
Well, I couldn’t argue with that, but…
“Whiny, sniveling brats who have forgotten the way things were. When we were respected and feared by not just mortals but also by the gods. When even the draken bowed to us.” His lip curled. “When power actually meant something.”
I took a step forward. “Do you not already have enough power? You’ve crowned yourself King of Gods. You already usurp any mortal ruler, as do the other Primals.” Anger flooded my senses. “Why would you need more power?”
“Why? What a silly fucking question,” he replied, and Callum laughed on cue. “One only a mortal would ask. Besides the fact that if I do nothing, I die? Power isn’t infinite or limitless. Another can always rise. Power can always be taken, leaving you weakened and incapable of protecting yourself or those you care for.”
“As if you care for anyone but yourself,” I snapped.
His eyes flashed pure gold, then he was inside the cage. With me. He remained several feet from me, but I felt his hand on my throat, squeezing tighter than the band there.
“As if you know a thing about me that hasn’t been told to you, Seraphena.” He took a step, the edges of his body blurring. “You think I’m the villain?”
I breathed in, but the pressure sealed off my throat. My hands flew to my neck.
“You think I’m the only villain in this tale? That the other Primals deserve to continue when they did nothing to help me when my brother ruled as King? Not one of them? That the mortals who carry wealth and prestige are i
I couldn’t breathe.
He took another step forward. “Every mortal wants it. Every god. Every Primal. Even Eythos. What do you think he was setting up his son to become by putting the embers of life in the mortal promised to him as a Consort? ‘A silver beast with blood seeping from its jaws of fire, bathed in the flames of the brightest moon to ever be birthed will become one.’ Emphasis on the will-become-one part. Eythos put those embers in you so his son could take them—something Nyktos would’ve done the moment he knew he was ready, if he’d been aware of what it meant. He wanted Nyktos to be the Primal—the silver beast. To not only overthrow me and end me, but because Eythos knew his days were numbered. After all, the Ancients dreamt of just such a powerful being as the Primal of Blood and Ash. He knew what that meant for him, but he also knew that once his son took those embers and Ascended, Nyktos could even raise him.”
I wheezed, shaking.
Eyes burning like pools of gold, he dipped his head. “Eythos always hated me. Do you know why? Because he loved Mycella, and Mycella loved me. It didn’t matter that I didn’t return those sentiments. That I never acted upon what she felt. He still hated me, and that was why he refused the only fucking thing I ever asked of him.” Kolis’s chest rose sharply. “If he hadn’t, it wouldn’t have changed any of this. The Ancients still had their dreams. Their visions. He still would’ve needed to die, but he could’ve saved the lives of so many others, including his precious Mycella—and all the lives his son had to take in place of him.”
I clawed at my throat, my veins bulging as my vision darkened—
The pressure released suddenly. I sagged, falling to my knees and palms. Gagging, I dragged deep gulps of air into my aching throat.
“But here we are.” Kolis knelt. “Just as promised.” He cupped my chin. Even though his handling was gentle, I flinched as he tipped my head back. “Do you know what’s about to happen, Seraphena?”
My throat was too raw to form words as I met his stare, but I knew exactly what would happen.
“I am about to drain you. I will take every drop of your blood. Even the last,” he said softly. “Then I will take the embers of life, and I will rise. I will complete my final Ascension. I will become the Primal of Life and Death. Those who do not bow to me and relinquish their Courts and kingdoms to me will die.” He leaned in, stopping when his face was mere inches from mine. “And I think you know what that means for my nephew.”
I shuddered.
“Yeah, you do.” His thumb swept over my cheek. “I will have what I want. What I deserve. Finally. Because…nothing”—he began to rise, forcing me to my feet—“absolutely nothing will be forbidden. Impossible. Not even what has been hidden from me.”
Sotoria.
He spoke of her.
“Seraphena Mierel,” Kolis murmured, bringing his mouth to my temple. “You kept the embers safe. You dared to use them. You made sure they were ready for me. Words can never do justice to the gratitude I feel. But thank you.”