Born of Blood and Ash

Veses screamed, her back arching as thick blood poured into my mouth and down my throat. Her blood was sweet—too sweet—and tasted of roses.

Tearing through the delicate flesh of her throat, I reared back and then spat a mouthful of blood in Veses’ face.

Bele laughed.

Veses fell back against the stone, panting.

I forced myself to lift my fingers from her wrist, catching a glimpse of the deep, crescent-shaped slices in her skin that my nails had left behind. Then I made myself stand and back away from her as the strange tingling sensation faded from my skin.

I dragged the back of my hand across my mouth, wiping away the blood as Rhain and Nektas rose. “Get up and get the fuck out of here,” I bit out. “And do not ever come back looking for Nyktos. If you do, I will prove you right.”

Breathing heavily, she sat up. Bloodstained curls fell across her chest as she looked at me.

“That this is an act,” I said and felt Nektas’s questioning stare on me.

The Primal stood with far more grace than I would’ve thought capable, especially with her throat torn open and her right hand hanging askew from her broken wrist. Her damn nose had already healed, though.

Veses turned and then stopped.

“Whatever you’re thinking about saying or doing,” Nektas drawled as Ehthawn rose behind him, “I would strongly advise against doing so.”

Veses’ back stiffened, but she faced me, her blood-smeared lips pressed into a thin line. “Kolis offered you a deal,” she said, her voice hoarse. “That’s why I came here. To get Nyktos to convince you to take the deal offered to you.”

“And you thought you could accomplish that?” I stated, not having the mental capacity to wonder if what she said was true.

A subtle flicker of emotion skittered across her face, and a slight tremor hit her hands before she straightened the fingers on her uninjured side. “If you don’t accept the deal, you will regret not doing so.”

Rhain cursed.

A rush of heat traveled up my spine as my eyes locked with hers. “Is that a threat?”

“No,” Veses answered as mist rose, swirling around her legs. “It’s only the truth.”

“Can I talk to you?” Rhain asked as I stalked toward one of the side doors.

Taking a deep breath, I stopped and nodded. It was probably a blessing that Rhain was delaying my return to the younglings. With or without the notam, I didn’t need to be anywhere near them in my current mood…or with Veses’ blood smeared across my chin.

Yuck.

“Can you give us a moment?” Rhain asked Rhahar, who had been trailing behind us.

I stiffened, knowing what was coming as Rhahar gave a way-too-elaborate bow before backing off. “I know I didn’t control my temper out there. You don’t have to tell me.”

“That’s not what I was going to bring up,” he said, much to my surprise. “I…I just wanted to let you know that nothing has changed.” His gaze briefly met mine. “I haven’t told anyone what you did for me, and I won’t.”

I took a step back without realizing it. Denials rose to the tip of my tongue and spilled over. “There’s nothing you could really tell them. You were unconscious—”

“I know you made a deal with Kolis,” Rhain interrupted, his voice low. “I don’t need to know the specifics of what that deal entailed to understand.”

My skin flashed hot with prickly, stinging heat. Pressure clamped down on my chest.

Rhain stepped in closer. “Have you told Nyktos?”

The tightness moved to my throat.

Rhain took my silence as an answer. “That’s what I thought.” He looked across the courtyard, and then his gaze returned to mine. “I know you’re not asking for my advice, and I also know it isn’t my place to say shit, but those details won’t stay between you and Kolis.” His voice dropped even lower. “Kyn was still there, wasn’t he? He knows, and he clearly told Veses.”

The ground felt like it shifted beneath me. “It doesn’t matter. I know you don’t believe me, but nothing happened.”

“Sera—”

“It’s the truth.”

“Diaval knows.” Eather pulsed through his dark golden-brown eyes. “The damn draken overheard everything. I know what Kolis asked for in exchange for my freedom.”

Tonight, we’ll share the same bed.

I couldn’t feel my feet. “Nothing happened,” I insisted. “Kolis only wanted to sleep in the same bed. He didn’t try anything.” The essence sparked within me, and I had to count to five to quell it. “It was nothing, and that is the truth.”

“I…” Rhain swallowed and looked away. “It doesn’t matter if that is the truth when it’s not what others believe. Maybe that is wrong of me to say, but it’s reality. And maybe what I’m about to say is also wrong.” His eyes met mine. “Talk to Nyktos. Tell him before someone takes what should be your words to share and weaponizes them.”