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Frigid
Scorched
Cursed
Don’t Look Back
The Dead List
Till Death
The Problem with Forever
If There’s No Tomorrow
Anthologies
Meet Cute
Life Inside My Mind
Fifty First Times
Acknowledgments from the Author
Behind every book is a team of people who helped make it possible. Thank you to Blue Box Press—Liz Berry, Jillian Stein, MJ Rose, Chelle Olson, Kim Guidroz, Jessica Saunders, and the amazing editing and proofreading teams. I’d also like to thank the wonderful team at Social Butterfly. And Michael Perlman and the entire team at S&S for their hardcover distribution support and expertise. Also, to Hang Le for her incredible talent at design; my agents Kevan Lyon and Taryn Fagerness; my assistant, Malissa Coy; shop manager Jen Fisher; and the brain behind ApollyCon and more: Steph Brown. Also, the JLAnders mods, Vonetta Young and Mona Awad. Thank you all for being the most amazing, supportive team an author could want, for making sure these books are read all across the world, creating merch, helping with plot issues, and more.
I also need to thank those who’ve helped keep my head above water, either by helping me work my way out of a plot corner or just by being there to make me laugh, be an inspiration, or to get me in or out of trouble—KA Tucker, Kristen Ashley, JR Ward, Sarah J. Maas, and Brigid Kemmerer (one of these days I will be able to spell your last name without looking it up). Also, Kayleigh Gore for always being down to randomly read an out-of-context chapter, Steve Berry for story times, Andrea Joan, Stacey Morgan, Margo Lipschultz, and so many more.
A big thank you to JLAnders for always creating a fun and often hilarious place to chill. And to the ARC team for your honest reviews and support.
Most importantly, none of this would be possible without you, the reader. I hope you realize how much you mean to me.
Table of Contents
Book Description
About Je
Also From Je
Acknowledgments from the Author
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Chapter Forty
Chapter Forty-One
Chapter Forty-Two
Chapter Forty-Three
Chapter Forty-Four
Chapter Forty-Five
Chapter Forty-Six
Chapter Forty-Seven
Author’s Note
Discover More From Je
Discover More From 1001 Dark Nights and Blue Box Press
Special Thanks
Dedication
To you, the reader. Without you, none of this would be possible. Thank you.
Map
To see a full version of the map, visit
https://theblueboxpress.com/alitfmap/
Pronunciation Guide
Characters
Aios – a-uh-us
Andreia – ahn-dray-ah
Attes – AT-tayz
Aurelia – au-REL-ee-ah
Baines – baynz
Bele – bell
Dorcan – dohr-can
Dyses – DEYE-seez
Ector – ehktohr
Ehthawn – EE-thawn
Embris – EM-bris
Erlina – Er-LEE-nah
Ernald – ER-nald
Eythos – EE-thos
Ezmeria – ez-MARE-ee-ah
Gemma – jeh-muh
Halayna – ha-LAY-nah
Hanan – hay-nan
Holland – HAA-luhnd
Jadis – JAY-dis
Kayleigh – KAY-lee
Keella – kee-lah
King Saegar – [king] SAY-gar
Kolis – CO-lis
Kyn – kin
Lailah – lay-lah
Lathan – LEY-THahN
Loimus – loy-moos
Madis – mad-is
Maia – MY-ah
Marisol – MARE-i-soul
Mycella – MY-cell-AH
Nektas – NEC-tas
Nyktos – NIK-toes
Odetta – OH-det-ah
Orphine – OR-feen
Peinea – pain-ee-yah
Penellaphe – pen-NELL-uh-fee
Phanos – FAN-ohs
Polemus – pol-he-mus
Rhahar – RUH-har
Rhain – rain
Saion – SI-on
Sera – SEE-ra
Seraphena – SEE-ra-fee-na
Sotoria – so-TOR-ee-ah
Taric – tae-ric
Tavius – TAY-vee-us
Thad – thad
Theon – thEE-awn
Veses – VES-ees
Places
Cauldra Manor – call-drah [manor]
Dalos – day-los
Iliseeum – AH-lee-see-um
Kithreia – kith-REE-ah
Lasania – la-SAN-ee-uh
Lotho – LOW-tho
Massene – ma-see-nuh
Pillars of Asphodel – [pillars of] AS-foe-del
Sirta – SIR-ta
Triton Isles – TRY-ton [Isles]
Vathi – VAY-thee
Terms
Arae – air-ree
benada – ben-NAH-dah
Cimmerian – sim-MARE-ee-in
dakkai – di-ah-kee
eather – ee-thor
graeca – gray-cee
imprimen – IM-prim-en
kardia – CAR-dee-ah
kiyou wolf/wolves – ki-you [wolf/wolves]
meeyah Liessa – MEE-yah LEE-sa
sekya – sek-yah
sparanea – SPARE-ah-nay-ah
Chapter 1
“You are the heir to the lands and seas, skies and realms. A Queen instead of a King. You are the Primal of Life,” Nyktos—the Asher, the One who is Blessed, the Guardian of Souls and the Primal God of Common Men and Endings—rasped. Those lips of his that had whispered heated words against my skin and had also spoken cold, brutal truths were now parted. Wide, silver eyes churning with streams of luminous eather—the essence of the gods—fixed on mine. A sort of awe and wonder softened the cold lines of his high, broad cheekbones, his blade-straight nose, and cut jaw.
Wavy, reddish-brown hair fell against golden-bronze cheeks as he lowered himself to one knee, placing his left hand flat on the throne room floor and his right palm over his chest.
Nyktos was bowing to me.
I recoiled from him. “What are you doing?”
“The Primal of Life is the most powerful being in all the realms, usurping all other Primals and gods,” Sir Holland said. Except he was no longer the man I once knew as a knight of the Royal Guard of Lasania, or a mere mortal. He was one of the Arae—an actual, godsforsaken Fate, neither god nor mortal. Able to see the past, present, and future of all, the Arae weren’t beholden to any Primal Court.