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Veses stared straight ahead, her features pinched. “As long as the balance is maintained, which Kolis has done despite the fact that most of you would not give him credit for such, the Ancients will stay where they belong. In the ground.” Her slim arms folded over her waist. “Him rising as such a Primal would not change that.”
“But it would,” I said. “No Primal of Life and Death should exist, for such a being would have the very powers the Ancients split from themselves to create the Primals.” My brows knitted. “It would not wake them all, but the shift of power would disrupt the stasis of enough of them that the damage to the realm would be the same.”
“Kolis wouldn’t risk it then.” Phanos’s breath was ragged.
I looked at Kyn. “Would he risk it?”
Kyn only smirked.
“Fates,” Maia whispered. Horror filled her beautiful features. “He could’ve doomed us all—more than he already has.”
“If you feel that our King has doomed us, why have you not said anything, Maia?” Veses shot back. “You have had countless opportunities to speak your mind.”
I hated to admit it, but Veses almost had a point. “Every single Primal in here could’ve said something—done something to stop Kolis.” I could feel Attes’s stare boring into me, and I knew he was thinking about the conversation we’d had while I was in Dalos. “But what would that have gained any of you but punishment and horror?”
“As we’ve said, each of us has had to survive,” Ash spoke, his gaze sweeping over those below. “We are giving you the chance to do more than simply survive.”
“And to do that,” I said, “we have no intention of ruling as Kolis or even Eythos did.”
That got everyone’s attention.
Veses lowered her hand. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I will not be the only one making decisions, deciding the future of the realms and the lives of everyone within them.” My heart skipped a beat. “I will not rule with a Consort at my side. I will rule with a King at my side.”
Phanos’s arms unfolded, and Maia’s mouth dropped open.
My eyes met Ash’s. “We will rule together as King and Queen.”
“Wow,” Veses exclaimed, clapping her hands. “What a novel approach. So groundbreaking.”
I tried counting again. I didn’t even make it past one. “I swear to the Fates, Veses, I am doing everything in my power not to slam you face-first through a wall, but you are really testing me.”
Veses’ red-painted lips parted.
“I strongly advise you to rethink whatever is about to drip from your tongue.” Shadows rose along Ash’s legs as he stared down at Veses. “Seraphena likes you even less than I do. You piss her off, and I will not stop her until she nearly destroys you.”
It took every ounce of maturity I had not to smile as Veses shut her wretched mouth.
“You say you’re trying to be a better person,” Phanos cut in. “Combined with what you’ve already done, that threat doesn’t sound like you really mean it.”
“Seraphena said she was trying to be a better person,” Ash replied coolly. “I did not.”
Phanos stiffened. “Then let me rephrase my question. How would ruling as a King or Queen be any different if only one of you shows restraint?”
“Both would show restraint if you all would shut the fuck up for five seconds,” Attes retorted.
Kyn’s head jerked in his brother’s direction.
“However, unlike them, I have no need for restraint.” Attes looked over his shoulder. “Think about that before you say something to me.”
Kyn’s jaw jutted, and he faced forward, crossing his arms.
Attes smirked.
Keella cleared her throat. “So, you two would rule equally?”
Taking a step back, Ash lifted my hand to his mouth. He pressed a kiss to the top as his eyes met mine. “Yes and no,” he said, lowering my hand and letting go. My heart practically melted. “We would rule equally with the other Primals.”
A hushed sound went through the throne room, and not a single Primal before me didn’t look shocked. They hadn’t been expecting that, and their stu
Phanos recovered first. “What exactly are you saying?”
“I don’t think any one person should rule all, nor do I believe that two people should control everything,” I said, keeping my hope in check. “There needs to be a…balance. And all of us need to have a vested interest and shared responsibility in all decisions. There needs to be fairness, and I think this is the only way.”
“That is not the way the Courts were established.” Phanos sounded incredulous.
“So?” I said. “Just because it hasn’t been done doesn’t mean it can’t be.”
“But it does,” he insisted. “That’s not what the Ancients intended.”
“I hate to sound repetitive, but…so?” I replied. “There is no law prohibiting such a thing.”
Phanos’s eyes widened as if I had suggested we set fire to all the Temples in the mortal realm.
“Do any of you think Kolis would offer to share power with you?” Ash asked. “True power that comes without conditions?”
“Does serving you come without conditions?” Phanos asked.
I opened my mouth but stopped, shaking my head. “Siding with us isn’t exactly free of conditions, but we would never ask you to sacrifice your people. And I”—I swallowed hard—“I am truly sorry for what you had to give.”
Phanos lowered his gaze, his jaw hardening.
“Nyktos and I are not perfect. I have already made grave mistakes, and I am sure we will make more, but we will never ask you to kill someone who displeased us or punish someone you care for because we’re unhappy with you,” I continued. “We will not slaughter i
Veses’ features sharpened until I saw shades of gray beneath her flesh.
“We will not imprison people for our twisted pleasure, and we will not play you against one another.” My chin lifted. “We don’t want a war that will spill over into the mortal realm. We don’t want to leave Iliseeum soaked in the blood of gods and draken. All we ask is that you stand with us against Kolis.”
Silence greeted my words.
“There is just one more thing each of you needs to be aware of before you choose,” Ash said. “Two of you will not get the opportunity to make that choice.”
“Oh, I wonder who those two are.” Kyn barked out a laugh and moved forward a few feet. A smug smile twisted his handsome features. “I’d rather be fucked by one of my hounds,” he said, making Veses’ lip curl, “than swear allegiance to either of you.”
My lips curved into a small smile as I met his glare. I didn’t look away when Ash drifted to the edge of the dais.
“You can go ahead and leave, Veses,” he said.
The Primal Goddess of Rites and Prosperity’s brows flew up. “So, that’s how this plays out? You’re not even going to ask for my support?”
I rolled my eyes.
“No,” he answered. “We already know where you stand, and even if you offered it, we don’t want it.”
She inhaled sharply. “Then why was I even summoned here? Other than you wanting to be graced by my presence?”
I rolled my eyes again.
“We wanted you to know what you could have had.” Ash’s smile sent chills down my spine. “Real freedom. No fear. True power. Now, you will have what you deserve. Nothing.”
Her chin dipped as eather flared in her eyes. “That was u
“You have no idea the effort it is taking for me not to fuck you up.” Essence throbbed hotly, rising with my anger. “So, do not finish whatever disgusting, twisted thing was about to come out of your mouth.”
Her arms unfolded, and her skin thi
“Are you out of your mind?” Attes whipped his head toward her. “You’re really going to threaten her?”
“Don’t try to reason with the dumb bitch,” Bele tossed out. “I want to see what happens if she tries something.”
Veses smirked, holding my stare. “I tried to talk some sense into you before. I warned you that you would regret not taking Kolis’s deal. What happened to your family is your fault.”
I stiffened.
“Leave,” Ash ordered. “Now.”
Veses huffed out a laugh and stepped back. Tendrils of mist gathered at her feet. “You all are making a mistake,” she cast out with a sharp slice of her hand. “You’ll see.”
“Veses?” I called out to her. Her narrowed gaze swept to mine. I gave her a smile. “I’ll be seeing you soon.”
The Primal goddess vanished with a hiss.
“Fates, I hate that bitch,” Bele muttered.
Maia laughed and smoothed her hands over her hips. “We are in perfect agreement there.”
“Kyn?” Ash said.
The Primal lifted his stare to the dais, smirking. I waited until his arrogant gaze met mine before I said, “You will die.”
The smile slipped from his face. It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
“You sound a lot like Kolis,” Phanos remarked.
“I said I would not rule like Eythos or Kolis. I will not be u
Kyn’s eyes narrowed, and he swung his head toward Attes. “What do you have to say about that, brother?”
Attes didn’t turn around, and I knew what he said next must have hurt him. “I have no brother.”
“That’s how you feel?” Kyn sneered.
“That’s what you caused.”
Kyn’s flesh thi
Phanos’s gaze met mine and then shifted to Ash. “You’re right. We have all just been surviving,” he said. “But even on the off chance you can force Kolis to abandon his rule, he will not fall in line. You’re a fool if you believe that. He will seek vengeance against everyone who stood against him and those who even considered it.”
I tensed.
“I know you don’t want to hear that, or maybe you don’t like it, but even if Kolis is removed from Dalos, he will not simply go away. He will want retribution.”
I wanted to tell him that simply forcing Kolis out wasn’t our ultimate end goal, but instinct warned me to stay quiet.